No Worries...

The race is over. Literally. It has been a week since we held our 5K race fundraiser. There was so much work involved leading up to the event that I was somewhat out of balance afterward. The first few days back at work this week, I kept looking around uneasily, wondering what I was forgetting to do. It's hard to wind down sometimes, you know? I've learned a couple of things recently, though. One thing is that I shouldn't let my work dictate my life. Sounds simple, right? Sometime in the almost six months since I began working for the YMCA, the line between being a dedicated employee and being an obsessive employee got a little blurred...Please understand, there was no one at work telling me to work late every night and to fret about the things left undone as I lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come. No, I took that all on myself. It's just, if I do something, if I commit myself to something I care about, I want to give it my everything. But I shouldn't. My everything should be given to God, and He will enable me to do my best. My husband shouldn't have to eat dinner by himself because I just HAVE to finish what I'm working on before I leave my office. I shouldn't be so worried that everything will fall apart without me there to hold it together. I mean, that's a conceited self-important image I have of myself, huh? This is what I need to do: know that I am good at my job and that I am fulfilling God's purpose for my life right where I am today, and cease to worry so much. I'm not going to magically FINISH all the work I have to do; if I did, I wouldn't HAVE a job anymore (and with how the economy is right now, a good job is a rare and precious commodity, indeed). So, I'm not going to worry about tomorrow, because today has enough troubles of its own. And I'm going on vacation. For THREE WEEKS!!!! More about that later...

Our New Addition...

Our little family is growing! Last night, the youngest of our little herd of cats joined us. Matt and I were cooking dinner last night when we heard a knock at the door. I opened the door to reveal a neighbor and her son, bearing a tiny calico kitten! She asked if it belonged to us and we responded that it didn't. She said they had checked with neighbors up and down the street and no one was claiming this sweet little one. I instantly begged Matt to let us keep her and he readily agreed.

She is the tiniest, sweetest, cutest kitten on the planet! She is fearless in her exploration and play, and we have named her Buffy the Mouse Slayer. We are beyond thrilled to have a little baby cat to love.

Too Little Time...

There are simply not enough hours in the day. I have employee reviews to do, an agenda to create for a meeting Monday, a report to prepare for that meeting Monday, long-overdue thank-you letters to write and send to donors, a corrective counseling session to conduct with two employees, and loads of emails to which I must respond promptly. All of these things I had hoped to accomplish today when I went in to work three hours early today. None of which were completely finished. I love that I have a lot of responsibility at my job. I love feeling needed and a vital part of my organization. I must confess that I am feeling a bit of pressure right now. I brought work home, so that I can get some of this done over the weekend. But, my husband deserves my full attention when I'm home, and I want to give it to him. I am struggling to find balance between the demands of my job and my home life. There are simply not enough hours in the day.

Up to Speed

A couple of weeks or so have passed since my last post. I shall bring you up to speed on current events in my life. In case anyone was wondering, I have recovered from my "read my mind" snit, thank God. It's so funny what I can get worked up about. Anyway, life is really good. I have a great deal to be happy about.

I have recently mended a few fences, which provides me with considerable comfort. I don't like to be at odds with anyone, it makes me all twitchy and uncomfortable. There are still a couple of people with whom I am ill at ease, but I have hope that I will someday be able to relax in their presence.

I am growing accustomed to my life in Florida, although I miss Tennessee and my friends and family there. Our recent visit was MUCH too short. Luckily, we are going back over Thanksgiving! And, after that, Matt and I are traveling to Europe, which excites me immensely! We plan to visit London, Paris, and Prague! I am beside myself with anticipation for this trip.

Besides the upcoming travel plans, Matt and I have become involved with our church youth group. Next week, we will assume the responsibility to lead the youth bible studies each week, as our minister will be recovering from an operation. I would ask that everyone pray for God to guide our words and actions with these young people. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, but nervous as well. I have faith that God will help us as we go. He has already revealed to me in His word what scriptures to cover, so I feel pretty prepared...

I can do All things, through Christ, who strengthens me.

Can you Read my Mind???

Generally, I like to think of myself as a fairly considerate person. I am careful not to interrupt anyone when they are speaking. I send thank-you notes when I receive gifts. I don't call people after 9pm unless I know for a fact they are awake. I don't invite myself to dinner or parties. There are a multitude of things I try to do to ensure I'm being thoughtful...

Nonetheless, I may occasionally hurt someone's feelings unintentionally. I may not think of that extra mile I could go to be extra nice. I really meant to, but...

I AM NOT A MIND READER!!!

In no way am I psychic. I do not know what is in your head. I can't fulfill your wildest dream unless you have specifically shared it with me, and asked me to help you. If you want me to do something, PLEASE share that desire with me. I can't be expected to know what is your unspoken expectation of me.

PS. This rant is NOT about my husband. (See, that's me trying to be uber-considerate of his possible concern that people might mistakenly think I'm talking about him.)

Appreciation

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my training in Sarasota the last week and a half, I must say that I will be glad to get back to my office and normal routine. Sort of. I did get kind of spoiled by being around so many great places to have lunch...and by the Starbucks where I grabbed my mocha's on the way home each evening. But, it is going to be nice to only have a half-hour commute each day instead of an hour. And my boss has been telling me how much she's missed me while I've been gone. Ahhh....it's nice to be appreciated. But, I got a taste of appreciation while I was in that computer training this week. A couple of ladies who were rather high up the ladder talked to me about offering me a position as a corporate trainer, although it was probably just idle talk. Still, it made me feel good, and if the offer came with a raise to counteract the additional fuel and travel time, sign me up! We'll see what happens along those lines...

Ooh, and that dining room table I made reference to in my last post? It now has a home here at La Casa del Hollomans! It is so pretty, and I am such a happy girl! I picked it up in my vehicle yesterday, and Shannon came over to help us unload it and set it up. Today, I assembled the chairs, and I'm feeling like a rather handy girl. Wrestling with the Allen-wrench left me with a sore thumb, though. Perhaps next time, I'll talk hubby into springing for delivery, 'cause then they'll put it together for us. I'll probably have to wait for a while before the next time comes, because I think Matt probably thinks I'm getting spoiled...and maybe I am. But, I am appreciative.

Bureaucratic Hell

I need to take a moment and rant.

Before I do so, let me state unequivocally that I am supremely happy to be living in the lovely state of Florida. But that is SOLELY because of my wonderful husband.

I am having the most difficult time registering my stupid car here! Between the tax appraiser's office and the company my vehicle is financed through, apparently there is some kind of gross miscommunication. The tax appraiser's office needed the title of my car to issue a registration and license tag. The finance company sent it, but it has my maiden name on it. The tax appraiser's office says that they need permission to change the title to my married name. I relayed this necessity to the finance company, and they faxed a letter authorizing me (with my married name prominently displayed on the letter) to register and title my vehicle in the state of Florida to the tax appraiser's office. However, the tax appraiser's office states that they need the finance company's permission to change the name on the title. I called the finance company again, and they act like they've never heard of such a request! They told me that they (the finance company) don't EVER change titles, but that it is up to the issuing authority (i.e., the tax appraiser's office) to make such changes on the title.

At this point, I asked the customer service rep at the finance company, "So you're telling me that it is the tax appraiser's office's JOB to change the title, and that the permission to do so is IMPLIED?!" And she said, "yes." I asked her if she would fax a short sentence to the tax appraiser's office stating, "You have the permission of ____ Finance Company to change the name on the title from _________ to ________." And she said that she couldn't do that, because they just don't DO that.

I just want to register my vehicle and have a tag so that I don't get pulled over for driving without a valid Florida tag and registration. The temporary one I have now will end at the end of the month. At the rate this is progressing, I may have to start hitchhiking to work every day to avoid violating the laws of the lovely state of Florida.

*SIGH* I don't know what else to do...

Life in the Fast Lane

My goodness! Life has gotten pretty hectic around here lately. But it's good! School has started back, and so there has been an increase in the things going on at work, what with the back-to-school specials, the re-opening of the Teen Center, and the After-school program beginning for the year. Additionally, I am in the process of trying to help with the audit of our programs that will be loaded on to our new computer system, as well as reformatting all of our branch's job descriptions. This past week, I've been in Sarasota attending computer training for our new system, so that I will be able to train everyone at our branch before we go live in October, and I will be in Sarasota all next week, also.

