Honor the most important minutes of the day…The moment when you first see your spouse of each day, dictates how the rest of your time together is going to be.  Even if you’ve got a bill you need to discuss, or if you are running late, you need to make those first few minutes, time to connect on a personal level – it makes a huge difference.  The other most important minutes are right before you go to sleep at night.  This is not the time to discuss that bill I mentioned earlier!  Don’t go to sleep mad or upset with each other.  This is the time you need to take to express loving goodnights and soft whispers.  Fall asleep holding hands – you’ll be surprised how good you will sleep!

Have an accepting spirit…Rather than being a faultfinder, you want to catch your loved one doing something right.  Rex is good at this.  He makes me want to do better when he compliments me on cooking a good meal or finding a good deal with some online shopping.  If he nit-picked me, I wouldn’t want to try harder to do better.

Show support, as friends do…Think about how friends act.  They talk about things they’re both interested in, they tell jokes. They accompany one another to activities they enjoy, whether it’s a movie or going to the gym.  They ask how they are doing and what did you do last night?  But with their spouse, they’ll walk into the kitchen and just kind of grunt!  Investing more energy in less-intimate relationships is crazy.  Your interest and support should go to your mate above everyone else.

Fulfill your spouse’s needs…I love the book “His Needs, Her Needs”, by Willard F. Harley, Jr.  If we all would live by the author’s writings in this book, we would have incredible marriages.  Briefly, I will list them, but you should read the book to get his insight on all of them. 

Men’s Needs:  1. sexual fulfillment  2. attractive spouse  3. recreational companionship  4. domestic support  5. admiration  

Women’s Needs:  1. affection  2. conversation  3. honesty and openness              4. financial support  5. financial commitment. 

Be flexible…Don’t be so rigid that you can’t bend a little when necessary.  So what, if it is not your job to take out the trash, it won’t kill you to do it!  If your spouse has to work late and it interferes with your evening plans, don’t throw a fit.  Be flexible!  Remember the golden rule – “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you”! 

Keep dating…No matter how long you have been married, you need to keep dating.  Plan on some time weekly or monthly where the two of you are alone together.  I promise you, it won’t just happen – you have to make it happen!  You have to plan the date just like you used to do before you were married.  Set a date, time and activity.  If you have children, get a babysitter or exchange childcare with a friend.  It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something together as a date.

Above all else – pray together and for each other; it’s amazing how prayer changes everything!

Love to all CLC married couples,

Patti Johnson

I can't tell you how much I love this song.

For me, the second verse rings the most true:

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says "Baby, just slow down"

I am going to miss this. I am going to want this back. These ARE some good times.

I can see me looking back on these years now and thinking how easy we had it, how much fun we had, and how much we laughed. I hope to God that my future is just as happy as my present is. If it is more so, God surely will have made my cup runeth over.

I love my life so much right now. Sure, we are poor as church mice, but love makes us rich. Sure, we live in a very small house, but it's just us.

We will be married 3 years this December and I know I speak for both of us in saying that it has been the happiest years of our lives. I hear about some some couples who must have time away from each other in order to get along. That doesn't make sense to me. Adam and I do everything together. Where he goes, I want to go. Where I go, he wants to go. Anytime I do go anywhere by myself I miss that he isn't there. While I am at home during the day, I miss him. He is going to be working late tonight and tomorrow night and I HATE it. I can't get enough of my husband and I know he can't get enough of his wife.

I don't understand people getting divorced. I don't understand "poker night" or going to the bar after work. I don't get fighting with your spouse and not resolving it. Why marry someone you don't like?

Yeah, we have fusses. We rarely fight. We have never been mad for longer than half a day. I can't stay mad at someone as silly as my husband. Really, how can I get mad when I get to stay at home and he works all day?

So, yeah I'm gonna miss our time together. Should children come into the picture, I will miss this. And, I'm sure if I get to be old and gray I will miss that, too.

I mean, look at that smile!  Totally heart melting... and he was even willing to let me take a picture of him with crazy hair... while he washed the dishes.  Yes, I know...  but cloning is really prohibitively expensive.

