Home Sweet Home

This month marks 5 months since we bought our first home together. It seems as if we have blinked our eyes and the time has flown right past. At this time last year a home of our own was only a dream. And now it is a blissful reality that we praise God for daily. 

One of our goals during our engagement was to buy our own home sooner than later. We really want to start a family at some point in the future and we set some goals for ourselves as a part of our pre-marital counseling. Some of those goals included finishing school, buying a home, having dependable vehicles, paying off some debts, and having a secure financial foundation to build our family on. 

So we began to save our money. We saved most of our wedding present money for a down payment. We saved most of our leftover paychecks for a down payment. We saved and saved for nearly two years. And while we saved we planned. We watched way too much HGTV. We looked at what seemed like hundreds of houses online to narrow down what styles and areas of our city we wanted to live in. We talked to different professionals to figure out what our budget for our income and lifestyle would be. And we prayed like crazy for everything to fall into place. 

About six months before we ended up buying our home we got in touch with our realtor. She was fabulous (and thankfully one of our friends that we knew already). She knew our personalities and she was honest with us from day one. What a blessing to our home buying process she was. We slowly began the steps of narrowing down houses even more! 

And then one day, about 2 months before we purchased our home we gave her a list of around 12 homes that we were seriously interested in. The following week we set aside a day and went and saw 10 of them (two of them had already sold). Yes, it sounds unconventional. Ten houses in one day. But for us it worked. We were able to compare and contrast and talk through pros and cons of the homes. And it was all fresh in our mind. Some of the houses were great! Others were not as they seemed online. But none of them really called out to us. 

By the time we drove to our last house, the sun was sinking and it had just begun to rain. This house was far way from all of the other homes we had looked at. And by that time we were beginning to grow tired. But then we pulled into the drive way. The house was lit up in the setting sun. Cows were speaking their hellos to us from the pasture behind the house. Our hearts jumped in our chests. 

Then we walked inside. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on the butlers pantry and the view from the back deck that I was in love. We decided to sleep on it and drove away. We didn't even make it through dinner that night before we called our realtor back and told her we were ready to make an offer. After some negotiating with the sellers, the house was ours! 

Everything seemed to happen so slowly for two years, and then everything went into lightening speed. In 8 weeks after we submitted our first offer the keys were in our hands. Our hard work had finally paid off. We were home owners. 

We are in love with our home sweet home. It is quiet and so different than living in a loud apartment in the middle of the city. It reminds us a little bit of where we are from. It is just the right size to build a family in for years to come. It keeps us busy (there is always a project going on). But more than anything it gives us a home base. After so many years of moving around we both finally have a permanent place to come home to. And for that we are so thankful to God. 

The day we became home owners. What a happy day! 

Moving day! 

The view from our back deck. Cow pastures and sunsets. 

Guest Room #1 (come visit us!) 

Guest Room #2 (really, come visit us!)

Master Suite. One of our favorite quotes. 

We would love to share our home with y'all. Come and visit, stay a while. Part of our wedding vows to one another and our community was to create a place of hospitality wherever we are. Our door is always open! 

What suggestions do you have for us as new home owners? Any funny stories of your first time home buying experience? Please share. We would love to hear what you have to say. 

Much love

S&C

Love Is More Important Than Anything

So remember that time that Chase and I celebrated our one year anniversary, but didn't upload pictures or blog about it until three months after?

Yeah that definitely just happened.

But life goes on, and now here is a sappy blog post about our first year of marriage and how we celebrated our first anniversary.

