the wonder of costco

I have never lived in a city with a costco before, but I have always heard amazing things about it! Well, now we live 10 minutes from costco, and I am already singing its praises. If you live near a costco but have wondered whether you should pay the membership fee, let me tell you a few reasons why you should join...


Photos! Costco will ship photos to members for free. So, you never have to leave your house - just upload your files online, put in your member number, and voila! At your doorstep in a few days for the same cost of picking up in-store.

Meat! I can buy meat at half the cost of the normal grocery store. And what's best, we love eating fish but always worry about it going bad in the refrigerator, but at costco I can buy all my fish in individual frozen packages and just pull it out on the day I need it. It's fresh, delicious, and I don't have to worry about cleaning uneaten fish out of the refrigerator at the end of the week!

Bread! Oh my goodness... the artisan breads are amazing! I just bought two loaves of freshly-baked whole wheat bread and put one in the freezer. The two loaves of yummy baked bread were just cents more than one loaf of boring bread at the grocery store. Score.

Dog stuff! Costco has huge bags of dog food and treats, etc. at great prices. And, they have beds and other stuff that we always hate buying because of the price at places like wal-mart and target. I found a huge dog bed for 14.00! Amazing.

Gas! Gas is cheap and convenient (no lines!) for costco members. There's only one gas station near our house, and it's always busy and expensive! So for me, costco gas is precious!

Paper products! I have paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, etc. for the next year. Never again do we have to run to the grocery store at 10pm because the TP ran out.

Finally, costco has freshly-prepared food that you can just take home and eat or cook later - pasta salads, sandwiches, fruit, marinated steaks and seafood, etc. I got a pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil to stick in a bake tonight. Oh man.


So, if you were wondering about joining costco, I hope I've started to convince you of its amazingness! And, when you first visit, go straight to the bakery! :)

Also, since I'm still figuring out this store, I'm curious to know how other people use costco - what deals have you found? What things aren't worth buying there?

We're off...

Well we are off to the Steelers game. It's a beautiful 68 degrees outside, and we're going three hours early to enjoy tailgating, walking around the stadium, pre-game, etc.

I need someone to come with me so we can chat while Brad watches the players stretch out!

Also, I realized that I have nothing gold to wear - absolutely nothing. Orange and Blue I do have, of the Auburn and the Florida variety, but those won't do me any good here! ;) More updates to come later...

What a pair

Today I thought I'd just post an everyday around-the-house picture: Brad reading on our back porch (aka fire escape) while Turk keeps him company. What a pair...

Annie

Hello bloggy world. What are you all doing this weekend? We are doing a boring nothing and loving it. We spent the morning at a popular pancake restaurant we've been wanting to try and at our favorite coffee shop (you can barely see brad, above). And now we're doing the usual Saturday things - reading, laundry, cleaning...

Since I had a bit of a whiney post the other day, I thought I'd update with some happier news. As of yesterday, I started working with a photographer in the area. Annie is this great Pittsburgh photographer who does work all over the city for big events and companies as well as very fun weddings.

Basically, I just help her do whatever she needs - set up equipment, chat with subjects while she works, hopefully take pictures at bigger events where she needs another shooter. My favorite part of the job is learning from Annie! She is professional and incredibly good, and I already learned so much about lighting and equipment in one day.

My other favorite part of the job, though, is learning about the city and meeting amazing people. We went to different locations around the city yesterday for portraits of Pittsburg's model citizens from the Forbes Fund, and I got to visit such diverse and exciting places - downtown, the hill district, the North side, new Kensington, and Squirrel Hill. And, I got to meet people who lead really amazing organizations like the Pittsburgh Project, the Young Women's Christian Association downtown, the Jewish Family and Children's Services, and some others I can't remember.

So, I am excited about this job. Annie is so humble though I could tell how amazing she actually is - she's worked on projects all over the world, as well as with all sorts of famous people. Also, when she doesn't have work going on, she told me that she knows other great photographers in the area who I could work with. I really had to keep pinching myself throughout the day!

I'm still going to interview with University of Pittsburgh this week, as Annie is a freelance photographer, and therefore her work is sporadic. But, I am so excited about this new development. The PA is definitely looking up from a few days ago!

We have Softball

What's your favorite Olympic commercial been so far? Just today I saw this commercial and just loved it! I felt like I was taken back about 13 years, feeling the sun on my shoulders and tasting the clay in my mouth. I said to Brad, "that makes me want to have little girls!"

Don't you just love Nike commercials?

A Mixed Bag

Hey everyone! I am excited to announce that we now have internet in our house. So, I can now be a better blog reader and commenter and writer...

Anyway, the latest update in our world is that week two in the PA has proven to be a mixed bag - good in some ways and disappointing in some ways. I went to my first interview with a language school downtown and found that they probably won't have a position for me this coming term. The interview went well, but they won't know until Monday if they have need for extra instructors; and, they are losing students as they move from summer into fall, so it doesn't look very hopeful.

Along with that disappointing news, I have just this week hit my wall of feeling a little lonely. I don't have a job yet, and I'm mostly spending my time with the dogs in the house or walking around the city. Granted, they do provide some company, but I have just been needing some friends here - or for that matter - just some people to talk to!

But, the good news is, the Lord is taking care of us, and two different couples from City Reformed already called this week to invite us over to dinner. And, we also visited one community group, which was nice. I just have to take a deep breath and remember that developing true relationships takes time!

