Rangerdanger no more?

Some of you may know that I have been debating my name change. Some would argue I have been absolutely avoiding it. I would say, I am trying to make the best decision for me.

My name is Christie Lee Range.

I have been asking people over the past 6 months or so how they made the decision to change their name. Some responded that they never gave it a second thought. Some wished they had never changed their name. A few questioned my feminist beliefs and the archaic notion that when we get married we now "belong" to someone else. And some acknowledged the sadness (and bittersweet happiness) that accompanied them on the way to the Social Security office. I have really had a hard time with this decision. MJ has been super supportive of my decision but like most husbands, would like his wife to share his name.

I totally get this.

I have been debating over the hyphenation option or just keeping Range but going by Mrs. Smith as needed. I will admit that this is not an easy decision for me. Range is a GREAT last name! I love it! I have had it for 35 years!

Range isn't just a last name but a nickname associated with high school, college and post grad. I am "Little Range" to my brother's friends. I am Rangerdanger, Ranger, Stovetop and Ranger Rick to many others. I am the youngest Range of Tom's children. I am my parent's daughter. Daddy's little girl.

It is easy to spell over the phone at work..."Range. You know, like home on the..." I guess I can say Smith like, "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" but I am afraid I will lose the under 50 crowd with that one.

Replacing Range with Smith initially felt like I would lose all of these roles but I know in reality, that is not true. I will still be Tommy's little sister. I will still be Tom's little girl. And I have no doubt, to a specific Neyer, I will forever remain Rangerdanger. (In fact there was once mention that MJ would be known as Mr. Rangerdanger!)

So, without further ado I now introduce myself as.... Christie Range Smith!

Changing Range to my middle name allowed me to hold onto Range legally without the hyphenation. Although I did like my middle name, "Lee" always reminded me of when I would be in trouble and my mom would yell for me!

"Christie Lee get your butt down here!"

SS office was a nightmare and I cannot change my license for 48 hours but according the the government I am now Mrs. Christie Smith!

15 minutes

So, I've shared before about my desire to be a star! Well, this week I had an opportunity and I seized it. Unfortunately I will not be on any billboards nor will you the see the 2 minute trailer anytime soon BUT if you are being trained as a Patient Advocate at hospitals around the country, you may catch a little glimpse of me!

Here's how it happened:

I was leaving our Social Work all Staff meeting and Donna, who I am on a committee with, told me to come inside a room for auditions. I was a bit confused so she briefly explained about some video that was being filmed to show what a day in the life of a Patient Advocate looks like. At Duke, PA's are there to listen to complaints and to ensure families and patients are receiving the best care possible. It is not an easy job and they can be pulled in many directions everyday.

I went into rehearsal and apparently everyone there had already received a script and knew what part they wanted to try out for. I quickly looked over the script, started to get nervous and lucky me, my pager went off! I explained to Donna that I was paged to clinic and had to go. She had me quickly write my name and number and suggested I list a character that I would like to play. Since I hadn't made it past page two, I wrote down chaplain which was one of the onscreen parts.

I went about my day and later that afternoon I was paged by Donna. She wanted me to come back and read for a part of the Chaplain. OMG...seriously. I started to get nervous and I quickly read through the lines so I at least knew what I was supposed to be talking about. I got there and was shuffled to the front for my rehearsal.

The scene is a chaplain entering the office of Chris, a PA as she's rushing out the door. The chaplain explains to Chris that a patient they worked with last week didn't do well with treatment so he was discharged to hospice. Chris had worked closely with this family so the chaplain is trying to provide her with support in the scene as Chris receives this terrible news.

I figured this part was actually perfect for me. Hell, I had 7 years of hospice experience to draw from!

I held the script tight and did my first read through without much emotional sincerity. I was nervous and had 25 people staring at me. The director made some suggestions, I took a deep breath and delivered my 12 lines like a star. The room actually applauded and one woman said she had tears in her eyes. I was a bit overwhelmed and the director said the part was mine.

I was on cloud nine! Now don't get me wrong, I knew this wasn't going to be the next Oscar-worthy performance but I was damn proud of myself for doing it.

Today was the shoot and it was a bit like a real set...lots of lights, props, even makeup! Initially there was alot of sitting around because they weren't running on time. I eventually got my microphone attached and entered in to the brightly lit room where they were shooting. In the first two run through's I totally flubbed my lines but luckily everyone was nice and said they could fix stuff in the editing room. They shot two more closeups, one for me and one for the woman playing Chris. I did those lines PERFECTLY. Not one mistake!!! I heard the word cut and I was done. The bright lights faded. My 15 minutes were over and I had to return to work.

Reality quickly set in and I returned to the barrage of emails that were flooding my inbox. I don't' think I will ever get to Hollywood to be a star but I can say that I had a few onscreen minutes even if the only people that ever see it are hospital employees at some random hospital in the middle of Nebraska.

To be 18 again

Amidst the turkey gorging and beer drinking, we had a special birthday to celebrate this past holiday. My niece, Marina Jordan Casto turned 18 years old.

Oh. My. Gosh.

It seems like only yesterday, I was performing in my senior play at school when I was told I had a telephone call on the school payphone...do you remember those? I ran down the hall between scenes and I learned that my sister had given birth to a healthy baby girl. I was even lucky enough to have suggested her middle name. I was ecstatic.

Over the years I have watched her grow into a beautiful and downright HILARIOUS young woman. Sometimes I felt like more of a older sister because we often enjoy the same music, movies, etc. She is kind and thoughtful and a little bit sassy. She's smart, funny and an all around blast to be around. She is the queen of one-liners...it makes me a little jealous since I am the kind of person that thinks of something funny to say about 10 minutes after the moment has passed.

We were there this past week to share in the blowing out of those 18 candles. Just like I was there at her Christening serving as godmother, her confirmation serving as her sponsor and I will be there watching her walk across the stage at her high school graduation in a few months. She is absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to see where life will take her.

(Currently I am hoping that life takes her to school at either the College of Charleston or Coastal Carolina!)

Her visiting me in Chicago in 2007

Christmas 2009

My wedding

Happy Birthday Marina Jordan!

Current Events

I think life is finally calming down for a least a few weeks before the holidays hit us smack in the face. Last week, MJ finished his course for work and passed all three of his certification tests. I am in the home stretch of the grief group for which I have been a volunteer for the last 8 weeks. This week is our last group and then my Thursday evenings will be free again.


