From the Yellow House...

Hey y'all! Hope your weekend is off to a nice start! We here at the yellow house have been busy with the goings on of 6th and 3rd grade, work, and recovery from surgery. And mama is just busy with it all! The big hubbub around these parts is that the sweet husband has had to go through another (his second) shoulder surgery in just over 6 months. And y'all, it's on the same shoulder. He's a real trooper. And unlike this chick, he has managed to still look so danged cute through it all. Figures.
     During the last couple of days I've spent taking care of him, I've had some time to think. Not that I've had a lot of down time, mind you. He IS down to one arm. Try to go to the bathroom with one arm all tied up, and you'll see where I've been needed the last couple of days. I'm a good wife, but I digress... Something that I've been thinking about lately-really it's something that I make a priority-is my marriage. Albeit, we've been married just over a year, but we have faced some unique challenges in our short time married. We also came into our relationship with a background of struggles that have made us who we are, and have given us a starting point from which to base our standards off of. Funny how, at the time we were going through those times, we never thought of them like that. While we can both say that we work to make sure we both experience the butterfly feelings and goosebumps regularly, real life does rear its ugly head and show us who's boss now and again. And with the sweet husband's surgery, it has definitely tried to do just that. But. Instead of giving in to the inevitable stress that this physical issue has brought, I've learned a lot from it. It has been a year now since my sweet husband was injured at work. Long story short...he hurt his leg, took care of business, and went back to work. Fast forward a couple of months and he noticed that his shoulder had been especially stiff and sore. Nothing we tried had worked, so off to the doc he went. Nothing she tried worked, and off to the shoulder doc he went. All the recommendations and physical therapy in the world couldn't cure the torn stuff up in his shoulder. Figuring all of this out took a while, y'all. So off to the operating room he went. But that didn't work. For the last 6 months, he has struggled with constant pain, lack of sleep, frustration, side effects of constant medication, and everything else that you can possibly imagine. It took its toll on him, and on all of us.
I'm not gonna lie here. Some days, he frustrated the living hell outta me. It was hard to maintain the happy wife face while he was suffering. I took it personally when he lashed out from not feeling well. But the next day he would be back to normal. Talk about adding insult to injury (get it??). Looking back over the last year, I can see that we have grown so much closer through this trying period than through the happy, lovey-dovey days that we have. Don't get me wrong, I adore those days...we have plenty of 'em. He is one of the most romantic men out there. But for seeing him at his most vulnerable, doing what I can to make him the most comfortable, being able to care for him and honor him with complete love, I can honestly say that I feel closer to him than ever. Isn't that ultimately what I should be doing anyway? In sickness AND in health? Making sure everything I do brings him ultimate comfort, care, and love? Showing him my love by treating him gently and kindly? Hmm. Something to think about.
Now, this isn't gonna be easy. He will still frustrate the hell outta me. I'm not innocent either, although I know I've gotta be easy-peasy to get along with! Speaking of...sounds like "somebody" needs their pants tied up. Wonder what he would do if I tied them in a double knot next time?? All my best... ~Jennifer (don't forget to follow this blog!!)

Starting Our Future Together

     Trying to plan a wedding can be a tricky, tricky proposition.  Between the stress of sticking to budgets and trying not to step on toes and hurt feelings, the whole wedding idea just doesn't sound too appealing.  Especially when so many weddings end up being less of a reflection on the two being married and more of a garish attempt at impressing and one-upping.  I mean, how many girls do you know read a magazine then try to repeat exactly what they see?  How many brides do you know have at least a half a dozen break downs in the months and days leading up to their wedding?  Sounds like such a magical time to me...(insert sarcasticness here).  So.  That being said...
     Sean and I were in the middle of planning our traditional wedding for September when we both looked at each other and had our light bulb moment...what the heck were we doin?  Neither one of use really wanted a "traditional" wedding.  We didn't want the stress, or the expense, or the added drama that almost always seems to go along with the experience.  In fact, we had originally planned to have a destination wedding.  But, with pressure from members of extended family (immediate members didn't mind...go figure) we decided to do it here.  Thank the good Lord we wised up before we got in too deep!
     So here is where we are now.  Our original plan was to get married then go on our honeymoon to Savannah GA.  Neither one of us had been there (long story, but important to me) and it just seems like it's perfectly romantic.  While I was looking around at different things, I found some places that do weddings in and around the areas...and there again the light bulb went off again.  So here is where we are...


Breathtaking.


     Our plans include the scene above.  Huge, old trees covered with Spanish moss.  Sunset.  Just the two of us.  Peaceful and perfect.  I'll be wearing a white sundress with my boots (gotta be different!) and Sean will be Sean...we are still working on what he's gonna wear.  Whatever he picks, he will look fantastic.
     The whole point of us going to Savannah to be married is that it will be us.  There won't be anyone to please and every detail will be what we want.  I will be able to focus on marrying my best friend and soul mate, and not worry if the candles are dripping too much or if my flowers were delivered on time.  I want to relax and enjoy our time together.  We plan to wake up and enjoy our day leading up to the wedding...nice and relaxing!  And that is what it is all about.  Relaxing and enjoying each other, and celebrating the incredible time in our lives as we start our future together.     

