Dear mosquitoes and other letters..

  

Dear mosquitoes, there is a time and a place for everything.  No one can begrudge you when you decide to make a meal out of us when we're camping, hanging out on the dock watching the sunset, grillin' out, or playing cornhole.  We're outside, in your realm of suck (literally) and if we forget bug spray, hey, go at it!  However, when I am inside and in my bed, it is not time to go have yourself a feast on my feet of all places!  This means wearing shoes in unbearable and falling asleep takes a million times longer because I can't stop wanting to claw my feet off. Stay out of my house!  

Dear rain, go away. Last weekend was perfect summer adventuring weather and this constant downpour is throwing off my mojo and fading my tan.   

Dear JD Mass, last night you cooked us dinner and put the best bacon pieces on my pizza #husbandoftheyear.  You also never fail to encourage and try to help me, you're pretty much the best thing since pre-sliced bagles.   

Dear Bec Nicole, less than 20 days until I get to see your pretty face and our house becomes a bit more livelier and a tad louder. I can't wait!

Dear family, a little over 20 days until I get to see all your faces and man, does that make me happy! Now we can have awesome face-to-face conversations, instead of hilarious group text messaging.  I swear we need our own reality show.

Dear life changes that are around the bend, I'm excited and nervous for you all at the same time.  Bring it on (no, I am not pregnant...y'all need to chill).

Dear husband, who always gets two letters, in just 42 days we celebrate our first year of marriage.  Can you believe how quickly it's gone by?  It's been one of the best and toughest years of my life and I can't wait for the next 50 or so. I love you.

Love.

Happy Valentine's Day lovelies!

I hope everyone has a good day no matter what their relationship status might be.

We are all loved by someone!

newlywed adventures

This weekend was great for many reasons.

Friday we just got to hang out and be lazy all day, plus, we got to eat some North Carolina BBQ which would make any day a good one.

Saturday we got to sleep in and then my husband made me breakfast.  It's really nice when I can sit on the couch and drink my coffee, while he's in the kitchen cooking and singing along with his oldies Pandora station.  It felt cozy and wonderful.

Then we started looking at cars and trucks and finally found one that James wanted to look at...that was 4 hours away.  We were in the car within 20 minutes and thought that it was going to be a long day trip.  Not.  We ended up staying overnight because we found more trucks he wanted to look at in the morning over in Winston Salem.  So a quick Target run and we were set to spend the night.

The next morning, after a glorious extra hour of sleep, the truck was a bust and we needed to regroup over some coffee...and omelets...and biscuits and gravy...and pancakes...boy, do I love me some IHop.

We finally decided that we would actually get the truck we had originally set out to look at.  It's a little blue Ford pickup.  Older, but still in great condition.  He's happy and I'm happy.  

 There was a second yesterday where we felt very gangster and very rich.  

Please don't find me and try to rob us because it's gone. We're poor again. The end.

We ended up getting home well over 24 hours after we had left.

It was unexpected but a lot of fun.  I like being a newlywed and getting to do fun things like this with my best friend.

happiness is...

---Happiness is waking up in the middle of the night, and feeling the heat of the person next to you. You turn around and see them in their most peaceful, innocent, and vulnerable state. They breathe as though the weight of the world lays on anyone's shoulder but their own. You smile,kiss their face in the most gentle manner so as not to wake them. You turn back around and an involuntary grin forms on your own face. You feel an arm wrap around your waist,and you know it doesn’t get any better than this.

-unknown

 

Married.

08-18-2012

The Happiest Day of My Life.

I'll be back to blogging soon.

oh heyyyyy

I had a (long) dress fitting today!

It fits like a glove but the bustle is giving us issues so I need to go back and figure that out.

Tomorrow...at 3:30 p.m....will be 14 days exactly until we start our ceremony.

I'm furiously finishing last minute decorations, day-of schedules, and all those details that need to be nailed down.  I've had a headache for the last 3 days straight which I'm pretty sure is due to the insane amount of emotions that are swirling around in my body.  

Any of my married blogger ladies want to give me some last minute bridal advice??

I'd appreciate it!

I can't wait to share our pictures and details with you!

LDR

Photo by Jennifer Ciani

*Rant*

Tonight will hopefully be the last time (for awhile) that I'm sitting on my bed crying about the distance between me and the man I love.  That photograph above made my heart wrench a little bit tonight.  Far too many times in the past five years I've done that very same thing.  Walked away crying and repeated to myself, "Don't turn around. Just keep walking. Don't turn around. Just keep walking," over and over again.  Way too many couples take for granted the time that they get to spend together.  It is precious and it is something that you should be thankful for
every. single. day.

