Transitions for Team Smelkins

Image Credit: someecards.com

Since my last update a few exciting events have occured in the Smelkins household:

• We paid off our car loan!
• Matt left his crappy day job at a big-box retailer. Today was his last day!
• I realized that my temporary, part-time restaurant job has morphed into a year long, full-time commitment that is leaving no room for seeking full-time, meaningful career-type work. So I'm leaving Olga's and this is my last weekend waiting tables!
• Matt had an interview last Monday and a job offer by that Friday to be the newest Quality Assurance Engineer with a local company!
• Matt's starting wage will be larger than our yearly combined income!

Life is changing in a wonderfully strange way. It is awesome that we are both leaving jobs that were killing us to pursue work that we enjoy. Until I find myself an adult job like Matt did, I'm going to continue on-call work with our local DV agency.

Tomorrow Matt and I are going to take the early bus to downtown Seattle to check out the timing and bus route he will be taking to work. Since we'll already be downtown we're going to make a celebratory date-type event out of it! I'm very excited and you can look forward to a picture post detailing our date.

Image Credit: vahidbehzadi.wordpress.com

Watching the leaves change

Goodbye Summer. Hello Autumn! 

I have always wanted to witness the leaves turn colors from green to yellow and red; however, in Texas, Autumn means the leaves turn from green to dead without a spectacular show of color. Fortunately, here in our corner of Washington state, I have already seen oodles of yellow, orange, and red leaves. Moving here has finally allowed me to watch the leaves change first hand and I am uber excited!

I've been scouting around for the best color changing trees in our neighborhood over the past week and here are a few I have managed to snap pictures of. I wish I had a fancier camera to take more impressive pictures, but maybe this will encourage you all to come visit us to see the trees in person instead.

Starting to change from green to yellow!

Turning from green straight to red!

Close up of the leaves.

It almost looks like the leaves are smoldering in a fire with those colors.

  

Tiny maple tree but it is turning a beautiful orange/red color

Up close picture of the maple tree's leaves

The colors don't stop at the trees. There are tons of bushes putting
out beautiful red berries! I don't believe they are edible though. 

A gorgeous rose bush I found hiding in the back of the apt complex
with just a few buds and blooms left.

And of course, the evergreens are as green as ever and laden with pine cones!

The Countdown Begins!

Tomorrow, I will drive 5 hours to visit my childhood friends before being the first to move away from the state.

In 3 days, we will have a going away party to retrieve all the luck our friends can gift and give the biggest hugs possible in return.

In 4 days, Matt and I will stow our belongings in a moving truck to live out of suitcases for 2 weeks before our possessions reach us.

In 8 days, we will begin a 35 hour road trip from Texas to Washington - the longest we have been on together.

In 9 days, Matt and I will have spent 24 hours in a car together. Who knows what kind of delirium we will be experiencing at this point!

In 10 days, we will arrive in Seattle exhausted and excited and anxious and on-the-edge and oh so many other emotions.

What are you waiting for? (Source: PostSecret.com)