Our Move

Well, we made it! We are officially residents of North Carolina, and after today, I will have a new state driver's license, which may be a little hard for me to swallow, but at least people won't inspect my ID like it's fake every time they ask to see it.

We have been here for about three weeks (minus a week for a family vacation we took), but I want to go back to pre-move to document some of our last days in Houston.

When we first decided on coming to NC, my mind already started worrying about how in the world we were going to get all of our stuff here. On the other hand, Matt's mind started planning the best roadtrip ever! After much persuasion, I talked him into NOT driving a 28-foot UHaul truck with our entire house in the back, our dog in the passenger seat, and my car being pulled behind by a trailer (making the entire ensemble about 40 feet long! Did I mention HE wanted to be driving the thing? Ya, all of that terrified me and gave me nightmares (and I am not exaggerating about the nightmares).

I knew that in order to ruin his "best roadtrip ever" plan, I had to come up with something good, so I did my research, and I found some companies, and one in particular that matched our budget, that would send our stuff across the country to let us meet it there. The company we used was called U-Pack, and it was exactly what it sounds like... YOU (us) PACK. Here's the deal: you pack everything you own in boxes, and then a driver comes to your house, drops off a trailer and then leaves. You then pack all of your boxes/stuff in that trailer as best you can (crossing your fingers that it makes the 1,200 mile journey without being completely destroyed). Then, for a small fee, you can actually choose the day your stuff is delivered to your new house. So, this is what we chose to do.

I wasn't aware at first, but I apparently married a master-packer, which is awesome. Single ladies, add that quality to your "Must Haves" for your future hubby. Seriously, he worked so hard to get all of our things packed and packed well. I owe our stuff not getting destroyed to him. Just check out some of our furniture items... #saranwrapisyourbestfriendwhenmoving <-- that hashtag should be trending.

Once we had everything pretty much packed, we took a quick trip to visit as much of our family as possible. Since my family all lives in Houston, the trip was really to see Matt's family. We got to visit both of his grandmothers, both of his parents, and his brother and our new sister-in-law. We also got to do two Texas-things that we hadn't done before. While we were in Waco visiting his brother, Sam and Sam's wife, Shannon, we went to Magnolia Market (the Texas "landmark" made famous by the hit show Fixer Upper. We also went to the Fort Worth Stockyards with Matt's mom while we were in Fort Worth.

We got back on a Saturday, and the trailer and movers came on Monday. We ended up hiring two men from a small moving company to help us load all of the boxes and furniture into the trailer. They were clutch, because they were speedy and knowledgeable about how best to pack everything in the truck. Here we are right before closing up the trailer. And below that, what our house looked like afterward. 

A very confused golden retriever and three tennis balls. Crazy, Since everything was now packed, we had planned to stay a couple of nights at my parents' house before going to the bayhouse for the Fourth of July. During our last couple of nights in Houston, some of our amazing friends threw us a Texas farewell party. We left some dear friends back in Texas and can't wait for them to come out to NC! 

After leaving Houston, we went to Galveston to stay for the Fourth of July holiday. We were there for five wonderful days, and got to spend some quality time with my family before leaving Texas. 

We came back to Houston Sunday evening, and here we are bright and early Monday morning to start our journey east. 

We drove all day on Monday, leaving at about 5:30am from Houston, stopping a few times for gas, bathroom breaks, and food, and we arrived in Atlanta, where we were staying for the night at about 8:00pm after the time change. We checked into our hotel, and immediately left to go get dinner. When we got back, we cleaned up and went to bed in an attempt to get some much-needed rest. The following morning, Tuesday, Matt woke up at about 3:30am to get on the road to meet our moving truck which got to our house at about 11am. My mom and I left at about 7:30am to make the 5 hour drive to our new home. After three days, we had every box unpacked and all pictures hung on the walls.

