#102: Got enough kitty litter?

Kristin and I walked past this house that had at least 6 empty kitty litter buckets on the curb. Can we say Cat Lady?!

#101: Rearranging....yet again!

Okay, this is what I do. I figure that I can't just change everything in my life like I sometimes want to. So, I'm forced to make subtle changes to my environment. I've been over this before, I know. And this probably won't be the last time either.
Today I rearranged the furniture again. This time I did both the bedroom and the living room. I thought the living room would be too daunting of a task and that I wouldn't be able to figure out exactly how to get it all situated. Luckily I was wrong. It seriously took me about 8 minutes to change the furniture around! Woohoo!

#100: One year old cake

A strange tradition. Apparently people freeze the top layer of the their cake until their one year anniversary. And then they are supposed to eat it. What?!
Well, our cake has been in my dad's freezer since Phil and I tied the knot a year ago. How gross!
Today we went over there for a Memorial Day cookout and my dad insisted we take our cake- seeing that our anniversary was last week.
I thawed the thing out and nervously opened the box. I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe some psychotic freezer creature about to jump out at me? Maybe a molded cake covered in maggots? I don't know. But I was nervous and grossed out.
When I opened the box though, I was pleasantly surprised. It looked like regular cake! Minus the top of it looked a little melted and strange. And then I got brave and actually tasted it. Mmmm! It was still really good!
I never thought I'd like one year old cake, but in fact, I do!

#99: Where'd the bacon go?

I made bacon the other day, and then I couldn't find it. I knew I didn't make ALL of it, I had just opened it. Where did the bacon go?
Well today I was getting ice out of the freezer and there I saw it...my Bacon!

My brain is not firing on all cylinders lately....

#98: Jake's Graduation

Today Jake graduated from High School. It was an overly long ceremony. Ya know what, it was about as long as Phil's graduation and someone gave a sermon at that one! I'm not sure why they prolonged the ceremony, but it was quite long and drawn out.

But that's okay. Jake graduated and that's all that matters! Congratulations little guy!!

So, I was noticing quite a drastic difference between Phil's graduation and Jake's graduation. Everyone that spoke at Jake's graduation talked about going out into the world and achieving whatever it is you want. They talked about success being whatever it is that you wanted to achieve and then achieving it. Many of the people used the phrase "carpe diem", indicating that the graduating students needed to seize the day, seize their opportunities, make the most of each day that they have and strive for the very best.

It was all about the individual person. What the individual could/should do. How the individual could rise to the top, take charge and make the most of their own life.

Me me me!

Now at Phil's graduation it was completely the opposite. It was not about the individual succeeding. At least not in the eyes of the world. Most of those that spoke at Phil's graduation talked about being servant leaders- about going out into the world and serving those in need. There was no mention of rising to the top, taking charge and making the most of your own life. It was about being a Godly influence, a passionate Christ follower, a servant to those in need. It was not about carpe diem, it was solely about carpe deum. Seize God!

 Silly mom! She stepped right in front of the camera!

Congrats Jake!!

#97: A little bit of corn with your salt?

So, I was making dinner tonight, and very excited because it has been a while since I've actually made a nice meal for us. It's difficult to make dinner when we work opposite schedules and Phil doesn't usually get off until 10. Who wants to eat that late?
Anyway, tonight was special and I wanted to do something nice for Phil. So I made him corn. His favorite. Unfortunately, the lid to the salt shaker wasn't on all the way and ALL of the salt ended up in the corn.
Now I'm the type of person that needs lots of salt and pepper to flavor my food, but this was a bit much even for me.

Do you think I just threw it all away? Oh no! I scooped out all of the salt and most of the corn and tried to feed it to Phil anyway. Poor guy about gagged after the first bite. It was then that I told him what happened. He didn't really appreciate my frugality at that moment.

#96: Dichotomy

Okay, I'm not sure if Dichotomy is the right word here. But I'm using it anyway. The dichotomy is the puppy itself. This adorable and oh so cute tiny puppy is a complete maniac! I'm aware that he is just a puppy and needs a lot of attention and care. I get that. And I give that. But this puppy is more than just a little bit needy. He's absolutely crazy!
The first day I got him he was so quiet and timid. He mostly slept. He played a little bit, but it was in a gentle way. He hardly made any noise at all. And the first night he was SO GOOD! He didn't even make a peep and he slept so good through the night. I did take him out once or twice, when I heard him moving around.

