It was bound to happen eventually. I'm not good with keys. I grew up in the country. We never locked anything and I never even had a copy of the house key, I simply didn't need it. So getting used to carrying a key has been an adjustment, especially since I rarely have pockets in my clothes.
On Sunday, Joshua needed to leave church early due to a meeting at Chick Fila (trust me, he was furious they were making him work on Sunday). I asked my friend Dorie if she'd give me a ride home and she happily accepted the favor request. Joshua left before Sunday School, the last class at church, and I stayed. When church has finished I walked down the hall to meet up with Dorie and it suddenly dawned on me, "This is my church bag, not my purse. My key is in my purse! I have no way to get into my apartment!" I approached her and told her my predicament and asked if I could go home with her until me husband was done with his meeting. Fortunately, she loves having me over and gladly agreed to taking me to her home.
So yeah... I locked myself out. My husband was nice about it though. After work he did come and retrieve me and offered to get me a copy made of my key so I can have one for my church bag and one for my purse. Maybe I'll get the hang of this key thing one day.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Whew!
The fee notice on the door belonged to the other apartment. Whew! What a relief! As soon as my husband got home I showed him the paper and at first he was alarmed but then he looked at it and pointed out to me, "Wait... that's not our apartment number. It's one number off." So we took it down to the office, told them it was on our door by mistake, and asked to check our account just to make sure there weren't an glitches. The lady checked for us and our account balance is $0. We're in the clear!
In other good news, my husband has figured out what has really been making him cranky. I won't go into what it is, simply because it's personal. But now that the problem has been recognized perhaps a solution can be found. He's already in a better mood just from pinpointing the cause. Locating the problem is empowering.
In other good news, my husband has figured out what has really been making him cranky. I won't go into what it is, simply because it's personal. But now that the problem has been recognized perhaps a solution can be found. He's already in a better mood just from pinpointing the cause. Locating the problem is empowering.
Thanks Caitlin!
Notice my brand new website banner with wedding photos? My soon to be sister-in-law made it for me :-) Isn't it awesome?! Thanks Caitlin!
Ugh...
So my husband has been cranky lately. He went to a job fair and the people weren't taking him seriously because he looks so young. Then he heard about how many applicants there are for teachers and got overwhelmed with the competition. Plus, there was an article on AOL and a news blurb on the radio about how everyone is moving to Texas because the houses are cheaper and the job market is doing well. So understandably that has my husband on edge.
Which I get all of that and I understand it's a lot of pressure and who wouldn't be cranky, but geez, does he have to be so cranky towards me?
And now it's about to get worse. I just found a notice on the door about some stupid fee. He's really going to get mad when he gets home. Ugh...
Which I get all of that and I understand it's a lot of pressure and who wouldn't be cranky, but geez, does he have to be so cranky towards me?
And now it's about to get worse. I just found a notice on the door about some stupid fee. He's really going to get mad when he gets home. Ugh...
Friday, March 28, 2008
One Word
You can only type ONE Word for each answer!
Not as easy as you might think.
1.Where is your cell phone? desk
2.Your significant other? teaching
3.Your hair? long
4.Your mother? Virginia
5.Your father? work
6.Your favorite thing? hubby
7.Your dream last night? unsure
8.Your favorite drink? water
9.Your dream/goal? house
10.The room you're in? main
11.Your ex? insignificant
12.Your fear? pain
13.Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
14.Where were you last night? home
15.What you're not? rich
16.Muffins? raspberry
17.One of your wish list items? Vacations
18.Where you grew up? Virginia
19.The last thing you did? e-mail
20.What are you wearing? clothing
21.Your TV? computer
22.Your pets? borrowed
23.Your computer? silver
24.Your life? busy
25.Your mood? sad
26.Missing someone? friends
27.Your car? Chevy
28.Something you're not wearing? socks
29.Favorite store? Marshall's
30.Your summer? uncertain
31.Like someone? plenty
32.Your favorite color? burgundy
33.When is the last time you laughed? today
34.Last time you cried? yesterday
35.Who will/would re-post this? someone
Not as easy as you might think.
1.Where is your cell phone? desk
2.Your significant other? teaching
3.Your hair? long
4.Your mother? Virginia
5.Your father? work
6.Your favorite thing? hubby
7.Your dream last night? unsure
8.Your favorite drink? water
9.Your dream/goal? house
10.The room you're in? main
11.Your ex? insignificant
12.Your fear? pain
13.Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
14.Where were you last night? home
15.What you're not? rich
16.Muffins? raspberry
17.One of your wish list items? Vacations
18.Where you grew up? Virginia
19.The last thing you did? e-mail
20.What are you wearing? clothing
21.Your TV? computer
22.Your pets? borrowed
23.Your computer? silver
24.Your life? busy
25.Your mood? sad
26.Missing someone? friends
27.Your car? Chevy
28.Something you're not wearing? socks
29.Favorite store? Marshall's
30.Your summer? uncertain
31.Like someone? plenty
32.Your favorite color? burgundy
33.When is the last time you laughed? today
34.Last time you cried? yesterday
35.Who will/would re-post this? someone
Another Great Newlywed Article
I stumbled across this gem while I was checking my google status on my blog. It's a simple article relating how marriage isn't supposed to be easy and magically "work." It takes time and a whole lot of selfless effort before marriage become enjoyable.
Newlywed Bliss
Newlywed Bliss
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Q & A: Get to know me better
Do you wake up cranky?
Not often now that I wake up next to my beloved husband :-)
Would you curse in front of your parents?
I don't curse. When people curse they just sound uneducated with a pathetic vocabulary.
What is your current annoyance?: Never seems to be enough time or money.
Do you like drama?
Not at all!!! So then why did I end up with in-laws that immerse themselves in drama and rile others up to create more?
What kind of camera do you have? Fuji F410
Last time you were on a boat and where?: At the Blackbeard Pirate Festival back in May or June 2007.
Do you take daily vitamins or medications?: Vitamins, calcuim, and allegra.
What was the last item you bought?: Easter Candy
What country has the best food?:
I've only ever eaten in the USA so my opinion is biased.
Are you afraid of roller coasters? Afraid implies a fear that something would go wrong. I'm not "afraid" but I do not enjoy roller coasters.
If your best friend told you they were moving, would you?
I wanted to! If I had been healthy I would've packed up and gone to college with her!
Would you rather go to a party or out of town?:
How about a party out of town? Sounds good :-)
Apple Bottom Jeans or Hollister gift card?:
Neither... I'm more of an Express and The Limited kind of girl, but on clearance at Marshall's.
Do you think you're dumb?:
I have my dumb moments.
Say a random word?:
Receptacle
Do you wear anything with skulls?:
I own a pair of purple leopard socks that just so happen to have a skull at the elastic edge. But I bought them for the leopard.
What is/was your school mascot?:
In middle school it was a lion!
At what age do you want to be married?:
I think 22 was a good choice.
Is divorce an option?:
We're doing everything we can to avoid that from ever happening. So no, it's not an option.
What color is your luggage?
Red, burgundy, gray, and black
Where and when did you last go on vacation?:
Our honeymoon in Washington D.C. It was WAY too short though.Who honeymoons for a mere 2 days other than us anyway?
Where is your dad right now?:
Virginia
What are you supposed to be doing right now?:
Writing an article
One wish?A high paying work from home job.
Are you slowly drifting away from someone close?
I don't think so.... but I do need to keep in touch better.
How is life going for you right now?
I'm finally loving married life! At first it was horrible but with all the in-law drama, the money issues, and poor dear husband dealing with a ton of emotional baggage and stress, yeah, that makes life miserable. But now that the dust of the drama is settling (and Joshua doesn't talk to his family as much, that really helps), my husband is happy being a substitute teacher, and our financial situation is improving... okay, what it really comes down to then is now that my husband is happy I am happy.
