There is now officially 5 1/2 hours left until 2011 and I would like to take a few minutes to reflect back on what 2010 has brought us.
New Year's Day of 2010 was a rough one for me. Ethan had been in Afghanistan for less than 2 weeks and I was in Austin with my family. I remember that I was super sad to be alone on New Years (it was tradition that we always have a huge party) but I was super excited for 2010 because it meant that some time during this year Ethan would be home again, although we had no idea when that would be.
In February I flew back to North Carolina to have a medicially necessary breast reduction. It was a normal 3 hour surgery that turned into a 9 hour ordeal...although I'm not complaining - I wasn't awake for any of it. Undergoing a pretty big surgery while I was alone with a 23 month old was going to be pretty rough so my best friend, Jennifer, and her son Tristan, and my mother in law all flew up a few days before my surgery to take care fo me for the first two weeks when I wouldn't be able to even lift anything about 15 pounds.
March brought about Aiden's 2nd birthday, all done up in Toy Story, and Ethan's unexpected homecoming. It was a very emotionally draining month, but in the best way possible.
The summer was just a buncle of emotions as we packed up our lives and came to terms with the fact that we would no longer be a Marine Corps family. We had the moving truck packed and we had given up our house when the news came that strings had been pulled and Ethan was being extended past his EAS so that he could re-enlist and LAT move into EOD.
In October we finally had the house to ourselves for the first time since July and it was a much needed break. Ethan and I really needed the alone time to be a family. We flew home the last week for his sister's wedding and then at the end of November for Thanksgiving we drove to New York to spend time with Ethan's best friend and his family.
December has been a pretty busy month. Ethan started his EOD on the job training (OJT) the first of December and he absolutely loves it. Ethan and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary and then we had going away parties for Ethan and one of our really close friends here. We said goodbye to two amazing people who became more like family. Then with all the craziness of Christmas and Aiden's doctor appointments it feels like the end of the year has just crept up on us.
It has been a definite roller coaster ride of emotions this year. I just hope that 2011 brings happiness, success in Ethan's school, new friends, and maybe another tiny bundle of joy. Happy New Year everyone!!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Christmas Weekend Recap
I don't normally blog on weekends and holidays so I just wanted to tell everyone a late Merry Christmas and I hope that y'all had a great time with family and friends.
This was the first year we got to spend Christmas as a family and it really was a lot of fun. Aiden is at the age where he is starting to really understand about Santa Claus and all that. Ethan isn't very religious anymore so we didn't go to church or anything, but I did explain to Aiden the real reason for Christmas, although how much does a 2 1/2 year old really understand about that stuff?
The day after Christmas it snowed! We built mine and Aiden's first snow man which he named Snowball. Aiden had so much fun playing in the snow and I have to say I hope it snows at least one more time this year, maybe a little more than it did. I'm from the south where we don't get much snow so I love it!
This was the first year we got to spend Christmas as a family and it really was a lot of fun. Aiden is at the age where he is starting to really understand about Santa Claus and all that. Ethan isn't very religious anymore so we didn't go to church or anything, but I did explain to Aiden the real reason for Christmas, although how much does a 2 1/2 year old really understand about that stuff?
The day after Christmas it snowed! We built mine and Aiden's first snow man which he named Snowball. Aiden had so much fun playing in the snow and I have to say I hope it snows at least one more time this year, maybe a little more than it did. I'm from the south where we don't get much snow so I love it!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Is It Saturday Yet?
Oh man I am so excited for Christmas to be here. I think I'm more excited than Aiden! We've decided not to put Christmas presents under the tree until Christmas Eve this year because Aiden really thinks that Santa will come. He's too young to really understand that Mama and Daddy are Santa's helpers and that it's okay if there are presents under the tree before Santa comes. He actually told Ethan and I last night that he wanted to climb inside the TV to go find Santa! Next year we'll be able to explain things better to him. For right now we'll let him bask in the magic.
There are a few presents that I can't wait to be opened. Aiden has a couple of really good ones that he is going to go nuts over. There is a show on PBS called Dinosaur Train that Aiden really loves, so my Mama got him a few interactive dinosaurs from the show that like talk to each other and stuff. Aiden is going to be amazed. And then we got him a big set of Duplo lego things that Ethan and I can't wait to build with him.
Last night a box came for me from the Food Network and it took all my strength not to open it right then. Mama told me that I would be surprised so I'm anxious to see what that one is. Ever since becoming a vegetarian I've gotten really into cooking and experimenting with food so I'm super excited. Ethan has also been working on a present of mine for like 2 days that he says I'm going to love.
Speaking of Ethan, also known as Mr Scrooge at this time of year...He hates Christmas. He doesn't like that a holiday like this is turned into an excuse to spend hundreds of dollars on useless crap (his words). Which I agree with in a way, but for different reasons. Ethan isn't very religious anymore, which makes me pretty sad but that is a conversation for a different day, so he just doesn't like Christmas at all. He complains and complains, but I honestly can't wait for him to open his presents this year. I've spent a long time working my magic to get him something that he doesn't know he's wanted since before he deployed last year. I can't wait to see Mr. Scrooge's face split into a sheepish grin when he falls in love with his gift.
For being so negative he sure does know how to make a girl melt though. It has always been a tradition with us since we started dating that every year we get a Christmas ornament for the tree. We have 6 ornaments on the tree (Ethan and I were separated Christmas 2008) at the moment. This is the first year that we haven't been home between Thanksgiving and Christmas since we moved out to NC. Usually we buy our ornament from a kiosk in the mall we've shopped at since 2004, but this year that wasn't possible. We have searched all over the area and couldn't find an ornament for 2010. On Saturday we looked all over Jacksonville, but couldn't find anything so I was reserved to the fact that we wouldn't have one this year. It really made me sad, but I searched online and found a website that makes personalized ornaments. I talked to Ethan about it, but it wouldn't be here by Christmas anyways so I told him not to worry about it.
