meet the ithurburns

"Nothing could be finer than living in Carolina""

2010-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have taken a little hiatus from blogging to actually do what we have come out here to do - besides bring Matt home with a Degree in Physical Therapy - enjoy life. Sometimes I feel so busy trying to keep up with home that I don’t take the time to enjoy being here. So we did just that. And now I am happy to report all the fun we have been having to you. That is, those of you still out there.

Let’s see, Matt is in his third semester of school with only a few weeks left. He is really enjoying it, and they are certainly keeping him busy. We keep finding ourselves looking back to all the milestones we were going through this time last year, researching, packing, driving, driving and more driving. It is incredible how much we have learned so far about ourselves, each other, and our relationships, not to mention a few minor life lessons along the way...

1. How to get a tow truck, autobody shop, and spare car when your only car overheats and you have no friends or family around to lend a hand, or just give you a (much needed) hug.
2. How to survive a three day campout with three-thousand crazy grad students on little sleep, all for a shot at basketball tickets.
3. That slow southern lifestyle isn’t so wonderful when you are driving down the highway at 15 under the speed limit.
4. Barbeque is a food, not a method of cooking.
5. 100 degree days here are NOT the same as 100 degree days in California.
6. If you refer to California as "Cali," you've probably never been there.
7. Sometimes life requires you to trust others, try new things and laugh at yourself.

Over the past few months we have loved getting out to explore a little bit, here are some pictures of what we’ve been up to here in the southeast.

Celebrating a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!

A summer night at the Durham Bulls game.

A day at the beach.

Picking strawberries

A trip to Asheville, a pretty town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it reminded us a lot of Nevada City. When we saw this store, we knew we were going to love it. We found a ornament of a covered wagon that we will use to remind us of our journey out here. Fitting don't you think?

Happy 23rd Birthday Matt!! Linus and I threw him a tiny little party. Just the three of us.

And then in June a day trip to Virginia Beach.

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse. Our legs were KILLING us after climbing to the top, but it was such a pretty view.

Our little guy.

Mmmk any of you who have seen the movie Bull Durham will recognize this one. One evening we went to see an old film in Durham's Central Park. We got there a little early so decided to walk around downtown, and scope out the old Bull's baseball field. This is where the movie was filmed.

And now time for the movie...

All the essentials.

And there you have it... our life lately. Plain and simple, but we are definitely learning a lot. As I sit here thinking of all the unknowns our future held last July as we drove I-80 east with the few possessions we had gathered throughout our barely one year of marriage, the largest playlist known to man, and all the faith we could muster, I realize that we have both grown so much and still have a lot to learn. There are probably just as many unknowns in our life now as there were then, we are still living on a prayer, but we have each other and I am so thankful to be experiencing it all with my best friend’s hand in mine.

We had visitors!

2010-03-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Matt is intently watching Duke play Purdue in the Sweet Sixteen right now (go Duke!) so I am taking the opportunity to share some pictures with you all. We were SO excited to have Jake and Kate come out to visit during Matt's spring break. We couldn't wait to show them around. Thanks mom for helping get them out here! Here are just a few pictures of our trip to DC with them.

So you can't see it here, but there is a person on the very top of the Capitol building. Maybe you have all noticed already, but none of us had a clue who it was supposed to be. After fifteen minutes of staring, debating, and googling WikiAnswers to see who it was, I decided to be brave and just ask a guard. He quickly told me it was Jesus. I guess I should have been more skeptical when he couldn't keep a straight face, but I quickly questioned why on earth Jesus would have a hat on.
For all of you as curious as we are, it's Lady Liberty. Personally I think she looked a little manlier than she should have, but hey blame our forefathers.

It was shocking how long it took to get this picture. I think about a dozen tourists kept jumping in there no less than a foot away. Really? Nope, we aren't taking a picture, just standing here trying to look pretty. Ya, that guy there is posing as a photographer taking our picture, why don't you jump in, we love having people in the background that we don't know from Adam.

Just a few snapshots, but we had a perfect time with you guys. We were so happy to see you, but again so sad to say goodbye. Thanks for visiting!

PS: Speaking of March Madness, I would like it to be on the record that my bracket is killing Matt's. :)

Who says you can't have a luau in the snow?

2010-02-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, a friend of ours hosted a Murder Mystery Luau. It was so much fun! We were all mailed characters to dress up as, and were given scripts to follow to help us determine who we thought was the murderer.

It had snowed a couple of inches the night before, we thought it was a wonderful break from the winter cold to whip out our bathing suits and sandals.

We had a yummy hawaiian-themed meal to go along with the evening.

Mike did a great job playing a So-Cal surfer dude.. especially considering that at the time he hadn't traveled further west than Michigan. We will forgive him that his surfer accent slowly morphed into a distinct Southern accent. After all, he only had a couple of episodes of Saved by the Bell to model his California character after.

Michelle and I.
Mike and Michelle have been our neighbors since we first moved to Durham. Mike and Matt actually interviewed together last year, so we were so excited when we got a text from Mike that we were in the same apartment complex as they were. They helped us unload our moving van, we introduced them to Settler's, and the rest, as they say, is history. :)

The guys.

The girls.

And what better punishment for the murderer than silly string?

Needless to say, it was a night filled with lots of laughter.

The newest Ithurburn...

2010-01-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

I am proud to introduce you to the newest member of our little family...

