>A Little Bored

>Wow, I am so not my usual blogging self this week. Honestly, I am a little bored with writing decent, read-worthy material that I could not subject you, Internet, to such blah substance. So here is just a small update, if you wish.

1) On Wednesday, B and I went to a local Catholic church to partake in Ash Wednesday. He is Catholic and I am not, but I enjoy doing things with him like this, as he does the same with me at my church. I gave up alcohol for 40 days and 40 nights. So far, I keep forgeting, but not in the way of actually having a drink. I think about it, or someone mentions it, and then I suddenly remember that no, I will not be having any alcohol this month.

2) I worked all day Thursday and then came home and played more Zelda. Seriously, that game is adicting! I love it.

3) Today, I babysat, got the 5 month old to sleep for 2 hours in his crib, put his sick brother to bed, and enjoyed quiet time with sister. It was nice.

Tomorrow I will be working some more and then I am off to Denver!! Ash will be in town with her brother, hubs, and son. I have not seen them since the wedding and I can't wait!! Also, I will be spending the night with MIL and that is ALWAYS fun. We like wine, but remember, I am not going to be drinking any. Huh, this is a little harder than I thought it would be.

Have a great weekend!!

>recipe!

>Sorry!! I totally meant to link the recipes but forgot. So, check the post again and they are linked. Have fun and let me know if you try it out!!

Love,

S.

>Happiness

>Good morning!

What a beautiful week! As you can tell by the lack of posting these few days I have been pretty busy. Here is a little recap.

Monday was a special day. B and I were celebrating our second anniversary of being together. I know, you might think that is corny, but my parents do it and I have always thought that was a special, random day to mark on the calendar and do something special for one another. 

We spent the morning playing Zelda because that game rocks. B worked over lunch time and I had a friend ask me to help him with some car issues and because I did, he took me out to lunch. Then I went shopping for some food we were in need of for the evening. My MIL and parents were coming over to help us celebrate this day. 

We had gone all out for Valentine's Day and wanted to keep it simple and fun with people we love. I looked up some recipes on Food Network. I made a cream cheese and basil stuffed chicken with veggies that my dad raved over. For dessert, I made Brownie Pudding and it is to die for!! Are you a chocolate lover? This is death by chocolate over and over again.

                                                   

Does that not look amazing!! We are almost done with what was left over and I SERIOUSLY need to hit the gym! And don't you love my heart-shaped baking dishes?? My momma gave those to us for my bridal shower and the red dish was a gift from a very special family friend. I had to adjust the baking temp because our oven cooks so fast and not all the way through and I did not want to end up with burnt chocolate. My adjustments were right on and I served it with some French Vanilla Ice Cream. MMMM...are you drooling yet? LOL!

We all visited and called it an early night. I worked all day yesterday and was pretty good for the most part. I have today off and plan to call one of the places we looked at and see about putting a deposit down soon. We are not going to go with the super fancy place, as we would be paying more for a one bedroom than we would with the place we are going to talk to today that is less for a two bedroom. It was not too hard to decide, but we did let that day sink in before seriously talking about it last night. We are both very happy with our decision and can't wait to get out of the ground!! Three more months...

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! God Bless!

>Firsts.

>Being a wife has brought me so much joy and happiness that I don't even know where to start. Even though neither of us are happy with the place where we live, we are still happy with each other. Where all that happiness happens does not really matter, as long as we are together.

The other night I went out to dinner with a dear friend from college. I had not seen her since our friend's wedding a year and a half ago. Talking with her was so easy and the time we had spent apart went away. We talked about everything and it was wonderful. One of those "wonders" is that she has a new boyfriend that, for her, is a big deal and I could not be happier for her. She was talking about how this past Valentine's Day was the first one she had ever spent with a serious boyfriend. Last year was my first VD with a serious boyfriend too (even though we were already engaged at that point...we started dating the week AFTER VD...). We both shared how fun all those "firsts" are and then, I was beside myself.

B and I have had A LOT of firsts together. To me, there are two different kinds of "firsts". For example, your VERY first kiss EVER and your first kiss with your husband or boyfriend. See what I'm saying?
*First kiss with B was at ESPN Zone in Denver. PERFECT!
*First time we cuddled on the couch we watched The Departed.
*First time he met my parents was at 5am in the morning.
*First time we danced together was at a country bar in Greeley.
*I gave B his FIRST pink eye ever.
*First verbal "I love you" on St. Patty's Day in a hot tub.
*First time we talked about marriage B freaked out.
*First time we went to see a movie together in the movie theater was 300.
*First time ever proposed to.
*First time holidays with family members.
*First road trip to MI and OH Summer 2007.
*First wedding together was the friend's I mentioned above.
*First VD together.
*First YEAR together without any real fight.
*Saying I DO for the FIRST and LAST time ever.
*Signing our first lease.
*Moving in together for the first time.
...see how many moments there are of firsts, even after getting married?? We don't even have a family yet!

