Falling (HARD) into Place

 Moving is quite the process and such a huge headache; at this point, I can vouch for that statement. As most of you know, Chris and I are moving up to Roanoke, VA as he has been given an amazing opportunity to work with GE Energy. It's hard to believe that us two Greenville natives are packing up our first home on Summit Drive and moving two states away. If I had to describe this experience in less than three words I would simply say, "a lot" about covers it. It's just a whole lot of stress, planning, time, expense, emotion, coordinating, goodbye-saying, etc and I am definitely a get-it-done/rip-the-band-aid-off-quick kinda gal.

I'm tipping my hat to all this change by renaming my blog.Obviously, "Reaching Summit" wouldn't get you very far anymore when it comes to visiting these Winchesters. ;) I was driving in the car and it hit me that the perfect name for this blog is "Remaining Anonymous."

Literally, the meaning is quite ironic. Who the heck writes a blog with an intention to remain anonymous?? (That meaning is just my literary genius shining through.) teehee! Another interpretation is that the title has something to do with the fact that we won't know anyone in VA, but I certainly don't intend for it to remain that way. Lastly, another meaning that can be seen as a goal in life that I strive to accomplish--to be a servant to others and the Lord and to do it "anonymously" without the need to be recognized.

All of these are fair definitions but not quite the root I was intending. The real meaning is very personal and close to my heart. Through the years, one of my favorite quotes that my dad often says is "Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." If I wrote down every "coincidence" that has occurred during this moving process --much less my whole life-- you'd be completely blown away. This is where my faith has grown the most. Coincidence is where God "speaks" to me. He gets me through everything and his purpose is made clear for me every day as he speaks.

I would agree that there's no doubt that, as my cousin Jenn said, "God is shining down on this move." Here are a few examples of some recent coincidences I am talking about below. Some are so intricate that I may lose you so I'll keep it to three:

-We needed to sell our house very quickly. I prayed it would go to someone young who would love it as much as we do.  It sold in THREE WEEKS to an adorable young teacher who is so energetic and excited to live in it and she even appreciates everything we did to it.

-We also had to find a new house to call home in VA. We had seen about 30 homes up there and eventually decided to wait until our house sold before really looking anymore. Our house went under contract on a Friday (the same day that Chris had driven back home from training in Roanoke). Despite every fiber in Chris' being, we decided to drive back up to VA the very next day to look at houses--talk about whip lash! According to our Realtor, there was a new one on the market that would get snatched up quickly and she thought it was just what we were looking for--it was a must see! We fell in love and put in an offer and had a contract on it a couple of days later.

-I got two job offers this week and accepted a job in the best school District in Roanoke as an Instructional Assistant. Two phone interviews and an in-person interview later, I secured this position that will allow me to gain experience in a classroom and work one-on-one with a student. I feel pretty darn lucky considering the fact that certified teachers are struggling to get jobs up there right now.

These are just a small sampling of  "coincidences" surrounding our move. People say that things "always fall into place" but this just seems miraculous and I am so thankful.

Roanoke, VA at night--our new city!

 Love,

Waiting Patiently for the Next Steps


(From now on, I won't sign my posts with a real name. Sticking to the theme, Pseudonym = Anonymous, right??)


 P.S. Sorry this post was so long! Next time, I'll add more pictures.

New Dawn, New Day, New Life

So [with a New Year] most people have resolutions. I have decided, instead, to have a new outlook on life. I am trying to see this year and each day in it as an opportunity to live more but stress less. Try new things and learn more to avoid being overwhelmed or stressed. Make sense? My biggest problem is that I am almost interested in too many things; my 2012 plan becomes a little counterproductive as I stress over what to try first. I even made a list....no, seriously, I did:

1. sewing/smocking
2. piano lessons
3. starting a book club and/or supper club
4. photography/learning photoshop
5. blogging/writing/journaling
6. crafts/jewelry making
7. scrapbooking
8. cooking and baking
9. reading/studying scripture
10. singing/theatre
11. running/long walks
12. biking
13. songwriting (lyrics only)
14. taking roadtrips
15. hiking and camping
16. working out/weightlifting
17. yoga
18. tennis
19. wine
20. food styling/plating
21. homemaking

This is not a comprehensive list and I will probably add more. Some of the things I have tried, some I do often, and some I've never attempted. I going to take it a day at a time though, and see what sticks. Chris made a list and we compared our interests. For the ones that overlap, we have decided to try them or do them together. The first two days of the New Year, I started working out again (#16) and today I bought a Nook (#9). It's a start, right?! Soon, I am going to finalize my reading list for 2012 and I'll share it on here.

In the meantime, if any of YOU would want to try anything with me from the list above, let's go for it. I've already got a friend who wants to take a smocking class with me. You only live once, right? ;)

Happy NEW Year to you and yours!