Just Another Weekend...

In case anyone was ever curious about what we do or how we typically spend our weekends...worry no more!  I've put together a little montage of sorts in pictures covering the weird and random things that takes place under our roof.  And across Stillwater and the surrounding areas.  So kick back, relax, and enjoy...and be slightly jealous that you weren't here to experience the fun that is our family!

Sean was pretty freaking awesome (isn't he always, though??) and won us some tickets to go see Gary Alan in concert here in town on Saturday of that weekend.  So, we got dressed to hang out outside (love outside concerts!) and started out filling up on some supper before making our way out.

Chowin' down on some TexMex to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!  Not sure what this look is for...I'm gonna guess cause I took his picture?

Me chowin' down as well...and dadgum I look plum wore out!!  Not my best picture to date...

No weekend morning is complete without at least one trip to the doughnut store for us.  At least when we don't have much else going on.  And you can see why...this kid can eat his weight in doughnuts, which really isn't all THAT much.  It's a tradition we have that I hope to continue on for a very long time.

What's a better way to start off a weekend morning than with a tray full of yummy goodness?!  I only had one long john thankyouverymuch! 

Also, every other Saturday morning Lowes offers a program called Build and Grow.  They provide little projects for the kids to build and make, and let me tell you it's the greatest thing evah!  They look forward to it all week long! 

She's concentrating so hard building her project!

Not to be outdone, he is rocking his terrarium as well.

These two little angels sure know how to make an ordinary trip to Lowes interesting, to say the least.  The evidence is in the following pictures.  Sorry for any offending we may have caused, but we love to have fun.

She was so proud for doing this all on her own.  I turned around to find her and lo and behold...she's on her throne.

It just went down the drain from there.

 

The rest of the day was spent around the house...some of us worked.  The ones under the age of 11 played.  Figures.

Ahhh....he makes gardening look so goood.

Playtime included a roll around on his new skateboard.  And a few new bumps and bruises to impress the ladies with.  

It's the neighborhood sword fight time.  Notice the girls in the back of the truck...they are sitting in their lawn chairs.  They also brought out drinks and popsicles.  Genius.

DOGPILE!!  Nobody wanted to leave poor Sean out of all the fun of the weekend so here he is in all his playtime glory.  What the picture doesn't show is the multiple times he was jumped on by not just one kid, but by both.  What a trooper.

With all that energy burned up with playing and working, what else is there to do but stuff our faces?  God bless Atwoods and their $.25 hotdogs!!

No caption needed here.

Welp, that about sums up our weekends.  At least the highlights anyways.  There were a few naps in there, and I believe there may have been a meltdown or two because of a sleepy child (I won't mention any names).  All in all, I have to say that when I was a kid and spent time dreaming of how I would spend my time with my kiddos this is just about how I imagined it would be.  Fun, muddy, an occasional scrape in need of a bandaid, and lots and lots of laughter and love. 

And Another Update...

     Needless to say, life has been just a tad bit hectic over the past couple of weeks in our neck of the woods.  To say the least.  From moving, school, planning the summer, and just straight up dealing with life we are hanging in and hanging on!  And lovin' every minute of it!  Although there barely seems to be enough time to sleep, I wouldn't change a thing.  Well, maybe get to throw in a nap every now and then, but other than that...So what's up, you ask?  Let me just fill you in! 
     Nothing has really changed, except that we are mostly moved in and we have made some fun and exciting plans for the summer.  I absolutely love having something to look forward to.  I really don't think I would make it too far in life without having something cookin' on the planner.  Even if it's small and seemingly insignificant to others, it's something to me!  We've always had our somewhat regular date nights, but I will be honest...I've let my "creative" stuff slide with all the extra stuff we've had going on lately.  And that is fixin' to change!  I've been thinking up some great ideas to do...there's something to be said for fun and special treats for date night instead of the traditional going out to eat.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  In fact, we just had a tasty meal out together last night.  And tonight I have something pretty sweet up my sleeve.  I'll be sure to write about it later.  Cause I don't want to ruin the surprise.
     So my sweet, loving and super duper smart man 'o mine did something the other day that is going to pay off for us this weekend.  Since he is up at the butt crack of dawn (literally, poor guy) and is probably the only one up at that time, he won us tickets to the Calfry on Saturday night.  What, you ask, is the Calfry?  Well, another name it goes by is the Testicle Festival, and that's not just for fun.  Just more descriptive.  It's where a ton of calf fries are made, and bands come out and play all weekend and lots 'o beer is consumed.  So we will be there and get to see Gary Allen and Wade Bowen and several other performers.  Should be tons of fun and a great time out together!  I absolutely love getting to go out and being seen on my man's arm!
     We are blessed to be able to do some traveling together as a family this summer.  Currently in the works is a trip to San Antonio with my immediate family.  Lucky Sean...he gets to spend all kinds of time with the crazies!!  Great thing everyone loves him and the feeling is mutual!  And just about the time our trip wraps up in TX Jax gets to head to D.C. with my dad and step-mom and my niece for a trip just for them.  Talk about an exciting trip for a 10 year old boy!  I'm so excited for him and I can't wait to hear all about it.  And I'm sure he will for a very, very long time. 
     And my school continues.  And will all summer long.  But my stress reliever ended today...I had my last 6 am class at the gym this morning.  At least until the fall semester starts up again.  Ah well.  I have the evening classes still.  It's not the same as kickin' off your day right with the best instructor on earth.  I am absolutely in love with working out now.  And I will reschedule my day around times to get it in, and not because of how I look but because of how I feel.  I'm addicted I'm afraid!      
     All I know is that in 4 months and 4 weeks I get to marry the love of my life, and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I might be a bit busy up till then.  But it's been a blast planning out the wedding and getting everything ready for the big day!!  Welp, that's about it for today and this update.  I will hopefully keep this little blog 'o mine kept up with more frequently than I have been.  But we will see. :-). 

