What a difference a year makes. One year ago yesterday I was finding out news that I never even imagined I would hear. I remember exactly what happened, I remember the phone call vividly. I remember where I was, who I saw directly afterwards. I remember how much where i work stepped up to the plate and helped me get a plane ticket out of Cleveland immediately.
One year ago yesterday we found out my mom had cancer. Cancer. It's crazy to think about still today. How could this brilliant, young, beautiful person have cancer. How could she have such a serious cancer. What are we looking at here. How are we going to deal with it all.
And now, one year later we are sitting here with her 6 months off of Chemotherapy. A year ( a little less) away from her surgery. In the past year she has taken many medications, many shots, many IV's. They have pumped her body full of poison. They have cut her open, and sewed her back up. What a difference a year makes.
My Mom is my hero. Undoubtedly. She has been a completely amazing example throughout this entire ordeal. I am so excited that she is a year out. She had some tests run last week to check her current status, see where her levels are at. We will find out those results later this week. I will continue to pray, as I hope you do for good results.
As she keeps walking down this road, I will stand back in complete amazement of her strength, her courage, her faith.
It's been 3 weeks since Carl's Moms accident. 3 weeks of painful recovery, of surgery, of swelling and pain medication. On Friday of this week she was finally able to have her surgery on her right leg. Hopefully now we will be moving toward rehab and more recovery. Moving toward rebuilding strength, the ability to use her legs, the ability to use her hand. Things we take for granted everyday.
Although she still has a long road of recovery ahead of her it is nice to be past the surgery and continually moving forward. She is another example to us of an amazing woman who is dealing with more than we ourselves could imagine.
Carl and I certainly have good examples in our lives. Good examples of what it means to follow God and his plan even when it doesn't make sense to us. To have faith in a faithless word. To be strong when you have no strength.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Heaps and Piles. Heaps and Piles.
Do you ever notice that the things around your house that need to get done turn into heaps and piles? Seriously every time I turn around there is a new heap, a new pile. A new pile of mail. A new heap of Laundry. A new pile of dishes. A new heap of groceries. A new pile of trash. A new heap of bedding. A new pile of ... well you get the picture.
Being a newlywed there are certain things you have to figure out. It's amazing how much two people living together can be so different than one person living somewhere. I feel like Carl and I have a pretty good take on who does what stuff around the house. Although we are very different in how and when we do it. We do pretty good. But the two things that seem to always be in heaps and piles are Laundry and Dishes.
Seriously every time I turn around the sink is full of dishes AGAIN. Didn't I just start the dishwasher? Is someone playing a joke on me. How do two people go through so many dishes??? I do think in part it's because we are both working full time, with other commitments throughout the week, so stuff does just tend to pile up. I mean not to complain, but I am TIRED when I get home from work. That is partially due to the long drive I've added to my work day. So dishes, seriously, give me a break. Maybe I can convince my husband to stop eating? No probably not. And really we go through far more cups than we do plates. We drink a lot. A lot of juice, milk and water that is.
As for Laundry, this one is just plain and simple because I dislike doing it. I dislike folding. A lot. And yet I don't like things to come out of the dryer without being immediately folded. So it's a conundrum. I will admit most honestly that my husband is far better at remembering to do laundry than me. Part is that he wears a uniform to work everyday, so each week those pieces need to be cleaned. Where as... I can kind of throw outfits together. And you know... I have plenty of clothes to throw together! (Shh don't tell him I admitted that). I can't wait for my mom to come out this summer and help me go through all my clothes and just get rid of stuff. She is great at that.
The funny thing about laundry is that it really is never ending. There is always something to wash. Unless we start going naked around our house (which will not happen). But beyond clothes there are the towels, the sheets, the kitchen washcloths.... the never ending heaps and piles.
I am grateful that I have a husband who is willing to help with the laundry. Who took the time to organize our basement to be more laundry friendly. Who gave me space to fold and put laundry before we bring it upstairs. Who keeps some of his clothes downstairs so he doesn't wake me up in the morning when he gets ready for work. He really is pretty great.
Now if I could just find the little gremlins that are running around our house continuously adding to our heaps and piles, there is no way it could just be us....right?
Being a newlywed there are certain things you have to figure out. It's amazing how much two people living together can be so different than one person living somewhere. I feel like Carl and I have a pretty good take on who does what stuff around the house. Although we are very different in how and when we do it. We do pretty good. But the two things that seem to always be in heaps and piles are Laundry and Dishes.
