All I know is that seeing each other after being away for several months is WONDERFUL!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Anxiously Waiting
There are only 2 weeks left until I pick Ryan up from the airport. Am I anxiously waiting or waiting anxiously?!
All I know is that seeing each other after being away for several months is WONDERFUL!
All I know is that seeing each other after being away for several months is WONDERFUL!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Whirlwind Romance
Ryan and I are currently living a whirlwind romance. Of course there is the lovey dovey, love sick, puppy love, honeymoon period part of it, but I am more referring to the 'running around like a chicken with your head cut off" aspect.
Ryan just received his papers to start out processing (late, might I add - thanks Army!), so he will be busy the next two weeks getting signatures, turning in gear, getting his stuff moved, and anything else they tell him to do before he gets on that plane. At one point I was really excited for him to start this process. What was I thinking?!?! He is so busy! He is trying so hard to meet all of his deadlines and requirements so that it will not interfere with his dates to come home. It is a lot of stress on him.
On my end, I am STILL doing wedding stuff (story of my life). I am STILL meeting with people/vendors, STILL sending out random invites, and picking out endless small details for the reception. PS- Opinions are overwhelming, so if you don't like how WE are planning OUR wedding then get over it! (I say that with love) Courthouse anyone?!?! :) On top of wedding stuff, I am getting my end of year evaluations at work (which requires TOO much paperwork and lots of meetings - in addition to my normal daily work). I am also applying to school districts in Louisiana. Oh yeah, speaking of Louisiana - For the past week I have been dealing with house stuff so that we will have a place to live when we get there!
With everything going on, we (together) are also trying to maintain our Skype dates and communication. That is most important. Somehow we have to balance our own individual stresses in order to relieve the stresses of the other person. I am not sure how we do it, but it's getting done. Patience, strength, and kindness are starting to become our best friends. 2 weeks and this will be a closed chapter in our book! HURRY!
Ryan just received his papers to start out processing (late, might I add - thanks Army!), so he will be busy the next two weeks getting signatures, turning in gear, getting his stuff moved, and anything else they tell him to do before he gets on that plane. At one point I was really excited for him to start this process. What was I thinking?!?! He is so busy! He is trying so hard to meet all of his deadlines and requirements so that it will not interfere with his dates to come home. It is a lot of stress on him.
On my end, I am STILL doing wedding stuff (story of my life). I am STILL meeting with people/vendors, STILL sending out random invites, and picking out endless small details for the reception. PS- Opinions are overwhelming, so if you don't like how WE are planning OUR wedding then get over it! (I say that with love) Courthouse anyone?!?! :) On top of wedding stuff, I am getting my end of year evaluations at work (which requires TOO much paperwork and lots of meetings - in addition to my normal daily work). I am also applying to school districts in Louisiana. Oh yeah, speaking of Louisiana - For the past week I have been dealing with house stuff so that we will have a place to live when we get there!
With everything going on, we (together) are also trying to maintain our Skype dates and communication. That is most important. Somehow we have to balance our own individual stresses in order to relieve the stresses of the other person. I am not sure how we do it, but it's getting done. Patience, strength, and kindness are starting to become our best friends. 2 weeks and this will be a closed chapter in our book! HURRY!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Ryan and I have been eyeing houses in Louisiana ever since we got engaged. We have felt very anxious while looking because nothing fit perfectly. Many of the options were either not in our price range, ugly as sin, or they were missing something that we wanted.
When considering houses we wanted one that had plenty of space on the inside. We wanted it to be somewhat new and modern (a nice way of saying we didn't want a dump)! And most of all we wanted a patio or some type of backyard in which we could cook out and entertain people.
We finally found the place of our dreams! It is in a townhouse neighborhood called Timber Ridge. We contacted them and lucked out with one that was becoming available right around the time Ryan would be moving down! We are so excited to announce that we now have a beautiful 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house. YAY! This place has everything we want and more. I actually think I scared the lady who told us the house was ours. You would've thought I had won a brand new car! I had to explain that my excitement was because we were about to get married and this is our first house together. I know she was thinking, 'Sure, but it's just another day in the office for me!'
