I have been a bad blogger lately- actually a non blogger!
What can I say- life is busy so let me catch up on the latest holiday....
Thanksgiving:
This was hubby and my first Thanksgiving together- married. We loved it! I wanted to start a tradition of making breakfast at home for the holidays before the craziness of traveling for the day began. So I made a quiche the night before and heated it up Thanksgiving morning. I didn't want to stress out if we were not on time that morning so pre-cooking was the way to go! My husband was excited that I want to start traditions like this with our family- love that he is like that! Tradition- started!
Next, we headed out to my family's house (about 45 min drive) for the "lunch" portion of the day. I spent some time in my mother's kitchen a couple of days prior to Thanksgiving to help her cook and get a few dishes together
Pause in story
Please note- part of helping my Mom included us attempting to "brine" the Turkey for our first time ever. Number one- I've never done the turkey thing at all so it's all new to me. My mother has never brined a turkey so we were total novices. You basically emerge the "fresh not frozen" turkey in your mix of yummy spices with water and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
Starting off- we didn't have enough room in the refrigerator for the turkey once it was to be plunged into the water mix... enter, the cooler. Next, she had two frozen gallons of water to use in the cooler instead of ice (not sure why she had those two come to think of it but whatever). Back to the cooler- the plug was missing (you see our challenges here)... so I asked, do you have plastic wrap and a few elastic bands? Yep she did, check! We didn't want to just throw the turkey in the cooler and add water so the next thing I know Mom is pulling out this jumbo sized zip lock bag that she and my Dad bought for some reason. So, okay.
Here we are in the kitchen with a cooler on the floor holding a "fresh" turkey that is in a jumbo zip lock bag with two frozen gallon jugs on either side- and Mother is standing at the sink with her sink sprayer- spraying water into the jumbo zip lock bag that's on the floor in the cooler.... the other hand on her hip, of course. In that moment- I couldn't help but laugh- is this really how the directions lead us? I could just imagine whoever wrote the original directions to doing this turkey to be completely confused over the snap shot that I was looking at in front of me! We might as well have been out in the yard with a garden hose at this point!
Well folks, the brined turkey was- a success! It was ready EARLY not just on time, super yummy, and not dry! Hey, sometimes being resourceful pays off!
Back to story
Along with helping my Mom prepare the dishes I made a few firsts that I am quite proud of: Pumpkin pie, and apple pie. I guess neither are any "huge" deal- but to make these things for the first time is a feel good kind of thing- especially for your family over the holidays!
We thoroughly enjoyed our "early" Thanksgiving lunch- all of the food was delicious!
Amidst all of the joy of this holiday- there were a few things that I wish could have been different.
My brother was not able to make it home- he is in college and like any other college kid he is low on funds. His ride fell through about 24 hours prior to the date- he tried but could not make other arrangements to get home. I know he's an adult but I just don't like that he had to be away from his family. The other thing- my grandparents on my Dad's side. They both have dementia and the decline is so sad. Dad brought them home from their assisted living place (which has turned out to be a bad place for them- another post for another time) and one of the first things I noticed- it looked like my Grandpa had an accident in his pants... how sad is this. He is such a sweet man and hardly ever gets a chance to talk because my Nana can't stop talking. Nana for all that she says- is sad too... she called me the wrong name a number of times.
As much as I wish I could change some things-- Thanksgiving at my family's house was wonderful and with it being the first with my husband as "family" there- I truly cherish it!
Once we cleaned our plates and helped clean the kitchen- we were off to see my husbands family. His Grandmother hosted this year-- we got there in time to give hugs, say hello, and make a quick trip to the other Grandmother's house and back again. Because we live near this side of his family- I have been able to grow close to them. It is a wonderful feeling to already love and be a part of another family. We laughed, ate Thanksgiving "dinner", had desert and headed home. Sleep was sweet that night and as I said "thank you" in my prayers I am sure I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
This Thanksgiving was such a blessing for me... it is the first for me as a married woman with my new family- and a great "heart warmer" for me to see my husband with my family. Although there are things I wish I could change about how life is sometimes, still, I have more to be thankful for this season than I deserve. For now, that's where I stand!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Career Lady-- or maybe not?