I don't mind the drive, but I wish Matt was with me, so that we could dash over to the beach after work...Well, he DID go with me on Wednesday, though! Wednesday was precisely six months from the day we married on the beach. I can scarcely believe that much time has already passed! It seems like we just married a month ago, really. I'm still finding myself amazed by how sweet he is, even though I should KNOW by now.

Anyway, Wednesday was great. I had to be at training at eleven in the morning, so we had a leisurely breakfast together and drove over. Matt dropped me at our admin building and took off to the bookstore to kill a few hours. When my training ended for the day, he collected me and we drove down to Main Street and parked. We walked a good ways down the road before we decided to pop into a wine bar called Grape. They have wine tasting on Wednesdays, so we tried a few, then lingered on to have dinner there, as well. It was excellent! Afterwards, we ducked into a store and both of us picked out some duds to try on for fun. It was good times, and I found the PERFECT blouse and purse!

As we left that store, it was raining. Chivalrous as always, Matt offered to run down the street to get the car and let me wait in the dry sanctuary of the store's awning. I declined, however, and we embarked on a romantic walk in the rain to our car...Well, as romantic as you can get with a husband grousing part of the way about the weather....But, he came around, thankfully. We actually had a lovely time.

Now that it is the beginning of the weekend, I feel myself unwinding a bit. I have been SO busy, I scarcely have had time to even check my WORK email, much less dedicate myself to blogging as regularly as I have in the past. I had told myself I would blog about the lovely hand-carved tables we discovered last weekend that we happily purchased to adorn our home, but now feel as though the time to gush about them has passed. I've got my eye on a new dining room table that Matt also loves which may be coming to live with us very soon. I will endeavor to find more time in the future to keep you posted...

What is next...

It would seem that I have settled in to life here in Arcadia pretty much. Matt & I each go to work, come home, have dinner. Some nights we work out together. We watch television; we play on the computer. On Sundays that we are not feeling too lazy, we go to church. Pretty routine life, I'd say. And a pleasant one, at that.

I can't help but feel a little disconnected from church, however. Attending a Presbyterian church is somewhat different (in my opinion) from attending a non-denominational church. Different music, different routines. Although I like everyone I've met at church, including the minister, I can't help but feel as though I'm on the outside a bit. I've decided to remedy that. I want to get involved with the church, make it my home.

That's why I offered to help out with the youth group. And my offer was met with enthusiasm by the pastor of the church, so I feel like they could definitely use an extra pair of hands. I'm really excited about having the opportunity to be around young people and watch God move in their lives!

Matt & I stayed after church today to have lunch with them, and I have to say how incredibly bright and fun they seem to be! I cannot wait until Wednesday, when I get to be around them again, and be a part of their Bible study and fellowship. I hope that I am able to provide something helpful to them, whether it is in the form of being a positive role model, or being an adult they can identify with, or even someone to listen to problems without judgement. I just have to have faith that God moved me to offer my help because He has a purpose for me to fill.

Listen Up!

I know everyone is going to be excited to learn that MattRadio.com is now broadcasting its live stream 24 hours per day! Click on the logo below to listen live NOW!

Here's to Our Health!

Yesterday, I mixed business and pleasure. Since one of my employees was scheduled to work, but really wanted to go shopping with her mom, I agreed to work the Saturday shift at the Y. Matt had never seen where I worked, so I persuaded him to come to work with me. He actually really didn't want to go; he had visions of working in his studio editing audio files while I was gone. However, there is very little I cannot convince him to do, so he came with me.

I'm sooooo glad he did. It worked out really well. While I finished up some invoices and various other tasks that I hadn't finished Friday, he read his magazines in my office. Then, he went out to the fitness floor and worked out. Matt hadn't been to the gym in a while, but he surprised himself with his endurance. He emerged from the gym with pride and the desire to get in shape and live a healthier lifestyle.

He and I are on the same page. Although I have never had any struggles with weight or eating, I am now at my three-week anniversary of being smoke-free. It has been a rather difficult habit for me to break. Matt & I are working together now to support one another's best interests in regards to health. I am making an effort to help him eat more healthy foods (this involves me not eating everything that I want to in front of him) and he has been trying to run interference with me and other smokers (this means we haven't been frequenting our favorite Irish pub in Punta Gorda). Together, we are going to take advantage of our free Y memberships and work out together at least twice per week.

I am so happy that we are going to take better care of our bodies! Our life together is so wonderful, I want us to live as long as possible.

The Lesson I Learned (A Year Ago) Today

For a year, I've wondered how today would feel. To my surprise, it mostly passed by like any other normal day. I was so incredibly busy at work that I scarcely had time to reflect on the fact that a year ago today my grandmother died. I really didn't pause to be sad or shed any tears until I was safely at home, in the kitchen with my husband. There was a moment earlier this evening, as I sat at the YMCA booth at the Hardee County Back to School Health Fair, that I saw a woman who looked so much like Grandma, that I nearly dissolved into sobs then and there. But, I held it together, like any other professional would. It has, after all, been a year.

I talked to my mom, and she had a much more difficult time today than I. She said that she kept thinking about different sweet little habits my grandma had, and how much she missed them. She said that she looked at the clock all throughout the day today and mentally figured what had occurred at that same time a year ago, when we kept watch at Grandma's bedside, knowing that she was going very soon. In comparison to my mother, I had a very easy day, with little time to dwell on such things.

But, I wish I could dwell. I wish that I had known during all of the precious moments that I had with my grandma how desperately I would want now to remember every single detail. Now, I'm falling into self-pity. And I don't want to go there. I am extraordinarily fortunate to have had her in my life for twenty-six years, and I cherish every moment of that time, even the moment when I was holding her hand at her side and watched her draw her very last earthly breath.

My perspective today is to relish every moment I have with those I love. And keep savoring my sweet memories for years to come.

Weekend on Little Gasparilla Island

Ahhhh! After this past week at work, this weekend getaway Matt & I just enjoyed was exactly what the doctor ordered. We joined some friends at a beach house on Little Gasparilla Island, Florida, for a long weekend of fun and sun.

It was fantastic! Matt and I spent some quality time playing in the water. I don't think I could possibly have enjoyed body surfing waves more as a kid than I did with Matt. Check out these photos of my darling husband riding the waves!




I had a blast playing in the water, and it was enormously entertaining to watch my husband find his inner child while splashing about. We both emerged from the ocean salty, slightly sunburned, and renewed.

While on this getaway, we also managed to squeeze in a little fishing...Ok, so it was mostly our companions that fished (as in, at ALL hours of the day!), but Matt & I both gave it a try. To my great surprise and after quite a few false alarms (fish seemed to be able to eat my bait without my being aware), I managed to snag a fish!


And, of course, Matt has stories about his "one that got away...."



This weekend was simply fantastic. I felt like I really had the opportunity to get to know some of Matt's friends a little better. He and I managed to sneak off alone a couple of times and find little romantic moments in which to indulge. Oh, and another thing that was wonderful about this weekend is that I saw sooooo many dolphins!

Perhaps most native Floridians are rather used to seeing dolphins out and about, but this Tennessee native has only seen them in aquariums. I was so enthralled by seeing them that I didn't manage to get any good photos. They swim pretty quickly. The fact that they practically swam up to the boat (not quite, but very close to it), was incredibly thrilling. We must have seen nearly twenty dolphins this weekend! Perhaps next time, we can catch some fish to feed to them....

Matt and I had such a great time, we are considering going back next weekend. Our efforts to play hard have us pretty worn out tonight, but I think the fact that we took a break from working on the house this weekend and simply had fun will leave us refreshed and ready to take on anything we encounter this week. You never know, maybe next weekend we'll end up playing at the beach again!

Monday, Monday...

The weekend was just too short. It was a challenge to propel myself forward through the morning to get to work. Once there, however, the hours flew by for me.