Sunday night his phone kept going off at like 11, which isn't normal for him. I asked who it was and he just ignored me. I asked again a few minutes later when the phone rang again and he told me it was his mom. He got this little smile on his face and went into the other room. He came back a few minutes later and told me that he had a surprise for me and that he wanted to tell me, but he wanted to keep it secret. For some reason the first thing that came to my mind was "Oh God your parents are surprising us and coming here for Christmas."
Now don't get me wrong, I would be so freaking happy if his family drove up here to see us, but I have this problem when his mom comes to the house. I get on the psycho cleaning tangent and I exhaust myself trying to make the house perfect for a woman who really doesn't care about mess or clutter at all since she raised and homeschooled 9 kids of her own. I immediately asked him to tell me if that was it because there's a lot of cleaning that needs to be done before they get here...blah blah blah.
An hour later he comes into the living room and sits next to me. He told me he wanted to show me something on his phone, but I told him I didn't want to know if it was supposed to be a surprise. He told me that he wanted to me to know so I looked and what I saw immediately brought tears to my eyes. I was looking at picture of a family ornament with our names on it. After we couldn't find a family ornament in Jacksonville on Saturday, my sweet husband called his mom and asked her to get us an ornament from the usual place we go. He said he knew how much it meant to me to have the ornament and he wanted to make sure I got one this year. I seriously cried for like 10 minutes. It made me feel so special that he and his mom would do something like that for me just over a little ornament.
I think this proves that although Ethan really likes to say that he hates Christmas and he has the potential to act like a complete jerky Mr Scrooge, he really does have a kind heart. He made our Christmas that much better.
There are a few presents that I can't wait to be opened. Aiden has a couple of really good ones that he is going to go nuts over. There is a show on PBS called Dinosaur Train that Aiden really loves, so my Mama got him a few interactive dinosaurs from the show that like talk to each other and stuff. Aiden is going to be amazed. And then we got him a big set of Duplo lego things that Ethan and I can't wait to build with him.
Last night a box came for me from the Food Network and it took all my strength not to open it right then. Mama told me that I would be surprised so I'm anxious to see what that one is. Ever since becoming a vegetarian I've gotten really into cooking and experimenting with food so I'm super excited. Ethan has also been working on a present of mine for like 2 days that he says I'm going to love.
Speaking of Ethan, also known as Mr Scrooge at this time of year...He hates Christmas. He doesn't like that a holiday like this is turned into an excuse to spend hundreds of dollars on useless crap (his words). Which I agree with in a way, but for different reasons. Ethan isn't very religious anymore, which makes me pretty sad but that is a conversation for a different day, so he just doesn't like Christmas at all. He complains and complains, but I honestly can't wait for him to open his presents this year. I've spent a long time working my magic to get him something that he doesn't know he's wanted since before he deployed last year. I can't wait to see Mr. Scrooge's face split into a sheepish grin when he falls in love with his gift.
For being so negative he sure does know how to make a girl melt though. It has always been a tradition with us since we started dating that every year we get a Christmas ornament for the tree. We have 6 ornaments on the tree (Ethan and I were separated Christmas 2008) at the moment. This is the first year that we haven't been home between Thanksgiving and Christmas since we moved out to NC. Usually we buy our ornament from a kiosk in the mall we've shopped at since 2004, but this year that wasn't possible. We have searched all over the area and couldn't find an ornament for 2010. On Saturday we looked all over Jacksonville, but couldn't find anything so I was reserved to the fact that we wouldn't have one this year. It really made me sad, but I searched online and found a website that makes personalized ornaments. I talked to Ethan about it, but it wouldn't be here by Christmas anyways so I told him not to worry about it.
Sunday night his phone kept going off at like 11, which isn't normal for him. I asked who it was and he just ignored me. I asked again a few minutes later when the phone rang again and he told me it was his mom. He got this little smile on his face and went into the other room. He came back a few minutes later and told me that he had a surprise for me and that he wanted to tell me, but he wanted to keep it secret. For some reason the first thing that came to my mind was "Oh God your parents are surprising us and coming here for Christmas."
Now don't get me wrong, I would be so freaking happy if his family drove up here to see us, but I have this problem when his mom comes to the house. I get on the psycho cleaning tangent and I exhaust myself trying to make the house perfect for a woman who really doesn't care about mess or clutter at all since she raised and homeschooled 9 kids of her own. I immediately asked him to tell me if that was it because there's a lot of cleaning that needs to be done before they get here...blah blah blah.
An hour later he comes into the living room and sits next to me. He told me he wanted to show me something on his phone, but I told him I didn't want to know if it was supposed to be a surprise. He told me that he wanted to me to know so I looked and what I saw immediately brought tears to my eyes. I was looking at picture of a family ornament with our names on it. After we couldn't find a family ornament in Jacksonville on Saturday, my sweet husband called his mom and asked her to get us an ornament from the usual place we go. He said he knew how much it meant to me to have the ornament and he wanted to make sure I got one this year. I seriously cried for like 10 minutes. It made me feel so special that he and his mom would do something like that for me just over a little ornament.
I think this proves that although Ethan really likes to say that he hates Christmas and he has the potential to act like a complete jerky Mr Scrooge, he really does have a kind heart. He made our Christmas that much better.