It is commonly said that the groom doesn't have a say or won't want to have a say in the planning of his wedding.  This, my friends, is complete bullshit. At least where I'm concerned.  I need his input and I really would like his help right about now.  Planning a wedding while you are still in a long distance relationship is hard.  In fact, I think I'm finding it harder to deal with then I did a deployment.  Not a day has gone by over this planning time that I haven't had something I need to ask him or want his opinion on.  This will be OUR day and what our guests see is going to be the product of a lot of text messages and phone calls back and forth in regards to what our wedding should be like.

All of that being said, I cannot wait for my long distance relationship to be over.  We have a TON of catching up to do and the rest of our lives to spend doing just that.  I have a feeling we're going to be "dating" each other for many, many years to come and I'm completely happy with that.

*This concludes the rant portion of tonight*

Motto

One of my love languages is definitely quality time. 

I feel loved when people that I love spend time with me and/or take time to talk to me or call me or write me or visit me. I love love love all of that.  This new song has inspired my new motto, because I want to make sure that all the people I love know that I would give all my time to them in a heartbeat.

Josh Turner's new song out on the radio right now is called "Time is Love."

This song is perfect and amazing for people who have the same love language as me.

I hope you enjoy!

5

I've been thinking a lot about the number 5 today.

Especially in regards to different stages of life.

If you think about it, a lot happens to kids between the time they're born and the time they reach 5-years-old.

In that span of time they lean how to talk, walk, eat normal food, ride bikes, run, jump and can go to school.

Then once they hit their teen years there's a whole other set of things that they learn.

How to manage their time, how to handle drama, how to work, and how to love...all while going through high school and (most likely) their first year of college.

There's a lot that can happen in those few years.

Today, I've been head-over-heels in love with the man I will soon call my husband for 5 years.

We started dating in 2007 and man, have we been through a lot.

College, moving out on our own, enlistment, deployment, drama, trips back and forth to see each other, hours on the phone, thousands of text messages, engagement, and wedding planning...just to name a few.

Through all the ups and downs, I wouldn't trade a thing and I'm more than excited to start our next chapter, our next 5 years of life, together. Who knows what's going to happen! 

Our first picture as a couple. One of my favorites.

And one of our engagement pictures.

monday

 Maybe Monday

Maybe I couldn't push myself to run more than a mile today.

Maybe my mom and I made another recipe from the Pioneer Woman's blog.

Maybe I feel really weird every time I go into Home Depot by myself.

Maybe I don't normally like surprises, but I'm excited for my surprise bridal shower my sister is planning.

Maybe I really started stressing about money and things we have to do in the next 110 days.

Maybe babysitting for 18 kids makes me feel really confident about my future-mothering skills.

Maybe I've been more bitter about moving home than I thought.

Maybe I really, really miss my future husband...like really, really.

in honor of the rain

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To read in the morning and at night
My love
Has told me
That he needs me.

That's why
I take good care of myself
Watch out where I'm going and
Fear that any drop of rain
Might kill me.

Bertolt Brecht

Rebel without a cause and feeling better

On Friday I wrote a little note to myself telling me that I needed to get my $#&% together and get out of my funk.  I don't know if it was just having a pretty good weekend or what, but I felt a lot better today.  

There's a lot of rough stuff that's been happening to put a damper on my mood over the last month.

The biggest one is that my wedding venues keep falling through.  Can you yell say B-U-M-M-E-R???

We keep plugging on and moving to the next best thing.  If anyone has any ideas for a wedding venue in Central California, pass them my way pretty please *bats eyelashes*!

This was THE one that got away...*sigh* makes my stomach hurt.

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But despite all that, I'm feeling better and I'm ready for this last week of February and March to start!

March is going to be a good month, I can just feel it.


And now a picture of James Dean...The Rebel Without a Cause.
 Almost-husband and I had a funny exchange about this movie title and it made my night.
Enjoy.

Love is in the air.

Happy Valentine's Day lovelies!

All photos via pinterest

I hope that every single one of you have an amazing day, 

whether you're loving on a significant other or just yourself.

I'm actually not so sad about this V-day. Why might you ask?

Well it's my last one that I'm going to spend without the love of my life.

We did get to celebrate early last week.  I wasn't aware that it was a Valentine's Day date until after an amazing dinner, but I did get surprised and spoiled with all the fun gifts that I've never been able to get before and I loved every single one of them.  My Valentine is pretty dang amazing and sweet.

Make sure you tell your loved ones that you are so happy they're in your life and that you appreciate them today and every single day.  

And now a tiny preview of our engagement pictures taken by my ever-so-talented sister...
Happy Valentine's Day my almost husband. My heart is yours and I can't wait to marry you.

Wishes for everyday life

Today was a normal day.

We did everyday errands.

