On this day last year...I married my best friend.

On this day last year, I married my best friend.

On this morning last year, I threw open the hotel room curtains full of hope for a beautiful day and the most perfect sunny day greeted me, with crisp blue mountain skies, that only Truckee can bring - and somehow - the stress of the last year and a half of planning all melted away. Nothing else mattered but that the day was going to be perfect. Because it was our day. So I put on the pretty white dress and we watched as our dream wedding unfolded. But more importantly, our dream marriage was about to begin. And while I think we did throw a pretty kickass, awesome, and fun wedding...what is more important is that we said these words:

You are my life, my love, and my best freind.


I pledge all my tomorrows to you,


I promise to laugh with you,


But never at you,


To stand by your side,


And sleep in your arms,


To respect who you are


And who you will become


And I promise to love you,


In sickness, in health, for richer, for poorer


For better or worse, for now and forever.




I love you Christopher, and I always will.

If you are craving looking at more wedding photos, check out our slideshow here

A Simple Song

As much as I have been painstakingly counting down the days until the end of school...I've come to the point where looking back, I can't believe how quickly these 5 years have gone. I saw some old friends from high school who I haven't seen in a long time this past weekend, and I think it's those situations where the passing of time really hits you.

One of my friends, whose dance show I was going to see, I have known since preschool. It's amazing how quickly the time all goes by. I can hardly believe it has been 5 years since we sang "Seasons of Love" at my high school graduation. And in 18 days I will be done with college. In just over a month I will have been married for a year. Chris will be home, and our lives will be so completely different, it's nearly impossible to think about.

But in a good way.

Typically being eternally terrified of change, it's really great for once to be able to honestly say that I am excited for the change. Because this time it's not something to be afraid of, but something I want to embrace and leap head first into.

As I think about the finish line being in sight, I also realize that I am going to have to change the title of my blog. Because it will no longer be the last year of college and the first year of marriage. I think I may have settled on a title. One of my favorite songs by Michael Franti, "Never Too Late" has a quote in it:

"On the long road, you got a long time to sing a simple song"

That line has always stuck with me and I think it will suit the thought process behind me and this blog. It's a long road and though my meandering musings may not typically be huge in substance, their simplicity is what adds spice to my life.  Though, I know I have a few friends out there who read this, it's like a simple song I can sing to myself. 

Below is the song - and here starts a new tradition on this blog - Music Mondays. Every Monday (or at least most) - I will post a new song, be it an old song, a random song, a new song or one i just happened to run across on Pandora.
 
Enjoy.
 

46 and the future

I’ll admit, as much as I try to live in the moment lately, some days it really is harder than others.  I had a nice week last week visiting with many friends and family that I haven’t seen in a long time and also added a new kitten 6member to our family.  (Post on him and our other new adopted kitty soon to come.)

But on this Monday, 46 days until Chris comes home, and 46 days until I am done with college, I am having a much easier time focusing on the future.  To having my husband back.  To being done with school. To just finally being able to start our lives for real.  To the time when I can read whatever books I want!  The list of books I want to read keeps growing longer and longer, and it is killing me to not have the time to read them. To the time when I can enjoy cooking dinner rather than sleepily throw some food in the microwave after a 12 hour day.  Having 3 jobs and finishing school while my husband is on the other side of the country is no badge of honor, and I sincerely look forward to the day when all of that is over. 

Inevitably though, getting through these 46 days is a requirement to getting to that happier point.  Because Chris getting through training and me having my degree is what will lead us to be able to fulfill our plans for the future.  

Europe in 2013, here we come.   

Pre-baby Bucket List, here we come.

Life -- here we come.

Yes, that may sound slightly over dramatic, but it’s completely how I feel right now.  But to leave you with something in-the-moment for today.  Train is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists. And I love this song!

1 Day Down, 52 To Go

So Chris headed off to Delaware for his 8 week training on Sunday. In the rainy, windy 4am darkness at the airport, we had to say a very sad goodbye for 8 long weeks. Considering we have never been apart for more than a week in the 4 1/2 years we've been together...these two months are going to be hard. But like any other hard times that have been thrown at our relationship over the years, we will get through them!  No problem.

The good news is that the 52 day countdown also signals when I will be DONE with college. Completely done! So while there will be times during these two months where I am absolutely depressed, the end product will be wonderful.

But really, to get through this time, I am going to have to do my absolute best to keep a positive outlook, or as Ashlee would say -->  Choose Joy.

So here are some joyful things right now:

- I get to see 3 friends this week that I haven't seen in a LONG time! Plus my biweekly Fin's Fish Friday date with Stephanie!

- I get to visit with a ton family this weekend in Fresno, including parents, grandpa, tons of cousins and my cousin's new 10 week old baby.

- I hopefully get my new kitten! My cousin's cat had babies, and if they are ready to go, I get to take mine home. (Hopefully him and our adopted Abby-Bunny cat will make friends.)

- It's spring break, so I am not pressed for schoolwork this week.

- My new zumba shoes come in the mail tomorrow!

- And finally, look at the ADORABLE key pendants I bought on Etsy just now for only $7! 　

Please let the joyful things make these 52 days go by at lighting speed!

To The Future

"Don't fear the long road, cause on the long road, you got a long time to sing a simple song - sing along"  - Michael Franti

Sometimes it takes getting rid of a negative force in your life to appreciate all of the supportive and positive ones. That has been what this weekend was about for me. While the negative force was lifted from my shoulders, I was able to again be reminded to appreciate some very supportive friends, my amazing family, and my wonderful husband.

And now here, at a huge precipice for my immediate family's lives, as well as my husband and I's own lives, I have complete faith that we are all going to come through it all on the other side, as stronger and much happier people.