My parents were in town this weekend so my mom, Christian and I ventured out for some Christmas shopping. A girlfriend of mine told my about this church that hosts an annual bazaar where they sell large chicken pot pies. Apparently they are the talk of the town and the best things since sliced bread. Well, my mom and I arrived at 9:15 (the bazaar opened at 9am) and we were immediately put in a line about 40 people long. They have a maximum number that you can buy and they were going like hotcakes! We bought the maximum number(10), figuring we would freeze them for winter and decided to try one out for dinner that night. Boy was it yummy! I totally get why people wait in line for these round pies of warm goodness. A perfect comfort food delight. I am looking forward to enjoying them throughout the winter.


This weekend my parents also met Luna. She is getting big but is still the sweetest little puppy. Here's a little report card update:

Potty Training: B+
She's now has a designated a spot where she tends to potty. We have added a bell to the door to teach her to ring when she needs to go out. She has started moving towards the door when she needs to go out so think she realizes she needs to potty outside. The whole weekend was accident free!

Chewing: B+
She still wants to chew EVERYTHING! She does good with redirection to one of her toys and understand "NO". She totally destroyed one of her 'bobo" dolls which had to go to the trash can but at least it wasn't' one of our shoes.

Tricks: A
She has learned to sit very well especially when we go outside to put on her leash. She will sit on command 9 times out of 10. I am working on stay and she's doing pretty well. We can't wait to teach her some more fun stuff but we need to get the basics down first. Michael is excited to teach her, "Are you a Duke fan?" to which she will lay on her back with her feet in the air. I think that one is a long way off though.

Crate Training (Sleeping): A-
She will "kennel up" very well at night and sleeps until about 6:30 or later. The only accidents she had in her crate was once during the day last week.

Crate Training (Daytime): C+
She barked when I left her this morning but stopped when I said "quiet." MJ goes home during the day to let her out cuz her bladder is still small and she cannot hold it more than four or so hours. We are hoping for no accidents this week,


People Interactions: A+
She LOVES meeting new people and will even try to follow them home. I am trying not to take offense to that.


Dog Interactions: B+
We were dog sitting Maya a few nights last week and they are working on their friendship. Initially Maya wanted nothing to do with her but was amenable to Luna crawling all over her. She has met some other dogs when we've been out and she's done well.

Overall we are so pleased. She's super cute and such a lap dog. She can now jump up onto the couch so snuggle time is pretty much anytime we are home!

Here's Luna...

Here's her report card for the first week in our house.

Potty Training: C+

She's good when you take her out but still doesn't come to the door to tell you she needs to go out. At least all of her accidents tend to be on the linoleum and she hasn't pooped in the house. We usually can tell when she needs to do #2 because she goes absolutely CRAZY!

Chewing: B+

Being a 10 week old puppy, she wants to chew EVERYTHING! She does good with redirection to one of her toys and is learning no.

Tricks: A

So far she has mastered sit. It helps that she sits alot already so it was an easy one for her to learn.

Crate Training (Sleeping): A-

She will "kennel up" pretty good at night and sleeps until about 5:30 am. We usually take her out and then she will go back into the crate for another hour or so. She has had an accident in her crate but we think that was when we had crated her during the day so its a clean slate in my eyes.

Crate Training (Daytime): D

So she had been used to a crate during the day so we thought we would train her to stay in the crate in the day and we would go home to let her out at lunch. We died that for three days and reaslize that with her little bladder, its too much to be crate for so long. The new plan is to let her have the kitchen area during the day with some newpaper/pads out until her little bladder can hold it longer. She's recovering from a post surgery bladder infection so hopefully, this grade will move up significantly in the next few weeks. for the next week, Michael is home during the day for work so she is enjoying the comforts of being absolutely spoiled with love ALL THE TIME!

People Interactions: A-

Although she jumps a bit, she LOVES meeting new people. She will never be lacking for a social life.

Dog Interactions: C-

We have only encountered a few dogs and she usually runs under my feet when they get close. The one that wanted to meet her who was super friendly came up and licked her and by the sound of her yelps it sounded like he took a bite out of her. Needless to say, she's a little fearful so I think we are going to start introducing her to some friends dogs to start the socialization with other canines!

Overall, things are going well. We still have to watch her ALL the time but she's super fun and loveable.

Please remind me of this when she chews my favorite shoes!!

New Family Member

I have decided not to continue to apologize for the lack of posts. There are many excuses I could make as to why I am so forgetful.

I could blame it on not making the time.
I could blame it on being a newlywed.
I could blame it on adjusting and continuing to unpack from our honeymoon (yes, I know we’ve been back for a month...Stop judging!)
I could blame it on the rain…but we know where it got Milli Vanilli!

Instead I will just post when I have time or something interesting to share and be okay with that.

So, there are some major life changes that could be happening.
First, we are adding to our family. No, I am not pregnant which everyone’s first reaction is when I say this. Instead we are getting a puppy!

I honestly have never described myself as either a dog or a cat person. I had both growing up and enjoyed them but these days kitty’s tend to make my eyes red and watery and my nose runny and sneezy. Dogs we had growing up were of the smaller variety and I honestly had some issues with larger dogs and all the slobber and fur that come along with them.

MJ has been mentioning wanting a dog for awhile now. He grew up with them and has had many in his adult life. I vowed that getting a dog before the wedding would not be good for my sanity but I would consider it afterwards. Needless to say, as soon as we got home MJ started emailing me links to puppies that were up for adoption. We agreed that only a smaller dog would work until we move into a larger home so we started checking the local shelter websites.

We have found the cutest little puppies to pick from. There are 5 of them, all names after types of candy. We have completed the application and have our first visit with them on Sunday. Once we choose the pup we want and we think it’ll be a good fit, a home visit will be done to make sure our home is appropriate and then the pup is ours.

Wish us luck!!

We're back!!!

What a whirlwind life has been lately. I had been consumed with wedding planning and then BAM, it was wedding week. I took off work at noon on Wednesday the 8th and did some last minute errands. Most everything was done and we had multiple bags spread throughout the house that needed to go with us to the Matthews House where we were married.

My family arrived on Thursday and since I was already a bit stressed, I had a mild breakdown when I was surrounded by people asking me what needed to be done. After a short trip to the mall and a parking lot phone conversation with Jessica, I stepped back from the ledge and moved on.

MJ picked up Christian on Thursday night and joined my family and I at the Hibernian for dinner. It was such a nice night that we were able to sit outside and enjoy a tasty dinner and drinks. It was very fun and I was able to introduce Christian to my niece, Nocera. They are both tweens and I was a little nervous not knowing whether or not they would get along. My fears were calmed as I watched them spend the next three days giggling, wearing each others clothes, and stalking poor Brian Berger....they LOOOVE him!

Friday was our rehearsal dinner which we hosted at the Matthews House. My coworkers father made a southern BBQ complete with chopped pork, BBQ chicken, and homemade hush puppies. It was yummy and a nice tribute to Michael's southern roots. After the rehearsal, made our way over to the hotel where our guests were staying and enjoyed a few drinks before we had to say goodnight to one another. It was so surreal to have so many people from different areas of my life all together.