Waited at the DMV, got taxes done, shopped for new running shoes, took a nap (me), and played video games (him).

The only thing I'm wishing for today is that September would hurry up and come.

These regular things should not feel like Christmas all the time.

I'm ready to trade my once-in-a-while relationship, for an everyday marriage.

Go say hi to Brooke and see what everyone else is wishing for today!

Have a good night lovelies!

"We've got bonds baby, just try and break them"

The internet has not been my favorite thing in the world lately and unfortunately that means I've been neglecting my blog and writing about my psalms. I'm still not feeling all that into it, however; like this print said, everything will be alright eventually.

It's already a million times better because of the people that have come alongside us with their love and words of wisdom.  I truly have the most amazing group of men and women in my life.  The ties and bonds between us are something that will never be broken and our lines of communication will remain strong for the rest of my life, no matter what.  My family is my life. My parents and my siblings are amazing and I'm so proud to be their daughter and their sisters.  My soon-to-be-husband is my world. Without him there would not be near the amount of love and joy in my life that there is now. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

I promise I'll get back into the internet eventually.

Have an amazing week everyone.

Day 21...Wait, what did you say?

 

I know it's already supposed to be Day 22, but I'm still up and according to my cousin Will, the day doesn't end until you go to sleep, so I'm gonna blog about Day 21.

Today (or tonight), I am thankful for modern technology, even though it may not work all the time.

In a age where internet did not exist, military girlfriends, fiances, and wives had to actually write hand-written letters to their men overseas.

We'd be so happy we could cry together
and then we'd love the way we used to do.
I wish that I could hide inside this letter
and seal me up and send me off to you.
Special delivery,
I'd V-Mail this female to you.
—Nat Simon and Charlie Tobias, “I Wish That I Could Hide Inside This Letter,” 1943

I found this really awesome paper written by a girl at the University of Wisconsin, about letter writing during World War II and in it she wrote, "A 1945 document entitled “Annual Report to the Postmaster General”compared the volume of mail between the fiscal years 1943-1945. In 1943 when the war was well

underway, 570 million pieces of mail were sent. This increased to 1.4 billion in 1944 and rose again in 1945 when 2.5 billion pieces of mail were dispatched. These figures reflect only the letters sent to the Army, a similar increase can be seen for letters mailed to sailors in the Navy."

That's a ton of letters!

I'm thankful that today it's easier to send hand written letters overseas than it used to be and that it's even easier when I can just send an e-mail from my computer or my phone and I know it will instantly be in an inbox, waiting to be read.

I'm thankful for my smart phone that lets me be connected anywhere, at anytime, for those random days when communication is possible and if I hadn't been near an electronic device that opportunity would have been missed.

I'm also thankful that even if the internet acts up and I have to talk, wait a minute for my voice to be heard and then another minute to get a response back, I can still hear his voice and we can still have a conversation.

Day 3

Day 3: The Love of My Life!

First picture after we got engaged

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for the man I'm going to marry very soon.

He's been my best friend for years and let me tell you, I'm thankful that our relationship started off that way.

I'm so glad that he loves me for who I am and puts up with my faults.

I love that he loves my family and that they love him.
I'm thankful that he wants our marriage to be strong and that he's willing to work on it with me!

I'm super thankful that our long distance relationship is going to end in a very good way!

Fun story

Last year on October 3rd, I blogged about a trip to Downtown Disney that Corinne and I took.

While we were there, we drove over to the place in the picture, because then and even more so now, that place is super special to me.

I had Corinne take this picture so I could send it to my boyfriend with a, "Wish you were here," message.

Those steps in the picture used to just be the place where my sweetheart and I had our first kiss.

In fact, I was sitting in exactly the same spot that night.

It'll probably always remain in my top 5 favorite moments we've had in our almost 5 years of dating.

Little did I know, that less than a year later, something else would happen on those steps that would make them even more special.

A month ago, he and I actually got to go to Downtown Disney together and we walked over to the same hotel to the same place in the picture above.

I was still sitting in pretty much the same exact spot and he was actually there next to me...then he was on the step below me...and then he asked me to marry him on our steps.

Next to the day we get married, that'll be my second favorite moment of our entire relationship.

It's funny how so much can change in just under a year.

Last year, I was wishing he was there.

This year, I'm anxiously waiting for our wedding day.

Have an amazing week everyone.

Amen

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Happy List for Monday

1. Bonfires in Carmel with my family and our friends.

2. Getting rid of old stuff to make room for the new.

3. "Remind Me" by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood

4.  Ruffledblog.com

5.  Labor Day BBQs and hot tub nights.

6.  Surprises.

7.  Pazookies

8.  When Candace comes home.

9.  "The Mann Girl Men"

10.  Being engaged...

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