Coming out of college I was 100% sure of what I wanted to do once we moved to Boston. I was going to Northeastern, getting a Masters of Art in Teaching, and teach high school government. I was going to teach for three years, put everything I made towards my student loans and hopefully pay them off within those three years. Then we would get pregnant and I would become full-time mommy just like I’d always wanted.

Instead it went something like this. Before I even moved to Boston, I began wondering if Northeastern was the right place for me. I learned more about the school systems here and just didn’t know if they would be a good fit for me. Shortly after moving here I withdrew from Northeastern and continued the job search. I applied for substitute teaching jobs, political sector jobs, and nanny jobs. I had no interviews or even call backs for teaching or politics. I had three families interested in me as a nanny. The beginning of March I was offered a job as a nanny for twin toddlers.

While all of this was happening I still felt as if I needed more. I needed to be more than a nanny. I needed to use the degree I paid a lot of money to get. I needed to do something. So, in March I enrolled and started at Liberty Seminary working towards a Masters of Christian Education. I took several classes through October. I was going slow, but at least I was working towards something. With this degree I could teach at a Christian school and feel prepared to teach my own children one day. In October I decided to take a break since we would be very busy and traveling during the holidays.

No matter how many different schools, degrees, or jobs I applied for I wasn’t satisfied. I still needed to be something more. Three days before Christmas Micah and I had a very hard and long conversation. I couldn’t even tell him why I was in school anymore or what I was going to do with my degree. I felt ashamed of spending money on a degree I wasn’t using. I felt ashamed of just being a nanny. He listened as I cried and talked. He offered to throw caution to the wind and make me a mommy. But, after praying and sleeping on it we knew the best decision for us was for me to quit school.

So as of December 2011 I am a wife and a nanny. Nothing more. I finally feel like I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be; savoring this time as a family of two, and serving Him in ways we might not be able to later in life.

I pray for the Lord’s continued guidance as we seek His will for our family, and that at all times I would be satisfied in His will.

For Christmas Micah and I spent two weeks in South Carolina visiting family. We spent the first week with his family in Laurens. We got there on Monday afternoon and had a fun-filled week planned for us. Micah and I went to Annie Kate and Amanda’s piano and flute recital on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday were spent at home with family and getting ready for Christmas gatherings. It was a wonderful Christmas spending time watching movies, taking many trips to Wal-Mart, Christmas Eve Eve celebrations, and of course eating lots of goodies. Micah’s mom makes the best chocolate balls so certainly too many of those were consumed while we were there.

After opening Christmas gifts on Christmas morning with Micah’s family we headed to Edisto Island for a week with my family. Spending Christmas at the beach was fun. The weather was sunny and warmer than Boston almost the entire week. It was great to have everyone together for the first time since May. For the first few days Addie was the center of attention. I couldn’t believe how much she had grown since we last saw her, or that she will probably be walking when we see her next.

We took a lot of walks on the beach, played bocce ball, rode bikes, read, napped, and went to Beaufort one day. It was so great being with my family for a whole week. We also snapped a few family photos with Micah and Addie in them.

The whole clan

One of my favorites of Granddaddy and Grandmama, and the cutest niece I know.

One of the greatest mamas I know.

Beautiful sunsets every night.

On Saturday the 17th Micah and I began our journey south for Christmas. We stopped in Washington D.C. for two nights as a mini-getaway to celebrate our anniversary, Sunday the 18th. We stayed within a few blocks of the White House so we were able to just walk around and enjoy the monuments and landmarks.

I really wanted to get a tour of the White House decorated for Christmas, but we were only there one day, Sunday, and they don’t do tours on Sundays. I was very disappointed.

We toured the Air and Space Museum and National Art Gallery, and  walked by the White House, Capitol, and Washington Monument.

The weather was beautiful, chilly but sunny, and the crowds were very manageable. We left D.C. Monday morning to finish the drive to South Carolina. And because I am an excellent trip planner we had Chick-fil-a for breakfast on our way out of D.C., well technically Virginia.

Micah and I celebrated Christmas as a family early before leaving for South Carolina. We woke up on the 10th to have our traditional sausage ball and monkey bread breakfast. I grew up eating sausage balls on Christmas morning and he always had monkey bread, so we had both. We opened our gifts from one another afterwards. I gave him a new IPod and the Nike+ running gadget. I got a new camera bag to hold my growing  collection of lenses and accessories. Micah also completely surprised me with tickets to see the Radio City Rockettes at the Wang Theater and dinner reservations at Blu. We also celebrated our anniversary that night and even got a free dessert at dinner!

Tree in the Boston Common

Inside the Wang Theater. Sorry for the mediocre picture.

We had a great first Christmas with just the two of us.

