When Life Gives You Lemons: Part II

{Click here for PART ONE}

Photo taken August 3rd, 2014

August 4th:

As we entered the Ultrasound room the first thing I saw was the large monitor facing the table, then another facing where the technician would be sitting. She was kind to ask us if we would rather not watch from the large monitor.

Thought #1. If my baby is fine this will be our first time seeing them.

Thought #2. If there is something wrong I am going to have to deal with it no matter what.

We decided to watch and right away I knew.

In the “bubble” that would house my baby was nothing. No heart beat… not even a fetus. I looked at {G} as this was happening and held back the tears. The other reason I knew was because there was complete silence. Not a word from the technician and I didn’t have the courage to ask what was obviously staring back at us on the screen. It seemed like eternity. She took photos of the “bubble” and then continued onto each fallopian tube taking even more time with the right side.

When she continued onward I finally broke the silence. “Is there something else wrong that you are looking at?”

“It seems that there is something here on your right side but I’m just not sure, so I’m taking lots of shots of it so that the Doctor can make a judgment.”

When she was done, the lights came on, and she left the room so that I could dress.

As we waited I looked at {G} again and said, “You know there is nothing there.”

Simply Adapting: Keeping up with my blog theme

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to get back to posting about my blog theme which by the title is “Simply Adapting – making a home wherever life takes you” I was really hoping to have some readers reach out to tell their stories and haven’t heard from anyone in a while so I figured I’d ask…

If anyone is interested in sharing their story and tips about moving to a new area I invite you to do so. You never know who is going to stop by and read your story and sometimes sharing can really help others in the same situations. If you’re not really sure how it works visit my link above and read some others Simply Adapting stories then e-mail me :)

So for now, I’ll talk a little more about my new move and how I am adapting. Sorry if this is a long post but a lot of this involves my emotions so it’s hard to keep it to a minimum.

{ How did I feel about having to move again in such a short period of time }


Well, honestly … I was thrilled to move from South Dakota. Gosh, I feel awful saying this but really I just never connected with life there. It was as if I was going through the motions every week; go to work, come home, make dinner, watch my shows, work around the house. The most fun that I had in that town was when {G}’s best friend and wife (both who I have become close too as well) came out last summer for a week. Having another couple our age to hang out with made all the difference and being able to do simple task like grocery shopping with a friend made all the difference. I had missed having people around that really knew us and that we had substance with.

I think when you begin to meet people in your new home they don’t realize how hard it is to cope with living in an area where you know no one. It really starts to eat away at your insides and after having Adam and Kristin around for that week it brought life back to who we were as a couple so once they left I felt even more empty and alone.

With having this move to Iowa I felt a sort of sense that I get to start over again, and this time I knew the move would be for awhile longer so I needed to make a point to try to connect with the area and people here as well. Already we have been here for almost 2 weeks and I feel more connected. We know people from back east that have made the move to Iowa so we have that connection.

I am just so excited because on Memorial Day we were invited to a picnic at a college/sorority sisters house just 40mins away. Reconnecting and being able to talk about not only the past but what each other has been up to is just too exciting and I just can’t wait! It also gives {G} and I the chance to socialize and meet others from the area.

{ What is is like working from home }


I must say that working from home has it’s ups and downs. You must be super disciplined to get the work done or else other things get easily prioritized. I have done really well about waking up in the morning. For some reason which is be known to me (and had SHOCKED my husband) is my body’s alarm clock has reset itself for 6:30am everyday Sunday – Saturday. Seriously, I wake up everyday at 6:28 before the alarm even goes off and I am refreshed and ready to go! I was so worried that I’d want to sleep in until 8am everyday, but I don’t! I get up have my coffee with {G}, walk him out to the truck to say have a good day, then get dressed and go to the office to start working.

Again, discipline is a must but I also have this voice that has always been in the back of my mind as well saying “Don’t F this up”… “don’t make others think you aren’t working”. Seriously, this is what runs through my mind all day! I don’t want to let others down and I certainly don’t want people at the office saying “gosh, she probably just sits around the house all day watching the Price is Right.

I will, however, say while I have this voice urging me to do my work I also have a voice telling me, it’s ok not to sit in my office for 8 hours straight. I get up early and catch up on e-mails and other work for a few hours then if I need to get outside to pull some weeds I do it. Then I go back in the office and make some phone calls & break for lunch. The difference here is before while I was a work ,when 5pm hit I was done for the day and didn’t take work home with me. Now that I am already home at work sometimes I make phone calls at 6:00pm at night, or if I get an email at 9pm I respond to it right then. So while I may not be at my computer 8 hours straight I am however locked into “if work comes… I do it”.