While my family said goodbye to our childhood house this weekend...we also said hello to a new era. While we said goodbye to the vessel that housed our hundreds of memories, we also promised to keep those memories in our minds forever. My dad said as I was leaving the house, “You came in at age 10, and you're leaving with your wedding dress.” Ain't that the truth. Going into that house, I was a kid, leaving that house I am an adult. And so is my brother. So mom and dad, while that house was an important chapter, it wasn't the only chapter of our lives. You have raised two children who have grown up to learn to make their own choices and to surround themselves with only the best of people. Now onward to bigger and better things, we all four go.

And with Chris leaving for his eight week long training in Delaware next week, we too are on a precipice, but a precipice of what will surely be a great life together. And I find that now, more than ever am I secure in the absolutely ironclad strength of our love and bond.

Here's to the future!

 "The future is always beginning now."  ~Mark Strand

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Well, 2010 – you certainly had your highs and lows, your good days and bad. I got married to the most wonderful man in the world, and in the same year, I lost my baby cat of 15 years.

Kitters, I will always love you and still think about you and miss you everyday. I will never forget you. You truly were there for me through the majority of my childhood and growing up – age 8 to 23 - and you helped me through so many struggles. I will always love you baby girl, and I know you will lead me to find a new kitty (or two) someday when I'm ready for that. I also know that you came into my life for a purpose, as all animals do. You had to watch me grow into the person I am today, and you needed me to be settled in my life with Chris before it was your time to go. I couldn't have gotten through losing you without him. Losing you was partly losing an old chapter of life. It's hard and painful, and I am still grieving the loss. But because it's a new year, I want to focus more on making this new chapter wonderful and honoring your memory. You gave so many wonderful memories and for that I know you will always be with me, like pawprints on my heart – guiding me into this next chapter of life. 

My 2011 New Year's Resolutions

• Choose to be Happy – Simple as that.

• Read at least 10 books that I want to read this year

• Try one new recipe at least every other week and keep a binder of ones we like.

• Continue my Zumba and other exercise to keep stress in check and run the 5K Race for the Cure in May.

• Start checking off items on our Pre-Baby Bucket List (idea from Ashlee's blog) – we aren't having kids for a while and there's a lot we want to do before then. This year, possibly Disneyland and New York.

Who knows what joys and challenges this year will bring...but we'll be ready for them!

A Less Than Ideal -- But Still PERFECT Christmas

I must confess, I unfortunately have a habit every single year of wanting everything about Christmas to be PERFECT. I want the decorations up when I want them up. I want to watch all of my Christmas movies, I want to bake the cookies, make the candy, see the lights, buy the perfect gifts, do everything perfectly. That's just the neurotic perfectionist in me.


But there's one thing that I have finally learned recently: Things don't always work out perfectly. Things go wrong. Things go very, very wrong. Pay cuts happen. Furloughs happen. Cars break. Kitters gets sick. Sometimes you get snowed in trying to get from one parents house to the other at Christmas. Sometimes you burn the cookies or the rum balls come out so ridiculously alcoholic that you can't eat them. Thanks Food Network for that, by the way. But as my dad has always told me, it could ALWAYS be worse. So so so much worse. It's all relevant of course...so your own problems and stresses always seem like they are the worst. But honestly, they aren't. And so I have learned this year to be thankful for the imperfect Christmas.


My decorations usually go up mid-November, and I do my own Christmas thing mid-November while everyone gives me the “you're crazy” looks. Minus my good friend Karen who is unfortunately not in the country this year for the holidays. But instead this year because of the multitude of out-of-town weekends in November, our decorations didn't go up until Thanksgiving weekend. (Like normal people) But what was nice about that is that my husband actually helped me decorate the tree. So that made doing the decorating even better!


I also confess that my love language is gifts – giving. getting, the whole lot. It's what makes me feel love and also how I show love. But mostly, I love giving them. I remember being a little kid and I would “make” little notepads out of torn up sheets of yellow paper stapled together and then wrap them up as gifts. I love finding that perfect gift. But this year, with furlough type situations at our jobs, my lack of income as I'm still finishing school, and us being I guess you'd say the “quintessential married couple just starting out” - I'm having to be a lot more creative this year than in previous years. And it's taking all self control to not go overboard on presents for family and friends like I normally do. But that's okay. I'm actually excited about the creative ideas I've come up with for some gifts. Gifts are not what Christmas is about. Love, Kindness and Family – thats what's important!!


And while I'm seriously overly caffeinated trying to get through these last weeks of school, there are so many things about this season to look forward to – as imperfect as it all may be!

• One of my closest friends is moving back to Sacramento!!  <3 you Jess!

• Chris and I will actually have pretty close to two weeks off together around the holidays.  Which hasn't happened since our wedding.  Though we will be broke, we will be together, and we will be able to visit with friends and family that we haven't been able to in a long time.

• I still look forward to my multiple Zumba classes every single week because I know I am healthier and happier than I have ever been because of them, and I have the motivation now to stay that way.  Shout out to Zumba with Alex @ 24 Hour Fitness <3

• We will be having a fun get together to go look at Christmas lights on Dec. 22!!

And so much more!!  Cookies, Candy making, Christmas movies, board games, cheap wine, eggnog and brandy, hot chocolate, ice skating (thanks to groupon) and lots of fun!


I am so thankful for the family, extended family and friends I have been given, the wonderful husband who I have found.  I don't know where I would be without him.  We keep each other strong.  I love the place where I live, my life and all of the great people I have come to know over all these years. I love you ALL and I hope you are able to look past the neuroses and stress of your Christmas plans and just enjoy the imperfection of it all. 

Now there are so many great Christmas quotes from movies and songs, but
my favorite one of all is:

“Remember, No Man Is A Failure Who Has Friends!”  - It's a Wonderful Life


Happy Holidays!!!