All last week my boss was out of town, leaving me (unofficially) in charge of the Y. It was fine. I managed to not burn down the place or do anything royally stupid while she was gone, and I tried to keep as much of her work done as I could while she was away. Contrary to what one might think, a boss on vacation for me = lots more work and stress, not an excuse to cut out early and slack off.

Gotta say I'm glad boss-lady is back. It turns out that I had a lot of great ideas while she was gone, and she seemed enthusiastic about me going forward with them when I told her about it.

I would continue to write about what I plan to accomplish in my job, but I have to give a presentation tomorrow at a fundraising event, so I've got to put my nose back to the old grindstone....

I love a good project!

Feelin' Chatty

Last night, I had the opportunity to talk. A lot. It was fantastic, and it was recorded. My goodness, I LOVE my husband's radio project!

We have our friend Jason over this weekend. He is a great guest for a number of reasons. He provides much-needed assistance with our home improvement projects (Ok, I'll admit it...he is actually the one doing the work.) Additionally, he is funny and a good conversationalist.

Inevitably, our entertaining takes us to the MattRadio.com studio. We always end up in there, listening to music and talking about everything under the sun. Last night, Matt introduced a topic of conversation that led to a heated debate between Jason and myself. Matt loves to do this, and (I think) plans to spark controversy in the hopes of generating material for his show. I love it, because I am addicted to the thought of hearing my opinions broadcast across the globe. I can't wait until he edits the things we recorded and streams it on his radio website. The MattRadio.com site is in the process of being revamped, and we are really excited about all of the things that we have coming up in the future. As we progress, I will keep you posted. In case you haven't been to MattRadio.com yet, please do so. It will look like it does now for just a short while longer. It will soon be redesigned and be even better than ever!

I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Today, I stayed very busy at work. I am finally getting the hang of my job! I love the fact that at any given moment, I have about seven things to do. I have deadlines approaching, small fires to put out, and lots of planning to do! It is fast-paced and exciting. Granted, the to-do list I constructed this morning ended up being only half-way completed...but, I relish the fact that I know exactly how my day will begin tomorrow. The first week or two I worked at the Y, I didn't know how the computer system worked, or what the policies were...I felt pretty useless. Now, I am staying on top of personnel training logs, invoices to be paid, departmental budgeting, etc, etc. The part of my job that I am really excited to sink my teeth into is our special events planning. I have about two weeks to finalize the events for the remainder of the month, and to begin implementing the plans for the rest of the summer. I am also going to be working on some huge projects like our 5k and our upcoming Biggest Loser contest. The rest of the summer is going to fly by as I am undertaking all of these things! Please don't think that I am saying that I will do all of these things alone. Far from it! I am working with such motivated people, who really have a vision for the things we can accomplish together. I LOVE MY JOB!!!!

Breaking Out of Our Routine

Well, I have dawdled a bit on posting another blog entry. I guess I have just been caught up in the day to day routines that Matt and I share. We have been engrossed in watching television shows on DVD, eating quiet dinners together, and just enjoying one another. Until this weekend, that is. I don't mean that we're not enjoying each other's company, far from it. But, this weekend, we broke from the routine.

Our house is currently resembling a demolition site. Our good friend, Jason, offered to help us work on the bathroom that we are going to remodel. The toilet, vanity, and sink had previously been taken down in preparation for our remodel. Yesterday, we went to Home Depot to purchase tiles for the walls and floor. We also picked up a new shower head, some paint for the kitchen cabinets, etc. I picked out the kitchen counter tops I want us to install. Much fun was had at the Home Depot.

The three of us headed back to the house, and Jason commenced his destruction of the bathroom. He was tearing down tiles like none other! A plume of dust billowed from the bathroom and has settled on every surface of the house that was not in a room with a door to shut. While Jason was swinging the tile-smashing hammer, Matt transferred all of his music files to Jason's newly purchased external hard drive. Jason is excited to have his own personal access to the Matt Radio music library, and Matt is excited to have a backup of said library in case of some freak disastrous crash of his computer. After all of the tiles came down, we sat around for a bit and then we all turned in for the night.

This morning, Matt was lay leader at church, but Jason and I stuck around the house and began to clean up the mess in the bathroom. We bagged up broken tiles and debris for a good while. When Matt arrived home from church, he pitched in and we quickly finished Phase 1 of the bathroom demolition. The many bags of broken tile are piled out by the street for tomorrow's garbage pickup. The trash men are going to HATE us. Jason, apparently, hadn't worked quite enough, so he grabbed our lawnmower and tackled the backyard, despite our protests. Matt grabbed the trimmer and went to work on the brush around the fence line. I stayed indoors and did my part to ensure Matt and I have clean laundry. Finally, the boys came inside and we ate a bite for lunch. Jason departed not too long afterwards. We still have more to do, but that must wait for next weekend, as we are spent!

As for the rest of the afternoon, Matt and I have decided that we will take it easy. I read on the back porch for a bit, but am now happily curled up in my husband's studio while he sits a few feet away from me, contentedly converting audio files for his Matt Radio airplay. Most likely, we will spend our evening doing this, with a break for dinner and perhaps a movie. After all of the work we have done this weekend, especially today, I know we will sleep soundly tonight.

Finally!

I am finally going to post some of the photos from our reception in Tennessee! To view the entire gallery, please visit my husband's website, MattRadio.com!

Parking Nazis and New Furniture

Wow! What a weekend this has been! Matt & I have done so many things in such a short amount of time. Well, Friday night was somewhat calm, because he and I were recovering from the fantastic impromptu bonfire/dance party we hosted here at the Casa del Hollomans. To sum up Thursday evening in two sentences or less: We burned things and danced. Much fun was had by all in attendance.

Saturday morning, we lazed around for a bit, but then jumped into gear to get to Sarasota to meet Jason and Christy, who was hot off the plane from Baltimore to visit her adoring fans in sunny Florida. We met them downtown at The Two Senoritas for lunch, then parted ways briefly. Matt & I had some shopping to do. Next Saturday required a new dress, and Macy's delivered! We found the perfect dress for me. I won't even describe it, I shall post pictures as soon as they are taken next weekend at our Florida reception being given by my super parents-in-law. After we purchased the dress of my dreams, we found a matching tie at Saks. OMG, they were having a fantastic sale, and it was a STEAL! Our shopping mission accomplished, we made our way to the temporary beach abode of Christy and Shannon.

They were staying at Captiva Beach Resort, which is adjacent to the Tropical Shores, where Matt & I said our "I do's" over three months ago. Unlike Tropical Shores, the management of Captiva were not gracious hosts. At Tropical Shores, the staff says "Oh, you're getting married?! Let me upgrade your room." At Captiva, the staff says, "We're gonna tow your car." Mind you, we had parked my car off the premises, because parking WAS limited. This girl kept coming up to us, saying "My manager says you're in that Jeep over there, and we're gonna have to tow it." Our reply that we don't own a Jeep and that our vehicle wasn't even THERE fell on deaf ears, apparently. Our vehicle was NEVER at risk of being towed (because it was SOMEWHERE ELSE!), but it really chapped me that they kept threatening to tow us. I shall refer to them as "Parking Nazis" for the rest of my days. Anyway, after the Parking Nazi walked away, we (Christy, Jason, Matt & myself) headed down to the pristine white sand of Siesta Key Beach. We situated ourselves on a spot not far from where Matt & I married on March 5. We frolicked in the water and just generally enjoyed some time on the beach until Shannon finally arrived from work. He cut quite the imposing picture on the beach, dressed up to greet his lady friend. We all remarked on how dashing he looked, and then Christy & I tried on his hat. I felt like an extra in "Smooth Criminal."

At some point, Shannon & Christy opted to go back to their room. Matt, Jason, & I elected to stay on the beach for a bit. We wanted to give them a little time alone together. Jason was napping on the blanket. I was simply enjoying the ocean wind in my hair and the smell of the salt water. Matt wanted to swim some more. I quite enjoyed watching him play in the small Gulf waves. I delight in every move he makes. After he'd had his fill of swimming, I headed back to the room to shower and change. Matt and Jason followed shortly after. Christy and Shannon had plans for the rest of the evening to hang around there and be lazy (or whatever), while Jason, Matt, & I were going to go have some maki rolls at Pacific Rim. Unfortunately, Jason was having some issues with his car and elected to go on home. Matt & I were still going ahead with our maki roll plans, but it looked super-crowded when we were searching for a parking spot, and elected to eat a quick bite on the way home, instead.

