I knew this was coming. I consider myself a pretty intelligent person, and I don't think I am by any means naive or blaise. However, when it comes to managing ourhome, I'm a sous chef at best. I don't have a very active role in the finances and day-to-day operations of Casa del Toro.
There are 2 reasons for this. The first is Art and my personalities. I am a procrastinator. I wait until just before there is an emergency to do anything about a situation. It's why I excelled in journalism. As I type this, my lesson plans aren't complete for tomorrow. I never really studied for a test (except the PRAXIS) before the 23rd hour. It's not my favorite part of my personality, but it is something I'm aware of and try to work with. Art, on the other hand, is a planner. And at the risk of causing all suffragists to wail in despair, we take on pretty traditional roles in our home. I'm just not the head of the household. Art is. I'm the partner, worth just as much, but not the CEO. I hope that makes sense.
The other reason is that Art lived by himself, home and vehicle ownership and all, for 3+ years before we got married. You know what I was busy doing? Going to college for 6 years. This isn't an exercise in putting myself down, but it just took me longer to figure out my path in life than it did Art. I'm very lucky he is willing to share all his hard work with me. But it does put me behind the power curve.
The point of all this? Art's gone for a while, leaving me with all the responsibilities of the house. He gave me a rundown on what I needed to know, and he's sometimes available by email. I'm now responsible for paying the bills, renting our current house, closing on our new house, communicating with the realtors, appraisers, underwriters, etc., securing movement for our vehicles, talking with the movers, etc. etc. etc. etc. And it's overwhelming.
Feel sorry for me yet? NO, of course you don't. This is what EVERYONE has to deal with. Most married people don't have to do it on their own, however, but all military wives do. I've been so fortunate to have almost two full years with my husband home for dinner every night. This is not something that military wives have the luxury of. I feel very lucky, and I know that this honeymoon is surely coming to an end once we get to California and have to deal with a deployment schedule.
So, for now, I'm keeping super organized with a reminders list on my fancy iPad, to make sure all the bills get paid and a house gets purchased. Thank goodness for my parents. My mom, for emotional support and venting, Mikey, for practical advice and construction expertise, and my dad, for all things legal and renovation, and for reading complicated paperwork when I am too overwhelmed to tackle it all. I am really, really lucky to have such great people to help me out when my #1 is away!
Showing posts with label Marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marriage. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Love.
Here's a bombshell for you: Art and I have never celebrated Valentine's Day.
In 10 years, we just never really have. Originally it was my idea. 10 years ago, Art and I had just begun dating, and I didn't like the pressure the day put on people, men especially, to go over the top with candy and flowers and balloons and whatnot. It just seemed very obligatory to me, so I told him we could ditch the holiday and make every day romantic instead. And we have.
I'm really not a "romantic" person at all. Sure, I like surprises and gestures and flowers and all that (everybody does), but that isn't the measure of love for me. I don't believe in soul mates or "the" one. Every time I say this to my mother, she makes a face like, "Ohmygod, I divorced your father and therefore scarred you for life, it's all my fault, how do I fix this, here, have some wine." But it's not in a bitter way. It may very well be because I have seen many examples, just from my parents alone, of marriages and relationships that work and don't work. I do have a pretty good idea of what a good marriage looks like and what a bad one looks like.
Therefore, I'm a bit of a realist. Love is a choice. Marriage is a choice. Period. Actions and consequences. Simple. You can fall in love and marry just about anyone. However, to make it last, you've got to make the decision every day to forgive, forget, and nurture. It's not easy, especially since humans are designed to look out for number one. It's not intuitive to bypass your own feelings to think about what another person is feeling and needs, but that's what marriage calls you to do literally every time you open your mouth or do any act that affects your spouse. And if you can do that, really really do that, I think it's a hell of a lot more romantic than roses or fancy dinners out or whatever other crazy things people are doing these days. So, we bypass this day.
