& that's the way life goes

So many things I could post about, so many things that are really uninteresting.  I finally got my new phone, a Droid X 2.  I was going through my photos are found my cute, little puppy Stella.

Stella is now 9 months old looks like this…

She’s smart and a terror. She only cuddles when it suits her.  She drives her brothers bonkers and we couldn’t be happier that she is a part of our family.

This afternoon I spent the afternoon in my childhood home.  I lived in this house from the time I was 10 until roughly C and I bought our house in 2008. 16 years.  C and I rented it from my dad when he moved in with his longtime girlfriend.  When we bought our house my dad’s relationship ended so he moved back in.

Since my mom’s death my dad has had it rough financially.  This past year he made the very hard decision to foreclose after being turned away from multiple banks, multiple times.  He literally did everything possible.  He opened his own business just before the recession after he got laid off from his job and it’s not enough to keep up with the house that is already upside down.

So in a quiet house I sat in the basement and sorted through toys and books that I hadn’t packed up when I moved.  I found a couple boxes with stuff my mom had in her junk drawers.  Things I had made her for mother’s day, cards she bought  but never gave me, pictures of me and my best friends and oddly enough the first tooth I lost along with the note I wrote to the tooth fairy.

I choked back tears and left that box for the next trip.  What do I do with things like that?  I’m trying not to be a pack rat, but some things are so sentimental to me I can’t imagine not taking them.  Because C lost his dad too we have a lot of stuff.  We are practically outgrowing our house already.  But how do I not take the giant Pooh my mom had since high school?  I plan to put it in the basement (well once we finish it).  I took 9 bags to the salvation army and brought some boxes of books home.  My goal is to have large bookshelves filled with books one day.

I posed this question on Facebook and a couple of my mom’s friends suggest that I get a keepsake box and keep certain things my mom kept.

So I’m asking you, what would you do?

My new job is completely, 100% the exact opposite of my previous position.  I’m busy 8 hours of the day and I don’t just leave “work at work”. It is very possible that I could be out of a job in a year or two, maybe less. Guess I didn’t look before I leapt.

That said, I enjoy the challenge and professionalism of my job. I feel important and the things I’m doing are making a difference.  I think it was a good leap, if not terrifying.

I can’t believe is mid-july already. I hope you are having a kick ass summer. I’m enjoying my weekends up north with my lil family.

In the past 2 weeks I’ve…

• Interviewed for a position
• Finalized the adoption of my 4 month old furbaby
• Had a second interview
• Accepted the position
• Opened the cottage
• Took Stella to Lake Huron for the first time
  
• Finally became thoroughly attached to the furbaby. C attaches to animals as soon as they enter our house,  I take a bit longer. It is not that I don’t like them or want to take care of them but it takes a little while for me to form a bond. I can pinpoint the exact moment I’d do anything for this puppy. We were sitting by the fire up north and she was inside sleeping on the couch, when C opened the door she barreled out and jumped straight into my lap to cuddle and fall asleep.  She is not a needy dog and she loves everyone but in that moment she wanted me.

  

In the next two weeks I will…

• Put in my 2 weeks notice (today)
• Celebrate my 4th wedding anniversary
• Get my hair did
• Resume work on the cottage
• Shop for new clothes, for the first time in my life I have to dress in business/business casual attire. I may be freaking out. I own NO dress clothes people. Hold me?  Help me?
• Buy a new bag – I don’t think my backpack will cut it in a corporate environment. Suggestions?
• Attend my sister-in-laws wedding at Greenfield Village
• Celebrate my 29th birthday – last year of my 20′s and I’m ok with that (for now). Funny story? Last year I kept thinking I was 28 before I turned 28.  This year I feel like I’m turning 28, my brain is broken.
• I’m 90% sure I’m getting the Canon T3 for my birthday!!!!!!!!!

There has been a ton going and I’m excited and terrified at the same time.  New puppy, new job, new wardrobe.  Change, change and change some more.  Change is good and I’ve noticed in my life that most of the time all the changes happen at once.  Like I said, exciting and terrifying.

engagement/bridal pictures: let’s see em!

I already mentioned we didn’t have engagement pictures, we’re boring like that.  Here are the only digital pictures I have from my bridal showers.  I had two – one for my family and another for friends.  It really helped in keeping the groups small and intimate.  If you know me, you know that I don’t do well with large groups of people when I’m the center of attention.  The story about our reception is fun.

My first shower was held at Steak and Ale in the backroom.  It was my great aunt’s favorite restaurant to throw special occasions and since she was paying I had no objections.  The cake was beautiful and my cousins helped me with the gifts. It was just a week or two before my next shower and i was chilly for May. Yay Michigan weather.

This is at my second shower with my friends and C’s sisters and mom came. I’m sad I don’t have more pictures to share. We had mimosas and it was held at my Auntie L’s house. It was a gorgeous day in May.

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Previous answered questions in this series:

1. how it all began: how you met, first date, first kiss, how long did you date? first picture together…..etc.

2. when you knew he was the one: self explanatory.. but how and when did you know?

3. proposal: how it happened, how long were you engaged for? was it a total surprise? pictures of that… etc. &
4. the ring: tell us about it! did you pick it out? did he? pictures! tell us about his ring too!