Post Thanksgiving

No picture of Thanksgiving.  I convinced Ryan to go to Cracker Barrel in overalls, but when he realized this could potentially cost us $10 to purchase the clothing at a consignment shop, he changed his mind. :)

Who knew Cracker Barrel would be so busy??? We waited over an hour, but it was worth it!  My only complaint is that we couldn't sit around for hours and release the gut (aka loosen the waistband) because we subconsciously knew there were 2034820348 other people waiting on a table.  Our server was probably 60+ years old and socially awkward, but since it was Thanksgiving we graciously tipped her well over the expected 15%.

After lunner (lunch + dinner), Ryan wanted to check out Best Buy to see if there was a line yet.  You see, Ryan has had his eye on a tablet to take with him on his work adventure for the next few months.  My employee discount on a tablet just wasn't good enough (hmph) so he thought waiting outside with crazy people for almost 12 hours was a better idea.

Being the loving and loyal wife that I am, I dropped him off and went home to a nice warm place with non-crazy people.  I got bored after a few hours, so around 9pm I went back up to Best Buy to join him.  At that point, the line was wrapped around the back of the building.

After people almost got into fist fights, old people screaming ignorant racial slurs, and legit murder threats, Ryan got his beloved tablet.  We got home at 1 am, and I had to be up at work in the morning to work Black Friday.  Thank GOODNESS Ryan saved over $100 on his tablet!  If not, a part time job at McDonald's might of been in my future.  Shew!  We didn't have any crazy sales at work, but we had a good day, nonetheless.

Speaking of work...today was my last day.  It's hard to believe I'll wake up tomorrow and won't have to  go to work.  I'm pretty sure that a month from now I'll still have a voice in the back of my head saying "call your store, find out how they're doing" and "OMG how are we ever going to hit quota".

It was all bittersweet, and I can genuinely say my store has the best team I could of asked for.  The team is such a great mix of loyal, quirky, funny, and smart group to work with.  I really just got to take the credit for what they were able to produce, but I'm going to really, really miss working with them.  I won't miss anything else, but I think the group of folks you work with will make or break your job.  

I was surprised with a buuunch of flowers, and I'm grateful for them.  They definitely made my day and I didn't leave the store without crying.  Ugh why do I have to be such a girl.

This part right here is where I would complain about them and all of the bad things about them and the job, but I know they're sneaky sneaky and will be reading this :)

So, instead, I'll end with a big THANK YOU to my store for giving me this experience and the opportunity to work with ya'll, and I'll be smelling and admiring my flowers all weekend :)

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving is just 2 days away!  I haven't even started thawing my turkey! OMG!

Wait...I know why I don't have a turkey thawing!  It's because I'm not cooking this year!  Woohoo!

Last year was my first year of attempting of making a Thanksgiving dinner.  It was good, but we also ate at 10pm at night.  Since I did a smaller turkey (5 pounds, I think?)  we didn't think it would take a month to cook.  It probably didn't help that Ryan and I kept opening the oven door every 3 seconds to see if the stupid red thing would pop up.

So, Thanksgiving dinner in 2010 was good, but late and a little sad since it was just Ryan, myself and Zoe.

We will be moving in less than 2 weeks and most of our kitchen goodies are now packed up, in boxes, and in a storage unit.  So, how are we going to satisfy our turkey & pumpkin pie cravings this year?

Cracker Barrel.

Yup, for just $6.99 a plate, we can get our filling of all of this and I don't even have to clean one dish.  I'm a little excited about it, but I'm also a little saddened this will be my very first Thanksgiving dinner I've had at a restaurant.  I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but I just hope it doesn't become a tradition :)

I'm still trying to convince Ryan to show up at Cracker Barrel in overalls and a toothpick hanging out of our mouths, but he isn't convinced just yet.  If I do, you better believe there will be pictures coming soon. :)

Sweet Surprises

When I got home from work yesterday, Ryan let me know that his Grandma Bev sent us a little something.

She is the sweetest!

How cute is this box?

I opened it up and a sweet, delicious, cinnamony (is that a word?)  smell hugged my face.  Grandma Bev made some of her famous home made cinnamon rolls!! I first had them when we visited her in 2008 and it was instant love.

I have no clue how she was able to make these while working full time, find such a cute box for them, and then ship them from Florida to Kansas City and keep them fresh and soft and full of happiness.  But, she did.  And we're thankful for them.

See how amazing they look?  They taste even better!

Grandma Bev is the best :)  If you're reading this, thank you!!!

Relief.

I finally did it.

After weeks of debating when, where, and how it should happen, it happened.

I gave my boss my more-than-2-weeks notice.  I was relieved and sad at the same time.  I hate to disappoint, and I know by me leaving at the end of this month it's inconvenient for my store and for my boss.

For those of you who didn't know, Ryan is getting deployed in early December.  We decided it isn't best for me to stay in Kansas City by myself working like a dog through the holidays and the new year.  We also decided that I'm happiest with family and friends, and since Ryan really doesn't care where he lives, we'll be (hopefully) settling down in Charlottesville when he gets back.  This is a big leap of faith considering we have no idea if Ryan's job is going to allow him to transfer when he gets back.

So, the plan is for me to work through the end of November, pack up all of our stuff and store it in a storage unit, and I live like nomad for 4 months on the East Coast until he gets back.  While I'm living as a nomad, Ryan will be working loooong hours and working hard for the money.  So hard for it, honey.

I'm extremely grateful for family and friends to offer up their comfy beds and even allow our b*tchy dog Zoe to stay, too.  There are lots and lots of mixed emotions right now, and here are just a few of them:

Stress - It ain't easy planning logistics with the move, and it's even harder with Ryan and I both working almost 50 hours a week on top of the planning.  We still have to pack, move everything into storage, and I still need to pack for 4 months of living out of a suitcase.

Sadness - Since Ryan and I started dating, we've never gone longer than 2 weeks without seeing eachother.  Now he'll be gone for 4 months and our only form of communication will be telephone and Skype.   Has anyone ever heard Ryan talk on the phone?  He can converse for the MOST 5 minutes in a day, so you probably haven't.  This isn't going to be easy for our relationship, but I know it will only make us stronger.

Anxious - I've spent mayyyyybe 3 weeks total with Ryan's family since we started dating.  Now I'm going to have more time to spend with them since I'll be at the in-laws house for the month of December.  Also, it's been over 4 years since I've spent more than a weekend in Richmond.  I'm going to be living there for a bit now and hanging out with everyone lots.  On top of this, it's been over 6 months since I've seen my niece Rena, and I finally get to watch her grow up a bit.

Comforting - I find comfort in the fact that we'll be able to settle down, buy a house, and eventually start a family of our own.  A permanent address?  No packing or unpacking for years?  Getting to paint the walls of our own house? Not having to quit a year after starting a job? Baby Hibbs running around everywhere? Yes, please.

I'm still not announcing the move to my store because my boss doesn't want me to.  He thinks it's best if I keep it quiet until after Thanksgiving.  I was very relieved to have my boss support my decision even though he wasn't happy about it.  His words, "You're very good at what you do, and I hate that you're leaving."  That made me happy to hear that :) My boss came from a military family and remembers how sad his mom was moving around a bunch, so he understands why we need to move and let me know he'd be happy to transfer me or give a recommendation for another job if needed.  This helps the situation.

SO, the next few weeks are going to be crazy, sad, happy, fast moving, and stressful.  Please keep Ryan in your prayers and I'll blog again soon!

What Happens When You Tell Your Kids You Ate All Their Candy!

Tooooooo funny!! The two boys at the end are the best!