During our excitement, we decided that Ryan will organize the furniture in all of the rooms - because he is really good at stuff like that- and I will decorate and make it all pretty. :) Shout out to all of our registry gifts we are getting!!!
With all of the changes going on it is so comforting to know that we now have a roof over our head, a place to come home to, and a place we can call ours! This is going to be an amazing start to our new lives together! PS- We have a lovely spare bedroom, so we expect visitors! :)
When considering houses we wanted one that had plenty of space on the inside. We wanted it to be somewhat new and modern (a nice way of saying we didn't want a dump)! And most of all we wanted a patio or some type of backyard in which we could cook out and entertain people.
We finally found the place of our dreams! It is in a townhouse neighborhood called Timber Ridge. We contacted them and lucked out with one that was becoming available right around the time Ryan would be moving down! We are so excited to announce that we now have a beautiful 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house. YAY! This place has everything we want and more. I actually think I scared the lady who told us the house was ours. You would've thought I had won a brand new car! I had to explain that my excitement was because we were about to get married and this is our first house together. I know she was thinking, 'Sure, but it's just another day in the office for me!'
During our excitement, we decided that Ryan will organize the furniture in all of the rooms - because he is really good at stuff like that- and I will decorate and make it all pretty. :) Shout out to all of our registry gifts we are getting!!!
With all of the changes going on it is so comforting to know that we now have a roof over our head, a place to come home to, and a place we can call ours! This is going to be an amazing start to our new lives together! PS- We have a lovely spare bedroom, so we expect visitors! :)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Bridal Showers
This past weekend I had 2 bridal showers! It was so exciting to see all of my friends and family...and even more exciting to be celebrating Ryan and I getting married.
Friday's shower was given by my sisters. I love them sooooo much! I am the 3rd sibling in my family to get married, so these girls were pros at the shower thing! They rocked it with yummy food and an outstanding guest list. I had so much fun!
My sisters!
Mother Dearest :)
Ryan and I got a lot of our kitchen stuff from this shower. We got almost all of our dishes, some kitchen appliances, picture frames, and best of all.......... the worlds smallest casserole dish! You see, this casserole dish was not in the stores when Ryan and I registered for it. There was only a picture. We thought it was going to be an average size. Looks can be SO deceiving! It ended up being a little one serving casserole dish. LOL! Everyone asked if I knew how small it was because of the price. I just thought it was a good deal!
Who knew....
Saturday was more of a bridal brunch, given by my Aunt Dana. Preface: My aunt is known for having AMAZING events. She did not let us down! The room was decorated very extravagantly with my wedding colors and pictures of Ryan and I.
The gorgeous table settings.
My Aunt Dana, her mother, and my grandmother served a delicious array of breakfast quiches, fruit, and cheesecake! We were all stuffed! It was wonderful. I am very grateful for all the work they put in to my special day.
With my Aunt Dana and her Mom.
This shower provided us with a good selection of bedroom and bathroom stuff. My personal favorite was something for our living room...a coat rack! I don't know why, but I have always wanted one of those. :) Of course I would never have been able to open all those presents without the help of little Chloe! She was just too cute and she provided most of our entertainment.
Opening gifts with Chloe! :)
I can not say thank you enough to my friends and family for such a wonderful weekend. Ryan and I are so grateful for the love, support, and service that has been given towards our wedding. It has made us feel so special and it has helped us out so much. I can't wait to start decorating our little house with all of our new goodies! :)
Friday, March 18, 2011
The Final Stretch
Ryan and I are on the final stretch. All of our countdowns are FINALLY under a month! :)
Our wedding is quickly approaching! I just can't wait. This is where all the fun begins. All of our hard work and planning for the past 2 months is starting to pay off. Also, Ryan found out today that he will be leaving Italy and flying into NC on April 9th at 11:00pm!!! 3 weeks! He will now start out processing and getting all of his paperwork ready to leave Italy.