{ New schedules }


Along with my body’s automatic alarm set for 6:30am I have had to adopt new a new schedule with {G} working. The benefit is today is the first time in two weeks that he will be away for the night!!! YAY! When he worked in South Dakota it was almost every week Monday-Thursday that he was gone. Most nights {G} is home by 7pm which at first really ticked me off because dinner has been pushed back from our sit down and eat at 6:30pm. Now sometimes we don’t eat until 8pm! I was bitching to {G} at first about having him try to be home earlier, 6pm , but he made a clear point of saying… at least I am home during the week. So True husband… SOOOooooo trueeeee. Now I have learned to eat a snack at 4pm to hold this belly over for a few hours more.

{ Plans in the up coming weeks }


Oh gosh! We are in over plan mode!
Kitchen – contractor came by to take measurements on cabinets & countertop
Tractor - {G} insist we need a tractor with a loader, which I agree, so he is in the market
Livestock – Yes that’s right, we are getting some Hogs to raise so we plotted out where the pens are going. We’re still in the planning phase… thank goodness
Painting – Will become underway this weekend. We plan to paint the privacy fence & the South and east side of the Quonset building. I would also like to pick up paint for the office. It’s in DIRE need!

{ Other Thoughts }


At the end of next week I get to fly back East to my old stomping ground to visit with family and friends. I can’t wait to catch up with everyone and especially be there with my BFF to help get some wedding planning done. I am yearning to see the ocean and feel the soft (BURNING) sand beneath these feet… there is nothing in comparison to walking the path over the sand dunes and having the fresh sea breeze brush your face with the smell of suntan lotions and ocean mist. It is so indescribable but I know my DE people know exactly what I am talking about. I miss it so.


Again, if you would like to share your story with other readers please contact me or if you would like to promote my site for those friends who have going through the same moving situations please do with my button :) I haven’t had it up in quite some time.

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Simply Adapting – Megan’s Story

Today I am excited to have Megan sharing her Simply Adapting Story! I have known Megan for about 5 years now. Megan is married to my husbands cousin… so we are both married into the Rigdon Family. We first met on one of the many trips to the “Home Farm” where Megan’s husband grew up. {G} is very close to his aunt, uncle, and cousins so we were there for lots of family gatherings. It was nice to have Megan around since we are about the same age and she was also dating a Rigdon… which believe it or not is was a challenge at times. :)

{ Megan’s Story }

My name is Megan! I was born in a small town in Maryland and lived there my entire life until I was 25 years old. I even lived at home most of my college years and commuted to school. I have never been away from my family and friends until I moved states in 2009. My husband and I are high school sweethearts. We began dating when I was 16 years old. After a long distance college relationship (he went to UNC Chapel Hill) he returned to Maryland where he accepted a job. We bought a house together, I accepted a teaching job at the elementary school only 3 minutes away, and then we got engaged! While engaged, my fiancé applied and was accepted to UVA Darden Business School. So two weeks after we got married in July 2009 we packed our bags and headed for Charlottesville, Virginia.

{ What are some of the things that you felt you had to adapt to in your new community or life situations }(Marriage, culture, distance, food, customs, etc)

There were MANY adaption's. One major change was not being around my family and friends. Family is everything to me and it was so hard not to see them. I accepted a teaching job at a local private school which was vastly different from my kindergarten teaching job back home (which I missed immensely). Even though we were newlyweds, our relationship did not change much since we lived with each other 3 years prior to getting married. We were so surprised to find out we were pregnant 8 months after we moved to Charlottesville! My husband and I talk about our move to Charlottesville all the time and how it was the BEST two years of our lives! After he graduated from business school, we moved back home to Maryland. We will never forget the lasting friendships we made and the fun times we had there!

{ What advice would you give to readers to help in simply adapting to their new home? }

My advice to help you adapt to a new town is to not be afraid to become part of the community. While my husband was busy studying and going to school most hours of the day, I was hoping to make friends! I signed up for the partner association through my husband’s school where I met some awesome gals. We would get together a few nights a week while our husbands went to their night classes and we all hung out pretty much every weekend for two years! Now we are living all over the East Coast, but we consider each other our C’ville Family and keep in touch through weekly emails and even get together a few times a year. I also found that keeping a blog was a great way to journal what we were up to. My family loved reading it and seeing pictures of our weekly adventures! I signed up for a 365 Photo Challenge online which I felt helped me to find out more about my town and also kept me quite busy too!