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| It's a tradition. 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 |
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Random Tidbits
We live on base and so from time to time we can hear the Marines doing training. Thursday, along with the planes and helicopters flying overhead, there were several loud booms that made the windows shake and of course made me jump. Aiden kept asking me what the noise was and I told him that I wasn't sure. After the fourth time of the boom and Mama's tiny squeal Aiden decided he was going to ask me what it was over and over again until I finally gave him an answer he liked. After hearing "Mama what was that?" for the fifteenth time I finally told him in an exasperated tone that it was probably a bomb. His reply was "a bong!" Now he is running around the house telling me there is a bong. Dear God what have I done? I really can't wait to see people's faces when we are at Walmart and my son yells out "It's a BONG!"
My husband and I don't really drink anything other than beer or the occasional bottle of vodka or rum, but for our anniversary on the 9th we decided to lean toward the more romantic side and get a bottle of champagne. Ethan had to work the next day and I had already had two peach bellinis from Olive Garden so we couldn't finish off the bottle. We went to put up the bottle and realized we don't know how to stuff the cork back in so you know what we did? We went totally ghetto and found another option. Right now I have a bottle of champagne in my refrigerator waiting to be finished off....a water bottle. Oh yes we did. Hey it's recycling right?
I've lost 4 pounds since I started my new weight loss attitude on Monday!
Christmas is 7 days away!! We're actually almost done shopping this year! A family first.
I have come to the harsh realization that I completely and utterly suck at wrapping presents. Like seriously there is tape all over the place and wrinkles where there should be just a normal flat surface. I can shop like no other, but maybe next year I should take the time to pay for gift wrapping.
My husband and I don't really drink anything other than beer or the occasional bottle of vodka or rum, but for our anniversary on the 9th we decided to lean toward the more romantic side and get a bottle of champagne. Ethan had to work the next day and I had already had two peach bellinis from Olive Garden so we couldn't finish off the bottle. We went to put up the bottle and realized we don't know how to stuff the cork back in so you know what we did? We went totally ghetto and found another option. Right now I have a bottle of champagne in my refrigerator waiting to be finished off....a water bottle. Oh yes we did. Hey it's recycling right?
I've lost 4 pounds since I started my new weight loss attitude on Monday!
Christmas is 7 days away!! We're actually almost done shopping this year! A family first.
I have come to the harsh realization that I completely and utterly suck at wrapping presents. Like seriously there is tape all over the place and wrinkles where there should be just a normal flat surface. I can shop like no other, but maybe next year I should take the time to pay for gift wrapping.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Lifestyle Makeover
With the new year right around the corner it is the time to start thinking about the tons of different New Years resolutions that everyone makes, but by February no one keeps. I usually resolve not to even make a resolution because they never stick, but this year it's going to be different.
I have decided that it is time for a lifestyle makeover. I want to be a healthy influence on Aiden as he gets older. I'm a vegetarian, first because Ethan was, but then it became my choice, and I feel much healthier already, but it isn't enough for me.
You would think that from switching to a meat diet to a vegetarian one you would naturally lose some weight, as long as you are still eating the right way, but for some reason with me that isn't happening. I have my own theory on that, but until I find the time, energy, and bravery to go to the doctor I won't know for sure if I'm right. To get a jump start on shedding the pounds I have started taking a supplement pill to help the process along.
I'm not the type of person to go for the get skinny fast thing. In fact I intend on using these pills to help me get to my desired weight loss healthily by also exercising and eating even better than before. But since Ethan came home from his deployment 9 months ago, I have gained a good 20 pounds. That means I could give birth to a food baby right now!
I really believe that most people lose weight while their husbands are gone. I mean it's normal when you're not really cooking an actual meal every single night and (at least with me) depression/bad moods make eating less important.
I have always been a thick girl - it's in my genes, and I believe that having a little meat on your bones is normal. I believe that being happy makes you prettiest. I no longer feel good about myself and that is why I have made the decision to change. Not because I don't fit a standard of being pretty, but because I want this for myself. I don't even have a target weight to get down to. I'll know when I'm happy when I look in the mirror and can see a difference in my body inside and out.
Ethan and I are starting P90X tonight and although I know I'm going to die I'm going to keep going (hopefully) and work my hardest. I plan on having a better grip on a healthy body when we get to Florida. I don't plan on having a "beach body" at all, just a normal body would be nice. In fact that last time I wore a bikini was when I was about 14. It's sort of hard to wear a bikini when you are a 36FF. It gets to a point where it's just not appropriate. Now that I have had my surgery I'm looking forward to just wearing a tankini :-)
I'm sure I'll be posting about my successes and set backs over time, and hopefully there will be more successes than not. So wish me luck and support because it's always easier to achieve your goals with people standing behind you cheering you on. Here's to a new me in 2011!!
I have decided that it is time for a lifestyle makeover. I want to be a healthy influence on Aiden as he gets older. I'm a vegetarian, first because Ethan was, but then it became my choice, and I feel much healthier already, but it isn't enough for me.
You would think that from switching to a meat diet to a vegetarian one you would naturally lose some weight, as long as you are still eating the right way, but for some reason with me that isn't happening. I have my own theory on that, but until I find the time, energy, and bravery to go to the doctor I won't know for sure if I'm right. To get a jump start on shedding the pounds I have started taking a supplement pill to help the process along.
I'm not the type of person to go for the get skinny fast thing. In fact I intend on using these pills to help me get to my desired weight loss healthily by also exercising and eating even better than before. But since Ethan came home from his deployment 9 months ago, I have gained a good 20 pounds. That means I could give birth to a food baby right now!