It is one of the best feelings to see the light at the end of the tunnel. :)
Our wedding is quickly approaching! I just can't wait. This is where all the fun begins. All of our hard work and planning for the past 2 months is starting to pay off. Also, Ryan found out today that he will be leaving Italy and flying into NC on April 9th at 11:00pm!!! 3 weeks! He will now start out processing and getting all of his paperwork ready to leave Italy.
It is one of the best feelings to see the light at the end of the tunnel. :)
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Purple Fury
In Italy, the big thing to do on base is to go bowling!!! Ryan LOVES to bowl, and he is rather good at it if I do say so myself. His average bowling score is about a good 100 points higher than mine - not that mine is all that high to begin with. Just clarifying. :)
Recently Ryan has dropped a couple of hints about getting his own bowling ball. To begin with I thought he was kidding - how many people do you know that have their own bowling ball?! Well, over time I realized that he was not kidding and that there are actually a lot of the guys out there that own their own bowling ball. So, what do we do? We get Ryan a bowling ball!
He got to pick the color and brand that he wanted. He just happened to pick a purple one, because it is our wedding color and he said it reminded him of me. :) They drilled holes in it to match his perfect finger size. Then they weighted it to 16lbs - his preferred weight. He is so proud of that thing! The first day he used his bowling ball resulted in his highest scores so far.
Everyone in Italy tries get a score over 230. When that happens, you get your name on a plaque above the lane. With the help of his new bowling ball, Ryan got above a 200 for the first time. It is now his ultimate goal to get above a 230 before he leaves Italy in a month!
Bowling has always been a favorite thing for Ryan and I to do. Actually, we went bowling for our first date! I was so excited because I beat Ryan that night. Little did I know, he was letting me win! LOL. The second time we went bowling he was throwing strikes over and over. I quickly realized that I had been hustled! :) Also, since we love bowling so much, we have decided that we will join a league at the bowling alley on base in Louisiana! Oh yeah, and cosmic bowling date nights will be on the calendar! Who knows, I might just get a bowling ball for myself too! :)
Recently Ryan has dropped a couple of hints about getting his own bowling ball. To begin with I thought he was kidding - how many people do you know that have their own bowling ball?! Well, over time I realized that he was not kidding and that there are actually a lot of the guys out there that own their own bowling ball. So, what do we do? We get Ryan a bowling ball!
He got to pick the color and brand that he wanted. He just happened to pick a purple one, because it is our wedding color and he said it reminded him of me. :) They drilled holes in it to match his perfect finger size. Then they weighted it to 16lbs - his preferred weight. He is so proud of that thing! The first day he used his bowling ball resulted in his highest scores so far.
Everyone in Italy tries get a score over 230. When that happens, you get your name on a plaque above the lane. With the help of his new bowling ball, Ryan got above a 200 for the first time. It is now his ultimate goal to get above a 230 before he leaves Italy in a month!
Bowling has always been a favorite thing for Ryan and I to do. Actually, we went bowling for our first date! I was so excited because I beat Ryan that night. Little did I know, he was letting me win! LOL. The second time we went bowling he was throwing strikes over and over. I quickly realized that I had been hustled! :) Also, since we love bowling so much, we have decided that we will join a league at the bowling alley on base in Louisiana! Oh yeah, and cosmic bowling date nights will be on the calendar! Who knows, I might just get a bowling ball for myself too! :)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Skype Saver
Ryan moves back to the States in a month and I personally think it would be rude if we did not show gratitude to the one thing that has gotten us through the last year of long distance....Skype!
Skype has honestly been a life saver. We have grown SO dependent on it. It is what allows us to talk pretty much anytime during the day, anywhere (with the extra help from Skype mobile!).
Now, there have been some times that Ryan and I have wanted to kill Skype. For example, the hundreds of times our faces have frozen in an oddly humorous way. Also, there have been the times where our calls have been dropped due to a week signal. Oh yeah, and who can forget those distractions that occur while we are trying to skype (dogs, visitors, roomies, etc.)?!
