The Eldridge's

What happened?

2009-04-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone is wandering what happened to our blog. I accidentally deleted an email that logged into the blog. When I deleted the email, it also deleted me as an author on the blog. There's been a negative response from friends and family so I have decided to start a new blog at this address.

Opening Day.

2009-04-06T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day in Casey's life. It's the Opening Day for his beloved St. Louis, Cardinals. This is the first Opening Day he has missed in 10 years! He's a little sad but excited because the Cardinals play the Diamondbacks in next week in Arizona. We are planning on going of course.

Rockstar.

2009-04-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

Mark Driscoll: a rockstar.

It doesn't matter if you are married or not. You should really listen to these.

For men. Hard core.
For women.

2009-04-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a quick week for us. Casey accepted a job at our apartment complex doing maintenance. The lady that owns our apartment complex (friends of my Uncle/Aunt) offered Casey the job Tuesday. We are very blessed. He will start on Monday.

2009-03-27T20:00:00.001-07:00

Casey's school stuff.

Casey JUST got home from the last day of his first class. He is loving it and doing really well. He got a 96% in the class. He also heard from Firestone this week about a job. Though he doesn't have the job officially, we assume he will if he passed the drug test and physical he had on Wednesday. And in other good news, we are getting a tax return. We were excited since we had no clue what would happen since I lived and worked in two states in 2008. But it all worked out.

Our weekend should be normal. We go to church on Saturday nights and then I really want to go somewhere fun to eat after. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy weekend to everyone!

Rolls Royce.

2009-03-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Casey and I had a fun morning/early afternoon today. I needed to go to the Gap to return a sweater and the closest Gap is in Scottsdale at the Scottsdale Fashion Square. Apparently they have closed down the Gaps that were closer to where we live. Casey also wanted to meet the Service Master at the Porsche dealership in Scotsdale to establish a relationship. So we headed to Scotsdale which is a good 30 or so minutes away. We stopped at the Porsche dealership first and that went really well. The Service Master was really nice and told Casey to stay in contact with him. Casey was stoked. Then we headed to the mall. It was super nice. I was able to find a the Gap. As we were walking out, we saw a new Rolls Royce parked in the special valet parking. It was crazy. In the same parking area was a Viper and a Aston Martin. Casey was joking because the guy with the Dodge Viper thought he was pretty cool until the Aston Martin showed up. And the Aston Martin guy thought he was pretty cool until the Rolls Royce shows up. We left in our Saturn Ion.

Things are going well. The past few days have started to really warm up outside. I'm sure a sign of things to come. My job is going well. I am learning lots. I like the people that I work with and the ability to walk to and from work. It's super nice. I will start going to a bible study on Monday. Casey is loving school and having lots of fun. He is doing really well and making friends. Shocker. Everyone loves Casey. Today he will finish the second week of his first class. Each class is 3 weeks long. He is almost done with class #1. Crazy.

Inventory.

2009-03-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Casey registered at Sears for our wedding and was able to get a lot of tools. They are useful and make it possible for Casey to fix our cars and do other handyman chores. Unfortunately it is really easy to lose tools especially since we don't have an actual garage and a specific place to put them. They are either in his car or our apartment. It is easy to lose track. So he was busy the other day doing inventory on his collection so he knows exactly what he has.

He also laid them all out on the floor and took a picture. So organized. It's kind of scary.

He really likes Craftsman tools because of their lifetime guarantee. He is apart of the Craftsman Club at Sears because you can get good discounts.

poker.

2009-03-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

One of Casey's favorite thing to do is play poker online with fake money. Everyone starts playing in the $250 tournament and work your way up.Casey is now playing in $10,000 tournament because he wins a lot.

He's the player on the bottom of the picture.

Our Apartment.

2009-03-12T08:39:00.001-07:00

I'm a dork but you can see our apartment.

Dunes, Jobs, and School

2009-03-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Kristin wants me to let you know that this is casey

I have had my first trip to the world famous dunes. If you don't know what the dunes are, imagine little boys and a big sandbox. Now imagine bigger boys and a much bigger sandbox.

This was the toy of the day...

This was the engine in the toy of choice. If you know anything about engines and horsepower ..yes its an LS7. Not an LS1. Not an LS6, because those would only be semi-ridiculous. LS7

Since we only took day trip Tim wanted to take his stuff home for end of the season. On the way home we had some flat tires. Tires...with an S.

In the middle of the tire situation I was pulled over by Arizona's finest for my license plate light being out. I got off with a warning.

It was a fun trip.

While we were in So. Cal. at a rundown tire shop we sat in the RV and watched MLB TV. In one word...AWESOME!

I have been looking for a job since we arrived in AZ. I have somewhere around 50 applications/Resumes out there and about 4 or 5 prospective job possibilities. My 401k being cut by 65% did not convince me that our economy was bad. When Wal-Mart told me that they were on a hiring freeze I was convinced. I do have some good leads and with all of your prayer hopefully I will have a job soon.

School...

As many of you know I started school this week. I have two days under my belt and so far so good. We have been hearing a lot of motivational speeches and going on tours of the building. (I am about done with that.) I have met a lot of cool people and I am starting to make friends. I was told that tomorrow we will start digging into real class stuff, so I am excited. I am in a class called "Basic Engines". Like I said we have not covered a whole lot of material yet, however I am already learning new things and I can tell that it is going to be a lot of fun.

All of the prayers are starting to pay off!

Thanks so much

2009-03-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

We went to the Coyotes and Blues hockey game two Saturdays ago. I was a little bored but Casey had lots of fun. The Blues won.

Here is the rink before the game started.

Casey and I attempted to take our picture while we were waiting outside before we were allowed into the rink. Didn't really work that well but they are still fun.

Casey reaching around me with the camera. Awkward.

Lots of sun. Seems to be a theme in Arizona. It's nice.

