Currently.

Thinking...

About all of the opportunities we've been offered this year. Change seems to have been the theme of this year--for good and for bad, though mostly good. Paul and I became husband and wife, we moved to St. Augustine, Paul went back to school, my family moved away (the bad), two new babies joined the family, and we went on our first real vacations to Disney World and Gatlinburg. The changes (and opportunities) still aren't over. I'm hoping that this fall and winter lead to some happy news on the job front, though I'm certainly not counting my chickens before they hatch. Fingers crossed!

Reading...

I spent quite a lot of time reading Dearie by Bob Spitz. It's a wonderful (and long!) biography of Julia Child. I've read quite a few other books about and by Julia Child, but I never felt I really knew very much about her life. Dearie certainly solved that. She was an amazing woman, and I've found myself telling Paul random Julia-isms throughout the week.

I'd been meaning to read The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty for months, but had to wait because of the long wait list at the library. The wait was worth it--I loved it! One of the main characters happens to find a letter addressed to her by her husband, which the explicit instructions that she not open it until he dies. Can she control herself? The book's title may sound flippant, but it delves into some dark subjects and secrets between friends and families. I don't want to give anything away, so please read it!

My favorite read as of late was Rainbow Rowell's newest book, Fangirl! The main character, Cath, is a huge Simon Snow (think Harry Potter) fan. She also writes Simon Snow fanfiction that gets thousands of views a day. She's just left for college with her twin sister Wren, but Wren has decided that they need some space to grow separately. Cath is left with a surly roommate and struggles to find her place on campus. There's so much heart and soul in this book. It felt almost just like when I left for college, and addresses so many issues that are hardly ever addressed. Highly recommended!

Finally, I just started Allegiant by Veronica Roth. It's the latest in the super-popular Divergent series. It took me a little while to get into the book, but I reached a certain point and couldn't seem to stop myself reading last night. I foresee quite a few late nights spent reading in my future.

Listening to...

Lots of good music lately, since I finally put music on my iPhone! Same as my last "Currently", I still haven't tired of Mumford & Sons' live album, which seems to come up quite a bit on my shuffle setting. I also added a new artist's album to my phone... Lorde's song Royals caught both Paul and I off-guard when we heard it on the radio. It's so different! I love the beat. The rest of her album is just as good. Can you believe she's only 16?! We listened to her NPR interview a few weeks ago, and were floored at how mature she seems to be, despite how her fame has blown up recently.

Working on...

Making our house feel more like our home. We've lived here for about six months now, and there was still hardly anything on the walls until recently. I'm finally getting photos framed and put up, and we've finally figured out how to best arrange our furniture to make the space feel cozy, yet open. The biggest project lately was putting shelves up on the wall in our dining area. It opened up the area so much by getting everything off the ground, and allowed me to display some more art and books. I love how they turned out!

Paul's been spending most of his time on schoolwork. His first semester back has been very successful! Lots of As, and quite a few perfect scores as well! I'm so proud of my smart husband. ♥

Eating...

More soups and stews recently. Due to Paul's schoolwork, I've been spending a little more time in the kitchen. My cooking cannot compare to Paul's, and so I'm relying heavily on hearty soups and using the crockpot for yummy stews. Most of them have turned out pretty well, and we've discovered some favorite recipes as a result. Honestly, though, I can't wait for winter break so that Paul has some time to get back to the kitchen! ;)

In addition, I've been making up lots of yummy pumpkin-themed treats. Pumpkin pie smoothies, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin syrup... All vegan and relatively healthy! Many of my favorite recipes have come from the Oh She Glows blog. It's one of my favorites.

Enjoying...

Most of all, the cooler weather! It's been mostly in the seventies lately, but it's a wonderful break from the nineties we had just a few weeks ago. We've been spending hours outside in our hammocks and leaving our windows open constantly. I'm especially grateful for the ocean breeze right now, and the break on our electric bill is a wonderful side effect.

I'm so very thankful for our mini-adventures to Jacksonville and other nearby spots. Sometimes Paul and I will just decide to hop in the car, not sure where we're headed. We kind of wander around from place to place, normally focused on good food and quality time together. We've been doing this since we first began dating, and it's one of my favorite parts about our relationship.

We're also anticipating visits from family and friends this weekend! Cannot wait.

Happy Halloween!