Seriously every time I turn around the sink is full of dishes AGAIN. Didn't I just start the dishwasher? Is someone playing a joke on me. How do two people go through so many dishes??? I do think in part it's because we are both working full time, with other commitments throughout the week, so stuff does just tend to pile up. I mean not to complain, but I am TIRED when I get home from work. That is partially due to the long drive I've added to my work day. So dishes, seriously, give me a break. Maybe I can convince my husband to stop eating? No probably not. And really we go through far more cups than we do plates. We drink a lot. A lot of juice, milk and water that is.
As for Laundry, this one is just plain and simple because I dislike doing it. I dislike folding. A lot. And yet I don't like things to come out of the dryer without being immediately folded. So it's a conundrum. I will admit most honestly that my husband is far better at remembering to do laundry than me. Part is that he wears a uniform to work everyday, so each week those pieces need to be cleaned. Where as... I can kind of throw outfits together. And you know... I have plenty of clothes to throw together! (Shh don't tell him I admitted that). I can't wait for my mom to come out this summer and help me go through all my clothes and just get rid of stuff. She is great at that.
The funny thing about laundry is that it really is never ending. There is always something to wash. Unless we start going naked around our house (which will not happen). But beyond clothes there are the towels, the sheets, the kitchen washcloths.... the never ending heaps and piles.
I am grateful that I have a husband who is willing to help with the laundry. Who took the time to organize our basement to be more laundry friendly. Who gave me space to fold and put laundry before we bring it upstairs. Who keeps some of his clothes downstairs so he doesn't wake me up in the morning when he gets ready for work. He really is pretty great.
Now if I could just find the little gremlins that are running around our house continuously adding to our heaps and piles, there is no way it could just be us....right?
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Husbands other "Significant Other"
I like to believe that I hold a special place in my husbands heart and his life. I am his wife. I do get to spend eternity with him. So you know, that counts for something.
I help him with the chores around the house (although admittedly he is better at consistently remembering to do the laundry whereas I forgot it down there... oops.) I make him dinner (a lot of the time). I clean his bathroom (that deserves an award after 4 boys lived in that house, can you say disgusting?). I make sure our sheets get washed every two weeks, if not every week. I make sure that he has what he needs for the week. And he really takes care of me too. He is the best.
But I've noticed lately, that he has another significant other. Yes, you read that right. There is something in his life that is pretty comparable to how important I am to him.
As his wife it was slightly confusing at first. Then I went through all the stages of grief. Denial, anger, guilt, bargaining, depression and loneliness. I am now to the point of acceptance.
You see this other thing is important to my husband, and I support that. And occasionally those two let me into their secret club, and I feel cool.
You see, our dog Harley, he is my husbands other significant other. I don't believe the two of them can live without each other.
Harley sleeps with us at night (truth be told, that was my doing not my husband). But given the choice to sleep next to me or my hubby, he chooses the hubby every time. He also would choose to sleep in between us first and foremost, trying to separate us! Harley cries when Carl leaves the house. Literally. Cries. He will stand at the back door and whine and whine. If he thinks Carl has gone into the backyard or garage without him, he will whine until I let him out to be with Carl. It doesn't matter that I am still in the house, it matters that Carl left. When Carl leaves for work in the morning, it breaks his little heart.
Lately on the weekends we have been taking Harley with us when we go places because he is home alone a lot during the week. If Carl gets out of the car before I do, Harley freaks out. Although Harley sits on my lap while we drive, it's only because he is not allowed to sit on the drivers lap. He has a 6th sense about when we are getting close to where we are going, he will start to whine and immediately jump in Carls lap the minuet the car is in park.
Don't be fooled. Harley may be in love with my husband, but my husband is also in love with that Dog. They are two peas in a pod. Inseparable. Although we occasionally disagree about who should get up to let the dog out in the middle of the night, Carl still loves that dog like there is no tomorrow.
So now you know our secret, my husbands significant other. They are pretty cute together though.
I help him with the chores around the house (although admittedly he is better at consistently remembering to do the laundry whereas I forgot it down there... oops.) I make him dinner (a lot of the time). I clean his bathroom (that deserves an award after 4 boys lived in that house, can you say disgusting?). I make sure our sheets get washed every two weeks, if not every week. I make sure that he has what he needs for the week. And he really takes care of me too. He is the best.