The benches we were sitting on had a colorful and fun tile pattern on them.

2009-03-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

1. Today is Casey's first day of school. He was a little nervous but excited. I was really excited for him.
2. We went to Palm Valley Church on Saturday night and really liked it. It's only 20 minutes away.
3. Casey is still looking for a job. We feel like we have 3-4 good leads but nothing yet. We are praying.

Our apartment and In and Out!

2009-03-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Casey left my camera in my Uncle's motor home because they went to the dune's yesterday (more about that later) so I can't do a video tour right now. But here are some pictures so you can see glimpses of our life in Arizona.

This is our apartment complex, Desert Gardens II. The complex is really nice and right across from Luke Air Force Base. About 70% of the residents that live in DGII are working on the base including our neighbor next door who welcomed us with a late night party on our first night. He apologized and said that we were invited whenever he had music going. :) Funny.

This is the leasing office where I work. My Aunt is really good friends with the lady, Cathy, that owns the complex so that's how I got a job and our apartment. It's nice to be able to walk to work.

This is our apartment building. If you go up those stairs, our apartment would be on the left.

This is the heated pool which is open all year long.

This is the clubhouse. It has a kitchen and big screen TV inside. The mail boxes are on the other side of this building.

There are 6 ramadas in the complex with BBQs. You aren't allowed to have personal BBQ's so everyone shares these.

Casey and I went to the pool last weekend. Here is the basking hunk. He's excited about getting a tan.

We actually live in Glendale, AZ but this is a sign from Avondale where Casey's school is. It's really close to our apartment.

There are lots of palm trees and desert plants everywhere.

So it might be easy to be jealous of Arizonians because of their weather but you should really be jealous because they have In and Out. Very jealous.

We ate lunch at In and Out today. It was my first time since living here and it was so good. You have the option to get grilled onions on your hamburger. Mmmmm. Plus I was reading the information on the packaging. They buns are handmade with no preservatives. They use cholesterol free vegetable oil to cook their fries which they have been since they opened in 1948. The lettuce is hand leafed and the meat is fresh and not frozen. Obviously makes a big difference because the hamburgers are really good.

2009-03-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

Casey has a lead on a job at Discount Tire which gives us a little hope.

We have been very blessed in moving to Arizona. We are SO thankful. We didn't occur a lot of expenses that we thought we might have had to originally. We have a great apartment. So....so many things.

We think it's going to be a fun year and we are excited.

Video of apartment and In and Out pictures coming soon. :)

2009-03-01T18:14:00.001-08:00

We are loving Arizona. We have not had one bad day of weather. It's been sunny and warm. Casey LOVES it. He is already saying he wants to live here. It's only been one week! But there's lots of things to do and it is a fun area.

Today we went to church at Cornerstone and it was very cool. Unfortunately it is kind of far away so we'll see what we decide to do.

Casey starts orientation tomorrow! Yay! I'm excited for him to get started.

My job is going well. I am learning a lot and my trainers have told me I am picking everything up pretty quick. There's just lots of little details so it can make my mind hurt at times. But I am working in the apartment complex we are living in so I don't have to drive anywhere and I can come home for lunch. It's a blessing.

So we are enjoying this time in our lives. It's been a crazy past few months and it's nice to finally be here.

skater-like.

2009-02-28T21:10:00.001-08:00

We had a nice Saturday. We started with a nice walk this morning. It has been really nice and sunny outside. After we got back from walking, we went to the mall. I needed to get a haircut and we did a little bit of shopping to update our wardrobe for Arizona. Casey got a new pair of shorts. They are really cool and skater-like. It's a popular style here. And I got some sundresses.

Tonight we went to a Coyote's and Blue's game. Casey was really excited about it and one of the few Blue's fans. But that didn't stop him from cheering like he usually does. They won so that was good.

Tomorrow we are going to Cornerstone church in Chandler, AZ. It's like 54 minutes away according to the directions but hopefully it's not that far away. We are excited.

Casey is currently looking for a job. He has put his resume into a handful of shops but didn't get a solid lead on anything. No one was really hiring. We found some more opportunities today on Craig's List so hopefully something will work out. We're just praying.

Cactus League.

2009-02-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Casey is super excited because Arizona is home to spring training for the Cactus League (major league teams that are here for spring training). Unfortunately the Cardinals play in Florida. Sad.

But he went to a game today and saw the Padres vs. Mariners play. He had lots of fun and got a foul ball but gave it to a kid near him-his good dead for the day.

RoadTrip.

2009-02-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

2009-02-22T18:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we moved into our apartment. We love it. It's really nice. When we walked in for the first time there was a sofa, table, lamps, a bed, dresser, and kitchen table already set up. My Uncle and Aunt were able to set us up with some supplies like plates, silverware, a toaster, and lots of other good stuff.

We are having lots of fun and enjoying Arizona. We like the new landscape and weather. There's lots of things to see and do. Last night we discovered Westgate where the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes play. There are lots of restaurants, shops, billboards, and water fountains all around. It was very cool and overstimulating all at the same time.

It's been nice to just hang out and get settled. Last night the neighbors next to us had a party that kept us up most of the night. I guess it was a "welcome to the neighborhood" party. Casey called the police. All of that to say, we are pretty tired and worn out.

I start work tomorrow. Casey starts school on March 9th so I have to keep him busy for two weeks. :) He wants to find a job and get all the details for school worked out. But I'm sure my Uncle will find lots of things for him to do. Friday he tagged along with my Uncle to a sponsorship meeting with John Force a 14 time NHRA funny car world champion. Apparently he's a big deal in the NHRA world. Casey had a blast. They were able to watch qualifying before the meeting.

