but wait, there's more!
in continuing to document what i can't "brag" about...
the bean is super loving.
she writes me notes and loves my snuggles.
if i'm not feeling well, she'll go find an appropriate stuffed animal friend to give me. sometimes it's even Flopsy!!
she finds heart things in everything- from food to leaves to rocks. if she can collect them she does and always gives them to me.
she is at an age, apparently, where she is looking outside of herself and becoming generous/sensitive to issues like cancer & poverty. [ a lot of my friends are reporting this same thing at this time... it's so cool!]
i hear "you're the best mommy in the world" a ton.
i know of course you all can relate.
and i'm so thankful for that; otherwise the world would be even worse if our kids weren't capable of love and generosity.
but about a month or so ago, she took it just one step further.
we were snuggling and she said again "mommy, you're the best mommy in the entire world" of course i thanked her and then she said that she is so glad i'm her mommy because if she had a different one, she would feel bad for not loving her as much because i'm already the best.
woah.
Showing posts with label happy times. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy times. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Sunday, January 3, 2016
so anyway
for whatever reason, i have let all blogging go, apparently.
and i know that it's highly unlikely anyone will even see this post now. but that is fine because i wanted to document it so i wouldn't forget all about it.
it's good for me to remind myself of things.
this is not something i can even really share out loud with my friends because it comes off as way too braggy. it is not intended to be that way at all; but i need to just remember how awesome my daughter is!
just like all kids- she is beautiful. she is smart. she is hilarious. she is loving.
and i need to remember in particular just how much she is all of these things.
all of my friends love her to death and tell me how neat she is. this wouldn't come as any big shock to anyone who knows her.
one thing i can't share out loud is what a remarkable writer she is becoming. at the beginning of the school year, i learned that she is one of only 6 in all of 2nd grade who was as prolific of a writer as they want her to be by the END of 2nd grade. they determined this based on a piece given to them in august. they counted word length and vocabulary use/sentence structure... all that teacher-y stuff.
i saw the sample and wasn't terribly impressed; but at the same time was impressed that THEY were impressed.
well apparently it continued to bloom because she came home with a graded piece the other day that knocked my socks off. she got a perfect score on it. it was a piece where she had to either pretend to be a settler or a native american who came to Mary Musgrove's trading post. she had to use some words from a word bank- which i imagine helped direct the kids into a thought.
for those not familiar with teacher-y things; this already seems to be a difficult assignment. it would be quite difficult to pretend to be in a historical time and write in that point of view. let alone needing to be accurate in facts.
the bean took to this assignment and went with it. completely. i began reading it and was all "what? that didn't happen" because it started out with the words "My dad killed a deer." then i kept reading and thought surely she was copying something so they could understand about this time. then i got to where it read "a breeze was cool on my face" and "the line was short so I didn't have to wait long." and i was flabbergasted. the actual assignment was stapled behind all this; so it was awesome to read first then see.
i asked her which words on the word bank she used (that was in part of the grading) and they were simple words like "trade" and "Mary Musgrove"
i have never seen her write like that. i have never seen any of my students write like that.
with the ability to "transport" the reader.
it was awesome.
she is awesome!
and i know that it's highly unlikely anyone will even see this post now. but that is fine because i wanted to document it so i wouldn't forget all about it.
it's good for me to remind myself of things.
this is not something i can even really share out loud with my friends because it comes off as way too braggy. it is not intended to be that way at all; but i need to just remember how awesome my daughter is!
just like all kids- she is beautiful. she is smart. she is hilarious. she is loving.
and i need to remember in particular just how much she is all of these things.
all of my friends love her to death and tell me how neat she is. this wouldn't come as any big shock to anyone who knows her.
one thing i can't share out loud is what a remarkable writer she is becoming. at the beginning of the school year, i learned that she is one of only 6 in all of 2nd grade who was as prolific of a writer as they want her to be by the END of 2nd grade. they determined this based on a piece given to them in august. they counted word length and vocabulary use/sentence structure... all that teacher-y stuff.
i saw the sample and wasn't terribly impressed; but at the same time was impressed that THEY were impressed.
well apparently it continued to bloom because she came home with a graded piece the other day that knocked my socks off. she got a perfect score on it. it was a piece where she had to either pretend to be a settler or a native american who came to Mary Musgrove's trading post. she had to use some words from a word bank- which i imagine helped direct the kids into a thought.
for those not familiar with teacher-y things; this already seems to be a difficult assignment. it would be quite difficult to pretend to be in a historical time and write in that point of view. let alone needing to be accurate in facts.
the bean took to this assignment and went with it. completely. i began reading it and was all "what? that didn't happen" because it started out with the words "My dad killed a deer." then i kept reading and thought surely she was copying something so they could understand about this time. then i got to where it read "a breeze was cool on my face" and "the line was short so I didn't have to wait long." and i was flabbergasted. the actual assignment was stapled behind all this; so it was awesome to read first then see.
i asked her which words on the word bank she used (that was in part of the grading) and they were simple words like "trade" and "Mary Musgrove"
i have never seen her write like that. i have never seen any of my students write like that.
with the ability to "transport" the reader.
it was awesome.
she is awesome!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
snuggles
it is apparent that i turn the little ones in my life lazy. or snuggly. however you wanna look at it.
the bean who used to flail out of any cover ever now knows exactly how to snuggle into them with me. and we start each morning before school with 15minutes of just that!
yiminy, who was never a lap-cat before, has certainly learned how to. he mainly comes when i call and i can usually get him to snuggle with me. or then there's times he finds my belly and just plops right down.
(sadly, all that became more prevalent after we lost sweet Doh)
then NC ("neighbor's cat") who spent a year and a half campaigning to come into our house routinely shows her appreciation. when she sees me sitting down, she comes to snuggle. not only snuggle, but she will butt up against my leg and glue herself to me and puuuurrrrrrrrr
all this becomes a problem because i can't stand to disturb a good snuggle!
my day is turned around and dependent on a good one.
the bean who used to flail out of any cover ever now knows exactly how to snuggle into them with me. and we start each morning before school with 15minutes of just that!
yiminy, who was never a lap-cat before, has certainly learned how to. he mainly comes when i call and i can usually get him to snuggle with me. or then there's times he finds my belly and just plops right down.
(sadly, all that became more prevalent after we lost sweet Doh)
then NC ("neighbor's cat") who spent a year and a half campaigning to come into our house routinely shows her appreciation. when she sees me sitting down, she comes to snuggle. not only snuggle, but she will butt up against my leg and glue herself to me and puuuurrrrrrrrr
all this becomes a problem because i can't stand to disturb a good snuggle!
my day is turned around and dependent on a good one.