There are several reasons that I choose not to broadcast the inner intimacies of my marriage, whether on the blog, on Facebook, or even in conversation with others. First, modesty, naturally. (Which goes completely out the window after a few too many of that wine I mentioned earlier, but that's a whole other post!) The other reason is that I want a life, a secret life, that only one other person knows about. I want to know that we have a little inside joke that no one else is a part of. So I married my very best friend since childhood, and there is honestly nothing about me that he doesn't know. He's been by my side through almost every major event of my life, and there's something very sacred about that. So, there are a few parts of our relationships that are just between us, and always will be.
Art once confessed that one of his biggest hangups to marriage was realizing that all he had worked for his whole life, financially speaking, was now in someone else's hands. The leap of faith was huge for him to trust that I would not be irresponsible with all that he has saved and invested, and in fact I would be a contributing partner rather than a drain. Now, I would never do that, but he didn't have any proof of that. He had to trust. This spreads across all aspects of a person--finances, emotions, mentality, everything. It's a big deal. And, not to get all misogynistic, but it's a big deal for me to trust that I will have a husband that will provide for me. I live in a beautiful home, I'm about to have another (less) beautiful (but with potential!) home, I own a nice, capable truck, I own a BOAT, even if I have no idea how to drive it, and I have had many rich experiences that add to my full life. Provided for? Try SPOILED.
I thank God and my husband every day for the amazing life I have. So, I don't get roses and pretentious gifts and a big public display of affection. What I do get, today and every other day, is much more romantic.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you spend it with someone who loves you madly. :)
In 10 years, we just never really have. Originally it was my idea. 10 years ago, Art and I had just begun dating, and I didn't like the pressure the day put on people, men especially, to go over the top with candy and flowers and balloons and whatnot. It just seemed very obligatory to me, so I told him we could ditch the holiday and make every day romantic instead. And we have.
I'm really not a "romantic" person at all. Sure, I like surprises and gestures and flowers and all that (everybody does), but that isn't the measure of love for me. I don't believe in soul mates or "the" one. Every time I say this to my mother, she makes a face like, "Ohmygod, I divorced your father and therefore scarred you for life, it's all my fault, how do I fix this, here, have some wine." But it's not in a bitter way. It may very well be because I have seen many examples, just from my parents alone, of marriages and relationships that work and don't work. I do have a pretty good idea of what a good marriage looks like and what a bad one looks like.
Therefore, I'm a bit of a realist. Love is a choice. Marriage is a choice. Period. Actions and consequences. Simple. You can fall in love and marry just about anyone. However, to make it last, you've got to make the decision every day to forgive, forget, and nurture. It's not easy, especially since humans are designed to look out for number one. It's not intuitive to bypass your own feelings to think about what another person is feeling and needs, but that's what marriage calls you to do literally every time you open your mouth or do any act that affects your spouse. And if you can do that, really really do that, I think it's a hell of a lot more romantic than roses or fancy dinners out or whatever other crazy things people are doing these days. So, we bypass this day.
There are several reasons that I choose not to broadcast the inner intimacies of my marriage, whether on the blog, on Facebook, or even in conversation with others. First, modesty, naturally. (Which goes completely out the window after a few too many of that wine I mentioned earlier, but that's a whole other post!) The other reason is that I want a life, a secret life, that only one other person knows about. I want to know that we have a little inside joke that no one else is a part of. So I married my very best friend since childhood, and there is honestly nothing about me that he doesn't know. He's been by my side through almost every major event of my life, and there's something very sacred about that. So, there are a few parts of our relationships that are just between us, and always will be.
Art once confessed that one of his biggest hangups to marriage was realizing that all he had worked for his whole life, financially speaking, was now in someone else's hands. The leap of faith was huge for him to trust that I would not be irresponsible with all that he has saved and invested, and in fact I would be a contributing partner rather than a drain. Now, I would never do that, but he didn't have any proof of that. He had to trust. This spreads across all aspects of a person--finances, emotions, mentality, everything. It's a big deal. And, not to get all misogynistic, but it's a big deal for me to trust that I will have a husband that will provide for me. I live in a beautiful home, I'm about to have another (less) beautiful (but with potential!) home, I own a nice, capable truck, I own a BOAT, even if I have no idea how to drive it, and I have had many rich experiences that add to my full life. Provided for? Try SPOILED.