MJ returned to our house for the night but I stayed at the Matthews House with Jess, Jen, Deb, Andy, Brian and Jake. We sat on the porch and enjoyed a couple more drinks before we retired to bed.

I woke up feeling good and well rested. I was "puppy piled" by Jess, Deb and Brian where we cuddled a bit and discussed the upcoming day. We eventually meandered downstairs to get some coffee and breakfast. We sat on the sun porch chatting and catching up some more. It hadn't quite hit me that it was my wedding day.

My hairdresser and make-up artist arrived and so began the getting ready process. We moved in and out of rooms getting hair done and make-up applied while dining on my dad's yummy chicken salad sandwiches and fruit. Oh and sparkletini's of course! I sadly and tearfully had to make the decision to move the wedding indoors due to the threat of rain. Eventually it was time to get ready. I was feeling pretty good. The photographer and videographer arrived and pictures began.

Pictures went quick and all of a sudden, I was dressed and ready for my wedding just waiting to start the show. The show was organized by the most amazing friend, Brian Berger. He kept things organized and made sure we were on time and everything was in its place for my special day. I do not have enough thank yous in my body to say how much I appreciate his help.

I was doing fine, my emotions were in check and then it hit me. Like having the wind knocked out of me...OMG, it's my wedding day! With Jessica's help, I pulled it together and began the walk down the stairs to my dad. I saw my dad when I was on the 3rd to last step. At that moment, a lifetime of emotions about my wedding day flooded me and the tears came.

Dad stepped forward to my rescue reminding me that if I cried then he would cry and we'd be a big mess. I giggled, took some breaths and off we went. I was fine for about 20 steps and then I could see the guests ahead of me and the tears returned. I fought back tears the whole way down the aisle and then I saw him. And I knew that I everything was going to be okay. And it was so much more than okay...it was AMAZING!

Our wedding was officiated by Jake who did a fantastic job. Our wedding felt so "us". He took the time to know us and in turn wrote and spoke so personally about each of us as individuals and as a couple. There was laughter, there were tears and his words were beautiful and heartfelt. I have never felt so loved in my life. Surrounded by all of the people who have left hand prints on my heart in some way. The witnesses to my life through childhood, college, Chicago and now NC. Words cannot describe how that felt.

We ate, danced, drank and socialized and all of a sudden, it was over. We said our goodbyes and we just looked at each other. It is so strange to spend so much time preparing for one day of your life. It goes by SO fast and we immediately wanted to do it again because it was SO much fun!

The beginning

I figured why not? A relatively young woman in a new city, what could it hurt? I tried, went on a few dates and decided it wasn't for me. Just as I was going to end my Match account, he emailed. He was cute, commented postively on the fact that I liked to steal mini shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels and he liked the Tarheels. I had recently attended my first game so we had stuff to chat about. Many texts and emails were sent.

I went to visit family for the holidays, he went out with friends. I drove to Charleston for my mother's bithday, he sent me an email saying he decided to date someone else.

Ouch!

Don't get me wrong here people, we'd only been talking for a few weeks but he seemed fun...normal...sweet. I will admit, I was disappointed. I felt at least some sort of friendship connection with him. Hell, he was a CUBS fan!

His email went something like, "I want to be fair...I'm a nice guy...I have been talking with someone else...Let's stay friends."

My initial email went like, "Screw you. I have enough friends."

My real email went like, " I appreciate your honesty...please appreciate mine. I do not want to be friends."

I tried to close my account with Match but I forgot I had been sucked into the, "find your soulmate in three months bullshit" so I figured I would just stop checking it and close it at the end of three months.

I decided to take the opportunity to focus on me. You know, the person I tend to put by the wayside. I started making friends at work and going out. I started working out at crossfit and feeling REALLY good about myself. I signed up for a 6mile run and started training.

Two months passed...time to log onto my account and cancel it.

He just looked at my profile. Huh? Maybe he's not dating anyone anymore. Maybe he is. Maybe we could be friends. It would be nice to have someone to watch a cubs game and enjoy a beer. Maybe he has cute friends. Maybe he could be my wing man at bars. This could work.

I emailed. He emailed back immediately. The term "fast friends" comes to mind as I look at our old emails from the beginning. It was like settling in with an old friend or a cozy blanket or a cup of tea. We fell into a routine of just checking in, sharing about life and in a way, being supportive to one another.

And I still hadn't heard his voice.

Our reconnection started at the beginning of March. As the end of March approached, we were emailing and texting daily. We were just friends. I was out of town each weekend of that month, he had his kids so timing never allowed us a coffee chat or time to meet up for a beer.

Quite a few friends thought I was crazy to have never talked to this man on the phone.

Honestly, it felt okay. We were friends. He had been in and out of town for business and the texting and emailing thing worked for us. When I look back, I realize that we were both hesitant. I didn't want to get my hopes up and he didn't want his heart broken.

On March 31st, we met for a beer.

I went to work the next morning where I received this:

I figured I would send you an email :)
I cannot tell you how wonderful last night was. I really had not anticipated the evening turning out the way it did but I did anticipate that I would really be into you. You are an amazing person! It was really hard to believe we sat there for over 8 hours just talking. I am sorry I kept you up so late but it really was hard leaving you.
I look forward to more adventures :)
Michael

My heart melted and the rest is history.
That's how we began.

Decisions

So today is a big day.

Not only is today Michael's 38th birthday but this morning we marched into the Register of Deeds office to get our marriage license. I wasn't sure what to expect. I figured that we'd show our ID's, sign some papers and then be done. I was a little thrown off when we had to take an oath. Initially when she asked us to put our hands on the bible, I thought she was trying to marry us!

I learned that it was an oath confirming we were telling the truth about the information provided and we weren't related or anything crazy like that.

Ewww!

Sadly, I was wondering if that issue came up alot. After we swore that we weren't brother and sister or something equally creepy, she handed us our papers and said good luck!

Our oath!

Our license!

One more step completed on the road to our wedding. There are alot of decisions in life but I think this one definitely takes the cake.

It's a difficult one.

Not to be taken lightly.

It's not all going to be rainbows but I am looking forward to the journey. This really sums it up...

"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two. "

---Louis de Bernieres (Captain Corelli's Mandolin)

Thank you Michael for making this decision with me. Happy Birthday Hubby-To-Be. I love you!

Birthday wishes

Lets buy a hat so that one day we can look back and say. "Remember that time we went to Saugatuck and bought hats?"

Instantly a smile comes across my face when I think of her. One of many conversations we've had on the way to somewhere. One of many fun moments that will forever remain in my mind.