But I've noticed lately, that he has another significant other. Yes, you read that right. There is something in his life that is pretty comparable to how important I am to him.
As his wife it was slightly confusing at first. Then I went through all the stages of grief. Denial, anger, guilt, bargaining, depression and loneliness. I am now to the point of acceptance.
You see this other thing is important to my husband, and I support that. And occasionally those two let me into their secret club, and I feel cool.
You see, our dog Harley, he is my husbands other significant other. I don't believe the two of them can live without each other.
Harley sleeps with us at night (truth be told, that was my doing not my husband). But given the choice to sleep next to me or my hubby, he chooses the hubby every time. He also would choose to sleep in between us first and foremost, trying to separate us! Harley cries when Carl leaves the house. Literally. Cries. He will stand at the back door and whine and whine. If he thinks Carl has gone into the backyard or garage without him, he will whine until I let him out to be with Carl. It doesn't matter that I am still in the house, it matters that Carl left. When Carl leaves for work in the morning, it breaks his little heart.
Lately on the weekends we have been taking Harley with us when we go places because he is home alone a lot during the week. If Carl gets out of the car before I do, Harley freaks out. Although Harley sits on my lap while we drive, it's only because he is not allowed to sit on the drivers lap. He has a 6th sense about when we are getting close to where we are going, he will start to whine and immediately jump in Carls lap the minuet the car is in park.
Don't be fooled. Harley may be in love with my husband, but my husband is also in love with that Dog. They are two peas in a pod. Inseparable. Although we occasionally disagree about who should get up to let the dog out in the middle of the night, Carl still loves that dog like there is no tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
My Blog is Boring
My Blog is boring. It needs pictures. Pictures of our home, our decorations for Christmas, and everything else! Sadly I can't find my Camera changer. Boo.
It's been an interesting week around our house.
On Friday I notice that our bathtub wasn't draining right. I mentioned it to Carl who said he'd take care of it. So Saturday morning he went out to breakfast with his buddy Matt, and after they picked up drain-o and came back to the house.
Sadly... Drain-O didn't solve our problems. AT ALL. It took Carl and Matt from about 10:30am to about 5:00pm to fix the problem. It involved a lot of cutting of pipes, cleaning pipes, putting new pipes. My house was a disaster area. Seriously. BUT on the plus side.. they fixed it! I am thankful I have a handy man and a friend who is willing to help out when we need it. I am also thankful that I got to take a shower later that night! Yikes.
Starting on Sunday we heard we were in for a little bit of snow starting Monday. Well let me tell you... a little bit of snow has turned into A LOT OF SNOW! Seriously. A lot. A lot a lot. It just keeps coming and coming and coming and coming. It's supposed to stop tonight for a few days. But rumor has it a blizzard is headed our way this weekend.
I don't mind the snow so much. The drivers who don't know how to drive in it on the other hand... Also my commute which is usually long on it's own... has now pretty consistently taken me about an hour and a half each way each day. YIKES!
Anyway. We are doing ok. Sadly Carl is sick today. He's at home recovering. I am at work surviving the weather. We are looking forward to a great weekend. We get to go to a friends wedding, and hang out with eachother! (We should also probably finish Christmas Shopping.. details!)
I promise to try and get my blog to be more interesting.
It's been an interesting week around our house.
On Friday I notice that our bathtub wasn't draining right. I mentioned it to Carl who said he'd take care of it. So Saturday morning he went out to breakfast with his buddy Matt, and after they picked up drain-o and came back to the house.
Sadly... Drain-O didn't solve our problems. AT ALL. It took Carl and Matt from about 10:30am to about 5:00pm to fix the problem. It involved a lot of cutting of pipes, cleaning pipes, putting new pipes. My house was a disaster area. Seriously. BUT on the plus side.. they fixed it! I am thankful I have a handy man and a friend who is willing to help out when we need it. I am also thankful that I got to take a shower later that night! Yikes.
Starting on Sunday we heard we were in for a little bit of snow starting Monday. Well let me tell you... a little bit of snow has turned into A LOT OF SNOW! Seriously. A lot. A lot a lot. It just keeps coming and coming and coming and coming. It's supposed to stop tonight for a few days. But rumor has it a blizzard is headed our way this weekend.