When was the last time you held someone’s hand?
While Joshua and I were walking back from getting the mail and putting my name on the lease today.
Who can you tell everything to?
Joshua, Christina, and Teraesa
Who was the last person you talked to on AIM?
It's been forever. Probably my former editor.
Last words you spoke?
"Hey Kusku! You're such a pretty kitty!"
Have you ever kissed anyone who's name started with a C?
Nope
How do you feel about gay marriage?
I think the right parts to make a baby are missing and one of God's purposes for marriage is making children.
What is the next concert you're going to?
Hanson... someday
Can you play guitar hero?
I haven't tried and I don't have time nor the money to waste.
Do you prefer warm or cold weather?
I'm going to say warm because in Texas that's all you get.
Is any part of your body sore?
My right hand from writing thank you cards. It's amazing in the day and age of typing how you lose your handwriting stamina.
What is the last movie you watched in theaters?
27 Dresses.... loved it!
What do you currently hear right now?
Pipe noises... the upstairs neighbor must be using their sink.
Coach Purse or NFL game tickets?
Either as long as I can sell it on Ebay for some money!
What do you currently smell like?
Shampoo and soap, I just had a shower.
How old do you think you will be when you finally have kids?
I don't know yet... definitely not 23 and probably not 24. Maybe 25... we'll see.
Would you rather watch football or baseball?
baseball
Missing someone right now?
A lot of people back in Virginia! Plus my hubby but he'll be home from work in just a few minutes.
What's the strangest fact about you?I'm double jointed and I crack my ankles before I fall asleep (as Joshua has noticed).
Where is your number one person on your myspace friends list?
Southern Virginia University
Do you feel like dancing?
Not right now... I'm a little tired. But I love dancing... I should dance more often!
How much money do you have on you?
I think I have a few dollars in my wallet. It's not much.
Do you sleep naked?Sometimes.... I'm a newlywed afterall ;-)
Is there someone on your mind that shouldn't be?
Yes, and way too often for that matter.Why do I waste time thinking about people that bug me?
Do you burn easily in the sun?
Definitely.
Do you speak another language other than English?
Nope, but I pick up on a few words here in there in Spanish and even less in French.
What made you happy today?My husband getting home after the job fair and giving me a big hug and a kiss.Also, my strawberry plant has a second blossom! I know no one cares, but I'm so excited about my plants!
Who were the last people you ate lunch with?
Dorie, Micah, and Jonah
Where did your last hug take place?
My living room
Did you cry today?
Just a little... Joshua and I were discussing how I still need to legally change my last name.
Plans for today?
It's night... my plans are to greet my husband when he gets home, maybe eat something together, read scriptures, pray, then go to sleep.
Who do you love more than anything?
My husband Joshua! He is my everything and my top priority. I also love my Mom, Christina, Teraesa, Jenny, and Tricia... though I'm sure there a few others that make the top tier list as well.
Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your life?
No, not at all. I've had so many other expectations than what I'm living now. In most ways my life is actually BETTER than I thought it'd be.
Are you happy with the choices you've made?
Yes. But I still have my moments where I wish I hadn't been put in situations where I had to make difficult decisions.
Not often now that I wake up next to my beloved husband :-)
Would you curse in front of your parents?
I don't curse. When people curse they just sound uneducated with a pathetic vocabulary.
What is your current annoyance?: Never seems to be enough time or money.
Do you like drama?
Not at all!!! So then why did I end up with in-laws that immerse themselves in drama and rile others up to create more?
What kind of camera do you have? Fuji F410
Last time you were on a boat and where?: At the Blackbeard Pirate Festival back in May or June 2007.
Do you take daily vitamins or medications?: Vitamins, calcuim, and allegra.
What was the last item you bought?: Easter Candy
What country has the best food?:
I've only ever eaten in the USA so my opinion is biased.
Are you afraid of roller coasters? Afraid implies a fear that something would go wrong. I'm not "afraid" but I do not enjoy roller coasters.
If your best friend told you they were moving, would you?
I wanted to! If I had been healthy I would've packed up and gone to college with her!
Would you rather go to a party or out of town?:
How about a party out of town? Sounds good :-)
Apple Bottom Jeans or Hollister gift card?:
Neither... I'm more of an Express and The Limited kind of girl, but on clearance at Marshall's.
Do you think you're dumb?:
I have my dumb moments.
Say a random word?:
Receptacle
Do you wear anything with skulls?:
I own a pair of purple leopard socks that just so happen to have a skull at the elastic edge. But I bought them for the leopard.
What is/was your school mascot?:
In middle school it was a lion!
At what age do you want to be married?:
I think 22 was a good choice.
Is divorce an option?:
We're doing everything we can to avoid that from ever happening. So no, it's not an option.
What color is your luggage?
Red, burgundy, gray, and black
Where and when did you last go on vacation?:
Our honeymoon in Washington D.C. It was WAY too short though.Who honeymoons for a mere 2 days other than us anyway?
Where is your dad right now?:
Virginia
What are you supposed to be doing right now?:
Writing an article
One wish?A high paying work from home job.
Are you slowly drifting away from someone close?
I don't think so.... but I do need to keep in touch better.
How is life going for you right now?
I'm finally loving married life! At first it was horrible but with all the in-law drama, the money issues, and poor dear husband dealing with a ton of emotional baggage and stress, yeah, that makes life miserable. But now that the dust of the drama is settling (and Joshua doesn't talk to his family as much, that really helps), my husband is happy being a substitute teacher, and our financial situation is improving... okay, what it really comes down to then is now that my husband is happy I am happy.
When was the last time you held someone’s hand?
While Joshua and I were walking back from getting the mail and putting my name on the lease today.
Who can you tell everything to?
Joshua, Christina, and Teraesa
Who was the last person you talked to on AIM?
It's been forever. Probably my former editor.
Last words you spoke?
"Hey Kusku! You're such a pretty kitty!"
Have you ever kissed anyone who's name started with a C?
Nope
How do you feel about gay marriage?
I think the right parts to make a baby are missing and one of God's purposes for marriage is making children.
What is the next concert you're going to?
Hanson... someday
Can you play guitar hero?
I haven't tried and I don't have time nor the money to waste.
Do you prefer warm or cold weather?
I'm going to say warm because in Texas that's all you get.
Is any part of your body sore?
My right hand from writing thank you cards. It's amazing in the day and age of typing how you lose your handwriting stamina.
What is the last movie you watched in theaters?
27 Dresses.... loved it!
What do you currently hear right now?
Pipe noises... the upstairs neighbor must be using their sink.
Coach Purse or NFL game tickets?
Either as long as I can sell it on Ebay for some money!
What do you currently smell like?
Shampoo and soap, I just had a shower.
How old do you think you will be when you finally have kids?
I don't know yet... definitely not 23 and probably not 24. Maybe 25... we'll see.
Would you rather watch football or baseball?
baseball
Missing someone right now?
A lot of people back in Virginia! Plus my hubby but he'll be home from work in just a few minutes.
What's the strangest fact about you?I'm double jointed and I crack my ankles before I fall asleep (as Joshua has noticed).
Where is your number one person on your myspace friends list?
Southern Virginia University
Do you feel like dancing?
Not right now... I'm a little tired. But I love dancing... I should dance more often!
How much money do you have on you?
I think I have a few dollars in my wallet. It's not much.
Do you sleep naked?Sometimes.... I'm a newlywed afterall ;-)
Is there someone on your mind that shouldn't be?
Yes, and way too often for that matter.Why do I waste time thinking about people that bug me?
Do you burn easily in the sun?