Well, one of two things happened this weekend : Apartment shopping. Last year, I did all the dirty work and the first place we saw was the one we moved into. Secondly, after that conversation with my friend, I realized that there are a TON more firsts to come. Like two things at once: flying together for the first time and going out of the country together for the first time. I am just so glad that we can still have those "Oh Wow!" moments the first time something like that happens. I think that is why we are so in love. We appreciate the big and small things in our lives and I kinda miss those first moments of butterflies in my tummy the 2.5 seconds before he would kiss me in the very beginning. Don't worry, I still get butterflies sometimes! But it is different. I am so glad that we are blessed to have this time and many more moments and memories to come with each other.

>"I got 99 problems but a b*tch ain't one of 'em"

>This is my 99th post, ladies and gents!! How great is that? I have had so much fun blogging here and getting to meet new friends from doing so. Everyone has such awesome stories and life experiences that I am so totally absorbed in now! I feel for all you that read my blog and I thank you from the bottom of my heart! This has been a great way for me to talk about things that have been hard and fun since being married without the fear of offending anyone or embarrassing myself. It's kind of like talking to God. I feel safe here.

Now, on to the present.

We went apartment shopping today and we totally found the perfect place to live!! Here are our deal breakers:

* Washer/dryer in unit without paying extra rent

* Low pet rent (which we discovered something great about, due to my history with anxiety.)

* Some place we would feel comfortable inviting others to and a place we could see ourselves in for a few years.

 ...among others...

We fell in love with a place here in town that is in an nice area and closer to our jobs! Speaking of jobs, B got a new job!! I know this is major news for some of you that have been praying for us so I am sorry to be slow with the news. It was final as of yesterday so that is why I waited. Anyway, he will be working for a great insurance company and it is going to do wonders for us!! Thank you for your prayers! This place we found is beautiful and roomy and has great sunlight and space for our dogs. It is perfect!

I have been so happy lately and I am so grateful for all the joys in my life! I hope you are all doing great and OMG, February is almost over!! Can you believe it?? Have a great rest of the weekend! Love you all!!

>Maybe baby? No...

>                                                                   (me and my friend's daughter)
You all know how much I want a baby, right? And if you don't, then I'm sorry. Now you know. I want a baby. This is not a new development since getting married. No way. I have wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. When I was a little girl, I would play house with the neighbor boy down the street (Heidi, do you remember Matthew??) and I would shove my baby dolls up my shirt, sit around for 9 minutes (my version of 9 months) and out popped our child. This was never ending and my love for children and becoming a mother grew when my cousins were born. There is a HUGE age gap between me and a bunch of my cousins. Most of them were born after I had turned nine until I was about fifteen. On my dad's side, my brother is the youngest of the "older" cousins with a seven year age gap between him and the next cousin born. I am only giving you this boring info so that you can see that babies and children have been apart of my life forever. 

One of the first things that B and I talked about when we were dating was how much we both wanted to be parents. We love kids. B is so good with kids it makes me cry! We never really talked about a timeline for having our own children, other than before we were 30. I would be happy if now was the time, but it's not. Over the last few weeks, B started asking me to go back on birth control. I have been off it since the wedding and just been using other modes of protection. We would prefer to be less careful is there was more protection in place. Don't get me wrong: if we got pregnant now, it would be great and we would both be super happy. But neither of us think that we live in an environment we want to bring a baby into and B wants to have a consistent job with consistent pay. Which I totally agree with! 

So I called my doctor yesterday and she called in a prescription and come two weeks from now, we will officially NOT be getting preggers any time soon. I told him that if I am going back on BC that I wanted to wait another year because of how screwy the pill makes my body, both when starting and stopping. I am okay with this. I know that I will be a mother someday and I know that God knows the right timing for that. Now, is not the best timing. So that is that. 

>Music Whore

>Have you heard of the Airborne Toxic Event?? No? Well, they are fabulous!! The song on most rock radio stations right now is Sometime Around Midnight and I just found out they will be in Denver on Friday and I can't go. Sad face :( BUT they will be back. Denver LOVES new fresh music and we often pop out new music like rabbits. We are turning into the next Austin. FoCo is even going to do a SXSW type thingy where you can buy a two day pass and go listen to all this amazing local music! I can't wait. So you're not from CO? Well here are a few of the bands that we have bred. ENJOY!

The Fray

Flobots

Single File

3OH!3

Roe

Set Forth

...just to name a few.

My Hidel LOVES 3OH!3. They rock, in a rapping sort of way without being real Rap. It's true. 

