Road Trip to Virginia Beach

Well hello blog friends! I know it's been a hot minute since I posted anything but I've been knee deep in unpacking our life haha. I finally feel like I have a minute to breath so I wanted to update you on what's been going on in the Bradford house.

Two weeks ago my mom and I left Vegas to make the drive to VA beach. We didn't want to rush the trip because we had the pups with us so it ended up taking us 5.5 days. Our first day was the longest and almost took 9 hours to get to Albuquerque, NM. We encountered a ton of rain on our drive through Arizona but overall it wasn't bad. We stayed at a Sheraton off the highway and it wasn't great. Since I had the pups, they put you in a pet friendly room aka nasty floors from other dogs and cats. There were stains everywhere and the room smelled like cleaner/ covered up pee. Yuck lol. We didn't have much time that night but we went across the street to eat dinner and then went to bed.

Our second day brought us to Oklahoma City. We stayed at the Sheraton downtown and it was sooooo cute! They didn't heave a pet fee either which was amazing. I'll link the hotel here because you should definitely check it out if you're in the area. Their lobby was adorable! We went to the Bricktown area (per Ashley's recommendation) and had dinner at a brewery. The food was delicious and the area was super cute. The next morning we walked to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and it was also delicious. It was an order at the counter place but the customer service was awesome and the dogs were a huge hit there. I would love to go back to Oklahoma City and check out more.

our interesting wine glasses lol

Next, we made our way to Little Rock. This was another low key night but ended up being a lot of fun because we hung out on the deck outside with some wine. Sadly, I was eaten alive by bugs but it was still a good time!

My favorite day of the trip was arriving in Nashville. We stayed at the Loew's West End and holy moly it was nice. When we checked in they gave us a doggie treat bag for the pups. It included metal dog bowls, a mat for them to sit on, doggie bags, and treats. They love dogs there and I highly recommend it if you have pups. We also arrived just in time for happy hour on the club level. Such a nice and relaxing way to start our time in Nashville. Afterwards, we got ready and headed out to Tootsies. The music was awesome and the atmosphere was even better! :)

We headed to Merchants for dinner and sat at the bar for quick service. We both got burgers and it was seriously the best one I've ever had. In love with that place! I want to try their fine dining level next time we are in town. We finished the night at Tin Roof and has a blast dancing to the band there. Gosh, I love Nashville!!!

The next day we got on the road after a yummy breakfast in the club level. We didn't have a plan for this day but just wanted to drive until we got tired. We ended up stopping in Roanoke to break up the long drive to VA beach. We had dinner at the hotel and watched Big Brother and Game of Thrones in the hotel room. Such fun night!

On Tuesday, we finally arrived in VA Beach just in time for our walk-through. I was so excited to 1. see my hubby and 2. see the house! So far I had just seen pictures and did a walk-through on FaceTime with our realtor. It was a great day!

The rest of the week was a little crazy because we had some issues with our close date. This was a BIG problem for us because Mark was heading out of town at the end of the week and I was going to be homeless. Thankfully the Lord protected us and Sandra worked her tail off to make it all happen. We took possession of the house on Wednesday night and closed on Thursday. Such a whirlwind of a week but we are so happy to finally own a home!

Just waiting to move into the house. Pizza and beer in the street is normal right??? 

Dealing with Change

As you may have noticed, things are changing in a BIG way around here. We are moving across the country so that means a new state, a new home, a new job, new friends, etc. It's a little nerve-racking to say the least but we are excited about a new adventure.

Anyone who knows me knows that I don't deal with change very well. I am a creature of habit in a lot of ways and I get very comfortable with my job, my routine, and my everyday comforts. Well the Lord is throwing a wrench in my plans and is making me get out of that comfort zone. I think that's a good thing though. We can't grow if we don't change, right??

Someone said to me, if you had never moved to San Diego you wouldn't have met your friends there. So true! We have to change and experience something new so we have the opportunity for different people to come into our lives. That being said, I have a great support system in San Diego and I'm so sad to be leaving them.  I have also loved being so close to our friends and family in Nevada too. I'm secretly hoping that they all join us in Virginia sooner than later. :)

Since I knew that this change was a possibility for awhile now, I started mentally preparing myself. I read several books and prayed that the Lord would provide for us in our new home. One of my favorite books I read was, Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You Through Life's Transitions by Kristen Strong.  She's a fellow military spouse and has LOTS of experience moving from place to place. I have to stay that I am very thankful that for the most part, the military keeps us in one place because I know that other families move a ton.

Kristen gives advice on transitioning and making the best of your circumstance. One of my favorite quotes is, "If God is sending you to a new place, he's sending you with a promise." It's not something to fear or dread, because the Lord is providing this change. There's a purpose and a clear direction that the Lord is sending you to and that's what we should want, a clear purpose for our lives. Standing still and firm in one place (literally or figuratively) takes the freedom of growth away from us. Movement and change are created to twist and mold us into better versions of ourselves.