Linus!

Matt has always said that as soon as we can, he wants a hunting dog. Well, let's just say that Linus won't exactly grow up to be the intimidating predator Matt had always dreamed of, but he fits perfectly in our equally tiny apartment. Someday Matt. :)

And the night we got Linus, we had a pretty big snow storm, well for North Carolina anyways. We ended up with about 8 inches in Durham, but you would have thought the world was ending. Everything was closed, including schools.. for the entire week. And the weathermen did little to calm everyone's nerves. We loved it, even though our friends from Michigan thought it that everyone had lost their minds! It looked like Y2K all over again, empty grocery store shelves, desolate roads, basically little short of mayhem.
As excited as we were about the weather, Linus wasn't so thrilled to begin his potty training adventure in it. He was a trooper though!And then... a visit from mom! Linus was so excited to meet his Nana. We had a rainy weekend when she came, and barely made it in from the storm, but we were thrilled to have a couple of hours to spend with her!And of course we never pass up an opportunity for Five Guys!! Love you mom! We will be thinking about all the laughter we shared as we wait anxiously for your next visit!

It's been a while...

2010-01-26T16:12:00.001-08:00

Hello strangers! I suppose a Merry Christmas and Happy New Years are in order since it has been that long since I have last written. Let’s see. We have spent January getting back into the swing of things just like everyone else. Back to school and work after the holidays, but strange as it sounds, the schedule always is a bit of a relief. Matt has new classes this semester and is preparing for his first clinical internship in April. It will last a month and fortunately will be at Durham Regional Hospital, which is only a few blocks away from our house. We were so relieved that he was able to get that site, and he is really looking forward to some hands on experience.

We have fallen in love with basketball all over again and have been thrilled to attend several basketball games this month. I am proud to say that no one can call us fair-weather fans! So far we have stood outside in below freezing temperatures and rain for hours to get in, but without a doubt the minute we get into Cameron (and our bodies thaw out) all the excitement sets in and it was all worth the wait. Basketball here is so much more than a game. Still weeks away from the Duke v. UNC game, the lines are definitely being drawn. I have been asked on more than one occasion when checking out at the grocery store “whose side I am on.” Even the four-year old I nanny for has rid her closet (and crayon box) of anything Duke Blue. Heaven forbid she learn to read that the sweatshirt I wear on a weekly basis says DUKE. We will keep that our little secret. :)

So there's just a brief update on life so far in 2010. I promise to post more in the coming weeks!

Also, for any of you interested, I wanted to post a couple links for our church out here, The Summit. Coincidentally, after establishing that The Summit was a great fit for us, we discovered that several of Matt’s classmates also attend, which is wonderful. We so look forward to hearing what Pastor JD has to say every week, his words are always convicting and from the heart, and most importantly it is evident that his focus is on speaking the word of God, and not of anyone else.

http://jdgreear.typepad.com

www.summitrdu.com

Finally, in an attempt to familiarize everyone back home with our new home... I leave you with this picture of Downtown. :)

A trip to our nation's capitol.

2009-11-23T18:17:00.000-08:00

Matt had this week off of school, so we decided that we wanted to take advantage of his rare freedom and take a day trip to Washington D.C. We have become quite adventurous since our trek across country. We sprung out of bed and were out of the house long before the sun was up, drove for 4 hours, found what I am sure was the ONLY free parking spot in the entire district, jumped on the metro like we were born in the city, and hit up every tourist attraction our capitol has to offer. It was one of the best days I have ever spent with my best friend. Here is a glimpse of our journey.

We only live about an hour from Virginia, and the entire drive was absolutely beautiful.

I squeeled when I saw this bus! It was definitely heading for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Our first stop after we got off the Blue Line (spoken like a true native) :) was Arlington National Cemetery.

The entire cemetery is so somber and respectful. Standing at JFK's grave was really heartbreaking.

The perfect fall day.

We walked up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at exactly 11:55 purely on accident... just in time for the changing of the guards!

Back to the metro! We were without a doubt the only people riding with smiles from ear to ear. We are such tourists.

We were SO excited for the museums! Matt and I both really love history.. and the WWII exhibit in the American History Museum was our favorite.

All the propaganda was really interesting...

Coupon clipping in it's original form. This is for you Sarah!

Can you imagine holding this in your hands?

Matt's reporting for his civic duty.

Just call me Rosie the Riveter!

This is a little intense right??

I had this poster on my bedroom wall for years. It's one of my favorite photographs ever.

Matt in 'Nam.

This is where Matt's mission to steal the Declaration of Independence began...

Planning his escape route.. he would make Nicolaus Cage proud!

Matt didn't get to the Declaration of Independence in time.. this man snagged it first!

We can't help but be tourists and take the awkward solo pictures. We did leave the fanny packs at home though.

Not to be confused with the "Aaron Space Museum." Yup, I thought that's what it was called. I assumed it was named after some astronaut named Aaron. Oops.

Matt's other dream occupation.

The Holocaust museum was my favorite part of the trip. It was absolutely heartbreaking. They don't allow pictures, so all I snagged was this one, but the musuem is designed like a concentration camp. It was amazing and so eye-opening. The exhibit had literally hundreds of people in it at a time, but you didn't hear a word, everyone was silent. There really are no words to describe, it was devastating.

