Marriage Advice

I received a lot of advice in the months up to [and after] our wedding. Most of it I have kept in the back of my mind, waiting for the right moment to break it out.

Ryan's paternal Grandma gave me several pieces of amazing advice; one of which was...Laugh often and always be silly together.









...I think we are doing pretty well on that front.

[PS, that's a pumpkin on the TV behind us, in case you wondered. We watch a lot of food network.]

Tour a la Naslund : Part Deux

I finally got some pictures of the rest of our new place. :) We are finally all settled in and really liking it here!


Here we have one side of our bedroom; with our bed and bedside table:


A close up on my favorite thing about our room...the wall art:


And the other side of the bedroom; dresser and filing cabinet. Our walk-in closest is on this wall too. And my air purifier/snore-blocker ;)


Our little "office":


New addition to the kitchen:


And the bathroom!


So, there you have it! You've now seen our entire apartment. Not much to it, but it feels like home. :)

The Little Things

Before Ryan & I walked down the aisle, my Aunt gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me. It was with great wisdom that she bestowed this upon me, as she has been married something like 40+ years, and as we have entered our second year of marriage, I am seeing its value more and more.

She simply said this: “When you take a step back and look at your marriage, it’s often best to focus on the little things.” I didn’t understand what this meant when she said it, but now, I totally get it. When Ryan & I have an argument [And it happens. We aren’t perfect.], it’s too easy to get wrapped up in that “big thing”. Will that seemingly “big thing” really feel so big in 10 years, or will it be the little things that stand out?

This morning, I felt awful. [There are a couple of us at my office with the same symptoms, so I’ve chalked it up to a bug.] While trying to get ready for work, I kept getting interrupted by…my tummy. So, Ryan made me toast. Then he made me a turkey wrap to bring for lunch, in case I felt up to eating. BAM. It hit me as he kissed me on the cheek and left for work. 10 years from now, I won’t remember what he argued about last week…but I WILL remember the morning I didn’t feel well, and he went out of his way [and ended up leaving a little late for work] to do a simple thing for me.

So - Thanks Ryan...for doing the little things.

Ryan's 25th Birthday

I've been called a Cougar.

I've been told I "robbed the cradle".

Yes, I married a younger man. People are always surprised when I tell them Ryan's age. I'm guessing this is because a) he is [usually] really mature and b) I guess an "older woman" with a "younger man" is still a bizarre match-up. Technically, he is only 1 year and 7 months younger. Not a big deal, if you ask me, but to the general public, it seems to raise eyebrows. From July to February our numeric age is different by two years. This is when people get curious. And call me a Cougar. BUT, that glorious time from February to July, our numeric age is only different by one year, which I guess makes all the difference.

On Sunday, Ryan turned 25! [I'm 26. See. One year, no biggie. Just wait until July when I turn ::GASP:: 27!] On Friday night we had a few close friends over for an impromptu celebration. Ryan & I made a Mexican feast. Homemade guac, salsa, black bean dip, fajitas - the works. It was a fun night. The cherry on top was Ryan's favorite desert. Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. There is not much in this world that we love more than that one specific cheesecake and since Ryan doesn't like normal cake, I got this cheesecake...because I needed something to put the candles in! :)

Here are some pictures:

The Birthday Boy playing Air Drums :)



Me, Kim and Brittany


Frankie


Kim & Jason


Kim & Chloe :)


Brandon, Ryan & Levi [yay for Bromance! ;) ]



The homemade eats!




The cake & blowing out of candles:




Happy Golden Birthday, my love!

Our New Home // Tour a la Naslund

So, we moved into our new apartment a few weeks ago. It's been a work in progress, getting everything unpacked and settled. But, as requested, here are a few pics.

Here is the entry way:


The Living room:




The "Dining Room", which is actually where we have our piano:


I'll post more pictures as we continue getting everything where we want it. :) But so far we are very happy in our little home.

Letter to My Brother

Dear Frankie,

Today, while blog surfing, I came across a blog written by the Mom of two; a girl and a boy. The little girl is 2 years and a few months older than her little brother; they are 5 and 3. Reading this blog brought tears to my eyes. Hearing this Mom talk about how protective and “mothering” the sister is, and how loving and “copycat” the little brother is. I felt like it was written about us. I was reading one particular entry about how much they “need” each other at their current age. How when the brother is napping, the sister is watching the clock until he wakes up and she can play, sing and dance with him. How when the sister goes to play at a friend’s house, the brother cries and cries for his “Sissy”. Sound familiar?

I’m all choked up just writing this, thinking about how much our relationship has changed…and how much it hasn’t. Sure, we are adults now and we don’t see each other nearly as often as I’d like, but I still “need” you in many of the same ways. Sometimes when I call you, I can tell you are busy or don’t really feel like talking, but I don’t care. I just want to hear your voice. [Thank God for YouTube so I can hear you sing “These Days” anytime I want.]

You and I have endured a lot together; From the happiest moments of our lives to some that will no doubt stand out as the saddest. I hope you know, no matter what the circumstance, no matter how many miles might come between us, I will always be there. Always. The day you were born, I instantly had my life-long best friend. I’m not saying our relationship has been perfect, we had a few rough years, but at the end of the day, you are and will forever be one of the best and most loyal friends I’ve ever had. And though we joke about it from time to time when talking about some of our favorite musicians whose lives ended in their prime, don’t you dare leave this earth one minute before me, because I’d never survive it, Kid. I hope I don’t hurt any feelings when I say - I’m not sure I love anyone in the same way that I love you.

