home – kaylee may

12
May
2015

Where we have found peace

categories: DIY projects, Life, Marriage, Seton

This is the first time I have sat down — alone, just to sit — since my last blog post.

Life has been cray to the zee.

But oh so wonderful.

April 7, we bought a house.

Then we started packing…

On April 14, my mom came to town to stay for a week and watch Seton while Davey and I fixed up the house (when we weren’t working).

We put her to work during Seton’s naps! (aren’t we great hosts?)

Painting date nights are healthy for a marriage. 😉

We spent a lot of time at Ikea.

(with a lunch box as a purse, in Davey’s sweatshirt, and sporting jeans circa 1999 because that’s how I party)

April 21, Grandma left, and Seton cried. I cried inside because omghowamigoingtofixthehousewithaninemonthold.

But it was starting to come together…

On April 24, Davey and I decided to not stress for 2 hours and watch a movie together because we wanted to enjoy the last night in our rental house. Nostalgia kicked in and it kicked hard. We regretted that immediately the next day when nothing was really packed. (but not really–I wouldn’t change that night for anything)

April 25, we moved into the house (I also worked that day per dumb life decisions).

April 28, Seton started at a new daycare!

…and started wearing shoes

…and taking steps

May 2, Seton and I took had an adventure to St. Louis.

We also took a few/many/a million trips to Menards where Seton was mistaken for a boy day after day despite me adding more and more pink to her wardrobe each visit.

On May 7, our front door *broke* (aka Davey played around with the locks and got them stuck), so Seton and I were locked out at the convenient hour of hunger, nap time, diaper change time, and a thunderstorm.

On May 8, Davey went bowling with the fellas so I had a night to walk around the house and finish all the random projects he started.

Last night, after living here 2 weeks, I unpacked our bedroom.

And this morning, Grandpa stopped by the house during his layover!

And here I am today. Sitting.

I’ve decided that I won’t ever respond to someone with a quick, “busy!” when asked how I am doing. Life is busy, and in our busy-ness, there is peace. The monotony of painting poured prayers on my heart of hope in the future. The lifting/carrying of boxes showed me how blessed I am for my physical abilities. The unpacking of things that have been packed for three weeks reminded me that what I really need cannot be packed in a box. It’s been an amazing month of personal growth and familial growth as Davey and I worked toward the common good of creating a home.

16
Mar
2014

Our second home

categories: Marriage

Leaving our first home in Carmel, IN was one of the toughest things about moving. We had just moved all my stuff in the apartment after getting married and were making it ours when we got the call that we were moving to Minneapolis. So, just after unpacking in Carmel, we packed everything back up and loaded the Uhual, making our trek up north on Christmas Day.

Until yesterday we still had a few boxes that had yet to be unpacked, but there is nothing like having people over that gives you a swift kick in the rear to get yourself together and unpack those last boxes….and hang those pictures on the wall…and figure our why that closet door won’t shut… So thank goodness we invited a couple friends over for lasanga last night. It gave us the motivation we needed!

We spent yesterday finalizing our move and making our house a home. Here are some pictures!

17
Jan
2014

Davey’s Special

categories: Recipes

Davey and I like to make recipes that are nutritious, affordable, and left-over worthy. One such recipe is “Davey’s Special.” Pretty much everything Davey creates is called “Davey’s Special”, so don’t get too confused in the future when you read about another “Davey’s Special.”

These are special, though. These healthy chicken …..uh let’s call them enchiladas… can be made in a crock-pot and easily saved as left-overs to take to work the next day.

Here’s how we do it.

Combine in a crock pot:
1 lb chicken breasts
1 can black beans
1 can corn
16 oz. salsa
1 packet taco seasoning

Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours.

After the cook time, shred the chicken using two forks.

Add filling to either corn or flour tortillas. Top with your choice of shredded cheese, sour cream , avocado, cilantro, or whatever your heart desires.

Mmmmmm!

31
Dec
2013

Mall of America

categories: Life, Marriage

We went to the Mall of America our first weekend in Minneapolis to see what all the fuss was about. It was cooler than we expected!

We also learned if you leave carbonated beverages in your car over night, they will freeze and explode. All. Over. The. Place.

24
Nov
2013

Married Life Part II: Our first home

categories: Life, Marriage

Davey and I have been living in a small, one bedroom apartment north of Indianapolis. I will never forget the excitement of coming back to our cozy apartment on our wedding night, spending the second week of our honeymoon making it “ours”, having movie and wine nights cuddled up on our oh-so-fancy futon, and anxiously waiting for one another to get home from work so we can share an evening together.

My favorite spot of the apartment is sitting on our bench at our small kitchen table. The “table” was previously my desk in grad school, and the bench belonged to my loving grandparents. My grandma gave me the bench at my bridal shower.

I also love our coffee table which is simply an old piano bench we picked up at Goodwill! It allows a little extra storage without taking up a lot of space. I love functional furniture.

02
Nov
2013

Married Life Part I: Living without television

categories: Life, Marriage

When Davey and I were engaged, we made the socially offbeat decision to start our married life without cable. Someone recently said to me, “I have never heard of such a thing,” and I am guessing you may be thinking the same thing. Let me tell you about the advantages and disadvantages:

Disadvantage Scenario Number One: We arrive to work and our coworkers and clients ask us through yawns, “Wow, did you see the World Series game last night?” We refrain from saying the first thing that comes to mind which is, “Oh, was that last night?” and have to make something up like, “Yes, I couldn’t believe that one play.”

Disadvantage Scenario Number Two: We arrive to work to find out that tornadoes, hurricanes, and monsoons will all be sweeping through Indiana according to the show-stopping weather reports. Darn, we should have closed our windows at the apartment.

Disadvantage Scenario Number Three: It seemed as if this year, more than any other, 110% of people who went downtown for Halloween were dressed up like some television character. After asking 5 people, “What are you dressed up as?” I learned to say, “Love the costume! You look just like him!”

Advantage Number One: We have been reading. A LOT. We even got a library card. I had avoided the library ever since I was in elementary school. Unknowingly, my repressed memories of my elementary school librarian’s thick eyebrows, muted mustache (she’s a woman), and scratchy voice telling me, “Once again, Kaylee, you are late in returning your books. Are you a slow reader? We have a special class for you” was keeping me away. Now that I have faced my fears, I love the library.

Here is Davey studying away:

Advantage Number Two: We have invested our time in cooking and sharing meals together. Davey has made turkey chili, tortilla pizzas, and something called “Davey’s Special” (I still can’t figure out what that was). I have made chicken tetrazzini, butternut squash soup, and chicken cacciatore. We cherish our meal times together; it’s my favorite time of day.

Advantage Number Three: A number of times, we have simply sat on our couch with a cup of chai tea telling stories about our days and coming up with new adventures. I truly believe we would have lost these precious conversations in new episodes of the New Girl or that one play of the World Series.

I am so thankful for our decision to live unplugged as we start our life together.

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