Epcot, my temporary home. Brendan & I both miss it!
Brendan and I ended last year by finishing our schooling. Brendan got his degree in Economics with an emphasis in Business Analysis and I finished my Criminology degree and also obtained a Training and Development Certificate. We were now on the job hunt. Now as mentioned above I did have a job, but the offer wasn't quite what I had expected so I was still looking. Brendan was still employed with the company he worked with throughout college and they had offered him a full time job. He liked the work, but wanted something that actually used his college degree, so he was still looking. Around March, Brendan ended up taking that full time position and I was about to start working in the banking industry.
In April we thought we should casually look at houses, just to see what is out there and kind of prepare us for when we want to buy a house. Well, SURPRISE! After looking at close to 30 different houses all over the Cedar Valley, and having my mom come down for her expert opinion... Brendan and I bought a house! We closed on May 14th. Our family and a few friends helped with the packing, painting, and moving. My mom was the lifesaver and would come down and paint our walls while Brendan and I were at work. One of her friends even came down and helped us hang pictures and arrange the house to make it more homey.
This was taking before we purchased it, for some reason we don't have a picture of the front of our house!?!
Our Summer was filled with trips to Dubuque. A lot of it was wedding related but we managed to see some friends and family and get some fun in as well. We attempted to do the Grandview Gallop in June. We have ran that race every year since it started. However it got postponed due to rain. It also happened to land on the same day as one of the wedding showers and my bachelorette, so I missed it because of my limited timeline and Brendan, Doug, and Gabe just ran the first half (the starting point to my parents house) by themselves. At the end of June Brendan also ran a half-marathon with Doug. It's a good thing Doug is a coach and a good friend because that is exactly what Brendan needed to get through with NO training!
Another big change in our life came in July. A company Brendan had interviewed with in the late winter/early spring called and offered him a job. It was something that he always wanted and worked hard for, however the job is 90 minutes from our recently purchased home. After a lot of conversations filled with "what ifs," he took the job and started in early August.
The last weekend of summer in most peoples eyes is Labor Day weekend. Well, this year that was also the beginning of my life as a Blok. Brendan and I got married on possibly the most gorgeous Labor Day of our lives. It was a wonderful day that we got to share with our family and friends. I wish I could do it all over again without all the work. There are still things on my "I wanna do" list from that night. However, it was great to be able to relax and focus on the house again afterwards.
We love each other and the water, perfect day!
Our fall was busy with 3 more weddings in October and November. My maid of honor Abby married Mark the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They had the best weather possible for a November weekend in Iowa, which was complimented with a very beautiful wedding!
Immediately following Thanksgiving I started a "new" job as well. This is the job that I thought I was coming home to but we didn't get on the same page. After some movement within the company and a few conversations, they asked me to come back and help run the CF store. It was not an easy decision for me because I loved working at the bank, the people were great and you can't beat the hours! Eventually, Brendan and I decided it was the right move for our future and I am very happy with the decision. It is a challenging and rewarding job, I love it!
In the beginning of December we had to say goodbye to Brendan's Grandpa Sanchez. I feel very fortunate to have been able to get to know this man so well. He was always around while Brendan and I were dating and lived with his mother for the last year or more of his life. After Brendan and I were married he called me "mija" which is slang for mi hija which translates to my daughter. It was official, I was blessed to be his granddaughter, even if it was for a short period of time. He was a hardworking and humble man that was always giving. He has definitely left a big hole in our hearts.
Brendan took it very hard, but it also made him appreciate family a little bit more. For his Christmas present to himself and his father, they went to a Bears game at Soldier field and had a blast celebrating the Bears win and the day together.
Other than working on the house, we hope to have a life changing free year for 2011!