Anyway, I have spent the morning thinking about how much I like this man... so I thought I would let you in on my sappy weirdo thoughts.

Here's hoping that someone with a gorgeous smile will show up to do YOUR dishes tonight... but back off, you can't have mine!  :)

Today was the day I got up, did a ten minute Pilates for Abs session, managed 20 pushups, and successfully completed Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program!  I also had eggplant for lunch.

I know I only ran a grand total of eight minutes today, which amounts to 0.65 miles of running... and it totally wore me out, but I have never been more proud of myself.  The first time I tried to do this program I couldn't even make it through the first one minute of running... and today I did the whole thing!

I just finished it, did a cool down, and stretched.  I feel worn out, and I think I'll be a little sore tomorrow, but I also feel totally buzzed.  This has got to be better than any other high.

I am also thrilled, because the 5K I planned on doing has been moved from the 13th to the 27th.  This means I am DEFINITELY going to do it, and by then I should be finished with the fourth week of the training program and be able to run about half of the 5K.

I owe thanks to the following:

• my new New Balance shoes - thanks to them, the treadmill no longer gives me terrible arch pain
• my friends and family - you're always there to support me, and it means the world
• my awesome readers - you guys don't even know me, and you offer me the same consistent support I get from family and IRL friends
• Antigone - she's the one who got me thinking about running in the first place
• Brandi - I have her to thank for getting me back to Weight Watchers, which helped me get skinny enough to try this in the first place
• Jackisue - it's moments like this that keep me motivated, you rock!

Of course, so much support is coming from Aaron, who was willing to spend money on my new shoes (and padded socks) this weekend.  He also, along with my awesome friend Tara, helped me earn my mystery point for last week's Healthy Girl Challenge by walking 6.2 miles with me on Sunday to complete a nonstop 10K in laps around the mall!

I am so proud!!!  And so sweaty....  I'm off to the showers.

I have a new motto these days. Borrowing from Nike's famous slogan, the new philosophy that I live by is

While I've already decided months back to go back to teaching, on a part-time basis this time, I haven't done anything yet in the way of submitting application for a post. I'm the master of making excuses and a major procrastinator at that. In fact, my procrastinating is not at all limited to job application but is actually well-distributed in all areas of my life. I'm the type that says "It'll probably be better to just get the laundry tomorrow, it's raining today". So much for my Elementary Teacher's all-time advice of "do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today, yadah yadah yadah"..

I figured my life is already happening and it isn't like time is putting it on hold for me. And so, last week, I snapped at my brain luring me to go back sleeping, frowned at the inviting bed and promptly hauled my sleepy person downstairs to get ready for the day. I went to this open invitation for interview for an ESL Teacher post that I like very much because of the time schedule. So, I'm gonna tell you the bad news first. The bad news is that it isn't the classroom-teaching that I was hoping for but a man to man kind that I will not elaborate anymore why it wasn't what I was hoping because darling Google may just be the thing that'll crush me into silence nobody will hear from me again. I mean, you've heard of the coined word dooced, right?

But the good news is, I finally did it! Yippee!! That's sixteen stars for me!! (sorry, it's my blog).

At least, I've taken procrastination out of the equation, right?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yippee is not really a word I would use to describe my mood today. Today, I learned that I had been scheduled for an interview for a Homebased-ESL Teacher post (that I really see as realistically sustainable source of income for me seeing as it's homebased, right? I could get pregnant now and the HR would never care) on the 23rd and I only learned of it today, the 1st of September! Lovely! Darn that phone's SMS messaging feature (if you could call it that!) acting up again! The interview venue was at a hotel and so like I suspected, hiring's over, it was just a one-day hiring kind of thing. Wouldn't having a homebased job just perfect? No travelling expenses, no clothing and food expenses! It was a full-time job with a monthly rate (and that means idle hours are paid!) and not hourly rate, which technically pays higher but you cannot expect to be paid on hours when you're not teaching, so goodluck with that!