I NEED to go to a show soon. If I don't, I might start bleeding from my ears and that is never good. My friend's band is going back in the studio soon so that will be fun. Studio time=more shows=new music. Always a great combo.

>beautiful week

>This week as has been great. I have done a lot of soul searching and have had realizations about certain things.

I was not sleeping well, specifically on nights when B would not come to bed with me right away and when I would need to work at 8am in the morning. Weird. So I did some research on sleep disorders and insomnia. I found some great tips, that all seemed to be consistent from message boards to medical websites. Something you may not know about me is that I am a terrible planner and even worse at sticking to a schedule for said plan. The only regular thing in my life is work. Everything outside of it is so random. Sleeping, eating, working out, watching TV, playing with the dogs. All those things just happen when they happen and in a way, I never really paid attention to it. The one piece of advice I kept seeing over and over was to create a consistent schedule and stick to it. Do you know how hard this is going to be??!! Going to bed and waking up at the same time, eating and working out at the same times. So I pounded out a schedule and, according to this theory, in three weeks, my body should be adjusted enough so that I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep.

I have already gone against the schedule and slept in this morning a whole hour later than I should have. I can't help it! I needed the sleep! Anyway, I will try to track some progress here and let you all know how this goes. Say some prayers, mostly for self discipline and motivation. Thanks!!

Yesterday B and I worked out and after 30 min on the elliptical and some lifting, we played some basketball and it was so much fun! On Friday I am going to have a night out with a girlfriend I have not seen in two years and am super excited about that.

I hope everyone else is having a great week! Thanks for all the sweet comments!

>Not Me, No Way, Monday!

>Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

* This is definitely not my first Not Me! Monday. There is no way that I spent the last three weeks debating as to whether or not I should post a Not Me! and then decided that there really is no reason for me to not post a Not Me! Monday. Nope. Not Me!!

* There is no way that I spent time in bed trying to fall asleep thinking about what my next post should be. This definitely did not keep me awake and prevent me from actually falling asleep. Not Me!!

* When Sunday comes around, I am in no way thinking about when the next True Blood episode is going to air so that I can watch it online when B is at work. Not Me!!

* I am not putting off doing laundry because I "just don't feel like it" right now. There is no way that I am purposely procrastinating in hopes that B will get the hint and do a load himself for once and I definitely did not tell him this. Not Me!

* Of course I am not putting off working out because "I don't feel well". I am not making up excuses in my head why I can't or shouldn't go run and one of those excuses is definitely not that it is too far away. Nope. Not Me!

* I do not secretly like UFC fights and sometimes watch them when B is not home. I don't keep this secret from B, no way! Not Me!

So, how did I do?? ;) Have fun!!

S.

>"kisses are a better fate than wisdom."

>Thank you, e.e. cummings. He always makes me smile. I even used some lines in my wedding vows. He is simple, yet to the point and easily understood. K, anyway...

1) We slept in Saturday morning, one of my favorite things to do, and then welcomed the dogs in our room at 10:30. We took the quilt off our bed and let them jump on. They had not been on our bed in over two weeks since I set it up with the quilt on it. Poor Tulo comes up to the edge and rests his head down, whines and gives us this pitiful puppy eye, begging to come up. Being a greyhound, he gets chilled easily and we used to let him under the covers. Yes, you heard me right. Terrible habit Mr. T will not let us forget. Regardless of how bad a habit it is, it was so nice to have them snuggle with us for I don't know how long. We just laid there and talked and loved on the doggies. It was so special and nice. I hope that is what it's like when our kids come running in someday.

2) B made an AMAZING brunch: scrambled eggs, potatos, veggies, bacon! Sooo good! Then we played some Zelda for a little while. Took showers, cleaned the kitchen, and loaded the dogs up for a drive.

3) We wanted to go to New Belgium for tasting and they let you bring your dogs. How cool is that?? Well, it is not that cool when everyone and their mother is there! We could not even find parking and when I went in to check on the table situation, it did not exist. People were lined up to the door waiting to find somewhere else more ideal to stand. It was snowing and cold and I was losing my patience.

4) We needed a beer. The driving was not ideal and crappy and that is what we had originally intended so we went to BWW and I got a marg. It was sooo yummy and pink!

5)We drove to PetSmart next. The doggies needed some lovin (and food) so we decided to treat them to something fun (hey, we were treating ourselves all day, why not the dogs?). There was a puppy rescue there for the Sheba Inu mix breeds and lo and behold: we finally know what breed Butte MUST be! Check this out:

(pic from Google) (My BUTTE!)