Definitely.
Do you speak another language other than English?
Nope, but I pick up on a few words here in there in Spanish and even less in French.
What made you happy today?My husband getting home after the job fair and giving me a big hug and a kiss.Also, my strawberry plant has a second blossom! I know no one cares, but I'm so excited about my plants!
Who were the last people you ate lunch with?
Dorie, Micah, and Jonah
Where did your last hug take place?
My living room
Did you cry today?
Just a little... Joshua and I were discussing how I still need to legally change my last name.
Plans for today?
It's night... my plans are to greet my husband when he gets home, maybe eat something together, read scriptures, pray, then go to sleep.
Who do you love more than anything?
My husband Joshua! He is my everything and my top priority. I also love my Mom, Christina, Teraesa, Jenny, and Tricia... though I'm sure there a few others that make the top tier list as well.
Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your life?
No, not at all. I've had so many other expectations than what I'm living now. In most ways my life is actually BETTER than I thought it'd be.
Are you happy with the choices you've made?
Yes. But I still have my moments where I wish I hadn't been put in situations where I had to make difficult decisions.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Great Newlywed Article about the TRUTH
I stumbled across this article online and it caught my attention. It's about the reality of being a newlywed, how everyone assumes the first year is pure bliss and constant happiness... when the truth is it isn't. The Newlywed Catch 22 I particularly identified with the parts about dividing duties (page 3) and how it becomes a huge issue where you're afraid that you'll consign yourself as his maid for the rest of your life. Oh, yes, I so went through that as soon as we were married. It didn't help that before we were married when he'd stay at my parent's house or where ever else with me he'd be super cleanly and then as soon as we were married he wouldn't pick up after himself. He picks up after himself now, but it took a few months for him to realize that he was treating me like his maid instead of the love of his life. Granted, his mother was the type to pick up after him all of the time... so I know where that bad habit came from. I refuse to put up with it. Yes, I'll do the laundry, the dishes, the cooking, the household cleaning, but when I was raised in a household where my Mom did those jobs but don't you make those jobs harder on her! You put your trash in the trash can, your clothes in the basket, the dishes in the sink which should be at least rinsed.... anyway... I'm going off on a tangent. Let's just say it's been an adjustment BUT my husband has indeed gotten the hang of it now.
A lot of the challenges addressed in this article Joshua and I began facing before we were even married. We always say that we were really married back in November 2006 it just took another year to make it official. That's probably why our wedding experience wasn't as much fun as I had hoped it woud be because we were already in the pits of reality instead of the sugary outlook of puppy love euphoria. Sure, it was lovely, but it was heart wrenching as well. Truth is newlywed life has been too... though we're having drastically fewer of those harsh reality moments and more of the "madly in love" ones. We're actually adjusting to reality and moving on. We've gone through some of the toughest events you could imagine which has led to our happiness now.
Ultimately, my point is that the article addresses the truth about being a newlywed and I am an advocate of truth. I'm not ashamed to admit that I relate with that article and advise others to be realistic with their expectations. Marriage is wonderful and fun but ONLY if you work through all the tough stuff. There's no way around it.
A lot of the challenges addressed in this article Joshua and I began facing before we were even married. We always say that we were really married back in November 2006 it just took another year to make it official. That's probably why our wedding experience wasn't as much fun as I had hoped it woud be because we were already in the pits of reality instead of the sugary outlook of puppy love euphoria. Sure, it was lovely, but it was heart wrenching as well. Truth is newlywed life has been too... though we're having drastically fewer of those harsh reality moments and more of the "madly in love" ones. We're actually adjusting to reality and moving on. We've gone through some of the toughest events you could imagine which has led to our happiness now.
Ultimately, my point is that the article addresses the truth about being a newlywed and I am an advocate of truth. I'm not ashamed to admit that I relate with that article and advise others to be realistic with their expectations. Marriage is wonderful and fun but ONLY if you work through all the tough stuff. There's no way around it.
Park Day
Every Wednesday my friend Dorie picks me up and I hang out with her and her two sons ages 3 and 1. She is such a fun person and her boys are adorable! We went to Kohl's and Target, then back to her house for lunch, then out to the park to play. It was fun going down the slide with her 1 year old and chatting with Dorie about all kinds of things including motherhood. I'm learning a lot from her and I'm so happy to have a girl friend here in Texas. Joshua keeps encouraging me to get some girl time... though I need to work on him getting more boy time. Having same gender friends is important to the sanity of our marriage!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Best Easter Basket Ever!
Yesterday evening while waiting on dinner to cook, Joshua looked out the glass door onto our patio and said, "What is that out there?" I asked, "What?" He just repeated himself until I finally got up and looked for myself. I have a small container garden on our patio (which I love) but I noticed this huge pot with some kind of plant in it. I looked at him and asked, "What is that? Where did it come from?" with a huge smile. He pretended he didn't know the answers, "I don't know. Let's go look at it." I open the door and ventured outside. It was dark but with the sidewalk lighting I could see enough. I looked closely at the plant until I finally spotted its label "Blackberries." I looked up at Joshua and exclaimed, "It's a blackberry plant! My very own blackberry plant!" Then I pulled it out of the pot and discovered the pot had lots of chocolate along the bottom, Snickers and Reeses, my favorites! Then I noticed two packages of seeds, cantalope and thyme. Joshua was cute, he joked, "After you waiting so long for me, now it's a switch and I'm giving you 'thyme.'" Haha. And... "Cantalope? I'd say it's more like Can-Elope since we did." I was so surprised by this gift. I wasn't expecting anything at all!
I asked Joshua where he got the items and how he thought of it. He answered, "Honestly, I just went to Walmart, nowhere special. I wanted to get you an Easter basket and fill it with candy. But then I thought about it, that an Easter basket would be cute the day of but afterwards it just sits around. So I thought I'd get your a storage container but then I thought that would be kinda cheap looking. But then it hit me what to get and I went to the garden section and picked out a large pot. While I was there I looked through all of the plants and found this blackberry plant. I picked out the healthiest looking one." We have a history with blackberries because one of our favorite dates was out in Gloucester picking blackberries then eating them as we watched the sun set curled up in the hamick. It was very romantic! Then on Valentine's Day Joshua surprised me with a heart shaped box full of blackberries. Now he suprised me with my own blackberry bush! Isn't that sentimental and sweet?!
I'm very impressed that he put that all together. That Easter basket was extremely practical yet romantic all at the same time. Yeah, my husband is brilliant :-)
I asked Joshua where he got the items and how he thought of it. He answered, "Honestly, I just went to Walmart, nowhere special. I wanted to get you an Easter basket and fill it with candy. But then I thought about it, that an Easter basket would be cute the day of but afterwards it just sits around. So I thought I'd get your a storage container but then I thought that would be kinda cheap looking. But then it hit me what to get and I went to the garden section and picked out a large pot. While I was there I looked through all of the plants and found this blackberry plant. I picked out the healthiest looking one." We have a history with blackberries because one of our favorite dates was out in Gloucester picking blackberries then eating them as we watched the sun set curled up in the hamick. It was very romantic! Then on Valentine's Day Joshua surprised me with a heart shaped box full of blackberries. Now he suprised me with my own blackberry bush! Isn't that sentimental and sweet?!