 

{ What are some fun tips and tricks that you have learned from living in is your new Hometown? }

My tip would be to explore your new home town as much as possible!! Take lots of pictures! My husband and I had so much fun spending weekends checking out new places- the local farmer’s market, Downtown Mall, Montilcello, Carters Mountain, Veritas Vineyards, The Lawn, the Corner (lots of college bars and restaurants)…  

 

I have always considered myself a crafty gal, but when I moved to Charlottesville I began making lots of things! The private school that I had worked for there was all about handmade EVERYTHING! I remember having my beginning of the year welcome post cards all written out and ready to send to my students. When I showed them to my coworkers they seemed a little thrown off that I did not make the postcards myself! I had just stopped by the local teacher store and bought a pack. Needless to say after that moment, even though I felt pretty silly at the time and wanted to crawl in a hole, I fell in love with everything handmade!

{ Post a local recipe from the most recent area you moved to that you didn't know about before: }

I don’t really have a recipe to share, but most Charlottesville restaurants always had a Mac and Cheese dish… it was a big thing there! My favorite restaurant in Charlottesville was The Local (http://www.thelocal-cville.com/). Their food was so yummy and all made from fresh local ingredients.

 

{ What I love about Megan’s Story }

I love that Megan moved to support her husbands education and future career goals. I think by making this move it brought them even closer together since you don’t have current friends and family to fall back on when living in a new state. Going back to my post a few days ago I had said, “I believe things happen for a reason…”. Megan has become a fantastic mom and through living in Charlottesville she was able to expand her love for photography. Now Megan runs a fabulous photography business through her home and is able to stay at home with her adorable son Weston full time! If you are moving to a new area take her tip by “exploring as much as possible”! You can really find some neat places and people along the way! I myself will certainly be trying this local Mac n Cheese recipe… It looks delicious!

Thank you to Megan for taking the time to share her Simply Adapting Story! Please stop by all of her sites to learn a little more about her and see her amazing photography skills!

Mandy’s Simply Adapting Story – Belfast Northern Ireland

My name is Mandy. Like Brittany, I’m a Delaware girl, born and raised. I’ve known Brittany and her family for about ten years now and I’m really honored that she asked me to write for her blog : )



While I’ve spent the majority of my life in the ‘Small Wonder’, the travel bug bit me at a very young age. I was lucky enough to visit the United Kingdom for the first time at age 12 and fell in love with its history, culture, and lovely inhabitants. However, a love for their food took me several more years! At age 13, I participated in Ulster Project Delaware. UPD is a program that brings Protestant and Catholic teens from Northern Ireland over to the States to neutral territory to teach them about peace. My family and I have been fortunate enough to host numerous teens, leaders, and make amazing friendships. This project introduced me to Northern Ireland – a place that not many people know a lot about.
As I’ve mentioned, my heart has a soft spot for the British Isle every since living in London, England for 6 months in 2005 and in Belfast, Northern Ireland for almost 2 years. Today’s story begins in the exact place where I left part of my heart back in December 2010…Belfast.



After graduating and spending 2 years in the working world, I decided that I wanted to go back to school to get my Masters Degree. I did my undergrad at the University of Delaware and I had always wanted to go to school abroad. So, in search of my next academic adventure, I came across the University of Ulster in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

For me, it was a no brainer! I love Northern Ireland and thanks to Ulster Project, I had a large network of friends there. In early 2009, I embarked on the process of applying to University and then obtaining a visa to live in the UK. While the visa process was a confusing nightmare at times, I’m so glad that I stuck with it. I spent an amazing two years living in downtown Belfast, having adventures throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. And in December 2010, after lots of hard work and months spent on my dissertation, I graduated top of my class with a Masters of Science Degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management :)

I moved back to Delaware after my degree…and well because my visa was about to expire! While I love being at home and the life I’ve had since returning, Belfast will always be my second home and it will always have half of my heart. Now I just need to go back someday and get it…

{ What are some of the things that you felt you had to adapt to in your new community or life situations } (Marriage, culture, distance, food, customs, etc)

Despite all of my previous visits to Northern Ireland, living there came as a complete culture shock for the first few months. Adapting to new money, being a college student in a different country, and getting used to new foods were several of the lifestyle adaptations I had to make to name a few. The one thing I had trouble getting used to was the grocery stores and convenience stores closed so early! If it was 7 pm at night, there was no Wawa or Sheetz to settle your cravings. Northern Ireland uses the pound for its currency – pounds are like fat heavy quarters – makes the wallet a lot heavier than carrying around dollar bills! The food was a welcome change – I was able to try lots of different world cuisines - Lebanese, Indian and delicious Irish home cooking while I was there.

