Where Are You Going, My Little One?

Time is such a fickle friend.  In so many ways.  The days are long in terms of just getting through.  But the years are short.  And the day -- just to spite the previous statement of them being long -- goes by quicker than I think, and I don't have enough time for all the things I need and want to do.  Such irony.  I'm sure it's just the stage of life in which I am living right now. 

I wish I had more time to record my thoughts about this.  But I don't.  This is a song title post, by the way.  If you're anything like my mom, grab a tissue.

But the gist is this:  Lynnaea starts kinder in the Fall.  And my heart is breaking just a bit already.  Especially when I really stop and think about it.  Today I started envisioning dropping her off at her first day and walking away.  Hoping she won't be too afraid.  Hoping she will find friends.  Hoping she will be a friend.  I started having emotions well up inside of me just thinking about it.

Was it really already so long ago that she was the same size and age as Katherine? 

I am trying to be the best mom I can be.  I want to be the kind of mom my sweet Lynnaea deserves.  Some days it is very, very hard.  But I love her fiercely and I know I will miss her so very much when she isn't here all day.  She's my helper, really, in these crazy days of 3 children.  Sometimes I don't fully realize just how much of a help she has been these past 3 months since Katherine has joined our family.  But every once in a while, I'm given the opportunity to see how much she has helped me -- and to realize just how much she has grown.

She currently loves all things unicorns.  So Saturday, when we went on our mommy-Lynnaea date (trying to do this once a month with both bigger kids now that Katherine has arrived), I bought her the unicorn lollipop, but she bought herself the stuffed unicorn with her own money. 

How grateful I am for my precious girl.

3...It's The Magic Number

I'm a little behind on posting this (shocking, right?), but Lynnaea turned 3 last week :).  And in honor of that, I made this a song title post!  You know, since I haven't done one of these in forty forevers...  Or at least it feels that way.  This song was one of our favorites back in my 1995 MTV watching days. 

So my girl is 3.  Most days, when I really sit and reflect on it, it is hard for me to believe she is the same itty-bitty baby we brought home from the hospital.  The same chubby little toddler who was always happy.  She is tall and beautiful.  Smart and funny.  Inquisitive, adventurous, bubbly and full of life.  She is part "tom-boy" and part princess.  I can see her wittiness coming out, and I love it.

She is definitely independent.  She wants things her way.  And she lets you know her opinions when they aren't.  So, we've definitely had some battles of wills.  But she is still the sweetest girl.  She has a tender heart.  Sometimes, when I lay down next to her at night and sing I am a Child of God, she offers me her other spitty (her little comfort things that were her burp rags when she was a baby).  It may seem like the silliest thing to have my heart melt over, but it's not.  Because, honestly?  That spitty rag is the best thing she has to offer, and she offers it to me.  And I hold it.  I love this girl more than words can say.  We have some hard moments.  We have some hard days.  But I love her fiercely.  And I always will.

 Happy 3, my beautiful smart girl.  You are a joy and a light to me every single day.

Heart in a Blender

So when I first told my mom about that song (well over a decade ago now), she said "Gross." 

True, it doesn't leave such a nice mental image:  heart in a blender.  But I loved that song years ago.  And I still like it.  And I felt it was somewhat applicable to this random post.

Which is not at all about what the song really is about.  But it is, usually, what goes through my head almost anytime I think the word "blender."  It's something I do frequently:  hear song lyrics in my head for something I hear or think. 

And blenders have been a topic of much conversation in our household lately.  Because our "old" blender (pictured above) pretty much bit the dust.  A few weeks back (maybe even months now), Jeremy was pureeing up a bunch of pumpkin from our garden.  We roast it, puree it, and then freeze it and I have it for pies and pumpkin bread, etc.  Well, our little 350-watt blender just didn't have the oomph anymore to keep up with our demands.  And we started smelling the motor.  And noticing it wasn't blending or pureeing very well anymore.

Then, last week, Lynnaea and I were going to enjoy a smoothie.  And somehow the gasket seal got sucked up into the jar (I was using a mason jar instead of the actual pitcher), and torn -- and that pretty much sealed the fate of the blender. 

This blender has been in my possession for almost 15 years.  And that's why I named this post as I did:  heart in a blender.  Because the more I live, the more I see how I personally (and possibly many others) attach emotional significance to things.  And I think that's mostly for the memories they hold.

I can remember I bought this blender at the very end of June in 2000 in Dothan.  I bought it at Wal-Mart.  And I figured it was just one more thing I would add to my "hope chest" for the "one day" when I was living on my own.  And I remember all this, because it was also the night I had my very first kiss.  (I don't count the one from pre-school ;)).  Yes, go ahead and do the math.  I was 19 years old.

And so, in a way, you could say a piece of me is in that blender -- my memories.  And so, as I sit on the cusp of throwing it out (at least the bottom part -- and the top part I'd actually already replaced.... I broke the plastic pitcher that came with it a year or two ago...), I acknowledge that I have attached a sentimental value to this blender. 

And I realize I could easily become a pack-rat for this very reason.  For I attach sentimental value to most things.  I put my heart in a blender...  In a camera...  a DVD...  And even a hot chocolate carafe set.

It's true that things are just things.  But, for me at least, it's also true that they are sometimes more.  And no, I won't be hanging on to the blender motor for the sake of memories.  That is part of why I recorded these thoughts here.  But it makes me to smile to look around me and see a house full of memories.  And it makes me smile to know that I'll make new memories with my new blender -- a new one in which to put my heart...  Starting with green smoothies ;).

Today Was [Not] the Greatest

It's a song-title post!  Like the first in forever! (I love this Smashing Pumpkins song.  I remember watching it on MTV.)

The good news is that the day ended on a good note. 

The rest of the day... not the greatest day ever. 

It began at 6:40 when the munchkin woke up.  I tried to convince her she wanted to sleep longer with me in my bed.  She was having none of that.  So we got up. 

And she was uber-fussy.  And I was uber-grumpy.  She yelled at me because I wouldn't give her one of my pre-natal vitamins (the audacity, Mommy!).  Yep, she's entered the tantrum phase.  And so we've started showing her that the only place it's okay for her to throw tantrums is in her room.  We carry her in there, put her on her toddler bed (which she isn't currently sleeping in yet, but it's a good option for her when she's not really being punished and can therefore leave her room of her own choice) and tell her she is welcome to come out when she is ready to not be angry with us.  Then we pull the door to (not closed, so she can get out) and return to what we were doing.  She usually comes out within 30 seconds. And so far, her mood improves just as fast...

She also yelled at me because I insisted on holding the cup with the chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie we were sharing, even while she was drinking out of it.  Because I didn't want it spilled all over the place.  We again talked about where tantrums were appropriate.  (Not that we are super-excited to have her throw them... But we acknowledge that she has opinions and she is her own littler person with likes and dislikes and frustrations.  We believe she has the right to express herself, but there is an appropriate way and place for her to be in a bad mood...).

