Friday!

Happy Friday!! I don't have five great things to share about my week, so this week, we'll be doing five things about my husband that I love.  I promise not to be too mushy gushy. Most of these will probably end up having little to do with him, so Happy More-Random-Than-Husband Friday   1.  I love what a simple man he is.  He doesn't need or ask for extravagant things or elaborate gifts. He doesn't ask for a big weekend vacation, rather, to go shooting guns on Monday for the holiday.  He is more than satisfied with a day of snuggling and a special dinner for his birthday.  He is 100% okay with Hamburger Helper when I'm tired, and rants about how wonderful it is.    2. An evening is an evening well spent if we have dinner, a good show/movie on TV, maybe an hour of dying laughing at some of our kids from church because we found their Vine channel (the one below made me die laughing... and crying...I couldn't figure out why. go watch her stuff), maybe some football (Seriously Titans and Vandy, neither of you could pull it together?!?) and good sleep.  This week, Jackson has been letting me sleep for a while when I fall asleep on the sofa because he knows I've been exhausted lately.  

3. He lets me order cards like these (no worries, they were free this week) and sign his name to them.  He never has any idea what they say (well, sometimes) so when people come to thank him, he nods and smiles a lot. It's really funny to watch. 

  4. (Mush&Gush alert!) I love his selflessness.  Wednesday, I was feeling a little awful and I fell asleep at 8 on the sofa.  Not only did he not bother me, but he ran the dishwasher and put up dinner and his laundry.  Can we just talk about how awesome that feels for a second? When you wake up at 12:35AM to go to bed and hear the dishwasher running, you just want to kiss your husband. However, the bed is calling your name, so you stumble into the bedroom and mumble a Thank You when he gets into bed.   5.  He has always been my biggest fan.  I found pictures like this yesterday from my Time Hop that said 7 years ago!(If you don't have that app, you need it!). It reminded me that for the last 10 years, he has been my cheerleader, without fail.  When I need it the most, he is there to tell me how wonderful I am and that I can do anything I set my mind to. 

   How were your weeks?!

Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren

Birthday on a Budget

One week from Saturday is Jackson's 23rd Birthday, and his first birthday as a husband.   

    I spent weeks trying to think of the perfect gift.  I was researching guns and accessories and making it 10 kinds of complicated. I kept thinking about gow awesome the Titans tickets were last year, and how I could never match that! I wanted to make it birthday of his dreams on our newlywed budget.   Here's how I made it work:   Plan in advance By planning ahead, you give yourself plenty of time to watch sales, to change your mind, and to think of the perfect birthday components.  If you wait until the last week, you may be forced into the gift and not enjoy it as much. I started planning three weeks in advance.   Listen to him; he will tell you what he wants While going through his closet, he commented about really wanting a pair of American Eagle jeans.  He followed that by, "when we have extra money for them."  My heart started to ache just a bit because his luxuries had to wait until our budget allowed.  Insert lightbulb here; I remembered his birthday was a few weeks away! While it's not a huge expensive present, it's something he wants which is just as special.   Wait for a sale By giving yourself a few weeks, you can wait for a sale.  I waited them out until jeans were under $30 and I had an awesome coupon.  By shopping a sale, you are able to stay in your budget or free up more money for little gifts to go with it.  I plan to fill his pants pockets with iTunes gift cards and Date coupons!!   Be original Believe it or not, guys are aware of the lists like "Best five gifts for your husband's first married birthday" lists.  I was guilty last year of Googling "What to get male on the last birthday before you're married." I was totally busted! The more you intentionally listen to him, the easier it is to be original. For example, Jackson also has never been to the Cheesecake Factory, so I plan to take him there for dessert!! :)

Confessions

I'm having one of those weeks. The kind where you just want to cry because everything is going wrong. everything.  Plus, I'm so tired, I could die.   I confess....   ... I brush my teeth and floss twice a day, and my husband doesn't always, but I went to the dentist yesterday and I have a cavity in almost every tooth and between almost every tooth.  The thing I went in for wasn't even a cavity.  I have really awful dental anxiety, so I am dreading it all. I may or may not be reassuring myself by thinking that they have seen much worse than mine. 