Is it just me, or could we all use a few more hours in the day? I used to think of myself as "on top of things" and for the most part I suppose I am... but when did life become a game of playing catch up?
Most of my day today was spent working- phone calls, emails, and a lengthy trip to fedex kinkos (which by the way- they are absolutely wonderful... if you need a project printed, laminated, and stapled right and you want it done correctly- go there!) The day then went to an attempt at a quick shopping trip to try and find a pair of shoes for my business trip this weekend. Why is it that I can be in a full warehouse that is DSW and not find what I am looking for? I mean honestly. And, of course, they still have the cute summer shoes I saw weeks ago that I still want but can't bring myself to buy because- well- it's not going to be summer for a while and I am trying to not spend a ton of money. The new hubby and I bought a house and paid for our wedding this year so little splurges I try to avoid.
I am going to blame it on my job. Let's face it- in these times we live in it seems like everyone has a little extra on their plate as far as the job description goes and in all honesty- that keeps me busy- so busy. But, I guess it would not be super smart of me to ramble on about my job- I will save that for another day!
For now let's just get to the to-do list and see what all can be checked off:
- Clean my house
- Take wedding dress to be cleaned & store it- somewhere?
- Post linens from wedding on ebay, craigslist-- anywhere to get them sold and out of the vacant dining room
- Yard work
- Laundry
- Pack for the weekend
--- the list goes on and there are a ton of job related duties to take care of as well!
Here is what I want to know... when did women decide that we HAD to have the kind of career, power within the workforce, etc that men do? Why did women feel that outside of the home was where they were best suited? I suppose any women reading this blog that feel opposite of me would just roll their eyes but this is a question I have pondered. Here's how I got there-- after a full day of getting things done around the house, making any kind of meal, running a few errands, and settling in at a decent hour-- I am at my absolute happiest. I can't say that I am at my most happy self after a full day on the job.
Don't get me wrong- tons of people would immediately say that yes, we are all happiest on a Saturday night- but that's not what I am talking about. Women used to be more family focused and were able to be that way because their husbands salary could support the family. I realize many women work out of a necessity but a lot of women fought hard to get the jobs within the workforce and now- many woman in their household make more money than their husbands do. Was this really the intent? Please don't think I am ungrateful either- I realize that I am very blessed to have a job... I can still question the situation though can't I?
I heard on the radio a while ago that women these days feel so pulled in different directions - that they are not fully fulfilled. Reason being- they have the family, they have the career- and they can't give their all to either, or they sacrifice one for the other.
I guess my busy schedule really had me rambling on- but it does make you wonder right? Most of my friends want to stay at home with their kids- or they already do. Maybe it's just proximity, or that I live in the south where we are lower & slower, ha! For now, I will keep plugging away at the to-do list and appreciating what I have in front of me today -while not forgetting to plan my goals on tomorrow- that's where I stand.
Most of my day today was spent working- phone calls, emails, and a lengthy trip to fedex kinkos (which by the way- they are absolutely wonderful... if you need a project printed, laminated, and stapled right and you want it done correctly- go there!) The day then went to an attempt at a quick shopping trip to try and find a pair of shoes for my business trip this weekend. Why is it that I can be in a full warehouse that is DSW and not find what I am looking for? I mean honestly. And, of course, they still have the cute summer shoes I saw weeks ago that I still want but can't bring myself to buy because- well- it's not going to be summer for a while and I am trying to not spend a ton of money. The new hubby and I bought a house and paid for our wedding this year so little splurges I try to avoid.
I am going to blame it on my job. Let's face it- in these times we live in it seems like everyone has a little extra on their plate as far as the job description goes and in all honesty- that keeps me busy- so busy. But, I guess it would not be super smart of me to ramble on about my job- I will save that for another day!
For now let's just get to the to-do list and see what all can be checked off:
- Clean my house
- Take wedding dress to be cleaned & store it- somewhere?
- Post linens from wedding on ebay, craigslist-- anywhere to get them sold and out of the vacant dining room
- Yard work
- Laundry
- Pack for the weekend
--- the list goes on and there are a ton of job related duties to take care of as well!