I'm very impressed that he put that all together. That Easter basket was extremely practical yet romantic all at the same time. Yeah, my husband is brilliant :-)
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Unusual Hours
Well, my husband is up late studying for his test on Monday. He takes the content exam which is essential for him to qualify to become a teacher. Keep him in your prayers! Though I'm sure he'll do fine since he's putting in the effort to learn the material. However, he still has to take the PPR, so that'll be next. Basically these two tests determine whether or not he can become a full time teacher in the fall, which determines our financial situation, which in turn affects our plans of buying a house and eventually starting a family. Poor guy... he's got a lot on his shoulders right now!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wedding Website
I'm in the process of sending out thank you cards (yeah, I know, it's been 4 months since the wedding reception, but at least I'm actually sending thank you cards) and I've updated the wedding website. The photo gallery now includes wedding day and wedding reception photos. mywedding.com/joshuasarah
Open Office
I tried my Open Office program last night. It's not exactly like Excel, but at least it's better than nothing. Some of the formatting from the Excel files didn't correlate with Open Office, so I had to reformat some of my food storage forms in order to get them to print properly. That was annoying and time consuming, but I think once I get the hang of the sublte difference between the two programs that I will grow to like Open Office.
I have an offer for a new writing job and if they like my topic pitches I'll begin writing soon. They also require some Excel work and I just hope that Open Office will do :-/
I have an offer for a new writing job and if they like my topic pitches I'll begin writing soon. They also require some Excel work and I just hope that Open Office will do :-/
Taxes on St. Patrick's Day
On Saint Patrick's Day, Joshua and I went to Jackson Hewitt and got our taxes done. It's crazy because last year's St. Patrick's Day was terrible!!! We had the biggest fight ever. Joshua and I had a long serious discussion that Sunday and I asked if he was mad, but he said he wasn't. Then he didn't call all week so it was clear he was mad. We had planned a temple trip for March 17th but he stood me up. Then he finally called me that afternoon. We talked through the issue, but we had the most tense dinner we've ever had. Basically we were on the verge of our relationship ending, not only on his side because when I found out why he was mad then I was mad at him. Anyway... obviously we made up because here it is a year later and we filed our taxes together for the first time as a married couple!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Real Estate
One of the advantages of living in Houston, Texas is that the real estate prices are so much better than in Virginia. I was surfing Kingwoodyardsales.com and stumbled across the most gorgeous house ever! It's a two story brick colonial style with white columns along the front, 5 bedrooms, 4 bath, and listed for $139,000!!! Granted, it's in Spring which is cheaper than Kingwood (it's about half an hour from here) but I'm in love with that house. Too bad we're not in a position to buy it. Speaking of which, we renewed our lease for the next 18 months. We love our little one bedroom apartment and figured we'd lock in our rent rate. At first this place seemed small but we've learned to share the space better so we love it. Also, living in this affordable apartment will give us the opportunity to save up for a down payment on a house.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Excel Dilema
I am the Food Storage Specialist for the Kingwood 3rd Ward. The people I coordinate food storage orders with utelize Excel. I am also a freelance writer, so the dilema I am facing is not a new one. To my dismay everyone uses Excel and my 2 year old computer does not have it! To the best of my knowledge fewer and fewer computers are coming with programs like Excel Spreadsheet and Microsoft Word pre-installed in an effort to force consumers to buy the programs out right for a couple hundred dollars! I do NOT have that kind of money being a broke newlywed. I have found Open Office which is supposed to be compatible with all of the aforementioned programs. I'll let you know if it works as well as it says. Here's hoping!
http://www.openoffice.org/
http://www.openoffice.org/
I'm Seriously Cracking Up
My Mom sent me the funniest e-greeting ever!
http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/pyGQww98EIM8ObYOkYlGiZBx
(Yes, that's my husband and my brothers.)
http://www.jibjab.com/sendables/view/pyGQww98EIM8ObYOkYlGiZBx
(Yes, that's my husband and my brothers.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Survey Time
1. Is there someone who's always on your mind?
My husband
2. Why did you stop liking the last person you liked?
He went back to his old ways.
3. What is your name?
Sarah
4. Name a quote from the song you are listening to?
I'm not listening to music, just the birds chirping outside. I love Kingwood.
5. How is life going for you right now?
A whole heck of a lot better than a couple of months ago.
7. Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth?
Not really... but there are some people who could use a full dose of the truth but they're too stubborn and ignorant to accept it anyway.
8. Who was the last person to comment you?
My Mom.
9. Regret(s):
Ugh... yeah, I have some but they're so dagone complicated that I feel guilty for even regretting the events since it wasn't my fault but I feel bad if I don't because I still don't like how things played out. Why do some people have to make life so much harder?!
10. What was the reason you last cried?
Letting go of some bottled up emotional pain.
11. What was the first thing you said when you woke up today?
I love you. (Right before Joshua went to work.)
12. Is there a reason for your myspace song?
I like it and I'm a huge Hanson fan.
13. Do you have a best friend?
I married one of them :-)
17. Do you own a pair of green pants?
No, but I have a pair of green capris.
18. Are you more independent, or dependent?
I'm interdependant.
19. Ever had the opposite sex over when no one was home?
Yes, even before I married him.
20. Do you believe that what comes around goes around?
I sure hope so! I can't wait to watch the unraveling.
21. Whats your favorite fruit?
Strawberries
22. What is the most important thing in any relationship?
Trust, communication, and honesty. (Amen to Kat!)
23. What is the last song to make you cry?
Some love song...
24. Does anyone love you?
He did marry me, I think that counts for something ;-)
25. Do you love someone?
Oh, yes I do!
26. Is your best friend pretty?
My female best friend is!
27. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Oh, yes. It sucks.
28. Do you trust people easily?
No, not at all. In fact that ties into my regrets, trusting people I shouldn't have.
29. What's the one thing that always gets you through the day?
My husband.
32. Where is one place you want to visit?
Austrailia
33. Do you like hugs or do you freak when people hug you?
I'm a hugger.
34. Ever felt that no one relates to you?
I've had my moments.
35. Had plans and broke them?
Usually because of something beyond my control.
36. Done anything illegal?
Nothing too bad... but it usually involves my husband. He's such a bad influence, lol!
38. Are you a vegetarian?
Some days.
39. Are you a tease?
I'm a straight shooter.
40. Who are you jealous of?
Anyone who got married without controversy and got to experience newlywed bliss. Also, anyone that got married who didn't wait TOO long and got to experience being newlywed and madly in love with each other. Getting married at the height of the drama was so rough on both Joshua and I and I wish we had done things differently. But even if we had, his family was set on making us miserable so no matter what we did it still would've sucked one way or another. Ugh... I'm just glad that time is healing our wounds and we're getting back to our old madly in love with each other selves!
Friday, March 07, 2008
4 Month Anniversary
With today marking 4 months since Joshua and I were married and sealed for all time and eternity, our wedding day has been on my mind. While that day was wonderful and beautiful, truth is it was also one of the scariest and most stressful days of my life! I knew that I wanted to be married to Joshua. He's my best friend, the only person I can stand to be with all of the time (it's true, I get tired of most people pretty quickly so I can only take them in small doses, whereas with him I wanted to and continue to want to be with him everyday). We're highly compatible having enough similar interests to easily have fun together. We're different in many ways which keeps it interesting and allows us to learn and grow from one another (often we learn patience because differences do lead to annoyance at times). We had the same goals of living our lives according to God's will and raising a family in the gospel. I had no doubt that when it came down to just him that this was the man that was right for me.
However, I did have my doubts because when it came to everything else that came along with him I wasn't sure I could handle it. We got married in the midst of adversity. All of our friends and my family were supportive, but his family wasn't. What made it worse is that we were apart for most of our engagement and we're not good at having serious discussions on the phone. So a lot of what was going on with him and his family I didn't know the full details, but I knew for certain that he was unhappy and they were the source of it. So we made the decision to get married without them knowing and without their attendance. We wanted a small temple wedding anyway with a huge reception later, so this decision fit into what we had wanted. We didn't want to exclude his family, but we did want to exclude any negativity. They chose to be negative so they left us with no choice but to exclude them.
