Where were we?

Last year, I successfully completed 2 semesters of grad school (3 A's, 1 B) and promptly quit. Honestly, I was very bored by it and generally felt like I was doing it because it's what was expected of me. It just wasn't what I wanted to be doing. In a perfect world, I would love to not work at all (time to buy some lottery tickets!), so the prospect of trading my 36-hour weeks for 50 and 60 hour weeks as a nurse practitioner was totally unappealing. Not to mention, if you break it down hourly, it's the same amount of money. No thanks.

Eventually (once I get more skilled and get better lenses), I'd love to attempt to make some money as a photographer. I realize I can probably never afford to quit nursing, but taking pictures (and editing them) makes me very happy. However, we'll have to see what happens once we add the baby into the mix!

So, we've been in our house for a little over a year, and already we are counting down to when we can sell it. We were lucky enough to receive the first-time home buyer tax credit, so we have to live here for at least 3 years or else pay it back. Our house is great, except for the fact that it's in Florida. We are just so over it. It's too hot, there are no seasons, our homeowner's insurance is ridiculous and the cost keeps rising even though the state hasn't been affected buy a hurricane in 6 years. If we could afford it, we'd move to California, but realistically our best bet seems to be North Carolina - specifically the Raleigh/Durham area. Housing is super affordable, the weather is awesome, it's supposedly a great place to raise kids, and there are job options for both me and Mark. You can drive a few hours in one direction and be in the mountains, or go a few hours the other way and be at the beach. The one thing so far that bothers me is the absence of a professional baseball team, but I think I'll survive. Plus, there's always the Durham Bulls if I get really desperate.

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Since I found out we are having a girl (A GIRL!!) I've gone a little crazy with the clothes-purchasing. Today's pictures is of most, but not all of what I've bought in the last 10 weeks. There is much, much, much more in the closet. I can't wait to wash it all.