Can you see the resembalance?! It's crazy and awesome all at the same time. When we adopted her, the vet said she was a Aussie Cattle Dog/ Boarder Collie mix. Yes, maybe a little Healer in her, but no boarder collie. So, we got the dog food and then had them pick out a bone. They must know that our budget is tight and picked out a pack of 2 fairly large bones for the nice price of $6.

6) We went to the mall and I bought some nice undies that I have needed for FOREVER! I threw away a bunck of old pairs. It was great.

7) B had to do some last minute shopping (it's all good ladies, I am just glad we spent the day together!). He droped the dogs and I off at the park so they could run around before our night out. It was getting colder so we walked around the school and then back home. I changed clothes and made sure everything else was in order. Cleaned the bathroom and felt much better. B came home with a new plant to add to our greenery! It is perfect. Now I just need to repot it in a bigger pot and all will be well!

8) Once we were all changed and the dogs were enjoying their treats, we left for an Italian restaurant that we both love, but never go to because it is so pricy. We got a bottle of RED wine, something I am getting used. I loved it. I had Butternut Squash Ravolies--sooooo goood!! B had a bowtie pasta dish with lots of yummy veggies and meats. It was perfect. Best date yet!

9) Finally, after dinner, we went to see Coraline in 3D and it was incerdible! One of the best movies I have ever seen. It is so visually stimulating and super fun. The story is a little dark, but good. I would not take a 5 year old to see it. Dakota Fanning is Coraline and was just awesome. If you are going to see it, you MUST see it in 3D. There is no other way.

Overall, the day was amazing! We had a great time just doing whatever came to mind and the date was perfect! I am now going to start looking for a new place to live in June. YAY!

>Love is in the Air!!

>
Happy LOVE day to everyone!! This will be a quick post, as my lovely hubs is making be breakfast and demanding that I go play Zelda. Can I get an AMEN for not having the not-so-lovely monthly visitor on an oh-so-special day?! This is the first year in forever that this has happened and I am SOOO happy! And hubs is very glad about this fact, of course.

Please, go have some fun, don't worry about your diets today, lay in bed if the weather is crappy, and then get all dolled up for a night out with your best friend. That is what I plan to do!

>Award time!

>



I am so behind. Thank you to Tabitha, Jessica and Passionate Bookworm for the lovely awards. You're blogs are just as wonderful too!! So here, I am going to pass some out as well.

The below bloggies (love you all!!) get these precious awards:

Tabitha

Passionate Bookworm

Elin

Lil Woman

Taryn

Show Some Lovin

The Porter Family

Sorority Girl Gone Wife

Katie Beth

Jessica

AJ

Brittnay

D.A.R

You all rock my face everyday and I am so glad to have something to read everyday. There are many more of you out there, so this will happen again in the future...don't worry!! Oh and I know I assigned a few of you some of the awards you gave me...that is for 2 reasons: 1) I did not get to show you my appreciation and 2) this is an easy list-like way to do this! LOL...thanks all!

>Become a Miricle Maker!!

>This is huge and I need everyone to read this. We don't have a lot of time left. Depending on where you live, as of 7pm Mountain Time, this incredible charity will be over. It's called "36 Hours for Kids". ALIC, a local radio station is hosts this charity every year around this time for the Children's Hospital in Denver. It is one of the best in the country. But there are a lot of sick kids there that need our help. Help to heal, help to go to Prom (an event the hospital hosts for the older kids), and many many many other things!!

Today, B and I became Miricle Makers. We are making a monthly donation, most likely for the rest of our lives, to the Children's Hospital. It starts at $15/month=.50 cents per day! You can do a one time donation our do what B and I are doing. Whatever is in your heart.

Call 1-800-458-KIDS

Thank you and please leave a comment letting me know what you do. (even if you don' that is okay)

>"I found God on the corner of 1st and Amistad."

>Anyone listen to the new Fray CD yet? It is aaaaammmmmaaaazzzzingggg!! I love it, to say the least. First of all, two years ago during a show at Red Rocks, Isaac sang/debuted "Happiness" and dedicated it to his grandfather, who was going to get married the next day. I was in tears! The song was so beautiful and it is now on their new album with a little more meat too it (at the show it was all acoustic and a version I found awhile ago on myspace was also just acoustic). Go listen to it! Seriously, it is worth the $10 on iTunes. You won't be sorry.

___

Since I am not feeling so well today (I think I have what B had...), this is about as good as it will get today but don't worry, tomorrow's post is going to rock!