We just bought a new (new to us) dining room table via Craigslist. It's actually a Pottery Barn table and chairs that we got for only $350! We are so fancy now with our brand name furniture. Dinner at our house is now invitation only. Kidding, of course. 

We're still in the market for a bench to round the seating up to six, but I'm sure that will come in due time.

In our "declaration of intent," I answered "I will" these words: will you have Josh to be your wedded husband?  To live together in the covenant of faith, hope and love?  Will you listen to his inmost thoughts, be considerate and tender in your care of him, stand by him faithfully in sickness and in health, and preferring him above all others be his loving and true wife so long as you both shall live?

I am never more aware of the phrase "preferring him above all others" than when I have just spent an afternoon watching GA football with his old college gang---in all of their obnoxious glory.  That's one vow that is easy to keep.  

In other news...

I made it through the first week of school and my first game with the cheerleaders. The week went well, no problems with any students and no screw ups on my part! Score! lol. I had been really worried about what kind of classes I would be getting and hoping that they would be well behaved and so far, I've got that. I know a lot of them won't show their true colors for another week or so but I do have some genuinely nice kids who I think were just raised to be nice and polite. I also have several who wrote on their student data forms that they really are excited about taking Spanish and that they have high goals for their grades. That's always a good thing to hear about your students...it's really encouraging. Sabrina (the other Spanish 1 teacher) and I have gotten ahead on our lesson planning which is awesome. It feels good to be ahead of the game on that front. My only concern at this time is finding time for grading. I have to go straight from my classroom to cheer practice Monday-Wednesday from 4-6 and then Thursdays are our game days which requires me to be at both JV games (There is a JV Blue team and a Gold team). That's a long day! Our game this past Thursday was in Wichita Falls and I didn't get home until midnight! Needless to say I was exhausted on Friday morning when I woke up. Today I also had to get up early for our fundraiser serving breakfast at 7:30am. I'm thankful this was the 2nd of three fundraisers that will be held on Saturdays (at least to my current knowledge). I don't mind doing that work though because it's paying for my trip to Florida in January. ;-) Plus, I'm getting paid extra for doing this and I have to admit it has been sorta fun. The girls are all pretty nice and sweet and fun and I get a kick out of watching them do all their tumbling and stunts. (look at me, using all the right terminology! oh yeah!)

I'm excited we got paid yesterday because now I can go buy some real food. We've been eating so much macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles and frozen dinners. I'm actually looking forward to cooking something and having a good, non-frozen meal for a change. I've cut out lots of coupons to use and made my grocery list and marked the food I have a coupon for so I don't forget to use them. I'm going to become the coupon queen! I want to find the grocery stores that double and triple the coupons and go there too. Long live the coupons!

We swept and mopped the kitchen, hallway, dining room and "dog closet" (i.e. washer/dryer closet with no washer/dryer in it) today. Wow! I didn't even notice the floors were that dirty. The main part we wanted to clean was the dog closet b/c it was beginning to smell like urine and doggy doo-doo. ugh! It took a while after mopping twice for the smell to completely go away. I think we need to find a better place to put the dogs. We are still going back and forth about what to do with Daphne. She has her good days and then her bad days and most mornings are really frustrating with her. I set my alarm to about 6:20ish and without fail she wakes up and starts whining and howling about 15 minutes before I have to get up! It's so frustrating!! Why can't she just be quiet in her kennel and wait till we get up?? We always let her out as soon as we're out of bed, it's the same routine everyday but she's not catching on. She just whines anytime she wants something. It's really annoying. So...we're still trying to decide. Waylon is completely ready to get rid of her, no doubts about it. I still have my doubts and feel bad every time I think about it. So if anyone knows of anyone who wants a dog and would take good care of her, let me know. I'd love to give her to someone who has time and energy and desire to have her and would love her and give her a good home.

Now, I'm really tired and need to get a little rest before going to practice. Thanks for reading again!

Steph

So, my husband took the phone into the Apple store, desperately hoping that they could salvage the phone.  This is the conversation that ensued between Josh and  Mac Genius, verbatim style.

J1: So, I dropped my iPhone in a cup of water and I need to see if you can help me get the back off of the phone to see if it can dry out.