She's a mom. And she sometimes thinks that all she is. She doesn't realize how other people see her. She is a mom AND...
....a wife
....a friend
....a trusted confidant (even when she's had too much wine)
....a runner
....a cake maker
....a neighbor
....an entertainer (when she wants to be)
....a daughter
....a listener
....a cook
....a beach bum (not yet full time but she's waiting for the offer)
....a teacher
....a sister
....a wine lover
....a party girl
....a gardener
....a reader

She's all these things and more and I am SO blessed to call her Maid of Honor (actually Matron of Honor but I'll be nice since its her birthday) and most importantly, FRIEND!

Happy Birthday Lady!!

One month...

Yesterday was one month to the day I am getting married. Holy crap! I am not going to pretend that I can even blog about what that means right now. My emotions are a roller coaster these days. I am truly excited to finish up our preparations and to arrive at the BIG DAY!

Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend 5 days in Chicago with a group of amazing women. Some have known me a few years, some for much longer but they all support and love me like no one else. I had such a wonderful time frolicking in the city, visiting old haunts, drinking with old friends, eating at my favorite restaurants. Thank you to everyone who made that weekend so special. I will not pretend to be able to encapsulate it better so head here to read more about it!

Thanks MOH...you are doing a great job!

Back from the beach...

Oh what a wonderful week away!

It all began when Karen flew in on Friday for vacation. I picked her up and promptly drove her to my house where I proceeded to take a nap as I had been up VERY late the night before. Once I awoke, somewhat refreshed, I dragged Karen to my dress fitting. It was so strange to try on my dress again since I hadn't seen it since I bought it months ago. After manicures, pedicures, salsa and chips and dinner out we went back to await the Neyers arrival. We packed most of the car on Friday and finished up Saturday morning. We were on our way to the beach by 10am.

I wish I could say this was all of the beer and drinks we brought but sadly, this picture was without three cases of beer and of course, we bought more midway through the week!!

After navigating our way from Durham to Oak Island, we arrived to see the Brooks' waiting for us at the house. We wasted time while awaiting the keys to the house by drinking beer and catching up on life. As usual, the week went by way to fast but here are some highlights:

• Morning Tour de France viewing with Renata resumed. We each got our team on day one and of course, I never won...AGAIN. The boys dominated as usual.


• Lots of book reading and horse shoe playing. I am terrible at shoes but by the end, I was actually enjoying it.


• Lots of seafood eating...I think we broke our shrimp buying record this year
• MJ and I had a night out with Critty and Dr. Thunder in Southport which was delish. Critty and I dined on crab legs followed by some yummy beers at Loco Joe's Bar.


• Karen made Jess and I iced coffee every morning...a new Preakness Estate tradition except that I have to make it myself.
• Sean and Ali were the life of the party during their two day stint in Long Beach. There's nothing like donuts and wine for breakfast, right Ali?

The week ended perfectly when we got the call from Patty saying there were Loggerhead turtles hatching on Friday night. Around 9:00 pm we all raced down the beach where we were lucky enough to witness two baby turtles take their first steps to the sea. It was the most amazing experience to witness.

After our post turtle watching, midnight dinner, we slowly began the daunting process of finding our things and packing them away for the trip home. On our way out Saturday, we stopped at Clem's Seafood one last time for some goodies to take home. We bought some scallops, flounder and MJ's childhood favorite, soft-shell crab. On Sunday, I sauteed the scallops and MJ fried up the flounder and crab. It was absolutely delicious and allowed us to hold onto the beach for one more day...

Thank you beach friends. We had a blast!!

Holding onto the Edge

Wow, life has been quite the whirlwind lately. We have hit the three month mark and (gulp) are approaching the two month mark to wedding day very quickly. We've kinda fallen off the grid as of late due to planning, visitors, and lots of work. Here's a brief recap of the past month:

• Experienced my first wedding shower...it was fun but opening gifts in front of others has never been my forte and I was all nervous!


• Wedding invites were printed, partly by us and surprisingly, it went quite well. Kinkos did the main invite but MJ and I did the response card and map and it could not have been easier


• I managed three days with my step-daughter and her 12 year old attitude while MJ was out of town for work. We both survived relatively unscathed :)


• I have managed to lose 14 pounds on Weight Watchers! Woo-Hoo!


• MJ has been working ALOT to roll out this major system he developed. They met with their first client and now there are a couple more potential clients in the pipeline. He's had to really work hard...lots of long hours but he's getting the recognition he deserves!
• We leave on vacation in 20 days and it could not come fast enough. Some R&R on the beach with my peeps is exactly what I need!

It is hot as the dickens here...seriously, it feels like I reside in Satan's den. I found a link online where I could have actually baked cookies in my car because the heat index was going to be so high. Honestly, I think i would freak out if I came back to my car at the end of the day with a pan full of baked cookies on my dashboard. Kinda disturbing!

To help us deal with the heat, MJ and I have been frequenting Orange Leaf. It is my new favorite place to go and even though its about a 20 minute drive, its totally worth it. They have soft serve yogurt in a ton of flavors. Some flavors like chocolate, cheesecake or peanut butter (my personal favorite) are low fat. Other flavors like strawberry, pineapple or pomegranate are non-fat!! After you serve yourself some yogurt, there are a TON of toppings you can add to make your own concoction. Everything from fruit to candy bars to plain old sprinkles. You pay by the ounce and honestly the price isn't too bad and it is DELISH!! Check it out!!

Dog-sitting Maya

So MJ is desperate for a dog. We have agreed that after the wedding we will start a hunt for a dog. We aren't picky and really do not care whether or not it is an actual puppy or a full dog as long as its an adopted shelter dog. I occasionally get emails from MJ for puppies that need adopting now but I gently remind him that with out pre-wedding schedule we just do NOT have time for puppy.


This past weekend we has the opportunity to dog sit for Maya. She is a Chinook which is a rare breed similar to a sled dog. She reminds me of a German Shepard but a little more narrow. She has the most gentle temperament and is a true joy to be around.


We were warned that she would be sleeping with us at night and we prepared for sharing the bed but this was a little more than we expected!! Needless to say, we learned a few things:
1) We will not be getting a dog this large
2) Our dog will be kennel trained

Strawberry Jam

So despite complaints and whining about my job, working for a large insitution has its perks. One of my favorites is that from April til October we have a mobile Farmers Market every Friday. We have many local farmers and business owners who bring fresh produce, flowers, and baked goods for us to purchase. I have made it a goal to buy our produce from the market when its feasible. So far we have dined on fresh grilled asparagus and yummy corn.

Recently I purchased a HUGE basket of strawberries at an unbeatable price. After a few days of us eating them I realized I was going to have to get creative because we still had ALOT of strawberries. I made yummy strawberry coffee cake, strawberry shortcake and a coworker recommended making freezer jam.


