Six Month Anniversary

Happy six month anniversary to Jameson and I! We celebrated the day by attending a wedding of two of my best friends. It was such a special day and a great reminder of the vows we made to one another back in June.
Since our wedding was pre-blog days I thought I would share some of my favorite wedding pictures now. Better late than never, right?

 

My Best Friend's Wedding

Dear Melissa,
Soon you will be marrying your very best friend and I could not be more thankful to have had a front row seat to your love story over the past 7 years. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for all the laughter and joy you brought into my life. Thank you for being my roommate and not getting mad at me when I was loud in the mornings. Or when I left all my dirty dishes in the sink. Thank you for listening while I sat in your pink fuzzy chair and talked about life. Thank you for challenging me to be a better daughter of Christ, to be a better friend, and to be a better spouse. You follow your dreams with such passion and drive and I know that will only continue after you become a wife. I am so proud of the woman you have grown into and can't wait to see all you will accomplish in the years to come.
So cheers to you love!
Cheers to looking better than we did in high school! :)
Cheers to Skype dates and long distance friendships!
Cheers to you becoming a wife!
Cheers to you and Matt on your wedding day!

xoxoxo,

Merry Christmas

Greetings from PA! We are celebrating our first married Christmas with Jameson's family and I look forward to eating and laughing the day away. And of course opening presents too. Merry Christmas!!

Meet Mr. Milton

I figured a good way to brighten up this Friday would be to share with you all the most handsome puppy you have ever laid eyes on. I may be slightly biased, but just humor me. Milton is a 1.5 year old chocolate lab and while he is on the smaller side for a lab he has no shortness of personality.

He is such a silly puppy and he brings so much joy and laughter into our home. I know having a dog isn't for everyone but I grew up with a dog (or two) in the house and Jameson and I knew when we started our own family a pup would definitely be included.

Milton is the perfect mixture of smart and silly. He knows the basic commands - sit, stay, lay down and speak. Jameson is also in the process of teaching him to fetch the paper for us in the mornings. He can bring the paper back, although sometimes it has been torn up a bit.  That dog loves to chew paper. He also picks up on routine very quickly...just like his mama. He knows when it's time to get up, when to eat, and when to go to his bed so he can get a treat. But perhaps the thing I love most about Mr. Milton is his cuddling ability! He loves people and when he is tired he enjoys laying right next to or on top of you. We have been known to take many naps together on the couch. Afternoon naps are great, but afternoon naps with a pup are 10x better!

 Milton is also as silly as they come. He continuously finds stray socks around the house and carries them in his mouth. He will dive his head into any laundry basket and always come out with a sock. Too bad he can't use his talents for good by helping me find the lost matches.

Milton is obsessed with squirrels and will start wining at the door when he spots one through the window. All you have to do is mention the S word and he will start going crazy. He also loves to play frisbee, although he prefers to watch it land and then bring it back to you. The whole catching it in your mouth while it is in the air thing just hasn't happened for him yet.

Thank you Milton for all the happiness you bring into our home. You are the best fur baby we could have ever asked for!! xoxo

New Mexico Here We Come

Eeeeeekkkkk!!! We booked our tickets today and will be flying out to Albuquerque in just 39 short days to visit John and Lisa. We have missed them terribly since they left Michigan and cannot wait to spend time with them out in New Mexico.

Sometimes in life you are blessed with friends you make an instant connection with and John and Lisa are definitely some of those people. We met them at a church function and quickly became double date buddies. For the greater part of the spring and summer we spent our weekends with them trying out new restaurants and making wonderful memories. Finding another young married couple to spend time with was an answered prayer and the lifelong friendship that we now have with them is something both Jameson and I deeply cherish. Lisa and I can chat for hours about life, reality television, God's provision in our lives, and the joys (and struggles) of being a wife. John and Jameson can chat for hours about sports, politics, classic literature, and of course beer.

John, Lisa, Valarie and Jameson in Ohio

Lisa has a wonderful blog you can find here. You can find her posts about the time they watched our Milton pup for us here and our Ohio camping adventures here.
 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Dear First Married Christmas Tree,

I am not going to lie, I was slightly worried about you. I have heard many horror stories about the struggles of getting a real tree. Apparently picking out the perfect size, getting it home safe and sound, and putting it in the stand up straight are quite difficult tasks. But I must thank you because you are perfect and made all of those things incredibly easy. Almost too easy. But nevertheless you are currently hanging out in our family room and spreading your lovely evergreen aroma throughout our humble abode. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with you in the upcoming weeks. Thanks for bringing the festive Christmas spirit into our home and into our hearts.

With Love,

Have Yourself a REAL Little Christmas

I knew Thanksgiving was later this year but O MY GOODNESS Y'ALL  it is just sinking in that Christmas is in 19 days and I there is so much yet to do. First thing on my list should be take the fall wreath off the front door. Most of our neighbors have their houses decked out in lights and garland and hanging tree ornaments...meanwhile I still have my burlap orange and burgundy wreath gracing the cover of our front door. I did finally throw out the pumpkins last week so that was a giant leap in the right direction.

