Wednesday, September 5, 2012

New Town, New Blog

I know that there are some of you who signed up to be notified when I would post on this blog, or hav it in your favorites to see what kind of shenanigans that crazy girl is going to be up to next.
Well, I still chronicle mine and Will's adventures, I have just switched venues.  I started a new blog on Wordpress because I was wanting to better organize and expand the things I post about. BUT all of my old posts plus lots of new ones are on that site too.
So if you would like to still check in on me from time to time follow this link to mine and Will's new story telling space: The Pomeroy Life: The Adventures of Pom Pom and Dev Dev

thank you all for caring. I hope to continue entertaining you for a long time to come.  Blogging is turning into a serious hobby for me. =)

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Tying the Knot and Opening Boxes


A tremendous amount has happened in the last 3 weeks or so since I wrote last; so much that just thinking about trying to verbalize it is overwhelming.  I suppose I should start with the biggest news update- for those of you who don’t already know: 
WILL AND I GOT MARRIED!!!!
The wedding was fantastic! Shout out to my fam jam who put in a lot of man hours resulting in a gorgeous wedding and reception. =)
Here is a sneak peak at some of the pictures. 

Officially Husband and wife!
My dress and Toms (those were hard to get) and the Bible the ring bearer carried.
A few shots from our ceremony- we did all the normal things and we served communion to the whole audience.
a few decorations from the reception. We made ALL of it.
If you want to see more go to this link: http://laurensandersphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/WillDevraWedding/24478530_8BbsGP  and if you are in the Manhattan, Ks area and need a photographer look up Lauren Sanders and Jill Grogg because they take amazing pictures and are great to work with!

We had a super fun honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean.  We went to Cozumel (where they try to force you to buy everything… I think they would sell you the dirt on the sidewalks if they could),  Belize, Honduras (an island called Roatan.  That was a gorgeous slice of paradise), and Grand Cayman (where the water is prettier than on the Discovery Channel).
After a delicious dinner on the cruise
Highlights: Zip lining, swimming with stingrays (my personal favorite!!!), and the amiable dinner table company that God blessed us with!
getting slapped by a stingray in Grand Cayman!
us and our table buddies the last night of the cruise

Now we are home in Lexington again.  Just before we went to Kansas to get ready for the wedding we moved all of our things into one house (that’s in the previous post).  Well, now we are waist deep (knee wasn’t drastic enough) in the adventure of unpacking and turning this house into our home.  

Will Carrying me over the threshold to OUR HOME when we got back from the honeymoon
It is refreshing to finally be living under the same roof (thanks to Holly and Daniel of http://thecoopfam.com for letting us take over your place).  Strange to think that we only had 6 weeks living in the same city before sharing a house, but I wouldn’t change a thing.  I am glad that our long distance days are done!

Well I don’t want to overwhelm you, and truthfully I haven’t fully processed the last 2 weeks yet, so I will sign off here.  

Keep your eyes peeled for new posts of the Adventures of Mr. & Mrs. William Pomeroy!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

How to Fight Back when Zucchinis Threaten to Take Over the World


As Promised…. The Zucchini Blog

The Zucchini Crop =) 

As you have seen in previous pictures Will’s garden produced a zucchini bush of Amazon jungle proportion this year.  So large that if it hadn’t been for the insane heat this summer I think it would have over run the garden, the farm, KY, and eventually the world.  But thanks to the 100+ temperatures we just had a jungle-sized bush that produced zucchinis bigger than my soccer player calves.
This thing was the zucchini plant that could.  We picked around 10 LARGE zucchinis every week.  Total yield of that plant is 50 zucchinis (give or take).  All of those were at least twice as big as the zucchini in the grocery store.
…It’s really crazy to think that we started it from a little tiny seed back in March over spring break.

If it were a cucumber plant we would have been in a pickle, but this predicament was different.  What were we to do with so many zucchini?!  They were taking over like alien invaders!
Well, Will went to work on Google (one of his many talents) and dredged up some delicious recipes, and I got creative in the kitchen.  Throw in some handy tips from friends on Facebook and we began to fight back!
The Zucchini Brownies
Here is everything that we have done with the zucchini so far (there are still more zucchini coming.  The plant has ‘roid rage, and doesn’t want to die, but the yield is nothing like it was, thankfully)

  • Zucchini and Corn Stir Fry
  • Grilled Zucchini Spears
  • Zucchini Bread
  • Zucchini Hash Browns…. That didn't work.
  • Zucchini Fritters
  • More Zucchini Bread
  • More grilled Zucchini Spears
  • Several Zucchini Boats (more the size of cruise ships)
  • Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies
  • And we shredded up and froze quite a bit of it to make more things with later.