Of course, maybe I should have stayed in my bed all day since I was grumpy.  Too bad mommies don't have that option.  I'd have gladly taken it today!

Anyway, I did a lot of baking (prepping for the Christmas goodies give-away I do every year...).  Plus I had a friend coming over with her kiddos for dinner since her husband is away for work and she needed a mommy break -- and her kids love rough-housing with Jeremy.  Plus I was making enough to take to another friend who just had baby number 5 -- and the first one via c-section.  So, I was in the kitchen a lot, and Lynnaea didn't like that, because she kind of likes to be played with a lot. 

And I'll confess, I let her watch way too much TV today.  In the interest of her being happy and me getting stuff done.

And we did blow bubbles for a while -- which she thought was great.  Until she wanted to hold the bubble solution and I wouldn't let her.  Then she yelled at me again.  Repeat the "your bedroom" discussion. 

By the time Jeremy got home, I was just not in the happiest of moods.  I was exhausted and trying to finish everything.  My house looked like a disaster. 

And my thought:  This is why some women choose to work and send their kids to daycare! 

And then I felt guilty.  Because I have, for as long as I can remember, always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom.  But some days are hard.  And, until you're in the thick of it, you don't realize there are really hard days.  Before you are a stay-at-home mom, you live in ignorant bliss of what that really means. 

So, I thought of my own mom a lot today, while I was being the complete antithesis of the kind of mom she has always been -- and the kind of mom I aspire to be:  patient always, loving always, generous and giving always.  Being that she is, in fact, human, I am sure my mom had her frustrations when she had two toddlers running around -- or even a toddler and an infant!  But I cannot recall a time where I ever felt like she regretted being home with me -- or wished I'd just go away. 

And so, today, as I had those thoughts...  I felt a heavy heart.  Shame.  Guilt. 

Because I love being home with my Lynnaea.  I love her so very much.  And at the end of the day, as I hold her while she starts to fall asleep, and I sing to her...  Or while I read her stories before we head to her bedroom, and she calmly and sweetly sits on my lap and barks at the appropriate spot in the doggie story (she says "woof!" every time I point to the dog in the book; so I point to the dog every time the story says "woof!" -- it works great, and we're reading together :)).  In those moments, I look back over the day and think, "What was so hard about today?  Why couldn't I just deal?" 

And the answer is, I don't know.  Jeremy says we just have our ups and downs... 

But even so...  I want to be better than this.  Lynnaea deserves better.  And so, though today definitely wasn't the greatest day of ever...  Tomorrow is a new day.  And I'll try again.  To be the mommy I want to be.  And the mommy my precious girl deserves.  True, mommy-hood is not all roses.  But it's a wonderful blessing.  And I honestly wouldn't trade it -- or being home with my daughter -- for anything.  Even if, for a split second, I think I might...

You've Gotta Swim

I cannot go to bed early.  Seriously.  I tried going to sleep at 9:30.  I failed.  It's now about to be 11, so I'll try again. 

What did I do in the interim?  I got my writing fix.  As always, I have a number of writing projects going on.  Whether I'll ever do anything with this one, I cannot say.  But, if nothing else, it is a form of a journal.  It is a way to share some of the stories of my youth with my posterity. 

And because my dad loves to read anything even remotely Panama related, I figure I'll post it here for him.  The title of this blog post is a song.  It's also what I will name the "chapter" if I ever was to get this thing published.  Not because the lyrics lend meaning to what I wrote.  But because those specific words do tie in well with the topic.  And I like to take creative liberties :).  And I also love the song.

So here it is:

"Growing up as the child of two former lifeguards meant one thing was beyond certain:  I would learn how to swim.  And, honestly, that makes sense when one lives less than an hour from two major oceans.  

One of the many perks of being a U.S. Civilian dependent overseas was the swimming pools.  My family’s swimming pool of choice was Los Rios Swimming Pool, which was a mere 5 minute drive from our house.  It was free, people.  Free.  Only in recent years have I come to realize how wonderful that really was.  And the result is that I now feel slightly insulted when the YMCA wants me to actually pay to be able to swim in their pool.  But I digress…

So yeah, going to the pool was free.  When I was really young, my mom showed her PCC ID Card, and we were buzzed in.  Once I obtained my coveted B Badge (which remains in my possession to this day, attached securely to my scrapbook), I could get in by myself.  And how did I get that B-Badge (also known as the only Green Card Zonian kids cared anything about…)?  I passed my Beginner’s Swimming Test. 

I remember the event quite clearly, though I was quite young.  I am pretty sure I was still in kindergarten.  I can remember being in the “deep end” of the pool.  I was told to swim a certain number of laps free-style.  I remember a lifeguard swam beside me as I swam those laps.  Looking back now, I realize this was a safety thing.  I remember, when I completed my requisite laps, I was told to get out and go to the “Baby Pool.”  And I remember being afraid I’d failed.  Turns out that’s just where they sent you when you were done so they didn’t have to worry about you drowning or something.  Because I passed my test.  And I got my B-Badge.  And forever affixed to that card is my kindergarten picture – for identification purposes, of course.  Because even at the age of 16, that picture still screamed Hila enough that they let me in ;).

I continued on with swimming lessons for a few more years.  My parents required that I complete the Swimmer’s level course.  So I think that ended up being 4 years of swimming lessons.  I learned how to tread water.  I learned how to use my clothes as flotation devices, in the event I fell overboard fully clothed in jeans (try taking jeans off in water…  Seriously takes some effort!).  I learned how to do the back stroke, side stroke, breast stroke, and elementary back stroke.  And probably some other things I have forgotten now.

Oh yeah, did I mention that swimming lessons were free, too? 

I have many more memories from Los Rios Swimming Pool.  Birthday parties held there (also free), lifeguards flirted with there…  That pool was the scene of many great moments in my history.  And who knows?  Maybe I’ll share more of them eventually.  But for now, the swimming lessons should suffice.

To Everything There is a Season

The first song title post in a long time!!

As I sat looking at the baby clothes I was packing away today, I couldn't help but wonder:  will I pull these out again some day?  Or will I pass them on to someone else with a baby girl without ever using them again? 

Either way, they will never again be worn by my Lynnaea.

And I know this is the way of life.  But a part of me is still sad and feels the bittersweetness of the moment.

My little girl is a baby no longer.  She is a toddler.

I am grateful.  Grateful she is healthy and growing.  Grateful she is mine.

At the same time, though, I cannot believe nearly a year has passed.  That she has gotten so big.  Imperceptibly, when looked at day by day.  Yet over 11 months...  She is practically walking!  And so tall (almost 29 inches). 

But, there is a time for everything.  And today, it was time to pack away almost all of her baby clothes.  Because her season of infancy is over.  And while it may break my heart in a way that I cannot describe, I rejoice as well that I am a part of this precious baby's life.  I am awed by her every single day.  Amazed at the love I feel for her.  And how I cannot imagine life without her now, even though I spent 32 years of my life without her.

