reflections on my 30s :: on cherry street 'reflections' kit

I'm sharing another page in my 30s album today, this time celebrating the role of wife. The On Cherry Street kit: Reflections had some perfect elements for this page. My husband and I met on a blind date in July of 2006 and have been together every day since. Since we were married in 2009, it's been a wonderful whirlwind of job changes, growing our family, travel and buying our forever home. There is no one else I could imagine at my side. He's my lobster.

I used two cards from the kit for this page. The top right "follow your heart" and then cut out part of another for the bottom left "right music" quote. John Legend's All of Me is a ballad that I've fallen in love with recently and is beautifully fitting. I stamped the "In love with" prompt to accent my journaling on the top right. Here is a close up of the music card:

Supplies: On Cherry Street kit, Reflections // Hedgehog Kiss stamps, Sweet Stamp Shop // Shimelle patterned papers, American Crafts // watercolor crayons // water pen // Twinkle Sweet Dots, V's Sweet Ideas

two years...

Two years ago today I had the privilege of marrying my best friend and the man of my dreams. 
The two best years of my life.
Two years with so many more to look forward to.
To grow closer.
To grow our family.
To love.
I thank God everyday for finding a way to put us in the same place at the same time and the instant connection we found that summer Saturday night in 2006.

I love you, my sweet husband!
Always,
Jen

working mommy wednesday: he said, she said...

The prompts for this week were a choice of #1: He said/ She said... things you and your spouse just don't see eye-to-eye on, or  #2: Show us your life (work, house, family, etc in pictures.).  I'm going with the first today because it's relevant to a rather large issue Mr. Boom and I are facing right now. 

We are searching for a larger house. 

Sort of. 

The "sort of" is the source of our on-going discussions and assertions of differing viewpoints.  Right now, we own a cozy two bedroom condo right in the heart of a bustling river town.  We have walking access to just about everything we could need.  Out of infant Tylenol?  Need a gallon of milk?  Have a craving for an ice cream cone or a gourmet coffee drink?  We need only walk a few blocks and we have a grocery store, drug store, dozens of excellent restaurants, a wine shop (mmm...ChocoVine!), a fantastic library, several parks and playgrounds, schools, the express train to New York City...well, you get the idea. We are in a major hub.  Ideally, we would purchase a larger home in this or one of the neighboring towns with a similar composition.  If it were not for the taxes.  We can afford a nice home with everything we are looking for.  But, the taxes?  Notsomuch. Not where we would really like to live. 

And, there is where we don't see eye to eye.

Most of my childhood was spent living in a rural setting. I remember well needing to get in the car to go anywhere.  It's just something you get used to.  My husband has always lived where we are right now. The need to drive to a park or to a place to safely take a walk is foreign to him.  I adore our town, our condo and the just-out-the-front-door access to everything we could want.  What I'm not so fond of is the lack of space and the price we pay for such conveniences. While I will certainly miss the walkability, I'm willing to make the move out of town to have what we do not right now: much more space inside and green space outside.

We're trying to figure out how to make a compromise.  It is not easy.

So, for now, we look at online listings.  When we see something that looks like it could be of interest, we'll do a drive-by to see if we like the property, the neighborhood.  And repeat.  Eventually we will make a real decision about a town and compromises we are willing to make.  Right now, we talk and look and wait.