Monday, February 23, 2015
daily grateful
i would like to try to get back into this- even if it's short and uncomprehensible....
i am in fear that my motivation is still not where it needs to be; maybe i try this umpteenth medication- i haven't yet just because.
i want to focus on so many things- and that's usually my problem.
maybe if i start kicking my ass more. like i used to.
so for now i'm hoping to start a daily grateful....
there is SO much. and i really am aware of much of it. but hopefully if i write something down, that can be my positive.
this one came to me yesterday:
while i was napping (:
it came with a piece of her valentine's candy and a big smile.
i thought the note was sweet enough. i love those 3 little smileys she drew! ha!!
and sorry to burst all y'all's bubbles that i am the best mommy. she tells me this constantly!!
maybe one day i'll believe her (:
i am in fear that my motivation is still not where it needs to be; maybe i try this umpteenth medication- i haven't yet just because.
i want to focus on so many things- and that's usually my problem.
maybe if i start kicking my ass more. like i used to.
so for now i'm hoping to start a daily grateful....
there is SO much. and i really am aware of much of it. but hopefully if i write something down, that can be my positive.
this one came to me yesterday:
while i was napping (:
it came with a piece of her valentine's candy and a big smile.
i thought the note was sweet enough. i love those 3 little smileys she drew! ha!!
and sorry to burst all y'all's bubbles that i am the best mommy. she tells me this constantly!!
maybe one day i'll believe her (:
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
musings of Munich
what a lucky lucky girl I am. i had another opportunity to travel with The Mr. this past summer. I can't believe i'm just now getting to writing about it.
The Mr. spent 2 weeks in Munich for work, and i got to join in on the end of his stint. we had a long weekend together and had a great time.
my fabulous sister came & stayed with the bean a day early so i could change my flight. turned out we got to watch the US/Germany game play in the World Cup in the Olympic Stadium. yes it was as awesome as that sounds. i think the only thing cooler than that would have been had we been in brazil.
my first taste of german food was quite authentic. first we got a pretzel. then we got a brat & beer at the game. we were all decked out in our RedWhite&Blue. and, even though we lost, it was a great game! the only downside were the few random jerks who actually had the nerve to Boo! the national anthem.
the next day The Mr. had to work but walked me to a nearby lake & i had lunch and read my book awhile. we walked to dinner in downtown Unterschleishem at a yummy Indian restaurant & got ice cream afterwards.
saturday we spent the day in Munich center. walked around Marienplatz & sat at the biergarten in Englischer Garten for most of the day. it took that long to nurse the giant beers we had.
sunday we got on a train and went to Salzburg. it was lovely! my first authentic train experience. sadly it rained the whole 24hrs we were there. but still got to see that Salzburg is quite charming. i will go back someday in the sun. after much debate, we decided to go ahead and take the tram up to Untersberg even though it was rainy/foggy. we were so glad we did. it was a fun(ny) experience.
back to Munich on Monday to leave on Tuesday. it was a whirlwind for sure. i didn't mind. we came back in time to do 4th of July & bean's birthday. a relaxing july was had; and school is now back in session!
i look forward to the next opportunity i'll have to take advantage of The Mr.'s free miles!
The Mr. spent 2 weeks in Munich for work, and i got to join in on the end of his stint. we had a long weekend together and had a great time.
my fabulous sister came & stayed with the bean a day early so i could change my flight. turned out we got to watch the US/Germany game play in the World Cup in the Olympic Stadium. yes it was as awesome as that sounds. i think the only thing cooler than that would have been had we been in brazil.
my first taste of german food was quite authentic. first we got a pretzel. then we got a brat & beer at the game. we were all decked out in our RedWhite&Blue. and, even though we lost, it was a great game! the only downside were the few random jerks who actually had the nerve to Boo! the national anthem.
the next day The Mr. had to work but walked me to a nearby lake & i had lunch and read my book awhile. we walked to dinner in downtown Unterschleishem at a yummy Indian restaurant & got ice cream afterwards.
saturday we spent the day in Munich center. walked around Marienplatz & sat at the biergarten in Englischer Garten for most of the day. it took that long to nurse the giant beers we had.
 |
| glockenspiel |
sunday we got on a train and went to Salzburg. it was lovely! my first authentic train experience. sadly it rained the whole 24hrs we were there. but still got to see that Salzburg is quite charming. i will go back someday in the sun. after much debate, we decided to go ahead and take the tram up to Untersberg even though it was rainy/foggy. we were so glad we did. it was a fun(ny) experience.
 |
| finally! a speck of sun. too bad this is on our way out... |
 |
| Untersberg |
 |
| actual view from tram going up the Alp. Not to be confused with our Santa Barbara view |
back to Munich on Monday to leave on Tuesday. it was a whirlwind for sure. i didn't mind. we came back in time to do 4th of July & bean's birthday. a relaxing july was had; and school is now back in session!
i look forward to the next opportunity i'll have to take advantage of The Mr.'s free miles!
Monday, January 6, 2014
intentions
ah yes.
intentions are grand, aren't they.
i've been waiting til' the bean goes back to school so i can blog a little bit about the living room update, or how i feel about Dr. New Guy. or how the holidays were. or just about anything...
guess what? they canceled school. for today AND tomorrow. due to cold weather.
you northerners up there just got a little more fodder for jokes, didn't you?
this happened to me once before when i was a teacher. the busstop forecast was unheard of around these parts (single digit temps and negative {single digit} windchills).
it is happening again. for the next 2 days we will have a high of 27.
i know that's considered Autumn for some of you.
i *think* what may have happened is they were intending for it to "snow" in the middle of the night.... which (of course) did not happen. but to give everyone ample warning about closures went ahead and called off the two days. tomorrow is supposed to be even colder than today. with 6am temps at 9 degrees/ -3 chill.
i will say that i am at least glad it didn't end up snowing. though i wasn't really thinking it would actually amount to anything you could play in- i'm glad it did stay away. b/c the bean- who was sick much of the last week of school- missed the last day of school and apparently left her great winter/snow coat in the classroom.
that would have just been ironic.
intentions are grand, aren't they.
i've been waiting til' the bean goes back to school so i can blog a little bit about the living room update, or how i feel about Dr. New Guy. or how the holidays were. or just about anything...
guess what? they canceled school. for today AND tomorrow. due to cold weather.
you northerners up there just got a little more fodder for jokes, didn't you?
this happened to me once before when i was a teacher. the busstop forecast was unheard of around these parts (single digit temps and negative {single digit} windchills).
it is happening again. for the next 2 days we will have a high of 27.
i know that's considered Autumn for some of you.
i *think* what may have happened is they were intending for it to "snow" in the middle of the night.... which (of course) did not happen. but to give everyone ample warning about closures went ahead and called off the two days. tomorrow is supposed to be even colder than today. with 6am temps at 9 degrees/ -3 chill.
