Hinton Happenings: New Jersey

Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts

29 September 2013

Where do you even begin an "update" post when you haven't blogged in 6 weeks??

Are you wondering if I'm still alive? Maybe not, since I'm sure there are all of about two people that even keep up with my blog anymore. I've been a terrible blogger the last few weeks (six and a half, to be exact!) and I feel terrible about this. Mostly, I feel like I've neglected myself. SO much life has happened since I last posted on my blog and I love the way writing allows me to sort through my thoughts and write about life experiences that I always want to remember. I've missed my blog!

Ok, it's time to catch you all up! Where to begin...

Well, the last time you heard from me, Luke and I were still in New Jersey. This is no longer the case! Over Labor Day weekend, Luke, I, and the pups packed up our apartment and car and drove 1700 miles from New Jersey back to Texas. It was crazy y'all, but waaay better of a trip than either of us expected. The pups did great and we were even able to stay the first night with friends in North Carolina, which was a HUGE blessing. We made it to Texas just in time for a Labor Day BBQ with my parents on Monday evening and it was the best welcome home possible!

After our first night in Texas, we got back in the car and headed down to Corpus Christi for a few days to catch up with family and friends. We had many lunch, dinner, and coffee dates with friends and family over those four days and it felt so good to be back in South Texas! I don't think I had realized how much I'd really missed my old stomping grounds until we were back. Luke, on the other hand, kept saying, "I love it here. I'm never leaving again. Why did we leave Texas in the first place?" Ha! Saying this Texas boy is happy to be home would be an understatement. :)

As if life hadn't been enough of a whirlwind up to this point, that next Saturday I hopped on a plane to Vegas for my company's annual convention. I spent almost an entire week in Vegas attending general sessions, meetings, break out sessions, and a trade show, although the pictures below don't quite depict this, ha! Lucky for me, I work with an amazing group of people that know how to both work and play hard. We had a great convention and I just know this next year of work is going to be the best yet!

(P.S. Luke stayed in Texas while I was in Vegas and helped my dad get a few things done around the house and ranch. He's the best son-in-law!)

Since I've gotten home from Vegas (about two weeks ago), work and school have both picked up like crazy! Between my job and taking two courses this semester, I feel like I'm talking marketing and information systems 24/7. Over the next six weeks, I'll travel to Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, Austin, West Texas, and New Jersey (twice!). Throw a couple of quizzes and mid-terms in there and this girl has a full plate! But I must confess that I'm loving it and I'm so glad that I decided to go back to school for my MBA when I did. As stressful as some days can be, I know that I'm right where I'm supposed to be.

{Left to right: homework, working from my parents' house while the baby sister studies, my 1 year appreciation gift from my company}

So, I think that's about the best recap/update I can give you guys at this time. There are quite a few questions I haven't answered, such as, "Where are you and Luke living?" and "What's Luke up to these days?" But answers to these questions will have to wait for a later date. Let's just say both are a work in progress and that God is good. Once I have more updates, I'll share, I promise. :)

Hope you had a great weekend!

01 June 2013

The start to our first summer in the northeast.

It showed up out of nowhere. It was as if no time had passed at all, except that then it was 50, then 70, then 90 degrees outside. In almost (but not quite) Texas fashion, spring in New Jersey came and went in the blink of an eye. We had about 3 weeks of what I think was spring-like weather and now, summer is in full bloom. We're definitely not complaining! Being Texas kids, Luke and I believe that the lemonade is a little sweeter, the corona is a little cooler, and people breath a little easier once summer arrives. I know I live for fewer layers of clothing and longer days once Memorial Day has come and gone.

We're off to a great start for our first summer in New Jersey. I've been laying out with friends, we're taking the dogs to the park more often, and my coffee comes iced these days. :) We had some family visit last weekend and I'm headed into the city tomorrow to meet up with a college friend that is in town for a girls' weekend. 4th of July plans are already in the works and even sooner than that, Luke and I will be celebrating our 2nd anniversary.

Summer 2013, you're more than welcome to stick around as long as possible.