L. Winchester

Reason for the Season #2

Honestly, nothing makes me happier than making our house our home and being there; this especially applies this time of year. Home means Chris and two loving dogs. Home means curling up by the real wood burning fireplace. Home means cooking and inventing in the kitchen. Home means wrapping gifts by mixing and matching paper with sparkly wired ribbon. Home means cleaning for guests to arrive. Home means potted pansies by the door. Home means chocolate after dinner. Home means a relaxing bubble bath. Home means saying prayers with my husband. Home is just, well, good.

At home the other day, I realized that there's one small and seemingly simple part of wrapping gifts that, subliminally, is a much bigger deal. You know when you get to the bow-tying process and you need someone to push down on the ribbon with their finger to tie the knot? Yeah, that's actually not necessary. If you had to, you could just do it yourself. I think there's something more to it. I started thinking about how ridiculous it was that I actually called Chris in from the other room and had him put down everything he was doing just to press down the ribbon for me to tie a knot. In actuality, I just wanted to see him for a minute and know that, in a way, he helped me complete that gift. To give and to be with those you love. Both a tangible part of Christmas and the season among so many crucial intangibles. In that moment, I had both and my heart was very happy.

Please Come Home for Christmas

by Charles Brown

Bells will be ringing, the glad, glad news;
Oh, what a Christmas, to have the blues;
My baby's gone;
I have no friends;
To wish me greetings, once again;
Choirs will be singing, Silent Night
Oh, Christmas Carols, by candlelight;

Please come home for Christmas;
Please come home for Christmas;
If not for Christmas, by New Year's Night;

Friends and relations;
Send salutations;
Just as sure as the stars shine above;

This is Christmas, Christmas my dear;
The time of year to be with the one that you love;
Then will you tell me, you'll never more roam;
Christmas and New Year will find you home;
There'll be no more sorrow;
No grief or pain;
'Cause I'll be happy that it's Christmas once again

 

If you have anyone to spend the holiday with, be joyful! Be thankful. Give, love, and be loved.


Merry Christmas,

L. Winchester

Pages in the Next Chapter

It's a great feeling to be truly happy. I think sometimes something that seems so simple- happiness- can be taken for granted. Things in the Winchester household are really going great. I feel so blessed. Since I last wrote, we have been given even more open doors and new opportunities! I now work at the Westin Poinsett Hotel as the Catering Sales Manager and couldn't be more excited to go to work each day! I am actually using my degree in Travel and Tourism and loving the sales aspect of it. Chris is working very hard and is extremely enthusiastic about his career as a Financial Advisor. I continue to be SO proud of him for pursuing this and finding his passion to serve others in such an important way.

I have added a little more to my plate after getting situated at the Westin. Recently, I (alongside one of my best friends, Lindsay) have embarked on another adventure of sorts. I became a Stylist for Stella & Dot. This company is truly unreal and they continue to impress me every day. Stella & Dot offers up a gorgeous high-quality jewelry line (and what's even better is that half the line is under $50)! Designers working for S&D come from careers at Marc Jacobs, Coach, Cartier, Banana Republic, etc. I had my launch party last week with my family and friends and it was truly a great time. Here are some pictures from that party! :)

 

Here I am with some of the jewels! :)

These two statement necklaces are so fun!

 

 Lindsay and I are planning a fun Fall fashion show event on August 25th at the Woman's Club complete with a fashion show, dj, cocktails, and giveaways! Let me know if you're interested and in town for it.

 

I know I need to get on the ball and not write in this blog once every 5 months, but life kinda gets in the way. I hope y'all are doing great.

 

Cheers!

 

L. Winchester

Opportunity Knocks

We have been loving our new married life! Between fixing up the house one light fixture at a time, working, hanging out with friends/family, cooking together, Netflix-ing, and church shopping, it's been a wonderful year so far.

Last week marked one full year with Erwin-Penland for me; what's even more crazy is that last week also marked my last day on the Verizon account. The opportunity arose for me to join the newest account at EP, Lennar Homes. I am very excited about this new adventure! It's like I have a brand new job altogether because I now sit in a new building and have a new team. There is truly never a dull moment in advertising.

Interestingly enough, Chris got a new job and gave his two weeks the same day I found out I was moving accounts. I am so incredibly proud of him! He started his new career today with Merrill Lynch in their training program for Financial Advising. Over the course of the next few months, he will be studying all day everyday to pass a series of exams. (Basically, getting paid to go to graduate school!) Once he has passed his exams, he will be "in production." This means that he's free to start advising! For all of you who know Chris, you know this is such a blessing and awesome opportunity. He LOVES researching markets, economies, and all that other stuff that makes the financial world tick.

On other fronts, we have been visiting churches together to find where we belong as a "family" and keep going back to 1st Pres. We have been going to a study on Wednesday nights called The Alpha Course. This is a course taught across the globe and gets down to the nitty gritty as far as Christianity is concerned. It is very informative and gives so much insight to everyone taking it: believers, non-believers and everyone in between. We have loved every minute of it and highly suggest this course if you have the chance to take it.