But NOW! Oh my gosh, he's a completely different dog. He yaps all day and all night long. We can feed him, take him outside, play with him, anything! And he still is a crazy maniac. He is vicious, too! He not only bites, he can grip things with his paws! The only time this dog is good is when he is sleeping or when he is so exhausted he's about to fall asleep.

What have we gotten ourselves into?!

The Dichotomy...

 Sweet, adorable, innocent little puppy!

 Shoes that have been chewed up!

The bathroom floor that has been scratched at and destroyed!

#95: Babysitting

I got to babysit Nolan before heading back home. It's always so much fun for me to get to watch him. I miss this little go so much all the time. It would be so wonderful to get to see him more often. It's just weird to me that he's my baby brother, and yet I don't get to see him as much as I like. Jake and I were always really close, and I want it to be that way with Nolan too. I wonder if it's possible with such a huge age difference?

#94: One year anniversary!

A year ago today, I married my very best friend! This weekend was a great time to just get to hang out with the man that I married. We have needed some much needed time together. Lately, with our work schedules being opposite and just getting a new puppy, we hardly ever see each other at all. So this weekend was a great refresher as we got to spend time together, and also evaluate this past year as a married couple. 

We were able to set some goals, discuss some important issues, and figure out some big decisions. 

I love this man that I married!

Phil was trying to ignore that I was taking pictures of us!

#93: Celebrating our Marriage

Today Phil and I celebrated our one year anniversary! I know it's not until tomorrow, but we like to do things early, I guess.

Our plans were to go horseback riding and then to a comedy show. Our plans fell through.

A huge storm rolled in, and the horseback riding thing was out. Instead, we decided to go see a movie. Bridesmaids. Hilarious, in case you're wondering! Unfortunately we didn't plan our movie very carefully, and it got out to late to go see the comedy show. So we went out to eat instead.

It was a fun night! And it was so wonderful to get to hang out with Phil!

Phil got me an opal necklace and earrings for our anniversary!!

#92: Nolan's First Birthday Party

Today was Nolan's first birthday party! It was a fun day to hang out with family and to celebrate this precious little boy. I can't believe he's already one! It's crazy to think that a whole year has gone by already. He's already growing up way to fast.

Happy Birthday Nolan!!

#91: Lunch in a mug

I brought oatmeal to work for lunch today. And all that I had to make it in was my coffee mug. It did the trick, I guess.

#90: Eating me out of house and home

This dog chews through EVERYTHING! He somehow managed to get a hold of his dog food bag and chewed right through it. I had to pour his food into zip lock bags. Which, of course, didn't stop him. We took him somewhere in the car and he managed to find the  hidden bag and stated chewing through that one too. When I went to take it from him he literally gripped the back with his two front paws and held on tight with his paws and teeth.
There is something very crazy about this animal!

#89: Always a mess now

These cleaning products have become my new staple. There seems to always be a mess to clean up now, ever since our puppy arrived home. This house training thing is NOT easy!

#88: Maybe this "bed" will work?

We have been unable to find a "bed" for the dog that he cannot get out of. I thought that this bin was the answer. We discovered that it is, in fact, not the answer. He can climb out of this too. I swear this beast dog is part monkey or something!

#87: The Newest Member of the Kemp Household!

This adorable little bundle of joy is the newest addition to our family! He is only six weeks old! We have named him Leonidas, and that, of course, is Phillip's doing. Sometimes us woman have no choice in what our men come up with.
Anyway, I don't care what his name is. He is just too cute. He could have a horrible name, and I would still think he was just the cutest thing ever.
We were told that he is a mix between a lab and a collie. But the more we look at him, the more we are uncertain about the collie part. So who knows.

Welcome to the family Leonidas!!

#86: Memorabilia (from Peru)

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about Missions. Ever since I first learned about missions and went on my first trip to Panama, I have known that that is what I would do with my life. I just felt so passionate about it, so certain and so convinced.
Well, after I graduated from college (2 years ago!! I can't even believe it) I just felt so hopeless about the whole thing. I couldn't find a job that I loved and I just felt like I wasn't ever going to find my niche. I kind of set the idea of missions aside, thinking that it really wasn't meant to be. I searched for jobs that had to do with my degree, but honestly I just felt like a failure. I felt like I wasted my years at college getting a degree that was pointless in the real world, and the sobering facts that I wouldn't be able to do what I love just sort of depressed me.