What a beautiful thing to be a mother.  What a blessing.  Even when it's bittersweet.

Lynnaea's first Easter.  We put some raisins, cheerios, and yogurt melts into eggs; along with pictures of the Savior.  She found them -- with a little help ;).

Her Easter dress.  She's ready for church.

In her new big-girl car seat!! On our way to Monday Meals at Lea's!  She loves this car seat because she can look out the windows.  She almost never falls asleep in the car anymore.

The newest member of 3M chowing down on some deliciousness!  She enjoyed the linguine and rolls along with us.  We'll wait a little longer on the ricotta meatballs and the warm winter lemon cake, though ;).

This is how she sleeps now.  I love it. 

 

My toddler today.  It's getting close to nap-time.  But I figured an up-to-date picture was in order ;).  I love this baby.  So very much.

Here I Am Staring at Your Perfection

Two months.

That's how old you are today, my sweet Lynnaea.  The past month has brought many changes for you!  You smile a lot.  Especially in the mornings -- and also at Daddy when he comes home from work.  You have the sweetest smile.  I just love it.  You hold your head up amazingly well!  You are very strong, and I love watching you grow and learn.  Your favorite position to be held in is over the shoulder.  You like to look around and see what is around you.  At the beginning of this month, you were mesmerized by lights and loved to stare at them.  Now your focus is dedicated to objects more.  You want to know where your favorite place in the house is?  The changing table.  You are almost always happy when we put you there.  Maybe it's because Daddy and I give you our undivided attention there (and I mean after the diaper change).  You draw us in like a magnet and we listen to you coo and we talk back.  We watch you smile, and we smile back.  It's a fun time for all of us :).

We are still working on your sleeping at night.  But I have learned a few tricks that help me get a little more sleep.  I've also learned how to get you to sleep best for naps.  It turns out you have made an association between sleepy time and your beautiful knitted blanket.  So I just cover you up with it (even when it's atrociously hot, like it happens to be today), set you against my chest, and walk and bounce you until you rest your head against me and sleep.  I could hold you for hours, Lynnaea.  I love to hold you.  And having you fall asleep on me is one of the sweetest joys I experience.  I know, I know...  Maybe it's a bad habit that I'll have to break one day.  But I don't care.  You're my precious baby girl, and there's plenty of time for all that.  I think you need mommy snuggles.  And I certainly need baby snuggles :).

As of right now, some of your biggest struggles seem to be with your digestion.  You spit up a lot, and you still get gas a lot.  Daddy and I have learned that we need to feed you less, but more often; otherwise you get a ton of gas, and that makes for a bad night!  We are hoping these things will improve as your digestive system improves.

Lynnaea, here's the thing:  you're perfect to your mommy.  I love you so very much.  I love your sweet little round face.  And as I sit with you on my shoulder and stare at your face by the light of the Christmas lights (Daddy strung up a strand so we have light for night feedings... Other lights drew your attention too much and distracted you from going back to sleep!), I am in awe of all of your perfection.  And so I titled this blog post as a line from a song.  You are my joy, little girl.  And though I don't think I deserve the precious spirit that you are -- and though I think you deserve a much better mommy than I am, I am thankful every single day that Heavenly Father sent you to me.  I love you...  Always.

Love,

Mommy

These Dreams...

Sometimes you dream something, and you decide you need to act on it.

That happened to me today.  And I'll tell you about it.  The dream is in italics.

I'm still working at the County.  And I'm at work.  I'm randomly exploring various cubicles of people (not like snooping, just being in their cubicle).  I realize I need to pee.  (Sorry if saying it so bluntly is uncouth.  But you know... I kinda am sometimes).  So I decide it would be wise to go the bathroom.  And I start walking -- toward the bathroom, I suppose.  Only I end up in the kitchen.  And my boss is in there talking to some random guy I have never seen before.  And I'm irritated, because with them in there, I realize I can't pull my pants down as I'm crawling into the refrigerator to pee.  (I have no idea...).  So I manage to get into the fridge, and I really have to pee.  But I have to pull my pants down.  And I have to lay down in the fridge, of course, because there's not enough room.  And it's really hard to get my pants down in this position with such limited space.  And so I am getting really frustrated and angry.  And hot.  Like this is taking a lot of effort to try to wiggle around in there.  And I really have to pee.  

And I wake up.  And I have to pee.  And I'm really, really hot.  (I get hot when I sleep, especially lately).  So, I decided I probably needed to act on that dream.  I got up and went pee.  And when I got back in bed, I didn't put the covers back on.  I was hot.  Haha...  The only thing I can figure as far as that strange dream of me planning to use the fridge as a potty (as though it was the most normal thing in the world to do...) is that I was hot and my subconscious somehow decided a refrigerator was a good place to go to cool off...?  Maybe?  Who knows.  I laughed about this dream.  And so did Jeremy when I told him about it.

I had another dream a few weeks back where the baby was moving a lot and the more the baby moved, the more transparent my stomach was, and I could actually see the baby's form.  And then I could completely see the baby.  And it was a girl, and she bore an uncanny resemblance to my sister when she was a baby.  And even had pierced ears.  Weird, huh?

Well, now that I've sucked you in with my wacko dreams...  I'll torture you with more news about pregnancy.  Hahaha.  And other stuff.  As promised, here is the glider we got:

It irritates me when blogger uploads these pictures sideways for no rhyme or reason.  Sorry about that, but whatever.  I don't know how to rotate it.  But you get the gist.  I'm pretty satisfied with it (the glider) :).

A lady from church stopped by Wednesday and dropped off a box full of baby stuff.  3 packs of jumbo pack pampers diapers (sizes 1 & 2), 2 blankets (one pink, one green), 4 sleep & play outfits, 5 other outfits of different sizes, and a box of wipes.  She is a wonderful lady, and I've had the opportunity to work with her when I was in Relief Society, and now in Primary.  She and her husband are very generous, and she always likes to bring all the Primary kids a treat on the holidays.  Anyway, I thought it was really sweet of her, and I totally didn't expect it!

I will have back-to-back (2 Saturdays in a row) baby showers.  April 27 and May 4.  Crazy!  And by then, I'll only have 3 to 4 weeks to go!  Ack!  We haven't registered, and we probably won't.  We are lame like that.  But I figure things like diapers are always necessities, and you don't really need to register for them...  I took a gift to a baby shower last Saturday, and got stuff off her registry.  One of the items was nursing pads.  When I brought them home to wrap them, Jeremy saw them, and he was like, "What are these!?!"  So then he read the box and got quite the education on a pregnancy "must-have" if you don't want an embarrassing moment and are planning on breast-feeding.  Ah yes... This is going to be an adventure indeed.  Because truthfully, though I am fully aware of things like nursing pads, I hadn't given one iota of thought to them.  And now I'm contemplating whether or not I want a breast pump.  Decisions, decisions.  Aren't you glad I shared ;)?