>Strong Enough to Break

>I have had a very nice, quite morning. B is still sick and sleeping in. I was ready and up with the doggies at 9am but had other reasons to be up. Have you heard of Matt and Maddie's story? It's heartbreaking, but incredible in the same way. He lost is wife 27 hours after she delivered their beautiful (and OMG is she beautiful!!) baby girl. I read on his blog yesterday that he would be on Rachel Ray this morning and I wanted to see him and Maddie. Opening credits and I am already crying! He is so strong. My worst fear is losing B, or vise versa. He is my world and I know God brought us together. The thought is paralyzing. Anyway, the segment was really good and he had Rachel crying before he even said a word. Maddie looked just adorable and happy as can be. I wanted to write this post so that you could check out this story. Yes, it something none of us wives want to think about, especially all you new bloggy friends of mine who have hubs in Iraq. SCARY!! My bro was there and I can't even imagine if hubs was there. All of you are so strong for supporting your hubs in that way. I envy your strength because if B ever wanted to do that (which he doesn't THANK GOD!!), I would have to support him, yet be heartbroken in the same breath. 

This blog is about strength. I say "hang in there" a lot and I mean it. I do a lot of hanging myself. This life is not easy and even more challenging when you're (I'm) newly married in an economy that is less than satisfying. But, we have a bed, we have a roof, we have food in the fridge, we have two great dogs that we can feed and play with, we have fun things and we are, regardless of those things, HAPPY! Stay strong, lovies.

>MIL of my Dreams

>
My mother in law is one of my most favorite people. I know for a lot of wives, this is not the story and I feel so blessed to have this kind of relationship with her. Since day one, we have been able to talk about (almost) anything and if I don't see her every couple weeks I start to really miss her. We do live in different towns, only about an hour apart, and we really can't see each other every weekend. I wish we could!

The first day I met her was on a cloudy day sometime around St. Patty's Day. B was sick (I managed to give him a cold and pink eye within two months--even more, he had NEVER had pink eye before!!) and needed to rest when we arrived at our house. No, I did not feel like he was abandoning me high and dry with his mother. It was as if we instantly connected. Kinda like how B and I connected, but in a different way. 

B slept for a few hours and during that time we managed to pour our hearts out to one another and that was that. I already felt like she was a mother/friend I could totally depend on, no matter what. Please, friends, don't get me wrong here. I LOVE my mother more than anything. But, as you know, MIL are a totally different story. You did not grow up with her telling you to put on a longer skirt, shopping for your first bra, and restricting how much make up you could wear. My mother is amazing and I respect her so much. My MIL is just a different kind of mother who has an incredible son who loves me. Nothing could be better.

My favorite thing about MIL is that she is super spontaneous because her job allows for lots of flexibility. If I want to come down on a whim to see her, she is already prepping our room. If I suggest going to the movies, she is already checking times. I love it. But even more, she loves me for me. I can't imagine what it is like to have your son bring home a girl (I was the second girl he had ever brought home and hell no do you want to hear about the first). Obviously, since B did not do it often, it was a big deal, nonetheless.

I hope and pray that each of you have great relationships with your MIL's. Sure, we have had a few disagreements, but she is like B: always calm and talking things out without getting upset or offended.

Have a great night, loves!

>Cranky-Pants

>Today started off great. I was happy and alert when I woke up, fed the dogs, put make up on, actually ate a bowl of cereal, gave sick hubs some meds and a kiss and off I went to work. Until about 30 min ago, I was fine.

Then I really started getting hungary.

The food arrived. But I could not eat it right away. There was no one to cover my spot so I could eat and well, we're really not supposed to eat at the desk. This fact in and of itself really started pushing me over the edge.

I was so hungary, my stomach hurt. I felt tears wedging in the corners of my eyes. Then I seriously said, "Screw it!", and I ate. I ate too fast. Now my tummy hurts.

I am one of those people that, if I don't eat, I get very cranky. Anyone else like that?? It sucks.
Thats all for now.

>Easy Rider

>No, this is not about the movie. I just felt like an easy rider today. No, I did not take excessive amounts of acid or the like.

I spent quality time with B.

We went to bed last night around midnight and slept soundlessly until 10am!! Yeah, I can't believe it either! Usually the dogs or something else wakes us up but no. We slept like babies and felt so refreshed when we woke up this morning. The doggies were ready to go outside and it was super windy. Butte likes smelling the air when that happens.

We watched a bit of TV (TYRA Show!), B made brunch (grilled cheese-the big kid way with bacon, cheese, turkey), took showers and then....

We layed back down on our amazing bed and read. Quietly. Without music or the phones ringing or TV background noise. Nothing. It was blissful.

Then we went to the store to get our upstairs lady some milk and then took the dogs to the dog park. It was really nice outside and the wind had died down. But Tulo was being such an A-HOLE!! He was growling and snapping at every dog that came through the gate and it was BEYOND embarrassing to keep yelling his name and pulling him away from the other dogs. We don't know what has gotten into him. Maybe it is a male thing, or an age thing. He is neutered and about a year and a half now. Pretty much out of the puppy stage. We are lost. No idea what is going on here and we just want him to be able to have fun. Did you see Marley and Me? It was great! But I fear that Tulo will get us kicked out of the park, like when Marley poops in the ocean on the dog beach? Yeah, so not cool.