We went from this:

To this:

photo credit: Snap By Ang 

Trips and Travel

• The hubs and I celebrated our honeymoon by spending a day exploring Savannah, GA before jumping on a boat for a week that cruised around the Bahamas. It was relaxing. We were not allowed to use technology or social media while we were away. We both got sun burns in the middle of February. I recommend a trip like this at least once a year. Even if its just a day or two, getting off the grid and connecting with your spouse is much needed. 
• For my birthday we bought season football tickets to watch the NC State Wolfpack that upcoming fall. What a blast we had traveling to Raleigh, eating Bojangles, and cheering on our Alma mater. 
• Our first married summer together we attended family beach week at North Topsail Island. It has become a tradition for my family and what a relaxing week it was. There is nothing like the feeling of sand between your toes. 
• In July, Chase and I took a road trip to KY for a friend's wedding. We left a day early and were able to spend a day sight seeing. We ended up visiting the famous walking bridge, the Louisville Slugger Museum, Churchill Downs, and eat so much good food. 
• To round out the year we took another road trip to Washington DC, more about that below. 

Life Events

• Both Chase and I have always wanted a dog. We agreed to wait one month into our marriage before we began to look for a canine companion. Exactly one month into our marriage we adopted our sweet fur baby Luna Bug. It was the best decision we ever made. She brings so much joy to both of our lives. 
• I graduated from grad school in December, and was hooded soon thereafter. It was a tough road to walk while being married, but it drew us closer together and we would not have had it any other way. 
• We bought a house! The house hunting process was not like we thought it was going to be, and everything moved really quickly. In the end we walked away with keys to our first home together. 

Best Advice Given

• At our wedding we had a station where guests would give us wedding advice and well wishes. They were tucked away into a small box, and every now and again Chase and I will pull them out and read through them. 
• We have been told over and over again to always say I love you to one another before bed. That is a great piece of advice. 
• We have been told a few times to enjoy our time with one another and date often. We are young and have our lives ahead of us. Don't rush anything, just enjoy each day and soak in every minute. 
• We have also been told to choose joy. I like this one. Its a hard one some days, but its a good one. 

How We Celebrated

To celebrate our first year of marriage, we took en extended weekend trip to Washington DC. We had both been to DC, but it had been a while and we wanted to experience the city together. So we found a hotel right across the walking bridge from Georgetown and a block from the metro station. Each day we would hop the metro into the city, find a cute bakery to have breakfast in, explore the city until our feet felt like they were going to fall off, and then venture back into Georgetown or VA for dinner. While we were there we were able to meet up with some friends on a couple of different occasions, and even were able to have a special private tour of the Pentagon.

On our actual wedding anniversary we visited all of the monuments, were given our one year wedding anniversary pictures, saw the Pentagon, ordered Chinese food takeout, jumped into our pajamas, and watched the Super Bowl. Our anniversary was the last day of our trip so we were wiped out. After downing our takeout we crashed before the end of the game. We forgot to watch our wedding video, and even forgot to exchange cards that we both had tucked away into our suitcases. The next morning we exchanged cards and headed back home.

It was so much fun to remember our wedding day and step away from reality for a few days to reconnect and have some fun. Year one flew by oh so fast. And year two is currently passing by at warp speed. Time please slow down!

Goals For Year Two

• Travel! With impending full time work for myself, travel may be becoming more limited. So we wanted to see as much as we can. Go to the beach a couple of different times. Go hiking as many weekends as we can. Maybe go on another cruise. Have a long weekend in Raleigh and watch NC State play ball. Anything where we can get away and have fun! 
• Adopt another Dog? We believe that it may be time for Luna to have a four legged sibling. We are trying to figure out what that would look like for our family, but we definitely want it to happen. 
• Find a home church. Now that we are settled and in place, it is time to join a church and really begin investing in a church family (and have them invest in us). Church is important to us, and it is a goal for us. 
• Start family traditions. We were not very good at that in year one. We want to have things that are just ours. For example, we love having Chinese food takeout dates one Friday a month and then rent a movie afterward. That's a start for us, but now we need more! 

So do you have any advice for us going into year two? What kind of family traditions are your favorite? Any travel recommendations? Please share with us!!! 

S&C 

Meal Planning Smith Style

Hello blogging world! The birds are chirping outside of my window right now, I have my back porch door open and the ceiling fan swirling above my head. The TV is turned off, laundry is being cycled through the washer, and dinner is prepped and ready to be prepared for when the hubby gets home. I am enjoying these first few spring like days. I know it will be super hot before we know it so I am soaking them all in. I am also enjoying my time as a part time school teacher and soaking in those days. Come August that will not be the case. Looks like full time employment is in my near future! I am excited, but nervous for the change. More about that in a later post, I promise. But for now, lets focus on spring days, more sunshine, and new way of meal planning.