AZ

2009-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

(from Casey)
So we have made it to the valley of the sun. Or at least I think that is what it is called. As you can tell we are not Arizonians yet, however I did see my first cactus ever when we rolled into town. We have been staying with our Uncle Tim and Auntie Misty and their five boys: Kaleb, Austin, Tyler, Jordan, and Wyatt. It has been fun hanging out with them. It makes me want to have five boys of my own. We went to Kaleb’s basketball game yesterday. The good news is that they won. The bad news is that we didn’t stay until the end because Kaleb broke is little finger. Bummer… but I told him it was because Kristin is bad luck. We also went and looked at our new apartment yesterday. It is AWESOME. Such an upgrade from KC. Actually just about everything about AZ is and upgrade for us. God is at work and it is fun to be along for the ride. I also got a look at my new school, UTI. I just ran in to ask a couple questions and take a look at the place.

Today we are hopefully going to move into our apartment. (As a side note we are not really involved with the moving process. The apartment complex is having “their guys” move all of our furniture in for us. This is a huge blessing after move all of our stuff out of our old apartment by ourselves.) Then we are going to UTI to finish paperwork and other crap. Then we are going to enjoy the rest of our 78 degree days by being lazy…because we don’t have jobs…yet. Just kidding Kristin will not allow us to be lazy.

2009-02-17T19:03:00.001-08:00

Greetings from our hotel room in Albuquerque, New Mexico! These past few days have been fun and we are doing well. (No car problems at all. Praise God.)

Yesterday we left St. Louis and stayed in Oklahoma City, OK last night. We found a cool area downtown called Bricktown and enjoyed a little walking around and eating. We left this morning around 9:00 and were in Amarillo, TX for lunch and arrived in Albuquerque around 5:00 (6:00 central). After getting settled in our hotel room, we went to Old Town Albuquerque and found a Mexican restaurant to eat at.

It's been enjoyable to see the landscape change as we travel from state to state. Thankfully all the driving hasn't been that bad. Before we left we loaded up our ipods with podcasts and have really enjoyed listening to Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church. He has a great marriage series called The Peasant Princess which is from the Song of Songs. Really, really good and practical. I would recommend to every married couple. He's pretty hard core pastor. Casey mentioned that he liked listening to someone who was probably more conservative then him.

Tomorrow we will be in Arizona. Have a good night.

Pictures from the family "Happy Valentines/Casey and Kristin are moving again" Dinner.

2009-02-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Pictures courtesy of my sister.

My brother being awesome.

We had yummy tacos.

I watched my Grandma fry the shells so I can learn.

UTI

2009-02-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of UTI (where Casey will be going to school) from the website. He has orientation on March 2nd and begins March 9th.

2009-02-08T08:54:00.001-08:00

We officially leave Feb. 16th for Arizona.

2009-02-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying our stay in St. Louis. Pretty much just hangin' out and trying to get ready to leave for Arizona.

The good news is I officially have a job in Arizona working at the apartment complex that we will be living in. It's pretty awesome. Casey's school is 9 minutes away from where we will be living. We are heading to Arizona sometime in the week of February 15th. Casey doesn't actually start school until March 9th but we wanted to go early and get settled.

My Uncle Tim has helped us out a lot. He basically has made my job and our living arrangements. We are very grateful.

2009-01-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

Casey is back in Kansas City for a few days to work and finish up some loose ends. I am babysitting here and there for extra money and enjoying my with family. It's a nice break until we start Operation Arizona.

Angels.

2009-01-22T13:09:00.001-08:00

Last night my family and I were talking about spiritual warfare, the theology behind it, and how we don't really pay very much attention to it as Christians.

It started me really thinking about this strange thing that happened right before Casey and I were ready to head to St. Louis with all of our stuff. We were both sitting in the Saturn talking and this raggedy looking guy knocks on the window. He scares us both. We roll down the window and he tells us that we were going to be missed and that he liked our flags and things we would put on our porch (We usually had an American or Cardinal flags on our porch.) and that he was praying for us. He clarified what our names were and then was on his way.

It was just weird because we never made any real relationships with anyone in our apartment complex. We had never seen him before. Apparently he talked to Casey earlier while we were packing but we still had no clue who he was.

I just really like to think that he was an angel. Isn't that just a cool thought? [insert Entertaining Angels by Michael W. Smith] Who really knows?

Angel or not, I do know God is in our lives and helping us down this path. He has to be because there is no explanation for how we have made it this far. I look back through foot surgeries, marriage drama, financial changes, job opportunities, school opportunities, etc. and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guiding us. [insert tears] And despite everything we are doing really good. We have made wise decisions I think and have been smart but it hasn't been easy. We have come along way through our friendship, dating, engaged, and now married days.

Crazy.

2009-01-21T19:43:00.000-08:00

My biggest motivation for blogging has been for the people who read it. But I am realizing more and more that blogging is a good way to document your life. I enjoy looking back and remembering. Sort of like scrapbooking or keeping a photo album.

Anyway....today was another big day. We have now unloaded the Uhaul truck into Casey's Dad's basement. It went by pretty fast. It is nice to be done with it for now. Moving is not really fun. But we survived.

Things are already looking good in Arizona. My Uncle already has an apartment in our name and a full kitchen, bed, washer and dryer, and table and chairs. So right now we are planning on taking nothing besides clothes and whatever else fits in our cars and head down there. It's exciting. I also might have a job. (All thanks to my Uncle.) So things are coming together more and more.

2009-01-20T19:45:00.001-08:00

*We made it to St. Louis today with the majority of our stuff. We almost got everything but there's still a little bit left. Casey has to go back to Kansas City anyway so he can get the rest then. It was all a little stressful-not going to lie-but we did it.

*Tomorrow we are unloading the truck into Casey's Dad's basement.

*I am grateful for a husband who can move really heavy things. I watched him carry a washer by himself and then lift it onto the truck.