I don't mind the snow so much. The drivers who don't know how to drive in it on the other hand... Also my commute which is usually long on it's own... has now pretty consistently taken me about an hour and a half each way each day. YIKES!
Anyway. We are doing ok. Sadly Carl is sick today. He's at home recovering. I am at work surviving the weather. We are looking forward to a great weekend. We get to go to a friends wedding, and hang out with eachother! (We should also probably finish Christmas Shopping.. details!)
I promise to try and get my blog to be more interesting.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Name Change Process....
Do you realize how many different places you need to change your name at when you get married?
Let's start with the basics...
You need a new license. To get a new License you must first change it with the Social Security Office.
So...
1.) Social Security Office
2.) License
3.) Change your name at work which includes:
a.) Your offical name on their paperwork
b.) Your name with the insurance company
c.) Your name with your taxes
d.) Your dependant information
e.) Your email
f.) Any Place your name may appear on the website
4.) Your Bank
5.) Adding your name to his bank
6.) Your offical Address form
7.) Your car registration
8.) Your car title
9.) Your credit cards
10.) Your student loans.
AND ON AND ON AND ON> > >
(Oh yeah and don't forget your personal email and facebook ;) )
Marriage is a lot of change. A lot of compromise. A lot of giving. A lot of taking. It's a lot of transition. Even just the small things like the side of the bed you sleep on. The time you go to bed. Doing the dishes. Cooking for two. Laundry for two. Where to keep your make up. What shows you like on tv. Where the dishes are put in the kitchen.
Changing your name maybe one of the most time consuming transitions in marriage. But it's not the only huge change... there is a lot of change.
Change isn't a bad thing. It just takes time to get used to. It's kind of exciting to watch all the peices fall into place.
Let's start with the basics...
You need a new license. To get a new License you must first change it with the Social Security Office.
So...
1.) Social Security Office
2.) License
3.) Change your name at work which includes:
a.) Your offical name on their paperwork
b.) Your name with the insurance company
c.) Your name with your taxes
d.) Your dependant information
e.) Your email
f.) Any Place your name may appear on the website
4.) Your Bank
5.) Adding your name to his bank
6.) Your offical Address form
7.) Your car registration
8.) Your car title
9.) Your credit cards
10.) Your student loans.
AND ON AND ON AND ON> > >
(Oh yeah and don't forget your personal email and facebook ;) )
Marriage is a lot of change. A lot of compromise. A lot of giving. A lot of taking. It's a lot of transition. Even just the small things like the side of the bed you sleep on. The time you go to bed. Doing the dishes. Cooking for two. Laundry for two. Where to keep your make up. What shows you like on tv. Where the dishes are put in the kitchen.
Changing your name maybe one of the most time consuming transitions in marriage. But it's not the only huge change... there is a lot of change.
Change isn't a bad thing. It just takes time to get used to. It's kind of exciting to watch all the peices fall into place.
Monday, November 29, 2010
4 weeks 4 hours and 34 mins...
Or something like that. That is how long we have been married. Seriously 4 weeks?! It seemed like the last 4 weeks leading up to our wedding took foreverrrr. The first 4 weeks after? WAY TOO FAST. We have had things going on all weekend, every weekend since we've been home from the honeymoon.
Needless to say, we are enjoying married life, getting use to living with a boy (or girl), and trying to get settled in the house. We'd like to decorate for Christmas, but I think it's customary to get rid of the boxes first so you don't have to decorate moving boxes.
It's kind of fun, and funny to combine two peoples lives, and homes into one. You find that you have way too much of some stuff, and not enough of the other.
So in honor of blending our lives together, I will give you the top 10 things I've learned in the last 4 weeks.
10. What's yours is mine, and whats mine is ... mine. :) Kidding kidding. Remember, you are now living with another human being. Someone who enjoys ice cream, orange juice, and money just as much as you. You cannot be selfish!
9. People like their milk different ways. This may equal buying two different types for a house that only has two people in it. That is ok.
8. Girls use more toilet paper than boys. Something they don't realize before marriage.
7. I like clean sheets at least every other week. Preferably once a week. No comment on my better halfs opinion.
6. For some reason it really does matter to me that the Cake Mix and the frosting end up in the same cabinet. I do not like to walk all over the kitchen to make one thing. I am irrational like that.