If that weren't enough, Joshua had just barely moved out on his own all the way to Texas. Moving out is hard as it is, leaving the state even harder, being seperated from your fiancee the worst, but dealing with the emotional baggage of his overbearing family (and them regularly calling to nag, guilt trip, and put him down) was too much! He was trying to work, go to school, get his own apartment, while dealing with a dark roller coaster of emotions brought on by seeing the truth of his family and himself. He was in the pits and I had the strongest feeling come over me that I needed to visit him. I booked a ticket and a week later was in his arms once again. It was just a couple of days before I came that he called me up and said, "November 7th! We have to get married on November 7th! I finally know when we have to get married." Honestly, I prayed and didn't get a strong feeling either which way, but felt like I should trust him and we should get married on November 7th. The visit was wonderful but all too short being only 2 days. I kept it short to limit temptation. As I went through security and got on the plane to return to Virginia I fell apart in a heep of tears. It tore me apart to leave him and he most certainly did not want to let me go. But we knew we'd be together again in 3 weeks and would finally be married!
Soon after I left it was like the demons were let loose and the already scary situation grew into a full blown nightmare. Joshua was wavering on where he stood, I was terrified he'd back out on marrying me but at the same time with him not behaving like himself I was questioning who he really was and not sure if he was still the right one for me. I turned off my emotions, closed my eyes, and kept going on faith because I knew deep down he's the one I'm meant to marry and this is the adversary trying to prevent us from fulfilling God's will. He also had to do his best to go numb and carry on in faith.
When I got my temple recommend, President Brassell informed me there's a rule in our stake that once that temple recommend is signed the couple is not to kiss until the altar in the temple. Ever since they've instated this rule they haven't any "slip ups." (Abstinence until marriage, which I whole heartedly believe in.) I agreed to the rule, albeit I knew I'd resent not being able to kiss my fiance at the airport. When Joshua arrived we hugged each other tightly, then looked at each other longing to kiss. The following few days were terrible because we were finally together again but we couldn't kiss and were feeling terribly stressed by the negativity that forced us to be secretive about our wedding. Kissing would've helped relieve some of the tension. It always had before. Instead, we couldn't kiss so it felt like we were fighting so the tension was amplified.
On Tuesday morning we left for the temple. Joshua and I in our rental car, my Mom and Han in the other rental. Han had suggested my Mom go with him so the lovebirds could have their alone time to enjoy each other on this special day. You know what happened? We fought the whole way up there. That's 3 hours of snipping at each other, giving each other the silent treatment, and arguing. Though he finally told me the truth about some of the things that were bothering him, including the fact that his dad had told him that if he moved to Texas I would find someone else. Real nice of him, huh? So in the end we actually understood each other better and by the time we got to the temple we had made up and were done fighting. Thank goodness! We went through the temple for the first time (both of us) and left about 5 hours later feeling exhausted. We were both unnerved because it wasn't what we expected, so we were left dreading our sealing for fear it would also be different than we expected. On top of that, we still weren't allowed to kiss which added to the tension.
Wednesday morning when I woke up and realized it was my wedding day, while I had hoped to be full of joy and excitement, instead I found I was cranky. I was tired from the lack of sleep spanning the past 4 nights at least, I was feeling uneasy about the temple, and worst of all I was still afraid that Joshua would back out at the last minute. I knew he loved me, I knew he wanted to marry me, but I also knew the fact that his family didn't approve of our marriage was weighing heavily on his mind. I was afraid he'd give in and call someone in his family and they'd give him every reason why he shouldn't get married (as they have before) and he'd get scared and back out. I was afraid that he'd decide that he did want his mother there afterall and would postpone the wedding, leaving the opportunity for her and the rest of his family to get him to back out. I was afraid that he would go through with the wedding but would mope all day because his family didn't approve so we couldn't have them there, which would ruin our wedding day AND our honeymoon. On a lesser degree, I was afraid something, anything, would stop us from getting married such as a car accident or a mix up at the temple, or who knows what. So on my wedding day I was full of fears... but I couldn't turn to my soon to be husband because I knew that he was full of pain. He had expected his wedding day to be this glorious rejoicing event with his mom and sister in the temple and the rest of his family awaiting him and his bride outside all gleefully accepting her into their family and everyone would be happy. To his horror it could not be this way because his family made it clear that no one would be good enough for them. Truth is I had hoped for in-laws that would be like his fantasy and I too was hurt that they didn't accept me. But what was more devestating was that he had come to realize they didn't accept him either, at least not for who he really was. I also didn't like that we were sneaking around to get married. He didn't exactly like it either, but he knew that this was the only way to cope with his meddling family, to leave them completely out of it.
When Joshua came over to my hotel room, we ate breakfast together while my Mom finished up the buttons on Joshua's tux. She asked us if we were excited and we both gave her, "We can't wait to get this over with" responses. We both had such painful feelings within us but this deep eternal love for one another, so it was this horrible mix of emotion. We both just shut off our feelings and tried to treat our wedding day like it was no big deal. We kept telling ourselves, "We're just making what we already have official. That's all."
We made it to the temple on time (but just barely). We seperated to get dressed, then reunited to meet with our sealer, then before we knew it we were in the sealing room about to be married. We had my Mom, Brother and Sister Donley, Brother and Sister Jinnette, and Sister Redfern in attendance. The room was fairly large with 20 something chairs. Joshua and I say that the room must have been full of angels and spirits from the other side that have been helping us along the way rooting for us to get married. The ceremony was very simple. I remember the look on Joshua's face as he said yes to marrying me. It was a look of pure joy. I remember how I felt when I said yes to marrying him. Despite how detached I felt from my emotions that day, my heart leaped for joy when I looked at him realizing he was about to be my husband, which is what I wanted more than anything in this life. When I said yes to marrying him I felt a rush of excitement, with a hint of nerves, then a feeling of peace that I had done the right thing. In a matter of minutes the ceremony was complete and the sealer pronounced us husband and wife. It was finally time to KISS!!! Joshua and I leaned in and kissed and it was heaven! The kiss was passionate, not a simple peck, and grew more passionate as the moment went on. So much so that Joshua started to make out with me right there over the altar! As much as I love kissing him, I was worried that we were making everyone else uncomfortable, so I pushed him back and said, "We don't have all day!" and laughed. Then we exchanged rings and everyone congratulated us.
We went back to seperate dressing rooms and changed out of our temple clothes into our traditional wedding attire. I was still a bit tense with fears, but was growing more at peace. I got all dressed and asked both my Mom and the temple worker to check and see if my groom was ready. He wasn't so I waited in the dressing room. I waited, and waited, and waited. I think I waited a good 20 minutes from the time I was dressed and ready to the time Joshua was finally in the hallway. When I got word that he was there then I came out of the dressing room. He was preoccupied by Brother Donley telling him about the history behind the painting there in the hall. Brother Donley saw me and said to Joshua, "Oh look, Joshua. There's your bride." Joshua then turned his head to see me and a huge smiled flashed across his face. But then Brother Donley kept talking about the painting! Fortunately for me, Joshua did leave Brother Donley and came over to me and told me how beautiful I was. This was the first time he saw my wedding dress and here I was his brand new wife! To his dismay he discovered my blouse was covered in glitter, haha.