i will say that i am at least glad it didn't end up snowing. though i wasn't really thinking it would actually amount to anything you could play in- i'm glad it did stay away. b/c the bean- who was sick much of the last week of school- missed the last day of school and apparently left her great winter/snow coat in the classroom.
that would have just been ironic.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
tis the season
so as much as i've wanted to un-neglect my blog, it's been a little busy these past few days/weeks with christmas prep.
shopping was done, volunteering at the school, room-momming, the bean was in her holiday recital. she got sick. The Mr. is battling "this little girl cold", the in-laws are here (again; as they came for the recital just last week) & i've been hostessing, baking, eating, baking, The Mr. has been cleaning! and i've been baking. intermixed with some game-playing with my little brother (in-law).
overall, things are good.
nothing more than the usual holiday stress (fun kind) right now; with the sick stress rolled in. that's made things slightly less pleasant; but there's not a pill i can take for that.
i'm really excited to see the bean's face when she sees what Santa brought her. i'm looking forward tostealing my F-I-L's ipad for candy crushing trying to relax in between the rest of the cooking prep & holiday fun. and, because the wonderful people in movie-land have been so kind enough to keep Frozen on the big screen right now, we *may* re-instate The Mr.'s family tradition of going to a movie on xmas! it will be the bean's first experience in a real movie theater. that will be fun!
okay. back to my breakfast prep.
i hope your holidays are enjoyable & safe!
see you next year!!
(The Mr. & i are going to have a small R&R time right after the holiday, too! so much to look forward to!)
shopping was done, volunteering at the school, room-momming, the bean was in her holiday recital. she got sick. The Mr. is battling "this little girl cold", the in-laws are here (again; as they came for the recital just last week) & i've been hostessing, baking, eating, baking, The Mr. has been cleaning! and i've been baking. intermixed with some game-playing with my little brother (in-law).
overall, things are good.
nothing more than the usual holiday stress (fun kind) right now; with the sick stress rolled in. that's made things slightly less pleasant; but there's not a pill i can take for that.
i'm really excited to see the bean's face when she sees what Santa brought her. i'm looking forward to
okay. back to my breakfast prep.
i hope your holidays are enjoyable & safe!
see you next year!!
(The Mr. & i are going to have a small R&R time right after the holiday, too! so much to look forward to!)
Saturday, September 14, 2013
eleven
to The Mr.:
again, we are spending this day apart.
i re-read the post from the last time we were apart on September 14th.
those memories of our wedding day are the ones i try so hard to conjure up.
and smile every time.
my anniversary is just beginning, and yours is just ending.
(no doubt you spent this day doing amazing things down under).
i hope we have many many more years together.
and no more anniversaries apart.
next time, can i come with?
i love you.
thank you for our love.
again, we are spending this day apart.
i re-read the post from the last time we were apart on September 14th.
those memories of our wedding day are the ones i try so hard to conjure up.
and smile every time.
my anniversary is just beginning, and yours is just ending.
(no doubt you spent this day doing amazing things down under).
i hope we have many many more years together.
and no more anniversaries apart.
next time, can i come with?
i love you.
thank you for our love.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
2 weeks ago
i can't believe just 2 weeks ago, i was in another country.
i had the coolest opportunity to visit The Mr. while he was in Ireland for 2 weeks. it also happened that the weekend i went to visit him was Bank Holiday, so we had 3 whole days together. he only had to check on work a couple of times.
it was wonderful.
we went to dublin. and 2 weeks ago today we took a side-trip to nearby Howth. a quaint fishing village with some spectacular views (and a castle, to boot!)
so glad we took the day to walk up and down and all around this place. it was the best way for us to see how we all have pictured Ireland. rolling green hills, castles, water, blue sky.... it was awesome.
the weather was beautiful, even though it did rain a little each day (except the last day) and that just made it more authentic.
coming from georgia at 90+d weather, it was awesome to be somewhere where it was a cool 70.
(although at this very moment, georgia is setting record lows because it is in the 70s here now. mid-august. unheard of!!)
we saw Riverdance. on a whim. and we are both so so glad we did. i had no idea it would be like that. even The Mr. who is not as fond of musicals and performances as i am really enjoyed it. i came home and showed some of it to the bean from youtube. that didn't do it justice, but still very awesome.
it was a wonderful trip. so glad it worked out with all the scheduling. because then i came home (he followed a few days later) and the next day we had meet the teacher, then monday was school!!
we spent time meandering the streets, seeing the sites, pubbing the pubs, sleeping in (!!) and just enjoying each other's company.
The Mr. has been doing a ton of travel this year, so it was great to finally talk to him uninterrupted.
here are a few of my pictures:
these are all from Howth.
these are from dublin:
.JPG)
i had the coolest opportunity to visit The Mr. while he was in Ireland for 2 weeks. it also happened that the weekend i went to visit him was Bank Holiday, so we had 3 whole days together. he only had to check on work a couple of times.
it was wonderful.
we went to dublin. and 2 weeks ago today we took a side-trip to nearby Howth. a quaint fishing village with some spectacular views (and a castle, to boot!)
so glad we took the day to walk up and down and all around this place. it was the best way for us to see how we all have pictured Ireland. rolling green hills, castles, water, blue sky.... it was awesome.
the weather was beautiful, even though it did rain a little each day (except the last day) and that just made it more authentic.
coming from georgia at 90+d weather, it was awesome to be somewhere where it was a cool 70.
(although at this very moment, georgia is setting record lows because it is in the 70s here now. mid-august. unheard of!!)
we saw Riverdance. on a whim. and we are both so so glad we did. i had no idea it would be like that. even The Mr. who is not as fond of musicals and performances as i am really enjoyed it. i came home and showed some of it to the bean from youtube. that didn't do it justice, but still very awesome.
it was a wonderful trip. so glad it worked out with all the scheduling. because then i came home (he followed a few days later) and the next day we had meet the teacher, then monday was school!!
we spent time meandering the streets, seeing the sites, pubbing the pubs, sleeping in (!!) and just enjoying each other's company.
The Mr. has been doing a ton of travel this year, so it was great to finally talk to him uninterrupted.
here are a few of my pictures:
these are all from Howth.
.JPG)
this was my view from a cafe where we ate lunch
I couldn't get over that this was built in the 1200's. 200 years before my country was even "discovered". I had to go and touch it. also loved that the road went right through it.
we spent some time hanging out on the green.
and we also liked spending time on St. Stephen's Green, a park in downtown Dublin. a gentleman who talked to me while i was waiting for The Mr. referred to it as "The Queen's Park"
what a lovely time we had.
Monday, August 12, 2013
now what?
that five year old started kindergarten today.
now what do i do with the next 6 hours???
guess i should stock up on some more bonbons.
guess i should stock up on some more bonbons.