I thank God and my husband every day for the amazing life I have. So, I don't get roses and pretentious gifts and a big public display of affection. What I do get, today and every other day, is much more romantic.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you spend it with someone who loves you madly. :)
Circa 2002. Man, do we look young. On an unrelated note, that is my hair's natural color!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Things Part 1
I do this every year, whether publicly or privately, to reflect on what I've accomplished in the past year and set goals for myself for the next one. I feel like this year is a bit different for me, although I'm having trouble pinning down exactly why. Perhaps it's because I'm happy to see 2011 go and so excited for what 2012 holds. Perhaps, for the first time in a few years, 2011 didn't mean any big, life-changing event for me. Perhaps because 2012 will be the FIRST year of my life that will not spend as a student (I say that now...).
In any case, I am pleased with how 2011 went. I did a lot of pretty awesome things, but I am so looking forward to 2012 and all the amazing things it will bring. Here's to ya!
10 Things I/We Did in 2011:
1. The first three months went by in a blur. I had my nose in my planbook and Art was busy moving from Check Flight back to Dragons on the flight line. In April, Art and a couple of fellow IPs competed in the Adventure Race out by the lake. They decided that having me on the team would be too much of an athletic advantage, unfair to the other teams really, so they finished the race as a three-man team. They still let me have a t-shirt.
2. Later that month, Lily Marie Sanford was welcomed into the world and we officially became Uncle Art and Aunt Amy. I met Lily for the first time over Christmas, and although she's not this itty bitty anymore, she is all kinds of adorable. Emily and Kirby are moving to Italy in a few months, but I will most certainly continue to spoil her rotten via UPS.
3. Being in our mid-20s brings weddings, weddings, and more weddings. We were more than grateful that so many people wanted to include us in such a special day, but unfortunately couldn't make it to all of them. We did make it to a few, starting with Clay and Lacey's in Austin:
Then Brian and Lauren's in Mackinac, Island:
And finally Brandon and Erin's in Lexington, KY:
(PS - 2012 will see the first 108 BABY, as Jill and Aaron are expecting a baby boy in April!!)
4. One of our dreams since I can remember was to buy a boat. Art grew up on lakes, and even though I didn't and can't really swim, there are few things more relaxing and freeing than a day on the lake. In early 2011 (can you tell I'm not going in any order whatsoever here?), we bought a Malibu speed boat off of Paul and Maria who were PCSing. Best purchase ever?
5. Brian and Lauren got married on Mackinac Island (see above), where motor vehicles are allowed. We could have taken a ferry, like normal people, from mainland Michigan, but as soon as Art discovered that he could rent an airplane in Columbus and fly us up there himself, there was no reasoning with him. So into this mini Cooper on wings we went, all the way to Northern Michigan. And now Art wants a plane. And I just want to sit on solid ground for a minute. A really, really long minute.
6. Our travels also took us to Ft. Myers, Florida for my mom's 60th birthday. It was a real treat to be around my whole family, which doesn't happen very often since all of us kids have scattered across the country. There are few things I love more than hanging out with my brothers, and I'm so glad their girlfriends Dawn and Jamie were able to make it out there with us. It was a great way to end the summer!
7. I made my second Thanksgiving dinner this year, with lots and lots of help from the many visitors we had. This year my mom, Mikey, Aunt Cathy, Grandma Jean, Jeff, Mary, and Charlie all DROVE down from Dayton to celebrate my favorite holiday with us. We made all the regular fixins, including brined turkey, cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie and apple pie. I was happy to put somebody else in charge of the gravy, something I always ruin! I also vowed never to wear this white top again.
8. We got a NEW ASSIGNMENT, which was definitely the highlight of 2011. First, it was the B2 bomber to Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX, which we were stoked about, but it was by far our 2nd choice. Art was then picked up for an interview for the U2 Dragon Lady, landed it, and now we are headed here:
9. I was awarded a grant from the state of Texas to teach math and participated in the Regional Math Collaborative out of Region XV. Even though I won't finish the school year, I loved being a part of the grant! I have no picture of math camp, sorry.
