Stroup's Trip

For Thanksgiving we had my(Pauls) Family in town. My aunt, uncle, grandpa, grandma, mom and dad got to see all of the major attractions in Atlanta.
We took them to the World of Coke Cola
Georgia Aquarium
Fernbank Museum of Natural HistoryZoo Atlanta
Inside CNN TourEveryone got to meet Riley and Bailey
The Home Depot HQ
We ate dinner at the Sun Dail on the 73rd Floor of the Westin Hotel

Atlanta History Center and High Museum of Art. Now I need to sleep for a couple days to recoup.

Our Trip to Disneyworld

A few weekends ago Paul and I enjoyed a little trip out to Disney World. Our friends had some free tickets and invited us along. So we took them up on it and had a great time. After all, it is the happiest place on earth. Here are a few pics!

Here is us after our scary ride on the Tower of Terror!

Our good friends Katey and Casey Jones!

Us hanging out with Woody (and Paul holding his hand for some reason?!?)

a shout out to a fellow entrepreneur

Our good friend Casey Jones just stated a company called Casey Jones Golf. He worked for the PGA tour for many years as a professional scoreboard artist (Don't ask me how you get that job!) He is a very talented artist and now offers professional hand drawn scorecards to the public. We think it is a terrific idea. And the holidays are coming up! You should check him out:

http://www.caseyjonesgolf.com/golf-gifts.htm

I Start My New Job Today!

So I (Paul) got a promotion at work! I am now a Senior Supply Chain Analyst of Project Implementation. Besides my sweet new title, I will enjoy moving away from programming and start project management. This is a new position for the company so who knows what I will really do but it will be an exciting adventure. Erin and I both start our new jobs today so I thought this tooth paste for dinner was appropriate. Good luck Erin you will do awesome because you are awesome!

The Cinocco's came to town!

My parents were able to make it out to Atlanta a couple weeks ago and we had a great time. We went to the beach, ate yummy seafood and just enjoyed time with one another.

A new job for Erin

As many of you know, I have been working at a Pilates Studio for the past year. And as many of you know, taking the job was the only way I could get of that horrible nightmare of a camp job I got when we first moved here. (the one with all the tears shed, ankles sprained and bites) I am now on to bigger and better things! It has taken me a while to find my way "carrer wise" in Atlanta but now feel like I may have found my niche. While doing my wedding planning business on the side for the past 9 months, I have met a ton of people. Florist, DJs, Bands, Photographers and caterers. One caterer that I worked with on a few occasions called me up and said that he loved working with me and wanted me on his staff. He said he would "work on it". Then I didn't hear from him and thought really nothing of it. I just figured I was destined to work a Pilates Studio forever. I got a call from him on Friday and he offered a full-time event planning job through his company, Badda Bing Catering! He also wants to bring my business along side with his and help me build it. Its all kind of confusing but basically, my hard work has paid of and am now going to be able to quite the studio and begin event planning full-time! Its hard to believe I have only been at event planning for 9 months and is now a full-time thing. I wanted to let you all know how excited I am and I know Paul and some news about his job to share as well. He should be posting something soon. I hope you are all well and love and miss you guys.

Erin

Nickel Creek Tickets!

I love the bluegrass band Nickel Creek and it seems like I always miss their shows. But alas, I have purchased tickets for October 12th! I am sooo excited!!!

Erin

http://nickelcreek.com/

North Georgia State Fair!

Paul and I took a little trip up to the North Georgia State Fair. It had everything a fair has to offer. Rigged overpriced games, rides that look like they are going to fall apart any second, the most awful junk food for you and some pig racing. It was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures.

Durango Trip

Erin and I made a trip out to lovely Durango. We haven't been out there in over a year so we were very excited to get out there. We tried to hit up everything that we were missing from good old DGO. Here are a few picture from our trip.




















Erin and I at our Pirate Party Arrr!
















Ashley, Mark and I at the starting line of the Imogene Pass Run
















Erin getting into character after a few pirate-mojitos!






















Erin and Sage smiling for a picture. She's so cute (Erin that is).

We have moved again!