And ah, yes...  Today was our 1 year anniversary :)!  This has been a wonderful year.  To celebrate, we had linner (late lunch, early dinner) at The Olive Garden.  We like to miss the crowds :).  We actually really enjoyed our meal of unlimited salad and breadsticks, bruschetta appetizer, and I got the Garlic Tuscan Chicken while Jeremy got 4 Cheese Ziti al Forno (whatever that is...).  It was a lot of food, but they have this deal going right now, so we went for it.  And it was good!  And Jeremy can eat a lot of food -- even when I can't :(.  I told him that we needed to take a picture on our anniversary.  So this is what I got :).  He was headed outside to work on something, hence the headlight ;).  Yeah, we're pretty much done for the day, so we are all pj'd up. 

It was a great day, though :).  Baby has been active a lot.  We feel like we got stuff accomplished, and we got to enjoy a nice meal out to celebrate our special day :).  One down...  And to infinity and beyond!  :). 

And P.S...  Did I mention this was a song title post?  Oops :).

Here Comes the Rain Again

Yep, this is a song title post.  Because I like those.  I also toyed with the idea of naming it after a couple of other songs.  I might save those for another time, though.  Because I'm sure they will be applicable at another time in my life (even if I wish they wouldn't be...).

So the rain has returned to Washington.  We had something like 3 months of non-recordable rainfall.  That's pretty unheard of around here.  But in the last week, we've been wet and soggy 80% of the time.  And the temperature has dropped.  Jeremy and I haven't quite gotten out our winter clothes yet, but that's coming.  We feel it.  We keep putting it off because our house is so teeny tiny and it's a juggle-a-thon to try unpacking things.  I like to think when we have our house, life won't be that way.  But sometimes I think I'm just fooling myself ;).  Like I always think the grass will be greener over there somewhere. 

So seriously... I've been kind of in a funk lately.  Like an ew, gross, ick kind of funk.  Which is probably why my last post was so nostalgic.  Not sure why, exactly.  Just showed up and I had a hard time kicking it.  I think it's mostly gone, but every now and again (like this morning), it crops up again.  I'm feeling overwhelmed with a lot lately.  Which isn't really like me.  I usually thrive on a long list of things to do -- and I get a lot more done when I have a lengthy to-do list.  The last few weeks, that has not been true.  I've decided I want to spend a lot of my time reading for pleasure.  I've even quit looking at pinterest most days.  Today I started out funktefied, probably because I was thinking about how I needed to do laundry.  And go to the store.  And go to Lea's (but this was a happy thing!).  And go to Presidency meeting.  But you know, by the time I got the clothes in the dryer, things settled down.  Granted, I'd forgotten the laundry soap and had to buy it there (ugh).  And granted I had to go to the store while my clothes were in the washers, because I didn't have enough money to dry them (had to get cash back).  And granted, I forgot that was the very reason I went to the store in the first place and used my credit card (as is habit), which doesn't offer cash back as an option.  And so, granted, I had to stop at Rite Aid and see if they had either of the 2 items the grocery store didn't (cheeseballs or Booberry cereal).  And granted, when I finally had the money (Rite Aid had a massive container of cheeseballs), I drove past the laundromat like I was headed home, so I had to turn around...  But then I got the clothes in the dryer, and the day improved significantly.  And Lea was running behind today too, so the timing worked out perfect.  She and I enjoyed omelets and blueberry cream muffins and fun girl chat.  And I'm glad we do that every other Friday.  I think I need it :).

Of course, it hasn't helped that Jeremy and I have been a couple of sickies this week.  He got sick Sunday night, and I got sick by Tuesday and stayed home from work.  And now we are both coughing -- which I'm hoping is part of the getting it gone stages.  Our house isn't the driest house in the Pacific Northwest, so it's not helping us get over this...  And it also hasn't helped that graveyard shift is the pits.  Seriously.  I used to complain about swing shift...  Never again.  Graves is hideous.  Jeremy doesn't sleep so well during the day (he's in there sawing logs now, and it's 6:46 pm here), so his sleep schedule is all messed up.  And he reverts back to regular sleep times on the weekends, so he has to go back through it all again Sunday evening.  Ick.  He's on swings in November.  It'll be a breath of fresh air.

I didn't get the job I had applied for.  I was somewhat surprised not to have gotten it, because I am doing the work right now.  And there were a few days I was a little peeved about it, even though I do believe things happen for a reason.  And I think my life is just going to take a different direction, and I'm okay with that :).

In other news, I have decided, as part of my unfunktefying myself, that we are doing the Halloween party again as a family.  Nobody's house is big enough, so we are using the funeral home.  I'm pretty excited.  And this is why I was in search of cheeseballs (pumpkin poop) and Booberry cereal (Booberry treats).  Lea is going to go also and have craft stuff so the kids can do a craft.  Maybe I'll buy candy and they can use their craft bags and go trick or treating to the grown-ups or something.  Who knows.  But at least we'll have some fun food :). 

And I don't know if there is anything else exciting going on.  Nothing comes to mind.  I'll be 32 soon.  Ack.  That's weird.  I don't feel 32.  And I ate Chinese food tonight, and I'm still waiting for it to not be sitting so heavy in my stomach.  I think I ate too much of it.  And I know better than that :).

Thank You For Being [My] Friend

So I hope you will tolerate a nostalgia post.  Because I have felt very nostalgic lately.  Life has felt completely consuming.  Pepper jelly, plum jam, grocery shopping, paying rent, working, going to church, thinking up meals (and hopefully getting around to cooking them)...  It doesn't seem like a lot when I write it.  But man it's felt overwhelming.  And one of my biggest regrets is that I have not been in contact with friends like I would like to be.  And it makes me sad.  Because I love my friends.  Seriously.  I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends I think this world has to offer.  And I miss those who are thousands of miles away.  One of the things I've always said would be the coolest thing ever would be to have all my friends from all my years all in one place.  Then I could see them all!  Haha...  Okay, it's selfish.  But still.  So, this is a song-title post, and I'm sure it doesn't take much to discern what it's about...  But in case you didn't figure it out...  You can consider this a tribute to some really awesome people that I haven't forgotten.  No matter how crummy I am at keeping in touch.  Thank you for being [my] friend.  And for the beautiful memories.

