I have finally finished my video blogs...much like ShamrockLover, I wasn't able to upload them here on xanga, so I put them on youtube and have provided the links below!  Let me know what you think and if you'd like to hear any more from me!

Video Blog #1

Video Blog #2

XOXOXO,
K.

ps - I'm so sorry it's so blurry!  Ever since I spilled soda on the laptop, it's been a bit hinky.  Hope you can suffer through it!

I hope to actually record my video to answer your questions this weekend.  So...if you have any questions you want to hear the answer to, just let me know!

K.

Well cats and kittens, today is your lucky day!  Two posts in one day...hell, most of the time I can't even be bothered to do two posts in a week, clearly something is up.

Over the past six months or so, I have this insane desire to be as "Martha Stewart-like" as possible.  It's like, every crafty thing that comes my way, I want to do!   I already love to cook, but I have started to make as much stuff "from scratch" as possible.  Last night...it was pumpkin puree, from scratch!  Like...no joke, cut that sucker open, scoop out the guts, and bake the shit out of it until the insides are mush...then puree.  SO EASY!!!  Granted...opening a can is probably easier, but I can't get pumpkin puree in a can here, so if I want it, I got to do it myself.  I was amazing at how GOLDEN the color was!  Normally, the canned stuff is this orangey-brown color...almost like pumpkin with cinnamon mixed in (even though there aren't spices in it).  It's probably because the pumpkin has oxidized and browned a bit, so we'll see if my homemade stuff does the same.  I'm heading up north tonight to watch my friend's children while she's in the hospital having her third child (a daughter!), so I can't make anything with it tonight, but later in the week, I'm making my mom's famous pumpkin bread!!!  That stuff is DIVINE!  My mom puts walnuts in hers, but I'm a puritan, so no nuts for me.  If anyone is interested in the recipe, I can post it on here...I guarantee it's the best damn quick bread for fall you'll ever have...even better if you slather on a little cream cheese...NOM!

In addition to this insane need to cook everything in sight, I've also been crazy obsessed with my crochet projects!  I just spent 30 minutes on Etsy, buying some patterns for new projects.  I'm currently working on a baby blanket for my friend (who's in labor right now, as I type), and then I have to finish my MIL's lap quilt I made her for Christmas...and crochet my mom's lap afghan as well.  Then, another friend's baby is due in February, so I'll be making a blanket for her as well.  Sigh...but, in between those projects, I have a few easy ones (the ones I just bought) that I can use to break up the monotony. 

Here are my newest projects that I want to work on:

Boot cuffs, since I love wearing boots and leggings in the winter, and like something colorful to break it up.

 
Fingerless gloves, so that I can wear them during work and still be able to type.

House slippers, because I absolutely HATE walking around the house barefoot on hard wood floors.  I go through too many pairs of socks as it is, and my smart wool socks are starting to wear thin, so I want a pair of house slippers.  Plus...how flipping cute is the button accent!

Then, because the patterns were just too adorable, I also got two others.

This is a hooded cowl/wrap for a toddler, but I think I can tweak the pattern to make it adult sized.  If not, it's still adorable for a little girl, and I have plenty of friends that I can make it for!

This pattern is actually labeled as a baby blanket, but I freaking LOVE IT!  I plan on making it as a throw for our bed back home, in our bedroom colors (probably muted blues, greys, greens and creams).  I just love the rosettes...sigh.

I absolutely love working on all these projects...makes me hate having to go to work.  I'd rather just sit at home, making meals from scratch, canning and freezing stuff, and crocheting/knitting/sewing.  I seriously need a job as a hippie.

XOXOXO,
K.

I am getting so discouraged with finding a house!  We really want to live in the town where we'll be working (also the town where we moved from when we moved over here), and it really just doesn't seem like there's anything out there we like!  I mean...sure...there are some that are "good enough"...but I HATE spending money on something that is just "good enough"...you know?  And yes, I'm probably being ridiculously picky, but lord...how hard is it to find houses that have tons of windows in a wooded area?  The rest I can either rip out, install myself, or paint to make it how I like it...but the wooded area is a biggie.  Hell, I can even add windows!  I just hate how so many of the houses that are for sale are in new housing areas, which are essentially fields that have been plowed down to make room for more houses.  No mature trees, some places don't even have mature grass yet. 

