What 6 Months Can Do...

Today Zack and I celebrate 6 months of marriage! My how the past 6 months have FLOWN by!! As I reflect over the first 6 months of our marriage, I also see just how much change has happened in this season of our lives. Just a glimpse of what the past 6 months has done in our lives...

1-marriage (that in itself is a big enough adjustment!!)
2- Zack graduating college 
3- traveling to Bahamas (my first time out of country)
4- my new job at Camp Oak Hill
5- Zack's first job at Northern
6- moving away from home
7- moving back to Raleigh
8- Zack getting a car (still trying to sell the Jeep)
9- becoming financially independent...is no joke!!

Nonetheless, this chapter of our lives has been flavored fully with change! We are finally leveling out some and things are slowing down (or we're learning to adjust really well)! Here's to many many more anniversaries (whether they by big or small) :) 

A Whirlwind Week!!

This past week was crazy busy, but in a good way!! 

Between Zack getting bunnies in his classroom, to Camp Oak Hill moving office space, to Halloween, the ever-exciting Meredith College Cornhuskin', and even some Wolfpack football,  it was a packed week of seeing old friends and celebrating (with a lot of work in there too)! 

Zack has been working on getting bunnies in his classroom since the trip to the Fair with the FFA and they finally arrived this week :)

In my working world, this week was the BIG MOVE! Camp Oak Hill moved office space. We've moved on up to the 3rd floor! Below is a before and current picture of what I'm doing at work. Finished pictures to come...

We're so excited about our green wall!

Yes, I know, I have my hands full!

This week was also full of fun with so many different friends! I enjoyed going to Can Art, we loved going Trunk-or-Treating with the Brices, we had too much fun at Cornhuskin' Friday night, and cheered for the Pack Saturday at the Game with friends! 

Some of my beautiful girls at Can Art

Avery was the cutest ladybug I've seen!

Post-Corn Ihop tradition :)

Fun at the Game, despite the outcome

 How blessed we've been this week by good friends and good times!

A Fun-Filled Weekend!

This past weekend was crazy busy, but great! I was honored to be a part of one of my oldest best friend's weddings this weekend. We had a great time celebrating Eli and Matt and their new marriage! Friday night's rehearsal dinner was so much fun with old friends from home and Saturday was a beautiful day for a wedding! We had so much fun being a part of their special day. 

At Eli & Matt's Rehearsal Dinner

With the beautiful bride

Enjoying a yummy meal at the reception!

The Original 4 :)

Sunday we went over to the Brice's to hang out and just as tradition holds, Grant and I shared ice cream. This is a thing I do with both Avery & Grant, each since they were itty bitty. I love knowing that  I can always get Grant's attention with a bowl of ice cream :)

A Pinterest Success :)

I found a "trick" on Pinterest that I've been wanting to try. Last night I decided to paint my nails and toenails myself for Eli's wedding. I normally really prefer getting a mani and pedi, but I can't justify it in the Fall/Winter. Nonetheless, I was painting away and Zack walks in to what he called "the Nail Clinic"...(he's so patient and understanding of my sometimes quirky ventures to find new beauty tricks!)

I painted away, then the magic happened...I sprayed Pam cooking spray on my wet toenails and just like that, my nails were dry!! This is the most amazing beauty trick I've found so far!! Despite my husband looking at my like I have 4 heads, it's an amazing way to quick-dry wet nails. **My only disclaimer would be to immediately follow up by washing your feet/hands in very cold water (continues to seal on polish) to get the grease off them before walking around (made that mistake).**

 Then, just like that I have salon-quality toenails all ready to wear those super cute shoes for the wedding :)

It's About Time!

It's about time I get back to blogging. I have no excuses anymore. Camp is over, life has slowed down, we are officially falling into our "normal" routine, AND we now have internet at home! I have no excuse to not keep up with blogging now!!

After a conversation with a friend from MC, I decided to piggy-back off her ideas and sort of morph my personal blog into one for both Zack and me. I love this idea of sharing our life together with others through a blog. I hope that since his name will be tied to this, I will be more intentional and persistent with keeping up with this! 

The most exciting thing we have done lately is taking Zack's FFA kids to the fair this past Monday. Talk about hilarious! I think it's safe to say the best part of everyone's day was the Bunny Rabbit exhibit (see pic below). How can you not fall in love with something that cute?! We had a great day walking through all of the agriculture exhibits and then just hanging out at the fair. I did so good this year eating- only had a country ham biscuit, corn, and NCSU ice cream (that's much more conservative than previous years).