This morning, we arose and went to church, thinking that we'd take Matt's parents to lunch somewhere here in Arcadia, since it was his dad's birthday. However, Matt's dad wanted to go eat at one of his favorite restaurants in Sarasota and browse through Barnes & Noble, so we were off to Sarasota again today. We had lunch and spent some time at the bookstore. Matt & I spent all of our time looking through travel books on Paris, the site of a future vacation. We found many places that we are planning to go, and I can barely contain my excitement! After we left Barnes & Noble, we made a brief stop at the mall, because I had forgotten to pick up a jar of my favorite moisturizer the day before. Then, we were off to the furniture store!

We HAD planned to go to the furniture store on Saturday, but time ran a bit short. Luckily, Matt's parent were agreeable to spend a little time while we finalized our decision to purchase a new bedroom suite. To my great joy, we also found the most PERFECT living room furniture! We all loved it, and it will be delivered, along with our new bedroom, on Friday. No more lumpy couch! Matt & I are both really excited about our new furniture. It is even more fun than I imagined it would be to select things for our home. I am stunned to realize that six months ago yesterday, Matt & I had our first online conversation. Now, we are making a home together! I am overwhelmed by gratefulness that God has brought me to where I am today.

More Sadness...

Although I'm tired, I wasn't ready for bed when my husband threw in the towel on his effort to stay awake this evening. I was just getting ready to check my email and possibly kill a little time by filling out some silly surveys on myspace when I heard my cell phone starting singing, "Hips don't Lie," the ringtone I have assigned to my gal pal Leslie. It was unusual for her to call this late. Actually, it's unusual for her to call at all. Not much of a phone talker, that Leslie. She was calling to tell me that the mother of one of her close friends died today. This friend of hers is someone with whom I've not always gotten along, but on St. Paddy's Day this year, she and I buried the hatchet for good. We formed a very fragile bond of friendship, but we are by no means close.

I feel so bad for her. It must be so awful to lose one's mother. I can't even imagine. I feel uncertain as to whether I should express my condolences in the form of a phone call, or send a card or flowers. I definitely want to reach out to her in some way, to let her know that she will be in my prayers. Each one who reads this, please say a small prayer for God to comfort Amanda as she grieves for her mother.

Help me decide...

This evening, I went to a Jujitzu class with my friend. Well, I watched. It looks like it might be kind of fun...I might decide to enroll, but I'm worried that it might spark up my hip problems if I land wrong from being flipped and what-not. I'm gonna give this some thought...

Overcome

This morning as I drove to work, my mind was busily planning what I would write about this evening. I had visions of reporting all of the tasks Matt and I accomplished with cleaning and working on our bathroom renovations. Shortly after I arrived at work, all of these thoughts fled from my mind. Today was an incredibly sad day.

I am somewhat shaken at the strength of my reaction to the news that a young woman I have never met, never even HEARD of until today, has been tragically taken in a car accident. The town where I work is a very small town. Everyone knows everyone. It's somewhat different from where I came from in that way. When I came in this morning, my coworkers were discussing a sixteen-year-old girl who had been in a bad accident on Friday night. We were taking up a collection for her family, and no one knew if she would live. I was immediately saddened at the thought of someone so young hanging on to life by a thread.

As the day progressed, people could talk of little else. I learned that this young woman's family had lost her brother in an accident not so long ago. My heart aches for this family, knowing that they are experiencing profound loss for a second time. Later in the day, we learned that she has been basically declared brain-dead, her body being kept alive by machines, for only as long as it takes to locate recipients for her organs. As I admire her family's generosity, I also grieve for them, knowing that they most likely will be in a state of limbo while the search for organ recipients could take days or weeks even. Today I have shed tears for strangers, grieving with them for the loss of such a young life. And I am touched.

I am touched by the charity and support from a small community for its own. I mentioned that a collection for the family was being taken. That is something of an understatement. Not only did we adults who work at the Y contribute, but so did members who were coming in to do their daily workouts. Also, the children in the day camp gave.

I walked back into the childcare area at one point this morning to look for my boss to approve a flyer I had made. I paused at the doorway to where the children were to listen to what was going on. These children were emptying their pockets in an effort to be giving to this family. I listened to one of the group leaders talking about how Jesus instructed us to take care of one another. I listened to her, knowing that by praising the children's generosity and caring gesture, she was instilling in them a Christian virtue. I cannot express how proud I am to be working in a place where God's work is done on a daily basis. In a place where Christian values are taught to the kids that come there to learn.

I am overcome.

New haircut and other adventures...

This weekend has been pretty fantastic! We slept in a bit on Saturday morning and then began to get ready for the day ahead of us. Matt started trying to figure out exactly how we would fit in everything that we had planned, and we ended up rescheduling a dinner with some friends of his for next weekend instead. I felt bad, but Matt insisted that they were ok with the change in plans. I hope he was right.






So I got my hair cut. It's pretty short now. I had been toying with the idea of cutting it for a couple of months, and I just decided to go ahead and bite the bullet. I'm soooo glad I did. It is much, much cooler without hair clinging to my neck! Plus, I think it looks cute, too. Matt agrees.

After the haircut, we drove in to Sarasota to do a little furniture shopping. Before we made it to any furniture stores, we stopped at Home Depot and picked up a Father's Day present for Matt's dad and also a vanity and mirror for our bathroom. I'm really pleased with the one we picked out, and I can't wait until we are ready to install it!

We had such a good time shopping for furniture! I halfway expected us to have completely different tastes, based on some of his decorating choices that were made long before I moved into the house. To my surprise and utter delight, we both agreed which bedroom set was perfect for us right away! We flopped around on many different mattresses, attempting to find the perfect one at the perfect price, and we were in complete agreement about that, as well.

We didn't end up purchasing any furniture yesterday, but we have agreed that we will do so within the next couple of weeks, as the mattress we've been sleeping on, well, sucks.

After we had had our fun on many, many beds, we decided it was time to "feed Seymore." We went to one of our fave spots, The Pacific Rim. We had some sashimi and maki rolls, as well as an amazing dessert! It was splendid.

We followed dinner with a movie. It was actually our first time attending a theater together. Because we were so full from dinner, I didn't get to illustrate my obsession for eating popcorn and Raisinets while at the movies. He can find that out whenever he takes me to the movies without feeding me first, ha ha. The movie we watched was "Waitress" with Keri Russell. I loved it! It is so NOT a predictable movie. While we were watching the previews, we came up with two more must-see movies, "Joshua" and "Evening."

After the movie ended, we opted to head to the beach for a walk in the moonlight. It was incredibly romantic. The beach was almost completely deserted. It was as though we were the only two people being bathed in the light of the moon and stars. All of my life, I have waited to have someone with whom I can share special moments like that one. I am so thankful for Matt.

Ouch!

Precisely one week ago, I wrote all about how clumsy I am. I am now feeling the effects of my accidents that day pretty heavily. My elbow still aches from the sound cracking against the windowsill. But it is my hip that is plaguing me. I started off the day getting out of bed a little unsteadily. By the time I got off work, I was doing my best to hide my limp from my coworkers. Never let 'em see you hurt. Oh, Lord, but do I hurt! Matt was a little alarmed to see me hobble into the house. I have dosed up on some mild pain-killers and am hoping that this bout of the dreaded "old lady hip" is short-lived. If you get a spare minute, say a little prayer for me.

My Laughter-filled Life

I have found myself reflecting for the past few days upon how much the foundations of my happiness have changed. Of course, my faith remains constant and the Lord is the rock to which I cling. The change has come about in a subtle way.

Before, I was happiest when I had events or activities to attend. My idea of a perfect summer day was to go boating with friends, and to go drinking or dancing afterwards. Or maybe it would be to go hiking or camping with my friends. Always, I had to be DOING something or GOING somewhere. I still enjoy these things...