It was remarkably easy and turned out super yummy. We ended up making 12 mini jars of strawberry jam. If you are in the neighborhood, feel free to stop by for a jar!

Four Months To Go

Four months until:

• I put on my pretty dress
• Get my hair washed and prettied
• My makeup applied
• I walk down the aisle with my dad
• I marry the man who is going to be with me on the rest of my journey.

It's been hitting me lately that MJ is here for good. Yes, I understand the concept of marriage and I know it sounds silly but I have lived so much of my life in short bursts that the longevity of married life seems so far removed from what I know. Since I was a small child, I have moved around alot. Prior to college, I had lived in over 7 homes. Add in college and post grad, we are talking about over 19+ residences. I have always made new friends (and kept the old ones) but I lived a constantly changing single life which meant moving every 2-3 years.

Its funny when I see friends purchasing homes that they plan to reside in for long periods of time because honestly, I have never had that even as a child. I started giggling the other day when MJ and I bought a small table grill (a "for now" grill) until we move into a larger place. I realized that MJ and I would be together when we purchase our next grill for our new home together and it made me smile

He's my forever and my forever has never looked so good.

Scan Me

So last night we experienced a Rite of Passage for many, if not all bridal couples...we registered. After much debate (by me, in my head) it was decided that Bed Bath and Beyond was the best place for us. We combined households and already own two of most things so we figured we could register for some more special items that we knew we would enjoy together.

We were both pretty tired going into the evening so figured we'd scan a few things and call it a night...not so much. We already own both sets of our mothers China so we were good in that department but once I saw the BEAUTIFUL glassware...we were doomed. I love glassware for some reason and just feeling the weight of the gorgeous crystal made me want to scan the whole shelf. We tried to restrain but it was definitely our splurge to register for some Waterford Crystal wine glasses, champagne flutes and water glasses.

Here's Michael scanning our new towels!!!

In regards to the rest of the registry, we definitely put on some "want" type stuff but for the most part we restrained and kept it to things we had discussed we needed to complete our ideal kitchen.

But who am I kidding....

Do I need the red silicone prep bowls? No.

Do I want them? Hell Yes!!

Will they make me happy? Yup!

We had no sense of time while we were there...its like Vegas. They must pump in oxygen and prevent clocks from working because we were there for over two hours and it felt like 10 minutes. The saleswoman reported that many couples return a second or third time to finish but we think completing the registry from the comfort of our own computer is just fine.

Overall the process was fun. It is rather odd to be registering for presents but I guess it beats getting a pre-decorated Christmas tree that smells like cigarette smoke, right Jess??

Life moves pretty fast...

...and "I do" day is right around the corner. Where the hell did April go? I swear I didn't hole up in some dark place for the month but darn it if I have no memory of it. Here's a recap (according to my trusty planner):

• Weekend one was our Belhaven, NC trip to Michael's hometown for church and to visit the cemetery where his parents are buried...super lovely trip but a looooooong day in the car
• Weekend two is unaccounted for in the planner. I know that on Friday we hit this super cool bar in Durham called Dains Place. They have a small menu of good pub eats and for dessert...oreos and milk!! We ended up playing the game, Things while we were there which is totally hilarious. As for the rest of the weekend, I have no idea what we did.
• Weekend three I ventured to Boone to see Miss Deb D. We attended a conference on Friday where I got in touch with my Zen which was much needed. We also squeezed in a hike and Mellow Mushroom...talk about a good day! Saturday I was lucky enough to see and hear Miss Deb perform at SHOW which was very fun.
• Weekend four was just last weekend so I actually remember what we did. Friday, Miss Christian joined Michael and I at my friend Laurie's for a dessert birthday party. It was fun and Miss Christian was the center of attention. On Saturday we traveled to Wake Forest to our friend Kathy's where we met her new man. He's not so new but i hadn't met him yet. He grilled out for us and we had some yummy eats. He also loves to play euchre so he's good people in my book. We played the best of three games and sadly, MJ and I lost. Sunday we took Christian to get fitted for her bridesmaid dress...and of course she looked absolutely ADORABLE.

This weekend turns to May. It is a full weekend so I will definitely post about it...hopefully!

Bleck!

So, I am not sure when it started. I hate bugs! I mean HATE bugs.

Since I was young, I have been terrified of spiders. I remember in grade school and high school, waking up at night to find a small wood spider on my wall. We lived in a wooded area so it is not surprising these little creatures would find their way into our house. I would go downstairs and wake my father up to kill it because I would not be able to fall asleep knowing it was in my bedroom...somewhere. Just so you know, my bedroom measured 20 feet by 19 feet. It was half of the ENTIRE upstairs so the odds of the spider actually making it over to me, without being sidetracked with something more exciting than a terrified teen, were low at best. Nonetheless, dad would come and kill it so I could get my much needed beauty rest.

I am afraid this spider aversion escalated into ALL bugs.

In Chicago, we had silverfish and house centipedes. You, know those disgusting things with the thousand legs and when you kill then its like they were never there. UGH...those things creeped me out and DAMN could they run fast. No matter how much dusting, cleaning, spraying we did we always had a few throughout the year.

I would say the most difficult part of my move to NC are the bugs. Palmetto Bugs my ass. These suckers are cockroaches the size of Mini coopers. They have nothing to do with cleanliness...they just live here ALL the time. Obviously, they mostly come out in warm weather so I get a brief reprieve in the winter months. When I moved into my house, it had been vacant so they were not happy to find out that a new tenant arrived. I SCREAMED the first time I saw one. No roommate to bribe into killing it either. After 1000 sprays of Windex it was dead and I was finally breathing again.

I quickly learned that all southern homeowners have three things: a plumber, a handyman and a pest person. My pest person is Amy. I have her on speed dial...seriously. She comes once a quarter to spray and if I see one any other time, she will come again for FREE. I love her. I gave her a Christmas present to show her how happy I am to have her in my life. She has made adjusting to southern life quite pleasant.

But now I have a new foe...a small, tiny one that I can barely see. The TICK! Bleck! YUCK!

We went hiking on Saturday. It was warm and sunny and it felt great to be outside. Upon arriving home, Christian shared that she had found some ticks on her. I instantly went to panic mode, jumped in the shower and washed all over. I even made Michael do a tick check for me. I got the all clear and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fast forward to Sunday morning....I was getting ready to get in the shower when Michael noticed something on my side. I couldn't look so I shut my eyes and cried. I had a tick...on me! He went through the proper procedure of getting nail polish remover and applying it so that Mr. Tick would pull off easier and not leave behind its head...ugh. It hadn't done any damage but I was horrified. I showered again...did 15 more thorough tick checks and crossed my fingers there were no more. Not quite sure if this incident has ended my summer hiking plans but I'm damn sure I'll be buying stock in tick repellent.