Monday, December 31, 2012
unbelievable
i cannot be any more amazed at clemson tigers tonight!
the biggest woo-hoo the internet can muster.
unbelievable.
for those of you who don't know/ and might care-
they had the first 11 win season in years (only 4 in 130+ years) by beating LSU (wtf) in the chickfila bowl.
never would have ever thought that to happen.
especially since one of our stars was injured (and fumbled) on the opening play.
i have been a fan of dabo swinnney for ever.
let it continue!!!
GO TIGERS
the biggest woo-hoo the internet can muster.
unbelievable.
for those of you who don't know/ and might care-
they had the first 11 win season in years (only 4 in 130+ years) by beating LSU (wtf) in the chickfila bowl.
never would have ever thought that to happen.
especially since one of our stars was injured (and fumbled) on the opening play.
i have been a fan of dabo swinnney for ever.
let it continue!!!
GO TIGERS
Monday, October 8, 2012
aaahhh fall
just a quick post to declare, once and for all- I LOVE FALL.
for the record. write it in blood. order a plaque.
fall is wonderful.
[at least in georgia.]
i'm typing this as i'm smelling my first roast (after summer) cooking in the oven. roasted potatoes. yum. warm. familiar. yay.
last night, after enjoying a most gorgeous (yet slightly windy) autumn day, we came home from dinner and started our fire pit. hooray! The Mr. got me one for mother's day. we used it once (june 1st) and now i just want to use it all the time.
reasons to love fall, from the obvious to the practical, in no particular order:
i guess i just needed a nice reminder of the "ups"
so glad it's finally here!
tell me---- WHAT DID I MISS? can't wait to be reminded of yet another reason to love this season.
for the record. write it in blood. order a plaque.
fall is wonderful.
[at least in georgia.]
i'm typing this as i'm smelling my first roast (after summer) cooking in the oven. roasted potatoes. yum. warm. familiar. yay.
last night, after enjoying a most gorgeous (yet slightly windy) autumn day, we came home from dinner and started our fire pit. hooray! The Mr. got me one for mother's day. we used it once (june 1st) and now i just want to use it all the time.
reasons to love fall, from the obvious to the practical, in no particular order:
- it's not hot!!!
- looking forward to going to a mountain house for a weekend!
- college football saturdays (i cannot believe i'm saying that!)
- beautiful leaves.
- the sounds of the leaves
- seeing the leaves covering parts of your front yard (don't rake them TOO quickly, Mr.)
- watching the littlegirl enjoy said raking. (she asks me every!day! is it time yet???)
- cool mornings.
- hoodies, sweaters, jackets.
- long days at the park.
- the joys of the autumn holidays. (my bday, halloween, t'giving and xmas prep)
- picnics w/o sweat & bugs swarming
- hearty meals
- apples and the things you can do with them. (painting prints, baking, dipped in PB or nutella)
- baking new recipes. (applesauce muffins, pumpkin bread, baked donuts etc)
- our fire pit.
- roasting marshmallows at said fire pit
- lower electric bills.
- w/o the AC on (or heater) you can hear "nature"--- crickets, tree frogs.
- can sleep with the window cracked for a few weeks.
- not having to mow every single weekend. (more time for The Mr. to enjoy saturdays)
- blankets
- cuddling
- reading little girl books on a blanket outside
- carving a pumpkin (or more like watching The Mr. do that)
- watching little girl help with said pumpkin.
- enjoying an afternoon coffee.
- early dark.
- (the rare days) sleeping in for the late dark mornings.
- being able to run b/c it's not meltingly hot outside
- my annual 5k (in 2 wks)
- back to school (not gonna lie.... love the routine)
- lazy cloudy coldish days (rare)
i guess i just needed a nice reminder of the "ups"
so glad it's finally here!
tell me---- WHAT DID I MISS? can't wait to be reminded of yet another reason to love this season.
Monday, September 24, 2012
ups and downs
pretty sure everyone can relate to that.
ups and downs.
sometimes it's the easiest (tiniest) thing that turns me into down.
it's harder to get me into up.
why the hell is that?
and the funny thing.... i'm one of the most optimistic people i know. pleasant, friendly, outgoing.
to everyone else.
i will say, the fog is lifting.
went on vacation last week. THAT helped.
this is an actual picture of my vacation: true story.
there's more pictures where that came from. most of them actually look less like the fog surrounding the quaint city of Santa Barbara.
if you feel inclined, go look.
visitors make me happy. comments make me happy.
vacations make me really happy.
looking forward to planning the next one.
bonus points if i am indeed out of all this fog and downs. i got one year.
get my ass in gear!
ups and downs.
sometimes it's the easiest (tiniest) thing that turns me into down.
it's harder to get me into up.
why the hell is that?
and the funny thing.... i'm one of the most optimistic people i know. pleasant, friendly, outgoing.
to everyone else.
i will say, the fog is lifting.
went on vacation last week. THAT helped.
this is an actual picture of my vacation: true story.
if you feel inclined, go look.
visitors make me happy. comments make me happy.
vacations make me really happy.
looking forward to planning the next one.
bonus points if i am indeed out of all this fog and downs. i got one year.
get my ass in gear!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
through the trees
my BFF & i went for our 3rd annual girls' trip weekend over a week ago. we had a blast in Asheville, NC.
we stayed at the swanky Hotel Indigo, ate some yummy food, had great adult conversations (and beverages) without interruptions. had the best massages either of us have ever had before at Sensibilities Day Spa, a nice ride up the blueridge parkway to Mt. Pisgah.
however, the whole weekend was kicked off in style by flying through the trees at Navitat.
if you hold your computer (or neck) sideways, this is the most decent video i was able to take. i had my camera strapped to all my gear, so it was flying willy-nilly.... as was i.
i recommend it! it was scaryhellfun.
in fact, The Mr. and i are definitely considering adding the Wrightwood CA location to our trip we're taking in the fall. Saturday, October 1, 2011
important
no doubt a lot of my therapy/problems/issues/sadness stems from never feeling good enough. never feeling important enough.
that's probably easy to happen being the youngest of such a large family.
and the fact that i always strived to be so different from all of them, i guess everyone just thought i didn't require a lot of attention/direction/discipline.
The Mr. feels it, too (tho' it doesn't bother him). but throughout our adult life, on a zillion occasions we'd try to make plans with people, only to be told "we'll see......" (as if they were saying noncommitally sure! unless something comes up). come to think of it, we've heard those exact words several several times.