{ What advice would you give to readers to help in simply adapting to their new home? }

What I would say to other readers who are getting used to their new home/surroundings is to be patient and dedicate some quality time to learn about your new town or state. Try keeping a photo journal and find a new spot to photograph each day. Or make a list of the restaurants around and try them! I would also suggest joining a club if possible. I joined a photography club in Belfast and was taken to places I didn’t know existed! It’s always good to get in with the locals if you can!

{ What are some fun tips and tricks that you have learned from living in your new Hometown? }

The main tip that I learned in Belfast was just to really make the most of out of every situation. On days when I was extremely homesick, I would force myself to go for a walk and explore a new area of town. Being somewhere new and finding new little treasures (coffee shops, cute boutiques, new trails, etc) can brighten any day when you’re feeling low. Also, if you’re living in a city, I always enjoyed walking places instead of taking transportation. It’s a great way to get exercise, it costs less, and you may even discover some hidden gems on the way!

{ Recipe }

Irish Potato Farls were my go-to yummy snack! They taste delicious with a little bit of butter! And how can you go wrong with a dish made mainly of potatoes :)


Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

1. In a pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on medium-high heat until the center of the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Drain, return potatoes to pot and allow to completely dry out over remaining heat. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
2. Place warm mashed potato in medium bowl. Stir in flour, salt and melted butter. Mix lightly until dough forms.
3. On a well-floured surface, knead the dough lightly. The dough will be sticky. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten into a 9 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into quarters using a floured knife.
4. Sprinkle a little flour into the base of the skillet and cook the farls for 3 minutes on each side or until evenly browned. Season with a little salt and serve straight away.

(link to recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/irish-potato-farls/detail.aspx)

{ New Words and Sayings I learned }

There’s so many words to choose from my time in Belfast but I’ve tried to pick a few of my favorites…

• Gobsmacked – astounded, astonished, speechless
• Bout Ye!: greeting; how are you?
• Dead-On: good, decent, alright
• Does in my head: An expression that means someone or something that really annoys you
• Wee: small – this would be the expression my friends said I used a wee bit too much!

I want to Thank Mandy for taking the time out of her busy schedule to be my first guest post and sharing her Simply Adapting Story! I love the courage she had to go forward with wanting to live in another country. I think all of us would love to do this but get scared of all the “What ifs” that could happen. I believe Mandy gave some terrific tips on how to Simply Adapt to a new area with forcing yourself to get out of that comfort bubble we all have and join a group, go on walks, and explore the town you moved to. I myself have tried some different things out here in South Dakota and maybe they didn’t all stick but it was fun trying them!


I hope that you all enjoyed Mandy’s Story and will continue to share her story with others that you know that may be a “Wee” weary about living in a new country.


Please feel free to comment on this post. I’m sure Mandy would love to hear some of your thoughts :)

{ If you have a Simply Adapting Story that you would like to share please contact me and I will tell you how it works! }

Also, remember to stop back here tomorrow for

Simply Sharing – Mandy’s Story

 

I am excited to announce my first Simply Adapting Guest Post! Unfortunately, you have to wait until next Wednesday, February 29th to read it! Now now don’t get your panties in a bunch, I just got my new blog rolling on Saturday so it takes some time to get writers and for them to write about their story.

Mandy has been a friend of mine and my family for many many years now… it has to be 6 or 7 years already. Goodness how time flies by! I reached out to Mandy to tell her story since it’s such an interesting one that I’m sure everyone will enjoy!

{ What to expect }

Simply Adapting to another COUNTRY!

You didn’t think Simply Adapting was strictly United State Stories only, did you?!? 

{ hint }

Lucky Charms anyone? ;)

* If you would like to join in on the fun and share your Simply Adapting story please go to my contact tab and fill out the questionnaire and email it to me.