  ... I didn't get the job I interviewed for last week.  I am more than just a tad bummed.       ... the fair didn't quite meet my expectations this year, but I blame the heat. It was like 97 degrees on Saturday until it poured rain.   ... Pretty Little Liars..... I 100% predicted it, but I was still shocked.  I didn't watch it at 7 because I was in a painting class, so I had planned to watch it at 9.  I ruined it before I watched it by getting on Facebook.    ... I've been playing on Trulia and Zillow a little bit, and I am in awe of how some people allow their houses to be listed. Some look like an episode of hoarders, some are a game of "find the cat in each picture, no the pictures on the wall don't count."

 

... I am contemplating skipping church this evening to sleep. Exhausted doesn't cover it, and it's only Wednesday.

 

How is your week going so far? Better than mine, I'm 100% sure.

Worlds Collide

Last week, I had a dream that I was sending a friend a link to an article and accidently sent her the link to my lovely little piece of the interwebs.  In my dream, I found myself frantically combing through posts and editing out anything I thought would offend her or anything she didn't know.   I woke up in a cold sweat and checked my texts immediately to make sure it was a dream.    Why am I more comfortable with strangers reading about my daily life, my struggles, my hopes and dreams than I am my own friends and family?  Why do I change the subject anytime someone says anything about blogging?  Blog life and real life are two separate worlds for me.  Please tell me I'm not the only one.    Here, I can be 100% transparent.  I can talk about how angry I am, how much I struggle with contentment, or the fact that my job is not my dream job, and I want nothing more than my own small humans running around sometime soon.  I can do it without fear of judgement.  Here, I am encouraged and uplifted by sweet friends who are reading the nitty gritty and love me anyway.  Real life just doesn't seem that comfortable or accepting.      I hope I'm not alone in this confession, and that someone else has insight into the pros and cons of keeping blog life private and making it part of my speech when someone asks about me.  

Friday!

This was one of those weeks where every single day seemed like a week by itself.  I stayed busy at work, busy at home, and this weekend will be a busy one.    1.  Finally figured out what to get Jackson for his birthday! He has one pair of jeans.  Mind you, he doesn't wear them hardly ever because he has a work uniform and when he's not in that, he is in comfortable clothes or khakis.  His favorite jeans are American Eagle jeans, and they were on super sale (like $26 including shipping), and I had a coupon, so I ordered him a pair.  I'll put gift cards in the pockets.        2.  I love ordering wedding presents for others! We were so blessed with our showers and received everything we registered for.  We have a wedding every weekend in October, so of course we are in the thick of shower season.  It's expensive, but so worth it.   3.  Wednesday was a definite stay at home to avoid the storms kind of day.  However, we recovered nicely.

  4.  Can we just talk about that moment when you add another reason to the list of reasons that your best friend is your best friend?  We got to facetime with Taylor and Jason Wednesday evening, and this conversation occurred Thursday ;)

    5.  Thursday at work, we had a snow cone truck come.  It was so much fun, but I was in fear the whole time about getting the dye on my white pants. Can you imagine trying to get that out?

 

 I'm so excited for our weekend to come! We're going to the fair tomorrow and having a lazy day Sunday.  Next week is a whole other story. Can't wait to read about your weeks!!  

Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren

 

When it Hits Home

My Anatomy teacher Senior year of high school read us Tuesdays with Morrie.  That was the spark that lit the fire inside. My Senior year of high school, a co-worker's brother was diagnosed with ALS.  We joined in on the Nashville Walk to Defeat ALS that year, and Mr. Walker walked with us; his spirits were high, he was going to tackle the disease.  My freshman year of college,  he was in a wheelchair and didn't (that I recall) make it to the walk.  The next year, I made it our honor society's philanthropy for the year.  I had twelve people walk with me, but we raised over $400!! That year, we were missing a teammate, though.  We walked with heavy hearts as our walk in honor of Mr. Walker turned into a walk in memory of him. He lost his battle in 2011.  

 

Patients are given 2-5 years to live.  As they finish their lives, knowing there is a definite end, their bodies lose the ability to function, piece by piece.  ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that impacts the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. 