*Funny story from the past few days:
Our couch is L-shaped and the bigger half would not fit out our apartment door. Casey and his friend, Corey, tried and tried every angle and strategy. (Casey is an excellent mover and usually figures out how to move stuff.) The thing is, somehow this piece of couch got in the apartment. Casey and Ryan Tomlinson fandanagled it in. But today it was definitely not going out like it came in. Finally they decided to drop it (nicely) from our balcony. (We are on the top story, mind you.) Corey held it dangling down from our porch and Casey ran to the next level and slowly they dropped it to the ground. It was pretty funny. I'm sure our neighbors thought we were crazy. But that's probably not the first time. I wish I had got a picture but I was a little busy.

*We are super excited. It was 77 degrees in Arizona today. Just sayin'.

makeshift.

2009-01-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Casey and I are currently relaxing from a full day of packing. We are laying on our makeshift bed (blankets on the floor) for tonight since are bed is currently in a Uhaul truck. Casey and I have worked really hard and have packed everything on our own. We got help for a few really heavy things from a neighbor friend. We definitely have too much stuff and will not be taking all of it to Arizona. We are taking the absolute basic.

Tomorrow we have a few more things to pack and do around Kansas City. We will then be on our way to St. Louis to unpack everything. Casey will have to come back to get the final load of stuff and his Porsche.

This picture has nothing to do with anything.

Goodnight!

Update:

2009-01-18T17:08:00.001-08:00

*most of you who read this probably already know

Casey and I made the decision to go ahead with moving to Arizona so Casey can complete his degree to become a mechanic. We are still finalizing a few things but the packing has begun. We will be in St. Louis for a few weeks before heading west.

We are super excited and have peace about everything. God has taken what seemed to be a bad situation and turn it into something really good.

Path.

2009-01-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

Not much is going on here.

But Thursday is a big day. Casey will hopefully find out about money for school which will give us a little more direction on what we are doing. He really wants to go UTI in Avondale, AZ which is 30 minutes from my Uncle Tim. It's a really good school with a good reputation and is only a one year program.

Casey has been LOVING working on Porsches and is really excited about this opportunity. We both feel that God has put us on quite an interesting path since we have been married and are anxious to see what is going to happen.

Here's a quick timeline:

*We get married and move to Kansas City.
*Casey starts to deal with political corruptness at work with PPG.
*Casey goes on medical leave because of his foot and is out for about a month and a half.
*Casey starts to work on his old Porsche with all his spare time and builds a relationship with a local Porsche mechanic.
*Casey loves working on his old Porsche and starts looking at mechanic schools. He discovers UTI which has a school 30 minutes from my Uncle.
*Casey applies and gets accepted but recieves no financial help. We are both disappointed because we are not interested in taking out loans.
*Casey takes a buyout with PPG but is able to get a job with the Porsche mechanic who helped him with his old Porsche.

*My Dad recommends looking at government retraining programs.
*Casey meets with a case worker from SRS and finds out he can qualify for the program because he had an IEP in high school and was technically laid off and can possibly get it all paid for.

So that's where we are right now. God really has answered our prayers because we felt it would be really unwise to take out loans. We haven't been married that long but we see God's work in this short time.

Casey checkin' out the Porsche in the mall. People were looking at us.

mongoose on ice.

2008-12-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

Casey and I had a good first married Christmas. We were in St. Louis and spent it with our families. It went by fast but it was good.

We were so glad to see some friends the Friday after Christmas. (The Reinken's and Kelly's)

Casey has officially put 62,000 miles on his car after driving home from St. Louis.

We spent New Year's Eve playing Scrabble. It's our favorite game. (We're such partiers.)

Today Casey and I went to see Marley and Me. We really enjoyed it mostly because the movie showed the realistic and not-so-fun-parts of being married and starting a family which we can relate to. It was just a good, sweet, PG movie and a nice treat. It made me cry but everything makes me cry.

After the movie, we went ice skating at a little outdoor skating rink. Casey was being a rock star with his hockey skates on. He called himself a "mongoose on ice."

You can see for yourself.

Update on Casey

2008-12-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

Since I'm not much of a blogger anymore, here is what I am up to.

So I put up Christmas lights for Kristin and a R.O.U.S. ate them. (Rodent of unusual size)

Something made a nest out of sticks and our Christmas lights.

I am helping this guy who has a Porsche garage. Here are some of the cars I've been working on.

Kristin had to work on Sunday afternoon so I decided, because it was 9 degrees outside, That I would go to the Chiefs game. I thought I could get a ticket for cheap because it was cold, the last weekend before Christmas, and well they're the Chiefs. So yes I got a ticket for $10 and then got my car towed and that only cost $205. I don't want to talk about it.

That is that and it pretty much sums up life.

I am trying to go to school to become a mechanic so you can pray for the process if you want.

2008-12-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

the PLAZA.

2008-12-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

Before the arctic freeze took over Kansas City, we went to the Plaza to see the Christmas lights. It was fun to be apart of the hustle and bustle and be able to get outside and walk.

Story of the night: As we were crossing the street, a car kept coming at us as if it were going to run us over. Casey, wanting to defend his wife's honor, punches the car hoping that there would be words. But (thankfully) the car didn't stop and there was no confrontation.

Whenever Casey sees letters, he likes to spell out his name. He found these letters in Anthropologie.

taco NIGHT.

2008-12-10T19:02:00.001-08:00

We had our first "taco" night the other night.

I made them just like my Grandma does. She always fries her own shells. Yummy.

Ours were not as good as hers. I'll have to watch her next time so I can get tips.

let it snow.

2008-12-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

It's snowing here in Kansas City. The roads are really bad and apparently Kansas City doesn't believe in salt or plows. Thankfully I was off today so I didn't have to get anywhere. I don't drive in the snow well.

Lights.

2008-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

The Real Housewife of Kansas City

2008-12-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

our FIRST snow.