The Mr. and i have questioned each other- "ummm, isn't that what making plans is?"
so often i'm the caller of my friends. tho, admittedly, that's gotten better overall. but a lot of times when i finally call someone, i may hear "i was just gonna call you, and x happened and then y and then i forgot about z". truth be told, i've said the same things, so i'm not here to bitch.
it's just a pattern i've dealt with much of my life.
this non-importance is a big factor in any negative feelings i feel towards my marriage. please don't misinterpret that as i don't feel like i'm important to The Mr. of course i am--- but it's not usually affirmed. and i'm really trying to get better about realizing it in spite of that.
sometimes things happen and the opposite is true--- when i feel like i am important/cared about by someone who matters to me.
i thought i document my sad times* enough here, it's time to remember that tonight i was important to someone.
my friend just had her third baby. incidentally, i was the 2nd person to find out about her pregnancy. so that was big. but she had her healthy baby boy today. i got word by text. i texted my congratulations. later, The Mr. had asked if i heard from my friend, and how everything was going. i said i wouldn't bother her today.... let it soak in. she's probably on the phone all day with her family/friends, and i wanted her to rest.
well, it made me smile when 8pm rolled around & she immediately called me when she knew littlebean would be asleep because she wanted to talk to me!
with everyone she has to talk to, it was nice to be thought of in the mix.
on top of that, i had a good day with the bean. went to a park, lunch, shopping, & took a stroll.
plus it feels like AUTUMN!
yay me!
*incidentally, when i linked to my "sad times" category, i was surprised to see that i have double the "happy times" posts. yay me!
that's probably easy to happen being the youngest of such a large family.
and the fact that i always strived to be so different from all of them, i guess everyone just thought i didn't require a lot of attention/direction/discipline.
The Mr. feels it, too (tho' it doesn't bother him). but throughout our adult life, on a zillion occasions we'd try to make plans with people, only to be told "we'll see......" (as if they were saying noncommitally sure! unless something comes up). come to think of it, we've heard those exact words several several times.
The Mr. and i have questioned each other- "ummm, isn't that what making plans is?"
so often i'm the caller of my friends. tho, admittedly, that's gotten better overall. but a lot of times when i finally call someone, i may hear "i was just gonna call you, and x happened and then y and then i forgot about z". truth be told, i've said the same things, so i'm not here to bitch.
it's just a pattern i've dealt with much of my life.
this non-importance is a big factor in any negative feelings i feel towards my marriage. please don't misinterpret that as i don't feel like i'm important to The Mr. of course i am--- but it's not usually affirmed. and i'm really trying to get better about realizing it in spite of that.
sometimes things happen and the opposite is true--- when i feel like i am important/cared about by someone who matters to me.
i thought i document my sad times* enough here, it's time to remember that tonight i was important to someone.
my friend just had her third baby. incidentally, i was the 2nd person to find out about her pregnancy. so that was big. but she had her healthy baby boy today. i got word by text. i texted my congratulations. later, The Mr. had asked if i heard from my friend, and how everything was going. i said i wouldn't bother her today.... let it soak in. she's probably on the phone all day with her family/friends, and i wanted her to rest.
well, it made me smile when 8pm rolled around & she immediately called me when she knew littlebean would be asleep because she wanted to talk to me!
with everyone she has to talk to, it was nice to be thought of in the mix.
on top of that, i had a good day with the bean. went to a park, lunch, shopping, & took a stroll.
plus it feels like AUTUMN!
yay me!
*incidentally, when i linked to my "sad times" category, i was surprised to see that i have double the "happy times" posts. yay me!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
eight
to think the last time we spent this day apart was eight years ago.
and some of the same feelings arise. i miss you- again.
i know our wedding day could've been so much better. hell, our engagement period even had some bad moments.
i'm sorry it wasn't everything i/we'd hoped for.
but coming down the aisle, and finally looking into your eyes made me believe that everything was going to be alright with that day.
and, it wasn't.
but it didn't matter.
even eight years later, in my darkest & saddest moments, sometimes i conjure up that feeling again of finally seeing you on september fourteenth 'oh-two.
of looking across the aisle while the deacon was speaking and just soaking in that- that right there.
of being able to hold hands & exchange rings--- and how you liked how i did it. (those many episodes of TLC's "Wedding Story" really paid off)
of waiting for the song of eternity to finally end so we could be married.
of that kiss.
of walking down the aisle -with you this time.
i like remembering that.
so, tonight i will likely pop in the only hazy dark video we have of our wedding (that incidentally showed pretty much everything, except for the one thing i want- the kiss!).
i will peruse our albums.
and i will remember fondly why it is we are still here.
eight years later.
maybe a project of mine should be scanning our photos so we have them digitally. one would've come in handy right about now.
and some of the same feelings arise. i miss you- again.
i know our wedding day could've been so much better. hell, our engagement period even had some bad moments.
i'm sorry it wasn't everything i/we'd hoped for.
but coming down the aisle, and finally looking into your eyes made me believe that everything was going to be alright with that day.
and, it wasn't.
but it didn't matter.
even eight years later, in my darkest & saddest moments, sometimes i conjure up that feeling again of finally seeing you on september fourteenth 'oh-two.
of looking across the aisle while the deacon was speaking and just soaking in that- that right there.
of being able to hold hands & exchange rings--- and how you liked how i did it. (those many episodes of TLC's "Wedding Story" really paid off)
of waiting for the song of eternity to finally end so we could be married.
of that kiss.
of walking down the aisle -with you this time.
i like remembering that.
so, tonight i will likely pop in the only hazy dark video we have of our wedding (that incidentally showed pretty much everything, except for the one thing i want- the kiss!).
i will peruse our albums.
and i will remember fondly why it is we are still here.
eight years later.
maybe a project of mine should be scanning our photos so we have them digitally. one would've come in handy right about now.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Friday, October 30, 2009
the making of The Mr.
#78 explained
so i told of his engagement, but it all started .............................with mine.
who knew!?
a long time ago, in a college far away, it was the dawn of the internet. so as you read, be aware that "internet dating" is so not the same!
yes. The Mr. & i met online. only online in 1994 isn't quite the same as it is now. online in 1994 consisted of Clemson's mainframe system where you could see the (few, student) users logged on at that time. i think 50 was even a lot at any given time. & talking to these users wasn't the same as opening up an I-M and typing to them.
no. we had commands to type in. i can never remember exactly, but it was something like:
se us bruf 'blahblahblah' and i think something else [enter]
crazy! (except, let it be known that my awesome pal mike did some tweaking to my account and made it so i could cut out some of that and just input:
to bruf "blahblahblah" [enter].....this little fact makes The Mr. very jealous of me).
longer story shorter is that one of The Mr.'s friends was talking to me and was leaving to go to dinner, and The Mr. had just walked in from dinner. when he asked what was going on, the friend said- here, talk to this girl. she's mpotter, she is one of 13 and she has striped eyelashes.......
so next thing i know, bruf writes to me: hey, aren't you the girl with the shaved eyebrows......... and like 7 sisters??
and that's how it all began. god how i wish i saved that convo. little did i know how important it would become. it was awesome. we talked for a pretty good while. and i was so ON. i'm not normally that funny- but he really is!! and we were both back and forth and i was saying some funny stuff.
and although he isn't one to pay compliments very often, in that conversation, he did. finally, he said, "you're funny!" and i replied, "marry me!" and his response was, "ok."
