Since getting married, I have officially gained 5 brothers and sisters, along with their spouses. They are all awesome people and I feel so blessed to have such a huge family welcoming me into their arms. I haven't even talked about my new parents-in-law or any of the extended family, but that would be a much longer post. So, I thought I would quickly introduce you to my wonderful new siblings. I'll go from youngest to oldest.
Katelyn is a passionate, determined, and lively young woman who calls me 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous' as a nickname. She makes me feel welcome wherever I am and drops everything to spend time with me or help me out. She is engaged to a guy named Kevin who is crazy about her and the family. They're getting married in January. Katelyn perseveres and overcomes with optimism and faith. She is an incredible person. I wish that she could see that she is beautiful and talented, too.
Kimball is Michael's baby brother. Mike is very protective of Kimball. I haven't gotten to know him super well because he left on his mission a few weeks after I started hanging out with Michael. He got back in town in May and it turns out that we are pretty similar. He is a really good person with high moral standards. He also knows how to be goofy and have fun. He's engaged to a wonderful girl named Mandi that he has been in love with for 8 years (since high school). They're getting married in October. Kimball deserves all the happiness in the world and I hope that things work out for them.
This is where Michael is in the birth order. Pretty much right in the middle.
Melissa is Michael's older sister. She disappeared for a few years, but has recently come back into contact with the family. From the few times that I have talked to her and from what Michael has told me about her, she is incredibly genuine, beautiful, and hilarious. She is protective of Michael, which is very sweet. I can tell that she's working so hard to create a wonderful life for herself. I can't wait until I get to meet her in person. I also can't wait until we can have our cats play together. I love cats and she has really cute ones. They would be cute together with Cheeto and CC.
Trisha is the next oldest girl and she has visited the area a couple of times. She is married to a guy named Dan who is in the military. They move pretty frequently. She has a son, Dallin, and a new baby girl, Daesi, who is beautiful. Dallin is a blast and he is so super smart. Trisha is very protective of Michael and was pretty skeptical of me at first, but then we played darts and talked all night. Since then, she's loved me like family. I wish that she lived closer so we could spend time together. She makes me laugh, hard.
Christopher is the oldest brother and he and I have really bonded over the last couple years. There have been several times when it's been Chris, Michael, and I hanging out and Michael has fallen asleep. Chris and I have talked until it's light outside, about everything. He graduated from Boise State, so he knows that environment when no one else really does in the family. He also thinks about things in a similar way as I do. He is a really great guy. He'd drop everything to help me. He's been calling me 'sis' for years. Now that it's official, we are very close. He is married to a wonderful and adorable woman named Carolyn. He's got three girls: Kaybree, Kelsie, and Kyla. Also, Carolyn is pregnant! We're all hoping for a boy.
I am just so lucky to have such a beautiful group of people around me. I love all of them.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Lucky (or more accurately, blessed)
I'm feeling so good today that I thought I would share it with everyone. If I had to sum of the feelings I'm experiencing I would use words like 'accomplished', 'poised', 'grown up', 'excited', or maybe even 'competent'. But, it's hard to sum up a feeling in a way that allows others to experience it along with you. I would also venture to guess that not everyone has even felt this way.
I had some errands to run and a meeting with my professor about my research project. So, I drove to BSU in my beautiful, still-feels-new car with the radio playing only good songs. I get a spot right by the building. There isn't a line in either the registrar's office (where I change my name on the university's system to Smithee) or in the human resources department (where I fill out my I9 for my paid research position). Then, I grab a caramel frappuccino while the marching band blasts into the library with a parade of cheerleaders! Totally crazy. I slip out of that mad house and drive over to meet with my professor. The meeting goes great and I have actual tasks to do, now. Things I haven't done before and that I will benefit from knowing how to do. I am beyond excited. Then, I get back in my awesome car and drive home where, while I wait for my awesome new husband to get off work, I look at the wedding pictures that I just got in the mail. Later, we'll head over to my new brother-in-law's house for game night with the guys where I'm invited even though I'm a girl.
It's just such a good life. I was even feeling good enough to pick up some extra shifts at my work. I will probably regret that, but they needed the help and I need the money.
I can't imagine anything better than this.
I had some errands to run and a meeting with my professor about my research project. So, I drove to BSU in my beautiful, still-feels-new car with the radio playing only good songs. I get a spot right by the building. There isn't a line in either the registrar's office (where I change my name on the university's system to Smithee) or in the human resources department (where I fill out my I9 for my paid research position). Then, I grab a caramel frappuccino while the marching band blasts into the library with a parade of cheerleaders! Totally crazy. I slip out of that mad house and drive over to meet with my professor. The meeting goes great and I have actual tasks to do, now. Things I haven't done before and that I will benefit from knowing how to do. I am beyond excited. Then, I get back in my awesome car and drive home where, while I wait for my awesome new husband to get off work, I look at the wedding pictures that I just got in the mail. Later, we'll head over to my new brother-in-law's house for game night with the guys where I'm invited even though I'm a girl.