Up 'Till Now...

     Ok.  So I realize I've been a bit behind on this blogging deal of late, so time to play catch up with our wild and crazy busy lives.  I swore I wouldn't be one of "those" bloggers, but guess I was wrong.  Not the first time, and sure won't ever be the last!!
     School is...well...school.  I dread it most nights but at the same time, I actually find myself enjoying learning new things.  I have caught myself saying weird things like "Shouldn't this stuff get easier as I go along, since I'm learning more??".  Makes no sense, I know.  But my brain is fried.  What can I say.  I'm learning the things I enjoy are not the subjects I originally thought I would.  I still have a love for sociology.  And truth be told, if ever there were to be money made in that field, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat.  But, alas, there's not.  So why waste my time and money on something that won't pay the bills?  Ergo my dilemma.  Still going with the business degree with a minor in medical management, but kinda leaning towards a masters in sociology.  That way all parts of my educational heart can be happy.  We shall see how it all turns out in the end.
     One week from tomorrow is one of the hugest days of all for us.  We close on our house!!!  I don't know who's more excited about what...us about more room or the kids about getting the puppies that are coming when we move.  There are so many awesome things happening for us that nobody can't say that God isn't involved in it!  He's sure smiling on us!  Other than not having everything packed up yet (ahem...) we are all rarin' to head over to the new house!!  We noticed that we have a fairly older man as a neighbor.  Let's hope he's a nice older man like the one that both Sean and I had as neighbors growing up.  There are so many kids and places to run and play.  Nothing like living in a col-d-sac!
     I've continued my healthy living changes...no more Cokes except for special occasions.  No candy except for when I usually have a Coke.  Nothing like having a Reece's cup with a Coke.  Nothing but high protein, complex carbs, fruits and veggies to eat.  Coffee, unsweet tea (or with Stevia...yummy stuff!) or water.  Big changes for me!!  I've also become quite addicted to Zumba.  I absolutely love shakin' it at 6 in the morning to get my day started off right.  And in the mornings there's not a class offered, there's always one later in the day.  I find I'm always checking the Colvin/Wellness Center schedules to see when the next class is.  I would say I MIGHT be addicted.  Just maybe.  Really in the scheme of things is that so bad?  There are so many other things a girl could be addicted to and I'm thinking working out can't be all that bad. :)
     Why am I doing all the working out, you ask?  Well the wedding is coming up quick!!  I wanna be one smokin' hot mama in that dress!!  Plus we have all the other pre-wedding stuff, too.  Pictures need to look good, too.  It is so exciting to be planning for our future.  All of our decisions are fun to make...it breaks my heart to hear about couples that fight and argue about their wedding and all the details.  This should be a happy day!  We are thrilled to celebrate it!!  Now the counting down begins!  Only 5 months and about 2 1/2 weeks left to go!  Plus we've FINALLY decided on our honeymoon details.  At first we debated on just doing a family vacation, but with some of our summer plans including a big one already, we decided that we needed to do a get away just for ourselves.  So....we chose....Savannah, Georgia.  We wanted a place in the south that neither of us had ever been to before.  We both love history and museums, so that will be perfect for a week away from reality to spend together, just the two of us.
     Hmmm....I think that just about covers it, for now.  That's the high points of our lives and what we have going on right now.  So many new and exciting things are are getting to experience together and as a family.  It is incredible to be able to move along on the journey together with my best friend, who makes each good day the best day of my life and the down times so much more tolerable...dare I say even fun.  Just yesterday at work one of my co-workers commented on just how how happy I look and could tell by how I carried myself that my life is where it should be and that I am full of love and loved fully.  That made my day in more ways than I could ever begin to describe.  Because it is the truth.  Never before Mr. Man walked into my life have I EVER heard that.  Not one time.  I am finally at a place where I not only can love someone freely and without any kind of walls around my heart, but I can also love myself for all that I am and all that I have to offer.  I would say that is a huge change that has been ever evolving!