29 April 2013

Aubrey and Sarah Visit NJ/NYC: Part 1

This past weekend, two of my best friends in the entire world flew up to New Jersey to visit and go into the city. Their visit was the first long visit by friends that Luke and I have had since we moved up here. I cannot even begin to explain how good this was for my heart! Not only had I missed these two like crazy, but they brought with them a little bit of Texas, familiarity, and comfort that I hadn't felt in a while. True friends will do that to you. :)

The girls flew in on Friday and I picked them up at the Newark airport. It could not have been a more gorgeous day (or weekend, as you'll be able to see from my pics)! After I squeezed their necks half to death, we grabbed their luggage and headed back to Morristown so that I could show them where I live and they could chill after an already long day of traveling.

After a quick break and showing the girls our apartment, we all piled into the car and went looking for lunch. Of course, we ended up at Tito's, one of mine and Luke's favorite places to eat in Morristown. The girl's liked it too!

After lunch, we went back to our apartment so Aubrey and Sarah could take a quick nap. They had, after all, been up since about 5am and lost an hour in the switching of time zones. We lounged on the couch and caught up on Revenge and SVU, just like old times. This was exactly what I'd been looking forward to!

After naps, us three girls left Luke and the pups at home to go walk around Morristown. I wanted to show my friends our cute little town since I knew we'd spend a majority of Saturday and Sunday in NYC.

{Walking around downtown Motown; pic stolen from Sarah}

{Isn't Motown so pretty in the spring?! pic stolen from Sarah}

{Pic stolen from Sarah}

We walked around the Morristown Green, enjoyed the perfect weather, and had our first-ever experience with bubble tea. It was a little interesting and probably not something I'll drink on a regular basis (creamy flavored tea with brown tapioca bubbles--weird), but it was fun to try something different!

That night, the girls ordered pizza and Luke and I ordered Chinese. Got to love delivery! Knowing that we had a long two days in NYC ahead of us, we wanted to fuel up and get plenty of rest.

Up next, Aubrey and Sarah's first day in NYC!

05 March 2013

Apartment Tour: The Kitchen

Since Luke and I have moved to New Jersey, I've had many people ask me to post about our apartment. I've wanted to, but with my crazy work/travel schedule and just never feeling like my apartment was as decorated or put together as well as I'd like, I just haven't. But Sunday afternoon, Luke and I were washing the dishes, I thought to myself, "Why not now? At least the kitchen it clean." Ha!

So, here begins my first installment of the "The Hinton's New (And Significantly Smaller) Home in NJ Tour," starting with: the kitchen.

Here is our little dining area. Being that we live in a pre-war apartment building, there are a lot of quirky characteristics about our apartment. The first being the built-in cabinets that you see behind the kitchen table {which I happen to love!}.

I love my little "coffee bar" that I've set up on one of the kitchen windowsills. It's just the right size and I steal a few minutes in the morning, sitting at the table, acting as my own barista. {Side note: See the unpainted part of the wall behind the heater? It was like that when we moved in. I plan on painting it, but ya know...}

An opposite view of the dining area. I love the old window screen I have hanging on the wall, but I'm not sure what I'm doing with it. I might try to hang a free kitchen printable from Pinterest on it, but I haven't decided. Suggestions?

Quirky characteristic #2: Look at this tiny stove! Seriously, none of my cooking sheets that I was gifted from our wedding fit inside that thing. It actually came with a baking sheet that fits inside, thank goodness! And notice all the white? It drives me nuts! But I haven't decided whether or not I want to paint a wall or if we'll be in this apartment long enough for it to matter. Think I should?

Quirky characteristic #3: This sink. I've just never seen anything like it, except maybe in an old county home. The cabinets are metal painted, what else but, white. And the sink is like ceramic or something. But one think I love about this sink is the detachable sprayer thing. The water pressure is strong and makes doing the dishes a lot easier, especially since you don't see a dish washer anywhere.

We don't have a pantry, so we bought this big ol' guy at Target when we first moved in and I'm so glad we did! We normally put extra paper towels and laundry soap on the bottom shelf. Just ignore that third shelf. That is where all of Luke's work papers and other crap go to get forgotten about, ha!