.................................... now, that was a great story to tell. and it coulda ended there. but a few days later, i inexplicably got some tuxedo info in my campus mailbox. it was for my "upcoming wedding". say it with me: ??????what?????
so of course i thought of bruf, and went to send it to him. i had to look him up in the phone book (remember those??) and when i did, i noticed that he has a sister that i sorta knew. so it didn't seem to me very stalkerish (pre internet) for me to send the card to him.
we talked for about a month before we met officially on oct. 27th in the ampitheatre at 1am. so many fun conversations over that silly mainframe. we would both brighten as we check the log to see who was on, and next thing you know, i would have "MPOTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!" come on my screen. to which i promptly would reply "BRUF!!!!!!!!!!"
we made plans for our first date- 15 years ago today. we were going to see Forrest Gump because he was the only person alive who hadn't. and while we were at it, let's go to the CU soccer game, too. and what to do in between an afternoon and evening date? just come hang out in my dorm room........
i got a VCR!!!!!
here's to you, 1994.
and here's to you, bruf. thank you for surviving the history with me.
thank you for guiding me, encouraging me, supporting me, helping me, teaching me.............................LOVING ME.
here's to another 15 years and thensome.
so i told of his engagement, but it all started .............................with mine.
who knew!?
a long time ago, in a college far away, it was the dawn of the internet. so as you read, be aware that "internet dating" is so not the same!
yes. The Mr. & i met online. only online in 1994 isn't quite the same as it is now. online in 1994 consisted of Clemson's mainframe system where you could see the (few, student) users logged on at that time. i think 50 was even a lot at any given time. & talking to these users wasn't the same as opening up an I-M and typing to them.
no. we had commands to type in. i can never remember exactly, but it was something like:
se us bruf 'blahblahblah' and i think something else [enter]
crazy! (except, let it be known that my awesome pal mike did some tweaking to my account and made it so i could cut out some of that and just input:
to bruf "blahblahblah" [enter].....
longer story shorter is that one of The Mr.'s friends was talking to me and was leaving to go to dinner, and The Mr. had just walked in from dinner. when he asked what was going on, the friend said- here, talk to this girl. she's mpotter, she is one of 13 and she has striped eyelashes.......
so next thing i know, bruf writes to me: hey, aren't you the girl with the shaved eyebrows......... and like 7 sisters??
and that's how it all began. god how i wish i saved that convo. little did i know how important it would become. it was awesome. we talked for a pretty good while. and i was so ON. i'm not normally that funny- but he really is!! and we were both back and forth and i was saying some funny stuff.
and although he isn't one to pay compliments very often, in that conversation, he did. finally, he said, "you're funny!" and i replied, "marry me!" and his response was, "ok."
.................................... now, that was a great story to tell. and it coulda ended there. but a few days later, i inexplicably got some tuxedo info in my campus mailbox. it was for my "upcoming wedding". say it with me: ??????what?????
so of course i thought of bruf, and went to send it to him. i had to look him up in the phone book (remember those??) and when i did, i noticed that he has a sister that i sorta knew. so it didn't seem to me very stalkerish (pre internet) for me to send the card to him.
we talked for about a month before we met officially on oct. 27th in the ampitheatre at 1am. so many fun conversations over that silly mainframe. we would both brighten as we check the log to see who was on, and next thing you know, i would have "MPOTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!" come on my screen. to which i promptly would reply "BRUF!!!!!!!!!!"
we made plans for our first date- 15 years ago today. we were going to see Forrest Gump because he was the only person alive who hadn't. and while we were at it, let's go to the CU soccer game, too. and what to do in between an afternoon and evening date? just come hang out in my dorm room........
i got a VCR!!!!!
here's to you, 1994.
and here's to you, bruf. thank you for surviving the history with me.
thank you for guiding me, encouraging me, supporting me, helping me, teaching me.............................LOVING ME.
here's to another 15 years and thensome.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
little did i know
#89 explained, or part 2 of the engagement story.
so yes. little did i know all the things that were happening behind the scenes so that on friday, july 27, 2001 The Mr. would propose to me. (just 10 days off, Tom!)
little did i know that back in june, probably even before i started the thinking and the mulling and the harping and the obsessing The Mr. started putting everything in motion with an email to my sister.
her husband was a diamond dealer at the time. (nice!). The Mr, my sister, and her husband have even sat together before looking at the stones he brought home one day while they had us over for dinner. all of us knew exactly what i wanted: traditional. gold. round. less than a carat.
little did i know that The Mr. met with my BIL & already picked out a ring for me before our trip to michigan.
little did i know that when i went to a kickboxing class, i would break the one fingernail that was important to me.... after a summer of finally growing my nails out.
little did i know that my flippant comment made thursday night of "look which nail i broke. oh well, don't need it" would be resolved the next day.
little did i know that i about gave The Mr. a caniption b/c i kept asking why the window curtain was off to the side. (it would help you to know how very unobservant i normally am. for me to notice this was kinda "off")
little did i know that it was off to the (wrong) side b/c while i was at kickboxing class breaking my nail, he was talking to my parents asking their blessing. and he was antsily waiting for me out the window because i was due home any moment.
i came home right after he hung up from my mom.
we had planned to go to eat at our favorite indian restaurant in ATL on saturday. and i don't remember exactly why, but The Mr. thought it would be fun to go after work instead. so we planned to do that. a real-live date on a friday night? no way!
little did i know that friday morning he was done with me whining, and while he watched me sleep, he went into the closet, looked at the ring and almost just gave it to me right there. (thank you, honey for NOT doing that!).
i'm pretty sure my discussing possibly moving in with my friend who wanted to move out of her parents place had something to do with that one.
so friday comes. and i should let you know that when i was teaching i tended to get some major cabin fever by the end of the summer. couple that with the obsessing i was doing, and i guess i wasn't like the funnest to be around.
although i was really excited for date night. take me out of the house and into the big city, pa! WOW.
we had a nice dinner. very normal. nothing out of the ordinary. day-to-day conversation. then The Mr. suggested we check out a park he's heard of. we love going to parks, and took weekly walks at a local park near our apt. so this --- didn't clue me in. it was early yet. we're in ATL. let's go to piedmont park of course.
and that's where i stupidly talked about stupid stuff. i can't even remember. but i swear i think i was recapping a little of Days of Our Lives. (seriously???)
we walked all around the lake. little did i know he was scoping out the "perfect spot".
oh. did i mention it was late july? we're in pants. and his car's air was busted at the time. so we drove the half hour to ATL with the windows rolled down. (my car was having tire issues, so we didn't wanna drive on those either).
see--- so NOT what you'd think in a proposal. i coulda been way cuter. and less stupid w/ the conversation.
until we sat down at the lake. taking in the scenery.
and then The Mr. starts talking. and god how i wish i could remember everything he said. i didn't even remember it back then. i do remember he opened with how glad he was that we started talking about this stuff lately.