Then, I had to go to work. Not so blissfully.

Thank you God, for a great day with my husband and the doggies. AMEN!

>The Husband Survey

>1) Where did you meet? We met at school. Check out the first part of our dating trilogy for more details, but basically we had an English class together and we always sat at the same table and that is how we got to know one another.
2) How long till you got married? Since that English class? 18 months. Started dating officially Feb 23, 2007, got engaged Nov 28th, 2007 and then got married Aug 8, 2008
3) How long have you been married? SIX MONTHS TODAY!!!
4) Your favorite feature of his? his eyes. We both have hazel eyes and his have this outline on the inside of the color that reminds me of sunflowers, my favorite flower.
5) Your favorite quality of his? He is the most generous, easy going person I have ever known.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? Sar-bear and Angel Cake
7) His favorite food? STEAK! I just bought him one today. :)
8) What is his favorite sport to watch? ANYTHING but soccer and golf.
9) When was your first kiss? Feb 22 at ESPN Zone
10) Whats your favorite thing to do as a couple? Watch movies and play with our dogs. We love going to the dog park. We also love hanging out with friends and riding our bikes around town when the weather is nice.
11) Do you have kids? Not yet.
12) Does he have a hidden talent? Um not really. His fingers are super double jointed...but that is about it.
13) How old is he? 24
14) Who said I love you first? He did.
15) What do you admire most about him? How he can make me laugh and be happy when I am in the worst mood. He always makes the bad stuff just go away.
16) What is his favorite type of music? punk rock and classic rock
17) Do you think he will read this? no
18) I tag: All you wives out there!! :)

>Stuff on My Mind

>There is so much on my mind, I don't even know where to start. I need to write about a lot so please just go along with me on this ride of random.

First and foremost: today, Feb 8th, is the day that marks me and B having been married for 6 months!! I know that is kinda lame, but we are super proud of it. :)

The N word: I hate it in general and even more so when I hear it. It makes the pit of my stomach cringe, as if to agree with my heart that hey, that word should be illegal. I love my job and I love almost all the residents. I know who everyone is, where everyone lives, and even a little bit about each of them that they have shared over time. Yesterday, I felt like I was punched in the face when a resident used that word. That is all I can say about it, unfortunately. I hate having to limit my writing here, but for the sake of others, I just can't give more details. What I do want to say is that, I guess I was naive to think that here, in Fort Collins CO, that racism and prejudice did not really exist. If it did, you didn't know about it and that was that. That is how great this town is, but I forgot about the demographic that might still have those tendencies. I guess I just always see the good in people and when an ugly word like that comes off the lips of someone I admired, my heart broke into a million little pieces and I could barely get words out myself that would keep me from being fired. I stared blankly into space, nodded, and waited excruciating seconds until that person walked away so I could get my breath and voice back. Last night as I was falling asleep, I asked God to show me how to forgive this person for being so mean. I have not found the forgiveness yet, but I know I will. I am slowly seeing how precious God's forgiveness for this act has been.

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We went to church this morning and it was great! We had not been since Christmas Eve, as that is how busy our schedules are. I often work Sunday mornings and miss the opportunity to spend that special time with B and God. Rev's chat was about keeping faith fun. I loved it, and so did B. He always has the best antidotes that make you laugh and there was, I kid you not, an applause at the end of his sermon that had everyone laughing and praising his words! It was that uplifting and yes, FUN!

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The girl visit, as my hubs lovingly calls it, occurred this past Monday. I love my doctor. She and I have known each other for almost 10 years now so I am super comfortable with her and she does a great, quick, painless job when it comes to the invasive stuff, if you will. The part that sucks the most? Waiting for the pap results. Last year, I had some "abnormal cells". She was not worried enough to do more testing and said it would be fine to wait another year. So I did. And when this week came along, I was praying every moment I had that things improved down there. It was a long wait, as I did not get the call until Friday. Usually, if something is wrong, they ask you to call the back (if you miss the call, which I did). But, this time, the nurse proudly boasted that everything was NORMAL and no need to come back until next year!! I know all of you know what that wait is like, especially after one the year before not being perfect. Thank you God!!

And thank you for reading!!

>Sex.