You are a light in this world, and I am so, so proud to be your big sister.

-Rach

Updates!

Wow. It's been awhile again. Sorry!

Ryan started school last week, and so far its going well. He made a 100% on his first paper. It was the only 100% in the class! I'm a very proud wife! :)

We also moved into our new place this weekend. We still have a long way to go before everything is unpacked and situated but it feels good to be there.

I started back up on Weight Watchers on Jan 4th and am down 8lbs so far. Ryan is being very supportive. When we meal plan, he always asks "is something you can eat?"

Other than that, our lives are fairly routine. And boring. And wonderful. :)

Ch-ch-changes!

Our lives have changed a LOT over the past year. Most of these changes were not easy ones, some were even devastating, but 2010 seems to be bringing GOOD changes! We move into our new apartment in just a couple of weeks, and we are excited to have our own space and our own stuff back. [Though words will never express how much I appreciate my Mom.] But, we've also gotten the ball rolling on another POSITIVE change! Ryan has decided to go back to school! Assuming everything falls into place in time, Ryan will be starting college on January 19th! I am SO proud of him and SO excited for this huge step toward improving our future. So, please say a prayer, cross your fingers, whatever it is you do, that everything comes together in the next week or so!

GOOD-BYE 2009!

It is with great excitement that I type this blog...This time tomorrow I'll be waking up in a new year. A new decade. The last 10 years have been filled with so many ups and downs. Immense joys and deep, heartbreaking sorrows. This past year has been especially trying, and I am over-joyed to see it drift off into the sunset. Instead of dwelling on the past, I'd like to focus on the future. I've set many goals for my self [and Ryan, even though he doesn't know it yet] and I hope that at least half of them will happen. But, that's another blog post.

Happy New Year to you all! See ya in 2010!!! :D

Christmas, through pictures

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve and I am overwhelmed with the miracles of Christmas. It's been a rough year for us, but as I sit here and type this, I feel optimistic anyway.

For me, Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. I love shopping for just the right gift for all of my loved ones, I love seeing everything decorated, I LOVE the treats and eats, and I love how *most* people are filled with cheer and good-will. I love getting Christmas cards, especially those with pictures. I love Christmas music, and how certain songs make me cry every time I listen to them. I love the days off work! But, it's not really about all of that. Regardless of your religious views, Christmas is about family. [In MY family, it's also about Baby Jesus. Ü]

So, I leave you with this, as I think Linus Van Pelt says it best:
"Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about. 'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"


Merry Christmas!! Love to you all!!

Boring

That's what we are. Boring.

I haven't updated my blog in two weeks because, frankly, we have nothing to report. But to keep up appearances, here is a quick update.

I have been at my new job for one month now. Things are going well! I still dream of going back to school and dream the same for Ryan [even more], but I am so very grateful for this job and the people I work with! Ryan is still doing contract work, but is hoping to find something more permanent and stable after the holidays. We also plan to move at the first of the year, and it will be great to get all of our stuff out of storage!

And, honestly, that is about it. We wake up, work, come home, eat, sleep, occasionally see our friends - rinse, lather, repeat!

See. Told ya. Boring. :)

Winter

It's officially upon us!!

I love Winter. Really, I do. I LOVE the cold weather, and the cold weather clothing. Sweaters, coats and scarves are pretty much my favorite things. Oh, and the hot cocoa! Who could forget the hot cocoa?! I anxiously await fall/winter during spring and summer, and mourn the loss when May rolls around. My entire life, or at least as long as I can remember, I've said "I'm not meant for Texas". I loathe anything over 85*.

That being said, when you DO live in Texas and winter hits, expect the unexpected. It snowed this morning. Maybe snow is an exaggeration. It flurried for about an hour, maybe two. Nothing stuck to the roads, yet people can't figure out how the drive in the stuff. Here's a hint - its the same as driving in the rain. Just drive, slightly slower and further away from the car in front of you. It's not ice. [For the record, I HATE driving in ice.] Also, I don't think my lovely Jetta has figured me out yet. I don't like the heat on full blast in my car. When I leave the house, I'm dressed appropriately for the cold, therefore, I don't need uber-heat. However, the windshield and windows in my car fog up like no other. I had to drive to work with the heat/defrost setting on full blast the whole ride just to keep a patch the size of my head clear. By the time I arrived at my office, I was actually sweating. Not cool Jetta. Not cool.

New Job

Well, last week was my first week at my new job. I am now working for a food brokering company. It's a tedious, time consuming job, but I actually think I'll like it once I get used to it. [Its a LOT of paperwork.] But almost more important than the work, I love the people I work with. One of them is one of my best friends, Kim, who I've known since I was, like, 12. In fact, I owe her, BIG TIME, because she sent me the lead for this job! Anyway, everyone is super nice, and its a really laid back, fun work environment. So, just in time for Thanksgiving, I am SO thankful for this job. :)

Rest in Peace Josh

Joshua Abide
May 9, 1989-November 15, 2009

Josh passed away over night. I'm lacking for the words right now. Please keep his parents, John & Debbie, and his brother, Hunter, in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve the loss of this wonderful young man. *The service is Wednesday. Please say an extra prayer for his family on this difficult day.