After Phil and I got married we talked about doing missions and we thought it would be a good idea to try it out. Ya know, do a short term trip to see what we think. We hadn't done missions together before, so we thought we ought to go on a trip together before we started applying to any organizations.
I talked with the missionary's that I had served with in Peru, and we planned on coming there for a month or two the following summer (2011). I was excited again about the prospect of doing Missions and I was even more excited about showing Phil the places I had been in Trujillo!
But in October I found out I was pregnant, and my due date was set for July 7th. I told the missionary's we wouldn't be able to come, and that we were holding off on doing missions because of the baby.
I put the thought of missions aside, and became increasingly excited about starting a family and settling down.
But then, at the end of November, I had a miscarriage. It was devastating and has taken a while for me to finally be okay.
I didn't even consider Missions after that. My mind was focused on starting a family and settling down. I dreamed about the house we would buy, how I would decorate, where our kids would go to school and what it would be like to be a mom. Missions was so far from me, that I was completely thrown for a loop when Phil got an email from Nathan Davenport with Pioneer Bible Translators. He asked Phil if he had ever considered using his Business degree to do Missions.

And now, the process has begun. I can see now that God clearly had a plan. Looking back, it is all so obvious! My degree wasn't wasted, I do get to do what I love. God's timing is perfect! Phil and I have almost been married a year, Phil just graduated from college, and now we are in the beginning stages of doing Missions. It has all worked out. I felt hopeless and useless for no good reason. I am learning to trust God with everything, but it is something that I quite regularly fail at.

Anyway...I was looking at that pottery that I had gotten in Peru, and I was thinking about all of this.

#85: Graduation

Today Phil graduated (so did my friend, Danielle). He's actually been done with school since December, but had to wait until May to actually graduate.

 This was my view of the graduation. Jessica and I were in the nose bleed section. After saving seats for my family and Phil's family, there was not enough room for us. So we were relocated to the balcony.

 Danielle also graduated today!

 Here is my studly husband all decked out in his...wedding attire? Yep, that's right. This is exactly what Phil wore at our wedding!

 Phil's mom promised that she would wear a big hat for Phil's graduation! Well, she didn't lie. It wasn't as big as I had hoped, but it was still pretty awesome!

A great picture of me and my mother-in-law. 

Actually, I wonder if this is our first picture with just the two of us...?

#84: Trying to use my wedding flowers...

I used fake flowers for my wedding. I'm actually really glad that I did that. Not only was it a lot cheaper, but then I got to keep the flowers that I loved!
After the wedding, I shoved all of the decorations into a box and put it in the closet. Well over the past few months I've been trying to incorporate those decorations into our apartment. I've been finding random places to put them, but usually it just looks silly.
I clipped this orange flower to our lamp and.... I actually really like it. And so it will stay.

The flower sticking out of the hole in the wall...that will have to go (maybe I'll post that picture at a later date).

#83: A Surprise at Work

Phil totally surprised me with flowers at work today!

A lady walked into the store today, carrying these gorgeous flowers. She announced that she was looking for a Sarah Kemp. I stated that I was Sarah and wondered out loud who would send me flowers. My coworkers laughed and said "You're husband. Duh". 

Oh right.

Sure enough, this beautiful bouquet of flowers was from my amazing husband. I was totally shocked and surprised, and it was amazing. He later told me that he just wanted to show me how much he appreciated all of the hard work I do around the house, and that he notices all of the little things I do for him.

I had never gotten flowers like this before, and it was so nice.

Thank you Phillip for being the best husband a girl could ever want. You are my love and I am so thankful for you!

#82: That's right, hot rollers

Do people use these anymore? People other than me, that is. I have been a fan of these hot rollers for several months now. I think I stole them from my mom a long time ago. But I never really used them. Now...well now they are a staple. A hair staple.
These things are so easy, I don't know why more people don't use them. Just plug them in, wait a few minutes, take a few minutes to roll up your hair and then finish getting ready. It's fabulous!

#81: Internet

So, Phil and I ran out of luck. We had gotten free internet since we moved into our apartment last July. Well, last month one of our neighbors moved out and with him, the free internet. After about 3 weeks of no internet, we decided that it was in our best interest to just purchase it ourselves.

At first we went with the cheapest option, Xanadoo. But, after we received it in the mail, we realized our mistake. We just couldn't get a good signal. When I called the company, the guy told me I needed to put the modem in the window at put it up as high as I could. I informed him that it was impossible to put it up high because it had to be plugged in. He said I should try every window in the house, to see if the signal got any better. Well it's a small apartment. We have like 3 windows and they're all in the same place.