Mama and her Cub

I think most children have experienced teasing at one point or another. Glasses that are too big, pants that are too small, scrawny arms, a big butt...all are causes of nasty remarks from peers as we grow up. I tended to internalize those remarks, tell funny jokes to be like-able so that the teasing would cease. I made it through grade school relatively unscathed.



Survived feels like such a strong word to justify what I went through. Kids today are survivors. Today kids are tortured...literally. It's difficult to turn on the news and hear about another child who harmed themselves due to taunting and bullying. It makes me so angry which explains why my mama bear claws came out yesterday.

Future step-daughter Christian is with us for the extended weekend. On our drive home from the store, she began sharing about the fight she and her best friend were in. Typical teen stuff...I donned by best "cool step mom/social worker" hat and provided some advice. I tried to hold back and let her come to the best conclusion without my influence. She voiced frustrations that BF was trying to get other friends "on her side" which left Christian feeling bad since she wasn't quite sure why BF was upset in the first place. We talked through her feelings and by the end she felt a little better. I felt like I did a pretty okay job as step mom and we went home to make dinner.

Then she opened her facebook account. Apparently BF consulted her older brother about the fight and he decided to email Christian. He threatened her, saying things that made my skin crawl. I was appalled. Then I was pissed! I could feel the adrenaline rush, my lips purse and my blood boil.

No one threatens my cub.

I wanted to drive the 250 miles to this little shit's house and give him a piece of my mind. I wanted to tell him to stay out of someone else's argument and allow them to solve it by talking it out. I wanted to yell at him for threatening to harm this beautiful little girl.

I did my best to keep my cool. We blocked him from her account. I passed on the information to MJ so he and Christian's mom could handle the situation. Parents conversed, decisions are being made and in the end I am sure things are going to be fine.

I have never felt that innate sense of protection before. And as I sat there last night, braiding her hair before bed I looked at her and sighed, smiled, and thought that I am a lucky woman to have this little "cub" in my life.

From your toes to your nose....

...I love you!

One of our first photos together

Happy First anniversary, MJ. I cannot wait to be your bride.

The sigh...

Things have been a bit crazy around here.  House repairs, wedding dress purchasing, work, cohabitation...its amazing the things that can get in the way of blogging :)  Life has definitely been a roller coaster lately.

BUT today...today was one of those days where everything went right.  I got to visit with friends and chat in the sunshine.  We did all of the weekend "to-do's" for the wedding and actually ENJOYED it.  We laid around and watched tv and made fun drinks and laughed and enjoyed each others company.  It was just one of those GREAT days.

I love those.

"I'm ready for my close-up"

It's no surprise that I have always been quite the actress. As a small child, my parents nicknamed me Sarah Bernhardt for my Oscar deserving, dramatic expressions of frustration when I didn't get my way. My sister quickly followed suit with another nickname, The Brat.

I always love imagining myself as a movie star. My cousin Mary and I would listen to the Stand By Me soundtrack over and over and choreograph mini plays/dances to go with each song. I loved being creative and silly.

As I got older, my dreams of stardom were taken over by reality so instead of acting in movies I became obsessed with watching them. Black and White movies, silent movies, westerns...you name it, I would watch it. I still dreamed about being in them. Imagining myself accepting my Oscar for my riveting performance in some amazing movie and it should come to no surprise that I TOTALLY get into the Academy Awards. I joke and refer to them as my version of the Superbowl. I love the red carpet and seeing the celebrities all dressed up in gowns and jewels way beyond my financial reach.

I must be honest that I usually watch the alone. Not because I do not enjoy being around others but because I want to WATCH the show. Yes, I gab about who's wearing what hideous dress or who should have consulted a mirror prior to stepping into their limo but overall I actually like to WATCH the show...all 4+ hours of it.

Of late, I have allowed my friend Jess in on my Oscar viewing (along with a couple other choice individuals...they know who they are) and they all know my rules of keeping quiet. Jess and I even went so far as to go to a spa one year and watch it from our hotel room. Before the show we had our massages, manicures and pedicures. We watched the show covered in out plush hotel robes while sipping on wine and eating cheese. It was delightful. Excessive but delightful!

This year I decided to turn things up a bit. I decided to host a small Oscar Party with a few friends dressed in full Oscar gear. Individuals came in old prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and even one that looked like an old wedding dress. I had a host of food from every Best Movie Category including District Nine Guano Goop (really it was just guacamole), Avatar cocktails (Blue Curacao makes a great drink) and even some Hurt Locker Hummus. I even stocked up on airplane sized bottles of liquor and bags of chips in honor of Up in the Air.

Overall is was fun and for the most part everyone watched the awards. Next year I need to remember that party's on a Sunday need WAY less alcohol for guests since most needed to work the next day. The hostess on the other hand polished off quite a few of those blue Avatar concoctions.

Here are a few pics from the night. Sorry, only pics of me to protect the innocent :)

Off the Wagon

So not only has my blogging been sporadic at best, but I totally jumped off the WW and exercise wagon. When I say jumped off I mean dove off head first into a vat of chocolate peanut butter eggs and marshmallow peeps. I have became permanently attached to my couch. One would think the idea of 100 of my friends and family members staring at me as I walk down the aisle in September, wearing the most expensive beautiful dress I have ever owned, would bring about some motivation.

Nope. Not a bit. Bring on the chocolate and peeps! Order another pizza! One more beer? Make it two!

Exercise? What's that? Does walking to and from my car to go to work count? Ugh. Exercise. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

So, I am on a quest for motivation. This weekend the gray days of winter are supposed to lift away to sunshine and ....wait for it...60 degree weather!

I am hoping with the sun shining and birds chirping, I can find my motivation.


That's it! I shall go on a hunt for my motivation!

Kind of like an Easter egg hunt...mmmm...Easter.

Damn those peeps and PB eggs.

Weekend Guest

With this girl in town...I never know what craziness will ensue.

Bring on the weekend!!!

Healthy...ish

In an effort to drop a few pounds before our nuptials, Michael and I are watching our food intake with the help of weight watchers. We were awesome all week and decided to save up our dinner points on Friday for a burger and fries. I found this restaurant in Chapel Hill called Evos.

They tout that they are healthy and environmentally sound so we thought we would check it out. They have burgers, salads, wraps and shakes as well as their version of a french fry...an Airfry. We both went with the turkey burger, with cheese of course. We decided to value meal it with a drink and some Airfries.

I was delighted to find that they had a ketchup bar. What? Super fun!

We were able to try a variety of ketchup with our Airfriedgoodies. They even had little stickers to label the various types of ketchup...in case you can't remember the flavor on that long walk to the booth.

