Friday, May 23, 2008
Freedom!
I am wearing the same shirt today that I wore to work on Monday. This is a big step for me. Normally, I try to space out my clothes-wearing, especially if I'm wearing it to the same place. But this morning, nothing in my closet appealed to me except this shirt. I put it on and then realized, "Oh no, I wore this on Monday." But then I thought, "So? Who cares?" It's not like anyone is really going to notice, and if they do notice, what does it matter? Of course, I've known for a long time that it doesn't really matter what you wear, but I've never been able to let go of that self-consciousness before. Now I have so many more possibilities! I love not caring!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Congratulations, Darby!
Darby graduated from ACU last Saturday. His parents, brother and sister-in-law, grandpa, aunt, and my parents came in for the ceremony. It was a pretty long ceremony because the president of Madagascar was there (kind of crazy!) Afterwards, we went to Lytle Land and Cattle for dinner, which was a lot of fun. On Sunday, Hannah, Darby, and I took our parents to Copper Creek to celebrate Mother's Day. It was so fun to get to spend time with both of our families. I just wish Matt could have been there (I guess Senior prom is a good enough excuse). I have a couple of pictures below. I need to get some more from my mom and Debby.
Darby and his parents. His dad hooded him.
Me and Darby. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see how well he does in grad. school!
Darby and his parents. His dad hooded him.
Me and Darby. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see how well he does in grad. school!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Princess Peach is Back!
Darby's graduating tomorrow! Woo-hoo! I am so proud of him. He has done so well in college (with a super-hard major), and I know he has great things ahead of him in grad. school. I'm excited to start the next chapter of our lives.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I still love radio
Today when I was going home for lunch, the song "Shimmer" by Fuel came on the radio. I've had that CD for about seven years, and when I got my iPod I transferred that song to it. So I hear the song every few weeks or so. But I got so excited when it came on. There's something more fun when you just happen to hear one of your favorite songs instead of knowing that you caused it to happen. I'm the same way with movies. When I was younger, we owned Sound of Music. But whenever it came on TV, I would get so happy, even though I could watch it any time I wanted.
I know that entertainment is moving towards total customization, so you can always watch or listen to whatever you want whenever you want. And often that's a really good thing. But I don't want to lose the joy of turning on the radio and just happening to hear a favorite song.
I know that entertainment is moving towards total customization, so you can always watch or listen to whatever you want whenever you want. And often that's a really good thing. But I don't want to lose the joy of turning on the radio and just happening to hear a favorite song.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Things I've Thought about Blogging in the Past Two Weeks...
but obviously haven't
1. Finding a house to rent in Urbana, IL. It's a 3 bedroom/1 bath, and we've already signed the lease. I'm so excited! I don't know what I'm going to do with all that space!
2. The return of new T.V. shows - I was missing The Office so badly! There came a point when even I was tired of watching seasons 1-3 on DVD. The new episodes have been really good so far. I can't believe Jim already has a ring for Pam!
3. The Texas Library Association Conference in Dallas - That's right - I am officially a nerd. The ACU library paid for any students/staff who are interested in going to library school to attend. I heard some interesting presentations, got to stay in a super-nice hotel (The Magnolia), and got free books. All in all, it was pretty good for my first professional conference.
4. A fun weekend in Dallas after the conference. Darby was visiting a friend in Austin, so I spent time playing games, watching T.V., discussing controversial subjects, shopping, and eating yummy food with the always-generous hosts, Kalyn and B.J. Gensic. Then, I drove over to Garland to visit with Grandma and Aunt Katina, eat even more food, see Uncle Al, Aunt Lea, and Amy, and watch Enchanted (which I wouldn't recommend). It was great to see friends and family, but I sure missed Darby!
5. The series finale of Oprah's Big Give. I loved that show! Although it does seem kind of strange to be competing against each other to see who can help people more. Especially at the end, the contestants were fighting with each other more than they were actually helping. But they still did some awesome stuff, and my favorite guy won.
1. Finding a house to rent in Urbana, IL. It's a 3 bedroom/1 bath, and we've already signed the lease. I'm so excited! I don't know what I'm going to do with all that space!
2. The return of new T.V. shows - I was missing The Office so badly! There came a point when even I was tired of watching seasons 1-3 on DVD. The new episodes have been really good so far. I can't believe Jim already has a ring for Pam!
