Pittsburgh!!*

We're moving home!!*

As it turns out, California just isn't the right place for us.  We are east coast souls through and through.  While we've had so much fun living here in California, we know that we belong in Pittsburgh.  This has been an experience of a lifetime for us and we will always look back on this adventure with such fond memories.  But it's time to pack it up and kiss this extended vacation (minus the whole working part...) goodbye.  We only have a few more weeks here before trekking back across the country in hopes of arriving home by Christmas Eve.  Wish us luck!

Who says one cross-country road trip is enough?!  ;)

Let the madness begin!*

Fall, I Miss You...

I made the most awesome apple pie last Fall.  I want to make it again.  But it doesn’t even remotely feel like Fall here in Southern California… It still feels like Summer.  It’s hot outside.  The leaves aren’t changing.  There is no brisk chill to the air.  I’m sure I will appreciate the nice weather come Winter time, when it’s a blizzard in Pittsburgh.  But man, do I love Fall on the East Coast.  It is the most perfect weather.  This time of year is making me miss home a lot.  I want to be doing all the fun traditional Fall things we normally do: adding pumpkin spice to everything, going to Trax Farms to pick out pumpkins, enjoying the changing leaves, and watching Brett brew his annual pumpkin beer.  It may be October, but it doesn't feel like it's the time of year to do any of these things.  We are still laying out on the beach over here... and I need my Fall fix!  I guess I’m just going to have to pretend and do all my normal Fall things anyway... But deep down, I’ll really just be wishing I was home enjoying this most perfect season where it's really happening.

On another note, HAPPY FRIDAY!*

Home...

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

While California is great and all,

I can't help but get nostalgic every once in a while,

wishing I was in Pittsburgh,

back at our home,

sitting on our patio,

and enjoying the sweet simple life.

{Picture from last summer at our home...}

Boxes & Boxes & More Boxes

{This is our old house on moving day}

{Hopefully photos of our new house coming soon!}

All of our stuff is officially in our new house!  And I officially have no time for anything other than.... work, unpacking, organizing, and sleeping (just a little bit).  If I disappear, chances are I am buried beneath five bazillion boxes.  Chances are good.  

If I do manage to escape the boxes, Brett and I will be heading to Erie on Wednesday night to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Hehers & run in the 10K Turkey Trot race Thanksgiving morning!  I've been running my little heart out lately, so hopefully I do well.  I'm just praying it's not raining/snowing/freezing on race morning.  Here's to hoping.  Then, it's back to Pittsburgh to celebrate Thanksgiving again on Saturday with my side of the family.  Yes, Brett and I eat TWO Thanksgiving dinners every year... hence the running.

Anyone else celebrate the holidays multiple times with different families?

Or are we the only crazy ones?!

We are officially HOMEOWNERS!

It's official, we are HOMEOWNERS!!

On Monday night, we had our closing and got the keys!

We raced over to our new spankin' house,

popped champagne, and drank it on the empty kitchen floor

while smiling at each other with the biggest, cheesiest grins.

It was a moment I will never forget. :)

...

Now, comes the actual moving part...

 here we go!

(Sorry for the bad quality iPhone photo...)