And last, but certainly not least, my little family in the kitchen. I told Luke, "Babe, move out of my shot. I'm blogging about the kitchen and I need to get some pics," and he said, "Take our picture!" He's such a blogger's husband. :)

So, there it is. The Hinton's tiny kitchen. I know I keep saying tiny like it's a bad thing, but you know, I'll never forget this kitchen. So much character; such a fun little place to sit, drink coffee and blog. I will try to do a few more posts about out apartment, but don't hold me to any type of schedule. I have a few more things I'd like to do to both the living room and our bedroom before I share.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

24 December 2012

A Christmas surprise.

So, it's been snowing like crazy in upstate New York and all the way up New England, but all that North New Jersey was forecasted to receive was some rainy, slushy stuff. So this evening, we went outside to let the dogs out and much to our surprise...

It was snowing!!!

Of course this prompted a photo op. :)

Thanks to my sweet momma for the Christmas PJs and thanks to God for our second white Christmas ever! Second, you ask? Why, yes. Do any of my South Texas friends and family remember Christmas Eve 2004? That was NUTS!

{And Tim Lawley--if you see this, I borrowed your pic. Hope you don't mind. :)}

Hope you all had a blessed Christmas Eve!

09 December 2012

Lately.

It's sort of crazy to me that we've only lived in New Jersey a little over a month and living here already feels so normal. I think we've started to find our routine; me working from home, Luke job hunting, and the pups adjusting to their new surroundings. There has definitely been some adjustment, but I'm so greatful for this time. Want to strengthen a marriage? Move 1800 miles across the country. :) Luke had his first job interview last Friday and it sounds promising! The company he interviewed with said he should hear back early this next week, so please say a prayer that we hear some good news. Also, Luke took the NYPD application test. Have I told y'all this yet? He made a 95 out of 100, which is awesome, because it's a really hard test. I'm SO proud of him! Joining the NYPD takes months, with multiple interviews, background checks, etc., so this won't be something that happens tomorrow, but we're excited to have begun the process. I start my New England "roadshow" this week. This is what my colleagues call traveling for days at a time, doing what we do a.k.a. field marketing. Please pray for safe and easy travels. This Texas girl has never driven in snow, or mountains for that matter, so I'd appreciate your prayers. At the same time, I'm so excited to see Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. I've never been to any of these states and I'll be driving quite a bit. Should be fun! One other things that has been heavy on mine and Luke's hearts lately is church and the fellowship that church offers. We are actively looking for a church home in New Jersey, but haven't found one just yet. We've visited three different churches so far, and we understand that this isn't something that happens overnight or even in a few weeks. But this can be a frustrating process, too. As Christians, we hunger for fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ and we are praying earnestly that God would show us where He would like for us to lay roots. If you can, please add this one to your prayer list, too. So, that's what's been going on around here lately. That, and a bunch of watching Hulu/Netflix, drinking coffee, and checking out the Christmas light around our new little town. They are quite lovely. :)

27 November 2012

Snow day.

It snowed today. Lovely little white flakes fell from the wee hours of the morning until about 5pm this evening. I loved waking up to snow falling and watching it outside of our windows all day. It will probably be melted by tomorrow, but for now, I'm going to continue ooing and aaahing over this freshly fallen white blanket. :)

And of course, we couldn't pass up a little family photo-op!

These pups aren't too sure what to do in all of this snow, but we think they love it!

Happy Snow Day from New Jersey!

22 November 2012

Our First Jersey Thanksgiving

Hello all. Sorry for the two week hiatus from blogging. Life has been a little nuts and I have SO much to catch you all up on, but more on that later. :) Since Luke and I just moved a couple of weeks ago, we weren't able to fly home for Thanksgiving. So this year, we decided that since we couldn't be with our family, we were going to make some new friends...

Luke and I have been attending a church in New Jersey called Liquid Church. Liquid put together a HUGE service project for the holiday called Sandy Thanksgiving. A ton of churches from New Jersey, and from around the country, got together to serve the people that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. We met up with everyone on Staten Island and our particular group's project was to clean up the back yard of a really nice guy who had the entire bottom floor of his house flooded. We ripped up the frame of his deck and cleaned out of the broken title from inside his house. We also cleaned out and moved his shed, which had shifted off of its platform during the storm.