We walked down the stairs together and to the front door of the temple. We had everyone else go outside so we could exit the temple together and get pictures. As we were about to walk out the doors a lady came through, so we stepped backwards as she said, "Sorry, oh I'm sorry." Then we started to go through again... but my Mom wasn't ready with the camera! So we stopped and waited. Then she had the camera so we came out of the doors. Unfortunately, my Mom was off to the side instead of front and center (I don't know why) so those photos didn't turn out well. Sad too because I was really looking forward to those first photos of us being married. Fortunately, the other photos DID turn out well including numerous photos with the temple in the background. It was a crazy feeling finally being there on temple grounds in my wedding dress in the arms of my husband having our photos taken on our wedding day. I had fantasized about this many times and here it was real, but in so many ways it didn't feel real! Funny, I know, but it felt like a dream (lack of sleep adds to that feeling). And even when it kind of felt like reality, it felt like we were pretending to be married. Once again, crazy I know. It was exciting but also overwhelming. Though we loved that our day was truly about us. It wasn't the usual come out of the temple, hug your friends and family, obey the photographer's demands, and referree the family member's squabbles in between appeasing their selfish needs. We walked around the temple grounds, were really cutesy and cuddly with each other, joked around with the Jinnette's in between taking photos, and did everything our way. My Mom and the Jinnette's took photos and helped with everything. They made sure this was all about us, not them. It was peaceful and simple. We wanted our wedding day, our sealing, to be about us. The reception is for everyone else anyway. In fact, every single person that was at our sealing had offered that if we decided we didn't want them there, even after having invited them, they would not be offended because our sealing is about us not them (that includes my Mom). That is exactly why we invited the people we did because we knew they supported our marriage and wanted to help, not hinder, and had no selfish desires to appease.
After taking a lot of photos (funny how I look back and wish we had taken more even though I know how tired and cold I was at the time), I hugged my Mom goodbye as she left with the Jinnette's. Then Joshua and I got into the rental car, as husband and wife, and made our way back to the hotel. We were so tired and emotionally spent we just wanted to eat and rest. We stopped by Arby's but they didn't have a drive thru, so we went inside, wedding dress and tux. We got a whole lot of attention for that as we proudly answered the questions of, "Did you just get married?" with "Yes! We JUST got married!!!" wavering our the wedding bands on our fingers. They prepared our orders but when Joshua went to pay they said, "Nope, it's paid for. That guy right there just paid for you." The guy in the line next to us added our tab to his. We turned to him and said, "Thank you for the wedding present!" Then we took our food and went to our hotel room. And yes, we ate our food...
However, I did have my doubts because when it came to everything else that came along with him I wasn't sure I could handle it. We got married in the midst of adversity. All of our friends and my family were supportive, but his family wasn't. What made it worse is that we were apart for most of our engagement and we're not good at having serious discussions on the phone. So a lot of what was going on with him and his family I didn't know the full details, but I knew for certain that he was unhappy and they were the source of it. So we made the decision to get married without them knowing and without their attendance. We wanted a small temple wedding anyway with a huge reception later, so this decision fit into what we had wanted. We didn't want to exclude his family, but we did want to exclude any negativity. They chose to be negative so they left us with no choice but to exclude them.
If that weren't enough, Joshua had just barely moved out on his own all the way to Texas. Moving out is hard as it is, leaving the state even harder, being seperated from your fiancee the worst, but dealing with the emotional baggage of his overbearing family (and them regularly calling to nag, guilt trip, and put him down) was too much! He was trying to work, go to school, get his own apartment, while dealing with a dark roller coaster of emotions brought on by seeing the truth of his family and himself. He was in the pits and I had the strongest feeling come over me that I needed to visit him. I booked a ticket and a week later was in his arms once again. It was just a couple of days before I came that he called me up and said, "November 7th! We have to get married on November 7th! I finally know when we have to get married." Honestly, I prayed and didn't get a strong feeling either which way, but felt like I should trust him and we should get married on November 7th. The visit was wonderful but all too short being only 2 days. I kept it short to limit temptation. As I went through security and got on the plane to return to Virginia I fell apart in a heep of tears. It tore me apart to leave him and he most certainly did not want to let me go. But we knew we'd be together again in 3 weeks and would finally be married!
Soon after I left it was like the demons were let loose and the already scary situation grew into a full blown nightmare. Joshua was wavering on where he stood, I was terrified he'd back out on marrying me but at the same time with him not behaving like himself I was questioning who he really was and not sure if he was still the right one for me. I turned off my emotions, closed my eyes, and kept going on faith because I knew deep down he's the one I'm meant to marry and this is the adversary trying to prevent us from fulfilling God's will. He also had to do his best to go numb and carry on in faith.
When I got my temple recommend, President Brassell informed me there's a rule in our stake that once that temple recommend is signed the couple is not to kiss until the altar in the temple. Ever since they've instated this rule they haven't any "slip ups." (Abstinence until marriage, which I whole heartedly believe in.) I agreed to the rule, albeit I knew I'd resent not being able to kiss my fiance at the airport. When Joshua arrived we hugged each other tightly, then looked at each other longing to kiss. The following few days were terrible because we were finally together again but we couldn't kiss and were feeling terribly stressed by the negativity that forced us to be secretive about our wedding. Kissing would've helped relieve some of the tension. It always had before. Instead, we couldn't kiss so it felt like we were fighting so the tension was amplified.
On Tuesday morning we left for the temple. Joshua and I in our rental car, my Mom and Han in the other rental. Han had suggested my Mom go with him so the lovebirds could have their alone time to enjoy each other on this special day. You know what happened? We fought the whole way up there. That's 3 hours of snipping at each other, giving each other the silent treatment, and arguing. Though he finally told me the truth about some of the things that were bothering him, including the fact that his dad had told him that if he moved to Texas I would find someone else. Real nice of him, huh? So in the end we actually understood each other better and by the time we got to the temple we had made up and were done fighting. Thank goodness! We went through the temple for the first time (both of us) and left about 5 hours later feeling exhausted. We were both unnerved because it wasn't what we expected, so we were left dreading our sealing for fear it would also be different than we expected. On top of that, we still weren't allowed to kiss which added to the tension.
Wednesday morning when I woke up and realized it was my wedding day, while I had hoped to be full of joy and excitement, instead I found I was cranky. I was tired from the lack of sleep spanning the past 4 nights at least, I was feeling uneasy about the temple, and worst of all I was still afraid that Joshua would back out at the last minute. I knew he loved me, I knew he wanted to marry me, but I also knew the fact that his family didn't approve of our marriage was weighing heavily on his mind. I was afraid he'd give in and call someone in his family and they'd give him every reason why he shouldn't get married (as they have before) and he'd get scared and back out. I was afraid that he'd decide that he did want his mother there afterall and would postpone the wedding, leaving the opportunity for her and the rest of his family to get him to back out. I was afraid that he would go through with the wedding but would mope all day because his family didn't approve so we couldn't have them there, which would ruin our wedding day AND our honeymoon. On a lesser degree, I was afraid something, anything, would stop us from getting married such as a car accident or a mix up at the temple, or who knows what. So on my wedding day I was full of fears... but I couldn't turn to my soon to be husband because I knew that he was full of pain. He had expected his wedding day to be this glorious rejoicing event with his mom and sister in the temple and the rest of his family awaiting him and his bride outside all gleefully accepting her into their family and everyone would be happy. To his horror it could not be this way because his family made it clear that no one would be good enough for them. Truth is I had hoped for in-laws that would be like his fantasy and I too was hurt that they didn't accept me. But what was more devestating was that he had come to realize they didn't accept him either, at least not for who he really was. I also didn't like that we were sneaking around to get married. He didn't exactly like it either, but he knew that this was the only way to cope with his meddling family, to leave them completely out of it.
When Joshua came over to my hotel room, we ate breakfast together while my Mom finished up the buttons on Joshua's tux. She asked us if we were excited and we both gave her, "We can't wait to get this over with" responses. We both had such painful feelings within us but this deep eternal love for one another, so it was this horrible mix of emotion. We both just shut off our feelings and tried to treat our wedding day like it was no big deal. We kept telling ourselves, "We're just making what we already have official. That's all."