By the end of the day, we had two last stops to make, the Lincoln memorial and the White House. We were really tired but pushed through. We were less than thrilled when we got the the most famous house in our country only to see this. A big. White. Tent. Wow. Absolutely no view whatsoever. Go figure. The funny thing was there was a man standing there videotaping it. I just wanted to ask him what exactly he was planning on seeing!

President Lincoln himself!!

These are hands down the yummiest burgers and fries we have had since we have been out east. I will admit, they gave In-n-Out a run for their money. SO good.

So, 8 hours of driving, 4 musuems, 3 monuments, -1 White House, and several blisters later, we crashed in bed. It was a very busy day, but easily one we will look back on for years to come.

We are having the time of our lives. :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

The colors of fall: yellow, orange, red and... BLUE!!

2009-10-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with the fall colors everywhere. I think I could take a picture of every tree we walk by if Matt would let me! Here are a few to share with everyone from Duke Gardens and the University...

Matt and I got to go to the park for a little bit and enjoy the beautiful weather. It was a wonderful to relax together and let Matt take a break from studying. And finally the moment we have been waiting for...Sure... it was just a preseason game, but we were amazed at how much energy Cameron Indoor had! The place was packed and so intense... and it wasn't even a close game. The fans have the most clever, hilarious chants we had ever heard. It is easily the most spirited environment I have ever been in!Go Blue Devils!!The band, the cheerleaders, and the crazies.Coach Kenough said. :)

Beach Day!

2009-09-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday Matt and I headed east to Wilmington to visit the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. It was funny to us how different the East coast is from the West. We really enjoyed playing in the warm water!

We were amazed at how many sea shells there were. It was so fun fighting the tide for the biggest shells. Unfortunately Matt lost his favorite sunglasses in the process.

Next we went to downtown Wilmington, which was beautiful. There was so much history everywhere we turned. We also found out that a lot of films and TV shows are filmed in Wilmington, like A Walk to Remember, Nights and Rodanthe, One Tree Hill, and Dawson's Creek. Not quite Universal Studios but it was still really interesting!

Next was USS North Carolina, which was used during WWII.

The whole time we were swimming on the beach I kept telling Matt that I didn't want to get eaten by a shark. He just laughed, but then at the USS N. Carolina we saw a map that showed the shark attacks in the area. Yikes.

(our new) home sweet home.

2009-08-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Matt and I are finally all settled into our new home, and we are really loving it! I thought we would share a few pictures with everyone..

The kitchen

Here is the living room, and our bedroom back in the corner.

So there you have it! It's nothing fancy but its nice and cozy for just the two of us. :)

Also, here are some pictures I snagged of Matt getting ready for classes. He was less than enthusiastic when I pulled out the camera, but he cooperated with me. He looks so handsome in his shirt and tie!

and scrubs...

NC or Bust (part 2)

2009-08-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we are in North Carolina safe and sound! Needless to say, we are happy to be off the road, but here are some pictures from the second half of our journey...

Thursday we left Joliette, IL which is only about 40 minutes from Chicago and 4 hours from Joe and Sarah. We thought it would be a good chance to be tourists and do a little sightseeing. What a breathtaking city.

We drove by Wrigley Field for Matt. It was really impressive how old it looked. The whole city had such history.

We stopped by Navy Pier for a little bit.

And finally the moment we had been waiting for.. authentic Chicago-style pizza! It definitely lived up to it's reputation. So so good. We only had 1 and 1/2 pieces each because they were so big. YUM

Although our visit was short, we agree that the windy city treated us well, and can't wait to visit again.

Welcome to Ohio!

We were so relieved when we finally got to Joe and Sarah's adorable house for a little R&R. We were pretty tired and so excited to see them, especially this little guy...

Zekers!

We had so much fun seeing Joe and Sarah's town, and everyone was so welcoming of us. We visited their church on Sunday, and I also got to attend Joe's brother's fiancee's wedding shower, I can't count how many times Sarah and I were told that we "must be sisters." We also got asked if we were twins. One of the little boys at Joe and Sarah's church even came up to me and started telling me about his track meet score from the day before. I just smiled and let him tell me his impressive time, and then told him that I was sure Sarah would love to hear his score too! Poor guy I think he was very confused. :) We were so thankful for the wonderful hospitality Joe and Sarah showed us. They definitely got us rested before the last leg of our journey. Oh, we also got three solid games of Settler's in, and are officially addicted.

On the road again...

The only song appropriate for entering West Virginia, "Take Me Home Country Road" by John Denver.

And finally the moment we had been waiting for for 6 days and 3,000 miles...Whew. We are finally at our new home. I have a post coming soon about our apartment, but the moving van comes tomorrow and we are more than ready to be done living out of a suitcase. Stay tuned!

NC or Bust (part 1)

2009-08-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

Let me just start with saying that I fully intended on blogging a little more on our trip, but to be honest this is the first chance we have had. Oh well, better late than never, so here are a few pictures of our trip so far.

The first day we drove to Salt Lake City. We took a quick pit-stop at the salt flats of course, and then cruised through downtown Salt Lake that evening after dinner. The Mormon Tabernacle was beautiful all lit up in the evening, but I left my camera in our room. I was bummed.. but here are a few more pictures of our journey on Day 1.