MG1: Oh no!  You shouldn't have told me that.  If you drop the phone in water, then you void the warranty.

J2: I know that, but I have already dropped it in water.  So I need you to help me get the back off of the phone.

MG2: I can't do that.  If I take the back off of the phone, then your warranty is voided.

J3: I know.  But the warranty is already voided because I dropped it in water.  So take the back off.

MG3: But sir, then your warranty will be voided.

J4: But I currently have no warranty to void.  Take the back off of the phone.

MG4: Sir, all that we can do is give you a replacement phone.

J5:  Give?  Or charge me $399?

MG5: Well, yes, the charge is $399.

J6:  Look.  I am not buying a new phone.  I want to see if this phone is salvageable before i give you $399.  I am willing to void my warranty.  So please take the back off of the phone.

MG6:  Well, you need a special tool to take off the back of the phone.

J7:  I realize that, that is why I am here.

MG7: But we don't have that tool, because if we use it, then your warranty is voided.

J8: Then who can take the back off of my phone?

MG8:  I would suggest that you google this problem.  There is probably a video telling you how to do this.

J9: I already have.  And the video said I needed a special tool that only you have.

MG9:  Yes. Well, I can't take the back off of your phone  because it will void your warranty.

J10:  Can you please talk to your supervisor about helping me out?

MG10:  Sure.  (the "genius" walks across the room to his supervisor and explains the problem to him)

Mac Supervisor1: HA!  We don't do that!  That will void the warranty!   

MG11: (to Josh) Sorry, sir.  We are not allowed to take the back off of your phone because you will no longer have your warranty.

I made these to cheer up my precious husband, who had a terrible day at work today.  I've decided to share the picture with you all as well... mostly because it's funny, but also to say thanks!

Thank you for all the support and advice in the last post.  You guys ROCK, and I am totally going to do the 5K.  I figure even if I have to walk most of it, I have still completed a 5K and I can be proud!  I am going to check out a running store near me this weekend and see what they can do for me in terms of shoes.  I am actually getting excited about running!  Weird...

The department experiencing the greatest loss is that of my clothes.  I hate to say that the clothes who have been with the company for years are being replaced by newer, fresher ones.  And yes, we are discriminating based on how pretty the clothes are. There is no longer room for ugly, homely, or imperfect clothing in our closet anymore.  We are also shifting clothes from their previously spacious cubicles to those of a much smaller, more cramped size.

While the move has been uncomfortable, it's also been a good opportunity to shed some of the items that were cluttering my life.  But I have to say, I'm going to miss the torn up jeans from sophomore year of high school that I no longer wear but keep around because they remind me of when I had a nice butt.

1. 1, 2, 3, 4...1, 2, 3, 4...C L E M S O N T I G E RRRR S! - with football season right around the corner, the alumni group in our area is starting to have some functions, and we're planning to go to as many as possible. Clemson fans around Savannah are few and far between--I'd say the ratio is about 15:1 in Georgia/Georgia Tech fans to Clemson fans. Too much black and red and black and gold. Yuck! We're planning to represent in our purple and orange soon enough.

2. Hotel Mertens - just shy of nine months away from getting married, Jo and Craig came down after visiting family in Hilton Head. It was great to play host, and we look forward to doing it again. If you're going to be in the Savannah area, just give me or David a call; we'd love to set you up with free lodging!

3. Faith - a little over a month ago, I started a Beth Moore Bible study called Believing God with a group of gals on the islands. It's been pretty incredible so far, and through the study, I've decided to start attending BSF in September. "BSF" stands for "Bible Study Fellowship." It's an international, non-denominational Bible study that meets weekly from September to May of each year. In the course of seven years, you make it all the way through the Bible, analyzing scripture line-by-line. It's not for everyone, I've been told, but it sounds like it'll work really well for me. Can't wait!