Who am I kidding...I am a sucker for stickers so I of course labeled them all!

The burger was very good. Lots of flavor for a turkey burger, I thought. The Airfries were surprisingly good...not super crisp but excellent when dipped in ketchup. The big ketchup winner in my eyes was the Original flavor. You can't mess with perfection.

Top Ten List for Valentines Day

Jess and Andy are currently in their car cruising down I-77 towards NC. We are very excited to have them visit for Valentines weekend although I am guessing my liver will be just as excited when they leave. I was forewarned that Jess is armed with Sparkletini's which were a huge hit at their house recently. Michael and I ventured to the store to stock up on some Neyer favorites: beer, cheese, pepperoni, and the makings for salami wraps (they sound gross, but are oh so yummy).

It's funny that this is the first Valentines Day that I am actually in a relationship. I know... Seriously, right? It's not like I never dated or anything but looking back I have never actually had valentines plans with a significant other.

Now Jessica will argue that I have in fact had a Valentines date. She and I did spend a lovely Valentines evening in downtown Chicago where we enjoyed a tasty dinner followed by a carriage ride.

Yes, we really did this.

See, I tended to be her back-up date when Andy was traveling for work or got called to a meeting. Hell, I was her date on their first wedding anniversary! (I was so tempted to show up in my bridesmaid dress.) We hung out at the hotel pool for the day and enjoyed champagne in their hotel suite. We attended a lovely dinner and I was so close to getting to see The Lion King but Andy's meeting finally ended and the "proxy date" was sent home.

So I admit that I am a tad excited for this Valentines Day. I know "hallmark holiday"...blah, blah, blah but I'm still riding the "engagement high" so let me gush a little. I am going to be ooey and gooey and make a Top Ten List of things I love about Michael. So in no particular order...here goes:

10) He makes the bed in the morning. No, he doesn't just pull up the covers. He knows how to properly make a bed. The sheets are tucked with perfect corners. Susan Smith taught him right and I get to reap the benefits because I love a neatly made bed.

9) He likes cheese. Seems simple but I could never be with someone who didn't love cheese or (gasp) was lactose intolerant.

8) He opens doors. Don't get me wrong, I am a liberated woman and I will hold doors for strangers but I love that he opens my car door for me.

7) He knows "techie stuff." Despite being with Michael for almost a year, I still cannot confidently tell you exactly what he does. I can give a brief dummed down version (which I think is almost accurate) but I still do not know EXACTLY what he does because lets be honest...I know nothing about computers or technology. And I am okay with that. He makes the TV work, the computers run and ensures that I have a cell phone...that's all I need.

6) He has a southern accent. I'll admit it, accents are attractive and when he says "Yes, ma'am" to someone, I melt (and giggle just a little cuz its so darn cute.)

5) He's willing to cook. I love that he cooks with me or for me especially on the weekends for breakfast. Although they are not the most low fat southern breakfasts, they are DELISH!

4) He eats sushi. Again, similar to the cheese thing...I could never date someone who didn't like to eat sushi. We eat it every two weeks...minimum.

3) He likes sports but not in that CRAZY kind of way. Yes, he would most likely choose to watch the Tar Heels than go shopping with me but he's not a crazy fan. Although, he did blame the fact that his UNC blanket wasn't on the bed for their most recent loss...hmmmm.

2) He's kind. Genuinely kind. He hates to see someone in distress and if he can do something to fix it he will.

1) He loves me. When I'm sad, when I'm moody, when I'm pissy, when I'm angry and even when I am irrational...he loves me. And I love him for it.

Happy Valentines Day!! Go Heels!!

PS: Just in case anyone forgets the last time the Neyers' visited...feel free to glance here.

It's mine!

So as I begin to share with people the date of my wedding, I get a mixed bag of reactions.  If I say I'm getting married on the 11th of September sometimes it doesn't click that almost 9 years ago something terrible occurred.  If I say I am getting married on September 11th, I usually get a pity look and an "Oh, that's nice."

Yes, I remember that day too.  I remember being in downtown Chicago for graduate school, waiting for Human Behavior in the Social Environment to start and hearing gasps from a classroom.  I remember walking in the room just as the second plane hit the tower.  I remember watching Michigan Avenue shut down and become silent.  I was shocked and scared and overwhelmed.  All that I knew, had changed.

But, I also remember March 17th, the day my dearest friends mom died.  September 28, the day my grandfather died.  And a myriad of other dates that have historic significance, maybe not to the world, but to me.

So from this day forward, I am claiming September 11, 2010 as MY wedding day.  It will be the day that I marry the most amazing and loving man.  The day I finally get to wear that pretty white dress and walk down an aisle on my dad's arm.  It will be the day I become a step-mom. It will be the first day that I will be called Mrs. Michael Smith.  It will be my best day.

  

Will I ever forget what our country went through on that date?  No.  Where I was?  No.  Who I was with? No. 

Instead, from 9/11/10 and forward I will have many happy memories flooding my mind with moments from my special day.  And I will be happy.  Very happy.

_____________________________________________________________________

So,  one more tidbit of wedding day excitement...we secured a venue!  We will be getting married at the Matthews House in Cary, NC.  It is a beautiful little southern home that we are renting for the weekend.  We will have the wedding outside, pending rain or extreme heat and the reception will be in the ballroom behind the house.  It is absolutely perfect!

Hardhats Needed

I have decided to eliminate the dark background and all around dreariness of my blog and perk it up a bit. Why the hell didn't anyone tell me how depressing it was? I am allowing myself to try out some new things so be forewarned many changes will occur before I am content.

In wedding news...we have a place, caterer and date!! Yippee!

Details to follow...later :)

Combining our lives

As we continue to combine our lives, I am amazed by all that we have. We have made so many trips to Goodwill and yet we still have so much "stuff". This past weekend, the goal was to make the rest of our "stuff" fit in our little townhouse. We packed and repacked family heirlooms and sentimental relics, we let go of those things that have seen better days. Our final duty was to tackle our tool boxes. Now, those who know me may remember my proudest mechanical moment...when I changed the alternator in my car. Since then, my mechanical work has come to a halt but I am proud to say I have a decent set of tools to help me do the basics. Michael also has a large set of tools as well as his fathers old tool sets. When we combined our stuff we came up with this (and this is NOT and exhaustive list):

12 Phillips Head Screwdrivers

11 Boxes of Screws

10 torque tips (2 boxes)

9 rolls of tape

8 Crescent Wrenches

7 Channel Lock Pliers

6 Hammers

6 Levels

5 Flat head Screwdrivers

4 Socket Drivers

3 Paint Scrapers

2 Palm Mice

2 Wire Testers

2 Wire Strippers

1 Rubber Mallet

This list does not include power tools and other unique devices. We were shocked and amazed and a little appalled. We organized, tested and tossed and I am proud to say we now have an indoor and outdoor toolbox and each of us has a mini kit in our cars!

