We Weren't Crazy

The past week at work has been really tough on me. I was the only one in the office while my co-workers attended a six-day conference in DC, and I had two big events to manage while they were gone. I’ve been worn out and run down. I’m ashamed to say that my low point came three nights ago, right before bed. I walked out into the kitchen and caught my husband standing in front of the open refrigerator, drinking directly from the orange juice jug. Not just any orange juice, but my very favorite Tropicana Grovestand orange juice, which I would not have any of after he drank from the jug. An all-out meltdown ensued. My sweet husband just stared at me, in wide-eyed disbelief, while I ran through all the reasons he was “mean” and “selfish” for drinking directly from the jug. I am a mess.

Although I apologized the next morning, I readily admit that I haven’t been *much* easier to live with the past few days. Today I was sitting in a staff meeting, overwhelmed and longing for a vacation, when the UPS man walked in with flowers. The card read, “Meagan- Thank you for working so hard. I’m proud of you. –Tim”

My knight in shining armor rode in (in spirit) and saved the day. Again. With a rose and daisy assortment, nonetheless.

I always enjoy when music parallels life. Any country music (or American Idol) fan would recognize Josh Gracin (not to be confused with Josh Groban, although I love him too. Is he really gay?) Josh is my age. He was a Marine when he tried out for American Idol, and he lived in the neighborhood right next to us on base. He married his high school sweetheart, joined the Marines, and they moved across America to start life together. Anyway, his music reminds me of our own “Marine Corps” life. I can really relate to the lyrics from one of his recent releases.

We headed out to California
Everybody tried to warn us
Said we wouldn’t make it any further
Than that worn out Chevy would

We broke down a time or two
Thought “maybe we didn’t think it through”
We were all we had to turn to
When it wasn’t lookin’ good

Looking back laughing
‘Cause they called us crazy

We were young, we were wild, we were restless
Had to go, had to fly - had to get away
Took a chance on that feelin’
We were loving blind - borderline reckless
We were livin’ for the minute we were spinning in
Maybe we were a lot of things
But we weren't crazy


I was 19 years old when we “headed out to California.” “Everybody” DID try to warn us. As I’m sure you can imagine, everyone around us had an opinion about me (the blushing bride) being just a year out of high school. My dad said he thought Tim would make a great husband… if we’d just wait a few years. My friends were enjoying college life and just couldn’t imagine settling down and committing to a monogamous life-long relationship before they were even old enough to legally purchase alcohol. But, being young a wild, we never gave these naysayers a second thought. We jumped in with both feet and started building a life together. And we were THRILLED. We had no IDEA what we were getting ourselves into (do we ever?). We were young and clueless, but certainly, we weren’t crazy.

And look at us now. He still sends me flowers. Almost five years later (how is that possible?) I look back on five of the sweetest, hardest, funniest years of my life. And I wouldn’t trade even one minute of it. Okay, maybe just the orange juice meltdown.

Sugar

Although we haven't received "official" approval yet (which I'm slightly concerned about, but Tim isn't) I believe it's safe to say that a week from today, I will be a homeowner!

This has been a quick adventure for us! We've known for a while that we don't really want to live in this apartment for another year. It's not a bad apartment, we actually really like it, we are just far away from everything. So we prayed and prayed that God would direct us, and we found a great little house in a nice location that we are pumped about! It has been a short, but intense journey, and we've learned a lot about ourselves and the people around us. There's so much I could say about all of this.

Here are just a few of the things God has taught me through this process...

1. I have a great life partner. I know that's not a very romantic way of putting it, but I think that's the best way of describing it. He is my partner in life, and we are a team. We are both so busy this semester, and there simply aren't enough hours in the day. Getting approved for a loan is a LOOOONG and time consuming process, and Tim has stepped up in such a big way. He has placed and returned phone calls, run papers around town, and just overall made sure that my life and busy schedule could be as un-interrupted as possible during this process. AND he had done the vast majority (may I venture... 95%?) of the packing. Awesome.