Here is what I want to know... when did women decide that we HAD to have the kind of career, power within the workforce, etc that men do? Why did women feel that outside of the home was where they were best suited? I suppose any women reading this blog that feel opposite of me would just roll their eyes but this is a question I have pondered. Here's how I got there-- after a full day of getting things done around the house, making any kind of meal, running a few errands, and settling in at a decent hour-- I am at my absolute happiest. I can't say that I am at my most happy self after a full day on the job.
Don't get me wrong- tons of people would immediately say that yes, we are all happiest on a Saturday night- but that's not what I am talking about. Women used to be more family focused and were able to be that way because their husbands salary could support the family. I realize many women work out of a necessity but a lot of women fought hard to get the jobs within the workforce and now- many woman in their household make more money than their husbands do. Was this really the intent? Please don't think I am ungrateful either- I realize that I am very blessed to have a job... I can still question the situation though can't I?
I heard on the radio a while ago that women these days feel so pulled in different directions - that they are not fully fulfilled. Reason being- they have the family, they have the career- and they can't give their all to either, or they sacrifice one for the other.
I guess my busy schedule really had me rambling on- but it does make you wonder right? Most of my friends want to stay at home with their kids- or they already do. Maybe it's just proximity, or that I live in the south where we are lower & slower, ha! For now, I will keep plugging away at the to-do list and appreciating what I have in front of me today -while not forgetting to plan my goals on tomorrow- that's where I stand.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Wedding Vendor Reviews- the good, the great, and the ugly!
Here are some reviews of our wedding Vendors- the good, the great, and the ugly!
Cake: Udderly Sweets http://www.udderlysweets.com/
The ladies at Udderly Sweets are fantastic! This is a mother-daughter team whose bakery is in their home and if they had more time (the cakes are so delicious they stay busy) they would expand to a stand-alone facility. The cakes are very reasonably priced and these ladies will bend over backwards to accommodate what you want. They said multiple times: "it's your day so we will do whatever you like."
DJ: Beathouse Productions, LLC- Wesley Longsdorf www.beathousepro.com
This guy was awesome! He offered to meet anywhere in person and go over our expectations for the day! My emails and calls were responded to right away- which is huge for me! He kept the party music going, and did a great job of mixing the "younger" and "older" generations' music so that everyone was happy! Our guests commented on how good he was at taking requests and actually playing what was asked of him- we are totally pleased and I would recommend Beat House Productions to anyone for any event- he's got you covered!
Mens Suits: Joseph A. Bank http://www.josbank.com/
Photography: Allure Photography- Doug Rice http://www.allurephotous.com/
We originally scheduled (and paid a $1200 deposit) for this place- it is historical and lovely! If you have a wedding reception you are required to book the entire bed and breakfast so we thought it would be nice to have our whole wedding party & parents stay- we were excited! We were told that for the catering- they were new to having it in house and for us to give them our per person budget and they would work with us on the menu. Also, we were told that the previous managers (same owner the entire time) did not run a good business and that's why if we looked at their reviews it would be bad- but - they were working to repair their reputation. As we found out, their reputation is spot on. My wedding was in October and I am very organized person- and know that planning early is key. In January I started my communications with Betty Falls (owner) on getting catering set (I sent her our budget)- she replied with a menu. The menu did not have 1 item on it that would work with our budget so I sent her a list of items we wanted served and simply asked for the price. Well, after multiple attempts to contact her- I heard back in March. The total- was more than double the per person budget we set. To make a long story short- there was a lot of back and forth and never once did they offer anything within our budget- and this didn't include alcohol. Our per person price was just that- per person... not per person + +. In addition, almost every time Betty sent a new quote to me- she would add on new fees not previously discussed. It became apparent that there was no way we would be able to get her to work within our true budget and we were looking at being ripped off - we didn't want to start off our life together like that! So we walked! That's when we found The Hickory Room and fell in love and it worked out wonderfully. As for Betty Falls and The Shaffner House- we are still trying to get our deposit back- keep in mind we canceled 6 months prior to our event. Also, it should come as no surprise that our latest attempt to contact her in regard to our deposit was a week and a half ago and yep, you guessed it, we have not heard anything back. Be warned friends, the Shaffner House will not honor their word and are every bit of the negative reputation they've built.