 

ALS hits home for me.  I have been critical during the ice bucket challenge, because to me, the videos have become a game of tag.  I posted this article on Facebook, and said these words:

 

I enjoyed this piece, and it has been on my mind a lot this week. The author is right - there is very little information in these videos about the disease, where to donate, and why people should be donating! My passion for the organization... was sparked my senior year of high school when Tuesdays with Morrie was shared with me for the first time (Thank you Ms. Royal!). Since then, I have had the honor of working with the ALS Association of Tennessee in honor, and then in memory of Willy Walker. He was the brother of one of my former co-workers who was diagnosed with ALS, and sadly lost his fight. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a degenerative disease in the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. Those with ALS slowly lose control of their motor skills and become paralyzed. It is hard to watch someone so able-bodied become unable to wiggle their fingers and toes, unable to lift their hand to shake yours, and then unable to walk. It is hard to have someone walk with you in his own honor with all of the gumption in the world, and then be wheeled in a wheelchair in his own honor, and then be the memory for whom we walk. There is no cure, but donating brings us closer and closer. I am in awe of how quickly the "Ice Bucket Challenge" has spread, and it is a wonderful example of the power of social media. However, those videos have to be more than videos. If the videos are coupled with the donations they promise, as many have been, the cure for this disease will become more attainable. Go to alsa.org and read about the disease, learn about what researchers are doing to come closer to the cure, and donate what you can. I am thankful for all of you who are taking the challenges and raising awareness for what has been called a silent killer. You're changing lives!

  I was quickly reminded (by my darling husband, no less) that it isn't all about the money. Yes, the ALS Association has raised 15.6 Million dollars, and research can't continue without the donations. However, it is also about the awareness being raised for this silent killer.   This morning, I found this video, and it backed Jackson's opinion 100%.  I posted this statement in reply:  

Yesterday, the article I posted miscommunicated some of my feelings toward ALS and the ice bucket challenge. First of all, I support the challenge and love that it is raising awareness on the disease. If I were to be challenged, I'd gladly accept it and post it alongside so many I have seen. I supported the article's stance behind the content of the videos. They have to be more than a game of tag. They need to be informative; they need substance. ALS is called the silent killer because few know much about the disease. I will say that I am sure that some of the uneducated people saw the videos and took it upon themselves to do research, but I don't know that. My point with the article from yesterday is that the videos need to tell about the disease, they need to talk about how debilitating it is and about the fact that it is a terminal illness with no cure. The videos also need to talk about where to donate. I haven't seen any videos that talk about where to donate, and there are PLENTY of places to do so (alsa.org).

However, I understand, more so now than yesterday, that it is not 100% about the donations. I didn't mean for it to sound like I was more concerned about the donations than the awareness; however, the research cannot continue on awareness alone.

After watching the video below , I understand the importance of the ice bucket videos, regardless of how informative they are, regardless of whether the person donates or not. They bring joy to the hearts of those with ALS. The patients now know someone is on their side and that they are not alone. Thousands of supporters are with them, encouraging them and uplifting them in the hardest moments. My heart is jumping for joy because people like Willy Walker and Pete Frates and Ed Dobson (edsstory.com) and thousands of others now have the voice that has been or will soon be taken from them.

   I would love to hear your thoughts on the challenge, the disease, and your questions. If you would like to donate, you can donate to our team here or donate to the organization by going to alsa.org!

Confessions

I confess...   ... Last week I heard Vitamin C's Friends Forever song. You know the one. I broke down in tears. Like ugly crocadile tears. I've been incredibly reminiscent lately about school, so that just killed me.

    ... I had an interview for a new job on Monday and I think it went really well. I sent a thank you card yesterday for the final umpf! :) There are two spots open, so I am really hoping I have a shot. I am dreading telling my current boss. I do love my job and the people, I'm just ready for a change.  

   ... I am so excited for the Wilson County Fair this weekend.  Jackson and I usually go on Sundays after church, but the last day happens to be a Saturday. We are going to ride rides, see exhibits, and eat fried food!! We rarely ride the rides because we are too cheap and rarely get our $25 per person worth because the lines are so long.  We plan to be there when it opens on Saturday, though.  I can't wait.      ... I am tired of people assuming I will do their sewing projects for them. Don't bring me your busted jeans or ripped hoody and expect me to fix it.  #rude

  ... I have completed a spreadsheet with the costs of raising a kitten in effort to convince Jackson we need one.  Overkill? not one bit.    