2008-12-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

(as a married couple)

Red Box

2008-12-01T19:22:00.001-08:00

Casey and I are enjoying our night after long days of work. Casey is watching the Will Smith Hancock movie from Red Box. Every Monday we receive text messages with the promo code to rent a free movie. We think Red Box is the greatest invention ever. (Our world is pretty simple right now so it's the small things that entertain us.) I am currently blogging (obviously) and drinking tea.

We just returned from Macy's to make sure our credit cards that we were basically lied into getting were cancelled. (It's a long story. We were trying to use our wedding gift cards from Macy's and we were told we could get 20% of our purchases for opening the cards and we could pay with our gift cards. Drama. Casey loves telling the story. It involves an old lady telling us that she isn't a cougar.) The whole thing just leaves this unsettling reality in my mind that we are bombarded everywhere with "buy this...buy that"..." Get this credit card and you will save all this money." Such lies that people are so easily swayed by.

Casey and I have been quite succesful in dealing with our finances responsibly. We might fail miserably in other areas but we are both proud for how we have handled what God has provided for us and how we have learned to communicate about money as a married couple. We have had a few unexpected things in the first few months of marriage and we (THANKFULLY) have navigated through them well. It hasn't been easy by any means but we have learned a lot about each other.

We both enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey. He has radio and TV shows and he's also an author. It's incredible to read and listen to the stories of people he has helped pay off thousands and thousnds of dollars of debt in small amounts of time. We encourage everyone to check him out. His main slogan is "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else."

I am thankful for a husband who desires to be responsible for what God has given us. I am thankful he is wise and that he desires to work together as a team to deal with money.

Speaking of money, Christmas is soon. And while our culture tells us to spend lots of money on stuff, we can take a stand and do something greater. Advent Conspiracy is a movement to fight against consumerism. (Most people who read our blog probably know all about it.) It's a great way to spread God's love.

Christmas DECORATING.

2008-11-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

Casey and I wanted to get our Christmas decorations out before we left for Thanksgiving in St. Louis. So last Monday afternoon we got busy.

Casey put up the lights on our little porch. He's a hunk.

This is our cute little Christmas tree.

We have a large collection of Christmas ornaments. Our tree isn't big enough to hold all of them!

My mom has kept a collection of ornaments for each of my siblings and I for years. There's quite a few in our collection that I made growing up ( ex. Christmas tree ornament). And for a bridal shower gift, I got a set of wedding Christmas ornaments. (Thank you Mrs. Chasteen!) They are so cute (see groom and heart ornament below). There's also a church and bride in the collection.

Our manger. Jesus is the reason for the season after all.

My grandparents decorated with these Christmas blocks when they were younger and they were handed down to me. My Grandpa made them.

Joy is my middle name so a lot of our decorations and ornaments say joy.

Give BIG LOVE.

Angels.

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Christmas Spode. My entire family has Spode and it has become a tradition.

Christmas lights make everything so festive.

The End.

THANKSGIVING

2008-11-25T17:05:00.001-08:00

Casey and I are headed to St. Louis tomorrow afternoon for Thanksgiving. Lots of family to see....turkey to eat....and so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

100 days.

2008-11-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

We've been married 100 days!

2008-11-19T15:28:00.001-08:00

PARK.

2008-11-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

I just found these very random pictures on my camera.

On Halloween night we went to the park. We couldn't really do anything because Casey just had surgery on his foot so we just sat around as the sun went away.

Casey got excited about the squirrel in the tree.
\

stuff.

2008-11-17T19:18:00.000-08:00

We were in St. Louis this weekend again. We took advantage of a weekend when I didn't have to work. We like visiting. :)

There's lots of stuff going on. Can't really blog about it but just be praying for us that we make wise decisions and trust God for each step.

Heat.

2008-11-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

We just woke up from a Sunday afternoon nap. Nice.

There is not much to report....which is probably a good thing.

I don't know what the weather is like elsewhere but it's COLD here. We broke out the coats and scarves.
Today we bought a space heater at BB&B to keep our gas bill down. (Our apartment has a gas heater.)

Casey goes to the doctor tomorrow to get an update on his foot. Because he has to walk funny on it, he sometimes gets shooting pains up his leg but besides that he is doing well.

Friday we decided to not just lounge in our apartment. We went out to eat (which is a treat for us) and did a little bit of shopping. It was so nice to get out. We discovered a outdoor skating rink that we want to go to when Casey's foot is better.

St. Louis.

2008-11-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Many of you who read our blog, already know that we were in St. Louis this weekend. Casey's family had a family reunion Sunday so we decided to make a quick trip in. It was great to be home! I was all set to take my camera but I left my battery at our apartment so I have nothing in terms of pictures. :( Sad story. But we left abruptly and I was not feeling well. (I'm not pregnant though it was brought up several times.)

But we are back in KC, currently sitting on our couch for a long election night.

Exciting.

rehearsal*night

2008-10-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

8.14.08

one YEAR.

2008-10-28T12:11:00.001-07:00

A year ago today, Casey and I went on our first date! Craziness. We have been "together" for ONE year...and what a year.

On our first date we met at church and then headed downtown for a Ram's game. It was actually my first Ram's game ever so it made it even more fun. Afterwards we went to TGI Friday's and then headed back to church for youth. We had a really fun time....and the rest is history. A few weeks later, we were in an "official" relationship.

#99 hat.

2008-10-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things that crack me up about Casey is that even when he is watching sports events on TV he is very into them. For instance, this weekend he watched a race that his driver, Carl Edwards, was racing in. He asked me (because he can't walk) to go get his Carl Edwards hat to wear while watching the race. He will do this for any sports. If there's a Ram's game on, he puts on his Ram's jersey or his Alabama shirt if Alabama is playing.

(Carl Edwards is on TV.)

Life is good…

2008-10-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

Despite having foot surgery on Wednesday

Despite being laid up on the couch and bored out of my mind

Despite having to hop on one foot to the bathroom when I need to pee

Despite having a wife that cannot stop laughing at my when I hop across the room.