4. Run, Mertens! Run! - David and I are about three weeks into our half marathon/marathon (respectively) training, and it's going so-so right now. It's still so hot in Savannah that we either have to run on the treadmills at the gym or run at 4:00am before there's even a glint of sunlight (and yes, we now have a headlamp so that I don't fall down...again). The heat is showing signs of breaking, though, as this whole week our highs are in the mid to upper 80s with the heat index in the 90s. In previous weeks, that index has been in triple digits. So glad that fall is on its way!

5. I only burn what in a day!? - In the past six years since I started working out with rowing and ultimately running, I've never really gotten a handle on what I should be eating to fuel the amount of activity I do on a daily basis. I opted to go to a nutritionist, but before my appointment, I had to get my resting metabolic rate (RMR) taken. Essentially, the RMR is the amount of calories you burn when you are completely at rest. I was in a reclined comfy chair for 15 minutes while the test was going on--definitely relaxed and at rest. Based on my height, weight and age, the doctor administrating the test estimated that I burn around 1400 calories at rest. Wrong! I only burn around 850. I couldn't get to the nutritionist fast enough after that to figure out how many calories I could eat in a day and not gain weight over time--around 1300-1400. So much for that "based on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet" note on every packaged product's nutrition label. It's been an interesting adjustment so far, but it's going well. Getting my RMR checked really opened my eyes to what I'm up against. If you have struggled with weight gain or knowing what you should be eating, definitely pursue a nutritionist and get your RMR tested.

6. Pedaling like crazy but going nowhere - this time around in marathon training, I'm taking a slightly different approach by cross training more frequently--specifically biking. Problem is, I don't own a bike. I've been using the YMCA's "spinning" bikes one or two times per week, and it's been pretty awesome. The spinning room is dark except for black lights on the ceiling, so if I wear all black, I'm pretty much invisible--besides my teeth if I smile and my shoes. I'm hoping that training on a spinning bike with pretty heavy resistance will prepare me for riding on a real bike later on down the road.

7. Clouds and wind are evil - Well, only when the presence of both makes you decide to not wear sunscreen while walking on the beach. Saturday was an overcast day--the first day of no rain since the beginning of Fay--so David and I opted to go out to Tybee Island beach and walk for a bit. We packed a picnic lunch, but opted to walk on the beach for a few minutes first. Well, a few minutes turned into an hour or two. It was in the mid-80s out with extremely strong winds (considering there wasn't a storm nearby) of around 30mph, so it felt fantastic, and neither of us realized how badly we were getting burned...until about four hours later. We're recovering and will never underestimate the sun again. Whew!

8. Working hard for the money - I love the Gap. I think that deserves some repetition action: I really love the Gap. My job there as brand logistics expert is fun, a little challenging, rewarding and exciting. Plus! I get a fantastic discount on the clothes, get to work in the middle of downtown Savannah (gorgeous), and get to be a part of a wonderful leadership team. And I get paid to do it. So awesome! I'm still working for Clemson too and have the most flexible boss around. It's so nice to be able to work right out of the home office. So both jobs have been keeping me busy. David's working pretty long days right now, but starting in the middle of October, he shifts to 21 days of 12-hour shifts each day with no weekend breaks. Just three straight weeks of work. I still can't picture what that will be like...intense I'm sure.

9. Livin' on a prayer - so much is going on in our lives, our family's lives and the lives of our friends that we're constantly praying. Some are getting married, some are moving, some are expecting a first child really soon, some are changing jobs, some are struggling in various areas, some are triumphing in areas and on it goes. We love our friends and family dearly and wish we could see them all more often. Know that we keep you in our thoughts and our prayers, truly.

So yes, that's kind of what's been going on around here in the past 20 days. We're looking forward to the holiday weekend as we've both got Monday off of work. I doubt we'll go to the beach, but I'm pretty sure we'll be exploring Savannah. What a great place to live!

