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.

Tune In NOW!

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MattRadio: Back on the Air!

Last night, I was able to listen to my husband's radio show for the first time. I tuned in and had my IM screen ready to provide feedback. It was wonderful! All of his online listeners will be THRILLED to know that MattRadio's 24-Hour Stream will be turned back on later today! I will post a link so that you can stream directly from the MattRadio site once he has the stream turned on. In the meantime, check out the

2003 Countdown at MattRadio.com!

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Photo Galleries online at MattRadio.com!

Days like this...

...are meant to be spent doing something outdoors. I should have gone on that seventeen mile bike ride today. (Don't be impressed, it's virtually all downhill.) I woke up today with such good intentions. Work on the research paper literature review...focus. But my attention kept being drawn to the beautiful daffodils blooming and the music of chattering birds. I was resolute; I did not go outside. Although I worked steadily on my schoolwork, I somehow felt as though I wasted the day. The outdoors beckon on days like this.

Three months ago today...

I never had a clue! Then, or now. When I woke up on December 23, 2006, I had no idea that I would encounter the man I was made to love. When I arrived home from work this evening, although I realized that today marked three months since we began our relationship, it never occurred to me that my wonderful husband would have a surprise waiting for me to commemorate the occasion. Aren't they beautiful? I agree, they are exquisite. However, they don't hold a candle to the beauty that is contained within my husband's heart. He has an unbelievable capacity to love. I am so grateful to be the recipient of his affection. Thank you again, God, for bringing Matt into my life, three months ago today.

Open Eyes

I am so thankful that God opened my eyes today! For one of my courses, I had to complete a service learning requirement. For my mandatory community service hours, I elected to volunteer at a government subsidized adult day care center. The reason I chose this location was because of my dear grandmother, who passed away seven months ago with Altzheimer's disease. I have already completed my required hours, now I just go back because the clients pull on my heart strings. But today, I realized that I have had a bad attitude. Thank the Lord that I can change it. As an education student, I have a mental image of my future as an educator. I have conveniently envisioned my day to day life teaching the brightest, most eager to learn students imaginable. On some level, I resented having to take a special education course, thinking that someone else, someone who is specially trained, would be better equipt to teach the exceptional children. Today, I realized that I CAN make a difference, and that I WANT to! What I do when I volunteer there is feed those clients who are unable to feed themselves and afterwards I visit with each and every person there, knowing that most do not frequently get one-on-one attention. The clients consist of a number of Alzheimer's patients, some mentally retarded, and a couple of individuals with cerebral palsy. One of the fellows with cerebral palsy was the cause for my epiphany today. He sat alone in a wheelchair. He couldn't talk or communicate in any way I could see. I sat down across the table from him for about three minutes before I gave up trying to entertain him, thinking he was beyond my reach. I went about my usual habit of visiting and chatting at all of the other tables. At the end of today, when nearly all of the other clients were gone and there was little for me to do, I grabbed some tennis balls and began to juggle, as I don't favor sitting still. I realized that that fellow was watching me. Then, he laughed. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see this person that I considered to be nearly vacant expressing his joy. I continued to juggle for him, and when I dropped a ball, he made a motion as if he wanted it. Curious, I handed him a ball and he proceeded to throw it in his own spastic fashion. Then he laughed again. It became a game that we both enjoyed. This fun-loving person was there all day, and I didn't find him until right before I had to leave. But you can bet that next week, he and I will play together again. No one is beyond reach. There is no such thing as "it won't make a difference." My eyes are open now to this knowledge.

Paradox

How is it that time can move incredibly fast and yet slow at the same time? I am reflecting on this as a result of my ridiculously poor time management, I feel certain. For instance, I know that in a little over six weeks, Matt and I will have our reception here in Tennessee. Sure it SEEMS like that is a long time away, especially since we've been living a-freaking-part! But, since I have every single class piling on research papers, exams, and mind-numbingly boring presentations between now and then, I know that I am going to feel the time slipping out of my hands as I scramble to complete everything! And yet, each night as my husband and I go through our "I miss you. I love you. I can't wait," routine, I feel as though the days and weeks are multiplying, causing the time until we can be together to stretch on interminably long. Paradoxically, I know the next five hours until I have to sleep before rising to complete a take-home essay exam will pass as quickly as if I had merely closed my eyes briefly to blink.

Better, stronger.

My marriage is better and stronger after our first little "bump" along the road. Thank the Lord that we are both committed to one another wholeheartedly. No matter what obstacles may be ahead of us, I feel he and I can face them together. I am committed to my husband's well-being and happiness, and now I am even more certain he is devoted to mine. Our first issue has been dealt with and our relationship has never been better. Or stronger.

Our Wedding: Podcast Two

Didn't make it to the beach wedding? You are more than welcome to listen to our vows in Podcast Two.

Our Story: Podcast One

Be sure to listen to Podcast One to find out how I met and married my darling husband.

Away from my Husband...

The honeymoon is not over, but now I'm in Tennessee and Matt is in Florida. I underestimated how difficult it would be to part temporarily from the man with whom I vowed to spend my life. I felt as though I were being ripped apart as I tearfully made my way through airport security. I missed him all the times we were apart before....but now, I ache for us to be together.

I am reassured that it is only for a couple of months, and we will fly back and forth a couple of times before then. I pray that God gives us both strength and comfort during this time of separation. I pray that the Lord opens doors for us to be together sooner than May. I pray that we both use this time to focus on the matters in front of us right now. For me, that would be devoting attention to grad school. For Matt, it would be tidying up (or getting rid of) his piles of clutter and working on a resume so that he can snag a super job here in Tennessee! Ideally, he could get a job and relocate here in April, instead of me relocating to Florida in May. Then, I would have my husband with me that much sooner! But, I pray that God has his way with our lives and that He shows us the best path and orders our steps. I relied on the Lord to bring me a partner, in His timing and not mine, so I can only rely on Him to reunite me with my husband when the time is right, according to His will.

A new life has begun...

A few short days ago, Matt and I stood on a beach and exchanged our wedding vows before a small group of our family and friends. I could not ever have imagined the joy I felt in that moment, joining my life with his forever. I can never fully express my gratitude to the Lord for bringing Matt into my life. I will never stop praising God for the great many blessings He has given us.

Our wedding day was completely perfect! We received so many kind gestures and favors from everyone that crossed our path while we were planning our big day. We think that the Lord prepared people's hearts before we approached them with our plans, because everone was soooo beyond kind to us! We were worried that the weather might not be favorable, but we prayed about it. God gave us the most beautiful day, and everyone was completely comfortable.

As we now are married, joined forever to one another, we look to God to strengthen us and our marriage, and we have complete faith that He will.