>Let's be honest here: sex is great and it is a gift, yes a gift, from God. He told us married folk to make kissy face and just do it. Maybe not in those words exactly, but check this out. See the
1 Corinthians 7:5 button on my side bar? Here is the verse:

5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (NIV version)

Okay, so that verse is quite deep and could be used in other circumstances, aside from the lovemaking. All I'm here to talk about is the bedroom dance, people! And I think that this verse really is all about lovemaking. It is sad, but true, that there are times when each of us (yes, you and me too!) just are not in the mood and make the most fun gift ever a chore and that is not fun. Hubs will take note quickly when you start feeling that way and seriously, that is just not fair to him or yourself (I think that is what the "self-control" part is all about).

Pray about it. If you start feeling like other things are getting in the way of the most intimate time with your hubs, ask God to help clear your mind and show you that things like Gossip Girl, being tired, the kids-whatever-are not worth flushing your sex life down the drain. (Side note: I hate using cliches but this was necessary.) I will pray for you. And I will continue to pray for me and B.

Funny story: (I hope this is no surprise to anyone and if it is, too late now!! ;))

B and I did not wait to have sex before we got married and neither of us have any regrets about it. We knew that we were going to get married. End of story. I am not going to sit here and try to make excuses for the one of the best parts of our relationship. Not necessary.

Anyway, because we did not live in the same town until we actually got married and moved in together, it was rather difficult to do the deed. I lived at home and, for a time, so did B. We also both had jobs that kept us late and driving the 30-60min to see each other every night was not gonna happen (especially when gas prices were so high). So we would talk about how it would be when we did finally get married. Sex everyday. Twice a day. I know, you're all laughing. It is not like that, but in a way, I wish it was. There is a book about how to have sex for 101 days straight. The name (and Google) are failing me right now. But it sounds like the idea behind the verse and the book could change so much in a relationship, for the better of course.

So, I urge you, blogland wives, to take the challenge and please, thoughts, comments, antidotes are always welcome!!

>Honestly Tagalisicious

>Thanks to new bloggy friend Tabitha, she tags me in fun things like this Honest Scrap stuff. How fun! Thanks chick.

The Rules:

#1: Choose a minimum of 7 spectacular blogs that you can't live without and pass this goodie on to them
#2: Post the "chosen ones" on your blog in link form AND
#3: List 10 honest things about yourself

Drumroll please:

10) During my sophomore year in college, I starting having issues with anxiety. My biggest fears were of dying, being terminally ill, or infertile. God and I had a talk about the dying issue and well, it is not that I am afraid to die, I am just not ready to go yet. On the issue of illness, I would worry that a headache was something more and well, that is just silly. It has been my dream and mission in life to be a mother and, though it is still something I worry about, I had another conversation with God and he said that I should just stop worrying. I am super healthy and well, that is that. Plus, B's dad has 15 brothers and sisters. I really don't think we will have any problems when that time comes.

9) The very first dog I had when I was a kid was Katie. She was a big, white fluffy lover of a dog and when she died, when I was six years old, I decided I wanted to be a vet. For years, until I was 15, I stuck to my guns. I have always loved animals and when I see a stray dog, I call animal control. Yes, it is programed into my phone. When I was 15, I worked in a clinic and loved it. But also learned about the not so fun part of being a vet. Most vets are working 24/7 and I knew that a family was my priority. I eventually went to college declaring business as my major. Go figure.

8) My favorite TV shows are Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Private Practice, America's Next Top Model, Grays Anatomy, Weeds, and Jon and Kate Plus Eight.

7) I am terrible at crosswords and I really suck at spelling. But I have a bachelors in English with a minor in writing. 

6) I love people and, before I worked at the retirement community, I could categorize the type of people in order of my likeness towards that demographic. Children used to be my favorite. They are so careless, happy, and see the world for exactly what it is, or isn't even. I still love children, don't get me wrong. But the elderly fascinate me and I have grown so much in the last 8 months, aside from getting married. I appreciate my life more than I used to and feel that every moment I have with B is a blessed one.

5) I love going to concerts. I have been to over 50 shows ranging from local gigs to Death Cab, Dave Matthew's, Hanson, Kenny Chesney, Hillary Duff, Rhianna, The Fray, Maroon 5, Michelle Branch, and so much more. Music soothes my soul.

4) Planning my wedding was so much fun. I had the most amazing maid of honor and I tried to be fun and open to suggestions as much as I could. Ask me to do it again and I get a twitch. But maybe in a few years, I will be over it. 

3) I am so over Facebook but for some reason, I can't let go of it yet.

2) I have one real plant in my house and B got it for me when my great uncle passed away. He is so sweet and the plant is doing great!

1) I knew that B was the one the day he told me he loved me. I. Love. Him.

Ta-da. Now, here are my tags. Get to it!