This post is dedicated to Tom Range and Danny Smith. Our dad's who taught us the importance of a good set of tools and the smarts to know how to use them!

Breaking up with The Knot

So, I mentioned in a previous post that I jumped on the crazy train for a few weeks after our engagement. Me being the planner I am began flashing back to the preparation time it took to make camp a success. I remembered meetings with contractors, site visits, logistics and I began to panic. This panic morphed into me crying every time the word wedding was said. Not exactly what your fiancee wants to see every time he walks in the door and asks a simple question.

I sought help from friends and they talked me off the edge and I broke up with The Knot.

See, a few days after I got the rock, I excitedly logged into their site and registered us. We didn't have a date yet so I put in a tentative one just so I could have access to all of their exciting ideas.

BIG MISTAKE!!

Once you provide them with the date of your nuptials, they start a running checklist of things that need to be done...that day, that week or that month. I started scrolling through the list and hives broke out?

Here are just a few:

Let friends and family know you're engaged.  Send them a just-engaged video Ecard and submit an engagement announcement to the local newspaper.  You may also want to have your engagement photos taken in time for this.
I opted for calling and texting my friends after having a few drinks on NYE and telling them we were engaged. Much faster and much more entertaining...or so I was told.

Start taking better care of yourself. Get in wedding day shape by eating right, joining a gym and/or even hiring a personal trainer.

No pressure here. Basically, they are saying stop eating you cow! Plan on salads for the next 9 months and you may look okay for your wedding day!

Book your reception site as soon as you see something you love that's available on your date. Before you sign the reception contract, make sure it includes everything you discussed.
I work full-time people. How the hell am I supposed to see all that's available in a weeks time...seriously???

Make sure everyone in the wedding party is aware of what you expect of them --especially your bridesmaids and groomsmen.  Provide a list of duties to the maid of honor and a list of to-dos to the best man.
Wedding party? Oh, goodness how do I choose. Wait? I get to give them a 'to-do' list? This doesn't sound so bad after all.

So, there were many more 'to-do's on the list...25 items to be exact. Needless to say...only a few of them are complete. And I have finally come to the realization that regardless, our wedding day will be exactly what it's supposed to be...a uniting of two people who love each other and want to share their special day with family and friends.

So goodbye for now Knot. I may visit you again for ideas and tips but I will surely avoid your dreaded checklist forever!!

Ouch!

So one of my favorite bloggers, the Kitchen Witch had a realization that her ass was a little out of control and in need of some shrinkage.  I myself have had a realization that OMG...my pants are REALLY, REALLY tight.  It was less of an Oprah "AHA" moment and more of a "Why are my pants leaving red rings around my waist?" 

Ouch.

So, I am taking matters into my own hands...or rather, my feet.  I joined a women's running group through a local running store, Bull City Running Company.  Now, I've never been a fast runner.  Hell, I had never run outside of the required mile in high school (which I probably walked) until January of 2007 when I decided to do the "Couch to 5K" program which led me to complete my first 5K.  I got the  bug at that point and trained for and completed the Soldier Field 10 mile. It wasn't pretty but I finished and felt so proud of my accomplishment.

I wish I could tell you that I continued to train for a marathon 

I wish I could tell you that I continued to train for a half marathon. 

I wish I could tell you that I kept running and continue to do 5K's.  

These would be lies.

Instead of doing any of these things, I quit.  Hung up my shoes and didn't run again for months. The problems began when  I kept eating like I was running 12-15 miles a week.  Pounds slowly started to creep back on.  I would make attempts and off and on I would throw on the shoes, run for a month or so but it never stuck like it did when I was training for those initial runs.

Last year I did Crossfit which I loved but my bank account didn't.  I attempted a gym, running schedules and exercise videos but the motivation never stuck.

So in light of my upcoming nuptials and honestly because my pants hurt, I decided to begin again and hit the pavement.  Tonight was our first night and over 30 ladies showed up for this 10 week program.  Our fearless leader and shop owner had a sit in a circle as she discussed what the 10 weeks would look like, etc.  After wards we went around in a circle, introduced ourselves and explained why we were there.  I can't quite put words to how amazing the energy was in that small storefront as I heard  stories from those 35 ladies.  Despite having just met, we were laughing, congratulating and appreciating each other in such an authentic way.  i was totally geared up to get going.  After introductions, we divided into our pace groups and we were on our way.

I wish I could say it went well.  

Let's just say I ran and I made it back to the store in one piece.  I was tired, dehydrated, sweaty, red faced and sore.  Yes, I am already sore.  I am terrified to see how I am going to feel tomorrow.

One week down,  9 to go....

Two weeks...its killing me!

So, Michael knows that I can be a bit neurotic.  Granted, he was not witness to my CampCare planning (not sure he would have agreed to marry me if he would have seen me that last week before camp started) but he has learned that in order for me to feel some control in my life, I like to get things planned even if its tentative.  I like to roughly outline our weekends, make grocery lists and house to do lists.   Hell, I still have a planner!   No, not a blackberry or electronic organization device...a planner!  I buy my refill every year from the same company. When it comes in the mail, I savor the time it takes to transfer birthdays, anniversaries, etc from the old one to the new one.  I LOVE my planner. 

Side note: My father LIVED by a planner when he was a salesman.  It had a metal case to withstand the abuse it took from being dropped on construction sites or run over by his car. He referred to it as his "brain." 

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Anyway after we got engaged Michael and I agreed that we would not talk about wedding plans for two weeks. We wanted to savor the idea of being engaged and not get immediately wrapped up in all the details.  Two weeks is nothing.  I did Girls Hope for 3 years I can do ANYTHING for two weeks. 

NOT SO MUCH!!

I think I lasted a day before I was on every southern wedding website looking for locations.  I have already cried twice about not finding a venue and one night I tossed and turned for hours thinking about all the details that go into planning that special day.  I finally admitted my obsessive thoughts to Michael and while channeling Prince Charming, my fiance said exactly what I needed to hear...   

"We will find a place and it will be perfect for us."

I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.  He said exactly what I needed to hear.   I am a lucky girl.

Now, when is the bridal expo??

Happy New Year!!

So, I had grand plans of doing some reflective year in review either through pictures or old posts. But I must admit that there is only one thing currently on my mind....

THE ROCK I AM WEARING ON MY FINGER!!!!

Yup, he proposed on New Years Eve.  It was wonderful...he kneeled, I cried, he asked, I cried. He finally had to ask if they were happy tears and if I was going to say yes. 

I did.