Monday, March 22, 2010

An Ode to Kellie

My mom is superwoman. She lives her life to take care of others. One week she will be in Bozeman stocking Philip's fridge and finding him a new apartment. The next week she'll be in Arizona making sure my grandpa is sane. Then she'll be figuring out ways to make my wedding amazing. ALL of the good ideas for this wedding have been hers - like the cutesy ribbon on the invites, the change of venue to Edna, the cupcake display, the food, the table linens, centerpieces and not to mention planning my bridal shower. And THEN she travels with Phil to work functions and shooting competitions. She often cooks yummy meals and brings them into Phil's office to share with everyone. THEN (yes, I'm not even close to being done), she will babysit for exhausted parents, plan babyshowers, and motivate her friends to go to the gym and eat healthy. And in between all that she is househunting, paying bills and doing taxes. And she still finds time to talk to me every day, even if its just to say hi. I am so glad she does because she makes my day everytime she calls. Everytime I tell Steve what my mom has been up to, he always says, "your mom is so nice". :)

Thanks for being you, Mom. You're the best and I hope you know how much I love you!! There are so many people in this world who are better off because of you.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Friendship nourishes the spirit

I love that my Heather Bug is as equally excited about my wedding day as I am. Even from across the ocean I can feel her joy. And I am even more thrilled that I get to spend an entire weekend with my favorite girls for my Bachelorette party in a few short weeks!!!!!!! It's going to be the best weekend ever. I feel so honored and loved that Helya has put so much time and effort into making it such a special time for me. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. And then it's on to the girly shower in SLO with silly games! I cannot wait! I am so lucky. Getting married is such a unique journey -not only have I felt so adored by my lovey, but I've really been touched by all of my incredible friends who have really gone the distance (literally!) to help me celebrate such a wonderful time in my life!! It is something I will always remember.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Partners

Steve and I have been together for THREE years now! Lately, I've been thinking about our incredible love and how quickly my life was turned upsidedown by this amazing man. I always knew I would meet someone like him eventually. I have always been an optimist when it comes to relationships, and I just knew that I had to get through some bad relationships in order to truly appreciate my one true love. I remember the day when I could imagine my life with him. I didn't care that he had a scruffy face or a chipped tooth. I didn't even care that he had holes in his clothes. All I cared about was the fact that he wanted to be together. He wanted to talk to me and kiss me and tell me stories about his life. And all I knew was that I wanted to be in his stories from that point forward.

But Steve's perception of relationships was a bit different. He had already given up hope of ever finding me. He was about to move on with his life and settle for something else - a life of loneliness and depression. And then out of nowhere, BAM! little Jaime comes waltzing into his life and he is forever changed! He tells me his favorite memory of our first days is the very first time I laid my head on his shoulder while watching Lost. He felt the spark immediately and he knew that he didn't have to settle any longer! He tells me that after 33 years he found the girl of his dreams and he wouldn't have it any other way. I came along and brought joy back into his life and made him realize that all of his waiting and sadness was a necessary step because without the dark you cannot have light, and I showed him what living in lightness was like again.

My favorite thing about Steve is that he is not afraid to tell me how he feels. He'll just look over at me and grab my hand and tell me that I am the perfect girl for him and the one person in this world that he always wanted and needed. He tells me we were made for each other, and it is quite obvious that this is true because of the way I fit perfectly underneath his chin and how our hands fit together like a puzzle piece. And I can see the love in his eyes when he laughs at one of my corny jokes. And I can feel the love radiating from the warmth of his touch as he wraps his arms around me while we drift off to sleep. I have never felt more protected or loved as I do when I am with my Billy.

This is just the beginning of our life together. In over two months, the count will start over and we can start our new life as husband and wife. We're going to go on many adventures together and I am sure there will be hard times, but I have all the faith in the world that we'll get through anything together. He is my partner and I am his sidekick and we are forever friends. Happy three years lovey.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Ernie Does Learning

We've been in our house for over 7 months and boy has the time whizzed by! It's really starting to feel like home now. We've made some small improvements and cozied up the place, but the amazing thing is how much we've learned over the past 7 months!
  • When your water comes from a well, if the power goes out, so does your water because there's no way to pump the water to the house!!
  • When you have a septic tank instead of being connected to the city sewer, you REALLY think about what you put down your toilets...
  • Make sure when you order custom blinds, fill in the correct measurements because you cannot send them back!!!!!
  • When you schedule time for a project, add 2 weeks to that.
  • Just because something is old and funny looking doesn't mean it is garbage if it does the job. Money is better spent on replacing something that is actually broken - like a garage door with insulation!
  • Fireplaces are not very efficient. Plus they make the entire house smell like camping. NT!
  • Weeds grow quickly.
  • Always wear safety glasses when cutting down trees and brush.
  • Wear a dust mask when working in the attic.
  • Weekends are now spent cleaning, doing yardwork, or hanging out at Home Depot - just because the house is time consuming, make sure you take a time-out for a little fun every now and then.
  • A shiny new white toilet does wonders for your happiness.

Friday, March 05, 2010

Driving Miss Jaime

One of my favorite things about going to Long Beach is the drive. I've always loved driving and travelling by myself. I feel such a sense of freedom. I can blast the heater, I can sing John Mayer and Coldplay at the top of my lungs, and I can chat on the phone to whomever, however long I want to. I can even get french fries and a soda from a drive thru - which to the normal person might seem well, normal. But to me, the fact that I am even going thru a drive thru makes me so incredibly satisfied because I happen to live in a weird place where they don't allow drive-thrus and frankly I am sick and tired of getting out of my car just to get a sweet drink!

Also, will you look at the view?! Most of the drive along Highway 101 is next to the ocean. I am lucky enough to live in a place where I see the ocean almost every day, but it never gets old.

101

palms

I will make the drive to Long Beach anyday. It is my own personal therapy. And when I arrive, I am always greeted by a hug from Helya which would be worth it even if I had to drive across the desert to get there.

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Sneak Peek

Here is a snapshot of my life for the past month. I've spent countless hours cutting, printing, trimming, gluing, and shopping for supplies. My perfectionist tendencies have caused this little invite project to run longer than anticipated, but I am finally finishing them this weekend and let me tell you - they are worth the wait! Oh and I am now an expert on all things sticky - fabric gluestick, tacky glue, spray glue, adhesive sheets for ribbon, sticky tabs, fabric tape, hot glue, and glue dots. You name it, I tried it.

planning

Before and After - Front Yard

Here is a fun little comparison between last August when we moved in and now. Thanks to all the rain, everything is getting green and lush! And thanks to our riding mower, Steve has fun making it look beautiful! (and catching over 80 gophers has helped!!) Hopefully in the spring, more things will be in bloom and the leaves will start coming back on the trees. I can't wait to see this place in all of its glory!

BEFORE
then-front

AFTER
NOW-front
note the new garage!!

BEFORE
THEN-yard

AFTER
NOW-yard

After a fresh mow:
NOW fruit trees

beautiful plum tree!
plumtree

double kill this morning
doublecatch
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