what about our friends

The thing about having college friends stick around town for a bit after college is that it comes to an end. Right around the same time we're leaving New York, one of our best friends is doing the same, heading off for a summer of traveling and then settling at grad school. Another is already gone, back to his hometown 4 hours away, and the rest while slowly disburse at the end of summer when their lease in the city is up and life goes on.

It was at about the same time that we all realized that an era of last minute plans (barbeques, shows in dark bars, house parties and diners the morning after) was coming to an end. Ben and I are leaving town at the end of May, and one friend leaves a few days before, so we only have six weeks together, as said friend likes to point out.

That's why this weekend was so necessary. On Friday, Ben and I had a lazy night: dinner with his dad and a few hours spent watching tv. Saturday morning, we got up and putzed around, going to Lowes and Triple A and other Saturday morning things. 

But Saturday evening? Saturday evening we spent with our friends. Our far away friend drove up for the weekend, and we all reunited over bacon cheeseburgers and whiskey, and the boys threw a toga party. Togas were unnecessary, but good for the story. We spent the night drinking too much, remembering old stories, and making new ones. The next morning [or afternoon] once everyone was up and alive, we walked a few blocks in the beautiful spring air and recovered over greasy diner food.

I don't know what it's going to be like moving to a new city and making new friends, but I know that we're sure as hell going to miss the ones that we have here.

News with a capital N

Monday, although a day for April fooling, was a day that brought about much joy and disbelief in the Quigley household. Monday, there were excited text messages shot back and forth, detailed phone calls in hushed tones, and lunch-break shoe buying.

For Monday, I accepted my first real, professional job!

As you guys know, I've been applying to jobs for the longest time. Ben and I made a deal back in January [I think] that I could quit my restaurant job if I applied to 100 full time jobs in my field for the next school year. I made a handy Job Chart of Wonder and promptly applied to 46 of those. When I say promptly, what I really mean is that I dragged it out for as long as humanly possible because we all know that applying for jobs is a bitch. Even getting through 46 applications was pushing it. Ben and I went on a road trip to Memphis at the end of February, where I interviewed for 13 different Student Affairs jobs in the south, and I was pretty confident that I had rocked those interviews.

Turns out, I was right. In the second week of March, I received a job offer. That was this position. I was hesitant to take it because all of the other positions were on a much slower schedule, not ready to give me any answers regarding my status, and not even close to making offers. I asked this place if they could wait a bit for me to see what else was going on, they said sure, but we need an answer by April 1.

I got my butt in gear trying to get answers. I called people, I went for an interview in South Carolina, and I tried my best to be as patient as I could. However, April 1 was looming. Ben and I had a million Grown Up, Married People, Can You Really Believe We're Old Enough to Be Making These Decisions conversations about it and decided that this offer I received was a really really good one. And it was the best decision for us as a Baby Family.

So, Monday morning, I called my future supervisor, told him I'd love to take the job, and here we are today, with a giant change in our very near future. After stopping at Target on the way home to buy a celebratory pair of shoes [of course], I came home to the absolute sweetest thing Ben could have done for me:

That man popped a bottle of champagne, wrote me the sweetest "I'm proud of you" note, and got a bunch of cash from the bank for my new We're Moving to the South clothes fund. I'll be damned if he doesn't make me feel like a rockstar.

So, thank you for all of the sweet congratulations on Instagram and Twitter! As soon as everything is officially officially official, I will share exactly where/when/how/why/every other possible detail of our move. 

If you've been a little detective so far, you'll remember that it's 1) in the south and 2) in our very near future. A gold star and a high five goes to the first person who can guess correctly [but if I've already told you, don't be a little cheater!]

hello there

We're back. Vacation came and went and now it's two crazy weeks later and I finally have the energy to update. Hello there, April.

Vacation was even better than I hoped for. I wore sundresses almost every day and didn't wear shoes literally every day. Ben and I helped out around the in-law's new house and then spent days laying in the sun, reading this sweet book [me] and nerdy magazines [him]. I got a few tan lines. We ate some dang good queso. We perfected our Kan Jam game. We napped!

Proof:

bare feet | lazy mornings playing Donkey Kong | afternoon naps in the sunshine

 of course we tried on cowboy hats in Texas | we also played with [lighter] guns

THEN we flew standby again on our way home, which was an all day adventure. We got in at midnight, slept a bit, I worked all day the next day, and headed out for a job interview in South Carolina the next morning. I am just a jet-settin' fool.

The interview went well I think, but I don't want to jinx anything, so that's all I'm going to say about that. Flying by myself for a business thing felt so professional, [especially due to the grown up plane conversations with my neighbors and the whiskey gingers I imbibed]. The whole trip was a lot of fun, including my interview, and I am so thankful for the opportunities that God has given to me in this job search. Now, a few pictures from my trip because my phone is all I had to keep me company for that 36 hours:

the Charlotte airport has the sweetest rocking chairs by the windows, so I obviously used those | such a sweet view from my hotel room | traveling home, waiting in the smallest airport I've ever seen, a sad sad airport with no beer

And now I'm home! There's house cleaning to be done and school work to catch up on, but man, have these last few days home been so nice. Going away makes you grateful to be home, that's for sure.

away we go

After months and months of a gloomy Rochester winter, Ben and I are jetting away to Houston early tomorrow morning to visit his mom's side of the family. We're flying standby, so who the heck knows when we'll get there, but tomorrow morning at 4 am, we will be at the airport, ready to go.

We have plans to eat a lot of wonderful TexMex [queso!!!], obviously some Chick Fil A, and whatever other Texas goodies we can get our hands on. Ben's sister and her husband are moving into their first house this week, so I'm excited to see that and help them get settled if they still need it. Those two were INCREDIBLY helpful moving us into our apartment in August, so it's only fair that we return the favor. They're also expecting their first baby this July, so I'm excited to see Bethany's sweet little baby belly and talk all about that. Her husband, Lee, was a 12 pound baby when he was born though, so her belly probably isn't so little at this point.

Unlike Ben, I don't have spring break this week [or ever until graduation], so I'll be toting my dumb homework along. I have a final paper due next Sunday too. But whatever. There will still be plenty of time for being outside, going on walks without having to wear coats, and visiting as much family as possible.   

I am beyond excited to wear sundresses again. 

These are a couple pictures from last weekend, when New York teased us with 60 degrees and sunshine. I spent the weekend hanging out with my sister while Ben was on base, and when he came home, he brought some pretty flowers back for me. He's a good one, y'all.

Why March?

from March 2011, when I had a serious thing for bracelets and we went to see the lilacs bloom at Highland Park

Because of birds chirping in the trees every morning. Because of starting to drive with the windows down. Because of the change that fresh flowers from the supermarket can bring. Because of blankets spread under the trees upon which to read. Because of dinners at our parents', catching up & making memories. Because the sun kisses my face once again. Because Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market come alive. Because of weekly bike rides around town. Because fresh fruit becomes a staple again. Because of sundresses with sweaters over them and the rare occurance of bare feet on the cool grass. Because of hope for warmer days, brighter sun, and time on the lake. Because homework can wait until another day. Because of job interviews and the hope of starting my career. Because  of  Alabama Shakes on Pandora and dance breaks in the middle of to-do lists. Because I'm learning to embrace the in-between.

more from that time we picniced amongst the lilacs in March 2011, as babies.