10. Last, but certainly not least, I finally graduated with my Masters degree from UD in education. That wasn't even the highlight of the day though... the real treat was meeting Roosevelt Chapman, famed UD alum, basketball great, and middle school teacher. :)
Peace out 2011!!
In any case, I am pleased with how 2011 went. I did a lot of pretty awesome things, but I am so looking forward to 2012 and all the amazing things it will bring. Here's to ya!
10 Things I/We Did in 2011:
1. The first three months went by in a blur. I had my nose in my planbook and Art was busy moving from Check Flight back to Dragons on the flight line. In April, Art and a couple of fellow IPs competed in the Adventure Race out by the lake. They decided that having me on the team would be too much of an athletic advantage, unfair to the other teams really, so they finished the race as a three-man team. They still let me have a t-shirt.
2. Later that month, Lily Marie Sanford was welcomed into the world and we officially became Uncle Art and Aunt Amy. I met Lily for the first time over Christmas, and although she's not this itty bitty anymore, she is all kinds of adorable. Emily and Kirby are moving to Italy in a few months, but I will most certainly continue to spoil her rotten via UPS.
3. Being in our mid-20s brings weddings, weddings, and more weddings. We were more than grateful that so many people wanted to include us in such a special day, but unfortunately couldn't make it to all of them. We did make it to a few, starting with Clay and Lacey's in Austin:
4. One of our dreams since I can remember was to buy a boat. Art grew up on lakes, and even though I didn't and can't really swim, there are few things more relaxing and freeing than a day on the lake. In early 2011 (can you tell I'm not going in any order whatsoever here?), we bought a Malibu speed boat off of Paul and Maria who were PCSing. Best purchase ever?
5. Brian and Lauren got married on Mackinac Island (see above), where motor vehicles are allowed. We could have taken a ferry, like normal people, from mainland Michigan, but as soon as Art discovered that he could rent an airplane in Columbus and fly us up there himself, there was no reasoning with him. So into this mini Cooper on wings we went, all the way to Northern Michigan. And now Art wants a plane. And I just want to sit on solid ground for a minute. A really, really long minute.
6. Our travels also took us to Ft. Myers, Florida for my mom's 60th birthday. It was a real treat to be around my whole family, which doesn't happen very often since all of us kids have scattered across the country. There are few things I love more than hanging out with my brothers, and I'm so glad their girlfriends Dawn and Jamie were able to make it out there with us. It was a great way to end the summer!
7. I made my second Thanksgiving dinner this year, with lots and lots of help from the many visitors we had. This year my mom, Mikey, Aunt Cathy, Grandma Jean, Jeff, Mary, and Charlie all DROVE down from Dayton to celebrate my favorite holiday with us. We made all the regular fixins, including brined turkey, cranberry sauce, sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie and apple pie. I was happy to put somebody else in charge of the gravy, something I always ruin! I also vowed never to wear this white top again.
8. We got a NEW ASSIGNMENT, which was definitely the highlight of 2011. First, it was the B2 bomber to Dyess AFB, Abilene, TX, which we were stoked about, but it was by far our 2nd choice. Art was then picked up for an interview for the U2 Dragon Lady, landed it, and now we are headed here:
(Technically we won't be living here, but this will be our new Lake Amistad. It's Folsom Lake near where we will be living in Cali Cali!!)
9. I was awarded a grant from the state of Texas to teach math and participated in the Regional Math Collaborative out of Region XV. Even though I won't finish the school year, I loved being a part of the grant! I have no picture of math camp, sorry.
10. Last, but certainly not least, I finally graduated with my Masters degree from UD in education. That wasn't even the highlight of the day though... the real treat was meeting Roosevelt Chapman, famed UD alum, basketball great, and middle school teacher. :)
Peace out 2011!!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Measure in Love
It's two months past, but I feel the need to post about our first year of marriage. Because of my job, I didn't blog nearly as much as I wanted, and I let May 8th slip by without officially dedicating a post to it. And it deserves one!
So... how do you measure a year of marriage?
So... how do you measure a year of marriage?
1 perfect day, complete with 40 mph winds.
1 really long veil.
10,000 whispered secrets.
10,000 laughs.
A million smiles.
A LOT of sunflowers.