It's just such a good life. I was even feeling good enough to pick up some extra shifts at my work. I will probably regret that, but they needed the help and I need the money.
I can't imagine anything better than this.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Grand Synopsis
So, I'm back from the honeymoon. Mike and I had a blast. We drove over 2,000 miles, about half of which was coastal highway. It was very beautiful. The wedding was brief. At least, it felt that way. By the time I was ready to actually sit down and enjoy the reception, almost everyone was gone and there was no more food! I guess that's how it goes, though. At my first wedding I didn't eat a whole lot, either.
Everything was beautiful, from the hotel room that my bridesmaids and I got ready in to the cake and reception flowers. I felt really taken care of, too. People did everything for me. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Well, I did have to worry about not crying. Michael and I were pretty shaky saying our vows to each other. All the bridesmaids and groomsmen were crying or fighting crying, too. It was pretty emotional.
After the ceremony, Michael and I headed to the Anniversary Inn where we stayed in the 'Fire & Ice' room. It was like our own personal love igloo. I won't go into too much detail, but there was a snow cave jacuzzi and canopy bed covered in furs (not real). Pretty romantic.
From there, Mike and I drove to Reno and stayed at the Sands Regency. The room we had reserved was a $50, pet and smoking friendly room. It reeked of urine and awfulness. I sprayed the whole room with deodorant, opened the windows, and we went down to look at all the awesome cars from Hot August Nights and go to Circus Circus. Still, by the time we got back to the room, it was still unbearable. So, we talked to the front desk and they moved us to the only other room available (a room that didn't have so many friends). So, we're in a different tower, top floor of the building, counting our way down to our room number when we come across double doors. Yea, a hotel room with double doors. The Presidential Suite. This room had a guest bathroom. For guests. Like, if were going to entertain in our hotel room. It had a dining room, living room, bar, kitchen, and a master bedroom (which was as big as our first room) which included a jacuzzi. All at no additional cost. The view from this room made Reno look bearable.
Then, we headed west to Monterey. We stayed at Lovers Point Inn in Pacific Grove. It was a nice enough room, but pretty average in comparison to what we had been lucky enough to stay in. Until the women working the front desk came giggling up to the third floor with a tray of local gourmet chocolates and sparkling cider. They essential doorbell ditched us. They put the tray on the ground, went downstairs, and then called the room telling us not to trip on our way out the door. So cute. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was crowded, but still awesome. Then, we were on our way.
Next stop, San Francisco. We stayed at Greenwich Inn. Perfect location, very small room. The only thing of note that we did was eat at Mama's. That's no small feat, by the way. We waited in line 45 minutes to get a table. The next day, on our way out of town, we wanted to go again, but the line was three times as long and we would've had to go back and pay for parking again. Apparently, it's like that every day up until they close at 3:00 pm. The food was excellent. Well worth the wait, believe it or not.
We spent the night in Crescent City where the lady at the Taco Bell gave me a free strawberry Frutista Freeze because Michael was nice to her over the speaker. That was the most exciting thing that happened.
Yachats was exactly the way I remembered it. We got to stay at the Adobe Resort with an ocean view. We spent hours clamoring over giant rock beaches and picking up all sorts of sea creatures. We drove into Newport to go to Mo's and had a blast at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. Campy, but surprisingly fun. We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the place I always used to get fudge. Both were awesome. Then we left.
I had never been to Cannon Beach, but Michael had gone there in his childhood and loved it. The sand 'sings' if you slide your feet through it. We stayed at Shaw's Bed & Breakfast, which was so awesome. The Shaw's are unbelievably hospitable. Michael and I boogie boarded for about an hour, until we were bright pink with cold. Once the sun set, we watched Babe on VHS. I love that movie and Michael was a big baby and almost cried. I can't blame him, though. That song is powerful.
Once the movie was over, things started to unravel. I had been nursing a sore throat for a few days, but it hit full force during the night. I was so congested I couldn't breathe, became feverish, started panicking. I was up all night, miserable. I was so sick that we decided to skip our last destination, Portland, and just drive straight home. We had to cut the honeymoon short one day, but we were both ok with it. We had such a great time, one day didn't seem like too much to sacrifice.
I've been congested and weak since, but I'm doing echinacea like it's going out of style. I feel tons better. I've been opening gifts, finding places for them, and slowly setting up a system for Michael and I. Just today we went shopping for groceries for a whole week at a time. That sounds small, but it's a big deal for us. I am so happy that we're together and that my home is his home. It's a great feeling.