(really? b/c i know i'm harping on it a lot). it's been good. and he talked about our past. and what i mean to him. and it was all a really good conversation.
(still no freakin clue.... i just figured he was FINALLY opening up b/c he knew he really should by now). and i just blindly said my "thank yous, me toos, uh-huhs" enjoying this new side of him.
little did i know he had a diamond ring box in his sock so i wouldn't see/feel it in his pocket. [with the exact ring i wanted. that still garners me lots of compliments]
we were already sitting, so there was no awkward getting on his knee or anything.
i didn't even see him get it.
& because i SO wasn't expecting anything, i wasn't even looking at him during this part of the heart-to-heart. i turned my head to see the view & then alluvasudden, he had different types of words coming out of his mouth.
he continued to tell me that he loves me. and he has liked growing with me. and he said something to the effect of how he wants to continue to grow with me. and then he asked "would you do me the honor of becoming my wife......will you marry me?"
i'm not even sure how much of that i really heard. b/c right when it started to sound all propos-y, tears and shaking and emotions just flooded me.
hugs and kisses and yesses abound. shrieking. and watching him smile oh so big. and more hugs and kisses. (in public, y'all!!!)
i truly never thought he could surprise me. i always thought i'd know. even down to hearing him opening up, it really didn't occur to me. and i always thought i'd have a clue.
afterwards, sharing our bliss i see a white van with no windows drive nearby. twice. so not 5 minutes after he proposed to me did i ask him if it was a joke... and were we on Spy TV?
he went on to explain that he had thought of proposing on our way to g'ville to see his parents, and stopping by clemson to do so. but then he thought he'd like to do it here in ATL. because this is where we're making our life together, and he wanted to make new memories for us.
little did i know....
so yes. little did i know all the things that were happening behind the scenes so that on friday, july 27, 2001 The Mr. would propose to me. (just 10 days off, Tom!)
little did i know that back in june, probably even before i started the thinking and the mulling and the harping and the obsessing The Mr. started putting everything in motion with an email to my sister.
her husband was a diamond dealer at the time. (nice!). The Mr, my sister, and her husband have even sat together before looking at the stones he brought home one day while they had us over for dinner. all of us knew exactly what i wanted: traditional. gold. round. less than a carat.
little did i know that The Mr. met with my BIL & already picked out a ring for me before our trip to michigan.
little did i know that when i went to a kickboxing class, i would break the one fingernail that was important to me.... after a summer of finally growing my nails out.
little did i know that my flippant comment made thursday night of "look which nail i broke. oh well, don't need it" would be resolved the next day.
little did i know that i about gave The Mr. a caniption b/c i kept asking why the window curtain was off to the side. (it would help you to know how very unobservant i normally am. for me to notice this was kinda "off")
little did i know that it was off to the (wrong) side b/c while i was at kickboxing class breaking my nail, he was talking to my parents asking their blessing. and he was antsily waiting for me out the window because i was due home any moment.
i came home right after he hung up from my mom.
we had planned to go to eat at our favorite indian restaurant in ATL on saturday. and i don't remember exactly why, but The Mr. thought it would be fun to go after work instead. so we planned to do that. a real-live date on a friday night? no way!
little did i know that friday morning he was done with me whining, and while he watched me sleep, he went into the closet, looked at the ring and almost just gave it to me right there. (thank you, honey for NOT doing that!).
i'm pretty sure my discussing possibly moving in with my friend who wanted to move out of her parents place had something to do with that one.
so friday comes. and i should let you know that when i was teaching i tended to get some major cabin fever by the end of the summer. couple that with the obsessing i was doing, and i guess i wasn't like the funnest to be around.
although i was really excited for date night. take me out of the house and into the big city, pa! WOW.
we had a nice dinner. very normal. nothing out of the ordinary. day-to-day conversation. then The Mr. suggested we check out a park he's heard of. we love going to parks, and took weekly walks at a local park near our apt. so this --- didn't clue me in. it was early yet. we're in ATL. let's go to piedmont park of course.
and that's where i stupidly talked about stupid stuff. i can't even remember. but i swear i think i was recapping a little of Days of Our Lives. (seriously???)
we walked all around the lake. little did i know he was scoping out the "perfect spot".
oh. did i mention it was late july? we're in pants. and his car's air was busted at the time. so we drove the half hour to ATL with the windows rolled down. (my car was having tire issues, so we didn't wanna drive on those either).
see--- so NOT what you'd think in a proposal. i coulda been way cuter. and less stupid w/ the conversation.
until we sat down at the lake. taking in the scenery.
and then The Mr. starts talking. and god how i wish i could remember everything he said. i didn't even remember it back then. i do remember he opened with how glad he was that we started talking about this stuff lately.
(really? b/c i know i'm harping on it a lot). it's been good. and he talked about our past. and what i mean to him. and it was all a really good conversation.
(still no freakin clue.... i just figured he was FINALLY opening up b/c he knew he really should by now). and i just blindly said my "thank yous, me toos, uh-huhs" enjoying this new side of him.
little did i know he had a diamond ring box in his sock so i wouldn't see/feel it in his pocket. [with the exact ring i wanted. that still garners me lots of compliments]
we were already sitting, so there was no awkward getting on his knee or anything.
i didn't even see him get it.
& because i SO wasn't expecting anything, i wasn't even looking at him during this part of the heart-to-heart. i turned my head to see the view & then alluvasudden, he had different types of words coming out of his mouth.
he continued to tell me that he loves me. and he has liked growing with me. and he said something to the effect of how he wants to continue to grow with me. and then he asked "would you do me the honor of becoming my wife......will you marry me?"
i'm not even sure how much of that i really heard. b/c right when it started to sound all propos-y, tears and shaking and emotions just flooded me.
hugs and kisses and yesses abound. shrieking. and watching him smile oh so big. and more hugs and kisses. (in public, y'all!!!)
i truly never thought he could surprise me. i always thought i'd know. even down to hearing him opening up, it really didn't occur to me. and i always thought i'd have a clue.
afterwards, sharing our bliss i see a white van with no windows drive nearby. twice. so not 5 minutes after he proposed to me did i ask him if it was a joke... and were we on Spy TV?
he went on to explain that he had thought of proposing on our way to g'ville to see his parents, and stopping by clemson to do so. but then he thought he'd like to do it here in ATL. because this is where we're making our life together, and he wanted to make new memories for us.
little did i know....