When I need to hop to my destination both Kristin and I are in pain. I am in pain because I had a tumor cut out of the bottom of my foot and Kristin is in pain from being doubled over laughing!

Oh yes life is good!

Life is Good…

Because I don’t have to wake up at 5am to go to work.

Because while I am on bed rest the World Series is on

Because I have a wonderful loving wife

Because God is good even if we have a president named Barack Obama

Because supposedly I’m a diva

Because my Porsche (with a lot of prayer) is going to be running soon

Because opening day is only 159 days away.

Oh yes life is good.

Diva.

2008-10-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Casey had a biopsy on his foot this morning at 9:15 am. The doctor wanted to see if it really was a neuroma or something else causing a neuroma. He actually found a fatty tumor which he removed and sent to a lab to be tested. Casey goes in on Monday and hopefully will be back to normal. He is currently taking pain medication and on bed rest and can only get up to use the bathroom and get food. While he is resting he is playing video games, watching TV, and being a diva.

Porschin' Around.

2008-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

(From Friends)

Casey has been working on his Porsche 944 these past few days trying to get it to start. Hopefully we will be porschin' around soon.

I was helping him turn by turning the ignition

Yesterday Casey made us strawberry-banana shakes. We are both trying to eat better by eliminating bad sugars and fats and eating more nutritious foods. The smoothies were really good. :)

Old-Time Photo.

2008-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Foot Update: After going to work for one week, Casey's hurt began to extremely hurt again so he went to the doctor on Monday again to try to find out about surgery. He has to go to a podiatrist next Monday to pursue that.

During our honeymoon in Gatlinburg, we had an old-time photo taken. So cheesy but we couldn't resist! :) I love it. (Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge have Old-Time photo stores and Pancake houses everywhere.)

Nascar

2008-10-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

Casey left today to go help his cousin Jerry's Dad move to Colorado. He will be back Sunday sometime.

Here are pictures when he went to the Nascar race in Kansas City a few weekends ago. Casey loves Nascar and was so excited because his driver, Carl Edwards, was racing. Though Edwards didn't win, Casey still had fun.

Nascar is one of those things that I have been enlightened to because of Casey. :) I don't quite share in his sheer love of it yet but I have definitely learned lots about it.

love.

2008-10-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

sharing.

2008-10-07T17:38:00.001-07:00

Casey and I have this little issue in sharing a bed.

He claims that I take more than my share of the bed.

My defense is that he is a bigger person so it seems that I am taking up more of the bed when really I am not.

He says that he is allowed a amount of the bed in proportion to his body size.

I disagree.

In order to determine the halfway mark when lieing in bed, Casey took down our cute candle sconce and put up a belt.

(I know it's a bad picture but I took it with Photo Booth because I didn't want to get my camera out..take a picture...find the cords...download the picture. It's a lot of work.)

not much is going on...

2008-10-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

Casey returned to work today.

We both recieved absentee ballots this past week so we were able to vote in Missouri.

I am finally getting over a cold I got a few weeks ago.

It's raining right now.

We're just hanging out and being married. :)

small update.

2008-10-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Ryan Tomlinson (Casey's good friend) and his girlfriend, Sarah, are hanging out in KC with us this weekend. They get here today around 3.

Should be fun. :)

FIREPROOF Teaser Trailer

2008-09-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

**Casey and I just saw this movie last night. We really needed to see it and recommend it for anyone who is married. So go see it! It's not the greatest acting and it is a "christian" movie BUT that's really not important. It's a great reminder of how to have a relationship with anyone, how to love unconditionally, and what that actually looks like in everyday life. It's awesome. **

http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

Jade Jewel

2008-09-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Most of our furniture is pretty old-school (everything accept for our kitchen table). In attempts to make it cool, we took off the doors and painted our entertainment center jade jewel. :) I love it. I'm figuring out how I want to decorate it but right now it is still drying.

It's not exactly the easiest thing to do in an apartment..come to find out BUT we did pretty good considering.

We are proud of ourselves. :) We were inspired by the green desk at Pottery Barn and thought that we should could try to do it ourselves.

Now I just need a slip cover for our couch.

K.J.E.

2008-09-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Casey and I went to the Social Security Office of Lenexa, KS and changed my name to Kristin J. Eldridge.

It's official.

Yay!!! :)

Casey's foot.

2008-09-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

Casey's foot is healing. It is feeling much better. He went to the doctor Monday and was told the inflammation has gone down. He is still on medical leave. The foot needs a good 10 days to heal completely.

Commenting.

2008-09-22T16:28:00.001-07:00

This post is for my mother.

Per last conversation, we talked about how to comment on blogs.

Here's a step by step guide just for you. :)

1. At the bottom of each post, you will find something that looks like this:

It tells you who wrote the post, when the post was written, and how many comments have been written about that post. When you move your mouse over the number of comments, it will become underlined which means it is a link.

2. Click on it and it will take you to this screen.

3. To leave a comment, go to the right part of the screen:

4. Write your comment in the big box under "Leave your comment."

5. Then you need to figure out your identity. Since you don't have a blog, you will want to click the circle by the Name/URL option. Then fill out your name. Don't worry about the URL.

6. Click the "PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT" box. It's orange. Your comment should show up on the other side of the screen.

Happy commenting. :)

Casey's Birthday.

2008-09-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Casey turned 27 yesterday!! To celebrate, we went to The Plaza in Kansas City and ate outside at The Cheesecake Factory next to a pretty foutain. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we enjoyed being out doing something.

Kansas City has zillions of water fountains everywhere.

(Here's Casey with his old man's cane.)

We ate our "Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie-Dough" Cheesecake by the little creek that runs through the city. It was yummy.