3. The Texas Library Association Conference in Dallas - That's right - I am officially a nerd. The ACU library paid for any students/staff who are interested in going to library school to attend. I heard some interesting presentations, got to stay in a super-nice hotel (The Magnolia), and got free books. All in all, it was pretty good for my first professional conference.
4. A fun weekend in Dallas after the conference. Darby was visiting a friend in Austin, so I spent time playing games, watching T.V., discussing controversial subjects, shopping, and eating yummy food with the always-generous hosts, Kalyn and B.J. Gensic. Then, I drove over to Garland to visit with Grandma and Aunt Katina, eat even more food, see Uncle Al, Aunt Lea, and Amy, and watch Enchanted (which I wouldn't recommend). It was great to see friends and family, but I sure missed Darby!
5. The series finale of Oprah's Big Give. I loved that show! Although it does seem kind of strange to be competing against each other to see who can help people more. Especially at the end, the contestants were fighting with each other more than they were actually helping. But they still did some awesome stuff, and my favorite guy won.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
9 Months
On Monday, Darby and I celebrated our 9-monthiversary. I don't know why, but 9 months seems like a much bigger milestone than 8 months. Maybe it's because that's the length of time you're pregnant? I guess we could have called it, "Let's celebrate the fact that we didn't get pregnant on our honeymoon" day, but that's a little wordy. Anyway, I know we're still new to this whole marriage thing, but here are 9 lessons I've learned about marriage in the first 9 months:
1. Traditions matter. Darby and I have lots of little traditions. Every Sunday we go to AM Donuts before church. Every Monday, we watch Headlines on Jay Leno. Every day at lunch, we watch an episode of The Office or Friends. We just recently started walking to Peet's every Saturday morning to get 99 cent lattes. None of those things are a very big deal, but it gives us something to look forward to during the daily grind. I think people sometimes think that they'll start traditions once they start a family, but it's important to realize that just the two of you are a family, also.
2. When you have someone else sharing your bed, it's guaranteed to feel at least twenty degrees hotter at night.
3. Believe people when they say you have to plan dates when you're married. I always thought, "That's silly. We'll be spending so much time together after we're married." Imagine my surprise when I realized that every married person in the world actually knew what they were talking about! Darby and I spend more time together than most married couples, but it's easy to not really do anything. When we were dating, we'd go to the park, go to Starbucks, rent movies, go out to dinner. Now, we do a lot of sitting around the apartment. Our relationship is so much better when we actually go out, even if it's something cheap or free.
4. If you can, do the grocery shopping together. I enjoy shopping so much more when Darby's with me. Plus, he can help me carry everything into the house. Same thing goes for laundry. We both HATE doing laundry (especially since the dryers in the laundry room don't dry), but doing it together makes it slightly more bearable.
5. In general, save as much as you can, but splurge on vacations. This goes for single people, too, of course. On the two vacations we've taken (our honeymoon to Niagara Falls and Santa Fe), Darby and I have eaten at nice restaurants and gotten dessert and coffee, which we wouldn't normally do. It makes the vacation so much more fun, and I'd much rather spend money on a trip than just on a daily Starbucks or something.
6. Hang out with your girl/guy friends. I'm in a Book Club, Supper Club, and a Bunco group, all of which meet once a month. It's so fun to have "girl time," and I always come back home with more energy and eagerness to talk to Darby. Likewise, he really enjoys getting together with his guy friends. We're each other's best friends, but we definitely can't be each other's only friend.
7. The world really doesn't end if you go to bed angry. Although ideally I agree that conflict should be resolved as soon as possible, sometimes that just doesn't happen. So we can either spend all night fighting and getting more tired and emotional or we can go to bed, wake up, realize we were wrong, and apologize. I prefer the second option.
8. If you only have one bathroom, you better grab it the second you get home from a long car ride.
9. Be silly. I love making Darby laugh. I have no rhythm, so when catchy music comes on TV, I start dancing really crazily. Now, Darby requests "the dance," and he cracks up every time. Sometimes he laughs so hard that he starts laughing at his own laugh and crying. Then, I start laughing. There's a good 15 minutes of entertainment right there! Really, though, I love just having fun with Darby. It's great to know that he still loves me even when I'm making a fool of myself.