We left for a family vacation on that Saturday, so having everything mostly finished was a priority of mine. It felt great to be able to leave knowing that we wouldn't have a ton of work to do when we got back. We loved getting to spend eight days in Palm Springs playing golf and hanging out by the pool without any unpacking looming ahead. I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, but here are a few from the golf course on the day of our family tournament and from the pool (with Matt's lifeproof-cased iPhone).

We got back to North Carolina on the 18th, and we hit the ground running. Matt is already in his second day of official orientation, but he has been working and studying for a couple of weeks now, and I have been working in my classroom for a couple of days, but mostly enjoying being in our new home with the dog, running errands, and exploring this new city.


Will update more soon! Happy Thursday, friends! I'm off to get my new driver's license! Fingers crossed they let me! ;)

A Change of Heart

This post is hard for me, but it is important. I recently shared that my husband has decided to pursue graduate school, and that we are moving to another state to make that dream a reality.

I remember sitting, criss-cross-apple-sauce, on my bed one night in February of 2013. I must have been working on my computer or something... I can't remember exactly. I had remembered passing conversations where Matt had mentioned grad-school before, but I didn't think much of it any of those times. I actually had our life planned out already, and it did not include graduate school, and it definitely did not include leaving Houston, much less Texas. I remember that night, because it was the first night I cried about grad-school. I mean, the ugly kind of cry... sobs, really. Pretty selfish, huh? My sweet, gentle, but also very ambitious, love-of-my-life husband made his intentions about graduate school clear to me. He wanted more for our family than my little thought-up plan. And my reaction was to cry? I see now how selfish I was being, thinking about MY job, MY family, MY home, etc. But, his dream, I now know with all of my heart, was straight from God. I just needed a little quite a bit of convincing. The Lord took care of that, and I am so glad He did.

In January of 2014, I heard a song for the first time that I know God had planned for me to hear. "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong was that song. Since then, I have probably listened to it about 450 times. Each morning when I would get to school, I played a Christian Spotify station, and when this song would come on, I would just play it on repeat. Every time I listened to it, I felt God's presence and was calmed.

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

When I listen to that verse, I know God knows what He is doing. It may sound silly to some people that I was so upset, but uprooting our life here in Houston was just not what I had planned. And, it was unknown, and I was unsure. It made me sad and scared.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

I was selfish, and I did not want to leave "home," but the Lord changed my heart. Who am I to think that God did not have a plan? I think God knew what he was doing when he brought together a boy who loved risk and a girl who liked to plan. I prayed a lot. Matt prayed a lot. He didn't want this to just be his adventure--he wanted it to be our adventure. Over time, my prayer changed from "Lord, change Matt's mind," to "Lord, change my heart." And He did. He absolutely did.

And so, more than two years since the process began, I am sitting here on my bed, criss-cross-apple-sauce, writing a blog post about it all. As I look around right now, I see bare walls, a lot of saran-wrapped furniture, and packed boxes for days, but what I feel is a lot of things. Anxiety? Of course. Fear? A little. But, I am so eager to start this adventure with my college-sweetheart. The Lord has taught me so many things since we got married in 2012, and I know He has a lot more to teach me.

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

For now, though, I choose to fully enjoy this next chapter of our life as the Bormanns, and I promise to blog about it along the way!

Life Lately

There have been so many things going on around here, so it's been difficult to keep up the blog. We have some very exciting news that we've been keeping in for a while, so blog world, here it is... we are moving!! Just after getting married three years ago, hubby decided he wanted to pursue getting his MBA at some point.

Well, it is finally here. We will be leaving Houston at the end of the month and headed to Durham, North Carolina. Matt will begin classes at Duke University at the end of July! Everything has been all set for our move since March, except for one important thing... a job for me. We had so many close family and friends praying for God to open the right door for me. And, as of Tuesday, I was offered and have accepted a job as a 7th grade math teacher in Durham! I'm in awe of our Lord's faithfulness.

        

        
















In other news, my sister graduated from college. Man, if that doesn't make me feel old, I'm not sure what will! She has moved back to Houston, and she starts her real-world job on Monday. You go girl!