So as you can see- we had our ups and downs as far as vendors go but I can honestly say that overall the wedding planning experience was a great one and our wedding day was absolutely perfect! The vendors that are genuinely happy to see a couple get married and want to make their day special are the ones that left that impression with us- they deserve great reviews that hopefully lead to even more business. Those that were difficult- at the end of the day- ultimately they are being selfish and they also deserve the reviews they get! And that's where I stand.
Cake: Udderly Sweets http://www.udderlysweets.com/
The ladies at Udderly Sweets are fantastic! This is a mother-daughter team whose bakery is in their home and if they had more time (the cakes are so delicious they stay busy) they would expand to a stand-alone facility. The cakes are very reasonably priced and these ladies will bend over backwards to accommodate what you want. They said multiple times: "it's your day so we will do whatever you like."
We chose a 3 tier cake with red velvet on the top and bottom layers. The middle layer was sour cream & almond- yummy! We had cream cheese icing with a top fondant layer- and here's the "icing on the cake"- they hand-make their white chocolate fondant- yum, yum! The words on the cake are the lyrics to our first song "Come Live With Me" by Ray Charles. Let me be perfectly honest, I ate a piece of my wedding cake every day for breakfast (with coffee, of course) the week we returned from our honeymoon! Clearly, I am a fan!
What a fun party! Honestly, it was great! The space was perfect because there is an upstairs area for additional seating (all the kiddos had a blast running up & down the stairs- entertaining themselves), neutral colors, a pretty fire place, great lighting options- etc! The staff is super friendly as well - our wedding was around 100 guests so there were about 4-5 servers for our party. They also walked around refilling everyones wine glasses, we later found out, and that is perfect! That extra attention to detail is great- no one had to keep coming to the bar- the bar came to them!
Catering: Bibs Downtown http://www.bibsdowntown.com/
Bibs Downtown is a local restaurant in the heart of Winston Salem, NC. The Hickory Room is attached to Bibs and owned by Bibs so they did our catering. Bibs has a great reputation for excellent bar-b-que and their reputation is well earned. Our guests raved about the food- and I am such a fan of bar-b-que!
DJ: Beathouse Productions, LLC- Wesley Longsdorf www.beathousepro.com
This guy was awesome! He offered to meet anywhere in person and go over our expectations for the day! My emails and calls were responded to right away- which is huge for me! He kept the party music going, and did a great job of mixing the "younger" and "older" generations' music so that everyone was happy! Our guests commented on how good he was at taking requests and actually playing what was asked of him- we are totally pleased and I would recommend Beat House Productions to anyone for any event- he's got you covered!
Limousine: First Class Limousine- Aaron Welding www.firstclasslimoservice.net
Aaron was wonderful to work with! He was quick to respond and gave us a wonderful rate based upon the hours we would need him. He also was super flexible- I sent him the schedule for pick-ups, locations, etc and when rain threatened to change things he was ready to go with the flow!
Flowers: Reggies Flowers http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reggies-Flower-Shoppe/208710179288?sk=info
The flowers are beautiful- hands down. During the consultation I was asked a ton of detailed questions so that they could get at exactly what "my" idea of fall is, colors of fall, etc so that they would order the perfect flowers to match what I was going for. The flowers were delivered perfectly on time and in great condition. I saved a bouquet and put into a vase before we left for our honeymoon- as a testament to their quality- upon returning home from our 8 day honeymoon- the flowers still looked brand new! As a side note, however, they are not always good at returning emails. They seem to stay pretty busy and if you want an answer right away you may just have to wait. I put in a few emails and had to make a call or two sometimes before I got an answer a couple of times. They are always very nice- just not super fast with email!
Wedding Dress: Davids Bridal http://www.davidsbridal.com/HomeView
Aaron was wonderful to work with! He was quick to respond and gave us a wonderful rate based upon the hours we would need him. He also was super flexible- I sent him the schedule for pick-ups, locations, etc and when rain threatened to change things he was ready to go with the flow!