For anyone who was at the wedding, thank you so much for sharing that day with me. It means a lot to me. I've got to go to sleep now, it's late and I have to go change my driver's license tomorrow.
Everything was beautiful, from the hotel room that my bridesmaids and I got ready in to the cake and reception flowers. I felt really taken care of, too. People did everything for me. I didn't have to worry about a thing. Well, I did have to worry about not crying. Michael and I were pretty shaky saying our vows to each other. All the bridesmaids and groomsmen were crying or fighting crying, too. It was pretty emotional.
After the ceremony, Michael and I headed to the Anniversary Inn where we stayed in the 'Fire & Ice' room. It was like our own personal love igloo. I won't go into too much detail, but there was a snow cave jacuzzi and canopy bed covered in furs (not real). Pretty romantic.
From there, Mike and I drove to Reno and stayed at the Sands Regency. The room we had reserved was a $50, pet and smoking friendly room. It reeked of urine and awfulness. I sprayed the whole room with deodorant, opened the windows, and we went down to look at all the awesome cars from Hot August Nights and go to Circus Circus. Still, by the time we got back to the room, it was still unbearable. So, we talked to the front desk and they moved us to the only other room available (a room that didn't have so many friends). So, we're in a different tower, top floor of the building, counting our way down to our room number when we come across double doors. Yea, a hotel room with double doors. The Presidential Suite. This room had a guest bathroom. For guests. Like, if were going to entertain in our hotel room. It had a dining room, living room, bar, kitchen, and a master bedroom (which was as big as our first room) which included a jacuzzi. All at no additional cost. The view from this room made Reno look bearable.
Then, we headed west to Monterey. We stayed at Lovers Point Inn in Pacific Grove. It was a nice enough room, but pretty average in comparison to what we had been lucky enough to stay in. Until the women working the front desk came giggling up to the third floor with a tray of local gourmet chocolates and sparkling cider. They essential doorbell ditched us. They put the tray on the ground, went downstairs, and then called the room telling us not to trip on our way out the door. So cute. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was crowded, but still awesome. Then, we were on our way.
Next stop, San Francisco. We stayed at Greenwich Inn. Perfect location, very small room. The only thing of note that we did was eat at Mama's. That's no small feat, by the way. We waited in line 45 minutes to get a table. The next day, on our way out of town, we wanted to go again, but the line was three times as long and we would've had to go back and pay for parking again. Apparently, it's like that every day up until they close at 3:00 pm. The food was excellent. Well worth the wait, believe it or not.
We spent the night in Crescent City where the lady at the Taco Bell gave me a free strawberry Frutista Freeze because Michael was nice to her over the speaker. That was the most exciting thing that happened.
Yachats was exactly the way I remembered it. We got to stay at the Adobe Resort with an ocean view. We spent hours clamoring over giant rock beaches and picking up all sorts of sea creatures. We drove into Newport to go to Mo's and had a blast at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. Campy, but surprisingly fun. We went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the place I always used to get fudge. Both were awesome. Then we left.
I had never been to Cannon Beach, but Michael had gone there in his childhood and loved it. The sand 'sings' if you slide your feet through it. We stayed at Shaw's Bed & Breakfast, which was so awesome. The Shaw's are unbelievably hospitable. Michael and I boogie boarded for about an hour, until we were bright pink with cold. Once the sun set, we watched Babe on VHS. I love that movie and Michael was a big baby and almost cried. I can't blame him, though. That song is powerful.
Once the movie was over, things started to unravel. I had been nursing a sore throat for a few days, but it hit full force during the night. I was so congested I couldn't breathe, became feverish, started panicking. I was up all night, miserable. I was so sick that we decided to skip our last destination, Portland, and just drive straight home. We had to cut the honeymoon short one day, but we were both ok with it. We had such a great time, one day didn't seem like too much to sacrifice.
I've been congested and weak since, but I'm doing echinacea like it's going out of style. I feel tons better. I've been opening gifts, finding places for them, and slowly setting up a system for Michael and I. Just today we went shopping for groceries for a whole week at a time. That sounds small, but it's a big deal for us. I am so happy that we're together and that my home is his home. It's a great feeling.
For anyone who was at the wedding, thank you so much for sharing that day with me. It means a lot to me. I've got to go to sleep now, it's late and I have to go change my driver's license tomorrow.
Monday, August 8, 2011
34 hours
Michael and I have been together since April 2009. Tomorrow, we'll tell the whole world that we're together by getting married. It's so crazy, I haven't even started getting excited yet. To celebrate (and to keep my stress level low) I've decided to share some of my favorite quotes about love.