I really believe that most people lose weight while their husbands are gone. I mean it's normal when you're not really cooking an actual meal every single night and (at least with me) depression/bad moods make eating less important.
I have always been a thick girl - it's in my genes, and I believe that having a little meat on your bones is normal. I believe that being happy makes you prettiest. I no longer feel good about myself and that is why I have made the decision to change. Not because I don't fit a standard of being pretty, but because I want this for myself. I don't even have a target weight to get down to. I'll know when I'm happy when I look in the mirror and can see a difference in my body inside and out.
Ethan and I are starting P90X tonight and although I know I'm going to die I'm going to keep going (hopefully) and work my hardest. I plan on having a better grip on a healthy body when we get to Florida. I don't plan on having a "beach body" at all, just a normal body would be nice. In fact that last time I wore a bikini was when I was about 14. It's sort of hard to wear a bikini when you are a 36FF. It gets to a point where it's just not appropriate. Now that I have had my surgery I'm looking forward to just wearing a tankini :-)
I'm sure I'll be posting about my successes and set backs over time, and hopefully there will be more successes than not. So wish me luck and support because it's always easier to achieve your goals with people standing behind you cheering you on. Here's to a new me in 2011!!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Our Wedding
Okay so I planned on writing and posting this yesterday on our actual anniversary, but I spent all day cleaning and taking care of Aiden and getting ready for our night that I just didn't have time to post this. So here it is a day late. Sorry I'm so ditzy all the time.
Finally after 3 1/2 months of planning and $6,000 later, we were finally getting married! Ethan was living at my parent's house when he came back from boot camp, but I was very serious about him not seeing me before the wedding (it's bad luck you know!) so I slept at the bed & breakfast with one of my bridesmaids. We were supposed to have a girl's night, but she decided to go out and get drunk for her birthday instead so I just took a long bubble bath and went to bed early. I was pretty nervous about the wedding the next day.
That morning I woke up early and went outside to set up the wedding arch we would get married under. I only had like 20 minutes, but I think it came out pretty. My parents picked me and Sarah up and we headed off to our hair appointments. My Aunt brought Chick-fil-A breakfast for everyone and we just joked and talked the rest of the morning while everyone's hair was being taken care of.
When everyone's hair was done we drove back to the bed & breakfast. Ethan was already there setting up the reception area so we had to sneak me inside, where I stayed until it was time to walk down the aisle. My parents realized that they had left my petticoat and bustier at my house {20 minutes away} so I was freaking out. Luckily my (ex)stepdad got it to me in time so that we weren't running late. My family is notorious for running late. In fact on the wedding invitations I purposely wrote the wedding time 30 minutes earlier on my family's invitations so that they would show up on time.
Everyone got dressed and then helped me change. I love my gown, and to this day I don't think I've never felt as beautiful as I did the first time I saw myself fully ready. I didn't know I could look so pretty.
I waited upstairs in the room we got dressed in while the music started. I remember standing at the top of the stairs and I just started praying, begging God to let me know that I was making the right decision and that I would be a good wife. I forced myself not to cry as I slowly made my way down the steps and out to where the aisle began. I took a deep breath and made my way towards my husband.
I honestly don't remember anything about the ceremony. I didn't even have a clue what the officiant even said at the time. I only had eyes for my husband. I was so lost in the moment that I even messed up when I was repeating what I was supposed to say when putting the rings on. We did the traditional vows in front of everyone and the our own private vows {which I have saved} that we wrote before we lit the unity candle.
After the ceremony we took the traditional pictures and then it was time to eat, dance, and party. We're from Texas so of course we had BBQ at our wedding - brisket, macaroni and cheese, and beans. I only ate the mac n cheese because I was so scared I would get sauce on my gown! Then it was time for dancing. Ethan and I dance our first dance to L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole. When it was time to cut the cake we didn't have a plate so we just kind of improvised. That was the only bite of cake we got that night. People just inhaled that thing so I guess it was delicious!
Looking back on our wedding always makes me smile. There were little upsets during the day, like my bouquet being completely not what I ordered at all, but it ran smoothly and in the end all that mattered was being with our family and becoming our own family.
Four years really isn't a long time, but looking back on the years we've been through a lot. We're honestly lucky to still be married. No I take that back - it's not luck. We worked our asses off to keep our marriage from falling apart and honestly it is better now than it was the day we got married. I love my husband with all my heart and I look forward to many more years with him.
Finally after 3 1/2 months of planning and $6,000 later, we were finally getting married! Ethan was living at my parent's house when he came back from boot camp, but I was very serious about him not seeing me before the wedding (it's bad luck you know!) so I slept at the bed & breakfast with one of my bridesmaids. We were supposed to have a girl's night, but she decided to go out and get drunk for her birthday instead so I just took a long bubble bath and went to bed early. I was pretty nervous about the wedding the next day.
That morning I woke up early and went outside to set up the wedding arch we would get married under. I only had like 20 minutes, but I think it came out pretty. My parents picked me and Sarah up and we headed off to our hair appointments. My Aunt brought Chick-fil-A breakfast for everyone and we just joked and talked the rest of the morning while everyone's hair was being taken care of.
When everyone's hair was done we drove back to the bed & breakfast. Ethan was already there setting up the reception area so we had to sneak me inside, where I stayed until it was time to walk down the aisle. My parents realized that they had left my petticoat and bustier at my house {20 minutes away} so I was freaking out. Luckily my (ex)stepdad got it to me in time so that we weren't running late. My family is notorious for running late. In fact on the wedding invitations I purposely wrote the wedding time 30 minutes earlier on my family's invitations so that they would show up on time.