We believe that we have to look at everything from the perspective of God and our faith in Jesus. After all, most Christians, if asked, will tell you that following God should more important than anything else in their life (though we certainly don't always act like it...surely critics might say that football and finances often trump God in our lives). So even though moving in with a bunch of people doesn't necessarily seem normal and natural to us, especially after being married for only one year, we simultaneously understand that part of the reason is because of what our culture tells us is normal. I've used the phrase "counter cultural" quite a bit on my blog here. Where it's sometimes true that Christians need to be counter cultural, I'm learning more and more that what we need more is for Christ's followers to envision a new culture altogether, not just oppose the mainline one that we feel is messed up. We need an alternative culture, Jesus' Way, where we can live out his radical economics, peace making, and enemy love, in any land we find ourselves...whether that's the empire of Rome or America. (Credit goes to a great book I'm currently reading, Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw, for some of these phrases and for helping me to further understand what it means to follow Jesus today)

For us, moving into community with other Christians and seeking to radically live out Jesus' Way in America may be the next step in our lives that (we pray) are characterized more than any other thing by a complete devotion to the God who created this world, called the Israelite nation out of slavery, put on flesh as Jesus the Messiah, and who will come again to fulfill our hopes for peace and justice. Instead of looking normal and fitting in, we would rather be known as misfits in our society but be true to Jesus. (The early followers of Jesus lived so differently than their culture that they were called by a new name!) Instead of the security and pleasure that wealth brings, we would rather rely on God for daily bread and experience the greater joy of taking care of the poor. Instead of living for the moment, partying and getting drunk, we would rather live like the kingdom of heaven is already here, showing love to our neighbors and throwing parties for the homeless.

We feel that Christians who are truly following Jesus should and will stand out as peculiar people in this luxury-seeking, power-hungry, at-war nation. At the same time, we don't find biblical precedence that commands every Christian to move into the abandoned areas of their city and live in community with other Christians....we do hope, though, that just as other new monastic communities have been in a sense prophetic to us, that God could use our community to speak to some that another way of living is possible. There is no biblical mandate that Christians must not own their own homes or live in wealthy areas of town....we would hope, though, that people who are frustrated by the system in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer would get a little glimpse of God's kingdom where everyone is equal. We would seek to live humbly and not judge Jesus' followers wherever and in whatever state they find themselves....yet we would hope that our fellow disciples would be encouraged (and challenged) when they dine with our "family" and see the beauty of reconciliation that can occur when invisible city walls are broken down.

These are some of the ways that we can imagine us living like the kingdom of God in Nashville. Simply imagining that new world is where we're at right now. Amanda and I have tried in the last few years to align our walk more closely with the Way of Christ, but we're certainly not the best example of how modern day Christians in America might live out their faith daily. Whoa, no, we'll send you to someone else for that, thank you. But we do want God to be our priority. And we have discussed many times how easy it is to go back to the ways of the world when we're not surrounded by those who challenge and encourage us to be more like Christ...so here we are, finding ourselves considering community. Dreaming. Tossing it around in our little heads. And then sometimes remembering how much we like everything the world offers...from eating out often to cool technology to privacy to nice homes and and even new cars. So this new kingdom is a long way from what our daily life looks like now, mind you, but something that gives us much excitement, hope, and yes, fear. Fear of being viewed as crazy or too radical, of not fitting in, of pre-existing racial and social divisions, of safety and of financial insecurity. So how do we get there from here? Or to go back a bit, how do we know if God wants us to do this? (a question that we struggle with often) Then, if we do feel like it is aligned with God's desire for us and his kingdom, what do we need for this journey? I know Jesus' disciples went out with no money and no shoes...but we're not there yet people. :)

We don't have the answers to all of those questions. Regarding what we need for this journey, though, should we decide to take it, I'll throw a few things out there for consideration. Certainly courage to live like Jesus no matter what is key. We also need wisdom to begin living this kind of community ("be as wise as serpents, and as innocent as doves") in the midst of a fallen world and its broken and segregated neighborhoods. Humility is vital, so that we don't begin to think that our community succeeds or fails because of what we bring to the table, but instead pattern our lives after Jesus (be Christians, or little Christs, like the earliest disciples were called) and give God his hands and feet to work in this world. And this sounds redundant, but we need community...co-conspirators, fellow Christ followers willing to give up personal plans for greatness and success to come and seek the heart of God in community together. Because we cannot do it alone. Along those lines, we will need supporting churches. We aren't starting a new Church (did I mention that yet?). No, on the contrary, each person of the community needs to stay closely tied together to their own congregations of believers, thereby receiving continued life through the church, and also giving support and encouragement to others in the assembly through our relationships. Most importantly, we will need God. His grace to forgive us when we are proud and self-seeking, his holy scriptures to guide us daily, and his constant and faithful love, of which there's plenty for us to share with our neighbors.