Jamie has planned for our house hunting trip to be mid-January, and while I know there is time for more houses to come on the market, the winter is notorious for being a bad time to sell.  I'm afraid a lot of people will wait a few more months until the spring/summer to put their house on the market.  We get 10 days to find a house when we go home...which isn't much time.  We'll go through our pre-approval prior to that, so we'll know what the bank will loan us, and we'll definitely be looking at houses online, as well as working with a realtor, but I'm just nervous.  Sigh...I have to keep faith that it will work out and we'll find something that we like, or else I'm going to drive myself nuts.

So...for now...I'm just looking at places online.  Hopefully something fabulous will pop up!  If so, I'll post it on here and show you all!

Hope all is well!

XOXOXO,
K.

I have been totally inspired by ShamrockLover, and now want to do a vlog as well!  However, to do that, I need questions to answer.  So, go ahead...ask me anything, I'm pretty much an open book.  What would you like to hear me talk about?

K.

I finally broke down and joined a gym here.  Jamie and I joined one together, actually.  I really didn't want to, primarily because it's just so expensive to join a gym here, but we managed to find a good deal (they were having a special), so I didn't feel too bad about spending the money.  Plus...I just really need some motivation...it's getting colder and darker here in the mornings, and it's SO HARD to drag myself out of bed to go running in the mornings!  I am terrible about working out after work...I just can't be bothered to work out in the evenings, so mornings are really important for me...and if it's pitch black outside, I have no desire to be running outside in the dark.  I fully admit to be a paranoid freak who thinks about potential muggings and drug deals gone wrong. 

XOXOXO,
K.

Jamie and I have decided to go back to Hawaii for our 5-year anniversary!  We went to Maui for 10 days for our honeymoon, and had planned on going to the Big Island for our 1-year anniversary, but I got super sick right before and we had to cancel.  So...we're going to go back for the 5-year instead!

We're talking about spending two weeks there, and doing two islands.  We're not going to go back to Maui, since we've already been there, but we're thinking the Big Island and Oahu.  5-6 days on each island should be a good amount!  We're looking into ziplining, hiking in the Volcano National Park, scuba diving/snorkling, and lots of lazing on the beaches.  I am so excited!!!  I can't believe we're coming up on 5 years married already...time sure has flown.  In the past 5 years, we've moved abroad twice, built a house (then sold it), got a cat, sold pretty much all our possessions, and are now looking to move back to the US to start all over again.  Craziness!  I wouldn't trade it for the world.

So...if any of you have been to the Big Island or Oahu...any recommendations??  We're very outdoorsy people, but I am also a major foodaholic, so I'll take anything you got!

XOXOXO,
K.

Jamie has finally made a decision on his next role!  I seriously thought this day would never get here, and now that it has been decided, things are finally speeding up.  Jamie has decided that he'd like to stay in the same technical role, just with a different customer.  He's going back to be the Technical Lead on the same Japanese program he worked on in 2007, when we went to Japan!  I'm so excited!!! 

Jamie will be traveling back and forth to Japan, probably once a quarter for a few weeks at a time, which is so awesome (for two reasons).  1.  AIRLINE MILES, BABY!!!  We haven't paid for a flight in I don't know how long...we went on our honeymoon to Maui for $20 airline fees, and we've traveled back and forth from Europe a few times using miles.  We'll be able to replenish the miles now that he's going back and forth to Japan, especially since he'll be flying business.  2.  IT'S JAPAN!!!  Basically, if I don't go back to work, if Jamie goes to Japan, then I can go too!  I'm so excited about possibly going back to Japan, even if it's only for a visit.  I miss that country so damn much, it's unreal.  I felt so at home there, and I'd move back in a heartbeat.  We're hoping that this position with the company could lead to an expat position back in Japan after this job is up.  Living in Japan for an extended amount of time would be absolutely phenomenal!