However, I am finding that I am just as content to watch a movie with my husband, delighting in the fact that we find the same moments or phrases particularly funny or poignant. I find just as much joy driving to church, both of us loudly singing a song we both love. Our excursions to the grocery store (and anyone who knows me well knows I HATE grocery shopping) are even fun as I ride on the cart that Matt pushes. I love that there is not a day that goes by that is not filled with laughter. Laughter over our silly cats, especially Buster, who gets a little antsy every evening and entertains us with his odd behavior. Laughter over my husband's attempts to "drop it like it's hot" upon my request. My goodness, you should have seen it! It was hilarious! Laughter over my terrible impression of a Japanese fan of Godzilla and Mothra.

I am happier now than I've ever been in my entire life. And it is not because I have a flurry of social engagements to attend. It is because I have the best companionship I could ever want.

The Epitome of Gracefulness

I must be the most clumsy girl on the planet. Matt and I started our day by him cleaning the kitchen and me doing laundry. I got a little cranky when I was putting clean sheets on the bed and broke a nail while tugging on a blanket. That should have been my clue to check myself before I wrecked myself.

But, no...As I was putting some clothes into the dryer, I hit my "old lady hip" on the dryer door. It hurt sooooo badly. I'm really glad I put an ice pack on it, because I am barely even limping, which is usually not the case when my hip is injured. But, it didn't stop there.

As I was putting my hair into a ponytail in preparation of a pool party we were attending this evening, I cracked my elbow on a hard stone windowsill. It still aches, even five hours later. This was more than just hitting the old funny bone. I am toying with the idea that I have perhaps fractured my ulna. Or is it the radius? Hell, I don't know. It f-ing hurts.

When we were walking out the door to go to the party, I handed the keys to my husband, because I sure didn't feel very lucky. Ok, that's a lie. I am exceedingly lucky. I just don't feel particularly competent or graceful.

However, I joyfully report that I have sustained no further injuries on this calendar day. But, I do have one more hour before it is officially tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that I manage to make it to bed without losing a limb.

Ah...La Fin Du Monde!

So I recovered yesterday enough to attend an early birthday celebration for one of our friends. We had some beer at the Celtic Ray...I should say I probably had MUCH beer. Matt kindly opted to be our designated driver. I learned last night that the beverages offered at that great establishment are quite potent. I had only three beers at the Celtic Ray, but OH was I tipsy! The La Fin Du Monde particularly contributed to my inebriation...

After a quick trip to the cigar bar, Moosehead's, and the River City Grill, I got my first glimpse of what is known as "the Poon," AKA, Harpoon Harry's. It didn't seem as though we were there for more than just a few minutes, but for good-natured Matt, it was an eternity. He hates that place. After having gone there, I am indifferent. I might be persuaded to go again, but I didn't fall in love with it. I love to dance, but by the time we got there, I was really too tipsy to even dance with any semblance of rhythm or skill. I'm sure I was quite funny to watch, but I'm not sure that anyone could have even spotted me on that crowded dance floor!

I woke up this morning and felt my oats a bit. Matt, his father, and I drove to the airport to pick up Matt's mom, who was returning from a visit with her sister in Maryland. We had a nice lunch and browsed through books at Barnes & Noble for a while. We located a Home Depot, and Matt and I selected the new vanity we are going to purchase for the bathroom we are in the process of redoing. After quickly looking at tile, we have an idea of what we want to do to the kitchen after the bathroom is finished. I picked up a catalogue of patio furniture, and looked at it as we drove back to Arcadia. Once we dropped Matt's parents back at their house, we looked at each other and agreed that we needed a nap in the worst way!

I think we will most likely have a quick bite for dinner and watch a movie borrowed from "the Movie Man." This was quite a pleasant day, and I am glad to know that I can procrastinate on housecleaning until tomorrow.

Ugh...

Matt is so good to me. He makes me breakfast and cuddles with me to watch movies. There is not anything the man wouldn't do to make me feel better! I really do believe he would opt to suffer through the aches and cramps that are plaguing me today. Of course he can't. And I seem to be unable to separate my mood from the physical pains I am experiencing today, so Matt is also being treated to my "crotchiliciousness." Poor fella. Maybe a nap would improve my disposition. Eh, I'm obviously not in a primo writing mood. I'll catch all you peeps later.

Same Dream

I got a taste today of what my new job is going to be like. I am thrilled! I will be working with such amazing people, who are each one driven and purposeful in furthering the mission of the organization for which we work. I am completely humbled and grateful that the Lord opened up the door for me to be employed by the YMCA. Through my position, I will be able to touch the lives of so many people in the community, especially those for whom there is a special place in my heart, young women. For some time, I have lamented the fact that young women have few people who are invested in making their lives better, in encouraging them, and helping them realize their value as individuals, apart from the the superficial appearance-based value assessed to them by our culture. I learned today that I will have the opportunity to talk to them and teach them about self-esteem. I have wanted this role for quite some time. This desire to lead young ladies down a path to self-love is what first prompted me to become a teacher. I am moved beyond words that I have this opportunity, even though the remainder of my education is on hold for a bit and some time may pass before I am able to be a teacher in a regular classroom. Today, I realized that some dreams can be achieved, even when they take a different form from the original dream. So my dream is still the same, just in a slightly different form.

Thank the LORD!

When I woke up this morning, my plans for the day included some laundry and light housecleaning, as well as scraping those heinous love bugs off of my car. A phone call around nine-thirty changed the entire direction of my day, although I did manage to do some laundry and wash my car, sort of.

The phone call was from the director of the Hardee County YMCA. This was the phone call that I expected to receive last week, scheduling my second interview for the position I had applied for as membership director. Apparently, that I didn't get a phone call last week was simply an oversight. I was incredibly relieved to know that I had not completely misinterpreted how well my first interview went. I readily agreed to come in for my second interview after lunch today.

To make a long story short, I went. And emerged as the new Director of Membership for Hardee County YMCA! I am so excited to work for this organization for several reasons. The first of which is that I will no longer be a succubus, causing my husband to have to field all of our expenses alone. But, any job would have accomplished THAT. This job is special because it will enable me to be a positive force in our local community. I have often thought how great it would be to work for a non-profit organization and to really make a difference in people's lives. Now, I will be in a position to do just that! I am ecstatic!

After they advised me I had the job, we did some paperwork and then I went off to be drug-tested and fingerprinted. I will be starting my new position as soon as they have the results of my drug test back. So, I informed my husband he only has at most a couple more days to enjoy me in the role of housewife!

By the way, thank you to everyone who encouraged me when I was feeling a little down over the seeming futility of my job search. Once again, the Lord has provided for me what I need.

Close to Perfect

Yesterday was close to perfect. So close that the line between utterly blissful and completely perfect is indistinguishable. The only thing that caused that line to be present at all was the love bug factor...

Before Matt and I left the house yesterday, we used our new toaster oven for the first time. There was a small sticker on the toaster oven that warned that it emits smoke the first few times it is used. This sticker directly contributed to the fact that I credited that warning label when I saw a pretty good amount of smoke rising from the toaster oven...A few moments later, I saw that I had failed to remove a piece of cardboard inside the oven. It was burning quite nicely inside, along with the sandwiches we were toasting. My good-natured husband even declined to make fun of my novice cooking skills. Our day was off to a wonderful start!

After we scarfed our sandwiches (and put out the cardboard-fire inside the toaster oven), we bopped on down to the Arcadia Watermelon Festival. After we had seen our fill of crafts and food vendors, we meandered to a particularly interesting exhibit. It had a bird of some sort (white and very pretty) as well as a baby alligator! It was cool. Next, we went to the Young Professionals booth and got down to the business of making and peddling watermelon slushes. It was quite fun, and I met a lot more of the friendly natives of this town. The only downside was the fact that the ever-present love bugs seemed to be attempting to contaminate the ingredients supply. We did, however, diligently guard against this. I can unequivocally state that we served no slushes with love bugs or parts of love bugs in them!