Everyone got dressed and then helped me change. I love my gown, and to this day I don't think I've never felt as beautiful as I did the first time I saw myself fully ready. I didn't know I could look so pretty.
I waited upstairs in the room we got dressed in while the music started. I remember standing at the top of the stairs and I just started praying, begging God to let me know that I was making the right decision and that I would be a good wife. I forced myself not to cry as I slowly made my way down the steps and out to where the aisle began. I took a deep breath and made my way towards my husband.
I honestly don't remember anything about the ceremony. I didn't even have a clue what the officiant even said at the time. I only had eyes for my husband. I was so lost in the moment that I even messed up when I was repeating what I was supposed to say when putting the rings on. We did the traditional vows in front of everyone and the our own private vows {which I have saved} that we wrote before we lit the unity candle.
After the ceremony we took the traditional pictures and then it was time to eat, dance, and party. We're from Texas so of course we had BBQ at our wedding - brisket, macaroni and cheese, and beans. I only ate the mac n cheese because I was so scared I would get sauce on my gown! Then it was time for dancing. Ethan and I dance our first dance to L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole. When it was time to cut the cake we didn't have a plate so we just kind of improvised. That was the only bite of cake we got that night. People just inhaled that thing so I guess it was delicious!
Looking back on our wedding always makes me smile. There were little upsets during the day, like my bouquet being completely not what I ordered at all, but it ran smoothly and in the end all that mattered was being with our family and becoming our own family.
Four years really isn't a long time, but looking back on the years we've been through a lot. We're honestly lucky to still be married. No I take that back - it's not luck. We worked our asses off to keep our marriage from falling apart and honestly it is better now than it was the day we got married. I love my husband with all my heart and I look forward to many more years with him.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Proposal
When we came back from Memphis we fell back into our normal routine. Ethan and I were still talking about marriage, but we knew it wouldn't happen for a while. He made it clear that he didn't even want to ask me to marry him when I was 16. He thought that was a little crazy. I mean who gets engaged that young? Ethan had also decided to join the Marine Corps that year and knew that he would be going to boot camp some time in September.
Ethan told me to start looking for a place to have the wedding at, just because he heard that that is what needs to be booked in advance. I had always wanted to be married in November, but we knew that if Ethan went to boot camp in September that that was impossible so we were shooting for December or January time-frame.
When I told my mom and my Aunt Robyn about what we were talking about, Robyn immediately started researching different places around Austin. A few days later she found a bed and breakfast that was really cheap that she thought we could turn into an awesome wedding venue. I talked to Ethan about it, and he decided that we should at least go look at it so I called and scheduled a time after work to go meet with the lady who ran the place.
I fell in love the moment I saw the bed and breakfast. It was such a pretty place with a nice yard around the house to be able to fit a decent sized wedding. I started planning right there where everything could go before I had even seen the entire grounds. The owner mentioned a garden, but I was more interested figuring out where everything went at the moment.
Ethan decided to check out the garden and when he came back he wanted to show me something he had found in there. My Mama wanted to come too, but my stepdad told her to let us have a minute to ourselves.
When we got to the rustic wooden gate Ethan told me to close my eyes. He opened the gate and led me inside. It took him a minute to get me where he wanted and then he told me I could look. I opened my eyes to a natural formed rock formation in the shape of a giant heart. It took me a second to realize that Ethan was kneeling on the ground in front of the rock. He had a small black box in his hand and a huge smile on his face. He went into this little speech, that he had to repeat later because I was in such shock, and asked me to marry him. I was in tears and said yes of course, and he slipped the ring on my finger. We were engaged, a month before my 17th birthday.
We came out of the garden and my Mama asked why I was crying. I showed her the ring, which of course made her start crying. We decided that this was the place to get married and we reserved the site right then. The owner was nice enough to be able to work with us because we explained about Ethan going to boot camp.
On the way home, Ethan told me the story of how he had planned everything out. When we went to Memphis, we stopped to see my Daddy in Dallas for a day. Apparently while we were there Ethan had asked Daddy permission to marry me. Once he agreed, Ethan started thinking about the ring. He had decided he wanted to buy the ring the day we went to the B&B. He went to four different ATMs so that he could have enough cash to buy the ring. He was planning on driving around {one of our favorite things to do} and pretending to have a flat tire and asking me there, but when he told the woman at the jewelry she made it sound much less romantic. "So you're going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with you...on the side of the road?" So he decided against that one. He was just carrying the ring around in his pocket, and when he saw the heart-shaped rock he knew what he wanted to do.
Most people were really happy for us, but there were some who thought we were insane. Ethan's family was less than thrilled. In fact when we went to go tell them that we were engaged his dad said that he didn't want any part in it. A lot of family drama happened, and I wasn't allowed inside of his parent's house and none of his brothers and sisters were allowed to participate in the wedding. In fact, when Ethan left for boot camp they had decided they wouldn't be at our wedding at all. A lot of people {Ethan's sisters included} thought that the only reason we were getting married was because I was pregnant. It was all pretty hurtful, but I knew that they would see that I was obviously not pregnant in a few months.
Ethan went to boot camp September 5th, and I was left to plan the wedding by myself, no small feat when the bride is still a minor and the groom can't be contacted. I am proud to say that I made it work and I stayed in budget. We made a lot of the stuff at the wedding, and I would definitely suggest anyone doing that. It saves money and it is so fun.