1) Heidi

2) Katie

3) Danna

4)Mrs. Webb

5)Erica

6)JLC

7)DAR

>it's only funny until someone gets hurt

>Have you ever been to a comedy show? I don't mean Comedy Works, I mean a string of amateur comedians competing for free beer at a hole in the wall dive bar. The host is an asshole and your table is bulls eyed because you mistakenly sit in the front row (I know, there were no other tables with enough chairs. I understand...). You also mistakenly announce that you're still a "newlywed", a lovely six months going strong, only to have the audience and asshole host use that as live bait to strip away any ego you might have had at the time.

Without mistake, you steal a shot off the tray that said asshole host is sloshing in front of your face. Down it, and repeat. Before you know it, your husband is not only the "silly newlywed in the front row with the hot wife" but is also tagged the "sound nerd" because well, he knows a thing or 10 about sound and the mic needed serious adjustments, without any thanks, of course. Even after four beers, hubs still feels the stings of the continuing jabs and hooks in the kidney from not only the asshole host, but the other comedians. You, lovely hot wife, see that hubs is not a happy camper and decides to jab and hook at the schnoz on the dude up there. Yes, you tell him, with choice words of course, that his nose is large. neeneer-neeneer. Wife. So. Totally. Rocks. Redeemed the crowd and asshole host and hubs is forever thankful.

This is all hypothetical, of course. So I was just wondering if you have a funny story. Knock my socks off.

>gonna have a quickie!

>haha, maybe both literally and figuratively. (crosses fingers!)

we are getting a QUEEN size bed today!! this whole double bed thing is just too small and our frame squeaks annoyingly. i'm just saying. 

this will give me an opportunity to clean and rearrange our super small room. pics to come soon!

>Brought to you by the letter T

>

Thank you, Tabitha, for the letter assignment. Here's how this works:

If you want to participate, leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter. You then write about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter and post them on your blog. When people comment on your posted list, you give them a letter and the chain continues on and on.

Now, in NO particular order...my list of T's.

Tigers, especially the white ones. Sooooo beautiful. 

Talking. I love conversing with others, but only when it is meaningful. I hate small talk.

Texting. While I am not an addict like some people I know, I do love it when my hubs texts me that he loves me while I am working.

Tuaca. This stuff is so yummy. It is really great with coke and also fine as a shot. B used it to make a marg and I did not really dig on it, but he loved it. Also, Bestie loves it with apple cider. The hot stuff. MMMMmmmm.

Turtles. So graceful and majestic. I think they also have one of the coolest mating patterns of any animal.

Touching. I love physical touch. If I did not have it everyday, I might just not survive. I am a hugger and kisser and cuddler. 

Trivia. I love gaining facts about stuff like tv shows, movies, celebrities, animals, food...anything.

Travel. While I am not a huge fan of flying, I love getting places. I love the East Coast, England, and Cabo. I hope to venture elsewhere in the future!

Taking pictures. I love photography. I have never had formal training, but I like to think I have a natural eye for a good photo.

Tool. Saved the best and BIGGEST pic for last. I LOVE this band. They are amazing and I hope to someday see them live. B just got me the Lateralus CD today and now I can listen to Schism whenever I want!!

>7 Pounds of Crap

>

(Spoiler alert: If you have not seen 7 Pounds and plan to, then I would wait to read this unless you don't care about my giving certain details away...thanks.)

B and I went to see 7 Pounds last night. Everyone we had talked to said it was great and thought provoking and a "must see". We take other's opinions seriously and figured it would be fun to see. Well, we are trying to save money and going to the regular theater is not going to happen for us right now. We are saving for Cabo, people! 

Anyway, the movie was at our $3 theater and had a late show playing that we could make once I got off work and all the Super Bowl craziness had settled down. 

First of all, the movie dragged on forrrrrreeeevvvvvverrrr. I am not sure if it was because we were both a little tired and it was late, but it was so slow! The story strings you along for the first hour and you have no idea what is going on. Then when little things start to surface, you're still confused and don't know what the hell is going on. Yes, Will Smith is a badass, but this was nothing like his role in The Pursuit of Happiness. 

His role disturbed me. For those of you who have seen this movie, you may disagree and that is fine. I don't care. Seeing a man lose the love of his life tormented me. I hate the thought of even thinking for half a second that B and I could lose one another in an instant. I don't take that for granted and that is why it hits me so hard. Secondly, Ben, Will's character, punishes himself for the accident that took his love's life and, while saving the lives of others is great, his reasoning was selfish and none of the people he helped knew that.

I was still crying when we went to bed and B held me and kept telling me not to think about it. It is very rare that I dislike a movie, let alone it upsets me this much. I am so glad we did not spend too much money on it and I would not recommend it anyone, but that is just my opinion. If you liked it, great. I wish I saw what you saw, but I won't be seeing it again.

>Silent Sunday

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