Chase and I have always been keepers of a budget. Mr. Spreadsheet always can tell me how much we have and together we decide how we should spend it. When we become married we set a 75 dollar budget for ourselves for our weekly grocery bill. For the first few months we did REALLY good in keeping with this budget. However we would find ourselves buying things we did not need on impulse and end up going over budget even though we planned our meals out one week at a time. When the new year rolled around we decided to get serious about our grocery budget. Of course that meant I spent way too much time on Pinterest researching how to meal plan for our family of two. It also meant I found way too many recipes that I wanted to try out.

It ended up that i found an article and a blog post that explained the pros and cons of monthly meal planning. The more I read about it, the more it sounded like this plan would work for us. We talked it over and decided to give it a try. If it didn't work out that month, we didn't have to stick with it, and the following month we would simply try something different.

Four months of groceries gave us a 300 dollar spending limit at the store. I printed out a cute monthly menu planner I found online and went to work. I planned out what kinds of breakfast we would have each week, as well as what dessert I would make for the week. We always have some sort of little sweet treat. We eat a small portion each night as we watch a TV show together and talk about our day! As for lunch we buy some bread and sandwich fillers, but we try our best to just eat leftovers. There is normally enough left over that both of us can take some to work with us the next day with no issue.

I then decided what days would be leftover days and what days would be our date night eat out days. We try to have a date night at least once a week. We know that sometime down the road we want to grow our family and then date nights will become rare. So in the meantime we are enjoying our time as newlyweds and taking advantage of date nights!

I then grabbed my Pinterest board, and filled in the rest of the days. This is what my monthly menu plan for the month of January looked like.

I then went day by day and figured out what ingredients I needed in order to make that meal. Some ingredients I had on hand, others I did not. I divided my grocery list into: Produce, Meat, Pantry, Drinks, Bread, Dairy, Frozen, Snacks, and Other. This was my finished list for the month. Of course fresh fruits and veggies are not going to last the entire month. So at the end of the second week we went and refreshed those as well as milk and eggs. There was room left over in the budget for these so no worries there! 

Once we had the finished list we went shopping! We used a few coupons, we bought most generic brand items or items that were on sale that week, as well as used our store savings card. It was a bit overwhelming seeing our cart at the end of it all, and even more overwhelming watching them ring it all up. I was for sure that we would go soaring over budget since the recipe was as long as my leg. However we ended up under budget with room to spare. 

After we went back after the second week to reload on fruits, veggies, and milk we were still under budget by 10 dollars. That means that we were able to feed our family of two for a month for an average of about $4.60 per person per day. I would day that was pretty awesome! And we ate good too. No ramen noodles or pre-packaged pizza for every meal (although I love to eat both of those things from time to time!).

How does your family plan their meals? Do you have any tips or tricks? Let us know!

Now get outside and enjoy some sunshine. I know I am!

- S&C

It Is Finished!

In December something big happened. Something that changed not only the relationship dynamics of our marriage, but also just how our everyday lives ran. Since December we have been searching for our new normal. It may be a while until we find it, but in the meantime we are taking each day as a new opportunity and living life to the fullest. 

So what happened you may ask? Well, I finally finished being a student! This past December I handed in my final papers and submitted my edited thesis paper. And just like that, I was donned the title of Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity. And while I don't consider myself a "master", I do feel like I am geared up and ready for whatever life hands us next. Ministry is a continuous learning process and I am very grateful for everything that Wake Div has given me during my time there. And while I don't get to technically walk across the stage until May (Wake Forest is too small to have two commencement ceremonies) I still have my diploma in my possession and have officially been voted in as a graduate by the faculty and staff of the divinity school. 