By the time we reached Elko, NV we were desperate for Starbucks. (Thanks Steph and Sam for the card, we have used it A LOT so far!) Well, our GPS has proved to be quite the lifesaver and found us the only Starbucks around. It shouldn't have surprised us that it was in a casino, but we didn't care, we needed a little (or a lot) of caffeine (Nevada is very long and very boring.) Anyways, Matt thought that it was only fitting to try a penny slot. Unfortunately they don't take actual pennies... so we gave up and took a picture instead. :)
Day 2 : Matt's face in this picture says it all. Are we there yet??

Wyoming

Nebraska

...more Nebraska. Ok, you basically got the feel for our 2nd day. Exciting isn't it? :)

Oh I almost forgot this little guy. He kept us laughing for miles. See the sunglasses he is wearing? Pretty much the highlight of our day.

Day 3: Today has been much more eventful. We left Kearney Nebraska this morning and drove through to Illinois. We have had Subway for lunch Tuesday and Wenesday so decided early on to look for a Quiznos. Again, the trusty GPS hooked us up with a Quiznos in Des Moines, Iowa right around lunch time. As we drove further we realized that the store it picked is right in the heart of downtown Des Moines. We laughed so hard once we realized that it was noon on a weekday in downtown and every other person around was in their business suits, on their lunch break from work. We have grown accustomed to wearing sweats and t-shirts during our travels, and had yet to feel strange about this, because well just about every other person at the gas stations and rest stops has looked the same. We felt like we stood out a little bit, but oh well, it was nice to see a little of the city. Trying to get the wiggles out at a quick rest stop in Iowa.Chicago tomorrow then Joe and Sarah's!

We've been a little busy...

2009-07-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

...but we'll be back soon. [promise.]

This sure beats year-old wedding cake.

2009-06-28T17:16:00.001-07:00

About a month ago, Matt asked me to take off this last Friday from work. He said he had a birthday/anniversary surprise for me, and wouldn't give me any more hints. Throughout the past few weeks I have sneakily tried to pump him for information on his plans.. but his lips were sealed. So, Friday morning we packed up and headed out. Let me tell you.. for a girl who takes forever deciding what to wear each morning, packing for a mysterious destination was not at all easy, and I somehow ended up over packing as always. But off we were. Pretty much as soon as we were outside Yuba City Matt yelled for me to close my eyes at every road sign we passed. I happily complied because even though I was as curious as ever, I didn't want to ruin the surprise.

This is me waiting anxiously for our surprise destination:

I think he is enjoying watching me squirm.

I decided to take a picture.. for what reason I don't know. Who knows where we were at this point, and I think it was just after I put the camera down that I declared that I have "never been on this road before in my life." Or so I thought. Every destination we passed I would ask Matt if that was the surprise. Without fail, he humored me and answered yes. Is Colusa Casino the surprise? Yes. Is Clearlake the surprise? Yes. Is that old shack on the side of the road the surprise? Yes. If I was annoying him, he never once showed it. He is a patient man. :)

And finally he said I could start looking for signs to where we were..

Fort Bragg!!

The first night we watched the sunset, which of course was breathtakingly romantic.

The next morning, we got up and drove to Mendocino, neither of us had ever been there before. Of course Matt had done his research and looked up a yummy deli to get sandwiches for a picnic. How cute is this little place?

This place with the flowers completely cracked us up. The house had absolutely no lawn. At all. Nope. Strictly flowers. How funny is that?

Time for the beach.

Saturday afternoon we went down to Glass beach. We laughed when we discovered that the mounds of polished glass we remember from being kids has magically shrunk.. by a lot! Instead, we found a peacefull bluff where we propped up our blanket and read for a couple of hours. It was so beautiful sitting in the warm sun while the ocean breeze cooled us down. Definitely one of those "it doesn't get better than this" moments.

One of our traditions since we were dating is to pick out a Christmas ornament on every trip we take together (I think I need to give props to Joe and Sarah for originally coming up with this idea). We love doing ornaments because rather than buying some cheap-o souvenir that you will never use, we have an ornament that we can bring out at our favorite time of the year to remember all the adventures we had throughout the year (also it gives some much needed decor to our otherwise bare Christmas tree during our first years of marriage). So after an afternoon at the beach and grabbing a bite to eat, we headed downtown to shop for our ornament. It took only about three stores to realize a reoccurring pattern. EVERYTHING in Fort Bragg closes by 5:00 at the latest. Really?! We walked several blocks hoping to find one store that would cater to us youngsters who don't crawl in bed at 8:00 p.m. on the button, but no such luck. We did find one store that had designated an entire corner to drug referenced t-shirts and Obama "The Change We Need" stickers, but needless to say, no ornaments there. Instead, we took our time window shopping.

... and goofing off. Nice Speed-o babe.
We finally caved in and rested our weary legs with a scoop of ice cream and a stack of free 'Real Estate of Mendocino County' pamphlets. It made me feel old. :)

My parents love love love Fort Bragg, and went on their honeymoon and many of their anniversaries there. One summer they took us kids. Sitting on the beach reminded me of a memory I had when I was there as a little girl (I will warn you.. it's beyond cheesy, but what can I say.) When Mom and Dad took Kate and Cody and I for a walk on the sunset, I thought to myself that this is the most romantic place in the world and couldn't wait until I could have a boy to sit with me to watch the sunset together. Mind you I was probably ten years old, but still, what girl doesn't dream? A year ago today I married the man who helps me make the bed, feeds me ice cream, makes me laugh until it hurts, kisses me every morning when I am at my most vulnerable looking, dances with me, listens to me, knows my faults and loves me regardless, holds my hand and tells me not to worry, and is my best friend.