"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for that part of me that you bring out." -Elizabeth Barrett Browning
"I do love nothing in the world so well as you." -William Shakespeare
"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return." Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." -Thomas Merton
"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." -Zora Neale Hurston
"The best proof of love is trust." -Joyce Brothers
"Love is not consolation. It is light." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"Seduce my mind and you can have my body." -Anonymous
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." -Ingrid Mergman
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"We don't always get to choose what we love." -Scott Westerfeld
"Love is friendship set on fire." -Jeremy Taylor
"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." -Peter Ustinov
"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." -John Tarrant
"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally." -Zelda Fitzgerald
"The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person's soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack." -Keith Miller
"The heart is the only broken instrument that works." -T. E. Kalem
"Love is everything it's cracked up to be...It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." -Erica Jong
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." -James Baldwin
And my favorite, right now...
"I do love nothing in the world so well as you." -William Shakespeare
"True love begins when nothing is looked for in return." Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them." -Thomas Merton
"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." -Zora Neale Hurston
"The best proof of love is trust." -Joyce Brothers
"Love is not consolation. It is light." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"Seduce my mind and you can have my body." -Anonymous
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." -Ingrid Mergman
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"We don't always get to choose what we love." -Scott Westerfeld
"Love is friendship set on fire." -Jeremy Taylor
"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." -Peter Ustinov
"Attention is the most basic form of love; through it we bless and are blessed." -John Tarrant
"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally." -Zelda Fitzgerald
"The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person's soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack." -Keith Miller
"The heart is the only broken instrument that works." -T. E. Kalem
"Love is everything it's cracked up to be...It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for." -Erica Jong
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within." -James Baldwin
"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." -Emily Bronte
P.S. I will try to post at least once from the honeymoon, but it may not happen. There will be a thorough (but, not too thorough) update on our trip when I return home.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Dear Anonymous (Part 2)
At the suggestion of my mother, who is back from two months in the land down under, I am going to do another post like Dear Anonymous. However, her suggestion was that I write a bunch of positive things to people that I maybe don't have the balls to say to their faces. I think that's a great idea, so I will.
~
I envy you. I envy your luster for life and your courage to live as big as you believe you have to. I wish that I had as much fun as you do and that I wasn't so afraid of trouble or of a mess. Your life may be messy, at times, but the mess is your miracle grow. You are such a beautiful person and I have learned so much about joy from you.
As much as I act like I don't care about each time you ask for my forgiveness for things that I pretend didn't affect me, it means a lot to me. It makes me ridiculously uncomfortable, but it means a lot.
You have taught me how to be a good wife. Thank you.
You are so strong and passionate about everything you do. Your motivation and personal drive, the self respect you exude, is contagious. You changed how I feel about myself and how I feel about my career path.
You gave me a moment to share with him that meant more than you probably know. Maybe you do. But, thank you.
I appreciate that you showed up.
In spite of the frustration of how we became acquainted, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me. You have opened up the future for me and I am so grateful to be given the chance to excel. You put your faith and time into working with me. I cannot wait to learn more from you.
You know more about me than almost everyone else on the planet and you have shown me so much respect when I know I haven't always deserved it. Through everything we've been through, you have always been there for me when I needed someone to be. I am so glad that our friendship survived. You are still one of my best friends.
~
It's so late! I have to go to sleep or my positive comments will start to warp into bittersweet, sentimental ramblings. They may also become less than anonymous, which would be contrary to the title. Good night, internet.
~
I envy you. I envy your luster for life and your courage to live as big as you believe you have to. I wish that I had as much fun as you do and that I wasn't so afraid of trouble or of a mess. Your life may be messy, at times, but the mess is your miracle grow. You are such a beautiful person and I have learned so much about joy from you.
As much as I act like I don't care about each time you ask for my forgiveness for things that I pretend didn't affect me, it means a lot to me. It makes me ridiculously uncomfortable, but it means a lot.
You have taught me how to be a good wife. Thank you.
You are so strong and passionate about everything you do. Your motivation and personal drive, the self respect you exude, is contagious. You changed how I feel about myself and how I feel about my career path.
You gave me a moment to share with him that meant more than you probably know. Maybe you do. But, thank you.
I appreciate that you showed up.
In spite of the frustration of how we became acquainted, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me. You have opened up the future for me and I am so grateful to be given the chance to excel. You put your faith and time into working with me. I cannot wait to learn more from you.
You know more about me than almost everyone else on the planet and you have shown me so much respect when I know I haven't always deserved it. Through everything we've been through, you have always been there for me when I needed someone to be. I am so glad that our friendship survived. You are still one of my best friends.
~
It's so late! I have to go to sleep or my positive comments will start to warp into bittersweet, sentimental ramblings. They may also become less than anonymous, which would be contrary to the title. Good night, internet.
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