However, no matter what the situation - it is so nice to know that even though we are half a world away, we can still see each other smile. Not a day goes by that we do not Skype....several times. I would say that I am going to miss Skype when Ryan and I move to Louisiana, but we will still be using it so that we can talk to our families in Utah and North Carolina. :)
Skype has honestly been a life saver. We have grown SO dependent on it. It is what allows us to talk pretty much anytime during the day, anywhere (with the extra help from Skype mobile!).
Now, there have been some times that Ryan and I have wanted to kill Skype. For example, the hundreds of times our faces have frozen in an oddly humorous way. Also, there have been the times where our calls have been dropped due to a week signal. Oh yeah, and who can forget those distractions that occur while we are trying to skype (dogs, visitors, roomies, etc.)?!
However, no matter what the situation - it is so nice to know that even though we are half a world away, we can still see each other smile. Not a day goes by that we do not Skype....several times. I would say that I am going to miss Skype when Ryan and I move to Louisiana, but we will still be using it so that we can talk to our families in Utah and North Carolina. :)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Turning 25
Today was my birthday - the big 2-5. You see, last year I gave Ryan a hard time when he turned 25. Yeah...I wasn't really thinking about how that would haunt me. This morning Ryan called to wake me up and sing happy birthday...and he finished it off with "you old lady!" LOL.It has been a wonderful day (except for being sick). I got to talk/skype with Ryan A LOT! That in itself is a wonderful birthday present. However, Ryan was determined to spoil me this year. He got me a CHI hair straightener, flowers delivered to my work, AND we picked out furniture for our house (a dining room table, coffee table, and end tables from Ashley Furniture). He honestly just made my day. I love how he will do anything just to see me smile. 
I also got to have family dinners with my mom and dad. My dad gave me a cookbook and my mom gave me a "kiss the cook" apron. I think they were trying to tell me something with the cooking theme...hmm....can we say domestication?!
I also got to have family dinners with my mom and dad. My dad gave me a cookbook and my mom gave me a "kiss the cook" apron. I think they were trying to tell me something with the cooking theme...hmm....can we say domestication?!
Anyway, this year was super special to me because I got to talk to Ryan. Last year Ryan was not able to talk because they had some rough times in Afghanistan on the same day. We were still just new to talking to each other and I used to just hang on every word in every message he would send me. That's all I had! When he couldn't talk to me on my birthday I was of course a little sad....however, he made sure to comment on one picture of mine earlier that day. There was one word he said about the picture of me...BEAUTIFUL. That made my heart melt and just made me smile all day. Hopefully next year we will actually be in the same place on my birthday! Baby steps! :)
Birthdays have always been a big deal to my family. We always go above and beyond for the celebration. This year has not been any different. I have been overwhelmed by all the b-day wishes from my friends and family! I plan on making birthdays a huge tradition in my own family - starting with Ryan's in June! :)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A House Divided
If you know Ryan and I, you know that we are VERY competitive- especially when it comes to sports. We LOVE to play sports, watch sports, and talk trash about sports! When it comes to college spots, Ryan's team is BYU and my team is UNC. Of course, the teams reflect our hometown spirits. In the latest NCAA basketball news BYU is currently standing strong as the #1 seed of the Mountain West standings, while UNC continues to battle it out for top ranks in the ACC standings.
When Ryan and I first started talking last year I asked him if he was a UNC or Duke fan (being an ACC girl, I think those are the only 2 teams that matter). Ryan knew that I LOVED UNC so he responded and said that he really wasn't a fan of either, but for the sake of talking to me he would go with UNC. What a charmer! :) In return, I have tried to keep up with occasional BYU headlines and I even watched a rivalry game with him as a Cougar fan!
Geographically speaking, I doubt that our teams will have many, if any, run-ins. However, our house will forever be divided as far as which teams hold our hearts. I can see it now - we will always be stubbornly pulling for our teams and competing over recruits, standings, and schedules. Heaven forbid our teams play at the same time one day! Good thing we will have two TV's in our house. :) I can also foresee us bribing our children to pull for one team over the other.