We left our hearts in San Fransisco...

2009-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

So have I mentioned that we really love San Francisco?? :) My sister and her boyfriend (whom we all grew to know and love this past week) mentioned that they would like to take a trip to the city before they head back to NY. Matt and I agreed that he had to visit San Francisco on his first trip to California, so Saturday morning we all headed to the bay area. This time we were so excited to show a first-timer all our favorite sites to be seen.

Can anyone tell me what is special about this house??

The Musee is one of my FAVORITE places in the city! It right on the wharf and full of old arcade games, some of which even survived the San Francisco fire. But the part that I absolutely love love love...

Who doesn't love photo booths?!

What kind of kissers are we?

Let me tell you, that scary masked man is even stronger than he looks. Don't be too hard on yourselves boys... that guy was made of steal. Who can tell me what movie HE is from?

The weather was absolutely perfect, so we headed over to Crissy Field for some of the best Golden Gate snapshots you can get.

And a quick drive through Chinatown on before the day was done.

Such a fun day.

Summer is finally here..

2009-06-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

I admittedly considered skipping this cabin blog altogether. Primarily because you and I both know that if you are looking at this blog, you have probably already stalked my sibling’s blogs who have had plenty of pictures to go around. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to do that, so here are a few of my favorites from our relaxing week in LaPorte. This family vacation is one that I look forward to every summer for fifteen years now, and it really does break my heart to leave. Anyways, if you want more pictures, feel free to look at all my family’s blogs on the right hand side of the page, as if they haven’t already, I am sure there will be plenty of pictures to enjoy. :)

Play Ball!!

2009-05-26T07:12:00.001-07:00

For Matt's birthday, I got him tickets to a Giants game for Memorial Day. He was excited because he loves the Giants, and got to introduce me to my first MLB game. I have to say that I was pleasantly suprised with the experience!

I brought along David's sunflower seeds and the Big League Chew to round off the entire experience. By the end of the game, my fingers were swollen from all the salt and my jaw was aching from chewing all that bubble gum, but boy was I legit!

The weather couldn't have been better... actually it got so warm that Matt got his first ever sunburn on... his knees. It was an historic moment indeed.

After, we went to dinner on Pier 39, which is one of our favorite places to go in San Francisco. Actually the entire city is one of our favorite get-a-ways. We have visited there just about every summer since we started dating, and have learned a lot about the city and our favorite spots to go. I am terrible with directions, and Matt isn't very patient with traffic.. so we are quite the pair when we get downtown, but somehow amidst the jam-packed crosswalks, crazy streets, and sunblock-wearing, fanny-pack-toting tourists we always find ourselves laughing until it hurts!

For the records, I am NOT chumming up with Obama.. that was the angriest face I was willing to make on a busy SF street.

By far, one of my favorite days together in our first year as husband and wife.

School's out for summer!!

2009-05-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Matt Graduation from CSU Chico!!

I really don't think I could be any more proud of this guy. Matt, I feel so blessed to have been by your side through all your schooling endeavors. You are the most commited and passionate person I have ever met. I am truly amazed at how dedicated to school you are, and how much time and effort you put into everything you do. That is true in every aspect of your life.

I will be honest, I can't wait for a summer of no homework!!

Happy Birthday Matt!!

2009-05-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

I am thank God every day for giving you to me.

Enjoy YOUR day!

I love you.

'Tis the season...

2009-04-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

...for weddings!! If you know me, you know I have an abnormal love for weddings. I still read through my Bridal magazines. I stalk the wedding aisle at Target. I have asked Matt to marry me again on more than one occasions. I cry (like a baby) when I see wedding vows exchanged on TV. Fortunately for me I have been able to get my wedding fix from our friends, Joe + Andrea and Steph + Sam who are both getting married in the next month and a half!

Is anyone else’s fridge starting to look like this??
(those are mostly wedding invitations)

It must be the stage of life we are in. :)
Can’t wait for your big day guys, and all the pre-wedding festivities!!

Go Devils Go!

2009-02-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard already, Matt and I have FINALLY made our decision on schools...

Duke University

Suprised? Ya I didn't think so... for the most part the reaction we have been getting is, "Ya, I figured." Ha. I kinda feel like most people had made up their minds before we even had! We are getting really excited about the new adventures ahead of us, beginning with a true test of marriage - a cross-country move. We keep reminding ourselves that we are young, and this is such an oppurtunity that Matt's been asked to take part of, so why not? (Ok, you all know that a lot more thought went into it than that, but you get the picture.) We know this is just the beginning of a huge test of faith in God's provisions for us, but we are so thankful for ALL the support everyone has given to us. It has truly meant the world to know that whatever decision we made, we have friends and family cheering for us continually.

It looks like quickly our posts will be transitioning from application anxiety to moving boxes, trip detours, and apartment searches. Stay tuned!

Goodbye Jake!

2009-02-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

Today Matt's brother Jacob is heading to New Zealand for YWAM. Jake has been given such an amazing gift for music and we are so excited to see what God has in store for him over the next several months! He will actually be near the Shire, where Lord of the Rings was filmed, for the first few months for school, then will do a missions trip either in Australia or Fiji. We will miss you so much Jake, but can't wait to hear all your stories when you get back!!