After we had served the slushes for a couple of hours, we headed on down to Brenda Lee's to have a quick bite and wash the watermelon juice off our hands. As usual, both the service and food at Brenda Lee's was excellent! We learned that the sweet girl who works at the front counter is moving on to another job and wished her well.

Next, we were off to the beach! The water temperature was just right. As we frolicked on the same beach where we said our vows, the sun sparkled off the water like zillions of diamonds. We played in the water, enjoying ourselves immensely. Then, my husband's wedding ring came off his finger as he was swimming underwater! When he told me this, I thought he was surely joking. After his repeated attempts to dive under the water to find it, I became convinced of his sincerity. I think he thought I would get bent out of shape about it, but I merely reassured him that it would be ok. The fact is, we had purchased two wedding bands for him, because we weren't sure what size would be better, so we had a backup ring. He said his hand felt naked without his ring, so I took off my band and gave it to him to wear.





As we happily munched our way through several maki rolls, I kept glancing at my husband's hand, laughing as he commented that the sparkles it made caused him to feel like Liberace.

We had a near-perfect day, and my husband's backup wedding ring is now safely located on the fourth finger of his left hand. Right where it should be.

Net Effect = Content

Well, the job search is ongoing. Apparently I misjudged the interview that I thought went so well, because the director of that organization STILL hasn't called me back as promised to set up a second interview. Even after I left a follow-up thank-you message. I'm kinda bummed on the job front. I never anticipated that finding a job down here would be so difficult. It seemed like it was very easy to find a job back in Tennessee. Go figure. I am officially lowering my standards for an acceptable job.

There are many positive things about being here, though. The most obvious of these is my super hubby. For him, I will continue to brave the hordes of love bugs currently plaguing the state of Florida. He made me breakfast today while I was still snoozing. He often surprises me with thoughtful gestures like that. I thank God for bringing him into my life. I am ecstatically happy to be married to such a wonderful man!

Another great thing is our proximity to the beach! Which we are going to exploit tomorrow after we have served up snow cones at the Watermelon Festival. I can't wait! Matt even suggested indulging my craving for maki rolls, since we'll be in Sarasota already for the beach. Tomorrow is looking like a very good day, indeed.

So basically, life in Florida is super except for my lack of a job and the heinous bugs which dwell here....These things temper my good spirits a bit. The overall net effect is one of contentment.

Now I AM slowing down...

My husband is reading quietly beside me on the couch. One of our kitties is curled up sleeping on the other couch. The ceiling fan whirs above us, the breeze it creates pulls the hair away from my face. I never thought a moment this calm would be so pleasing to me.

I have always thrived on being in the center of excitement. I often barely pause after finishing one task before beginning another. This quiet little town in Florida may just teach me some lessons on taking it easy.

This morning, I took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in a bit, a luxury that I was somewhat unaccustomed to in Tennessee. I accepted an invitation for lunch downtown and enjoyed a leisurely conversation with my lunch companion for a good portion of the afternoon. Still not completely able to spend an entire day without doing some sort of work, I rounded up cat hair with a swiffer and did several loads of laundry. I could get used to being a housewife. But it won't improve my odds of getting that Sarasota shopping trip for which I'm hankering!

This period of inactivity is most likely going to be very brief. Tomorrow I have a job interview about which I have very high hopes. Once I have a job secured, a hectic schedule will most likely be in my future. Or perhaps not. Maybe I will adopt a pace that fits the small town in which I am making my home.

I haven't slowed down yet...

Life hasn't stopped moving at a rapid pace just because I've changed locations. Having barely arrived in Florida, I attended a literary club meeting, lost my cat, went to a job interview, unpacked, cleaned house, had a party, searched for jobs, found my cat, and am having a guest for dinner tonight....Whew! I think we're volunteering at a booth for the upcoming Watermelon Festival this weekend, also.

I will be so glad when I've found a job and settle into some sort of routine. The Lord has been really good to us, though. We safely drove down from Tennessee to Florida on Monday and Tuesday of last week, with the only detrimental effects being the millions of dead love bugs plastered all over my car and one slightly drunk kitty.

Can I just pause for a moment and sing the praises of the wonderful feline traveling aid known as "Calm Down Kitty"? It is marvelous. At some point during the trip, I even threatened to administer some Calm Down Kitty to my nervous passenger (my husband)! We had so many laughs over silly things during the trip down. This was our first long car ride together, and we had NO disputes over the temperature of the car! It was amazing. I did, however, learn that my husband is grateful that he thinks Red Bull tastes like "cranberry-flavored goat piss," as he thinks it is overpriced. He is probably right. About the price, that is. I happen to dig the taste of Red Bull.

We are settling into our life together, learning each other's nuances and pet peeves. Any differences we encounter, I happily report that we resolve them quickly. My breath still catches as I think about how blessed and loved I am. My heart overflows with love and affection for my husband. Although we are still moving at a rapid pace to get me accustomed to my new life in Arcadia, our love remains constant.

Tomorrow!

I can barely believe it! Tomorrow evening I will be reunited with my husband! My breath catches even as I think about it. I cannot stop smiling. The moment I step into his arms and never again have to walk out of them is a moment I have waited for since December 24th. And it is TOMORROW!

With that in mind, I am busily mentally cataloguing everything which must be done today and tomorrow to be ready for my big move. I have to go get some boxes to begin packing. I need to do laundry and sort summer vs winter clothes. I need to make a list of the gifts we've received and who they're from for thank-you cards. I need to clean my car of all of the junk so I can have room for the luggage of hubby, parents, and Shannon. I am having lunch with one of my girlfriends and dinner with another of my girlfriends. In between those girl-dates, I have another girlfriend coming by to hang with me while I pack and to do a little altering on my dress for Saturday. I need to go have my prescription refilled, and I did promise myself a pedicure for good behavior....

There are a lot of things to do, but I am so ecstatic that my husband is arriving tomorrow, I imagine I will float through my entire day!

Blankness

I sat down earlier with my fingers poised over the keyboard, ready to share my thoughts with the world, and realized that every last one of my thoughts had fled from my mind. I was Completely Blank. This was a new experience for me. I always have something to share. Maybe I have too much to think about to pin down one particular thing to write about this evening. My emotions cover a wide spectrum today. I am so grateful for my husband. I am so excited that we'll be reunited in three days! I am still disgruntled about the whole group paper debacle that is STILL not completely resolved. I am a little bummed about some phone calls I didn't receive today. I am cheered by a sweet card from my husband and by a birthday cake my mom baked for me. I guess all of these things together have a net effect of leaving me blank. Go figure. I suppose I will try again tomorrow.

An Economic Fairy Tale...

...Well, not quite. I have a presentation tomorrow and a test on Tuesday. If it weren't for the Group Project From Hell, I'd be doing pretty good right now...It all began so innocently...

Once upon a time, there was this grad student who took a course in macroeconomics. As hard as she tried, she could not make herself pay attention to the monotone lecture of the professor. Sadly, when it came time for the grad student to begin work on her final project, she didn't understand many of the concepts covered in class. Luckily, the boring monotone professor said that the students in the class could work together on the project! Yay for teamwork! However, the unprepared grad student found herself in a group with people who yelled profanities at one another in a different language over differing opinions about economic theory! So, the grad student found herself feeling not only as if she didn't understand the concepts but also very uncomfortable with the group dynamics. She fervently wished the project were completed and her semester finished.

To be continued...

I see the LIGHT!

Yay! I just cleared another hurdle on my way to finishing up this semester! I'm not going to complain about the fact that I had to wait up until nearly 1am to receive the tools necessary to clear this hurdle and by 5am still had not received all of said tools....I'm just gonna be content that I accomplished what I did and not hold a grudge against anyone who perhaps didn't send her section of a group project in a timely manner...Well, maybe I will for just a day or so. I don't know, we'll see this afternoon when I begin to feel sleep-deprived. That may end up having some bearing on my good nature (or lack thereof).

