life after wedding?

Today marks a special day for a few reasons...

1. My sister and new-brother-in-law are having the time of their life honeymooning in New Zealand right now.
2. The Indianapolis Colts are still undefeated...we'll see what happens tomorrow against the Patriots.
3. Korry and I both have the day off.
4. For the first time since we moved to California...we have NO PLANS for today.

As you can see, the wedding came and went with a lot of hairspray, food, tears, and smiles. It was a beautiful ceremony and the most fun reception I've ever been to. (Minus the fact that I was nursing a three-week-old cold and there was an obnoxious drunk girl at the reception that I was tempted to escort out.) We danced the night away...

So...now what? Well, to be honest, today is the first Saturday Korry and I have ever experienced with nothing on our schedule. So far, we've enjoyed:

• going to bed without setting an alarm
• waking up without an alarm
• sitting in bed talking before getting up
• making "Saturday Morning Breakfast" - an Ashton tradition
• watching college football (doing a little laundry on the side)
• not knowing what the rest of the day might bring

Coming up...

• Thanksgiving in Indiana

AshtoberFEST 2009

Doesn't the picture say it all? It was a GREAT night.

it's been a while...

(picture me under a blanket on the couch with the laptop as I write this...)

...A LOT has happened since I last wrote!

First, let me apologize for not writing for so long. My only excuse is that life got crazy and I couldn't find the time. Then, as more happened, the more I was behind and the idea of summarizing the events seemed more treacherous. So, it's 7:25am on a Saturday morning and Korry is still sleeping. Finally...the moment has presented itself for me to write!

Let me rewind time a few months...

On August 31st, I started my new job as a preschool teacher. Working 45-90 minutes away from home set in as a harsh reality VERY quickly. Korry had been making that drive every day since we moved here, but all of a sudden...I understood. LA traffic can suck the life right out of you! We knew we need to move closer to work.

My new job was stressful and exciting and fun all at the same time. I LOVED (and still do) the people I get to work with. The other teachers and administration are loads of fun...I look forward to seeing them every day. Transferring my experience and training from upper elementary teaching to a pre-K classroom was a BIG shift. As a matter of fact, I'm still making that shift now! The day-ins and day-outs of the job were pleasant and enjoyable. The hours flew by each day.

Fast forward to two weeks later...as if starting a new job isn't enough...

The weekend before school started, Korry and I walked through a house that we LOVED. Now, don't blink, because you'll miss it: we applied to rent it on Wednesday, they turned us down for other applicants on Thursday, they called us back on Friday morning, we signed the lease on Friday, and we moved in on Saturday. Did you get that? It makes me tired thinking about it again. All this on the brink of the start of the school year in a new school and age group and a visit from Korry's parents! It was TOTALLY worth it though...we LOVE our house! Here's a few shots of our favorite part: the backyard!

On Sept. 14th, it was the first day of school for the twenty 3.5-4.5 year olds that walked into my classroom. That week was exhilarating and exhausting for multiple reasons. The first week of school is always exciting no matter how old you are! We had a new house that was full of boxes! Korry's parents were coming to visit!

Needless to say, we made it through and feel blessed by all of it. I think we're getting into our groove now...or maybe we're just figuring out what our groove is. Bottom line? We're happy...very happy.

Coming up?

• 1st California Ashtoberfest Halloween Party at Ashton Manor
• My 28th birthday
• My sister's wedding

korry's 31st

Korry's bday came on a Friday this year! Yay! It was a double-bonus. First, it was his day off so we had all day to have fun. Second, it was my last Friday off before I start work full-time.

In planning his birthday extravaganza, I offered two options (both of which I knew he had been wanting to do since we moved to CA).

Option 1: Go to Disneyland for the day

Option 2: Go to Glen Ivy Hot Springs Resort (www.glenivy.com)

Late Thursday afternoon, I had to beg him for his decision between the two. He couldn't make up his mind!!! Finally, he texted me (we talk through text messages a LOT now) with "I vote neither. I have some other ideas!" Ok, Plans A and B aborted. His "other idea", Plan C, was to go on a 10-mile hike up in the mountains near Malibu. Awesome, right? We were both excited until we found out it was scheduled to be 105 degrees up there for our hike. Plan C...a no-go. Plan D? A combination of things...

We spent the day like this:

• Slept in until 10am!
• Ate breakfast at Hof's Hut (Korry's choice). Yum.
• Korry got an hour-long massage at Massage Envy from Noon-1pm. (I went window shopping.)
• Ate lunch at In'n'Out Burger, also Korry's choice.
• Went on a 5-hour shopping spree for Korry's wardrobe (using recently delivered birthday money!). Believe it or not, this was Korry's choice too!
• Had Korry's 1st LA birthday party; complete with 9 Montemayors, Korry's favorite home-cooked Filipino food dishes, teriyaki chicken, and an ice cream cake!

phew!