The Plaza is basically this really nice shopping district with lots of hoity-toity stores. It was fun to walk around and look at everything knowing that there is no way we are buying anything....accept for one thing. Casey found a Cardinal tshirt at Urban Outfitters that he spent some of his birthday money from his Dad on. :)

It looks like this but instead of the Red Socks symbol there's a Cardinal symbol and instead of Boston it says St. Louis.

Neuroma

2008-09-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

Casey's left foot has been bothering him these past two months. And since his job requires lots of walking, the uncomfortableness and pain has gotten progressively worse.

Monday he went to the doctor and was told he has neuroma:

The doctor told him to stay of his foot, soak it in epson salt two times a day, take some medicine, and use crutches. (Casey couldn't find crutches so he got a old man's cane. :) It's funny. I'll try to get a picture later.) So he's on medical leave from work and is enjoying this time off.

This is basically what he has been doing:

Tornados.

2008-09-15T14:15:00.001-07:00

Last Friday, the Kansas City area experienced some exciting weather. The tropical storm that came through created the perfect situation for tornados. There were a few that hit ground but nowhere near our apartment. Sirens went on and off for several hours and warnings scrolled across the TV. It was crazy especially when you are use to ignoring tornado warnings. St. Louis never gets tornados.

And of course, Casey was gone and I really didn't know what to do. During one of the first sirens, I walked to the Walmart that is 3 minutes away. (Our apartment doesn't really have a basement.) I figured Walmart would be a safer bet. Sure enough while I was walking through Walmart they told all of their employees to head to the back so I followed and hung out there for 20 minutes. As soon as they let their employees go, I left and headed back to the apartment.

And I stayed at the apartment the rest of the time.

bumper.sticker.

2008-09-14T16:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Casey was waved down while in his car by another driver.

They wanted to know where he got his NObama sticker.

He was so proud.

08.15.08

2008-09-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to really like Photoshop.

WFM

2008-09-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

I started my new job this week and have really enjoyed the extensive training. I have had lots of jobs where the training is lacking SO I have admired WFM for their desire to prep their new employees. I really like the company and it's not even about the food.

Here are a few things I have learned about WFM that makes them really cool:

1. They have reached a donation amount of $11.9 million dollars per year. Twice a year they give 5% of their profits to an organization (5% days). They are involved with micro-lending projects which provide loans to people in other countries so they can start their own businesses and take control of their lives. These loans have helped 2 million people get above the poverty line. All of WFM's food that cannot be sold because it is past the expiration date but still good, packaging damage, etc goes to a local church which feeds poor people. The church said they could not feed the large amount of people they do without Whole Foods.

2. They emphasis their integrity. They know customers are looking at them for their honesty. A customer knows that when they say something is organic it is organic and WFM has made every effort to keep it that way. They want their customers trust.

3. Through their Whole Trade guarantee, they help other countries economies. "With the market¹s inevitable price and production fluctuations, paying producers a better price for their product covers their costs and more." from WFM website.

4. WFM has a vast recycling program that is used in all areas of the store. They hope to be waste free by 2009 and are looking for products that are recycable. (I honestly don't really know if recycling is that big of a deal but I know that I like having an additude of not wasting things. I think that God wants us to take care of what he has given us and use it well.)

5. Not all of their products are certified by the USDA as organic. For instance, fish cannot be organic. However each item in the store is held to their quality standards so you know you are getting a product. Speaking of their seafood department, they get fresh deliveries from a day boat (a boat that goes out to see and comes back each day unlike other boats that might stay out for weeks) Monday through Saturday.

6. WFM has a private label called 365 Everyday Value that is very comparable to any other grocery store prices. Granted they still have $40.00 olive oil but they also have the $6.00 olive oil (I made up a price.) All of their 365 products are still held to their quality standards....wholesome, fresh, chemical, antiobiotic, hormone free.

So....go shop at WFM. :)

You're Beautiful

2008-09-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

I LOVED the song that played during my wedding as our wedding party entered. It was called You're Beautiful by Phil WIckham. Aaron Krause and Alex Holder did such a great job. I only wish I could have been a guest to see and hear everything happening. When I hear it now, I cry. :)

Here are the words:

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who you are
You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face, I see Your face
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

Bridal Portraits.

2008-09-10T06:17:00.001-07:00

A few days before my wedding, I had bridal portraits taken. Tarah Craft (http://www.inthebeginningphoto.com/blog/) did them and I love them. They are so fun.

Casey joked that he was going to take groomal pictures out in a field with his tux on. I told him to go for it....and then suggested he just do them naked.

Here's one of the shots I copied from her blog:

I feel like somehow this is illegal but I wanted to put it up.

Stuffed Car.

2008-09-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

This is right before we made our first trip to Kansas married.

Stuffed car:

Us:

Kristin has a job.

2008-09-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Thankfully I have been able to quickly get a job. I haven't really known exactly what I wanted to do in this area of my new life in Kansas City. I knew I wanted something that would work with Casey's schedule well and something that I would be on my feet.

A few days ago I applied at Whole Foods Market and actually interviewed this afternoon. They offered me the job at the end of the interview and I start orientation next Tuesday afternoon. I'm not quite sure how it will work with our schedules so I am going to keep praying about my job situation but it is something for now. :) I really like Whole Foods so I know I will have fun and I get a discount on yummy food.

Life in KS.

2008-09-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is the GM plant where Casey works at. It's huge. There are 3,000 people that work there.

His plant makes the Malibu which is the North American car of the year and is very popular. To keep up with the demand, the factory is running a 10 hour line during the day and Casey has to be there for the whole time. He (we) get up at 5:30 AM and doesn't get home until about 4:30/5:00 PM. He's working really hard.

This is where I do laundry. So fun. Not really. But it gets the job done.

On Labor Day we went to a craft fair with Casey's friend from work, Dave, and his wife. There were tents and tents full of booths. It was fun.

I made Casey try sea salt scrub on his hands. He was tortured for a little bit. It was funny. :)

kabobs.

2008-09-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

The kabobs we made this weekend on our new BBQ. They were really good.

