movin' on up

trading in my 5 step commute for the el // my building next to my favorite building in chicago. i'll be on one of the top floors. good thing i'm not afraid of heights. 

trading in one view for another. i think i'm upgrading though i will miss my little brick office

back in june when i was visiting home the ceo of my company mentioned to me that they were considering opening an office up in  chicago. of course i was excited and couldn't wait for everything to happen. a few weeks went along and i heard it wasn't as likely they would open an office. i was bummed but had been working from home for a year so it wasn't anything new. 

then, in the past couple of weeks, it was decided that the chicago office was go. at first i was iffy about the whole thing. after a year of working from home i've grown to love it. i love the commute....now just steps from my bed, in my new cute brick office. i love the flexibility. and i love being alone (most of the time). when i first started working from home i hated it...but give it a few months and it became my everyday. so, hearing my everyday was changing was a bit of a downer. 

last week i was able to tour our new office. just walking into the building changed my mind. i am so ready to get back to the corporate world. to dress up and feel the buzz of a busy world each morning. 

our new office space is incredible to say the least. honestly i feel spoiled. the building is right next to my most favorite chicago building. so i get to walk by each morning and enjoy that view. we're close to the top so that means we have incredible views of the city. from the break rooms to conference rooms to cafe's and gyms...this office has everything. it's all new, shinny, and just warms my little office loving heart. 

i'm so excited for this new stage in my career. i will still probably work a few days from home here and there but i'm ready to get out. to enjoy working in the city and being a big city girl. spence and i will be able to go downtown together each morning. i'm excited to meet him and other friends for lunch downtown and to get out of the house more. 

so life is changing yet again. but this time i'm ready to jump right in. though this change wasn't ideal at first, after seeing my next option i can't wait. i'm ready to put on my slacks again and join the working world in downtown chicago. 

when it rains it pours....or so we've been told

when it rains it pours. 

the mr. and i are dealing with some huge life changes right now aka pouring rain!

but don't worry. they are all good changes. and honestly we're excited

just crazy how one moment your life is going one direction and then the next...wham

completely changed. 

it's good, we're excited. and honestly can't wait to see what the lord has in store for us

so while we are working through how the rest of our life is going to look...

a few phone pictures because right now i'm too busy too upload the good pictures from my camera.

new fabric! i couldn't wait to open it so i took it with me on our way to the temple. so excited to start sewing again. these babies are going to make one super cute quilt (or so i hope) // new "art" for our bedroom wall. i made the heart frame for spence for valentines day. loved how it turned out. 

super awkward picture of me (i was whitening my teeth...) showing off our small clean laundry pile and new decor for the bedroom // close-up of our new things. so in love with this vase and candle holder. our bedroom is finally coming together. it's my new favorite place in the house.

finally got the whole chicken parmesan thing down. but sometimes you just have to "red-neck it" as spence likes to call it and eat on the floor. // super blurry picture of us...but somehow i still love it.

and last but not least our stinkin' awesome niece. we got to facetime into a family party last night (best thing ever) and got this little show. don't worry, she has tights on. her skirt was in the way of her dancing so of course it had to come off. man i miss being away from our little ones. but so glad we could "hang out" with our nieces and adorable nephew for at least a little bit. oh and according to mya i'm her favorite aunt!



tomorrow it's off to cali for the mrs. i'm going to miss my mr. but am so excited to have some time on the beach. if anything it will help me wrap my mind around all of our life changes!

oh the joys of growing older.

the mrs. heard a new song

every once in a while i hear a song and it really speaks to me. as cheesy as that may sound i heard another one of these songs the other day. i was walking up to campus (all bundled up) when this song came on my ipod. i literally stop so i could listen to this song....

it's called "strip me" by natasha bedingfield.
here's why i liked it.

Everyday I fight for
All my future somethings
A thousand little awards
I have to choose between
I could spend a lifetime
Earning things I don’t need
That’s like chasing rainbows
And coming home empty

And if you strip me,
Strip it all away
If you strip me,
What would you find
If you strip me,
Strip it all away
Ill be alright

Take what you want
Steal my pride
Build me up
Or cut me down to size
Shut me out
But I’ll just scream
Im only one voice in a million
But you aint taking that from me
 

I dont need a microphone
To say what I been thinking
My heart is like a loudspeaker
Thats always on eleven
 

Cos when it all boils down
At the end of the day
Its what you do and say
That makes you who you are
Makes you think about,
Think about it
Doesn’t it
Sometimes all it takes is one voice

Take what you want
Steal my pride
Build me up
Or cut me down to size
Shut me out
But I’ll just scream
Im only one voice in a million
But you aint taking that from me
Oh oh no you aint taking that from me

everyday i fight for my future somethings, mostly my future family.

everyday there are choices i have to make. i work hard to make the right decisions. 

and in the end my pride may be stripped away and i may be cut down

but that doesn't matter because i am still one person.

my goal in life has always been to change the world in some way for the better. 

though i may not be able make a huge universal difference in the world i hope to change it for the better, even if that means just helping my self and my family to be better.

but here is the thing,

i can change the world.

because i am one person

and i have a voice

and i know what is right and wrong.

like my grandpa always said

"you are only as good as your word"

so starting today i am going to take my word and use it for good. 

to fight all the bad in this world

to stand up for what i know is right.

i am one in a million, and no one can take that away from me.

so for all my future somethings....

i am going to change the world for good by raising my voice for right 

and enjoying the beautiful life i've been given

listen to the song here....