We made it to the temple on time (but just barely). We seperated to get dressed, then reunited to meet with our sealer, then before we knew it we were in the sealing room about to be married. We had my Mom, Brother and Sister Donley, Brother and Sister Jinnette, and Sister Redfern in attendance. The room was fairly large with 20 something chairs. Joshua and I say that the room must have been full of angels and spirits from the other side that have been helping us along the way rooting for us to get married. The ceremony was very simple. I remember the look on Joshua's face as he said yes to marrying me. It was a look of pure joy. I remember how I felt when I said yes to marrying him. Despite how detached I felt from my emotions that day, my heart leaped for joy when I looked at him realizing he was about to be my husband, which is what I wanted more than anything in this life. When I said yes to marrying him I felt a rush of excitement, with a hint of nerves, then a feeling of peace that I had done the right thing. In a matter of minutes the ceremony was complete and the sealer pronounced us husband and wife. It was finally time to KISS!!! Joshua and I leaned in and kissed and it was heaven! The kiss was passionate, not a simple peck, and grew more passionate as the moment went on. So much so that Joshua started to make out with me right there over the altar! As much as I love kissing him, I was worried that we were making everyone else uncomfortable, so I pushed him back and said, "We don't have all day!" and laughed. Then we exchanged rings and everyone congratulated us.
We went back to seperate dressing rooms and changed out of our temple clothes into our traditional wedding attire. I was still a bit tense with fears, but was growing more at peace. I got all dressed and asked both my Mom and the temple worker to check and see if my groom was ready. He wasn't so I waited in the dressing room. I waited, and waited, and waited. I think I waited a good 20 minutes from the time I was dressed and ready to the time Joshua was finally in the hallway. When I got word that he was there then I came out of the dressing room. He was preoccupied by Brother Donley telling him about the history behind the painting there in the hall. Brother Donley saw me and said to Joshua, "Oh look, Joshua. There's your bride." Joshua then turned his head to see me and a huge smiled flashed across his face. But then Brother Donley kept talking about the painting! Fortunately for me, Joshua did leave Brother Donley and came over to me and told me how beautiful I was. This was the first time he saw my wedding dress and here I was his brand new wife! To his dismay he discovered my blouse was covered in glitter, haha.
We walked down the stairs together and to the front door of the temple. We had everyone else go outside so we could exit the temple together and get pictures. As we were about to walk out the doors a lady came through, so we stepped backwards as she said, "Sorry, oh I'm sorry." Then we started to go through again... but my Mom wasn't ready with the camera! So we stopped and waited. Then she had the camera so we came out of the doors. Unfortunately, my Mom was off to the side instead of front and center (I don't know why) so those photos didn't turn out well. Sad too because I was really looking forward to those first photos of us being married. Fortunately, the other photos DID turn out well including numerous photos with the temple in the background. It was a crazy feeling finally being there on temple grounds in my wedding dress in the arms of my husband having our photos taken on our wedding day. I had fantasized about this many times and here it was real, but in so many ways it didn't feel real! Funny, I know, but it felt like a dream (lack of sleep adds to that feeling). And even when it kind of felt like reality, it felt like we were pretending to be married. Once again, crazy I know. It was exciting but also overwhelming. Though we loved that our day was truly about us. It wasn't the usual come out of the temple, hug your friends and family, obey the photographer's demands, and referree the family member's squabbles in between appeasing their selfish needs. We walked around the temple grounds, were really cutesy and cuddly with each other, joked around with the Jinnette's in between taking photos, and did everything our way. My Mom and the Jinnette's took photos and helped with everything. They made sure this was all about us, not them. It was peaceful and simple. We wanted our wedding day, our sealing, to be about us. The reception is for everyone else anyway. In fact, every single person that was at our sealing had offered that if we decided we didn't want them there, even after having invited them, they would not be offended because our sealing is about us not them (that includes my Mom). That is exactly why we invited the people we did because we knew they supported our marriage and wanted to help, not hinder, and had no selfish desires to appease.
After taking a lot of photos (funny how I look back and wish we had taken more even though I know how tired and cold I was at the time), I hugged my Mom goodbye as she left with the Jinnette's. Then Joshua and I got into the rental car, as husband and wife, and made our way back to the hotel. We were so tired and emotionally spent we just wanted to eat and rest. We stopped by Arby's but they didn't have a drive thru, so we went inside, wedding dress and tux. We got a whole lot of attention for that as we proudly answered the questions of, "Did you just get married?" with "Yes! We JUST got married!!!" wavering our the wedding bands on our fingers. They prepared our orders but when Joshua went to pay they said, "Nope, it's paid for. That guy right there just paid for you." The guy in the line next to us added our tab to his. We turned to him and said, "Thank you for the wedding present!" Then we took our food and went to our hotel room. And yes, we ate our food...
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
My number 2, Teraesa!
1) Who is your number 2?
Teraesa
2) Have you met their dad?
Yes, he's a very polite man.
3) Where did you first meet your number 2?
My first year of girls camp.
4) How long ago was it when you first met this person?
I was 12, so it was 10 and a half years ago.
5) Is this person one of your best friends?
YES! But I should keep in touch with her better :-/
6 ) Do you ever fight with this person?
Nope. She's simply awesome.
7) Is this person older than you are?
Yes... but we won't say by how much ;-P
8) When was the last time you saw this person?
A few days before my wedding... so the beginning of November.
10) Have you ever eaten with them?
Sure have. The most recent was PB&J at her house back in October.
11) When will you see them again?
I don't know... but I'm hoping in July!
12) Does this person have a cell phone with text messaging?
I'm not sure.
13) Are you this persons g/f or b/f?
Nooo.... I'm married and she's pining ;-)
14) Do you have pics of this person on your myspace?
I think I have one in my bridal shower pics.
15) Do you think the person will repost this?
She might.
16) Could you stand to live with this person?
Actually, she's one of the few.
17) Can you name one of their pet peeves?
She's really easy going... but it does bother her when people do stupid things. She's got such a good heart it simply hurts her to see others make mistakes. But she's knows well enough to let them live their own lives, make their own mistakes, but always offer to help, while only helping when that offer is accepted.
18) What was the last thing you did together?
Went to church. Before that was my bridal shower.
19. Do you know their birthday?
Yes, February 21st. Two days after mine.
20.Where is this person?
Virginia. I miss her!
Teraesa
2) Have you met their dad?
Yes, he's a very polite man.
3) Where did you first meet your number 2?
My first year of girls camp.
4) How long ago was it when you first met this person?
I was 12, so it was 10 and a half years ago.
5) Is this person one of your best friends?
YES! But I should keep in touch with her better :-/
6 ) Do you ever fight with this person?
Nope. She's simply awesome.
7) Is this person older than you are?
Yes... but we won't say by how much ;-P
8) When was the last time you saw this person?
A few days before my wedding... so the beginning of November.
10) Have you ever eaten with them?
Sure have. The most recent was PB&J at her house back in October.
11) When will you see them again?
I don't know... but I'm hoping in July!
12) Does this person have a cell phone with text messaging?
I'm not sure.
13) Are you this persons g/f or b/f?
Nooo.... I'm married and she's pining ;-)
14) Do you have pics of this person on your myspace?
I think I have one in my bridal shower pics.
15) Do you think the person will repost this?
She might.
16) Could you stand to live with this person?
Actually, she's one of the few.
17) Can you name one of their pet peeves?
She's really easy going... but it does bother her when people do stupid things. She's got such a good heart it simply hurts her to see others make mistakes. But she's knows well enough to let them live their own lives, make their own mistakes, but always offer to help, while only helping when that offer is accepted.