The Zucchini Invasion of 2012 has been an interesting one.  It has taken ingenuity, hard work, and a hearty appetite, but I think that we just about have it conquered. 
The other best part of the fight has been sharing and giving away the crop.  That is probably Will’s favorite part.  Last week I said that the first thing he does is check the garden when he gets home; he also gets equally excited to give it all away.  So besides adding some spice and color to this summer’s cooking the amazon zucchini plant has been a way to experience the joy of giving.  The Great Zucchini Invasion of 2012 has been a way to practically experience a part of God’s character in our everyday life.


In other news, THE WEDDING IS SO SOON!!!!
I go back to Kansas in a week to tie up loose ends, and in less than two weeks we are going to be married! In case you can’t tell I am a little excited.  I twirl, bounce, giggle, smile, and then just sit there super content when I think about it!
My mom has put a lot of work into, and I think that the wedding is going to be amazing.  Hopefully only a glimpse of how great our future life together will be- an appropriate kick off to all the places we will go.
Speaking of going places: tip to honeymooners everywhere: if you are going on a cruise talk to people and find out the good excursions, and then search on line for promo codes.  Props to Will and “Papa” Tackett for getting our honeymoon all set up!


Lot’s of stuff happened last week.  We had dinner with my Aunt and Uncle who were en route from DC to Texas. I got an infection in my foot and had to go to the doctor, and you know because my mom works for a doctor’s office I have never had to find a doctor and go through the normal check-in procedures… another quintessential life experience, like the first bee sting I got that caused the infection.
The Couch Celebration!
Last update- WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST PIECE OF FURNITURE!  A couch =).  Furniture shopping is exhausting, but we got a good deal and a couch we really like.  AND there were free kool-aid’s involved! We are moving a lot of stuff into our soon to be home on Sunday, so I am sure I will have pictures and excitement galore to share next week.

If you are interested in how to make all the delicious food that we made,
RECIPES:
  Zucchini and Corn Stir Fry
o   We made some edits to this recipe: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20509747_8,00.html  I added cayenne pepper, didn’t put in the lime, added diced red onion at the end and mixed it with brown rice.
  Grilled Zucchini Spears
o   We tried this Italian dressing kind: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Give-Away-Zucchini-Grill-Out/Detail.aspx, but we discovered that they were better just tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  Zucchini Bread
o   There are a lot of recipes for this online.  I used my grandma’s =) and added extra cinnamon.  I was holding my breath when Will tried the first bite and let out a sigh of relief when he said “This is just like banana bread!  I didn’t know vegetables could taste like this?!”  Consequently it was his breakfast for the next two weeks.
  Zucchini Fritters
o   I did a lot of recipe perusing and then kind of made my own. It ended up being something like this:
Zucchini Fritters
2 cups of shredded zucchini (let it sit in a little salt for about 5-10 minutes and then strain out the excess liquid)
1/3 c flour
1 egg
¼ c corn starch
Salt
Pepper
Basil or Italian seasoning
1/3 c parmesan cheese
Directions:
Mix it all together, spoon it onto a greased cookie sheet and press it down into patties, bake for 15 minutes at 400 and then flip them and broil them for a few more minutes.  You want them to be golden on both sides.
  Several Zucchini Boats
o   Will’s mom made these.  There is a collage of them.  They had brown rice, Italian stewed tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and feta cheese in them I know.
Zucchini "Cruise Ships"
  Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies
1 cup of almond butter
1 1/2 cup of grated zucchini
1/3 cup of raw honey
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1 cup of dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix everything together.
Pour into a greased 9x9 baking pan.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

A Hyper Bride-to-Be



I know last week I told you to look forward to a post about our current zucchini mayhem, BUT I still have a few more things to make and more importantly a few more zucchinis to PICK…. It’s crazy. They just keep coming.  As a teaser though, here are a couple pictures:

this picture shows most of the garden
the first fruits: ZUCCHINI, green beans, and just a few snow peas


Will loves to garden, and I am developing a liking for it. I find the challenge of finding something to do with all the produce fun to tackle! (although I am a mess in the kitchen…) Also, I love the fresh veggies! And as cheesy as this sounds, I really enjoy seeing how excited Will gets to check on the garden the instant we pull up to his house in NKY on the weekends.