Here are Tammy and Stacy.  They are a mother and daughter -- and they are both dear friends of mine.  So I have a ton of memories with both of them.  I've known Stacy longer, because we were in the same ward in Dothan for several years and we were visiting teaching companions once upon a time.  I met her mom because she started reading my blog and Stacy ratted her out :).  But I'm glad, because she and I began emailing each other and became fabulous friends as well.  The memory I have chosen to share concerning these two grand ladies is one from the night pictured above.  It was August 2008, and I was in Dothan for a few days before my dad and I went to Panama and then I moved here to Washington.  So Tammy, Stacy, and I went to a movie and then got dessert at Ruby Tuesday afterwards.  The movie?  Mama Mia.  With Pierce and all his awful singing :).  Oh how we laughed the whole way through the movie!  Being that it was an Abba-inspired movie, the discussion of Abba songs was an obvious one.  So I shared with them this time when Pres. Hinckley was visiting Panama and my mom, Brad, and I rode with some other people to attend the meeting where he spoke.  Well, the family we went with included their son Trampas -- who proceeded to sing "He is the dancing queen!"  So I was telling this story to Tammy and Stacy, laughing to myself about Trampas singing that song wrong -- and very obnoxiously, I might add.  But they laughed long before I got to that part...  His name is so unique that it caught Tammy and Stacy off-guard, and that is what made them laugh so hard.  It may not seem funny to most who read this, but I know they will laugh :).  And I do too :).

This is my cousin.  Many know her as Elka.  And this picture was taken when we were on the train back to New Jersey from a fun-filled day in NYC.  She and I became more than cousins...  We became friends.  It was pretty awesome.  I think this happened because of blogs, actually.  We shared a love of The Office (back in its heyday).  We both appreciate the greatness that is WaWa (she more than I, since I'm sure she has experienced the full spectrum of it's awesomeness).  She is sarcastic and hilarious.  I was seriously so hoping she was going to be stationed here next.  Yeah.  A lot of awesomeness.  Favorite memory with her?  Well, there are probably way too many to name, one of the tops is probably during our family reunion in 2008.  She and I slept upstairs on the pull-out bed the first couple of nights before her husband arrived.  We were having prayer with the family (to include the grandparents) and we had prayer in the living room around the pull-out bed.  My grandmother's dog thinks he needs to be front and center at all events, and usually is.  He was used to being on the bed during prayer.  Well, my opinion of such things differs.  Although, if it's not my bed, I don't really care.  However, I was going to be sleeping in that one.  So when my grandmother said, "Come on Bruiser, let's get you on the bed."  I was a little horrified as I heard the jangling of the dogs tags and knew he was going to be romping on my bedsheets in mere moments.  Not so.  Because Elka shared my feelings.  And was outspoken about it.  She was like, "Oh no."  And it didn't happen.  I still laugh at it.  She totally didn't mean it to come out.  But it did.  And we laughed about it for quite a while that night.

The is the fabulous Stefanie.  She was my roommate in Tuscaloosa.  She was a blessing in so many ways back then.  She still is now -- when she leaves sweet comments on my blog.  We had some great times -- like this one above when she woke me up exclaiming it was snowing in Alabama!!!  (It melted by about noon).  So we had to take pictures as proof, ya know.  There we were, in our jammies.  I look lovely, I know.  One of my favorite memories with Stefanie was when we had some rudely noisy neighbors upstairs.  Like creaky bed noisy.  It was disturbing on so many levels.  And one day, Stefanie heard it too and started banging on the ceiling yelling, "Stop it!!"  Pure awesomeness.  I was not getting good sleep those days...

This is Virginia.  Also a friend from Tuscaloosa.  I so miss her!  She became the person I knew was always up for hanging out -- whether it was family home evening with me, her, and Stefanie; or just hanging at her apartment; or making FHE houses (mine's still not finished...); or going to the Temple together every month.  Virginia is awesome.  This picture was taken after a Temple trip.  We decided to eat out at some place -- and we got the pu-pu platter -- which came with fire in the middle.  Haha...  We were there pretty late, as our session at the Temple had ended around 8 and it was an hour to drive back to T-town.  She and I would walk together many days.  She would cheer me up when I was freaking out about how much hair I was losing.  I don't know...  She's just a true blue friend.  Oh, and she introduced me to the most awesome frozen yogurt ever.  At Publix.  Yes.  For real.  Particularly the mint chocolate cookie.  So much flavor and half the guilt :).  Or the same amount of guilt because you eat twice the amount :). 

Ah... April.  I contemplated so many pictures I could have posted.  And then I remembered our thrift store picture.  This one is too cool to leave out.  Just like April.  She and I met in library school.  We left class during a particularly awkward presentation and ended up conversing in the hall-way.  The rest, as they say, is history.  April is so incredibly generous.  She would take me to the airport in B'ham when I was flying out -- and pick me up when I came back.  She would give up sleep to do this.  We would have awesomely awesome girlie parties -- centered around food, of course.  I am not sure which memory is my favorite -- there are so many!  Definitely in the running is when we had our The Office-themed party.  And we dressed up as characters from the show.  That was just too much fun.  I miss her.

This is the fabulous Juliebean!  I have a bazillion pictures I could have chosen.  Seriously.  We've been friends forever (or so it seems).  Almost 14 years.  That's a long time, you know.  Holy cow.  Sitting here I can't quite believe it's been that long.  That's almost half my life.  The Julie memories are classic.  In fact, we keep a friendship journal which we (sometimes) send back and forth to each other and record favorite memories.  Like the time of "ew stank."  Or the time we went to Savannah, GA and we got caught in a downpour.  Or those few months we lived together at her parents' house.  But one memory that outshines so many has to be the trailer hotel.  See, we went to Birmingham in 2006.  It was my first time there (not including the airport).  We thought, "It's Birmingham...  No problem finding a hotel" so we didn't book one.  Big. Mistake.  There were soccer tournaments and hockey tournaments (now deemed sockey by Juliebean and Nilla) and, like, zero hotel rooms.  We even stopped at one that looks like a two-story trailer.  No joke.  It was booked.  We knew these were dire circumstances at this point.  We did end up finding a place.  Not far from where April lived, in fact.  The front desk person was like, "But it's a king bed."  We could so care less.  We'd been friends for years by then.  We had no problem sleeping in the same bed.  Haha...  Especially considering there was nothing else that was remotely possible (because we were not staying in the rundown ghetto-fabulous hotel that was across the street... the only one maybe worse than the trailer hotel). 

This is Annie.  She is one of my favorite people ever.  She and I worked together at UA.  She sat in the cube in front of me.  She took me under her wing when I moved there.  It was because of her that I attended the Christmas party at the UA President mansion.  She was an integral part of our WEB team (for Strive for Five).  We discovered we washed clothes at the same laundromat (prior to me moving in with Stefanie).  And probably one of the most hilarious memories we share is the whole rat-infestation of 2008 on the Cataloging floor.  Me stamping my feet to keep the (what I thought was a) mouse from escaping all the while calling Annie or our supervisor.  Annie finally responding and coming around the corner.  And informing me that was no mouse... it was a rat.  And the rest of the story that ensued.  Hilarious.

And there are others.  Many others.  Kristin with her mint chocolate chip ice cream and all things 80s (jelly shoes).  Donna and her teaching me to make I Spy quilts at Troy.  Anne and our hours-long gab sessions (or running into her at Wal-Mart when I'm there on vacation for like 2 days).