1. Traditions matter. Darby and I have lots of little traditions. Every Sunday we go to AM Donuts before church. Every Monday, we watch Headlines on Jay Leno. Every day at lunch, we watch an episode of The Office or Friends. We just recently started walking to Peet's every Saturday morning to get 99 cent lattes. None of those things are a very big deal, but it gives us something to look forward to during the daily grind. I think people sometimes think that they'll start traditions once they start a family, but it's important to realize that just the two of you are a family, also.
2. When you have someone else sharing your bed, it's guaranteed to feel at least twenty degrees hotter at night.
3. Believe people when they say you have to plan dates when you're married. I always thought, "That's silly. We'll be spending so much time together after we're married." Imagine my surprise when I realized that every married person in the world actually knew what they were talking about! Darby and I spend more time together than most married couples, but it's easy to not really do anything. When we were dating, we'd go to the park, go to Starbucks, rent movies, go out to dinner. Now, we do a lot of sitting around the apartment. Our relationship is so much better when we actually go out, even if it's something cheap or free.
4. If you can, do the grocery shopping together. I enjoy shopping so much more when Darby's with me. Plus, he can help me carry everything into the house. Same thing goes for laundry. We both HATE doing laundry (especially since the dryers in the laundry room don't dry), but doing it together makes it slightly more bearable.
5. In general, save as much as you can, but splurge on vacations. This goes for single people, too, of course. On the two vacations we've taken (our honeymoon to Niagara Falls and Santa Fe), Darby and I have eaten at nice restaurants and gotten dessert and coffee, which we wouldn't normally do. It makes the vacation so much more fun, and I'd much rather spend money on a trip than just on a daily Starbucks or something.
6. Hang out with your girl/guy friends. I'm in a Book Club, Supper Club, and a Bunco group, all of which meet once a month. It's so fun to have "girl time," and I always come back home with more energy and eagerness to talk to Darby. Likewise, he really enjoys getting together with his guy friends. We're each other's best friends, but we definitely can't be each other's only friend.
7. The world really doesn't end if you go to bed angry. Although ideally I agree that conflict should be resolved as soon as possible, sometimes that just doesn't happen. So we can either spend all night fighting and getting more tired and emotional or we can go to bed, wake up, realize we were wrong, and apologize. I prefer the second option.
8. If you only have one bathroom, you better grab it the second you get home from a long car ride.
9. Be silly. I love making Darby laugh. I have no rhythm, so when catchy music comes on TV, I start dancing really crazily. Now, Darby requests "the dance," and he cracks up every time. Sometimes he laughs so hard that he starts laughing at his own laugh and crying. Then, I start laughing. There's a good 15 minutes of entertainment right there! Really, though, I love just having fun with Darby. It's great to know that he still loves me even when I'm making a fool of myself.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Sweet Surprises and a Decision
On Friday, my sister called me at work and asked if I could come over to pick up my wedding DVD; she said that she had something else for me, too. Darby took me by her house on our way home, and I was surprised with these:
Sorry they're sideways. I don't think there's a way to rotate the picture after I've uploaded it. Aren't they pretty? She found the vase at a garage sale and thought it looked like me, so she filled it with some bright flowers.
Darby and I went back to our apartment, and when I walked in, I was greeted by these:
My sweet husband had gotten me flowers "just because!" He and Hannah hadn't planned it, but they ran into each other when they were at the store buying their flowers. What a coincidence!
Two bouquets in one day! That made my week!
In other exciting news, Darby and I made a decision about grad. school this weekend. Before I let you in on the big decision, I'll tell you how it all went down:
In December, I found out that I had been accepted to:
I was glad to have at least one acceptance, but it wasn't my first choice because it's an online program, and I'd rather go in person. The plus side was that I could do it from anywhere.
In January, Darby was accepted to:
Side note: Don't they have an awesome mascot? He was very excited because Georgia Tech's a great school. We were relieved to have at least one option for both of us. (Him at GT; me doing the online program at UNT).
In February, I was accepted to:
UT! Woo-hoo! But we were still holding out for UW.
In early March, Darby got a rejection e-mail from:
That was a sad day because we had both really wanted to go there. But we knew something else would work out. A couple of days later, I got a letter saying that I had been waitlisted at UW (not that it mattered any more, anyway).