Micah and I had the opportunity to go to Vermont for Thanksgiving. We stayed in a condo in Quechee ironically near Woodstock. I was almost home for Thanksgiving, just several states away. We got there Wednesday evening, and came home yesterday. On Thursday we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in its entirety, something neither of us had done before. We put puzzles together, read books, watched movies, took naps, and even found a Wal-Mart. I forgot eggs for the mac’n cheese so we had to make a grocery run, and lo and behold there was a Wal-Mart. I was so excited! (We don’t have one of those within an hour of us in Medford). We picked up a few groceries, a tree topper (finally found one we agreed upon at Wal-Mart of all places), and few other things. When we went to check out we were so pleasantly surprised by the final price. Confirms what I always knew, Target is way overpriced.

We had not really planned to do any Black Friday shopping but when we started looking at what stores had on sale we realized they had things for great prices we actually needed. We did a little shopping in New Hampshire on our way back to Massachusetts (tax free!) at Best Buy and Wal-Mart (one more time before heading home of course). Back in Medford we went to Old Navy and Bath and Body Works. There were small(er) crowds than we expected which was a nice surprise, so our Black Friday experience wasn’t bad and didn’t involve any crazy people with pepper spray.

Thanksgiving morning

Thanksgiving lunch for two

Outside of the condo

View from the back porch

The views on the drive were incredible.

It really looked like something from a movie.

We had a great Thanksgiving and thankful for the all of the blessings in our life.

When I was taking the picture of our tree tonight I realized I never posted pictures of our new apartment that we moved into 4 months ago. Sorry.

Our little entryway leading to the living room. This room has so much untapped potential.

Living room. Area to the right with the drum is Micah’s office.

Living room again.

Dining room, looking into living room.

One of my favorite parts about this house, built-in China cabinet in the dining room.

Looking in one door to the kitchen (China cabinet in dining room to the right). Back door is straight ahead. To the right of back door is door to the basement, to the left is the pantry.

Other door into the kitchen. And awesome storage in the hallway. Love the little things like this because it is an old house. So practical.

Kitchen. Lots more counter space, and a sink, behind me I wasn’t able to capture. There is so much space in this kitchen I don’t know what to do with it.  We also have a pantry that isn’t shown to the left.

Hallway. Bathroom and then Master bedroom. Guest bedroom is the left of the brown shelf.

Small peak at the guest bedroom. It was sort of messy and had Christmas presents everywhere.

Master bedroom. Best thing is that we have two closets, hallelujah!

Our picture wall.

And last but not least, the creepy steps to our creepy basement where I have to do laundry. Landlord says we are getting a handrail soon, I’ll be thankful because I trip on a daily basis.

The end.

Hopefully I will get pictures of our Christmas decorations up before Valentine’s day, but don’t count on it.

The Lee home is almost in full Christmas mode. We have a small tree in our entry way, almost all Christmas gifts purchased, most decorations pulled up from the basement, and a list of goodies we are going to make. Now all we are waiting on is Thanksgiving. We have tried so hard to wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating, and we have mostly held out. Other than a little music, a few movies, and our small tree we are doing well. We are excited about Thanksgiving though, don’t want you to think we are overlooking it completely. To be honest though,it just isn’t the same celebrating a holiday that is centered around eating with a lot of people when it is just two of us. Don’t worry though, we have plans.

Just the beginning.

Help! Pinterest is pushing me in to the Christmas spirit, not that I needed help, but while looking through the decoration ideas I realized a problem. I don’t have a mantle or staircase to decorate.

1) Where am I going to put our stockings?

2) Where will my Christmas village go?

3) 99% of the fabulous Christmas decoration ideas on Pinterest are for mantles.

4) Please help. And if it requires any of you to come to Boston to help, do so.

We bought two pumpkins for carving this year. Thursday night at our Community Group we had fellowship time carving pumpkins and eating pumpkin goodies. Micah and I carved a Boston city skyline Thursday night.

Saturday before the game, that we won’t talk about, we carved a Clemson Tiger paw pumpkin

Our house all festive for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters

We haven’t had many trick-or-treaters tonight which is sad and unfortunate because we have a lot of candy. I also need to share that the boys I keep, M & O, are hamburgers tonight for Halloween. I wish I had a picture, but when mom and I were snapping a few pictures this afternoon when she got home from work I was too busy keeping them from eating snow to get a picture with my phone. You’ll have to imagine two adorable 1 year old boys dressed as hamburgers. It was precious!

Have a great week. And to all my mom and teacher friends, I’m sorry that you’ll have to deal with kids on sugar-highs tomorrow.

Last weekend Micah and I got “out of the city” and headed to New Hampshire. We went hiking in the White Mountains, the Ripley Falls trail. We accidentally hiked some of the Appalachian Trail as well, ha.

Approaching the White Mountains

Ripley Falls

Handsome Husband

The Falls

After a rainy hike in to see the falls

After we went hiking we stopped at Moulton Farms to get our carving pumpkins. Sadly I have no pictures from that. It was a fun little day getaway, just unfortunate that the weather did not corporate and it was rainy. We enjoyed it nonetheless!