As far as home-making goes, we have been re-landscaping the front and back yard. It looks so different already! It's truly unreal what a little bit of mulching, transplanting, and TLC can do. I have to give Chris (and his dad, Jeff) most of the credit. He has done such a great job. I can't wait to start planting flowers in a month or so and get the garden planted again. I think I am going to do tomatoes mainly with a full herb garden. I didn't have much luck with squash or cucumber last year. Once all the plants are in, we are really looking forward to hosting parties and get-togethers this Spring and Summer. :)

That about covers most of what we have going on these days. Please pray for Chris as he goes through his training/testing. It is going to be quite a challenging process but I have all the confidence in the world that he will do great in this career. Thank you all for the support! :)

'til next time, Much LOVE!

Lauren

Oreo Snowballs

Since things are starting to wind down a bit, I guess I will finally update this thing. Here's a little recipe that I made for Christmas. These things are ridiculously good and bake free! I have to thank the mother-in-law for the recipe. We have deemed these sweet morsels "Oreo Snowballs."

Here are the ingredients you need: 1 Cream Cheese (8oz), 1 Pack of Oreos, Vanilla/White Chocolate candy block, Bakers Dark Chocolate Candy

Step 1:

With a food processor, chop and grind the entire package of Oreos completely.

Step 2:

With a handmixer, blend the cream cheese block into the processed Oreos. You will want to cover the bowl with your other hand to avoid a mess. After you have blended as much as possible with the hand mixer, use your (clean) hands to mix even more so that the mixture is like dough.

Step 3:

Over low heat in a sauce pan, heat vanilla/white chocolate candy until melted. Be careful not to get this too hot which may cause clumping or burning. Set aside once melted.

Step 4:

Roll Oreo mixture into balls and place on non stick surface. Make them small enough to be bite-sized. Use a toothpick to twirl Oreo ball into white candy. Coat entire ball with candy and place back on non-stick surface to cool. *If a hole is left from the toothpick, you can fill in the hole by dipping a clean toothpick in candy and letting it drip into the unsightly hole ;) Let these cool. You can place in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until hard.

Step 5:

Pull Oreo Snowballs out of fridge. This last step is optional but makes them even more amazing! Melt down the Bakers dipping chocolate into saucepan on low heat. Once melted, spoon chocolate into a small sandwich Ziplock bag. Use your hands to move all the chocolate into one corner of the bag. Using scissors, cut a tiny part off the corner of the bag and squeeze corner of bag to decorate the Oreo Snowballs with chocolate designs. When you are finished, let them cool again. Remove after 10 minutes or so. Here is the FINAL product!

To the left of the Oreo Snowballs, you will see I also made some Dark Chocolate Peppermint Butter Toffee (courtesy of Pioneer Woman's blog). We also added Chris' amazing Peanut Butter cookies to these tins for our neighbors and family! It was really awesome having my own kitchen this year and a fun husband to bake with.

Happy Non-Baking! :)

-L. Winchester

'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Here we are, newlyweds at Christmastime. What a wonderful juncture of life. Thanksgiving, although scrumptious and memory-filled, just blazed right on by. I have never been more spirited: picking out gifts, decorating our house, listening to Mannheim Steamroller during the work day, and building fires when it's not really even that cold out. And...we are getting our first REAL Christmas tree this weekend! Nothing delights me more than the smell of a Christmas tree and beautiful gifts that are wrapped up to perfection underneath. I have to credit my mom for teaching me how to make giant bows by hand and find the best wrapping paper in town. (Aside: Growing up, the gifts under our tree looked like something in a catalog. There was a 3 year period where mom would "tag" our Christmas gifts by tying a Beanie Baby to the top in the big bow. We could shake the gifts all we wanted, but there was no finding out who's was who's until the early morning of the 25th. Just when we thought we had it figured out, I would end up with the dinosaur and Robert with the cat...go figure.)

You should have seen me and Chris trying to decorate the house last weekend. We swiped the yard clean of any Fall remnants by clearing out the millions of leaves from the front yard. Then it was time to throw up the wreaths with red bows...which was definitely a feat with the prickly holly bushes in the way of the windows. Wheeww...once those were up, Chris got on the roof and tried to put up the icicle lights by sitting on the roof. I, for one, am afraid of heights and he was making me extremely nervous. We borrowed the neighbor's ridiculously tall ladder and that seemed to work much better with me spotting him below. He got all the way to the peak in the roof with lights attached when ALL the clips started popping off. Needless to say, it was just a bit frustrating. We will try again with different clips this weekend.

Who knew that Christmas took so much effort?! It really makes us really appreciate how much our parents did as we grew up. It would be nice to still be under the assumption that Christmas came together like magic, like little elves just do their job and tinsel up the town. We didn't have much at all to decorate with which constituted our big trip to Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago. We got a tree skirt, extra ornaments, make-shift stockings, garland, ribbon, wrapping paper, and gobs more! It was so much fun shopping together and picking out things to go in the house. As soon as we get the tree, we will take some pictures for you to see. More to come...

Love,
L.Winchester