So, along with this, our move home time frame is March 2013.  Jamie's planning a house hunting trip in mid-January.  We would have gone in December, but we'll be spending 2-3 weeks in Austria or Switzerland for Christmas, so we didn't want to give that up.  This will allow us to travel over Christmas, with the cat, and really get away and relax.  We went to Switzerland last year, but only stayed 8-9 days, and it really wasn't enough time.  We hope to leave mid-December (around the 15th) and then come back in January (end of the first week).  I think it'll be good for us to really get away from work and the daily grind. 

So...the decision has been made, the plans are moving along, and it's only a matter of time now.  It'll be bittersweet, for sure.  I'll miss living here, but I'm ready for our next adventure!

XOXOXO,
K.

Jamie and I were on our run this morning, and Jamie mentioned that he wanted to do something special for our 5-year anniversary, which is in May.  He wants to go on a big trip somewhere.  So...question for you all...where should we go?!  Europe is probably out...we've lived here 3 years nearly, so probably won't come back that soon, plus we'll have just moved home a few months prior to that.

We went on our honeymoon to Hawaii (Maui island), so we could go back there, but there's also a ton of other places to explore!  One must...it MUST have good scuba diving, and a range of outdoor activities (hiking, scuba, snorkling, etc.).  Thoughts?

So xanga...where do we go on our big trip?

XOXOXO,
K.

Jamie and I have been talking more about the future.  What we want out of life, out of each other, out of our relationship, out of ourselves.  We find ourselves having conversations in the strangest places...while out on a walk, at a restaurant...or better yet, at a bar.  Sure...why not, right?

So, our most recent indepth "conversation" (if you could call it that), was around children.  Namely, when to have them.  Jamie and I were sitting at a bar in Germany, having a drink and waiting on our dinner, and he looks over at me and says, "how about we make our Christmas trip this year a baby making trip?"  Ummm...do what!?  That's it.  No warning, no lead-in, just "hey!  let's do this!"  I know I've been ready for awhile now, but Jamie hasn't been.  Work has been insane, his job here isn't exactly what one would describe as "satisfying" from a work/life balance perspective, and overall, we've been doing our absolute damndest to travel as far and wide as we can.  All that doesn't exactly scream "hey!  let's make a baby"...at least, not to us.  So...we shelved the conversation awhile ago...decided not to bring it back up until we moved home and were settled.  At least, I told Jamie I'd stop bringing it up, since I was starting to feel like I was pushing him, and that's definitely not what I wanted.  And so...I did...for about 5-6 months.  Then, out of the blue, in the middle of a German bar, he tosses that at me.  Honestly, I think my face about split from the giant smile on my face.

So now...it's back on the table.  Hopefully, during Christmas vacation, we can start trying for a baby.  I'm still on the pill, but this will be my last month, and then I'll take a few months to let my body regulate itself.  We're hoping to move back to the States in February/March timeframe, so that will be perfect timing, since I doubt I'll get pregnant right away (but man, trying is a blast!).  We're still looking for houses and whatnot, and making plans of what we need to purchase.  I've got a list of things about a mile long that I want to do once we're home, so I know it will never be boring.  I'm ready for this...and Jamie is too, and it is so nice to be on the same page.  He's going to be such an amazing father, I can't even describe.  How he acts with our friends' children is  so sweet.  He's so engaged, so gentle and loving...he has 11 nieces and nephews and he's the favorite uncle with them all.  He's going to be so great at this.  Myself...well...that'll be a "wait and see"...but hopefully I'm not too terrible.

So...yeah...that's where we stand right now.  Sort of "out of the blue", but apparently that's how we roll.  Don't worry, I won't get into the nitty gritty of our progress, but I'll update if something happens!

Hope you all are doing well!

XOXOXO,
K.