Next, I think we'll discuss more specific ideas and options for community...what kind of area or dwelling have we considered, how would finances work, etc. But I'd love to have some discussion first! And if anyone out there is interested in possibly living in community, please let us know! Remember, we would need co-conspirators! :)

-

I'm procrastinating right now by blogging. We're moving in less than ten days and haven't packed much. Packing and moving is my least favorite of things next to melted chocolate bars and pouring cereal into a bowl before realizing that you're out of rice milk. 

Still, I've managed to box a few things. While rummaging through the miscellaneous boxes and piles of junk in my closet I found some pictures that my ex must have taken and a CD scribbled with "pictures of your ex, do not save". Disobedience! I left it sitting over night in alcohol because now we're both curious to what is on it. It didn't register through the OS this morning. Oh well. 

WAIT! It just loaded. Ooh. This is crazy OLD. It was my birthday and we were in Mexico for a Bad Boy Bill show. Good times. 

Alright, it's time to go back into my closet and be realistic about what I need and don't need. I usually ask myself if I have used it in the last year or will use it in six months. If not, to the trash it goes. Well, some of it. Jen likes to take stuff to good will and recycle everything we can. I'm all for it too, but since we recycle all the time, shouldn't moving time be the one time you could just toss everything you don't care for in the trash? 

I'm channeling Gob now: "C'Mon!"

I continue to learn the challenges of being married. It's been three weeks and I'm loving it but already seeing where some areas we're really going to have to work on in order to keep things running smoothly. I love Waylon and he has been a wonderful husband for a first timer! haha...we're both first timers, I just thought it was funny to say that. Anyways, I get all excited when I think about how we have the rest of our lives to spend together and get to know each other and see all the ways God is going to bless us and use us together. I really get excited when I think about our future children and how they will be and what they will grow up to be. It's really just a very exciting time of life. I hate that right now at the beginning of our marriage we are having to spend a lot of our evenings apart with him being in school and me working late, however, the time we do have together we do our best and being together and just enjoying one-another's company. I already feel at home with him and if I wake up in the middle of the night it's a huge comfort knowing he's right there beside me.
OK, OK, OK...I'll shut up now!! I know some of you are wanting to barf right now b/c you have been married long enough to be past this little infatuation of mine or whatever you want to call it. :-) I just like to think about it and write about it and if you don't want to read it, you don't have to! lol. I hope you do though...hehe

I have biscuits in the oven and I need to make some gravy to go with them so...good night and have a great week!!

love,
Steph

When I was growing up, I dreamed of having a different last name. My last name has too many "R's" in it. I couldn't say it for a long time, as I had difficulty pronouncing any "R's" at all. Jennifer was Jennifah. Doctor was doctah. I remember quite vividly the kids who made fun of me in kindergarten. They were cruel and would taunt me by asking me to say words that ended in the letter R. But as I outgrew this challenge of speech, I suppose I also got comfortable with the last name I was given.

My father once told me that he named me Jennifer to balance out our three-syllable last name. My middle name, Dawn, was the glue that bound the first and the last together. Over the years, this seven-syllable identity has become something I cherish. I like its cadence. I like how it looks on paper. And I love how it looks in print.

But now, two weeks and two days after my wedding, I find that I am increasingly saddened at the thought of saying goodbye to my maiden name. I just plain love it, on the one hand. On the other, I would really like to share a last name with my husband and my future kids.

So the conclusion I have come to is that I will keep my maiden name professionally and use my married name socially. We'll see how this works out, as I'm already envisioning all sorts of trickiness coming from having two last names. There are a lot of kinks to work out, but I think in the end I'll be happier having both. A nod to my single life, and a nod to my married one.