Sometimes I miss Alabama and my friends so bad.  I know Washington is where I belong.  But Alabama has become a home to me.  It's where I long to escape to when life gets overwhelming.  I want to drag my sweet husband to Dothan and Tuscaloosa to see all these wonderful people.  To share in the joy I find there.  Maybe I'll tell him that's where we're going when we want to run away :).  Maybe we should run away tonight :)...  I'll keep ya posted ;).

We Are [Volunteers]

Okay, so it's technically a song title post.  But it's obscure.  I got it from a Primary (children's church) song called "We are Pioneers."  Anyone who knows that song may be signing it in their head now.  It's one of those types of songs ;).  But fun. 

So this is just a little quick update, because I find myself with a few free minutes way too early in the morning (for my taste).

So this bag of goodies is why I chose the song title.  They are itty bitty tomatoes.  I got them from the garden at my mom's house.  I didn't' plant any itty bitty tomatoes this year.  These are called volunteer crops.  See, Jeremy and I were at my mom's on Labor Day so Jeremy could mow the lawn and I could water the plants I did plant (3 jalapa peppers (hoping they're like jalapeno), 1 bell pepper, 1 tomato), pick the ripe fruit (including from my strawberries), and look at some things my mom had to show me.  As Jeremy and I went to carry some things downstairs right before we left, I looked out to the garden and noticed all these little red orbs (which I'd somehow missed while I had been in the garden earlier) amongst the weeds (which have grown as tall as me, by the way...  We never tilled it this year, and we aren't doing a lot of maintaining...).  I said to Jeremy, "What do you think those little red balls are out there?  Flower bulbs?"  He said, "Well, let's go take a look; but they look like tomatoes to me."  And what do you know?  The ones I had let rot away last year went to seed all by themselves.  And in amongst all those weeds, several tomato plants grew; and a few of them even produced!  There were a couple of regular slicing tomatoes as well, but they are still green.  So how about that!  I hadn't even been watering them, and they'd grown!  So I've now been picking them and eating them snack-like.  They are very flavorful.  I like volunteers :).

 This is the kitchen in the house Jeremy and I made an offer on on Saturday.  And the offer was accepted yesterday.  This is the older house I spoke of a few posts back that has the land we wanted and a great location.  This is the house that will require a heavy remodel.  But it has magnificent potential.  I took a ton of pictures, but I'm only posting one.  There is still the possibility it won't happen; and if that's the case, we will accept it as a closed door we aren't meant to walk through.  But we have prayed about this for a month.  We have pondered and researched.  And though it will be a lot of work...  We think it will be worth it.  We think we can make it what we want; and the property is already more than we were hoping for in the area we were looking.  So we are excited (though at times daunted). 

So that's my quick update :). 

The Sound of Silence

It's been an eventful week.  Which would seem to belie the song title I have chosen for this particular post.  But it doesn't, trust me :).

Things were hopping at work last week.  I think I mentioned in the last post that a co-worker had quit, and since she had trained me on a lot of her job, I have been continuing that, only without her awesome help.  Let me just say:  the time flew.  Which I appreciated.  But my stress level went up a tad bit too.  Which I didn't appreciate so much.  Rushing to meet deadlines, playing inter-departmental politics.  Yeah, not so much my thing.  But it all worked out just fine in the end.  And, until further notice, I will get to work half my day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the back.  And I enjoy that, because there are fewer interruptions. 

We had found a van that we went to look at last Saturday.  We were prepared to take it home if we liked it.  We did.  The girl wasn't ready to let it go.  She needed it for one more week.  Okay, so after I was grumbly about her being flaky...  I got over it.  And we agreed that we would purchase the van at the end of the week.  Sounded risky, but we figured if it didn't happen, it wasn't meant to be.  But the girl was very thoughtful in that she contacted us a couple times during the week to let us know how progress was going on her end with the things she needed to do (she is leaving tomorrow to go to Taiwan for a year to teach English, which is why she was selling the van).  But, that meant we were still without a second car.  Which meant I was still driving Jeremy's car to work.  And that was all well and good and all of that.  Until Tuesday -- which had been a very stressful day at work for me.  I headed to the parking lot a block away from where I work, thinking about how I was voluntarily going to work the next morning at 6:30 (sick, right?  But I had a big deadline I had to meet by noon on Wednesday, and I was freaking out a tad).  And I was texting Jeremy that I was headed home (he's on days this month).  I got in the car and turned the key.  And heard nothing.  Nothing.  It was the sound of silence (hence the song title post :)).  Seriously.  A dreaded sound when what you want to hear is the engine start.  Well, I quickly realized I had disobeyed my morning directive to myself to "remember to turn off the lights when you get to work."  Nice.  It had been a cloudy morning.  Not really enough to merit lights, so I have no idea why I turned them on.  But lesson learned.  Seriously.  So I called Jeremy, who of course could do nothing, as he was home about 11 miles away with nothing but a bike.  I remembered AAA, but who wants to waste a call out on something someone else can help with?  I thought of my mom, and then got a grip and thought, "Hila, there are still people in the office."  So I called my boss who sent (actually, this person volunteered) someone out who happens to have to jump her own car off all the time.  And then another nice employee came over and helped us too.  So, though I did shed some tears (it had been a stressful day), it all went just fine.  But by the end of that, I was done.  D.O.N.E.  So I skipped walking with Sue.

Wednesday was laundry day.  And Thursday evening we went and got the van :).  Yay!  Here are the pictures :).

Try parking that thing in our tiny parking spot.  Ugh.  It's a chore and a half.  But beyond that, I really like it.  It's a smooth ride and has lots of room.  And we're hoping to put at least another 100k miles on it :).  It's a Honda, so at least it has a reputation for being able to do that! 

And then today.  Today was mostly lazy.  We had nothing planned, except going to look at another house.  Which we did around 1:30 today.  Nice house.  Still needs some work.  Again, the basement isn't finished.  But we wouldn't need to finish it in order to have all that we want.  We probably would eventually, but it isn't a priority.  It has slightly less acreage than the other, but more than our minimum.  And one of the coolest things, to me, is all the storage!  Some of it is in these random nooks and crannies that are just so stinkin' nifty!  A kid's dream for hide and seek...  Anyway, I really like this house.  I liked the other too, but the more the week has gone by, the more I have realized how much work we'd need to do from the word "go."  So we've been discussing a lot lately.  It's a lot to consider.  Of course, I don't anticipate that the house we looked at today will be on the market for long.  But we aren't willing to rush into anything.  So we will move forward prayerfully and see how we feel.  These are important decisions, after all.  But!  If we do get a house, and you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest...  Consider yourself invited to our abode :).

It's Something Unpredictable That in the End is Right...

This is a song title post. But it didn't have to be. It could have been:

Flying By the Seat of My Pants...

... or...

Mattresses, Modems, and Marriage...

... or...

This Song (with "Courthouse" in brackets at a key point)...

... or...

I'm Changing My Name, so Why Don't I Change My Personality? (but you'd have to reference the second line in this post to understand that...)