Ethan graduated boot camp on December 1, 2006. We flew home and had exactly one week to get the finishing touches done before the wedding. The most memorable moment was most definitely getting the marriage license and having my Mama sign for me.
Ethan told me to start looking for a place to have the wedding at, just because he heard that that is what needs to be booked in advance. I had always wanted to be married in November, but we knew that if Ethan went to boot camp in September that that was impossible so we were shooting for December or January time-frame.
When I told my mom and my Aunt Robyn about what we were talking about, Robyn immediately started researching different places around Austin. A few days later she found a bed and breakfast that was really cheap that she thought we could turn into an awesome wedding venue. I talked to Ethan about it, and he decided that we should at least go look at it so I called and scheduled a time after work to go meet with the lady who ran the place.
I fell in love the moment I saw the bed and breakfast. It was such a pretty place with a nice yard around the house to be able to fit a decent sized wedding. I started planning right there where everything could go before I had even seen the entire grounds. The owner mentioned a garden, but I was more interested figuring out where everything went at the moment.
Ethan decided to check out the garden and when he came back he wanted to show me something he had found in there. My Mama wanted to come too, but my stepdad told her to let us have a minute to ourselves.
When we got to the rustic wooden gate Ethan told me to close my eyes. He opened the gate and led me inside. It took him a minute to get me where he wanted and then he told me I could look. I opened my eyes to a natural formed rock formation in the shape of a giant heart. It took me a second to realize that Ethan was kneeling on the ground in front of the rock. He had a small black box in his hand and a huge smile on his face. He went into this little speech, that he had to repeat later because I was in such shock, and asked me to marry him. I was in tears and said yes of course, and he slipped the ring on my finger. We were engaged, a month before my 17th birthday.
We came out of the garden and my Mama asked why I was crying. I showed her the ring, which of course made her start crying. We decided that this was the place to get married and we reserved the site right then. The owner was nice enough to be able to work with us because we explained about Ethan going to boot camp.
On the way home, Ethan told me the story of how he had planned everything out. When we went to Memphis, we stopped to see my Daddy in Dallas for a day. Apparently while we were there Ethan had asked Daddy permission to marry me. Once he agreed, Ethan started thinking about the ring. He had decided he wanted to buy the ring the day we went to the B&B. He went to four different ATMs so that he could have enough cash to buy the ring. He was planning on driving around {one of our favorite things to do} and pretending to have a flat tire and asking me there, but when he told the woman at the jewelry she made it sound much less romantic. "So you're going to ask her to spend the rest of her life with you...on the side of the road?" So he decided against that one. He was just carrying the ring around in his pocket, and when he saw the heart-shaped rock he knew what he wanted to do.
Most people were really happy for us, but there were some who thought we were insane. Ethan's family was less than thrilled. In fact when we went to go tell them that we were engaged his dad said that he didn't want any part in it. A lot of family drama happened, and I wasn't allowed inside of his parent's house and none of his brothers and sisters were allowed to participate in the wedding. In fact, when Ethan left for boot camp they had decided they wouldn't be at our wedding at all. A lot of people {Ethan's sisters included} thought that the only reason we were getting married was because I was pregnant. It was all pretty hurtful, but I knew that they would see that I was obviously not pregnant in a few months.
Ethan went to boot camp September 5th, and I was left to plan the wedding by myself, no small feat when the bride is still a minor and the groom can't be contacted. I am proud to say that I made it work and I stayed in budget. We made a lot of the stuff at the wedding, and I would definitely suggest anyone doing that. It saves money and it is so fun.
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| the centerpieces |
 |
| I decorated the arch. the bells are handmade also |
 |
| my Daddy made the unity candle and engraved the glass |
Ethan graduated boot camp on December 1, 2006. We flew home and had exactly one week to get the finishing touches done before the wedding. The most memorable moment was most definitely getting the marriage license and having my Mama sign for me.
 |
| officially a United States Marine |
Monday, December 6, 2010
Memphis Or Bust
Fast forward to May 2006. Ethan and I have been dating for 3 years. He is 18 and I am 16. Ethan's parents kicked him out of their house in April so he has been living with me and my family for a month. We are working together at Mama's cafeteria. Neither of us are in high school, he graduated when he was 16 and I dropped out when I was 15.
I was born in Texas, but I spent the first 9 1/2 years of my life living in Memphis, Tennessee, so for our 3 year anniversary, Ethan wanted to do something really special. He decided that he wanted to see the other place I called home. He talked to my parents about it and finally they agreed. We were going to take a road trip together {our first time going anywhere for that long by ourselves} to Memphis. I was so incredibly excited!
I spent three days figuring out all the places from my childhood that I wanted to take Ethan to. Of course there were the houses I used to live in, the church that was a MAJOR part of our lives {so much so that we haven't been to one yet that has compared}, and my favorite places to go. I mapped out the best places to eat from my memory, and of course we had to go see the friends that became family when we lived in TN.
When we finally left I couldn't contain my happiness. I was so excited to get on the road, not only because I was going back to my childhood, but because I was having this awesome experience with the person who meant the most to me.
At the time, Ethan had a 1988 Honda Civic named Blue that was really falling apart. Looking back on it now, we were really lucky the car made it to Memphis and back. Driving 10 1/2 hours in the humid summer with no A/C and nothing but the radio, was an adventure in itself. I remember being unbearably hot and getting motion sickness from having the wind blowing in my face constantly.
