learning.

learning seems to be the theme these days. learning to live in pennsylvania. learning to be a wife. learning to teach kindergarten. learning to be content. the list could go on and on. forever.

i understand that i will continue to learn for the rest of my life. i love that, and i'm all for that. but these things i'm learning come with far more difficulty than i imagined. i always thought being a wife would come naturally. i love people, so of course i could love a husband and put him first. right? NO. my mother was right. i am the most selfish person on the face of the planet, and marriage is really good at reminding me of that.

part of what's going on in my head right now is trying to figure out what i'm passionate about. for years, this answer was very easy. it was always scotland. i care so deeply about kilmallie and people there, and my passion lies with that church and spreading the gospel in that town. for the last three years, i have either been there or have been pursuing going there. so what do i do now? scotland is an option, and i would love to live there in the future. josiah is very willing to go, and of course there are millions of details that would need to be figured out, but it's a possibility. but what do i do right now, while i'm not pursuing the thing that i am most passionate about?

this brings us to contentment. and learning to be content where i am. i have never done this well. i have always looked toward the next thing, whether it be college or graduating or scotland or marriage. and now, life is happening and there's not a big move or big life change to anticipate. we are here. this is life. and i am finally learning to just be.

snow day.

Y'all, it snowed yesterday. Allll day. Josiah stayed here and worked from home, and I slept late. I woke up to Josiah bringing me the best breakfast in bed.

We ventured out and went to market for milk and eggs. No one was driving and the sidewalks were caked in snow. My face felt like it was going to freeze, but J got a smile (forced much?) out of me anyway.

We came back and he worked the rest of the day. I did a little work for church, distracted Josiah, and cleaned.

He's just too cute to leave alone.

Here are a few photos of all that snow from our apartment windows:

It's a warm 8 degrees today, so none of this stuff is going anywhere any time soon!

food for thought. literally.

paleo.
whole30.
complicated orders.

welcome to this month.

we have been doing the whole30, and we feel amazing. once i got the chocolate cake out of my head and could focus on cooking things like veggies and grass fed meat, i've gained a deep appreciation for whole foods. josiah and i both think better, function better, sleep better, and our clothes fit better. when we started, i was just counting down the days until it was over. i have to admit, i cheated, but the chocolate wasn't worth it. i felt horrible and i decided to commit to making a lifestyle change, not just a thirty day change. it's been so hard, but so good.

we'll see how this goes as we continue!

Christmas time.

I am loving Christmas this year. I love it every year, but this year is different. It's our first Christmas together, my first snow-covered December, and we have been/are traveling all over the east coast during the holidays.

We spent Thanksgiving with Josiah's family in Boston. It was a wonderful few days, spent with his family and seeing Christmas-y things in Boston. The tree in the picture below was covered with lights, and I was in love. 

We came home to this pretty tree in Penn Square at the center of Lancaster City. 

We got our tree up and decorated before Thanksgiving. It was a little early, but we figured we would be gone for a big part of December and might as well have it up as long as we can. It's short and round tree, and we love it!

 Lastly, our little street covered in snow! I've never seen snow in December, so this has certainly been a month of firsts!

We leave for Chattanooga on Saturday, and I can hardly wait!!

life lately: according to instagram

At the end of October, my wonderful friend Allie came for a visit. We talked over cheese dip and coffee and visited Central Market. We also may or may not have become OBSESSED with Scandal, watching lots and lots (and lots) of episodes late into the night. Catching up was too good, and I am still missing her. 

When we dropped Allie off, we took a quick detour and visited D.C. We went to the National History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives. All in four hours. It was wonderful.

the capitol is behind us.

Fall from our apartment building.

 Work.
And our lovely new rug from Josiah's grandparents!

Some Lancaster Favorites.

Josiah and I have been here for almost three months. We have had our ups and downs living in this little city, but I think it is safe to say that we've settled in and are calling Lancaster "home."

Before moving to Lancaster, I had only been to a farmer's market a couple of times. I liked the idea of them, but didn't know much about why it was better to buy local or organic. Once we came here, It didn't take long to make the switch. Living three blocks from Central Market, the oldest operating farmer's market in the country, was the perfect incentive to make changes in how we eat. I look forward to my Tuesday afternoons, when I grab some grocery bags and walk to market.

Despite our switch to clean eating, my sweet tooth is alive and well. Whoopie pies, a Pennsylvania original, have a special place in my heart. Shady Maple's Shoofly Pie whoopie pie (pictured above, with a red velvet whoopie pie) was the first one I tried, and it seems to have become my go-to.

I have this thing about food where I decide I want something and I can't. stop. thinking. about. it. until I get it. Chick-fil-A, scones, and chocolate chip cookies fit into this category. While I was living in Scotland, Indian food was added to this list. I would get Indian carry-out probably too often. On my first trip to Lancaster, I spotted Himalayan Curry and Grill. The word "curry" on their sign called my name. We went there for our first Lancaster date. And then I fell in love. Their curry has been quickly climbed to the top of my list of "I want this NOW" foods. They are a straight shot from our apartment, and you'd better believe that whenever we go out for dinner, Himalayan Curry and Grill is my top choice. I'm married to a man who likes variety, and thankfully this restaurant has a menu full of Indian and Nepali choices. He tries something different every time. I, on the other hand, tend to stick to Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicken Korma. They're just too good.

After talking to some Lancaster natives about my new favorite restaurant, Josiah and I learned that there is a large Nepali refugee community in Lancaster. There are multiple non-profit organizations that work alongside our government to place refugees in cities around the country, and Lancaster is home to at least two of these organizations. From what we understand, this little fave of ours is owned and operated by Nepalis. Lancaster is far more diverse than we expected, and we love it.

So. If you're ever in Lancaster City and you see this little blue sign, stop in for your curry fix.

the day I married my best friend.

falling asleep last night, j and i talked about being best friends. we talked about how thankful we are because our relationship was built on the foundation of a two year long friendship. he told me that he knows everyone says they marry their best friends, but that some best friends are just closer than others. and we are a little biased in thinking that we are the closest.

almost three months in, we have seen more bad things about each other than we thought possible. we have gotten angry over things that don't matter and said things that cut to the core. but oh man, am i crazy about my husband. i didn't know it was physically possible to love someone as much as i love him. we know that these months are building the foundation for the rest of our lives, and we are striving to share our hearts, forgive quickly, and love deeply.

so. the day i married my best friend was magical and beautiful and marvelous. we had our wonderful friends, Juliet Cangelosi and Christina Schuman, capture our day, and they did a perfect job.

  

Photo Locations: Covenant Presbyterian Church, downtown Chattanooga, the Ringgold Depot, and Sunset Rock.

For more photos, check out my Facebook.