7 incredible days in Great Exuma, The Bahamas.
3 rings, symbols of our promises and love for each other. (Er, make that 4 rings)
1 move, just for me.
1 trip across the threshhold!
52 weekends at (or wishing we were at) Lake Amistad.
A thousand sushi rolls. I don't think that's an exaggeration.
(Our standbys: Strawberry Roll, Jen Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll from Sushi Zushi)
Less than a thousand sake bombs.
1 ridiculous, impulsive surround sound system purchase that we don't regret.
3 trips to the attic.
1 admittance to my husband of my irrational fear of ladders.
1 first job.
Many bouquets of flowers.
Two big races, the Tough Mudder and the Adventure Race.
1 baby niece!
1 amazing, adorable, lovable dog.
1 billion "You are so cute. You are so small. I love you so much. You are my best dog friend"
A handful of nights spent apart.
Many, many kisses good morning and good night.
A dozen "I'm sorrys" and "I forgive yous"
Three scorpions.
1 tarantula.
Hundreds of bottles of wine.
1 big item on our to-do list. (buying a boat!)
1 year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes of being grateful that I married my best friend and the only man I have ever truly loved. I feel lucky every single day that I am Mrs. Art Bull. I can't wait to see what Year #2 brings for us!
Monday, June 28, 2010
USA! USA! USA! ... and a major bummer.
It's storming in Del Rio right now, and if there's one thing Peanut hates, it's thunder. So bear with me - if it looks like I have a crazy typo, it's because of the 12-pound Chiweenie trying to get as close to me as physically possible.
This weekend, Art and I had a few people over to watch the World Cup game, USA v. Ghana. As Art said, "you don't have to love soccer, just America." So I whipped up some pico de gallo and guacamole (nothing more American than that, right?) and Art made me a pitcher of margaritas. Well, it was intended to pass around, but for some reason I was the only one who decided to take part. How strange.
Unlike this picture shows, we actually do have plenty of seating in our house. I guess these guys just really wanted to sit by each other.
Kirby, Art, and Paul... really into the game, I suppose! You can see Peanut's little ear next to Art's leg... all the boys on the couch!
Unfortunately, USA lost the match. We found ourselves wondering what to do with our Saturday. Well, we live in Del Rio, so we did what every Del Rioan should do on Saturday - we went to the lake!
This is my brother-in-law Kirby. As you can see, it's hard to be grumpy on the lake! Especially when you are full of margaritas!
Art and Paul, standard.
I'm pretty sure these people told me their names, but I forget. But we enjoyed some good time in the lake, and I attempted to swim.
Then... bummer.
What you are looking at now is the final resting place for Art's wedding ring. Yes, just shy of the two-month mark, the original wedding ring is gone. :( It was a total accident, but unfortunately there isn't anything we can do. Kirby (bless his heart) called a scuba diver friend of his who said he'd go dive for it, but we aren't feeling very optimistic. I cried a completely ridiculous amount over it, but once we got out for the night I was fine. Fortunately, I was given a plain silver band my senior year from my sorority, Pi Beta Phi, that fits Art perfectly, so that is what he is currently wearing. It's kind of cool, actually, because Art's grandmother and great aunt were both Pi Phi's, so it has a little bit of meaning. We are going to San Antonio to get a new one this weekend, and then hopefully we can have it blessed and have a little ceremony with the priest here. I'll post some pictures if we do that! :)
Not too much on docket for this week! Just cleaning and hanging out with my family. Just another day in paradise!
This weekend, Art and I had a few people over to watch the World Cup game, USA v. Ghana. As Art said, "you don't have to love soccer, just America." So I whipped up some pico de gallo and guacamole (nothing more American than that, right?) and Art made me a pitcher of margaritas. Well, it was intended to pass around, but for some reason I was the only one who decided to take part. How strange.
Unlike this picture shows, we actually do have plenty of seating in our house. I guess these guys just really wanted to sit by each other.
Kirby, Art, and Paul... really into the game, I suppose! You can see Peanut's little ear next to Art's leg... all the boys on the couch!