We spent four amazing days driving around Memphis while I showed off my city. I took Ethan to the Peabody Hotel to watch the Peabody duck march, to the Memphis Zoo {my favorite zoo I've been to so far} which was a favorite field trip spot when I was in school, to the park I went to all the time when I was little. I took him to the first neighborhood I lived in, which was in the ghetto. Literally. We ate at all my favorite restaurants; Corky's BBQ {there is nothing that compares to Memphis BBQ}, Perkins, Dixie Cafe, Backyard Burgers, Johnny Rockets...We also got to see my favorite Memphis family, the Hamiltons. Bobbie Hamilton and my Mama were best friends back in the day. I have so many fond memories because of that family. Whenever I think of Memphis they are the first people that come to mind. Our families literally did everything together. We went to bible studies together, played at each other's houses, went to the library...they really helped my mom out when my dad split to. We stayed with them our last night in Memphis and it was so nice to see Ashley, Nicole, and Brittany - who I hadn't seen in years, and sadly who I haven't seen since. I told Ashley that night that I was going to marry Ethan. I had my heart set, and I knew that it would happen eventually.
On the way back to Texas Ethan began to talk about the thought of us getting married. We discussed things that we wanted in our lives, where we wanted to be in 10 years, and how we planned on getting there. He told me that he could see himself marrying me, and that the weekend had been a test to see if we could conceivably even be able to live together on our own. If we could get along, or if we would drive each other crazy. Clearly we passed the test, although looking back on it we really had no idea at all what marriage would be like. We thought we knew what love was. We thought we could handle anything without breaking a sweat. We thought marriage would be a piece of cake.
We had no idea what we were talking about. :-)
I was born in Texas, but I spent the first 9 1/2 years of my life living in Memphis, Tennessee, so for our 3 year anniversary, Ethan wanted to do something really special. He decided that he wanted to see the other place I called home. He talked to my parents about it and finally they agreed. We were going to take a road trip together {our first time going anywhere for that long by ourselves} to Memphis. I was so incredibly excited!
I spent three days figuring out all the places from my childhood that I wanted to take Ethan to. Of course there were the houses I used to live in, the church that was a MAJOR part of our lives {so much so that we haven't been to one yet that has compared}, and my favorite places to go. I mapped out the best places to eat from my memory, and of course we had to go see the friends that became family when we lived in TN.
When we finally left I couldn't contain my happiness. I was so excited to get on the road, not only because I was going back to my childhood, but because I was having this awesome experience with the person who meant the most to me.
At the time, Ethan had a 1988 Honda Civic named Blue that was really falling apart. Looking back on it now, we were really lucky the car made it to Memphis and back. Driving 10 1/2 hours in the humid summer with no A/C and nothing but the radio, was an adventure in itself. I remember being unbearably hot and getting motion sickness from having the wind blowing in my face constantly.
We spent four amazing days driving around Memphis while I showed off my city. I took Ethan to the Peabody Hotel to watch the Peabody duck march, to the Memphis Zoo {my favorite zoo I've been to so far} which was a favorite field trip spot when I was in school, to the park I went to all the time when I was little. I took him to the first neighborhood I lived in, which was in the ghetto. Literally. We ate at all my favorite restaurants; Corky's BBQ {there is nothing that compares to Memphis BBQ}, Perkins, Dixie Cafe, Backyard Burgers, Johnny Rockets...We also got to see my favorite Memphis family, the Hamiltons. Bobbie Hamilton and my Mama were best friends back in the day. I have so many fond memories because of that family. Whenever I think of Memphis they are the first people that come to mind. Our families literally did everything together. We went to bible studies together, played at each other's houses, went to the library...they really helped my mom out when my dad split to. We stayed with them our last night in Memphis and it was so nice to see Ashley, Nicole, and Brittany - who I hadn't seen in years, and sadly who I haven't seen since. I told Ashley that night that I was going to marry Ethan. I had my heart set, and I knew that it would happen eventually.
On the way back to Texas Ethan began to talk about the thought of us getting married. We discussed things that we wanted in our lives, where we wanted to be in 10 years, and how we planned on getting there. He told me that he could see himself marrying me, and that the weekend had been a test to see if we could conceivably even be able to live together on our own. If we could get along, or if we would drive each other crazy. Clearly we passed the test, although looking back on it we really had no idea at all what marriage would be like. We thought we knew what love was. We thought we could handle anything without breaking a sweat. We thought marriage would be a piece of cake.
We had no idea what we were talking about. :-)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Summer Love Lasts Forever
December is my favorite month of the year. There are so many special things that make this month amazing, but the one that comes to mind first would be mine and Ethan's wedding anniversary. We've been through a lot since tying the knot, and I would like to take some time to talk about our relationship from the beginning and introduce you to the amazing man I married.
Ethan and I started dating on May 29, 2003. It was the day after my 8th grade graduation. I was 13 and Ethan was 15. I was Ethan's first girlfriend so he had absolutely no experience with asking a girl out. We were on the phone that night talking {like we had been for the past week and a half since Ethan's sister, Ruthie, told him that I had a crush on him} and he just randomly came out and said "So would you maybe wanna go see a movie with me sometime...or something?" I giggled and said yes and then he hung up. He called back less than 5 minutes later and with his friends laughing in the background he said, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" It was so cute, of course I said yes. Later on he told me that his friend, Nick, made him call me back because he apparently sounded like an idiot asking me to the movies. Either way I loved it.
When we first started dating, neither one of our parents were completely thrilled about it. My mom had worries about Ethan being older than me, because of a past relationship I was in with an older guy that didn't end so well. She definitely didn't think that we would be dating very long. Ethan's parents didn't want us dating at all. They have strict religious beliefs and I think that they thought we were too young. They believe you're supposed to start dating when you're ready to get married, which obviously at our age we were not planning on marriage at all. We were just kids having fun.