All that about the garden being said…. I will explode if I write anymore before stopping to say that we’re getting married in less than 3 weeks! It’s like 16 days and few hours! I can’t believe how soon it is…. This last weekend Will took me as his automatic plus one to a wedding of a high school friend of his. Everyone there kept saying “You’re next!” or “Your wedding is so soon!” or “We’ll see you two again in a couple weeks at YOUR wedding!” ect...
Anyway, the whole time my excitement just kept building (and it still is, just like that garden keeps spitting out zucchinis). I think that for the first time I realized just how soon it is. And I can’t wait. I get hyper just thinking about it. It’s just right. I am about to marry the best man I know! Anyway, enough with the vomit-inducing, bride-to-be mush. But really, it’s so soon!


My other noteworthy adventures: Ellie and I have been reunited, after a VERY long Saturday of driving all the way to Saint Louis to swap my sister’s car for Ellie (my 96, periwinkle blue Ford Contour). Ellie decided to throw a temper tantrum on the way to Kentucky a few weeks back and have her transmission go out. So 2 weeks later, Will and I drive to Saint Louis, see my family (which was great!), get reunited with Ellie, and don’t get home till 2AM!
 However, Ellie got temperamental again. When we pulled into the wedding reception Will said “Your car is hard to turn.”
Me: “No she isn’t.”
Man in parking spot next to us: pointing down “Your tire!”
Yes… the tire was flat…. And we were all dressed up…. AND it was literally 101 degrees outside. Yay! Luckily God had our backs again- it was just a bad valve stem. $10 as opposed to $60+.



Us at the wedding

you can't see it very well since there is no weight on the tire,
but it is FLAT


Funny how life changes so much in a year:This 4th of July we went back up to NKY for a family cookout. Also, we got to see bits and pieces of fireworks from the top level of a Lexington parking garage too! SOOO different from last 4th of July when I was hiking the Great Wall of China outside Beijing (there is a post about that: http://li-ai.blogspot.com/2011/07/unconventional-4th-of-july-from-great.html).


Us in our somewhat patriotic attire.

Oh side note: we hosted our first dinner last week! Had the future brother and sister-in-law over. Will made the DELICIOUS “onion explosion beef” Chinese dish that he made for me the night he proposed, and I made peanut butter cookies. (less complicates, but still delicious!)
So yeah, that is my life. Throw in a war between some wasps, Will, Carrieli, and I, work, Bible Study, and pre-marital counseling and you’ve now lived it. Just be excited for the post about the zucchini plant that is taking over the world.

Enjoy your adventures this week! 

It's time for me to get back to my zucchinis. ;-)
Until next time!

Monday, July 2, 2012

I'm Not in Kansas Anymore



I am no Dorothy, and Lexington is not the Emerald City, but I couldn’t help but make one of those Kansas jokes that I always role my eyes at. Because it is true, I am not in Kansas anymore. This college graduate has been transplanted to the Bluegrass State of Kentucky.
Summer kick-off!
I am a college Graduate!!!!

The whole group stopping to enjoy the view- it was a GREAT day of hiking!
It has been a wild summer so far.  I graduated in May, and proceeded to spend the rest of the month either in my empty apartment with no internet/working in the Admissions office at school OR I was in Leavenworth doing marathon weekends of wedding crafting and planning.  (managed to sneak in a weekend of Camping at Red River Gorge in KY with Will and a bunch of his friends!)

eating our campfire tacos =)

That was phase 1. 
Phase 2- road trip. 
Me at Mes Verde National Park
Basking in it's epicness. 
World's Largest Ball of Twine-
One of Kansas' many treasures other than the two of us =)














Road trip back from Cali with Dara. That was a long drive, but we got to see so much of the beauty of God’s creation. When I see the painted mesas in the desert, the snow capped Rockies, or the way that Western Kansas is so fertile I can’t deny the majesty of my Creator. I have to give him props for the masterpiece that I find myself placed in. Anyway, that trip was a fun time. Lots of good laughs and memories made to kick off this new season of life I am in.

My mom's awesome gift!  This beautiful tray
that will always remind Will and I how special China is to us

Delicious Gluten free desserts at my shower made by Dara











There were about 2 weeks of in between time in there that were spent getting ready to move, preparing for and having one heck of a bridal shower (kudos to Dara for being a fantastic Maid of Honor)!  Oh, and in that 2 weeks I was hired for a job in Lexington! I hung out with family and friends, AND I got our marriage license! There was a lot to fit into those two weeks….