Are you surprised?!?! You shouldn't be. It is only Paul and I's 6th move since we got married 3 years ago. We have moved into a fun neighborhood called "Berkley Park" http://www.berkeleypark.org/in which we hope to buy into next year. We are literally smack in the middle of Atlanta in the Industrial district. We love it and so do the dogs. They now have a big backyard to run around and explore and we now have more then one closet! yeah. The one down fall to this house that I discovered on Monday morning is that there is no outlet in the bathroom! Grrr. I now have to blow dry my hair in our living room. But, that is what you get when a house was built in 1920. We still have an extra bedroom and we would love for any of you to come and stay. Here is our new address in case any of you should need it:

768 Antone St. NW

Atlanta, GA 30318

Take Care,

Erin

The craziness of Michael Vick

I don't know how much everyone else is talking about Michael Vick, but here in Atlanta, that seems to be all the people are talking about. As I am sure most of you know, Michael Vick just plead guilty to raising and fighting dogs in his home. It crazy to me how much people just worship professional athletes. Many people, for some crazy reason assume that because someone is good at sports, that it makes them a good role model. Oh, what a wake up call. I just read an article that made me laugh. Angry fans, in protest to Vick, have begun to mail their Jerseys to Atlanta human societies for dogs to use as beds, toys and rags. Oh so funny. This is yet one more reason Paul and I don't watch or support and major athletic teams. If the world could take the amount of time they invest in major league sports and instead volunteered, worked, relaxed, exercised or spent some time with God, I think the world would be a better place. Yep, that is what I think. Oh, and did I mention that at the local Domestic Violence shelter in ATL, (where we sometimes volunteer) the kids room was donated by Michael Vick and so there is a huge painted portrait of him on the wall? What message is this sending to these kids? Ok. I feel better now :)

Atlanta's little Chinatown

I am sorry it has been so long since we have written. We have not been up to very much lately. Paul and I ventured out this weekend to see a part of Atlanta we had yet to visit, the little Chinese district of Atlanta. I was amazed at this little part of town. Everything was written in Chinese. The hot, humid air and smells defiantly took me back to Asia. We drove around trying to decide where to eat. We finally picked this old little strip mall with some awesome Chinese food. We even tried duck for the first time. It was a good time. And is about it for now! And I couldn't really find any pictures, so here is a picture of Miss. Chinatown Atlanta for your viewing pleasure.

The Georgia Aquarium

So if you ever make it out to Atlanta you have to visit the Georgia Aquarium. Erin and I went out there yesterday with the Kuypers who were out for a book expo. I have heard great things about the aquaruim and Erin and I finally got a good reason to go visit. It was awesome! I am kind of a fish nerd so maybe my view is bias but you will have to come see it for yourself. I put a couple pictures on my flickr account if you want to check it out. This picture below is from the 5 million gallon ocean tank. The viewing window is 25' by 60' so it like being in the ocean.
-Paul

Trip to Africa!

Well, I have decided to pick and go to Africa. My good friend, Caitlin Clarkson has been serving in the Peace Core in Zambia, Africa. And I figured now was the time, more then ever to get a little taste of Africa. When else will I be able to live in a little village in Africa? And one of my oldest and bestest of friends is coming with, Miss Brittany Gray. We are going to have an awesome time. (Especially on the 30 hour flight. We will be able to catch up for lost time) It will be an experience for sure. The plan is to be over there for 2 weeks in February helping Caitlin with AIDS education as well as work at clinics and play and love on all the kids around her village. We will also do a little Safari trip and maybe bungee jumping ( I am still thinking about this) I have already started getting ready. I am now waiting on a copy of my marriage certificate to reapply for my passport. So, please start to keep both Brittany and I in your prayers as we prepare for this trip, as far as visas, passports, shots, saving for plane tickets and all of that fun stuff! I will keep in touch for sure! Only 6 months and counting!