   

Weekend Update!

Happy Tuesday! I feel like it has been forever since I blogged or talked to anyone. Thank heavens for long weekends.    Friday, I worked and then came home. I didn't do much Friday night except for rest.  It was much needed.  I worked on one of the three polos I'm embroidering for the pre-school at church.

Jackson went to the church lockin with the mindset that he was not staying all night. 6AM when he was crawling into bed.....   Saturday, I woke up early to go with my parents to move my sister into her dorm in Chattanooga.  I sent pictures to Jackson all day to make sure he was included in the fun of the coffee, carsickness, campus and lunch.

   Sunday was my daddy's birthday. We went to lunch at Cracker Barrel where I beat this guy at Checkers.  okay, I'm lying. I hadn't played checkers in ages, so we had a lot of fun. :)  

 

and last but not least... I had my interview yesterday. It was great.  I was interviewed by three ladies who all said they were impressed that I was so calm in my interview.  She said she could tell I was a people person and that I was confident.  phew! I'm glad that anticipation is over... now to wait to hear back!

 

I'm catching up on all of your weekend happenings, and I hope you're having a great week so far! We're past Monday, and that counts for something, right!?

   

Friday!!

This week flew by. Like, yesterday was Monday for me. This weekend is going to fly, too, because I'll be so busy with helping my sister move into her dorm, Dad's birthday, etc.  But hey, I'm 100% looking forward to it.   1. Monday, I went to my parents' house to hang with my sister before she moves back to Chattanooga for school.  I snapped this picture with my sweet fur-nugget.    2. My parents also have these little stray babies at their house.  I'm working on socializing them as much as possible so they don't grow up mean and wild like their mama. There are two black and white ones, one yellow, one grey, and one solid black one.  They were only three days old on Monday!!

   3. This happened this week. #win. I found a new favorite resource for couponing and sale shopping called KrogerKrazy.

  4.  I have an interview on Monday for a job with the Department of HR with the state of TN.  I'm 100% nervousexcitedanxioushopefuloverwhelmed. That's a feeling, right!?    5. Cheese alert: I'm so thankful for my husband. Sunday, we finished cleaning every inch of our apartment.  He took the doors off of our linnen closet and our utility closet and vacuumed them to remove all dust because our air filter was way yuck! I am thankful for his servant heart and his willingness to help me with chores when I need. 

 

 Linking up with Karli and Amy and Lauren

Wishlists!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my confessions that I had already started working on a birthday/Christmas wishlist. I was so glad to hear I'm not the only one! ;)   Before getting married, I feel like my wish list was very me-centered. Clothes, money, underwear (I know, #adultprobs), shoes, etc. Now, I feel like my list is still semi me-centered, but moreso, it's home and marriage centered.  Here are some of the things from my wish list:  

Laundry Wall Hook // Signature Bracelet // MTSU Sweatshirt Muggle Mug // Couple's Devotional Bible // Shelf Dividers this infinity scarf // Target gift cards  

 1. The laundry wall hook is 100% necessary, and the next time I get a ballin coupon, I'm going for it! Jackson hangs his work pants in the laundry room when he gets home because they stink so he doesn't get oil and grease everywhere. I hang wet clothes (jeans, slacks, bras) so they can air dry. TOTAL necessity, right?

 

2. I have fallen in love with the concept of a signature bracelet.  I would love to have Jackson's "Love always, JH" on a bracelet in his handwriting.

 

3. Alumni swag. Can you ever have enough?

 

4. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a HP geek. I cannot get over how many awesome HP items there are on etsy. I love the mug, these monogrammed shirts, This deathly hallows decal, and this time turner necklace. I have a problem, but hey, #notsorry

 

5. I love our Love Languages Bible, and I would love to have another to work from!

 

6. Any wife who shares a closet knows there are some things that just need their own spaces.  My purses, sweaters, his jeans, etc. could all have their own cubbies with these awesome shelf dividers.