Some of our friends and family have been curious about what marriage and ministry and school all looked like together, as well as what our future plans are, and what I am doing currently since graduation in December. So I thought I would use this blog post to answer some of those questions! 

How were you able to graduate in December?

A lot of people find it odd that I was able to graduate from a three year professional graduate program in two and a half years. People ask if I brought in credit from a previous school or if I did not put in the same amount of effort as some other students. I in fact did not do either of those things. I just used old fashion determination and hard work! Each semester I decided to take on an extra class. It is recommended that students take on average 14 credit hours in order to graduate on time. I took on average between 15-18 hours each semester. These classes were a mix of in class, hybrid, and weekend classes. Then in the summer I also took an extra class. It took effort to schedule and to do my work in the midst of personal relationships, extra curricular activities, and internships. I am not saying it was easy all of the time. In fact there were some periods where it was downright stressful. However I would do it the exact same way if I had the chance to do it all again. I feel like early graduation was the right choice for me and my current life plan. 

How did you make time for your marriage in the midst of graduate school? 

Y'all, this was tough sometimes. My first semester of graduate school consisted of a long distance relationship. However during the second semester I was engaged! I then spent the next year planning a wedding, working two part time jobs, competing an internship, and taking 17 hours of classes. Chase was oh so supportive. He would surprise me with treats, call me in the mornings to make sure I was up early to do homework, and even help me study for my exams. He knows how much this means to me and he has been the perfect spouse. Of course there were times when we were both tired and upset at one another. That is when I am thankful that we live in a 900 square foot apartment. It forced us to talk things out and to come to compromises. We made vows to one another to be there for one another through thick and thin, and that is exactly what we did. I feel like living on love (and one income) this past year of marriage has made our love even stronger. He is my sidekick and I am glad that I was able to have Chase as my spouse and encourager during my time in graduate school. 

How did you celebrate finishing school? 

I jumped up and down. Chase high-fived me. We took Luna on a walk. I called my parents. And of course we documented the occasion on social media. The night I submitted my final thesis project Chase took me out to a fancy dinner. We went to a place I always wanted to try but knew was way to expansive. However this was an occasion that would never happen again. We splurged. We filled our bellies, and we laughed. It was wonderful and perfect and everything in between. 

Do you have a job? 

Well that is a tricky question. Technically I do have a job. I am currently a church preschool assistant teacher. I work with the toddlers and I LOVE every single minute of it. It is the job I have been working since I began graduate school. Even though I love my current position, I also am looking for jobs that I can use my degree for. I am currently applying for chaplaincy residency positions. I should hopefully know in the next few weeks if that is the plan that God has designed for our family. I know that the possibility is there that I might not be hired. If that is the case there will be disappointment, but I am content. I will be ready to move forward and look for something different. Hopefully something that will fill our lives with happiness and joy. I am open, I am waiting, and I am ready to go when I am called. If I do get hired as a chaplain resident I will start that job in late August. It is a year long intensive job that will ready me for board certification as a chaplain, as well as give me more experience before I begin applying for long-term jobs. Please keep us in your prayers through these next few weeks as our futures will be decided in these days. 

Is it odd to no longer be in school? 

It is very strange to no longer be a student. I have too much free time on my hands and I have trouble deciding how to fill it. I am currently trying to find a hobby that I love. I am sure that in the next few months a rhythm will develop and things will become easier. In the meantime if you would like cookies or cupcakes just let me know. I seem to find myself either in the kitchen or binge watching Netflix. 

How has your relationship with Chase changed since this life transition? 

Even though our marriage was great during my time as a graduate student, it has gotten even better since my graduation. We just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary and were able to take a trip to DC for a few days. Our evenings are no longer filled with my homework. Instead we are able to play games, go out with friends, have spontaneous date nights, and do projects with one another. We are excited to see what life looks like in the coming months. We are ready to settle down and find a normal for the two of us. We are excited and ready for this next step! 

Time is flying by and I am so ready to start life as a minister in some sort of capacity. We feel so loved by our family and friends during this time. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to walk through this transitional period. We are confident that we will be called to do what is meant for us to do! 