So, watch out Louisiana - we will be THAT couple...yes, the ones who are die hard fans of teams totally NOT anywhere near or popular in Louisiana. LOL.
When Ryan and I first started talking last year I asked him if he was a UNC or Duke fan (being an ACC girl, I think those are the only 2 teams that matter). Ryan knew that I LOVED UNC so he responded and said that he really wasn't a fan of either, but for the sake of talking to me he would go with UNC. What a charmer! :) In return, I have tried to keep up with occasional BYU headlines and I even watched a rivalry game with him as a Cougar fan!
Geographically speaking, I doubt that our teams will have many, if any, run-ins. However, our house will forever be divided as far as which teams hold our hearts. I can see it now - we will always be stubbornly pulling for our teams and competing over recruits, standings, and schedules. Heaven forbid our teams play at the same time one day! Good thing we will have two TV's in our house. :) I can also foresee us bribing our children to pull for one team over the other.
So, watch out Louisiana - we will be THAT couple...yes, the ones who are die hard fans of teams totally NOT anywhere near or popular in Louisiana. LOL.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Our Love Day
Fun Fact: Ryan and I are getting married on April 16th, 2011 - which also happens to be the same day that we started dating exactly a year before, in 2010! We didn't plan for this, but it just kind of happened!
I remember the day we started dating so clearly! Ryan was still in Afghanistan and we had been talking for about 2 months. At that point we were talking to each other every day (when possible for him) and we were really interested in the idea of possibly dating. I might have been a little more interested than he was at the time. What can I say?! After talking on the phone one night, Ryan told me to check facebook before I went to bed. Um.... I may or may not have checked it that second! Patience? What is that?! Sure enough, I had a request from Ryan - asking if I would like to 'claim' that we were in a relationship. In a shocked (but SUPER excited voice) I asked Ryan what was going on. He simply said, "Hey, my time on the phone is up, but just accept or deny the request and I will talk to you tomorrow".
Accept or Deny?!??!!?! That wasn't even a question! Of course I clicked accept...and we officially became a couple. You know it's official when it's on facebook! Duh! LOL. About 10 minutes after that Ryan's mom was the first to respond to our newly changed status. She just laughed and said, "I'm glad you two finally owned up to what you have been for the past month or so." :)
***Freeze! - OK, technically (because of the time difference between NC and Afghanistan) it was April 15th for me and April 16th for him. So, for the sake of a cute story we are just going with the April 16th date!***
Now, a year later we will be getting married on our love day! What better way to remember the day we became a couple?! Plus, now we will only have to remember one anniversary date. Perfect!!! :)
I remember the day we started dating so clearly! Ryan was still in Afghanistan and we had been talking for about 2 months. At that point we were talking to each other every day (when possible for him) and we were really interested in the idea of possibly dating. I might have been a little more interested than he was at the time. What can I say?! After talking on the phone one night, Ryan told me to check facebook before I went to bed. Um.... I may or may not have checked it that second! Patience? What is that?! Sure enough, I had a request from Ryan - asking if I would like to 'claim' that we were in a relationship. In a shocked (but SUPER excited voice) I asked Ryan what was going on. He simply said, "Hey, my time on the phone is up, but just accept or deny the request and I will talk to you tomorrow".
Accept or Deny?!??!!?! That wasn't even a question! Of course I clicked accept...and we officially became a couple. You know it's official when it's on facebook! Duh! LOL. About 10 minutes after that Ryan's mom was the first to respond to our newly changed status. She just laughed and said, "I'm glad you two finally owned up to what you have been for the past month or so." :)
***Freeze! - OK, technically (because of the time difference between NC and Afghanistan) it was April 15th for me and April 16th for him. So, for the sake of a cute story we are just going with the April 16th date!***
Now, a year later we will be getting married on our love day! What better way to remember the day we became a couple?! Plus, now we will only have to remember one anniversary date. Perfect!!! :)
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