#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!!