Although let's be REAL here if the fact that don't have my Christmas wreath up yet is the worst of my problems then I am doing mighty good. In fact I was reminded of how blessed I am while driving to work yesterday and listening to the local radio show surprise a family who couldn't afford a REAL Christmas this year. In between wiping tears from my face (yes I am a sap and I cry at the radio...just deal with it) I was reminded how fortunate I am to be able to not only afford to buy gifts for all my loved ones, but I am also blessed beyond measure to enjoy it with the people who mean the most to me.  The REAL Christmas is about love and joy. The REAL Christmas is about spending time with loved ones and celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because it is by His blessing that we can even celebrate the Christmas season. So in between all of the decorating and wrapping and hot chocolate and christmas music I am making it a priority to remember to slow down and appreciate the REAL  important things about this season.

So in the next 19 days I do hope to get that lovely fall wreath down and put up a nice evergreen one with the largest red bow north of the mason dixon line, but I will do it with joy and happiness instead of anxiety and stress because that is the spirit in which I hope to celebrate a REAL Christmas.

Thanksgiving 2013

To some families Thanksgiving is nothing more than another Thursday where there happens to be some turkey on the table to eat. But NOT for this family! We do Thanksgiving and we do it BIG! For as long as I can remember we have done Thanksgiving at my parents house in Atlanta with my grandparents and Aunt Dorothy. They come every year, it's just tradition. Some other Thanksgiving traditions of ours include:
1. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Like most families we always watch the Thanksgiving Day parade throughout the morning. Nothing prepares you better for turkey than big balloons of cartoon characters, marching bands, and cheesy lip syncing performances. And of course we can't forget about Santa Claus! He officially rings in the holiday season by closing out the parade.
2. Shrimp. We have shrimp with cheese and crackers around noon every Thanksgiving to hold us over until the big meal. Grandpa and Grandma are in charge of getting it the day before from Fresh Market. We all tag along, drink some festive sample coffee, wander the isles of yummy food, and usually walk out of the store with way more peppermint candies than one family should ever consume.
3. Turkey Cook Off. In recent years we have had 2 turkey's at our dinner table. My mom makes the traditional oven roasted turkey. My dad deep fries a turkey. Then we sit around the table eating both and deciding which we like better. Nothing like a little turkey cooking rivalry to spice things up a bit!


Dad and his deep fried turkey - Mom with the oven turkey

4. Barnes & Noble. We always make sure to make a big family trip to the bookstore on Black Friday. Grandma and Grandpa treat everyone to a book to two!

This year Jameson and I, along with my parents, woke up early to go to a workout class at my parents gym. It included lunges, squats, running, jump rope, planks, push-ups...sounding fun yet? I definitely felt the burn but it was great getting an early morning sweat in so I felt less guilty about the apple pie consumed later in the day.
The meal prep this year was a tag team effort. Grandma and Aunt Dorothy prepared the squash and rutabaga. Ryan did the mashed potatoes and cornbread stuffing.  Mom and Dad did the turkey's. I made green bean casserole. Needless to say we had plenty of food and nobody had to slave too hard in the kitchen.

The table spread

We ended the day as any true American would: lounging around on the couch and watching football. The Lions won!! And Matt McGloin was starting QB for the Oakland Raiders. I never thought I would see the Scranton Slinger be playing in the NFL let alone starting on Thanksgiving Day. Even though they lost he still made us PSU fans proud.

I am so thankful I got to spend quality time with my family this year for Thanksgiving. Since we have gotten older and moved away family reunions are fewer and farther between, but every time we get together I am reminded how truly blessed I am to have them as family.

Val, Aunt Dorothy, and Jameson

With my sister Lindsay - please ignore my awkward claw hand

Weekend Recap

This past weekend we headed back to State College for the Penn State vs. Nebraska football game. Even though they lost we still had a great time and got to see both sides of the family!! One reason I love PSU football so much is it always means I get to see people who mean so much to me. Saturday morning I got my first lesson in driving a stick shift and Jameson said I did better than expected. Although lets be real here he thought I would have a metal break down and start crying so the expectations weren't set to high. Considering I was learning on some hilly roads I think I did pretty good. I stalled about 4 times and only smelled the clutch burning once so I will consider that a success!

Behind the wheel!

After my car lesson the boys braved the cold and threw the football around briefly in the front yard. This is the highlight of Milton's weekend, he could chase a football back and forth FOREVER.

Even though it was freezing I made Jameson take a quick photo with me before he left for the game.

Yes you read correctly..I decided not to go to the game because, like my dad says, I am a G.R.I.T (girl raised in the south) and turn into a wimp in the cold. Last year before a November football game I thought to myself: You know what Val you are moving to Michigan very soon and you need to get yourself used to the cold. So I bundled up and thought I would be a tough soon-to-be Northern girl and brave the weather. Needless to say my southern roots took over after about 2 min of being in the stands and I was miserable. I put my best pathetic face on and convinced the boys to leave at halftime. And ever since then I have not lived in down. So I opted out of the 20 degree temperatures this time and enjoyed the game with the ladies from the comforts of home. PSU ended up losing in overtime but we still enjoyed the last home football weekend of the year. 