I also had my last day of work, which was WAY more bittersweet than any other last school day. My sweet teacher friends helped me celebrate by all going to lunch one day before finals started. And after the last final, after the last student left the building, all of a sudden, my classroom was completely packed up in boxes and was empty. Pretty surreal. 

After the end of school last week, my first weekend of summer was spent celebrating the beautiful marriage of my brother-in-law and my new sister-in-law! The wedding was perfect, and their love for each other perfectly depicts Christ's love for the church. Congratulations, Bormanns!

Now that it is officially summer, I've had some time to really relax. Avery has loved me being home. We went to the bay for some much needed R&R with my mom. It was the perfect way to start summer.

Last but not least, to bring us up to the present, my latest project... About a week ago I purchased an old library table from an online trading site for $20. It was in very good shape for its age, but needed a lot of TLC. I was immediately drawn to it, and I made it my first project of the summer. Here is the before... (on the left, with our old chairs and on the right, with our new chairs!)

       

       

Stay tuned for the "during" and "after" pictures! Happy Summer, friends!

Chicken Salad

Y'all, my husband speaks the language of food. Thankfully, I have learned to speak that same language. One of his F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E foods/snacks is chicken salad, but I always cringe at buying the pre-made, grocery store chicken salad, because it's a little container that costs about $9. With hubs, that whole container may last about 9 minutes. So, whenever I find new recipes for chicken salad that are clean, or at least somewhat clean, I like to give them a try! I'm know I've said this before, but this recipe really is a new favorite! It tastes so refreshing. Here's the recipe:

Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 large green apple, diced
1 large red apple, diced
1 1/4 cups red seedless grapes, halved
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup walnut pieces (I used pecans because that's what I had)
2 tablespoons litem mayo
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves for serving

Directions:
Mix all ingredients chicken through the walnuts in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lite mayo, dijon mustard, greek yogurt, and honey. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the chicken and fruit and toss until evenly coated. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

Summery Chicken Tostadas

Since this recipe was shared with me about a month ago, I have made this dinner twice. It is definitely a hubby-approved fave! A friend of mine over at Fit Foodie Fam blogged this recipe and shared it with one of our 21-Day Fix groups. And let me just tell you, SO yummy, SO colorful, and SO easy to put together. Here's the recipe:

Summery Chicken Tostadas
Ingredients:
-1-2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (my fave crockpot shredded chicken recipe below)
-1 teaspoon EVOO (or other oil of your choice)
-1 zucchini, diced
-1 red onion, diced
-4 whole wheat tortillas (my fave are the Mission Artisan brand)
-1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen, but fresh is fine!)
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-3-4 tablespoons salsa verde
-3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use Monterrey Jack if I have it, but anything is fine!)

Directions:
Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and red onion, stirring often. Continue to sauté these ingredients for about 8 minutes or until the onions are soft.

While the zucchini and onion are cooking, lightly spray both sides of your tortillas with cooking -spray, and lay on a baking sheet. Bake these in the oven for about 8 minutes or until they begin turning a golden color. (Be careful not to burn them.)

After the onion and zucchini are soft, add in the corn and stir. Let the corn heat all the way through, and then add in the spices and salsa. Stir all ingredients together. Then, add in the chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine.

By this time, your tortillas should be done. Take them out of the oven, and top each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken/veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven to allow cheese to melt.

Serve with desired toppings, such as avocado, cilantro, or more salsa verde.
Let me know if you try this recipe! Would love to know how you like it!


Also, here's the shredded chicken recipe I use...

SkinnyTaste Convenient Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken
Ingredients:
-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat (about 1.5 pounds)
-3 cups Swanson 33% less sodium chicken broth
-1 onion, quartered (optional)
-1 celery stalk (optional)
-1 sprig of fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
Combine chicken breasts, just enough broth to cover the chicken and onion, celery and parsley (if using) into the slow-cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Discard the remaining liquid and veggies. You can use the shredded chicken in any recipe that calls for it, or refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Life Lately

Since we live in Houston and I am a teacher, I pretty much split the year into four main seasons: Fall, Christmas, Spring, and Summer. And maybe I'm the only one who feels like this, but Fall is always so busy with getting back into the routine of school and football season, so I always look forward to Spring with the intent of it being a much slower season, but it NEVER is. Somehow, spring time gets full, too. This year is no different.