Flowers: Reggies Flowers http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reggies-Flower-Shoppe/208710179288?sk=info
The flowers are beautiful- hands down. During the consultation I was asked a ton of detailed questions so that they could get at exactly what "my" idea of fall is, colors of fall, etc so that they would order the perfect flowers to match what I was going for. The flowers were delivered perfectly on time and in great condition. I saved a bouquet and put into a vase before we left for our honeymoon- as a testament to their quality- upon returning home from our 8 day honeymoon- the flowers still looked brand new! As a side note, however, they are not always good at returning emails. They seem to stay pretty busy and if you want an answer right away you may just have to wait. I put in a few emails and had to make a call or two sometimes before I got an answer a couple of times. They are always very nice- just not super fast with email!
Picked this out with my Mom and was the 2nd dress I tried on- I absolutely love it and it was on sale!!!
Bridesmaids Dress: English's- Clemmons, NC http://englishbridal.com/
Flower Girl Dress: Consignment Shop- Greensboro, NCMens Suits: Joseph A. Bank http://www.josbank.com/
Photography: Allure Photography- Doug Rice http://www.allurephotous.com/
His photography is beautiful and- unfortunately, that's where the positive comments have to stop. We were excited to be working with Doug and found his photos to be beautiful and his office/home immaculate- so we felt he had it all together. Our first experience with him was our engagement photo session- he immediately gave Justin a bad feeling. He commented on how "stiff" my fiance was posing in the pictures and that he needed to loosen up. For my fiance- he is not used to being in front of cameras and "calling him out" was not a good (or professional) way to solve the issue. The next thing- I called Doug to update him on a few things and mentioned that it may be best for him to start at 3 instead of 2 so he could photograph more of the reception--he completely freaked out and said he was sorry but he could not work within that time frame and he needed to be able to take good pictures. Now, keep in mind I said several times that I had not made the schedule for the day yet this was just something I was tossing around. The next issue- he wanted us to meet him in person the week of the wedding (which, by the way, is not super convenient with everything going on the week of). This day just happened to be a busy day for my fiance who works 2 hours way from Dougs studio- so I called Doug to see if he could meet us - still in his city- just somewhere closer like at a Starbucks perhaps. Again, he freaked out and literally said he would not meet us. He said he stopped meeting clients years ago and what would happen if we were late- what? He was very inflexible and everything revolved around him. When I told him I had too many other things going on that week to re-schedule he rudely told me "I guess your photography is just not a priority for you then"- how rude! People please be careful-- you do not want someone like this to make you worried about your pictures, or stress you out the week of your wedding- I do not recommend Allure Photography. His photos are, indeed, beautiful- but then again- so are so many other photographers photos and many others who will be nice to paying customers.
Canceled Venue: The Shaffner House- http://www.shaffnerhouse.com/So as you can see- we had our ups and downs as far as vendors go but I can honestly say that overall the wedding planning experience was a great one and our wedding day was absolutely perfect! The vendors that are genuinely happy to see a couple get married and want to make their day special are the ones that left that impression with us- they deserve great reviews that hopefully lead to even more business. Those that were difficult- at the end of the day- ultimately they are being selfish and they also deserve the reviews they get! And that's where I stand.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Wedding Planning- While keeping your money!
I find myself posting late again- maybe this is going to be normal for me? : )
So I thought I might post some information about how I planned a wedding and didn't spend a fortune.
**I will also post on specific vendors later- but this is a quick overview of saving $$**
The first part of this that is important is that we were mostly on our own with paying for the wedding )which is quite common these days.) Don't get me wrong, our families definitely helped financially and for that we are grateful- but for the larger part- my husband and I were on our own to foot the bill.
With that being said- we were careful about the bottom line... let's be honest, we were careful about every line!
Next, I got started super early on venues- I was determined to find the perfect place at the perfect price! In all areas of life as a rule- I don't pay sticker price- I always find a deal!