Did you catch that yet? Perhaps you have if you're a friend on facebook (or if you got filled in already). But if not, I'll help you out: I got married on Friday. Go ahead and take a moment to pick yourself up off the floor. Because I don't generally fly by the seat of my pants. And if I do, you better believe there's a good reason for it ;)!

So yeah, it's most un-Nilla of me to tell you that, two weeks ago, Jeremy and I decided it was time to get married. We have known for quite some time (like most of the almost 11 months we dated) that we would get married. It was a matter of when. And then, one day, we decided it was right. And so we moved. And we didn't take our time about it, either ;). Because, if it's right, why delay? So we decided we'd set up an appointment with a judge (a new process for both of us, so we didn't know what to expect). Truth be told, we originally planned to marry on March 16th. Schedules didn't really mesh, so the 23rd was the date! And what would follow would be an adventure in and of itself.

So we agreed to keep this pretty quiet. We planned it quick, we wanted it small and quaint. We didn't want it getting out on facebook. So we mostly only told family. That's why this may be coming as a surprise for most. We told our parents on either Saturday or Sunday. And then we proceeded to tell the rest of our family. (We plan to celebrate publicly and honeymoon in June). And like I said, initially the plan was to get married the very next Friday. And I was pretty set on that. So that Monday, Jeremy showed up at my work, since that's where we had to go for the marriage license. And we had to wait 3 days after getting the license for it to be valid, so time was of the essence. So he came to my work. And everyone recognized him from the pictures on my desk (and desktop). And yeah, plenty of people told me (after he had left) what a cutie he is and how sweet that he came to go on break with me (we didn't tell people at work either, at least not at first). So we went down and got our marriage license and the lady down there recognized me and asked for my extension number. Haha... Well, so much for stealth. Someone else I work with commented that he has the "spark of life" in his eyes and looks so happy. :) Such smiley things. And then, when it didn't work out for Friday, I was slightly annoyed. But I got over it and viewed it as a good thing, because we did have some things to put in place. Like getting a mattress (now you know why we were shopping for mattresses -- that was the day we decided to get married. Also why we were getting dessert at the Chinese place. Also the reason why my fortune cookie fortune that day ("Fear is just excitement in need of an attitude adjustment") was so appropriate). Because, yes, taking a huge step like this -- and so fast -- is a little scary! Even when you know it's the right thing ;).

So Jeremy proceeded to call the judge Tuesday. He got voicemail. Figured he would try the next day earlier in the day. So Wednesday he tried it. Left a message, and also sent me a text that it seemed the judge was out of town, so we might need to find other avenues. But I decided I would also call and leave my number since Jeremy was working swings and she might not reach him. I was able to find out from the person who originally answers the phone that the judge was expected in the next day. So I left my message with my phone number and expected a call the next day. I also knew we could talk to the Bishop of either of our Wards and ask him to marry us, but we were trying not to bother them, because they are busy men, and this was very last-minute. So imagine my surprise when the judge called me back (on my cell phone) that very afternoon! And she had the time open on Friday, the 23rd!!! Wahoo!!! And thus proceeded a classic Nilla moment that left me quite mortified. So here's the story...

So I am trying to be prepared. I want to cover all bases. I work at the County, right across the street from the Courthouse. So when juries are going in, I see the long line of people trying to get in the door and taking forever, because they have to go through security. So I think, "Well, if I know about the security status, I can tell people to leave purses in the car and maybe we can move this forward faster..." Seems logical to me, right? So I ask the judge about security. Which it turns out this is, perhaps, not the best question to ask a judge. Particularly when there had been an incident in a near-by county earlier that very day in which a judge was stabbed and a cop was shot in a courtroom... Anyway, the judge tells me that, no, there's no security because the building will be closed, but there are jailers and she can call for them, and they will come. Oh man. I immediately realize that she has not seen my question as the harmless question I intended it to be. And what follows is a very fluster-filled attempt to try to explain, but which only makes it worse. And she says, "well, tell your guests not to bring any weapons, that this is a security building." And we hang up and I think, "Great. She thinks she's marrying crazy people in a week and a half. She probably is picturing a bunch of tattooed skin-heads with piercings in every orifice of their body and chains hanging off most of them..." I was beyond mortified. So, I did the best thing I could think of. I called her from my office phone. And I said, "I just wanted to tell you I work for the County; they trust me a little bit." Because I can actually get into the Courthouse on my own with my ID badge. I apologized for my nervousness. She laughed, told me I didn't sound crazy, and for me to take a deep breath, because it was going to be a beautiful wedding. Yep... I'm glad it turned out that way... But still. Total mortification. And classic Nilla. There is such a thing as "too prepared." But at least we had our wedding scheduled!

Then it was time to wait. And wait. And wait. You'd think it wouldn't seem so interminable with only 10 days to wait. But it did. Probably seemed longer this way! And it turned out my Bishop would have been happy have made himself available to marry us. But we already had the courthouse scheduled, so we just left it at that. And we decided we had better invite the husband and wife who are responsible for the existence of Jeremy and Hila. (And yes, they attended). Jeremy started moving some of his stuff into the house on the Friday before our wedding. So that was good, because we could at least start putting away the food items and such that he brought over and not have everything to contend with after the fact. We also went and bought a modem and wireless router (and I'm currently blogging from home... :)). And we did a few other odds and ends -- getting money out of the bank to pay for things, etc. Then we had to slog through another week of only talking on the phone (that swing shift schedule is for the birds!). Ironically enough, he found out the day before our wedding that he will no longer be working swings come April. Hmmm.... Perhaps this swings deal was set up as a push to get us to go ahead and get married ;). Oh, and also I had told my boss that I was getting married (long explanation for why I spilled the beans, but I'm not going to go into it here) and she was so excited and wanted to know if she could share the news... I finally just said, "Okay, fine." And so, when I arrived to work on Thursday, it was to find this:



Considering that she was saying how fun it would be to do a lingerie party for me, I'm pretty thankful for the tameness. I mean, seriously, who wants to have their boss and the County Commissioners to know what their lingerie looks like? Ack! Just her suggesting it made me turn red. Oh, and the other cool thing that happened Thursday before work? Jeremy surprised me by coming by the house in the morning so we could have our morning prayer together :). That was really nice :).

So Friday, the day of our wedding...