Anyway, after working all day and a group project meeting this evening, tonight I should be able to fully assemble my other presentation for tomorrow afternoon. At that point, I will only have one test remaining until I am finished! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

God's Timing

My mantra is "God's timing is perfect timing." It is a truth I revel in daily. If I had met my husband before I did, one or both of us wouldn't have been ready for the other. It is a comfort when I find myself wanting what cannot be at this very moment. It is the thought I try to share with others when they need comfort because of unrealized hopes or dreams. Just because something isn't occurring right now doesn't mean it won't ever. Perhaps the things that we go through in the present enable the Lord to bless us more abundantly in the future. As I grapple with my impatience, and a tinge of sadness today, I remember. God's timing is perfect timing.

I got sucked in....

In celebration of my completion of my research paper, I gave myself the night off from schoolwork tonight. As I played online, I had E! network on for background noise. I scarcely noticed as the top celebrity fashion faux pas faded into the top ten ways to survive a celebrity scandal. At some point, I got sucked in. And I'm not particularly proud of it. Don't get me wrong, I like celebrity news and gossip just like everyone else, but it just struck me as so WRONG when there is an entire television show devoted to advising people to "deny" or "blame it on someone else." Maybe I am taking it too seriously, but I've got to wonder, "is this representative of how members of our society conduct themselves?" What about truth? Is maintaining an image really more important than being a real person, complete with flaws? Since when is it a crime to be human? Are we, as consumers of Hollywood's products, forcing these actors and musicians into a position where they must pretend, deny, lie, and be someone other than who they really are? I used to think being a celebrity might be really fun, with all of the parties and pretty dresses. Now, I'm completely certain that who I am is precisely who I want to be, flaws and all. And I will own up to them, without resorting to the manual on how to survive a scandal.

This is what marriage is like...

Today, I got my first taste of what being in a marriage is like. Although I've never been what you could call a "loner," I have usually encountered obstacles, talked about them with my close friends or family, and then dealt with the obstacles by myself. Now, I have a partner in all things, even the troubles. It is going to take some getting used to...I've always felt as though my problems were just that, MY PROBLEM. It is very reassuring to know that my husband will stand right beside me and lift me over any hurdles I must jump. When I am weak, he will be the strong one. I can't express how grateful for him I am!

Rather close to home...

The tragic events that unfolded at Virginia Tech this week have hit very close to home. This university is less than a three-hour drive from my hometown. I know many Hokies fans. It is the type of place, much like where I'm from, where you don't ever imagine anything like this ever occurring.

But it did. And a number of people are pointing fingers and assigning blame. I was one of them. My initial reaction was "why didn't they put the entire campus on lock down?". As we find out more about the events that took place, it seems that everyone in authority acted to the best of their abilities. It seems rather ridiculous to assign guilt in the face of the sheer loss of life that has taken place. Instead of searching for flaws and pouncing upon possible missteps in the actions of the authorities, we should devote a great deal of prayer for comfort to the families of the victims.

Another loss that I find to be distressing is that of school as an institution in which people seek knowledge and find it, without fearing the loss of life. Yesterday, I found myself feeling vulnerable as I walked across my own college campus. I am saddened by the knowledge that I am undoubtedly not alone in this experience. I wonder if this nagging worry will plague me daily when I embark on my career as a teacher. I wonder how the teachers and students at Virginia Tech will ever be able to walk through the doors of their beloved institution again without experiencing the horror anew. We should pray for them, too.

It would seem that this is a time when troubles and sadness are plentiful, answers are few, and comfort is being sought by many. My prayer is that those seeking answers and comfort turn to God, for He alone can bring solace to the grieving.

Take a look!

I created a photostory of some of our wedding photos. Please feel free to check it out.

Click Here to go to the photostory!

The Last Time We are Parted

I put my husband on a plane to return to Florida early this morning. It was even harder to watch him walk through airport security than it was for me to actually be the one to leave. We didn't shed any tears at the airport this time...we had already done so hours before when we woke up and realized that it was our last morning together for a while. We are comforted, though, by the knowledge that this will be our last separation ever. The next time we see one another, we will not have to part!

This weekend that we spent together was amazing. We laughed until we cried. We stared into each other's eyes. We held hands everywhere we went. Never has a girl ever felt so cherished. I get to be with this man for the rest of my life! We are going to start a family together! Sometimes I still have to pinch myself to be convinced that I really have been this blessed. If I ever manage to show my husband how much he means to me, I will feel my job is complete. As it is, words are inadequate and there is no gesture or act that can convey the depths of my emotions for him. All I can do is remind him daily that I thank God for him and consider myself especially blessed.

What a beautiful day!

Today is the first day in quite a while that I didn't have to wake up by any certain time. As I went to bed last night, though, I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay asleep very long because of my excitement for today to begin. Sure enough, I woke up at the very time that my alarm normally goes off. I rolled over and heard birds chattering and the sun was shining brightly through my window. I thought to myself, "Good! The sun ought to shine extra brightly today." In a few hours, my smile is going to shine brightly, too. I will be grinning from ear to ear with joy overflowing from being reunited with my husband! What a beautiful day this is!

No Roadblocks Ahead!

All of the stressful roadblocks have been removed from my path to wholehearted enjoyment of my husband’s visit this weekend. Between my frantic, ceaseless (almost) work for the week on school assignments and the wonderful news I received today from one of my professors extending a deadline for a revision of our research papers, I feel lighthearted and free to fling myself into enjoying my time with Matt with wild abandon! It has been far too long since I last saw him, and my heartbeat is rapidly accelerating even now as I look forward to tomorrow evening. Obviously, the Lord heard my prayers this morning as I pleaded for the ability to accomplish all of the necessary tasks before me today and elected to inspire my professor to extend our revision deadline. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be able to spend this last day before my husband’s arrival engaged in wonderful anticipatory daydreams!

God's Work of Art

I went to church today and the message was all about how God takes us in our brokenness and makes us into a masterpiece, and how that was made possible through the broken body of Jesus.

I had never thought of myself as particularly broken, but I suppose in many ways I am. What the sermon really caused me to think about was my grandmother and the way that Alzheimer's disease broke her body and mind. It's only natural that I would have cause to remember my grandma on Easter Sunday, because absolutely every memory of Easter involves her in some way. In fact, she was the very first person to tell me about Jesus and what Easter signifies. This is the first year without her, and I didn't expect it to be so hard...

Back to the theme of brokenness...as my grandmother was broken, God worked through her to open my eyes to His love for me. This Easter was the first year that I truly could say that out of brokenness, God has created a masterpiece in me. And I know that my grandmother is smiling down at His handiwork right this minute.

God's Gift

I would like to think that I take the time on a daily basis to reflect and express thanks to the Lord for His wonderful gift of eternal life to all of His children. Too often, though, I hurry through my day and neglect to consider His generosity and sacrifice.

Easter is a time when most of us pause and actually do consider the death and resurrection of Jesus for the salvation of us all, or at least I hope so. It is my prayer that children and adults alike are able to see beyond the spring blossoms and pictures of bunnies and colored eggs to the love that is the truest and most beautiful ornament to have ever decorated this earth.

My soul rejoices as I think upon the absolute faithfulness of God to have sent His son Jesus as a perfect sacrifice to atone for all the sins of mankind forever, creating a way for all of us undeserving sinners to be reconciled and able to live in His presence for all of eternity! Oh the love He has for each of us! My prayer this day is that each and every person who reads this takes a moment to think about how much he or she is loved by God. And if you don't know what God has done in preparation to welcome you into His presence, feel free to ask me to share with you that which I know about how blessed it is to be a child of God, made pure through the blood of Jesus Christ.

One month ago...

...I married the man for whom God created me. I am stunned to realize that it has been a month since we joined our lives before our Father and a small number of our loved ones, and nearly that long since we were last together. Waking up and realizing that was somewhat bitter-sweet for me. Intensely sweet because my amazement that I am married to such a wonderful man is still strong and fresh. A little bitter because we are separated by so much physical distance...

Today actually ended up being a really great day. I worked for a few hours this morning before heading to the dentist. (Ok, so that's not the great part.) After the dentist, I headed up to the adult day care center where I volunteer on Thursdays. I was anxious to get there because I wasn't able to go last week under the crushing weight of my schoolwork.