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
#88 explained
to continue with further explanations (ie: a post idea!)
here's where i give the background of our engagement. (#88 in my 100)
i really never thought The Mr. could surprise me with an engagement. i know that makes no sense, especially now seeing how many surprises he's kept since then.
we had been living together for a year. so i knew that being together all the time would kinda ruin the whole "hey, why not get all fancied up for no reason, no reason at all, but let's go to some place extra special just because" proposal. i mean, really. we aren't the type to just regularly have nice dinners in ATL all the time.
let's rewind a little.
moving in with The Mr. was SUCH a huge deal for me. i really didn't want to, but saw many reasons why i should. it's the catholic guilt & moreso the potter guilt that went with my having to tell my parents that *gack* i'm gonna move in with him.
[and, no. that didn't go very well. but it didn't end our lives or anything, so...]
however, after being together already for 5 1/2 years, i was kinda scared of the whole "why buy the milk....." i remember the night before he hauled my stuff to GA i cried to him & made him promise that he had intentions of marrying me at some point. otherwise, i just didn't think it would make any sense.
of course he did.
so i promised myself that i would right then and there NOT discuss anything having to do with the m word (or the w word) for at least a year. let him do things on his own. i knew his plan was working out. he had wanted to graduate, go to grad school, have a job & establish himself before he'd propose. so i was giving him time to do that.
and i did great!
took weddings and marriage out of my mind. lived our life, blahblahblah.
then it was time to plan a vacation. we were going to go to michigan to see where he was born/lived up until 7th grade. he was raised in detroit, and had family in some areas around there. so we made a vacation out of seeing his haunts in detroit, see family, and travel up to see the sand dunes (abso-f-ing-lutely amazing!) & macinac island, and all kindsa fantastic places en route. it truly was an awesome trip that i still remember fondly. i highly recommend it!
it was right before that trip that i started to have inklings creep into my brain. mainly b/c my friends came to visit us, and i was having a convo with tom about how i just didn't think it would be happening anytime soon. (The Mr. was asleep, so i wasn't hinting here). he predicted it would happen on our trip. he even gave a date. (july 17th)
but really, i wasn't harping on it at all.
until we got there. and not one set, but 2 of the 3 sets of family we saw began to question ME about why we aren't engaged.... more than once.
each time, i answered an appropriate: "ask him!" (they didn't).
and yeah, it came to mind on the 17th. and maybe 2 other times where it was OH SO ROMANTIC.... this would be perfect, pleasepleasepleaseplease.....
the last thing we did there was to go back to his grandmother's. and she lives out in nothingplace. (coincidentally awfully close to tom's small town which i asked her to take us to so i could see the brand new [only] stoplight!)
so on the way back from nothingplace to detroit to catch our flight, we had time to talk. where i told The Mr. that grandma has been asking about the future of us.... both times we saw her. more than once.... hint. hint. let's talk.
so whatever. we talked.
but by then the cat was out of the bag. and i become, um.... rather obsessive. once i get goin, it's hard to stop me. so of course all week long i thought and thought and mulled and cried and fussed about when and whynot and when!?!
i kept bringing it up. and The Mr. would respond. at one point he even said something cryptic (hi! hindsight... i see you now) about maybe by sunday he will be able to tell me how he's feeling.
finally, i'd had ENOUGH of the talk and the thoughts and the sleeplessness and the crabbiness. on that friday i had told my friend on the phone "i'm done. i'd rather be with him and not married than to be without him. so it's fine if he's not ready. i'm done with the obsessing"
friday night- we were engaged!
here's where i give the background of our engagement. (#88 in my 100)
i really never thought The Mr. could surprise me with an engagement. i know that makes no sense, especially now seeing how many surprises he's kept since then.
we had been living together for a year. so i knew that being together all the time would kinda ruin the whole "hey, why not get all fancied up for no reason, no reason at all, but let's go to some place extra special just because" proposal. i mean, really. we aren't the type to just regularly have nice dinners in ATL all the time.
let's rewind a little.
moving in with The Mr. was SUCH a huge deal for me. i really didn't want to, but saw many reasons why i should. it's the catholic guilt & moreso the potter guilt that went with my having to tell my parents that *gack* i'm gonna move in with him.
[and, no. that didn't go very well. but it didn't end our lives or anything, so...]
however, after being together already for 5 1/2 years, i was kinda scared of the whole "why buy the milk....." i remember the night before he hauled my stuff to GA i cried to him & made him promise that he had intentions of marrying me at some point. otherwise, i just didn't think it would make any sense.
of course he did.
so i promised myself that i would right then and there NOT discuss anything having to do with the m word (or the w word) for at least a year. let him do things on his own. i knew his plan was working out. he had wanted to graduate, go to grad school, have a job & establish himself before he'd propose. so i was giving him time to do that.
and i did great!
took weddings and marriage out of my mind. lived our life, blahblahblah.
then it was time to plan a vacation. we were going to go to michigan to see where he was born/lived up until 7th grade. he was raised in detroit, and had family in some areas around there. so we made a vacation out of seeing his haunts in detroit, see family, and travel up to see the sand dunes (abso-f-ing-lutely amazing!) & macinac island, and all kindsa fantastic places en route. it truly was an awesome trip that i still remember fondly. i highly recommend it!
it was right before that trip that i started to have inklings creep into my brain. mainly b/c my friends came to visit us, and i was having a convo with tom about how i just didn't think it would be happening anytime soon. (The Mr. was asleep, so i wasn't hinting here). he predicted it would happen on our trip. he even gave a date. (july 17th)
but really, i wasn't harping on it at all.
until we got there. and not one set, but 2 of the 3 sets of family we saw began to question ME about why we aren't engaged.... more than once.
each time, i answered an appropriate: "ask him!" (they didn't).
and yeah, it came to mind on the 17th. and maybe 2 other times where it was OH SO ROMANTIC.... this would be perfect, pleasepleasepleaseplease.....
the last thing we did there was to go back to his grandmother's. and she lives out in nothingplace. (coincidentally awfully close to tom's small town which i asked her to take us to so i could see the brand new [only] stoplight!)
so on the way back from nothingplace to detroit to catch our flight, we had time to talk. where i told The Mr. that grandma has been asking about the future of us.... both times we saw her. more than once.... hint. hint. let's talk.
so whatever. we talked.
but by then the cat was out of the bag. and i become, um.... rather obsessive. once i get goin, it's hard to stop me. so of course all week long i thought and thought and mulled and cried and fussed about when and whynot and when!?!
i kept bringing it up. and The Mr. would respond. at one point he even said something cryptic (hi! hindsight... i see you now) about maybe by sunday he will be able to tell me how he's feeling.
finally, i'd had ENOUGH of the talk and the thoughts and the sleeplessness and the crabbiness. on that friday i had told my friend on the phone "i'm done. i'd rather be with him and not married than to be without him. so it's fine if he's not ready. i'm done with the obsessing"
friday night- we were engaged!
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