Jeremy arrived with almost all the rest of his stuff. He moved it all in. We relaxed for a little while, but then had to get going on our day. We went to the funeral home to borrow Bob's (that would be Alligator Bob) truck. We had to go buy our mattress (which we had picked out the week before, but didn't have a truck to get it home...). So we did that. And then we, of course, had to say hello to a few people. And they all knew, by this point, that we were getting married. So we had to hear all the "Just a few more hours!" type stuff. And yeah, we were pretty smiley and grinning ;). We worked a bit on organizing the house, but we also had to work on our dinner. We decided to enjoy our first dinner as a married couple at home. We had planned out our menu and bought all the ingredients the week before, so we were ready! So we made the fruit salad, the green salad, and the no-bake cookies (some of which were heart-shaped, but that was a hard thing to accomplish, so only a few of them were -- and they were ginormous!). Oh yeah, we also had to stop at the bank to deposit the money my co-workers gave us as well as a grocery store to get garlic bread. And before we knew it... Well, it was time to get ready to get married! (But here we are a little bit before that):
So, I had gone shopping the week before with Lea. That was pretty much a fruitless endeavor. I tried on a couple of blouses. They looked a whole lot better on the hangars than on me. I looked at a few dresses, but I didn't see anything I particularly cared for. This was all very low-key, so I didn't want some fancy bouffant wedding dress. In the end, I bought nothing. Except for we went to Red Robin for dinner and then that Blu Berry yogurt place. So mostly we just had an awesome girl night. Even if it was pretty fruitless. So I decided I would just wear the white blouse I had and was planning to wear my skirt that is part of my interview suit. I really love that skirt and its length. Well... I wasn't planning on it being huge on me... Oh well! So, please excuse my sometimes-untucked shirt in the pictures... That was a constant battle, since the skirt was so big!

So we arrive at the courthouse. We are a bit early, but Amalea and Mark have beat us there (they are the couple responsible for us...). So I invited them to come across the street to the building where I work and see the view out the windows. Because I was going over there anyway to take down all the wedding decorations and the balloons, because I didn't want to have to carry them the block I usually walk to my car when I'm at work. So we went and did that and then headed back out to wait. And people arrived. Lea and Morgan. Jeremy's oldest brother. My mom. Jeremy's parents. Jeremy's sister-in-law and his nieces and nephews. Brad and his wife Angie and her daughter Autumn (Angie even brought her big fancy camera to take pictures!). Christina and Emily (Desiree was sick :( ).

So we get inside (no worries, nobody took any weapons!) and we head to the courtroom and start filling out papers. And the judge starts suggesting all these pictures poses. (Some I will have to include later, because my mom was waiting outside for Christina, who got lost on the way, so those weren't on my camera, but I will get them from the others...). But here are a couple where we are signing the "fancy" marriage certificate. We were laughing as I said, "Ummm... I don't think we signed up for this part!" Classic line during the paperwork was from Jeremy, "What's today's date?" Amalea overheard and laughed.

Ugh. I think this one below is so dorky looking of me! But Jeremy's facial expression is so cute!
And here I am, supervising... Hahaha...
Awww... We were getting nervous by this point. I think this was when the Judge was going to let us stand there for more pictures (ummm, I think we felt like the paparazzi was following us there were SO many pictures!) and Jeremy was like, "Yeah, I think we're good on the pictures." And we all laughed while the judge went into that room behind to get her robe and we got ready for the ceremony.
And somehow we ended up with another one. Like there were a million flashes at this point.
And then we began. And oh my gosh! So Brad filmed the whole thing, right? So Jeremy and I watched it the other night. And we laughed so hard!! I swear we look like someone was holding a gun to our heads! For one thing, we had to face the audience! That was really nerve-wracking for some reason. I seriously felt so conspicuous. Probably because I was. I am not really a lime-light lover. I am more of a wallflower. I can command a room, depending on circumstances. This was not such a circumstance. I felt really awkward. And flustered.
Seriously can't get over our facial expressions. But it got better, I promise. We eventually got to face each other, and then we smiled :). And really, these were some tender moments. Morgan ended up crying. My mom teared up. The judge cried. She offered me tissue, but I must be cold-hearted, because I didn't cry... (I'm kidding. I think I was way too wound up for that!).
And when it was all done (and yes, he did kiss the bride), I was soooo flustered that Jeremy started blowing on my face. If you look, you can probably tell my face is a tad bit redder and I was glistening. Phew! Seriously. Flustered. With shirt un-tucked. Classy. But isn't he sweet ;)?
So here's our dinner at home. By candlelight. We had pasta which we just made up ourselves. It was a jar of 4 Cheese Alredo Sauce mixed with 8 ounces of tomato sauce (makes a lovely pink sauce, and I'm loving that!) and we had sauteed up mushrooms, garlic, and onion and added that to the sauce plus some cooked chicken. Served over penne. With green salad, garlic bread, fruit salad, and heart-shaped (HUGE) no-bake cookies for dessert.
And here we are, ready to eat. In our pajamas. Hahaha.... And it's still light outside! Aren't we just the party-animals!?!
Dinner was fabulous. And we were stuffed. We enjoyed a mostly relaxing weekend. We got to enjoy church together. Where my mom was called on to bear her testimony (totally shocked her) and then, when she got up to the front, she was asked to also announce that we had gotten married. Yep. I was so embarrassed! It was like flashing back to my childhood days when my mom would bear her testimony and always managed to have some embarrassing comment to make regarding us (her children). Oy. You never outgrow the ability for your mom to embarrass you. Just FYI. I imagine one day my children will attest to the same. So yeah, there was an audible gasp from the congregation. Jeremy was "attacked" after Sacrament by a couple that works with him and had just found out he'd gotten married (!) and then they invited us over for dinner. They happen to teach the Sunbeam class (Emily's class), so when the Primary President announced in Primary that they'd have to start calling me Sis. Something New (since my name has changed), they were present to see me get all awkward and flustered for that (after Amalea told me how I was "glowing"). Yeah, it was a day of more awkward. And then Jeremy got introduced in Gospel Doctrine, but since I wasn't in there, I didn't know that. And I guess some people managed to miss the big announcement in Sacrament meeting, because there was another gasp in Gospel Doctrine. Which Jeremy managed to miss, actually, because he was more focused on just sitting down and not being the center of attention anymore. But Mark (who he sat with) heard the gasp and told him about it. So. Stinkin'. Funny.

I took today off. Because my husband is still working swing shift, and I figured I would like to enjoy one more lazy day with him until he had to go to work. So I decided to take a picture of the gifts people gave us. The crocheted doily is from his grandmother. The "Home Sweet Home" hangar, the candle, and the Pier One card are from Mark and Amalea. The Amazon gift card is from April, Greg, Courtney, and Bennett. The "with this ring" photo frame is from Lea, Chuck, Morgan, and Xavier. The other photo frame (that says "Above All Love Each other Deeply") and the cookbook are from Jeremy's parents.
And THIS is the mess we have to contend with! AAAGGGHHH!!! Where will we ever put everything!?! Well, we have a lot of storage bins stacked, for one thing. This house is tiny. Like less than 500 square feet tiny. But it's cozy. And it's home :). And we're all lovey-dovey newlyweds, so who needs space ;)?!?
And I'm positively sure I'm missing details. I know I'm missing pictures. I will just have to upload them at a later time.

So enjoy this installment of the Nilla Life. That really could have been featured on my sister's (now inactive) blog: "Flying By the Seat of My Pants." Hahaha.....

And P.S... We're working toward forever :).