5. You are a morning person. I am not. It's ok that we aren't the same on that. I will never be a morning person. You will never be a night person. I am glad we enjoy the middle of the day together. Yes I still consider the hours 7-9 the morning.
4. Snacking all day does not qualify as a reasonable excuse to not eat dinner. Dinner, with protein. I will never believe it is.
3. Boys are weird. No really they are. Things that make absolutely no sense to us girls, mean the most to them. No I don't believe you need 3 junk drawers, and 5 shelves for tools in the kitchen. You have a garage and a basement. No I don't believe because we have a lot of blankets in the house, this means you don't have to turn the heat on. Case in point: Boys are weird.
2. Girls are weirder. Haha really. Poor guys will never understand us. They have no hope. Yes I do like my laundry folded when it comes out of the dryer. Seriously I do have a spot in mind for the cups in the kitchen, and would prefer if they were put up there every time, it just makes sense in my head. Yes I really do need all of those products in the shower. No I will not let you wear that out in public. I am sorry but me not wanting to fall into the toilet in the middle of the night trumps your convenience, please put the seat down. Poor Poor Men.
1. Being married to the most awesome, Godly man...Knowing you are married to the man God had for you... Cuddling, loving, hanging out around the house together....Going shopping together, fixing up the house together... Waking up next to your best friend every morning (even when he gets up around 5...), it is all worth numbers 2-10. I wouldn't trade this for the world, and I wouldn't want to be learning the in's and outs with any other person. Sure our house isn't quite set up yet, sure we differ in opinions on some things. But it is all worth it. I love my husband so much.
I hope you all look forward to future posts from us. We are just trying to figure out life, love and everything in-between!
Needless to say, we are enjoying married life, getting use to living with a boy (or girl), and trying to get settled in the house. We'd like to decorate for Christmas, but I think it's customary to get rid of the boxes first so you don't have to decorate moving boxes.
It's kind of fun, and funny to combine two peoples lives, and homes into one. You find that you have way too much of some stuff, and not enough of the other.
So in honor of blending our lives together, I will give you the top 10 things I've learned in the last 4 weeks.
10. What's yours is mine, and whats mine is ... mine. :) Kidding kidding. Remember, you are now living with another human being. Someone who enjoys ice cream, orange juice, and money just as much as you. You cannot be selfish!
9. People like their milk different ways. This may equal buying two different types for a house that only has two people in it. That is ok.
8. Girls use more toilet paper than boys. Something they don't realize before marriage.
7. I like clean sheets at least every other week. Preferably once a week. No comment on my better halfs opinion.
6. For some reason it really does matter to me that the Cake Mix and the frosting end up in the same cabinet. I do not like to walk all over the kitchen to make one thing. I am irrational like that.
5. You are a morning person. I am not. It's ok that we aren't the same on that. I will never be a morning person. You will never be a night person. I am glad we enjoy the middle of the day together. Yes I still consider the hours 7-9 the morning.
4. Snacking all day does not qualify as a reasonable excuse to not eat dinner. Dinner, with protein. I will never believe it is.
3. Boys are weird. No really they are. Things that make absolutely no sense to us girls, mean the most to them. No I don't believe you need 3 junk drawers, and 5 shelves for tools in the kitchen. You have a garage and a basement. No I don't believe because we have a lot of blankets in the house, this means you don't have to turn the heat on. Case in point: Boys are weird.
2. Girls are weirder. Haha really. Poor guys will never understand us. They have no hope. Yes I do like my laundry folded when it comes out of the dryer. Seriously I do have a spot in mind for the cups in the kitchen, and would prefer if they were put up there every time, it just makes sense in my head. Yes I really do need all of those products in the shower. No I will not let you wear that out in public. I am sorry but me not wanting to fall into the toilet in the middle of the night trumps your convenience, please put the seat down. Poor Poor Men.
1. Being married to the most awesome, Godly man...Knowing you are married to the man God had for you... Cuddling, loving, hanging out around the house together....Going shopping together, fixing up the house together... Waking up next to your best friend every morning (even when he gets up around 5...), it is all worth numbers 2-10. I wouldn't trade this for the world, and I wouldn't want to be learning the in's and outs with any other person. Sure our house isn't quite set up yet, sure we differ in opinions on some things. But it is all worth it. I love my husband so much.
I hope you all look forward to future posts from us. We are just trying to figure out life, love and everything in-between!
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