Over the past several months I have applied to countless schools and districts. I've had to revamp my resume, cover letter, and brush up on my interview skills. These are not things that people normally look forward to lol. Actually, it was a pain in the booty but you know what?? I learned a lot from having to do those things. I feel that I am actually more confident in myself because I was able to look at my teaching experiences and realized that I AM qualified for many jobs. Now getting interviews was a whole other issue but FINALLY I was hired its a 3rd grade teacher. Hallelujah! It seemed like it was never going to happen, but once again the Lord provided for us.

So is change fun?? Sometimes it can be, that is when it's your idea and your choice but overall it can be really scary. I'm still in the process of all these big changes but I'm trusting that the Lord knows best and he is only going to put me in situations where I can grow and become a better me. I'm sure there will be many tears in the next year but I know it will get better each day.

Thank you to my friends and family for the sweet encouragement over the last few months. I am forever grateful for you!

Surprise! We're Moving

So I have been pretty quiet about this on my blog and social media (until this week) but it's now official and I can talk about it. We are moving to Virginia Beach, VA! As we speak, I am sitting in our boxed up house, waiting for the movers to finally get here. They are almost 6 hours late now. Yay :(

Mark got home last weekend and we've spent the last few days getting our house ready to be packed and moved. It's so crazy to think about leaving San Diego. Mark and I started dating when he was already living here and I was in Las Vegas. I spent almost three years driving back and forth and then four years living here. We have met some of the BEST people while living in SD and have loved being near some of Mark's family. I have a big support group here with some of the most genuine and kind women I've ever met. I also had a job that I LOVED and worked with such amazing people. This is also where we spent our first married years and finally moved into our perfect little beach cottage last year. I still can't believe that as of tomorrow, it won't be ours any more. Wow, can I make this any ore depressing lol???

On a happier note, I'm super excited to be living in a new city and to be close to so many places we've never visited. The east coast will be a BIG change for us but I'm ready for the adventure. Well, I say that now but I'll probably cry my face off when I actually leave San Diego lol. It's going to be a good move :) Plus we can finally afford a house! Hallelujah!

I've been reminiscing on all of our great memories while in San Diego, so here is just a small handful of ALL the amazing times we've had here. Sorry for the LARGE picture dump but I'm feeling sentimental :) Here we go...

Going away party

Mike's rehearsal 

Mark's 30th birthday

Fam in town- OB pier

My birthday??? I don't know lol

Sara's birthday

Coronado concert in the park

Going away party with our hosts and Goose :)

Seaport Village

The Maxwell's surprise wedding

Jen's wedding

Our going away party

Mark's 30th birthday

Disney with the Weldins

At the beach with the Maxwells

Book club

Bike day by the harbor

Surprise 30th birthday party in Temecula

Visit from my Reno besties

DISNEY!

Harbortown for my birthday a few years ago

Sam and Kip's Wedding

Halloween :) Obvi

Canfields in town for Breyen's birthday

Dinner out with Grammie and Jeff

Michael and Tracy's wedding

New planters and our puppies :) 

Harbor cruise

Moonshine Flatts

Five on Friday {Moving Day!}

Happy Friday everyone! It's officially moving day... ahhhh! Isn't moving just the worst?? I'm ready for it to be over haha. Packing and boxes have taken over my life! Hopefully today will go smoothly and we can get everything at least moved. Tomorrow we plan on patching any holes from nails, screws, etc. and I want to start unpacking then. Thank the Lord I am out of school right now. I don't know how people move during the school year. It would be more stressful, that's for sure!

image via

One- Visitors

We had visitors in town this week and we had a blast playing "tourist" with them for a few days. Chase hasn't been here in forever so it was super sad to see him leave. 

Two- Vacation Clothes

image via- it's even cuter in person!

Every time I'm out somewhere I am constantly on the hunt for new things for our Cancun trip. I found this adorable dress at Target last week and knew it would be perfect for dinner while we are there. I love the off the shoulder detail and the tassels are perfect! 

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How cute is this dress? I want to go back and get it because it's only $20! I love the blue tones. 

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I love this one too!

Three- New Shower Curtain

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I bought this shower curtain this week for our new house. Anything with a a blue hue is my type of color :) 

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I got these bath mats to go with it. Buying new things for the house is so fun! Expensive... but fun lol!

Four- Books, Books, Books

Buy it here

I have been trying to read as mush as possible and currently I am obsessed with the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver. A friend introduced me to them and I love it. It's like a mix between the Hunger Games and Divergent. I'm almost done with the first book and I"m excited to keep going in the series.

buy it here

I also finished The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews and I really liked it! It was an easy read but had more substance than some other beach reads. Pick this up for your next vacation!

Buy it here

This is my next choice after the Delirium series. :)

Five- New Getting Ready Area

In our new place we only have one bathroom. That's a major bummer but Mark had the great idea of making me a "getting ready" area with a vanity. We've been looking at different desks and drawers to make the space more functional. 

buy it here

I like this white, glossy looking table from IKEA. It's not too wide so it will save space and you can buy drawers that fit underneath. 

buy it here

The Alex desk is a little wides but has space to hide cords in the back. This is the other option. We are going to measure the little closet/ room so see if it will fit. 

Think happy thoughts for us as we move today!! Have a great weekend everyone!