Erin

KaBOOM Build

When you think of KaBOOM you probably think about the cheesy commercial with the infomercial guy that says “KaBoooM and you will never scrub again”. At Home Depot KaBOOM is a nonprofit that we build playground with. Over the last couple of months I have been working with KaBOOM to build a playground a couple miles from our house. It was a lot of fun and hard work. Everything went smoothly and we got the playground up in record time thanks to the 250 people that showed up! We also got a little motivation from Webster.
-Paul

Blood Mountain Trip

It seems like a 4th of July tradition for Erin and I to hike Blood Mountain. Blood Mountain is about 90 miles north of Atlanta. Last year we did it and really got a good taste of what balmy heat in GA is all about. We barely made it because we didn’t have enough water or snacks. This year we came prepared with a lot of water and snacks but it ended up being a really cool overcast day. It was a good chance for me to do some training for the Imogene run. We're both little sore today but it was a lot of fun. Erin and I finished the day off with some tubing down the Chestatee River and firework in downtown Decatur with some friends. Hope everyone had a good 4th.

-Paul

Another Road Trip

So I think Paul and I need to start a business offering to drive peoples cars all over the United States. We have come across some pretty sweet deals so far, especially this past weekend. A client of mine from my Pilates Studio heard about our little trip up to Boston a few months ago to pick a friends car and then asked if we would be interested in doing it again. So, we drove her Honda Element up to her beach house in Duxbury, Massachusetts and it return was able to hang out at this awesome beach house for 3 days! It was a cute little cottage overlooking the ocean with a hot tub and a sweet outdoor shower. Paul's brother Chris and Amy were also able to make it up with Micah. We had a blast sleeping in, hanging out on the beach and eating lots of lobster. It was a great weekend and we are crossing our fingers she will need us to come up there and pick up the car at the end of the summer. Here are a few of my favorite pictures.
Erin

I am glad I have Paul around to take cool pictures for me!

Ahhh, aren't we so romantic?
Not so much.
It was freezing cold and 4:45am!
But, a cool picture none the less.

The Stroup Fam hanging out on the beach!

Lobster is Yummy!

Imogene Pass Run

I am running in a 17 miles race in Durango this Fall. So I am writing a blog to track my training. Please come check it out and support my journey. Road to Imogene Pass

-Paul

It’s a small world after all

This past week Paul and I went out with one of his co-workers and his wife. At first, I thought it would be like the usual “co-worker dinner”, the boring dinner with the non-social industrial engineer type and the wife I have nothing in common with! However, this time it was different. Paul found a co-worker whom had also graduated from Ft. Lewis along with his wife. (Linked in is a cool little thing for all you business types that may not know about it) And they had just gotten back from their honeymoon from Thailand. I was really excited; I would actually be able to carry a conversation! So we decided to meet at this little Indian restaurant and just reminisce about college and Thailand and all that fun stuff. What was crazy though was as I was talking to Lucinda, I found out that she too did her internship at the Southwest Safehouse for college and then worked their part time as a relief counselor, the year before I had started. We talked about the house, the clients, the staff and the crazy things that happened in that house. (ie the lesbian group showers, doing meth on the kitchen table, you know all of those stories many of you heard!) This was awesome considering there are only a handful of people who have ever worked at the house let alone even know where the house is! It was crazy. Here we were sitting in a little Indian restaurant in Atlanta talking about the safehouse we both happened to work at in Durango. It is defiantly a small world and I am amazed of the connections I always find wherever I go.

It's been a year!

Well, we have now been in Atlanta for a year. This is very hard to believe. It is amazing how settled we feel and how much Atlanta is now home. A year ago I would have never told you this. It was a rough start at first. I still remember pulling into our first little apartment and opening the door to start to unload the trailer to find that the landlord turned off our electricity. It was 90 degrees and super humid and we were exhausted from the drive. All we wanted to do was lay on floor of an air conditioned apartment. Instead, we put on our headlamps while we unloaded the trailer and it was miserable. (we didn't get out electricity on for 3 days!) And this was just the start of bad luck as many of you know. The job I had lined up fell through the day I was to start, I got in a bad car accident and then to top it off, our landlord, 2 months into our lease, decided to claim bankruptcy and we were forced to move again with a few days.

Since those first few rocky months, God has been so good and has blessed us tremendously. We found a great little house in an awesome neighborhood, I have started my own business, we have gotten involved in a amazing church, have met some great friends and life is good! It is funny to see sometimes the path God takes you on to get somewhere. I wouldn't change our experience so far for anything.

We hope you are all well and we would love some visitors to our great city! We even have an air mattress for visitors :) Talk about luxury! Anyways, we love and miss you all and can't believe we have been gone for a year!

Erin