I have some fun recipes to post this week that have been shared with me by a fellow BeachBody coach. She's wonderful, and we have been co-hosting a 21-Day Fix group for the last couple of weeks. So be looking for those recipes soon, but for now, here's what's been going on lately...

What I've Been Eating/Drinking LATELY:

[one]

I have recently changed my Shakeology flavor. I had been switching between Chocolate and Strawberry, but I decided to try the Vegan Chocolate, and I L-O-V-E my new flavor! No, I am not vegan, but sometimes it's just good to give your body a break from animal proteins. So yummy!

[two]

I made some Chicken Tostadas that just might make my "Top 5 Favorite Dishes I've Made" list. And, definitely hubby approved! Recipe coming soon!

[three]

We had this Sweet Potato Hash at my parents' house for a family dinner, and YUM! This recipe will also be hitting the blog very soon!

What I've Been Reading LATELY:

[one] 

My family started a book club in 2015. I dropped the ball on the first book of the year. I started reading it, and I just never got into it. However, I very quickly got into the second book that was chosen. The first Harry Potter book. I never read the series when I was a kid. I guess I really wasn't much of a reader at the time. But, after seeing all of the movies when they came out, it has been so fun going back to read the books. I really enjoyed the first one, and I am now onto the second. I also love that my students also have read/are even currently reading them. They are so excited that I am reading them and love talking to me about the books. 

[two]

I have been following a blog called SheReadsTruth and going through the last few of their studies: the book of John and then Esther. This blog is written by some wonderful ladies who very clearly love the Lord and who, I can guarantee, are blessing lots of women every day. 

What I've Been Doing LATELY:

[one] 

                                                 

Hubby and I celebrated another wonderful Valentine's Day together. When I was in high school, I always painted my fingernails black on Valentine's Day being a "rebel" for whatever reason. Well, those days are very over, and I love having this day to celebrate love. We enjoyed a delicious brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Brennan's. And then spent the day with our sweet puppy (who I am finally coming to realize that at three years old, she's really not a puppy).

[two]

It is spring in our house! As stated earlier, I don't really consider winter a season in Houston. I like to go from Christmas to springtime :) Of course, I decorated for Valentine's Day, but I've now decorated our table for Easter, one of my very favorite holidays! I can't help but smile whenever I walk by the table. 

[three]

It was plane rides, Ubers, and a fabulous wedding for me this weekend. I just got home today from Richmond, Virginia where one of my sweet college roommates got married. Richmond was perfectly covered in a blanket of wintery white, and just look how beautiful that bride is?! And her sweet new hubby photo-bombing. 

Lots of other things have been happening around here, and some fun posts are lined up for the next few weeks, as well as some yummy recipes to share! 

Hope you all have a great week!

No-Bake, Guilt-Free Cookies

If you are like me, you have a major sweet tooth. I try not to bake much, because I know I will just want to eat whatever I bake. It's a vicious cycle, you see, especially trying to eat clean. Here's a recipe that allows guilt-free sweet eating.

No-Bake Shakeology Cookies
Serving Size is 1 cookie

Ingredients:
- 1 cup Chocolate Shakeology
- 1 cup nut butter (I used almond butter)
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/2 cup agave nectar

Preparation:
- In medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring well.
- Roll mixture into 20-24 balls, each about 1-inch in diameter, and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Press a fork into each cookie, creating a criss-cross. (I touched the back of the fork to flour before each press to make this step easier/cleaner.)
-Store in air-tight container, and enjoy!
*If you are doing the 21-Day Fix, one cookie = one yellow container*

If you don't have Shakeology, the healthiest meal of the day, no worries--you can get it here!