A picture of where we are going to church, West Side Family Church. (http://www.westsidefamilychurch.com/) It's not the greatest picture.

Feeding Our Pig.

2008-08-31T18:46:00.001-07:00

http://www.feedthepig.org/

Kristin and I have had fun being married. One of the things that we have fun doing is going shopping... kind of. You see, we are so blessed to have an apartment stuffed with stuff that we have been given for free. We have a couch, TV, a bed room set and some much more that God's people have blessed us with. Our cabinets and drawers are full of stuff that is new and nice and FREE. We like to go through stores and look at all of the cool shiny things, but we usually leave empty handed saying the same thing "We are so blessed!"

We are able to save money and start our marrage having to buy nothing to have a full apartment. Thanks to our awesome family and friends we are able to "feed our pig".

So thanks you to everyone who gave us things that you were throwing out and thanks be to everyone who was able to give us a wedding gift! We feel very loved and know that we are blessed.

BBQ

2008-08-30T06:37:00.001-07:00

Casey and I are both excited about our 3 day weekend.

1. We are going to grill kabobs on our new BBQ. We got a great deal on one and Casey is really excited. Apparently it is illegal to use a grill on a wood patio in Overland Park.
2. I am going to cut Casey's hair. This is one of our saving money habits. Since Casey likes his hair cut every other day (kidding), we decided that I would cut his hair and save time and resources. (But we are not cutting my hair on our own.)
3. We are going to go through all of Casey's (I guess it's mine too....eeeek!) Cardinal stuff and get it organized. I'm going to go through my scrapcrap stuff.
4. We are going to sit down and work on our budget and get our system all worked out.
5. Sunday we are going to go to church.

And hopefully we will spend time doing absolutely nothing. :)

Have a fun, relaxin', quality weekend. (We miss you!)

Bumper.

2008-08-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

Casey loves bumper stickers. This is his latest. When we drive by cars with pro-Obama stickers, he tries to get in front of them to force them to see his sticker. He's crazy.

apartment update

2008-08-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of our little apartment. Though there is nothing glamorous about it, we like it. It's homey....which is important. We have a ton of stuff to fill in it, as you can see in the pictures.

It's come along way these past few days. Everything is organized in small piles that still need to be gone through so there's still work to do. But our kitchen and bathroom is put together since we have to use those everyday.

second bedroom: (one side is dedicated to Cardinals and the other wall will be scrapbooking)

bedroom:

family room:

kitchen:

I am currently listening to a sermon by Francis Chan (pastor in CA) on marriage. (My sister, a Francis Chan junkie, recommended them to me. I particulary like the one where Francis Chan's wife talks about submission. It's actually pretty funny and totally helps me understand submission....something that is hard to get a grasp on as a new wife. (Does my husband see the purity and reverence in me? Does he see gentleness and patience in me? Can Casey see Christ in me?)

Go here: http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/getasermon.

honeymoon pictures.

2008-08-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Baby Sofia.

2008-08-27T06:37:00.001-07:00

Our good friends, Kylie and Ashley Reinken, had their little girl two days ago. We are so excited for them.

Duds 'n Suds

2008-08-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I just experienced my first ever trip to the laundry mat, Duds 'n Suds. (Our apartment has a laundry room in the basement of our building but it is a little sketchy so I am not allowed to do laundry down there.)

I had a ton of laundry to do. I washed all of our new sheets and towels and a bunch of Casey's clothes. (He has quite the collection of t-shirts.) It took me a couple of hours and a lot of quarters but everything is clean.

There were a few other people around doing laundry as well and I noticed that everyone was very nice and helpful to one another. It was very cool. I liked it.

So.......here's to many more trips to the laundry mat. Get ready.

Wedding Pictures

2008-08-24T16:52:00.000-07:00

8 days.

2008-08-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

We've been married for about 8 days and SO much has happened!

1. Casey and I got married about 1 week ago. We both loved our wedding. It was short, simple, fun, and lots of friends and family were there with us to celebrate. Andy Sharpe, pastor at Windsor Crossing, married us. He did an excellent job and added such a touch to the night. The church looked so a beautiful. I loved the candles and all of the reception area decorations. Everything was just as we wanted it. We both said that we wouldn't have changed anything.

2. Our honeymoon was perfect for us. We went to Gatlinburg, TN in the heart of the Smokey Mountains. We loved our little cabin. It was really nice. The weather was great...not to hot, not to cold, and no rain. We had 3 major activities: Gatlinburg, Dollywood, and Cade's Cove. We got lots of sleep-which was good since both of us were worn out from all of the wedding festivities. Though we didn't see any bears, we loved being in the Smokey Mountains. They were so beautiful. (Pictures to come as soon as a dig out my camera cords.)

3. We headed back to St. Louis post-honeymoon. We were able to spend a couple days hanging out with family and opening our zillion wedding gifts. (We are so blessed.) We did some laundry and get ready to head to Kansas City. There were tears though. I was sad to leave my family and home in St. Louis. I will miss my parents and siblings and friends a lot but I know that I am ready to leave and start my life with Casey.

4. And now we are pretty much up to date. Casey and I have been in Kansas City for a few days working on getting our apartment all situated. The second room of our apartment is full of boxes that need to get unpacked. But we are progessing. The kitchen is the first priority and it is almost done. Yay! It's coming together and I love having a home with Casey. We had our first trip to the grocery store today. That was fun and interesting. :) (Quote of the day from me while grocery shopping in bread aisle: "I hate white bread as much as you hate Barack Obama." )

5. Tomorrow we are going to try West Side Family Church. We are both excited to start a new church and make new relationships.

Both of us are glad to be married and start our lives together. It feels like it has been a long time comin'.

status CHANGE.

2008-08-21T09:15:00.001-07:00

Today we will officially be Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge!

2008-08-15T11:34:00.001-07:00