The New Set of Wheels

The trusty old Acura had a good run but we had to trade it in last week for a new car. The Acura served me well throughout my college years and Jameson and I have some funny memories with that vehicle. Jameson will never let me forget the time I got a flat tire during his very first visit to Atlanta. We were on our way to dinner when I jumped the curb coming out of the GT parking garage and got a flat tire. Lucky for me Jameson knows how to change a tire, so he remained calm and just grabbed the spare from the trunk. But once we got the spare out we realized it too was flat. Who knew you needed to refill the spare tire with air? I learned that lesson the hard way. So without a spare tire we called AAA and then proceeded to wait 3 hours for the truck to come and tow the car. Luckily my sister came down to wait with us (and take us to dinner). I also get reminded quite frequently about the time I crashed the front passenger side into a concrete pole while leaving the parking garage after my last day of work one summer. Are you seeing a pattern here? Apparently driving around parking garages is not my specialty.

The Acura was definitely a southern car and did not appreciate the move up to Michigan. Once it had to suffer through the cold and snow the heat decided to quit working when the car wasn't moving. This means that defrosting your car in the morning was almost impossible. The washer fluid also froze (lesson learned: put the antifreeze washer fluid in the vehicle BEFORE reaching freezing temperatures) and it took lots of rubbing alcohol to thaw it out. Then things really took a turn for the worst. The rear shocks broke, the O2 sensors failed, the steering sensors were off....need me to continue?

Saying goodbye before heading to the dealer

That being said we decided the time had come to say goodbye to the foreign vehicle and become a tried and true Ford Family. So without further adieu I would like to introduce you to our new ride...the Ford Focus!! Jameson is loving that it is a manual and I am loving the awesome gas mileage. I still have yet to learn how to drive it, but Jameson has slowly been explaining to me when to use the different gears. In the next couple of weeks I expect lots of practice in a parking lot. It will be like I am 15 all over again.

The new set of wheels

Life Lately

I thought it would only be fitting to start things off with a little life recap if you will. Here are some of the high points about our new little family.

1.      Jameson and I have been married for just over 4 months now. Pros yet?? I think not. But we have learned a lot about love, patience, laughter and forgiveness. I am so grateful to call him my husband!

2.      It is currently football season and anyone who knows anything about my family knows that we bleed blue. Saturdays revolve around Penn State football and I am ok with admitting that. We have attended the Syracuse, UCF, and Michigan games already and will be heading back out to State College in a couple weeks to watch the team *hopefully* beat Nebraska. 

3.      Milton is still the most handsome chocolate lab I ever did see. He loves socks, squirrels, and cuddle sessions. He is also terrified of the flashlight on the iPhone, the power drill, cardboard boxes, the blow dryer…seeing a pattern here? Yes Milton is slightly scared of EVERY COMMON HOUSEHOLD OBJECT KNOW TO MAN.  But we love that goober anyways.

He also just might be slightly spoiled

4.      Jameson just accepted his admission offer from Purdue University to get his Masters in Mechanical Engineering. The whole program is web based so he will never actually have to go to campus for anything, but we may schedule a PSU vs. Purdue football trip next year just to check out West Lafayette. (see #2)  He is actually pretty pumped to start classes and in his own words “I get to be a nerd all over again!” That boy really does love learning.
5. The holidays are also quickly approaching so I am busy making our holiday door wreath and working on our Christmas card. I feel like a real grown up sending out Christmas cards...well that along with paying bills and having a full time job. Growing up is rough sometimes but fancy, colorful cards sent out to all our loved ones somehow makes it slightly more fun.

In other news we got our first snowfall last night. It was only a dusting but it was a nice little reminder that winter is right around the corner. Bring out the UGG's and snow shovels. UGG's for me. Snow shovel for Jameson, of course. 

Number One

So I finally decided to take the plunge. After years of being a serious blog follower and some persuasion from friends and family (aka Lisa and J) I decided to create my own little space in this big place we call the blogging world. I went back and forth (and back and forth) about starting my own blog.

I had lots of self doubt. I'm not creative enough. I am too boring. I don't cook enough. I don't have a witty sense of humor. The list could go on and on and on. But at the end of the day my desire to start a blog was not so I could document my creativity. Or my cooking. Or my sense of humor. Although I may at some point do some of those things. My TRUE desire for this blog is to simply document life. I want to be able to look back and remember the memories. I want to be able to share with all of our friends and family a small glimpse of what life is like in the Lietzke household.

So here we go! Cheers to the first of (hopefully) many more posts to come.
And I will just apologize in advance for all the pictures I will share of the puppy. Don't say I didn't warn you.