Unfortunately, USA lost the match. We found ourselves wondering what to do with our Saturday. Well, we live in Del Rio, so we did what every Del Rioan should do on Saturday - we went to the lake!
This is my brother-in-law Kirby. As you can see, it's hard to be grumpy on the lake! Especially when you are full of margaritas!
Art and Paul, standard.
I'm pretty sure these people told me their names, but I forget. But we enjoyed some good time in the lake, and I attempted to swim.
Then... bummer.
What you are looking at now is the final resting place for Art's wedding ring. Yes, just shy of the two-month mark, the original wedding ring is gone. :( It was a total accident, but unfortunately there isn't anything we can do. Kirby (bless his heart) called a scuba diver friend of his who said he'd go dive for it, but we aren't feeling very optimistic. I cried a completely ridiculous amount over it, but once we got out for the night I was fine. Fortunately, I was given a plain silver band my senior year from my sorority, Pi Beta Phi, that fits Art perfectly, so that is what he is currently wearing. It's kind of cool, actually, because Art's grandmother and great aunt were both Pi Phi's, so it has a little bit of meaning. We are going to San Antonio to get a new one this weekend, and then hopefully we can have it blessed and have a little ceremony with the priest here. I'll post some pictures if we do that! :)
Not too much on docket for this week! Just cleaning and hanging out with my family. Just another day in paradise!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
New digs!
I have moved my blog... sort of.
Here, I will continue the crafting/cooking posts I so (un)faithfully shared with you over at Creative Therapy, but I will also add in some nuggets about our adventures in newlywed bliss. I couldn't let the antics of our first year of marriage go undocumented, and I thought it would be fun to invite you all to share with us. Please feel free to leave comments and to share the site with anyone you think would be entertained by our Del Rio wedded bliss!
For my first post, I'll recap the first month of our marriage (I can't believe it's been over a month!)... it was full of a few surprises, a lot of heavy lifting, and some good laughs.
After our wedding, we left for our honeymoon on the island of Great Exuma in The Bahamas. This was Art's baby, as he had been planning the entire thing without even telling me where we were going!! We stayed at the Sandals resort there, and came back fully recommending the all-inclusive deal. The particular resort we were at was very secluded, with little nightlife, which was great for a honeymoon, but if we were just vacationing there we would have gotten very bored very quick. We had two butlers, Imran and Deepak, who did silly things like draw us baths with floating flowers and bring us drinks at the pool or the beach whenever we wanted. It was a dream vacation and a wonderful way to start our marriage!
This is the view of the resort from the pool. Wish you could see the swim up bar!
The beach, Emerald Bay. I couldn't believe the water was really that color in real life. But it was!
Of course I had to take pictures of the food. This is Art's rack of lamb he got at the 4-star restaurant on our resort. I got the lobster risotto and died. Here's something else I got...
I can't believe I'm secure enough to actually post this on the Internet, but it's too ridiculous not to share. If you've ever gone on vacation with me, you know that if there's a bizarre ailment to be contracted, I will be the one that gets it. On my honeymoon I discovered I'm allergic to a particular type of sunscreen called Panama Jack's. I discovered this because my face began to double in size in the course of a few days. This picture was actually taken before I woke up and couldn't open my eyes, so it unbelievably got worse after this was taken. They had a nurse on staff at Sandal's, so I was able to get some antihistamines and look closer to human than Klingon by the time we got home.
This was taken the last day. Klingon no more!
This was sunrise the morning we left. You can see the pool, the swim up bar (between the lights, and the ocean. I really looked at this every day for a week!
After we returned back to Dayton, we left in Job, my little Jeep Wrangler, to make the 22-hour drive to Del Rio. We were expecting the car to huff and puff and chug and die 20 times on the way there, but he worked like a charm and we ended up being able to make the trip in two days.
THEN - HOME SWEET HOME!!
This is our beloved house in Texas, although the front "yard" is currently overgrown with weeds. I've been given the task of finding a landscaper to come help us out, but I've managed to put it off for two days now. Tomorrow, I swear.
We are, for the most part, all settled in. The movers arrived the first week of June with more stuff than I ever remember packing, and we've managed to give most of it a home. Unless you enter our third bedroom, which, ideally, will house my sewing and crafting stuff as well as operate as my office. That's a disaster.