 

7. I love scarves. I wear them all summer, all winter, and every chance in between.  I love the semi-neutral colors in this one - it could go with anything and everything!!

 

8.  Target gift cards. Do I really need to go there?

  What are on your birthday / Christmas lists?!

Confessions...

This week, I confess....   .... My daddy and two of my best friends have birthdays in the next seven days.  EEK! Dad wants a Wal-Mart gift card. Sometimes I just can't even deal with this man. I hate giving gift cards.     .... people who buy things on eBay that are described as "new with damage" and even have pictures of the damage, who leave negative feedback when receiving the item..... They're not my favorite people.

  ... I have my first dentist appointment in over two years in a couple of weeks. ew, I know. I am 100% nervous and dealing with serious pre-dentist anxiety.  He may seriously have to knock me out to do a cleaning.  I know I have a cavity or two, too, so that adds to the anxiety.  

  .... We cleaned our little tails off on Saturday and now our apartment feels huge.  Really. Everything has a place (except for the piles on the kitchen table) and the floor has vacuum lines. Now if I can only get the space bags to stay deflated....     ... Also, I stumbled upon this gif while confessing and remembered how heartbroken I am that Robin Williams is gone.  Really.  Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets' Society, Jumanji... none of them will ever be the same.   ... We are itching for a pet. A baby puppy is out of the question because of our work schedules and how much attention they need.  However, a kitten may work. ;)     ... My sister moves back to Chattanooga this week.  I'm bummed because I hardly got any time to spend with her this summer.  Work makes life hectic, and it kinda (really) sucks.  I feel very Anna and Elsa, and I'm so not afraid to admit it.     .... There is a wedding on our calendar every weekend in October.  Our bank account is just recovering from the wedding mess this summer!!

 

Love Languages

In high school, I read Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I took the quiz and diagnosed myself as the quality time lover.  I didn't care too much about gifts or acts of service.  I wanted all of my free time to be spent with Jackson, even if we weren't doing anything at all.   When I went to college, i re-assessed my diagnosis and discovered that I had grown into a completely needy quality time person.  I didn't have a lot of time to spend with Jackson because Freshman year we were at two different colleges, and after that he was at school and working 13 hours a day.  Any time I got to talk to him, be with him, go out with him, I ate it up.  The phone calls, the skype dates, it all meant the world because it was "us" time.   After getting married, I re-assessed my diagnosis one more time.  From before we were married, we instituted a journal. We write in it and pass it back and forth to each other with love notes, post-argument cool down notes full of "I'm Sorry"s, and pictures.  It has been the topic of many an argument because Jackson doesn't like to write in it.  It's not that he doesn't like to, but it's hard for him to slow his thoughts enough to put pen to paper and get them all in.  I realized that I have completely changed in my love language.  I am now a "words of affirmation" person.  I love hearing that Jackson loves me and is proud of me and why he loves me.  What better place than our journal to put those thoughts? This way I can read them into my grey-hair days.   

One of the hardest things for us has been learning to speak the other's love language.  Jackson is a gift oriented person. If I go to the grocery and pick up a bag of chocolate-frosted donuts, I have won his heart.  If he tells me he needs socks for work and I buy him boxers, too, I have won the wife of the year award.  If we go out to dinner on a girls' night and I bring him back dessert, he might as well have won the lottery. You get the picture. He has always been that way, so I have had some time to practice.      His love language, he pointed out, is so much easier.  He drew the short stick because buying gifts is easy.  Mind you, they require thought and effort, but for me, that was very natural.  Getting out of his element and having to learn to do something he doesn't normally like to do is hard for him.  He is slowly learning, but it is taking time.  The man can text a mile a minute, and can text me his feelings with no problem.  It's the slowing down and having to slow his thoughts enough to put them on paper.    Then came the compromise. Do we get rid of the journal or do I force him to carve time out of his day to write in it? How do I get him to slow down and write what he is thinking? boom. If he can type fast enough to get his thoughts out there as often as I love to read them, why not let him type? Compromise has made this journey to communication so much easier; I write, he types and tapes. It works.  Sure, it's not his handwriting, but beggars can't be choosy.  :)