Venues:
Wedding Venue was FREE... that's right. Word to the wise- find a local park or area of the city you live in that you think is beautiful and hop on the city website and see what you can find! In most places I searched you can reserve for free or for a low fee a city park and that's just what I did! My venue was a beautiful small park with a gazebo, two water fountains, and a rose garden. Because it is maintained by the city- the grounds are also very well kept. I think something like this would be great for birthday parties, or any celebration.
Reception venue was not as easy for us-- once we found the perfect location everything was smooth sailing but we had to cancel with our original venue because they were not sticking to their word about keeping with our budget. Another warning- be strong, stick to your budget. And, be prepared to walk away if you need to- we were looking at paying way more than we could afford simply because our first reception venue thought they could up charge here and there on everything. Not with us, we walked and saved ourselves!
Catering- you can go big or you can go small and believe me, I was offered it all! At the end of the day we opted to go with a small variety - 2 "meat' options, salad, a side, and a bread... we did assorted non-alcohol drinks and beer and wine. Here's the deal- over the past year we had a ton family weddings and we found that the larger variety of foods while nice, isn't necessary... so we gave some variety and everyone was happy that we didn't run out of alcohol!
Wedding Dress- I got lucky... the 2nd dress I tried on was IT for me... I fell in love and having my Mother with me was wonderful because she and I agreed- I said yes to the dress! Lucky for me (more like blessed- I don't believe in coincidence) the dress happened to be super on clearance and I paid less than $300. I had no idea of the price when I tried the dress on but that's another piece of the puzzle to think about-- if you are in a white dress that you love and feel beautiful in- the sticker price is not what people will care or know about. You will be beautiful and glowing no matter what- so why pay a crazy price?
Do it yourself- this is a huge way to save money and I really enjoyed doing "wedding crafts"! Things I made: centerpieces, flower girl bucket, cake topper
Shop online & compare prices! I took some time to compare prices and found great online sites for: save the dates, invitations, table linens, lavender for the "toss" as we left the reception, my garter... so many options here!
Okay it's not getting any earlier and I have an event for work tomorrow (don't get my started- that's another blog for another time)... next, as I said, I will list vendors and pictures! The bigger picture here is that with a little research & determination- you really can have what you want, and save your money too- that's where I stand! :)
So I thought I might post some information about how I planned a wedding and didn't spend a fortune.
**I will also post on specific vendors later- but this is a quick overview of saving $$**
The first part of this that is important is that we were mostly on our own with paying for the wedding )which is quite common these days.) Don't get me wrong, our families definitely helped financially and for that we are grateful- but for the larger part- my husband and I were on our own to foot the bill.
With that being said- we were careful about the bottom line... let's be honest, we were careful about every line!
Next, I got started super early on venues- I was determined to find the perfect place at the perfect price! In all areas of life as a rule- I don't pay sticker price- I always find a deal!
Venues:
Wedding Venue was FREE... that's right. Word to the wise- find a local park or area of the city you live in that you think is beautiful and hop on the city website and see what you can find! In most places I searched you can reserve for free or for a low fee a city park and that's just what I did! My venue was a beautiful small park with a gazebo, two water fountains, and a rose garden. Because it is maintained by the city- the grounds are also very well kept. I think something like this would be great for birthday parties, or any celebration.
Reception venue was not as easy for us-- once we found the perfect location everything was smooth sailing but we had to cancel with our original venue because they were not sticking to their word about keeping with our budget. Another warning- be strong, stick to your budget. And, be prepared to walk away if you need to- we were looking at paying way more than we could afford simply because our first reception venue thought they could up charge here and there on everything. Not with us, we walked and saved ourselves!
Catering- you can go big or you can go small and believe me, I was offered it all! At the end of the day we opted to go with a small variety - 2 "meat' options, salad, a side, and a bread... we did assorted non-alcohol drinks and beer and wine. Here's the deal- over the past year we had a ton family weddings and we found that the larger variety of foods while nice, isn't necessary... so we gave some variety and everyone was happy that we didn't run out of alcohol!
Wedding Dress- I got lucky... the 2nd dress I tried on was IT for me... I fell in love and having my Mother with me was wonderful because she and I agreed- I said yes to the dress! Lucky for me (more like blessed- I don't believe in coincidence) the dress happened to be super on clearance and I paid less than $300. I had no idea of the price when I tried the dress on but that's another piece of the puzzle to think about-- if you are in a white dress that you love and feel beautiful in- the sticker price is not what people will care or know about. You will be beautiful and glowing no matter what- so why pay a crazy price?