It has been a whirlwind of weeks...here's what's been going on:

• I took a quick weekend trip to Bloomington, IN to present my thesis to a panel of faculty and IU students. On the trip, my luggage came a day after I got there, but came just in time for my presentation, thank goodness! Got to spend the weekend with family and friends...miss them already.

• We've been applying to rent a house closer to our work area so our commute is not quite as life-draining. Haven't caught one yet...

• We spent our "fun money", extra earnings from side jobs, and bought a new tv! Love HD.

• I got to teach 2 Jazzercise classes in one day...a rare occasion here. It was GREAT! I miss teaching SOOOOO much.

Coming soon...

• Friday is Korry's birthday...he hasn't chosen whether he wants to spend the day at Disneyland or at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Resort. (www.glenivy.com)
• I start work full-time on Monday, Aug. 31st!

once "new" ... now "normal"

There have been a ton of things that were "new" to us when we first moved to Southern Cali that we now see as "normal"; things that have become everyday aspects of our life.

Here are a few of them:

• THE SAND DUNE: Working out at Sand Dune Park in Manhattan Beach. A killer-sweat-dripping workout walking up and down a 100ft sand dune that is WAY more steep than the picture above shows (view from the bottom of the dune). It hurts just writing about it. We make it there together and separately about 2 times a week. Then, we treat ourselves to a delicious vegetarian meal at Veggie Grill!
• VEGETARIAN FOOD: With the help of my newly vegetarianized sister, Carla, we have been exploring the world of vegetarian food. No...I don't think we're becoming veggie-heads soon, but if it tastes good and happens to be healthier...why not, right? Our current fave is Veggie Grill in El Segundo. More info here! If you come to visit us, you're sure to have a meal here!
• NEVER CHECKING THE WEATHER: The local forecast for today is 78 and sunny. Yesterday it was...oh, the same. And the day before? The same. Indiana thunderstorms and humidity are things of the past for us. We never have to check...always 78 and sunny.
• TRAFFIC: It's not something we like, but it is definitely part of our normal routine these days. With both of us commuting everyday to Bel Air, we're guaranteed at least 30 minutes trapped on the 405 freeway. Yuck.
• MOM'S COOKING: Clearly one of the best perks of moving home...all that Filipino food! And, it comes with leftovers to last the week!
• TAKING THE DOGS OUT: Not my favorite thing. I miss our backyard.
• HAVING A ROOMMATE: My sister, Erica, has made it so easy to have a roommate. Something we were once hesitant about, we don't think about the fact that there are three of us at all! Thank goodness we all enjoy the same shows on tv....if not, then there would be problems. Just kidding.
• THE SUN: Korry actually has a tan. No joke. We never knew it was possible, but it has happened! He's actually browning! His Indiana skin used to just turn from white to pink to red and back, but now...he's just a little toasted. That's not to say that he doesn't get burned just about every other day though!
• OUTSIDE WORKOUTS: I'm not sure if it was the summer humidity, winter snow, and spring allergies that kept us from working-out outside in Indiana, but now we use the great outdoors as our free gym membership. You can find Korry running in the mountains or by the ocean most days of the week! I'm still Jazzercising and have added running, swimming, and climbing the Sand Dune to my weekly regiment. Speaking of the Sand Dune, here's another shot...(view from the top):

With all these newly "normal" things, there are still a few "new" developments that we're getting used to:

• dual income household...woohoo!
• new 42" LCD tv
• thinking about buying a house

the week's highlights

A few highlights from the last week:

• I got a job! (See last post.)
• Gobo went to our new vet for the first time. She has been having an allergic skin reaction to either the salty ocean or the new shampoo at the doggy wash. She's now on antibiotics for the week.
• I got my results from my exams. (When we first moved here, I took three exams to finalize my CA teaching credentials for the next 5 years.) I passed all three!
• Korry and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on July 24th. We went to the San Diego Zoo, laid out at Coronado Beach, and had dinner on the bay at Anthony's Fishette (a favorite of ours). We finished it off with some ice cream!
• I got a parking ticket! Ugh. I parked in a spot that had a huge sign that said "No Parking from 2pm-4pm for Street Cleaning". Totally missed it. Paid $45 to the City of Manhattan Beach, CA.
• Korry engineered sound and lighting for a Japanese concert. He didn't hear English for 4 hours.