Don’t forget to grab my button and become a follower :)

{ My Simply Adapting Story }

Hi! That's me at my wedding August 7th, 2010! My name is Brittany Rigdon and I am originally from Wilmington, Delaware. For all of you non-east coasters, that's the state surrounded by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Not trying to pick on you guys, I had to refresh my thoughts of the states that surrounded South Dakota as well before I moved here. :) I am 26 years old and live in Mitchell, SD, where the corn palace is. Google it.... you'll find that I love to google. I come from a very tight knit family of 6 that raised me with good moral values and a hard work ethic despite whatever prejudices there are about "City" people. My siblings are Corey 27, and Katie and Nikki (TWINNIES) 21. I grew up in a neighborhood outside of the largest city in Delaware (Wilmington) population 71,000. As I went through high school I got very involved in the Agriculture program and became an FFA member. I fell in LOVE with agriculture which lead me to pursuing Ag Ed @ DelVal College where I met my hubby (G) About a year and a half ago we were married after 4 years of dating and I moved out here to South Dakota to be with him. He is originally from Maryland but moved for work around our 2.5 year dating point.

After blogging for the past couple of months I have found my niche with in the Blogging Community. There is a huge population of us "transplanters" out there and no blogs that really talk about how hard it is to move across the country! Hopefully here you will help me in sharing your story as well. :)

{ What are some things I felt that I had to adapt to in South Dakota }

I really had to adjust to how open it is out here compared to Delaware. There are more cows then there are people here in South Dakota so the towns are far and few between. I felt at first like I would never meet anyone since I was the out-sider but then I got a job subbing in the Mitchell School District and it lead me to talking to people! I had missed that so much, I am what they call a social butterfly so I was itching for some contact. Another adaption I had to make was to the weather. Delawareans are weenies when it comes to weather, it gets to 30 degrees and an inch of snow on the ground and we freak, I was one of them. My first winter was last year and it hit -20 one night! Some of the highs for the day were in the single digits, and snow... oh that snow! Lets just say there was a lot! Once I got through my first winter I've been fine, the locals like to say that you kind of forget about how it was the year prior (Probably because they are bad memories) but really you do just forget about it and deal with it as you go. People here are polite, traffic is almost non existent, and the lifestyle is more relaxing.

{ What advice can I give to readers in simply adapting to your new home? }

#1: It can always be worse! You have your health and people back home to support you whether its on a phone call once a week, skyping, or facebooking. Communication has grown so much that keeping in touch isn't like mailing a letter once a month.

#2: Talk to people: Whether you just started a new job or are in the check out line in the local town grocer. People love hearing how I am from Delaware and asking how I am doing here. You never know, it could lead to a new friendship or just someone who had a nice conversation with you that made your day.

#3: If you are alone a lot get a pet. Winston is my savor. I think sometimes people think I am overly attached to my dog but really he is the one that helped me get through my first few months here in South Dakota. My husband travels frequently for work so Winston is my lil man that I can take on walks or snuggle with at night.

#4: Find a hobby & try new things! Since living here I have read more then I have in 3 years back home, I can knit better then ever and I'm still learning, and my cooking skills are growing.

#5: Explore! My husband and I love to drive around and find neat things at the towns in the area. We have visited Mt. Rushmore 3 times now, have been to the Bad Lands National Park twice, and have been snowmobiling for our first time ever! I couldn't do these things back in Delaware and I'm glad I did them now seeing how we are moving to Iowa in a few months.

{ What are some fun tips and tricks I have learned from living in Mitchell, SD }

I have learned to plow a driveway with a four-wheeler... I have grown in my faith more being here ... I learned that there is a distinct difference between East River and West River... I learned what a "Jersey Chaser" is .... along with a "Pick" :)

{ Local Recipe }

Deep Fried Pheasant

What you need: Pheasant breast, eggs, canola oil, 2 cups flour, 2 table spoons seasonal, 1/2 packet ranch dressing mix, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cut Pheasant breast into smaller nuggets, dip in beat-ed eggs, then into mixture of flour, seasonal, and ranch dressing mix (do this twice for think crust)

Place nuggets into hot oil on frying pan. If not fully submerged flip after 1 minute

Watch not to over cook nuggets; pheasant dries out quickly.

Serve with:  Green Olive Tomato Beer ;)

{ South Dakota Dialect }

Ruff = Roof

Rut- Root

You Bet! = No problem or Your Welcome

* I, along with others would love to hear your Simply Adapting story! Please go to my contact page to find out how to submit your story to be posted on Simply Adapting.