Because of our parents' worries, we had to have a chaperon when we were together. Someone to make sure we weren't getting into trouble. Ethan's parents also decided that we were only allowed to see each other once a week. Ethan was homeschooled and I wasn't so we couldn't see each other during the week hardly at all so Sunday afternoons soon became my favorite part of the week. Usually Ethan would come to work with me and my parents on Sunday to get their cafeteria ready for opening on Monday morning. We hated it at the time, but looking back on it I think it really helped our relationship. By limiting our time together we learned to make the most of it, and to understand that there was a world out there beyond the two of us {as a lot of teenagers get when they are dating someone}.
My mom was on board with his parents' rules in the beginning, but as we got older she became more lax in her supervision. It also helped that Ethan was in some ways {at least when around adults} different than other guys his age because of the homeschooling. We came from two very different "clicks", he was the ghetto boy from the rough part of town, and I was the poor girl in the rich part of town. His friends were on the shadier side, and mine were a mix of drama/choir kids and the slutty girls. If we had gone to high school together we would have never worked out.
On our first date we went to the mall with Ruthie, and my best friend Sarah - both of them are the reason Ethan asked me out in the first place. We walked around for a while, window shopping. We went in the Sleep Number store and found our numbers {I'm a 50 and Ethan's a 55...yes I still remember} then we decided to go see a movie. The Italian Job was the first movie we ever watched together. We sat a few rows in front of Ruthie and Sarah, and every time Ethan would put his arm around me Sarah and Ruthie would imitate us. The couldn't stop giggling when he kissed me on the forehead towards the end of the movie. Very mature right? After the movie, my parents picked us up from the mall. Before we got in the car Ethan stopped me in the parking lot and asked me if he could kiss me. How sweet is that?! I knew he was special then.
Ethan and I started dating on May 29, 2003. It was the day after my 8th grade graduation. I was 13 and Ethan was 15. I was Ethan's first girlfriend so he had absolutely no experience with asking a girl out. We were on the phone that night talking {like we had been for the past week and a half since Ethan's sister, Ruthie, told him that I had a crush on him} and he just randomly came out and said "So would you maybe wanna go see a movie with me sometime...or something?" I giggled and said yes and then he hung up. He called back less than 5 minutes later and with his friends laughing in the background he said, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?" It was so cute, of course I said yes. Later on he told me that his friend, Nick, made him call me back because he apparently sounded like an idiot asking me to the movies. Either way I loved it.
When we first started dating, neither one of our parents were completely thrilled about it. My mom had worries about Ethan being older than me, because of a past relationship I was in with an older guy that didn't end so well. She definitely didn't think that we would be dating very long. Ethan's parents didn't want us dating at all. They have strict religious beliefs and I think that they thought we were too young. They believe you're supposed to start dating when you're ready to get married, which obviously at our age we were not planning on marriage at all. We were just kids having fun.
Because of our parents' worries, we had to have a chaperon when we were together. Someone to make sure we weren't getting into trouble. Ethan's parents also decided that we were only allowed to see each other once a week. Ethan was homeschooled and I wasn't so we couldn't see each other during the week hardly at all so Sunday afternoons soon became my favorite part of the week. Usually Ethan would come to work with me and my parents on Sunday to get their cafeteria ready for opening on Monday morning. We hated it at the time, but looking back on it I think it really helped our relationship. By limiting our time together we learned to make the most of it, and to understand that there was a world out there beyond the two of us {as a lot of teenagers get when they are dating someone}.
My mom was on board with his parents' rules in the beginning, but as we got older she became more lax in her supervision. It also helped that Ethan was in some ways {at least when around adults} different than other guys his age because of the homeschooling. We came from two very different "clicks", he was the ghetto boy from the rough part of town, and I was the poor girl in the rich part of town. His friends were on the shadier side, and mine were a mix of drama/choir kids and the slutty girls. If we had gone to high school together we would have never worked out.
On our first date we went to the mall with Ruthie, and my best friend Sarah - both of them are the reason Ethan asked me out in the first place. We walked around for a while, window shopping. We went in the Sleep Number store and found our numbers {I'm a 50 and Ethan's a 55...yes I still remember} then we decided to go see a movie. The Italian Job was the first movie we ever watched together. We sat a few rows in front of Ruthie and Sarah, and every time Ethan would put his arm around me Sarah and Ruthie would imitate us. The couldn't stop giggling when he kissed me on the forehead towards the end of the movie. Very mature right? After the movie, my parents picked us up from the mall. Before we got in the car Ethan stopped me in the parking lot and asked me if he could kiss me. How sweet is that?! I knew he was special then.
 |
| Ethan {15} and Me {14} |
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Vegetarian Wednesday: Lentil Soup
It's finally starting to get cold here in North Carolina (at least at night) and one of my favorite go-to dinners during cold winter nights is soup. It's such a comfort food to me so expect a few more soup recipes from me before winter is over. Enjoy!
1/4 c olive oil
2-4 stalks celery - chopped
2-4 carrots - diced
3-4 clvs garlic - minced
1 onion - chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1(14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 c dry lentils
4 c veggie broth
4 c water
1/2 c spinach - rinsed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in lentil, and add water, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. When ready to serve, stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
1/4 c olive oil
2-4 stalks celery - chopped
2-4 carrots - diced
3-4 clvs garlic - minced
1 onion - chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried basil
1(14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 c dry lentils
4 c veggie broth
4 c water
1/2 c spinach - rinsed and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in lentil, and add water, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. When ready to serve, stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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