Once I was there, I was pleased to see many familiar faces and a couple of new ones. My fellow with cerebral palsy was there. I spent most of my time with him today. We played our game of him throwing the tennis ball and me chasing after it. His joy lit up my day! And, he seemed to have improved a little in his ability to throw in my general direction, and I even managed to actually catch the ball a couple of times! Later, I discovered his interest in taking piles of children's puzzles and restacking them. He took great satisfaction in moving each puzzle from one pile to another. We did this for an hour or so, and were still immersed in our activity when his family came to collect him. To my delight, he waved at me when I told him goodbye, which I'm told is a rarity!

To top off my great day, I decided to go to my husband's website as I do on a nearly daily basis and found that he had posted the first set of photos from our wedding day! I had no idea that he had done that...it was a very sweet surprise! It makes me impossibly even more thrilled that I married him one month ago.

Click Here to view our photos on MattRadio.com!

Just what I need...

I haven’t called Em yet, but I am fervently hoping she isn’t busy tonight. I NEED BEER NIGHT! I have been really good. I turned in my methodology section of my research paper today. Granted, not all of my work is complete, but with all the stuff floating around in my head, my brain can use a few hours of vacation. A couple of hours off from schoolwork. A brief time to not worry about how all of the pieces will come together. A solid block of time to hear all about the goings-on in someone else’s life, nothing about my own….I want to play photo hunt vacantly while sipping on beer my husband would balk at drinking. (Yeah, he’s a beer snob!) I can’t wait to munch on soakies! I don’t, however, intend to indulge my recently abandoned nicotine addiction. (On that matter, I intend to remain resolute.) But as far as rewards go, I think a night with a good girlfriend, drinking our fifty-cent beers as is our Wednesday night tradition, is just what I need.

ANYTHING for my husband!

Have I mentioned that I am the LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD?! You may think that I am merely absorbed in the "honeymoon phase" of my marriage, to which I would disagree on the grounds that most honeymooners at least have the privilege of living with their new spouse, but I think that my marriage is the stuff of which dreams are made. I've always considered myself to be a kinda nice girl, but for my husband, I am willing to go the extra mile, if it makes his day better. And he has demonstrated that same devotion to me, over and over and over again.

Thank God for my wonderful partner for life! Please Lord, help us continue to put one another's needs above our own.

Goodbye, beer night....

I am going to have to be very self-disciplined in the coming weeks. If I let things pile up like I did just a short time ago, I will be risking my mental health. I resolve to be proactive and not reactive. I resolve to get things done before I reward myself for doing them...sometimes I reverse the order, 'cause I figure it doesn't hurt anything really. But, there will be none of that! Beer night is only for girls who have done their methodology section of their research problem, began work on the macroeconomics project, completed their intervention notebooks, posted their concept maps online, and finalized all of the arrangements for their receptions. Pray for me that I can overcome my natural tendency to do those things I enjoy first.

Retail Therapy

Knowing that in a few weeks I will be joining my husband in Florida for the summer, I elected to do a little shopping this afternoon with my mom. We were specifically looking for dresses to wear to my reception on May 5th. I must have tried on nearly thirty dresses. My hair was utterly destroyed. I stepped on a pin that was camouflaged in the fitting room carpet. I re-injured my old lady hip (don't ask why someone who is in her mid-twenties has bursitis...it has to do with pointy bones) by bumping into the door of the JC Penney's dressing room (which, I might add, SUCKS since their remodel...They used to have so many fitting rooms, and they got rid of a lot of them). I was thirsty, hungry, and tired. I had given up trying to decide if I had gone up or down a size (because the only thing unstable about me is my weight!) and just took three sizes of each dress into the miniature fitting room. Once inside, I quickly determined that the hook that was intended to be used to hang the clothes upon was placed in such a location that, once I hung the dresses there, I was unable to close the door. So I shimmied in and out of dresses with the door half-open. Then, I found the right dress! It is beautiful, and I can't wait to wear it! I LOVE SHOPPING!

Public Apology

So last week, my husband thoughtfully offered to help me with addressing our thank-you cards. I turned him down promptly, stating tactlessly that he had "terrible" handwriting....After having botched some aspect of writing and addressing nearly all of those thank-you cards, I am more than willing to retract my earlier words. Publicly. I'm sorry, baby. For the next round of cards, your assistance will be eagerly anticipated.

Any takers? I can bake seriously good cookies...

Does anyone own a private jet? Because I want to be your friend. I'll do your laundry or bake you cookies if you will just give my husband a lift to Tennessee so that I won't have to wait another day to see him...

I have to say I'm suffering from some serious Matt-withdrawal symptoms right about now. Losing sleep...well that may result partly from staying up writing papers until all hours of the night...Ok, bad example. Hmmmm, well I guess I just MISS him. Not actually suffering from physical ailments or anything...Just a little ache in the heart that he isn't right here with me.

The good news is, he and I are both more than capable of waiting the next two weeks until his visit. The bad news is, that is still two weeks away. *MELODRAMATIC SIGH*

I am stunned to think that by the time he visits, we will have been married over a month, and have only been physically together for four days of that time! At this rate, our newlywed phase could stretch well beyond the standard year or so....I actually don't think it will ever fade.

Decisions, decisions

I am going to go to fifty-cent beer night tonight...I think...I am so feeling the urge to blow off a little steam now that I’ve turned my paper in. You know, reward myself. On the other hand, I probably should catch some sleep, or maybe be a little proactive on next week’s schoolwork so that I don’t get caught up in a time crunch again. Decisions, decisions...I know what Matt is going to advise me to do. I should probably listen to him. He is such a good influence on me. Left to my own devices, I tend to be somewhat hedonistic. I think I’ll skip beer night for one more week. I kind of like the idea of being good. Plus, I completely wiped out my I-can-go-without-a-lot-of-sleep energy reserves a couple of nights ago.

Really, I've got it pretty good....

I seem to have recovered from my earlier meltdown. Thank God! Now I am reflecting about how easy it is to get so absorbed in my own little crisis that I lose sight of the fact that there are others who are facing much larger hurdles right now than I've even thought about. My paper, although it is important to me, is not of life-changing magnitude. If it gets done (and it will because I am the QUEEN of pulling out of a skid before the crash) or not really won't matter too much in the long run. I have so much for which I am grateful, and I feel very small right now to have treated the result of my procrastination as if it were a monumental crisis. There are people all around us who have legitimate crises. Instead of praying for my paper to write itself, I intend to pray for those individuals. Please forgive me for being so self-absorbed. Really, I've got it pretty good.

Can I take a moment to rant?

Let me preface this by saying that I adore my husband and couldn't be happier with him. Having said that, I'm gonna take a minute to complain. Not about him, of course.

What is it about college professors that inspires them to ALL have big projects, papers, and tests all at the same time? Is it some sort of loyalty test, to see which course I elect to devote the most attention to? I am dying under a mountain of peer-reviewed articles about maternal stress and learning disabilities, and the sad thing is: I PICKED MY OWN TOPIC! Yep, I did this to MYSELF. Dana, pick a research topic....oh, would you like to write about something really really difficult to grasp, much less paraphrase? Ah, yes, you have chosen wisely....this paper will make you want to curl into a ball and rock yourself while muttering incoherently about attachment behaviors in infants....Well Done! Oh, and by the way, you have a test almost every single week from now until the end of school, so forget about writing any of those thank-you cards or even sending out reception invitations. You simply are going to have to send those via email......Yeah, because you have almost officially given up on relying upon REAL mail. Who knows where things that you MAIL actually GO? Not that the blame lies with the USPS...but I have to be frustrated at someone besides my procrastinating self.....*sigh*

I am finished complaining. I must return back to the task of compiling vast amounts research into a measly ten pages. Then, perhaps I will study for my test tomorrow. Or write thank-you cards. Or go to sleep.

For what it is worth, I'm sorry to anyone who read this thinking it might have any entertainment value whatsoever. Today, this blog is my whipping post, since I'm not a sadomasochist, although my self-inflicted research paper topic choice would indicate to the contrary.