 (my favorite bunny at the fair)

There isn't really anything else new in the Carscaddon house except that we are both working hard and all the time and continuing the adjust to the working life and the married life. We both have finally somewhat settled in to our jobs and our home! I was so naive when I thought that as soon as we got married, life would slow down and we would have everything "figured out"- it's 6 months later and we've still got lots of moving pieces! Until next time, Happy Thursday :)

STOP WITH THE COMPARISONS!

I do not like self-disclosure, but I feel burdened to share something I’m struggling with to hopefully help others while working through my own sin. Lately (since getting married), I have been battling comparing myself to other women and spending more time thinking about others than I am spending on my new husband or myself. I have been drawn in to spending way too much time on Facebook or other social media wondering what’s going on in the lives of others and not enough time focusing on what’s most important in my life- God and my marriage to Zack. Yesterday God sent me the sign that I needed to put my sin aside and re-focus on Him. The Proverbs 31 Daily Devotion yesterday was about comparison and this notable quote rocked my world:

            “Every time we compare ourselves with someone else, we can never measure                     up because we're comparing our insides with their outsides.”

I feel like this was God directly telling me to STOP with the comparisons and focus on the gifts He’s given me to bless others. I didn’t even realize how wrapped up in sin I was until I felt God specifically “calling me out” on my struggle. What I thought was good intentions of “just keeping in the loop” on Facebook has really been hurting me and hurting Zack. With that said, I’m taking a semi-hiatus from Facebook- I’ve removed it from my phone and do not plan to spend time each day checking in to see what others are doing. I want to tackle my sin head on and re-focus my priorities to what they should be: my relationship with God, my marriage, my new job, and using the gifts I’ve been given to be a blessing to others. I hate my sin and want it gone, so I pray that through God I can re-prioritize and focus on what really matters.

p.s.- I have every good intention of keeping up with my blog now that I’m not going to be spending so much time on other sites. Stay tuned for future blogs about how fun married life is, the craftiness that happens with the Carscaddon’s every weekend, and some thoughts about my new job J

Why I Want to Be a Proverbs 31 Woman

It’s no secret I’m a terrible blogger. However, when I do get an idea for a blog, I get so excited to write it I can hardly stand it. As Zack and I are quickly approaching marriage and starting our future as husband and wife, I have spent a lot of time self-reflecting. I have said since July 30^th that this time of engagement has really brought light to a whole new side of me that I’ve never had to face before. I have already learned so much about myself through this time and I can’t wait to continue to be made new after I’m a wife.

The biggest, most ugly, horrible characteristic about me that has been brought out in full force through our engagement has been my selfishness. I have spent a few nights reading and re-reading Proverbs 31 to reflect on the kind of wife I want to be. This passage has a whole new meaning to me now that I see myself as being a wife in just a few short weeks!

There are a few highlights of the passage that I want to strive for:

11- “Her husband has full confidence in her…”- I pray that I can be a woman whom Zack has full confidence in everyday. I want Zack to know without a doubt that he can trust me and have confidence in my actions.

12- “She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life”- before engagement, this concept seemed so easily attainable. I can now see that I need to be mindful of bringing good in all aspects of life; not just a few times, when it’s easy for me.

17- “She sets about her work vigorously”- Normally men get all of the criticism for being passive or lazy, but I think this verse calls out for women to work hard too! I want to work hard for a Godly, good marriage, for a love that can’t be reviled, for a life pleasing to God, and for His will in our lives.

25(a)- “She is clothed in strength and dignity”- I want Zack and others to be able to describe me with these two words. I can only attain these attributes through Christ, so one of my biggest goals in my marriage is to characterized by this verse.

25(b)- “she can laugh at the days to come”- Goodness gracious I want to be more like this!! Right now, there’s no denying that I worry myself sick about the future. That’s not being like a Proverbs 31 woman at all! This verse says it clearly; we are to laugh at the future, not worry about it. I think if I can adopt this mindset, many of these other things that I’m striving for will fall into place.

26- “She speaks wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue”- I want my words to be meaningful. I don’t want to use words that hurt, that are wrong, that mislead, or take away from the Gospel. I want to speak wisdom and let my words encouraging, helpful, and wise.

30- “Charm is deceptive and beauty if fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”- this is a well-known verse and many times it’s used alone, apart from the rest of the passage. I want this to be the summary of the attributes I’ve listed above, not a general guide. I want everything I’m striving for to culminate into this verse. I want to fear the Lord and be the best I can be for God and for my future husband.

As I am about to begin this new, exciting season of life, I pray that I can become more like the Proverbs 31 woman. I want to be the wife that Zack deserves and I think using this passage as a template for my character is a good way to start.