The 29th Year

Well... that was quite a hiatus I unexpectedly took that I'm sure no one but my husband and sister noticed (if that). Regardless things have changed since my reflection on 2011.

[I apologize in advance to a long post, but at least it's somewhat entertaining!]

2012 started well. To begin, I started a new job at a ad tech startup, 33Across. I was hired on as the Creative Services Manager. My job was to manage the production of a rich media ad campaigns (meaning the flashy ads you see on the web with bells and whistles like video and twitter feeds... you know the annoying ones that get you every time they push what you're reading to the side as they get your attention... yeah it works doesn't it??). The team at 33Across was amazing and it really felt like one big family. We even found a place to call home right down the street from the office, with a name that was home to me in more ways than one.

That March I turned 29. Nick, Anya, Tim and I made a quick trip to Atlantic City, NJ to celebrate (sans ID since NY state still had not sent me my license yet...) But we still had a great meal and good company.

In the spring of 2012 Nick and I enjoyed a bit of a New York landmark and saw Lady Antebellum at Radio City Music Hall. Hands down best concert and venue I've ever been too!

We also witnessed a little bit of history as the space shuttle Enterprise flew over New York, headed to it's final home on the USS Intrepid Museum.

At the end of March my Edwards family got together to ring in my Mamie's 90th year. It was a special weekend for us and we were so happy to have Maggie Stoup of Homeworks Video Productions to capture the moments.

In May of that year we met up with friends in Las Vegas to celebrate the nuptials of our friends Kayton and Waverley.

We celebrated 2 years of marriage in June and later that month we watched as a friend of ours, Marc Leishman, win his first PGA tournament.

The summer took us to Long Island and the Hamptons a few times to visit with Nick's dad and step-mom. We enjoyed sun, sand, lobsters and a bit of a wait to catch our ride after the Jitney dropped us off at the Starbucks.

On Labor Day weekend we visited Nick's mother and family in Texas. A wild (but fun) weekend to say the least.

That fall, we cheered for the Falcons all the way from NYC, went to the Top of the Rock with Nick's sister, Sarah and her boyfriend, Bart, for a breathtaking sunset over Manhattan, and finally rounded out October with good 'ole fashion Homecoming fun at JMU with my best friend, Elizabeth and her husband, John.

(Sorry Elizabeth that Nick broke your $10 chair... but then again it was only $10) ;)

We made it back from homecoming with only hours to spare before Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy graced the Northeast with her presence. This was the most heart-wrenching period of time when we lived in New York. As New York and New Jersey fell to it's knees after Sandy hit, I have never seen a powerhouse taken down so quickly. Subways were closed for a week, power was lost in the lower half of Manhattan, people flocked to the Upper East or West Sides to seek shelter, light, and warm food. A team of my 33x'ers spent the day helping in Staten Island as the clean up efforts were well underway even two weeks after the storm. Mother Nature did not disappoint by even dumping snow on us a few days after the storm had passed when people were without heat and electricity still. It was one of the most devastating things I've seen first hand, but through it all they were strong and made it through the toughest days.

The view below 40th Street in Manhattan. Darkness

A home ripped from it's foundation as flood waters pushed it to the back of the lot.

Snow at 33Across

The only cool thing that came out of Sandy. Nick and I saw Anne Burrell from the Food Network hanging out outside an Upper East Side bar so we got a picture with her. Me = starstruck

We began to wrap up 2012 with another concert, this being Zac Brown Band at Madison Square garden.

Thanksgiving brought my sister, brother-in-law, and their 2 girls to NYC! It was a first trip for 3 of the 4. We checked the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade off our list, made a tiny TV appearance, saw all the Christmas/NY sights there were to see, stuffed our bellies, and sent the Cox clan home on a train.

In December we announced to the world that we were leaving NYC, and moving back "home" to Atlanta. While we were sad to say goodbye to our NY friends, we knew there were more exciting days to come. With that I had a final drink at Smithfield with my 33x'ers, Nick gathered the boxes, our cat, Abe, helped with the packing, and we waved farewell to out life in the Big Apple... But first we had to buy a car and of course I still decorated my tree.

In the midst of packing, planning, and moving... we still had time to celebrate Charlie & Janna's nuptials!

In January 2013 We finally made it back to Atlanta, welcomed by good friends!

I returned to Kapp Koncepts where nothing had changed. Me still doing all the work while everyone else goofs around all day. Sheesh... typical.

And as my 29th year came to a close, we had the best news to share of all... We are going to be parents in 2013 to an actual human being (no not another animal... but that was a good guess though!). Gotta say that we are both really excited and very nervous at the same time. But we will figure it out, as we always do when life gives us new experiences.

So here's to my 30th year! May it not take me a year to write the next post.

Movin' and A Shakin'

WHOA... Talk about MIA. Sorry friends, but I DO have an explanation!!

I've been keeping a secret... I mean a BIG secret.

NICK AND I ARE MOVING TO NEW YORK CITY!

Okay there... I said it! WHEW!!! I can finally get back to blogging. I took a break because at the time the only thing I wanted to talk about was New York! I mean NEW YORK! The greatest city on Earth! But let me back up a bit and tell you the story:

A few months back Nick was browsing his favorite website, stackoverflow.com, when he saw an advertisement for a job opening. His initial reaction was "Hmm... that would be cool. Oh. The job is in New York. 'Hey Honey! Do you think I should apply for this job at Stackoverflow? The job is in Manhattan.'"

Of course I replied "Sure! Why not?" with my it's a long shot attitude. And I was right. He didn't get the job. He got a 'Thanks, but no thanks' response...

Fast forward a few months... They write him saying more opportunities have come available, is he still interested? He wrote back "Yes, I am still interested. I would have written sooner but I was outside painting my rocket" and attached an image of the actual rocket he was painting.

[ok you can chuckle at that... of course I did when I heard about it]

Still with the idea in my head thinking that it was a long shot... I supported Nick in this decision. So when they wrote back asking for an phone interview I was undoubtedly excited for him and he nailed the interview. The next day they wrote "Can you be up here next week for an interview?" I'm pretty sure at that point we stopped and stared at each other with the same thought... OMG.

So he went to New York the following Friday for the day... had 5 interviews back to back, then flew home that evening. All weekend we waited anxiously for their decision knowing that our life was on the verge of a VERY BIG change.

On Monday at 5pm he got his offer letter...

An offer letter!! Wow! Nick has been offered a very awesome job, in a fabulous city, with a great salary to boot! But then came the hard part. We had to make a life changing decision to stay or go.

This is kinda what it looked like:
Pros - New York, great salary, quicker way to save for a house, BIG step up for Nick's career, and we will still have family close by.
Cons - Leaving family and friends in Atlanta, MP leaving her awesome job :( , turning down a 2 bedroom apartment, selling our cars.

After careful consideration we finally decided this was an AMAZING opportunity and we couldn't pass it up. He officially accepted the position on that Wednesday.

Since then we've been busy preparing. It's not easy with the holidays smack dab in the middle, but we are making do with the situation. We officially leave Atlanta on January 3rd, and with an overnight stop in DC with Elizabeth and John (Yay!), we will be in New York on the 4th. Nick starts his new job on the 5th.

It's been hectic setting up all the details, and telling everyone we know... more to come on our awesome new apartment! (That's a whole other blog post) For now we are going to enjoy the holidays with our families while packing in our free time!

Our Family Blog

Welcome to our new blog! We've put this together for our family and friends. It's a great way to keep in touch and let them know what we're up to. Follow along with us as we figure out this newlywed thing :) We are super excited about being married and can't wait to share our stories.