Check out his blog for updates on the trip. http://jakeithy.blogspot.com/

Also, you can hear some of his music at http://www.myspace.com/jakeithurburn

We are so proud. :)

Be my Valentine.

2009-02-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, Matt and I decided to take a little road trip up to the snow. We packed a lunch and some hot chocolate, bundled up, and hit the road. We headed towards Susanville, and only about 20 minutes outside of Chico we found snow. I was so excited! We found the perfect spot to pull over and play in the snow. Here are a few pictures to share...

I think he was trying to throw a snowball at me.

My headless snow angel. Sad.

Matt and our first snowman.. err snowchild.. my fingers were too cold so he turned out to be a wee little guy.

After we headed back we enjoyed a night of our favorite things, pizza, junk food, and staying warm and dry inside away from the freezing rain. Perfect day.

Happy Love Day, love!

Every vote counts!

2009-02-08T18:34:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Casey, and all our family members for asking us tonight what school we are going to pick, we decided to let you voice your opinion. We put up a poll on the right side of our page so you can let us know where YOU would send us! ------------->

University of the Pacific

2009-02-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

Yup, that’s right, this is another school blog. I can’t help it. I’ll admit that it feels right now like the last few weeks have consisted of little that doesn’t involve the big question of where we might be in six months. There has been researching, rehearsing (Matt’s done most of that) ironing of suits (well that’s been mostly my job).

This past Friday, Matt had another interview at UOP in Stockton. I was really excited to go with him to look at the campus and spend some time just the two of us.
We spent the drive down going over potential interview questions, everything from why he wants to be a Physical Therapist, to what his strengths and weaknesses are, to what his Gladiator name would be (strange I know, but it’s been asked before!) Matt can never be too prepared. :) Matt’s interview lasted about 2 hours, and he said this one was very different from Duke because he was interviewed by a panel of three interviewers: a current student, a professor, and a current PT. Afterwards, we toured to the campus, which is beautiful, and took out mom’s GPS (which was such a lifesaver, thanks mom!) to scope out the neighborhood and apartments. Here are a few pictures I managed to snag, I am sure students were so confused about why we would take pictures of the lecture halls and landscape, but it’s all in the name of blogging.

This would be Matt's building...

This coming Friday Matt has one final trip to visit University of Washington in Seattle to sit in on a class and get some information about the program and city. Fortunately there will not be an interview, so he will get to comfortably take in the campus and program without any stress at all. It will be just a quick day trip, which we were able to get for an amazing deal (again, how could you ever beat Southwest??)

Oh.. I think I forgot to mention earlier, but Matt got accepted to Duke!!

Matt's visit to Duke

2009-01-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Matt’s trip out to N. Carolina. He had nothing but positive things to say about the school, program and faculty, but I do think he gained a far greater respect for cross-county travel, thanks to the three hour time change. Here are some pictures he brought back for us.

This is the chapel... pretty amazing huh?

I feel safe saying that this is probably one of Matt’s favorite parts of the trip. Krzyzewskiville is where students camp the weekend before basketball games... just to get tickets. What are the odds that Matt could get me to spend the night in a tent for basketball game tickets? Eh you’re right, not very likely. Fortunately he said that grad students only have to do this once a year (I’m still not sold.) :)
I think overall the trip answered a lot of questions and also gave us many more. Matt’s next interview is January 30 in Stockton, and I am excited to make the trip with him this time. One encouragement Matt brought back with him are a couple of verses we now have taped to our bathroom mirror.
Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

Thank you for all your prayers, I know we both felt them! :)

North Carolina or Bust

2009-01-08T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I have been an awful blogger. I am constantly taking pictures with the sincere intent of posting them for all of you to see how we’re doing, but it simply doesn’t happen. Now that the busy holidays are over, I am hoping this new year will bring more posting time (how likely is that really?) But here is a quick update.

All Matt’s PT school applications have been out for about a month and a half now, so he has been anxiously waiting to hear back from schools. Only certain schools require interviews (which is fortunate for us, because all those that do require them also only do in-person interviews on assigned dates, so Matt would be a cross-country traveler by the time he graduates if that were the case!) About a week after the applications were sent we began to see a little bit of the reward for all his hard work and time put into these applications. Matt got an interview at Duke!! As he’s been looking at Duke for a while now, we quickly bought him a (very cheap I might add) Southwest (like my plug?) :) ticket to North Carolina for this coming Sunday (January 11th-13th.) Soon after, he got invited to interview at UOP in Stockton and Regis in Denver. Unfortunately they were for the same weekend and chances of him making both would be very unlikely, so it was time to make a decision. Since UOP is really our only local option we didn’t want to turn down, so Matt decided it would be best to pass on Denver. It was a little frustrating at first after working so hard on an application, but we knew God is opening (and closing) doors for a reason.

So the past few weeks we have been preparing Matt for these two interviews. My favorite part has been dressing him up! He borrowed a blazer from his friend Kyle and we got him some nice slacks and a tie to match. He's dressed to impress that's for sure!

All this to say I know Matt would really appreciate all the prayers he can get this Monday. On top off all the interview and campus tour, it's his first trip to the east coast so I know he is looking forward to experience a few days of life out there. He is on strict orders to take as many pictures as possible since I can't go with.. so hopefully we'll have an update post (with pictures) once he returns! Good luck babe!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

... and a happy new year!!

Firewood!!