The other good news is, Brad's work is going really well. His boss has given him more responsibility even this week, and he is very excited about his future with the company. He comes home exhausted, as he is still getting used to having a greater work load, but he is very fulfilled and happy, and that makes me happy!

Okay, well, that's all for now. As far as my job search goes, I have an interview with University of Pittsburgh next week and a meeting with a photographer today! I've applied to work as an assistant to a few photographers around town, so I'll just have to see what happens. I do hope that one of those will be more promising than the first...

City Reformed

Well, this weekend was good - Brad and I (and the dogs) went hiking in Laurel Hill State Park, as seen in the picture above, and on Sunday we visited our first church - City Reformed Presbyterian.

I am excited to say that we think we have found our new church home. City Reformed was a breath of fresh air - wonderful worship, solid bible teaching, young people everywhere. And, the church is only three miles from home.

The vision of the church is exciting - they are located in the heart of the city in order to minister to the people. One of the pastors was telling us that church attendance in Pittsburgh is extremely low - only a few evangelical churches exist in the East End (where we live) and the the largest one only has about 300 regular attendees. So, City Reformed was planted about 5 years ago in order to minister to this very unchurched area. They have campus outreach at both Carnegie Mellon and Pitt, and they have various ministries all throughout the city. Also, they have these cool forums on art and film and theology that the church holds in the community.

Brad and I hung around and met lots of people; everyone was very warm and welcoming, and we met quite a few people who live very close to us, which is nice. Also, we were invited to a few different community groups, so we're going to start visiting and getting to know people this week.

This Sunday was a blessing for both of us. Uprooting and moving to such a different place has been unnerving at times, but meeting part of the body of Christ in Pittsburgh gave us a sense of normalcy that we've been missing. And, having a time of worship and teaching was therapeutic.

Well, that's all the good updates I have for now. Later I'll tell you about our latest struggles: the dog down the street that barks all night, and the first day of half-marathon training in the hills of Pennsylvania. Ugh.

Duds and Suds

Well here I sit in Duds and Suds laundromat. Another negative of our news place: not having a washer and dryer upstairs where I can use it anytime. Our washer is in the basement, and it's tiny. So, since I had two weeks worth of laundry, I decided to suck it up and visit the laundromat.

The bad news is, laundromats are yucky. There's some dude that keeps looking at me funny, and "Days of our lives" is blaring in the background. Ugh!!

The good news is, on my way here I got lost and found Whole Foods Market and Banana Republic. The other good news is, Panera Bread is next door, so I can have a cookie and use the internet while I clean my undies. There's always a silver lining to be found.

Well, I'm off to check my whites! :)

Updates...

There are a few things that are of first importance to me when in a new place:

1) finding a church and friends
2) locating the nearest coffee shop
3) finding the best running/walking route around the neighborhood
4) Target.

Well, we have been in Pittsburgh for five days, and we have successfully completed numbers 2-4. I rode my bike to a great new coffee shop this morning, and I found the nearest Target on day two. Also, Brad and I (and the dogs) took our first long walk as a family last night. Finding a church will be a longer process, but we already have a few in the area that we're excited about visiting!

After being here a few days, I can honestly say that we're giddy with excitement about this city. It's just the right size for us - not huge like New York but very compact with a great city-like feel. The city is nestled within the hills of Pennsylvania, so the views are amazing, and the people seem very down-to-earth and normal. Brad is happy with his job, and he's already meeting possible couple friends for us there!

The bad things are, the hills are unbearable! I rode my bike yesterday and today, and both times, I thought I would actually die. I talked to someone outside our house as I left yesterday, and I was so embarrassed when he saw me come back 20 minutes later, huffing and puffing like I rode a marathon. Also, we are not used to living in the city, hearing the noise of the street all night. Houses here aren't air conditioned, and sleeping with the windows open is going to take getting used to!

Well, that's all the updates I have for now. Also, the picture above is from inside the Pirates stadium a few nights ago. What a view!

we're here!

We're here! I just wanted you to know that we arrived safely and are unpacking boxes and organizing. We love our new home, and the city is so cute (at least what we've seen of it so far!). I'll write more updates later, but for now, a picture from Mt. Washington, overlooking the city.

family photo.

Those of you with Animals and children, have you ever noticed how hard it is to get a picture with everyone looking?!

Well, this is our best attempt at our last family photo in Gainesville. Everything is packed, and the movers are coming tomorrow to load up our stuff. We had a wonderful last dinner with friends tonight, and now we are feeling ready to make the move.

Do keep us in your prayers as we drive up to Pittsburgh. It's a long way from here, but we are ready for the adventure!

Our Group

Last night was our last Thursday night with our wonderful community group. As usual, we had a great time of food and fellowship, and we're really going to miss it.

One of the main reasons we love Gainesville so much is because of these people. When we first moved here, we found this amazing group of 8 couples who were in the same stage of life and who were interested in similar things. With the people in this group we've had great meals, we've had great talks, we've had a few cries, we've been camping - twice, we've prayed for each other, we've trained for and run a half-marathon, we've canoed, we've been to springs, we've had lunches on campus, and through everything - the fun and the serious times, we've truly grown to love each other.

The group has dwindled to four couples as we've watched friends move away for different jobs and programs, but this summer with these eight people has been sweet, and we're going to miss them dearly. Lauren and Everald are moving to New York City on Monday; we are moving to Pittsburgh on Thursday; and Sarah and Danny and Kim and Steve will be here in Gainesville. So, we will be living far apart, but we know our paths will cross again, and we look forward to that day.