Art's back to work as usual, and I spend my days working out, going to the pool, drinking wine and cooking. It's a really rough life, but I'm trying to work through it. I am currently in my second week of P90X, which is the most absurd thing I have ever said. I really like it, and I pretty much hate any exercise that doesn't involve lifting a drink to my face. I will really surprise myself if I make it all 90 days, but so far, so good!
That's all for today. :) I'll leave you with a picture of my good ol' dog, Harry, who went to doggie Heaven on Sunday. He died of being the oldest dog ever, but he left us with lots of wonderful memories. We sure will miss him!
Here, I will continue the crafting/cooking posts I so (un)faithfully shared with you over at Creative Therapy, but I will also add in some nuggets about our adventures in newlywed bliss. I couldn't let the antics of our first year of marriage go undocumented, and I thought it would be fun to invite you all to share with us. Please feel free to leave comments and to share the site with anyone you think would be entertained by our Del Rio wedded bliss!
For my first post, I'll recap the first month of our marriage (I can't believe it's been over a month!)... it was full of a few surprises, a lot of heavy lifting, and some good laughs.
After our wedding, we left for our honeymoon on the island of Great Exuma in The Bahamas. This was Art's baby, as he had been planning the entire thing without even telling me where we were going!! We stayed at the Sandals resort there, and came back fully recommending the all-inclusive deal. The particular resort we were at was very secluded, with little nightlife, which was great for a honeymoon, but if we were just vacationing there we would have gotten very bored very quick. We had two butlers, Imran and Deepak, who did silly things like draw us baths with floating flowers and bring us drinks at the pool or the beach whenever we wanted. It was a dream vacation and a wonderful way to start our marriage!
This is the view of the resort from the pool. Wish you could see the swim up bar!
The beach, Emerald Bay. I couldn't believe the water was really that color in real life. But it was!
Of course I had to take pictures of the food. This is Art's rack of lamb he got at the 4-star restaurant on our resort. I got the lobster risotto and died. Here's something else I got...
I can't believe I'm secure enough to actually post this on the Internet, but it's too ridiculous not to share. If you've ever gone on vacation with me, you know that if there's a bizarre ailment to be contracted, I will be the one that gets it. On my honeymoon I discovered I'm allergic to a particular type of sunscreen called Panama Jack's. I discovered this because my face began to double in size in the course of a few days. This picture was actually taken before I woke up and couldn't open my eyes, so it unbelievably got worse after this was taken. They had a nurse on staff at Sandal's, so I was able to get some antihistamines and look closer to human than Klingon by the time we got home.
This was taken the last day. Klingon no more!
This was sunrise the morning we left. You can see the pool, the swim up bar (between the lights, and the ocean. I really looked at this every day for a week!
After we returned back to Dayton, we left in Job, my little Jeep Wrangler, to make the 22-hour drive to Del Rio. We were expecting the car to huff and puff and chug and die 20 times on the way there, but he worked like a charm and we ended up being able to make the trip in two days.
THEN - HOME SWEET HOME!!
This is our beloved house in Texas, although the front "yard" is currently overgrown with weeds. I've been given the task of finding a landscaper to come help us out, but I've managed to put it off for two days now. Tomorrow, I swear.
We are, for the most part, all settled in. The movers arrived the first week of June with more stuff than I ever remember packing, and we've managed to give most of it a home. Unless you enter our third bedroom, which, ideally, will house my sewing and crafting stuff as well as operate as my office. That's a disaster.
Art's back to work as usual, and I spend my days working out, going to the pool, drinking wine and cooking. It's a really rough life, but I'm trying to work through it. I am currently in my second week of P90X, which is the most absurd thing I have ever said. I really like it, and I pretty much hate any exercise that doesn't involve lifting a drink to my face. I will really surprise myself if I make it all 90 days, but so far, so good!
That's all for today. :) I'll leave you with a picture of my good ol' dog, Harry, who went to doggie Heaven on Sunday. He died of being the oldest dog ever, but he left us with lots of wonderful memories. We sure will miss him!
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