2008-11-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

The past two Saturdays, me, Matt, Dad and Cody have headed up to the McBride’s to cut down a few of their dead trees for firewood. I’ll be the first to say, we definitely got a workout, but we actually had a lot of fun cutting, chopping and even climbing (yes dad, climbing) trees! Here are a few pictures…

Dad and Matt did most of the sawing, but Cody jumped in there too.. and yes, even me!!

The first obstacle we ran into was when the tree the guys cut fell straight into another tree. We had quite the time trying to get it out.

First dad tried to cut it so it would fall in the opposite direction. That didn’t quite work. Instead, we ended up with a floating tree.

Next, Cody suggested we use a rope to pull it down.

That worked well, except dad decided to climb up the cut tree to tie the rope onto the highest branch he could find. Which left him stranded on the tree. Ha, he was having way too much fun!!

Our next tree fell directly on the stack of firewood we had so carefully laid. Oops.
Who knew you could have so much fun chopping wood??
Thank you McBrides for keeping us warm this winter!!!

The obligatory pumpkin farm post

2008-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Come August, I have fall on my brain. I don't care how hot it is, I start to pray for rain, redecorate, crave pumpkin pie, and inevitably start counting the days till Christmas (if you don't know already, Matt and I are really big Christmas people, more on that at a later post.)

The past month I have been dying to go with to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. This place is very important to me for two reasons. First and foremost, the memories. I have gone without fail every years since I can remember (as I am sure most of you Yuba-Citians have.) I have countless pictures of me and Kate poking our heads through the giant pumpkin, dozens of memories of searching for (what felt like) hours for the perfect pumpkin, and I can never forget bouncing around all afternoon in the hay silo until Cody’s asthma flared up so badly that he wheezed the following night away. Obviously some memories are fonder than others, (sorry Cody) but nonetheless, they are there. Oh yes, the second reason Bishop’s is so important to me? Their carmel apples. Hands down. The best. Last Thursday, we got a phone call from Matt’s brother Jacob and he wanted to see if we would like to join him and his girlfriend Kellye to the pumpkin farm. We were so excited! True, the petting zoo wasn’t quite the same without a little one, and I felt sort of silly sticking my head through the giant pumpkin, but hey, we’re all kids at heart right?

Making music.

2008-10-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Matt and his friends played at the Yuba City Centennial on Plumas St. Matt's brother Jacob, and his friends Cody, Cole and Jon have all played music off and on for years now, so it was so much fun to see them play on a real stage, and not a spare bedroom or basement. Thoughout our dating years, I spent many hours watching these boys make music in their "play room" with ear plugs in (little rooms + loud amps are not a good combination!)

Before Matt and I started talking, I always knew
of him as the "cute guy who plays bass." Still true.

My brother Cody also helped at the event with the FCS players, how great does he look? He has done drama with the FCS Players since he was in elementary school through Summer Drama, but this is his first official year, and he is loving it! I am so glad he is out of his brace and much more mobile, he is always such a commited performer. Cody as a soldier, he had to walk around in character
all night, and talk to strangers... not an easy task!

Great job all my boys!!

Congratulations Trent and Whitney Fochs!!

2008-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Two of our best friends, Trent and Whitney were married last night in a gorgeous fall ceremony. The entire day was simply romantic and absolutely stunning. It was a wonderful night and we are so excited for them!! Enjoy your honeymoon! We love you both!

Their photographer, Josiah Michael Photography (who also videotaped and took pictures for our wedding) put up some amazing teasers and I am sure there will be more to come! Enjoy!

www.josiahmichael.blogspot.com

Application Anxiety

2008-10-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ever since the wedding, Matt has been working to get his applications for grad school prepared. It is amazing to me how much work and time goes into them! He has gotten almost all of his recommendation letters ready, as well as the applications themsleves, and now the big task at hand is the essays. Each school has a different deadline, the first one being the third week in October, and they follow all the way through January. I am so proud of him for his dedication and hard work, he amazes me how committed he is to any project he undertakes, his entire education shows that!

Anyways, since people keep asking us what schools we have in mind, I thought I would post to let you know our “top 6.” They are:

University of the Pacific - Stockton, CA
University of Washington - Seattle, WA
Regis University - Denver, CO
Duke University - Raleigh, NC
Boston Universtity - Boston, MA
The Ohio State University - Columbus, OH

No order in particular, and honestly we have no preferences right now. We have decided to send an application to each one of these schools and hover anxiously by the mail box to see who wants us! As Matt prepares each one, we can't help but consider what God has in store for us, whether it’s across the country, or right here in California. While very frightening, it is also so exciting to have the opportunity to allow Him to (literally) point us the direction in which we are to go, and trust and have faith that He will provide for us.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." - Psalm 32:8-10

Matt's Got Game!

2008-09-22T16:19:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning at the crack of dawn (actually about 2 hours BEFORE dawn) Matt went out deer hunting with his friend and co-worker Pat. Matt has been looking forward to this trip the entire year. Every so often at home I would stumble across some new hunting gadget, video, or utensil that is apparently necessary to kill these suckers. I never knew there so much that went into hunting! Nevertheless, Matt popped out of bed on Saturday and got all decked out in his camo, and headed out the door, leaving me snug as a bug in bed. Well, I guess you could say that the trip was a success because Matt shot his first buck! He was so excited, and I am so proud of him! Here are some pictures to prove it...