18) What was the last thing you did together?
Went to church. Before that was my bridal shower.
19. Do you know their birthday?
Yes, February 21st. Two days after mine.
20.Where is this person?
Virginia. I miss her!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Earn Money as a Mock Juror
Anyone who knows me, knows that I do paid online surveys (yes, they really do exist, but NEVER fall for one of those ads that asks you to pay money to join). In addition to surveys, there's also such a thing as being an online mock juror. If you want to do it too, here's the link.
Referral Code: 20916
http://www.zapjury.com/Jurors/jurors.ASP#Signup
"The ZapJury concept was designed to create a large pool of people who are willing to serve on "mock" juries on the Internet to give feedback on actual cases pending in the courts. Lawyers have used "mock juries" with individual cases for many years, to evaluate and settle, or prepare for trial. But they have been expensive, and so are used rarely. Doing it online greatly lowers the cost. "
Referral Code: 20916
http://www.zapjury.com/Jurors/jurors.ASP#Signup
"The ZapJury concept was designed to create a large pool of people who are willing to serve on "mock" juries on the Internet to give feedback on actual cases pending in the courts. Lawyers have used "mock juries" with individual cases for many years, to evaluate and settle, or prepare for trial. But they have been expensive, and so are used rarely. Doing it online greatly lowers the cost. "
Armadillo
I finally saw my first armadillo here in Texas!!! Granted, it was dead, but it was an armadillo none the less! I've been wanting to see an armadillo ever since I moved here. On late night drives I'd particularly keep an eye out for them. I've spotted some opossums and racoons, but armadillos are harder to find.
Last night, Joshua and I visited with our friends Dorie and Jeb. Joshua asked them where can we see armadillos around here. They suggested a few places, but turns out they are indeed armadillos in Kingwood. We saw one on Kingwood Drive just a couple of miles from our apartment. It was so cool that we drove by the armadillo 3 times to get a good look at this unique creature. All I can say is that I'm officially welcomed to Texas now that I've seen an armadillo!
Last night, Joshua and I visited with our friends Dorie and Jeb. Joshua asked them where can we see armadillos around here. They suggested a few places, but turns out they are indeed armadillos in Kingwood. We saw one on Kingwood Drive just a couple of miles from our apartment. It was so cool that we drove by the armadillo 3 times to get a good look at this unique creature. All I can say is that I'm officially welcomed to Texas now that I've seen an armadillo!
Let's start out with your name.
Sarah
how old will you be in 6 months?
23 and 6 months
do you have a car?
nope
where's your dad right now?
At work in Virginia.
are you single?
I'm married!
whats your favorite animal?
Cats!
whats on your mind?
My long to-do list.
who is the last person you texted?
Tricia
what color are your eyes?
Mahogany Brown
where is your phone?
Next to me on my desk
what were you thinking about when you fell asleep last night?
Work, taxes, insurance, food storage... etc. Defintely not condusive to sleep.
what are you excited for?
We renewed our lease today! We'll have our apartment for another 18 months!
what are you doing for spring break?
Spending time with my husband since he'll be off from substitute teaching.
whats your biggest fear?
Pain.
does your family get family portraits done?
Not really, but we've been getting family wedding shots done since we're in the process of 3 weddings in 1 year. We're down to the last one in July.
what are you doing today?
Catching up on all kinds of things!
are you mad at anyone?
Oh, yes. I can't seem to let it go either!
annoyed with anyone?
Kind of but not really
how old are your parents?
My Mom is 53 and my Dad is about to turn 53.
how many kids do you want?
I have no idea, I just know we're not ready yet.
what color is your room?
White... we live in an apartment.
who was the last person you talked to out loud?
My husband.
what's your favorite color?
Burgundy, Sky Blue, Pink, and Silver
whats the closest thing to you thats orange?
A guitar advertisement where the guitar is a golden sunburst orange.
what are you wearing right now?
A blue shirt and black sparkly pants.
how many computers are in your house?
2
do your parents own businesses?
Nope
what should you be doing?
Cooking
Do you tell your best friends everything?
Yeah, that's why they're best friends.
How have you felt today?
Tired and groggy, my husband is sick so I'm not sleeping well and it's allergy season.
Something you say often?
Okay
Whats your favorite song?
Hanson - "Crazy Beautiful"
Are you happy at the moment?
I think so... right now I feel stressed so it's hard to tell what else is there.
Do you tend to fall for people easily?
Nope
Who was the last person to wear your clothes?
My husband borrowed my hoodie on our honeymoon, lol!
What woke you up?
My husband
Do you like fire?
I like having bonfires!
Do you wish on stars?
I did when I was little.
Do you have a job?
My most important job is being a wife. I also have a volunteer position at the Houston Cannery. Plus freelance work which brings in some money.
What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
I woke up with my husband. That's always great to wake up to him.
How many TRUE best friends do you have? who are they?
Quite a few. Joshua, Christina, Teraesa, Jenny, Han... just to name a few.
Would you rather get up early or sleep in?
sleep in
What would you change about your life right now?
More money!
how old will you be in 6 months?
23 and 6 months
do you have a car?
nope
where's your dad right now?
At work in Virginia.
are you single?
I'm married!
whats your favorite animal?
Cats!
whats on your mind?
My long to-do list.
who is the last person you texted?
Tricia
what color are your eyes?
Mahogany Brown
where is your phone?
Next to me on my desk
what were you thinking about when you fell asleep last night?
Work, taxes, insurance, food storage... etc. Defintely not condusive to sleep.
what are you excited for?
We renewed our lease today! We'll have our apartment for another 18 months!
what are you doing for spring break?
Spending time with my husband since he'll be off from substitute teaching.
whats your biggest fear?
Pain.
does your family get family portraits done?
Not really, but we've been getting family wedding shots done since we're in the process of 3 weddings in 1 year. We're down to the last one in July.
what are you doing today?
Catching up on all kinds of things!
are you mad at anyone?
Oh, yes. I can't seem to let it go either!
annoyed with anyone?
Kind of but not really
how old are your parents?
My Mom is 53 and my Dad is about to turn 53.
how many kids do you want?
I have no idea, I just know we're not ready yet.
what color is your room?
White... we live in an apartment.
who was the last person you talked to out loud?
My husband.
what's your favorite color?
Burgundy, Sky Blue, Pink, and Silver
whats the closest thing to you thats orange?
A guitar advertisement where the guitar is a golden sunburst orange.
what are you wearing right now?
A blue shirt and black sparkly pants.
how many computers are in your house?
2
do your parents own businesses?
Nope
what should you be doing?
Cooking
Do you tell your best friends everything?
Yeah, that's why they're best friends.
How have you felt today?
Tired and groggy, my husband is sick so I'm not sleeping well and it's allergy season.
Something you say often?
Okay
Whats your favorite song?
Hanson - "Crazy Beautiful"
Are you happy at the moment?
I think so... right now I feel stressed so it's hard to tell what else is there.
Do you tend to fall for people easily?
Nope
Who was the last person to wear your clothes?
My husband borrowed my hoodie on our honeymoon, lol!
What woke you up?
My husband
Do you like fire?
I like having bonfires!
Do you wish on stars?
I did when I was little.
Do you have a job?
My most important job is being a wife. I also have a volunteer position at the Houston Cannery. Plus freelance work which brings in some money.
What's the greatest thing that happened to you today?
I woke up with my husband. That's always great to wake up to him.
How many TRUE best friends do you have? who are they?
Quite a few. Joshua, Christina, Teraesa, Jenny, Han... just to name a few.
Would you rather get up early or sleep in?
sleep in
What would you change about your life right now?
More money!
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