Paul, Melanie, and I.
Bff's since high school.




Phase 3- The day finally came for the move though! June 14th
The van was full of boxes and what not and my car was full of clothes and we set out east on I-70.  Until we had to turn around and head back west 2 hours into the drive because the transmission in my car decided it only had a few hours to live.  Oh Ellie (that’s my car), why oh why…. Other than that though everything went great.  This summer of change as merged from one thing to the next seamlessly.  In fact, two weeks later Ellie and I are reunited, and she is running like a dream.

As for life in Lexington- I am loving it. I moved on a Friday and started my job on Monday.  I instantly began a routine and don’t have enough down time to get stir-crazy bored. =) You are probably wondering what this job is.  I am the “Business Administrative Assistant” at Summit Engineering.  I like it a lot.  The people here are really nice, and I get to learn new things at my job.  I am the crazy-youngster-honeymooner here, but I think that they like me.  This was definitely a door that the Lord opened, and I am really grateful for it.  It gave me a lot of peace of mind moving here knowing that I had a job to start at immediately.

Right now I live with another young married couple.  The wife Holly is also gluten free and bit of a fitness junkie like myself.  Also she loves Jesus too.  I know, match made in heaven. Too bad she is moving to Cincinnati at the end of the summer (she has a blog and is WAY more disciplined about it than I am: ).
Actually the house I am living in now will eventually be where Will and I live after the “Big Day,” which is less than 4 weeks away!

So before I overwhelm you with all the changes in my life over the last two-months I will leave myself things to talk about next time. And something for you to look forward to: Zucchini updates!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Tick Tock

So apparently I am horrible at having a blog.  Maybe it is because I am not sure how I want to use this space that was created for my summer abroad now that I am home in my fairly normal life in the states.  Maybe it is because I am just not disciplined enough to write regularly (ok, I definitely know it’s that).  Or maybe it is because I spend my Saturday mornings looking for reasons not to hit the next button and move on to my 5th episode of Smallville

Whatever reasons aside, I am writing now.  I am on spring break, and instead of just lounging around pointlessly, now that I have some time I am going to use it to do the things I never have time for- novel idea I know. 

Time is something that I have a hard time wrapping my head around.  I get it and loose it; use it and waste it.  I know how to manage it, but all the time managing in the world can’t keep time from slipping through your fingers the same as anyone else. 
What I am trying to say here is that four years ago I came to college, and now I am on the precipice of graduating and stepping into my next phase of life.  Four years is a lot of time; what do I have to show for it?

Looking back I actually have some cool things to show for the last four years.  But looking back I also realize that I can’t do anything about the past.  That time has already come and gone and now what I am left with is doing something with the present and making something of the future. 

So what will I do?  I have a bucket list of things to do pre-college graduation (starting this blog back up is one of them).  I think that is a good start.  This is something I have been praying about and that God has been working on me with- that eternity is coming. My life is fleeting, and it will keep ticking by as it wills.

My challenge to myself: make my last month of college count for something and be full of memories.


and for humor’s sake watch this video on the Ke$ha song “Tik Tok” because I think it is hilarious.



PS.... this is how bad I am at blogging. I wrote this last week on spring break and didn't post it till now.  I will get better at this.  "Do or do not. There is no try."

Monday, March 5, 2012

Catching Up and Counting Down

Dear 5 people on the internet who are actually reading this, 


Let’s see, it has been about 8 months since the last time I wrote.  I am sorry about that.  I promise I have plenty of excuses, but they are not worth wasting your time and attention with.  To catch you up in the last 8 months I have finished playing collegiate soccer =(.  Went out at number 5 in the nation and with a black eye; I’d say that’s going out in style.  I was pretty proud of that black eye.

You can't see it too well, but I am super proud of it!























Will proposed =)

He did good!   And I think that I am so lucky!




















I am taking Mandarin classes at K-State =)
爱中国 (I love China)
…and have started finding possible ways to go to China in the future!

Currently I am up to being able to run 8 miles; I am training for a half marathon.  It is on my bucket list for this last year of college.

Countdowns
45 Days till the Half Marathon
60 Days till Graduation!!!
88 Days till the road trip with my sister
102 days till the color run in KC… nothing says fun like a 5K where the spray you with color =)
105ish Days till I move to Kentucky.  Goodbye long distance!!!
136 Days till The Dark Knight Rises comes out!!!
144 Days till the Wedding =)
145 Days till my first cruise!

I will post again soon!  Lots is going in on in life right now =)