2. Everything we have is God's. I've known and believed this for a while, but am encouraged by the new meaning this statement has taken on. This house we are about to buy... this HUGE investment... is not our house. It is God's house. We will use it for His purposes. We will fill it with people that He loves, and aim to show them His love. It is a blessing that He is allowing us to be stewards of this little piece of land and try to honor Him with it.

3. Jealousy really IS a green-eyed monster. This house we are buying is nice, but modest. It is 2000 sq. feet, and it is a starter home. We are THRILLED with it. It's more than we hoped for in our first house. Today I was catching up with a friend from high school who recently came into quite a bit of money. We graduated together, and she is also building a house. A HUGE house. A house my parents probably couldn't even afford. Think corner lot, granite counter tops, upgrades everywhere, covered patios, something you'd retire in... the works! Suddenly, our little starter home is looking a little more... little? My excitement shrinks. But only momentarily! THAT is how the devil gets you! He takes this blessing God has given you, which you are happy and content with and thankful for, and he subtly nudges you in the direction of someone else's stuff and whispers, "wait, isn't their blessing bigger than yours? Nicer, perhaps? Shinier, even?" And as your smile fades, you admit, "Yea... mine's not quite that big. Or nice. Or... shiny?" But no! I mean yes, theirs IS bigger and nicer. But good for them! They deserve it! Not only that, but they'll have more to clean, and they'll pay more taxes. Mine is great, and I don't even deserve it. So devil, (and green-eyed monster) you can't steal my joy. I choose joy.

So, those are just three of the things I've thought about over the last month. My mom is coming in on Thursday, and I am PUMPED!!!! Can't wait to see her! Plus, she's an excellent mover/unpacker.

Lori, Tim's little sister, is getting married the following weekend, so fun times with family are ahead.

And, on top of ALL of this, we met our new next door neighbor. She is 65, her name is Glenda, she's from (wait for it...) JERSEY, and she has a chihuahua named "Sugar." Yes!!! Let the good times roll!!!

Now, if I could just shake the cold that's been slowing me down for the last 5 days, I'd be ready to rock. One can only eat so much chicken noodle soup, new house or otherwise.

So, I'm a blogger!

With all of my wild adventures at the USO, I decided a few months ago that I should definitely start blogging. Every time something "blog worthy" would transpire, I would either be at work or somewhere far from a computer, and, alas, by the time I reached a computer, the moment had passed. (As a side note, Tim really didn't like the idea of my blogging and insisted that only "nerds" blog. Takes one to know one, I suppose.)

New Years seems as good a time as any to really get this thing going. So here I am, writing my first blog. Appropriately enough, I would like to discuss the issue of weight loss.

Here is my conundrum: Every year my parents make DELICIOUS Christmas treats. It seems as if they made more when we were little, because we were always so thrilled to help. Mom would make fudge and snowball cookies, dad would make peanut brittle and walnut toffee candy, and the whole family would crank out dozens of decorated sugar cookies to leave for Santa and enjoy for ourselves. As the years have passed, it seems that the peanut brittle and sugar cookies have fazed out (save last year when I forced mom to decorate them with me) which is okay by me.

This year, anticipating our Christmas visit, my parents did the spread. Dad made his "famous" walnut toffee, which is my absolute favorite. And I wouldn't have it any other way! It just wouldn't be Christmas without this. This is where the problem arises. Even with a "full house" there are still only 5 of us. All of the candy and cookies, divided by 5 people, is still a lot! But someone has to eat it! Out of a mixture of equal parts enjoyment and obligation, I ate about 3 lbs of walnut toffee in the 7 days I visited.

I asked mom about making less of each item, but she insisted that with each item, she had only made "one batch." So what is the solution? Without these things, it just doesn't feel like Christmas. But WITH all these things, I gain 4 lbs.

Which, by the way, is all it takes to bump you up to the next jeans size, I have found...

Welcome 2008!