Staten Island is crazy y'all. Please continue to pray for the people of the east coast that were affected by Hurricane Sandy. In many cases, FEMA is gone. The initial shock of the storm is over and the TV cameras are gone. It is now time for these people to attempt to rebuild their lives and this is not an easy task. Luke and I are going back tomorrow to continue serving with Liquid Church. Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

After a few hours out on Staten Island, Luke and I drove home to clean up and then drove about 30 miles up the road to have dinner and hang out with some new friends. A co-worker of mine invited Luke and I to have Thanksgiving dinner with him and his awesome family. It was so nice to hang out in an actual home with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and kiddos! I just love the sound of family and the smell of home cookin' from the kitchen. The Murrays were so sweet to welcome us into their home for Thanksgiving this year. We loved hanging out with such an awesome family and felt so blessed to be able to share Thanksgiving with them!

Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends! We have so much to be thankful for. <3 center="center">

06 November 2012

Back together.

These three are officially in NJ to stay. My heart could not be more happy!

I flew back to the east coast on Saturday and Luke pulled into town on Sunday with the Uhaul, the pups, and his good friend, BJ, who helped him make the 1800-mile drive. There is so much to catch everyone up on, but for now I'll leave you with this picture from our quick, 30-minute walk to grab lunch this afternoon. I still cannot believe our entire family is back together, and in New Jersey of all places! So, so thrilled. :)

30 October 2012

A few reasons to be thankful that Hurricane Sandy sent me running for Texas...

I got to see my family a whole lot sooner than originally planned. :) And in just a few short days, the husband, pups, and I will all be back in NJ for good! Please continue to keep all of those affected by Sandy in your thoughts and prayers.

Well, this is cool.

Have you heard of Printsgram? You probably have and I'm way behind the times, but I'm loving this site! You just go to Printsgram.com, log in to your Instagram profile, pick out the pics you want, put them into a collage, and then download the pdf. It's so simple and easy to share!
These are a few pictures from my first couple of weeks in NJ via Instagram. :)
1) "Jesus Loves Jersey" on a pamphlet from church. I agree!
2) Pizza. Such...amazing...pizza!
3) Driving through the Holland Tunnel.
4) A little cafe in Montclair.
5) New furniture for the living room!
6) Driving over the Brooklyn Bridge.
7) Pomegranate margaritas at Urban Table in Morristown.
8) Taking the train into the city.
9) The Christmas decor floor at Macy's.
10) I got to see my sweet Kels in NYC!
11) Hiii boooots (Name that Friends episode!).
12) I love tossed salads in the city.
13) Husband sent me this sweet pic of him and my furbabies.
14) New luggage for all the traveling I'll be doing.
15) Cheesecake and cappuccino in Denville.
Now, go try out Printsgram. It's too much fun not to!

27 October 2012

Frankenstorm.

If someone would have told me a month back that three weeks after I moved to New Jersey, a hurricane would be headed directly towards my new home, I would have laughed. I mean, come on! I'm from South Texas. We have droughts, we beg for rain, hurricanes tempt us by approaching, and then they either turn up towards Louisiana or down towards Mexico. We laugh at hurricanes in Texas. So when my father called me this morning at 10:30am and told me I had 1 hour to pack and hit the road for the Newark airport, I knew he meant business. As of right now, the govenor of NJ has called a state of emergency and has asked people to evacuate/move inland as quickly as possible. Apparently dams are being opened and we have been told to expect 7-10 days of no electricity. Hurricane Sandy is about to pound the east coast with her crazy 80mph winds and heavy, flooding rain. Whaaat?? This Texas girl is SO not used to this! But no worries, I'm home. I made it back to Texas early this evening and I'm hanging out at the parents' casa tonight. I CANNOT WAIT to see my husband tomorrow! I guess God thought that 3 weeks of separation was long enough for us Hintons. :) Please send prayers up to the east coast for my friends, co-workers, and everyone else as they prep for Frankenstorm (this is what they are calling the storm since it's almost Halloween, ha!).

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