P.S. Check out the new pictures that we had taken of us for our one year anniversary. Our photographer Ang from Snap by Ang in West Jefferson is simply amazing. She has been with us from engagement, to marriage, and now to our first anniversary. We are so happy to have these new memories. 

-S&C 

Many Hands Make A Minister

I have no excuses for my lack of blog posting recently except that I have been binge watching too much One Tree Hill on Netflix, spending more time cuddling with the puppy on the couch, baking too many yummy things in the kitchen, working five days a week at a preschool, and getting lost in the latest Nicholas Sparks novel. I promise that I will write more than one life update a month. I really do promise. There are too many awesome things happening to not write.

Speaking of awesome things, I have to play catch up for a hot second. There are some life milestones that were reached back in late 2015! In particular I had the humbling opportunity to be ordained by my home church in the mountains of NC into Baptist ministry.

As many of y'all know I just recently graduated from Wake Forest University School of Divinity (another post on that coming up in the next few days!). Going into graduate school I was not sure if I wanted to pursue ordination into Christian ministry. I knew that I had a heart for ministry, and for hospital chaplaincy, but I was not sure how ordination fit into that picture. Well as the weeks and months and years wore on my spirit yearned more and more towards the call of ordination into Baptist ministry. I spoke to my close friends and mentors about this big decision and I was met with nothing but support and encouragement. I then began to speak with my home church pastor about possibly being ordained in my home church. For it was my home church that fostered my love of ministry from a small child and continue to love and encourage me in my ministry career. I love my home church and I was so happy to be able to move forward with the ordination process with them.

The ordination process seemed like a long time of discerning and questioning both inwardly and outwardly. I was so anxious and excited about being able to be an official minister to those around me in my community and potentially around the world. The process was a time for me to really reflect on my theology and gain guidance from my council on how to be an even better carrier of the Christian values that I hold so dear to my heart. The ordination process was also a time for me to stretch my liturgical wings. I was given the freedom to design my own ordination worship service for a day in mid-October of this past year. It was such a sweet and special time that I will truly never ever forget. Another special part of my ordination was that I would be the first female to be ordained in my home church. This church had just celebrated its 100th birthday, so I considered myself honored to be given the blessing to be ordained under such circumstances. I am grateful for the opportunities and love that my home congregation shows me.

The one part of my ordination service that I saw as the most special was the time in the service where the congregation came up to me one by one to pray over me or to offer me a word of blessing and encouragement. While planning this part of the worship service I was a bit apprehensive. Did I want this as part of my service? Did I want one large congregational prayer instead? One member of my council gave me a bit of a nudge to just go for it. That it was a special time in her ordination, and that I would always remember that sacred time in the midst of such a special day. She was absolutely right. As each member approached me I was flooded with memories of how they impacted me as a growing minister. My family, my friends old and new, my Sunday School teachers, my mentors. They all laid their hand on me and propelled me forward into a life of ministry that I know that I am called into. those many hands placed on my head, shoulders, and hands were what made me a minister that day. Sure I gave my vows to the church. Of course I accepted my robe and stole from the ordination council. Without a doubt I have calling in my heart for this life. However without those many hands none of that would matter. For every member of Christ's church is a minister in the world. And the hands of those members are what makes me a minister of the Baptist faith. I am forever grateful for their love and support.

 Chase has been such a supportive spouse throughout this entire process. He cheers me on in whatever I choose to do and I am lucky to have a husband like him. It takes a special man to be the preacher's husband. 

 I would not have been the woman I am today without my Mom and Dad. When I decided to go to Divinity School after four years of undergrad in a scientific/medical background they were the first ones to jump behind me in support. I love how they love me and I strive to be like them each and every day. 

Preparing to take my vows of ordination to the Baptist Church. Such a sweet moment. 

Oh those many hands! I am a lucky person to have so many people in my corner. 

More hands, more memories, more moments that I will never forget. 

Preparing to serve my first communion as a Baptist minister!

The staff of my home church in the mountains of NC. They are simply the best. 

With Love,

S&C