Do it yourself- this is a huge way to save money and I really enjoyed doing "wedding crafts"! Things I made: centerpieces, flower girl bucket, cake topper
Shop online & compare prices! I took some time to compare prices and found great online sites for: save the dates, invitations, table linens, lavender for the "toss" as we left the reception, my garter... so many options here!
Okay it's not getting any earlier and I have an event for work tomorrow (don't get my started- that's another blog for another time)... next, as I said, I will list vendors and pictures! The bigger picture here is that with a little research & determination- you really can have what you want, and save your money too- that's where I stand! :)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Let's get started
So I decided to start a blog- never thought this is something I would get in to- but I thought I would give it a try! Those that know me know I am never short for words- or opinions :)
I labeled this "where she stands"- because I thought I would start out with where I am now- in life, in my thoughts... this is who I am and where I am. Currently- it's late and I need to get to bed, ha!
I just tucked my husband in and while I am on this topic- I am a newlywed! Yesterday was our 1 month anniversary! Life as a newlywed has been, well, honestly easy going is how I would word it. It's like we don't want to leave the relaxation of our honeymoon. We had a wonderful honeymoon and going back to work came too fast! Amidst getting back to everyday life came sadness that we just went through as a couple. My cousin who was expecting twins lost them too soon- so Justin and I packed up and headed out of town to attend their funeral.
The thought of losing a baby before you even get to meet is so sad- but she lost two babies, weeks apart, and had to deliver them both knowing they would never breath outside air- that is heart wrenching!
I am glad my husband was able to come to this funeral with me- to listen to my thoughts on everything and be my support. I also wanted him there to be a part of his new family... not quite the "next step" we had in mind- but being there is important. On our trip as I chatted away about my feelings - my mind couldn't help but drift in to the thoughts about my Aunt that passed away years ago. My cousin and that side of the family has been through so much. I remember my cousin getting married- and thinking that she must need her Mom there to help her with everything. I absolutely loved, and needed, all my Moms help for our wedding. And now, through finding out she was pregnant, the scare knowing things may not be okay, and then the inevitable loss-- I really wish my Aunt could be here- I know I am not the only one who misses her.
Well it's late and I have to go out of town for work tomorrow- that is completely different topic for another time... I would also love to post some information about the wedding too- recommended vendors, etc!
Goodnight!
I labeled this "where she stands"- because I thought I would start out with where I am now- in life, in my thoughts... this is who I am and where I am. Currently- it's late and I need to get to bed, ha!
I just tucked my husband in and while I am on this topic- I am a newlywed! Yesterday was our 1 month anniversary! Life as a newlywed has been, well, honestly easy going is how I would word it. It's like we don't want to leave the relaxation of our honeymoon. We had a wonderful honeymoon and going back to work came too fast! Amidst getting back to everyday life came sadness that we just went through as a couple. My cousin who was expecting twins lost them too soon- so Justin and I packed up and headed out of town to attend their funeral.
The thought of losing a baby before you even get to meet is so sad- but she lost two babies, weeks apart, and had to deliver them both knowing they would never breath outside air- that is heart wrenching!
I am glad my husband was able to come to this funeral with me- to listen to my thoughts on everything and be my support. I also wanted him there to be a part of his new family... not quite the "next step" we had in mind- but being there is important. On our trip as I chatted away about my feelings - my mind couldn't help but drift in to the thoughts about my Aunt that passed away years ago. My cousin and that side of the family has been through so much. I remember my cousin getting married- and thinking that she must need her Mom there to help her with everything. I absolutely loved, and needed, all my Moms help for our wedding. And now, through finding out she was pregnant, the scare knowing things may not be okay, and then the inevitable loss-- I really wish my Aunt could be here- I know I am not the only one who misses her.
Well it's late and I have to go out of town for work tomorrow- that is completely different topic for another time... I would also love to post some information about the wedding too- recommended vendors, etc!
Goodnight!
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