Needless to say, we sent it back.

We decided that if we really wanted a good connection, we'd have to go a little more expensive. We chose Comcast. I was secretly hoping we'd have to get cable as well. I really wanted to be able to watch HGTV! But no, they offer wireless service without cable or phone.

So no we have our very own internet! It is nice to be able to have internet a home again. Not to mention Netflix, which we had been unable to watch for a month.

#80: Warmth at last!

I am so excited that it is hot enough out that we need a fan at night. I have been waiting for this day for MONTHS! I absolutely hate the cold. I do not mind at all how hot it gets in the house during the summer. I look forward to it, I dream about it, I long for it.
Today I looked at the thermostat and it was 81 degrees in the house. I can't explain how elated I was. Phil was less than thrilled, but I was overjoyed. No more heating blanket, no more layering, and no more begging to turn on the heat!
The fan is out and I'm hoping it's here to stay!

#79: Craisins

Can I just say that I LOVE craisins! I was never a fan of these things until just recently. I think it had to do with Thanksgiving. It was always so gross to me that people would eat those cranberry things out of the can. I vowed never to be one of those people! But then, I came across some dried cranberries at a friends house once, and I felt brave enough to try them. And sure enough, I loved them!
Whenever Phil and I go to Sam's Club (which is about once every 2 months), I always get a big bag. And I love it because it lasts forever (or, at least the 2 months).

Ahh, Craisins!

And just in case you're wondering...No, I will not be partaking in the nasty canned cranberries at Thanksgiving. Just because I love dried cranberries does NOT mean that I will have anything to do with those canned things!

#78: Cookies!

Phil has been asking for cookies every couple of days now. Well, I finally bought a whole container of cookie dough for him. I even bought some cookie cutters. And I finally made him some cookies (in my tiny stove)!
They actually turned out quite delicious.

And I may or may not have eaten more cookie dough than actual cookie...

#77: Pint Sized Stove

We have an apartment sized stove. I do not enjoy this tiny thing. It wouldn't be so bad...if things fit inside of it. But no, they don't. The stove door sticks open a couple of inches when I am baking something.
Oh how I can't wait to get a new place...with real sized appliances!!

#76: Rearranged (again)

I just couldn't help myself! The room was just begging to be rearranged!  I decided that we needed a little bit more space in the room. Things were starting to get a little cluttered, and I didn't like it!
So, I pushed the desk up against the wall and I pushed the bed up against the wall as well. Of course, that left us with one less bed side table. But...that's okay. Because Phil just knocks the stuff off of it in his sleep anyway. So he can sleep against the wall now :-)

#75: Purse

I've become this person that I swore I would never be. I love purses and shoes! I don't know what happened, or when it happened. But it did happen. Today I bought two (Yes, two!) purses. But I HAD to! It was buy one get one 50% off! I just couldn't pass up that offer. And I really did need two purses anyway. I needed a silver one and a white one. Ya know...for those times that I dress up and need to have a nice dressy purse to go with it.

When did I become this person....

#74: Nolan

This is my baby brother, Nolan! He just recently turned one and he has been walking for a couple of weeks now. I can't believe how tiny he is, but he's already walking! Today I got to hang out with him and my mom. I took a much needed trip to visit them, and had an absolutely wonderful time! I love this little guy!

#73: Floodig

It has been raining WAY too much lately. If I wanted this much rain, I'd move to someplace like Seattle. But I don't. So what's up with this?
No, this picture is not of a lake. This is supposed to be a field. But instead it is like a raging river! Okay, maybe that was a bit exaggerated, but the water was really choppy and it looks pretty deep.

#72: Keys....in the car door

After the wedding yesterday, Phil couldn't find his car keys. He searched and searched for them, but he just couldn't find them. Luckily, I had the spare keys with me. I suggested we look in the car to see if maybe he locked them in. Nope. Still couldn't find them.
Because we had driven separately, I gave Phil my spare keys and took the other car home. He looked some more, and then gave up and came home.
The next morning we were driving to church (in the red car) and we heard some weird clanking noise coming from outside. I jokingly said "wouldn't it be funny if those were the keys?"
Well, when we got to church Phil realized that it actually WAS the keys in the passenger door. How funny!

Okay, but here's the really funny thing: Phil got in on that side of the car. How did he not notice them?!



On a side note: Today is Nolan's first Birthday!!