This is where Matt shot his buck...

Smile for the camera!

I am so proud of my guy!!

so long, farewell...

2008-09-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Mom, Dad, and I took Kate to the airport this morning for her flight out to New York for school. The airport is an all-too familiar place to me for goodbyes. Isn't it strange how smells can bring a rush of emotions back to you in an instant? Well personally, the smell of Cinnabon and luggage along with the resounding "do not leave any baggage unattended..." message brought back a flood of feelings. While talking with my mom this morning it occured to me that eleven years ago I was a fourth grader telling my sister Sarah goodbye as she boarded a plane to the same school Kate is heading off to, Word of Life. Now obviously things were different then, we were allowed to take her all the way up to the gate and I remember every minute the lump in my throat grew bigger and bigger. I vividly remember sitting in my classroom the entire next day with that lump still stuck somewhere in my throat, just trying to hold back the tears. Eventually it all got easier, but this was the first painful "goodbye" that I can remember, and since that time I have had far too many. The interesting thing is I was the exact same age my neice Hailey is, and last night I sat in the other room listening to her teary goodbye to her Auntie Kate. This sweet fourth grade girl now had to say goodbye to her "older sister." Isn't it strange how life has come full cicle?

As painful as it was to see Kate walk up that dreaded escalator, I am so excited to see her what God has in store for her. I can't wait for her to come back in the fall with the bundle of stories I am sure she will be anxious to share. She is taking a big leap into the unknown and for that, I couldn't be more proud of by little sister! We love you Kate and miss you already!!

Christmas is coming...

2008-08-27T11:13:00.001-07:00

We are THIS excited...

enough said. :)

Stitches and French Fries

2008-08-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

The first week Matt and I got home, I was so excited to make him dinner. When I got home from work, I quickly put on my apron and got right to work. On the menu was Chili Casserole that my mom has made for years. I have made it dozens of time and couldn't wait to make my first meal as matt's wife! Instead of enjoying our first homemade meal in our own home, I sliced my hand open on a can of beans half way through the preparations. We ended up spending the evening applying pressure and ice to my very bloody hand, and waiting in line for stitches at Urgent Care. Needless to say, we had In-N-Out that night..

It definitely wasn't the meal I planned, but I will never forget our first (attempted) dinner as newlyweds! (P.S. - Matt opens ALL cans now!)

The happiest place on earth...

2008-07-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

Matt and I went to Disneyland on our honeymoon and had a total blast! I don't know that we were expecting to have as much fun as we did! We were slightly concerned that kids running around us and exhausted parents may not be ideal for our first vacation together, but since we had never been to Disneyland together (in almost five years of dating and how many trips to southern california?!) we thought it would be fun. When we arrived in Anaheim on Sunday evening, we were determined to find a Blockbuster to rent a few movies for Monday, which we had decided would be our major "rest and relaxation" day. We map-quested it and found that there was one only 1 and 3/4 miles away. We were excited to explore and figured a walk would be nice, so we set off. Little did we know that was apparently the direct distance from point A to point B. We walked and we walked and we walked. After confirming that Anaheim does indeed have ghetto and it isn't far from the most magical place on earth, we stumbled into a super sketchy Blockbuster. But we got our movies! We guessed we walked about 6 miles roundtrip (yuck!) The next day we relaxed and watched our movies we worked so hard for, and decided to eat at House of Blues in downtown Disney. Being this close to the park got us so pumped to get inside, so we woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning to open the park! We couldn't wait! I definitely think we were more excited than many of the kids in line with us!!

Like so many people told us, Disneyland is such a different place when it's just you and your significant other, and we couldn't agree more. It has such a special place in our hearts now and we can't wait to go back to remember all the memories we made and to make more!!

Our story.

2008-07-22T16:21:00.001-07:00

Our story together is a classic. Two kids brought together by the anxiety and anticipation of what is known as the Faith Christian christmas banquet. The one and only formal Faith puts on a year can be attributed to a number of life long (or week long) relationships. Ah and yes, we were one of them. The three months prior are filled with excitement (on the girl’s end) of endless questions. What will I wear? How will I do my hair? The list goes on. However, I think the boys’ end is a little different, they have one major question, who to ask? And so, as it typically goes, Matt talked to his best friend, who talked to his girlfriend (my best friend) to see if I was interested. Of course, I was. Five minute breaks became times of butterflies and stuttering as we got to know eachother in between classes. Our friends like to make fun of how we more or less stood smiling at eachother repeating the same conversation we had an hour before about the previous night’s soccer game, or that afternoon’s cheerleading practice. We didn’t care, we just wanted to see eachother. I will never forget those conversations.

It was almost five years ago since we first started dating, and I find myself falling more in love with him every day.

Well hello there, we're the Ithurburns!

2008-07-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

I guess starting a blog of our own means we’ve finally "grown up." Well, Matt doesn’t want to believe it. Either way, just in the few weeks we’ve been in Gridley, we’ve realized how quickly we lose touch with family and friends, and this is, as everyone we know has decided as well, the best way to keep everyone posted with the ins and outs of newlywed life.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a month now since Matt and I finally tied the knot. It’s come and gone so quickly, and I’m sure most of you have read post after post of pre, mid, and after wedding details, so I won’t bore you with all the pictures (if you want those, just check out Mom’s!) But I can’t help but share our favorites...