About a week later, Darby got an acceptance e-mail from:
We were very happy! Illinois is an awesome school (despite their lame mascot...Illini, are you kidding me!?!) I started getting really nervous about whether or not I would get in. I waited and waited for my letter. Finally, the Tuesday after Spring Break it came. I didn't get in. That was tough. I knew UT was still an option, but I also knew that Darby would really rather go to Illinois. I started feeling better when I realized that if we did decide to go to Illinois, I wouldn't necessarily have to start the UNT program and could reapply to Illinois next year.
We kept waiting for Darby to hear from UT. He called and they said it was the Circuit Design Committee that was holding everybody up. (Of course, that's the committee that affects him.) When we hadn't heard from them by last Friday, I asked Darby if he wanted just to go ahead and commit to Illinois. Of course, he did, but he wanted to make sure I was okay with it. If I were single, I would definitely go to UT, but I want him to have the opportunity to live out of state, which is his dream. Plus Illinois' program is better than UT's. And it's a really great program for me, too, if I can ever get in! We're both glad to finally have a decision, and as of today, we still haven't heard from UT, so I'm glad we didn't wait around.
So, bring on the long johns. We're moving north!
Sorry they're sideways. I don't think there's a way to rotate the picture after I've uploaded it. Aren't they pretty? She found the vase at a garage sale and thought it looked like me, so she filled it with some bright flowers.
Darby and I went back to our apartment, and when I walked in, I was greeted by these:
My sweet husband had gotten me flowers "just because!" He and Hannah hadn't planned it, but they ran into each other when they were at the store buying their flowers. What a coincidence!
Two bouquets in one day! That made my week!
In other exciting news, Darby and I made a decision about grad. school this weekend. Before I let you in on the big decision, I'll tell you how it all went down:
In December, I found out that I had been accepted to:
I was glad to have at least one acceptance, but it wasn't my first choice because it's an online program, and I'd rather go in person. The plus side was that I could do it from anywhere.
In January, Darby was accepted to:
Side note: Don't they have an awesome mascot? He was very excited because Georgia Tech's a great school. We were relieved to have at least one option for both of us. (Him at GT; me doing the online program at UNT).
In February, I was accepted to:
UT! Woo-hoo! But we were still holding out for UW.
In early March, Darby got a rejection e-mail from:
That was a sad day because we had both really wanted to go there. But we knew something else would work out. A couple of days later, I got a letter saying that I had been waitlisted at UW (not that it mattered any more, anyway).
About a week later, Darby got an acceptance e-mail from:
We were very happy! Illinois is an awesome school (despite their lame mascot...Illini, are you kidding me!?!) I started getting really nervous about whether or not I would get in. I waited and waited for my letter. Finally, the Tuesday after Spring Break it came. I didn't get in. That was tough. I knew UT was still an option, but I also knew that Darby would really rather go to Illinois. I started feeling better when I realized that if we did decide to go to Illinois, I wouldn't necessarily have to start the UNT program and could reapply to Illinois next year.
We kept waiting for Darby to hear from UT. He called and they said it was the Circuit Design Committee that was holding everybody up. (Of course, that's the committee that affects him.) When we hadn't heard from them by last Friday, I asked Darby if he wanted just to go ahead and commit to Illinois. Of course, he did, but he wanted to make sure I was okay with it. If I were single, I would definitely go to UT, but I want him to have the opportunity to live out of state, which is his dream. Plus Illinois' program is better than UT's. And it's a really great program for me, too, if I can ever get in! We're both glad to finally have a decision, and as of today, we still haven't heard from UT, so I'm glad we didn't wait around.
So, bring on the long johns. We're moving north!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Santa Fe
I meant to post these pictures early last week, but I lost the cord that connects my camera to the computer. It had fallen behind the desk. Grrr...
Darby and I had a lot of fun in Santa Fe. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny and in the 60's every day. We stayed in a little casita, which was really fun. We really enjoyed watching cable TV :)
This was our bed. The flat screen TV swings out from the wall on the right.
This was our little kitchen. We enjoyed making hot cocoa and eating our yummy desserts from Cafe Paris.
We ate at so many good restaurants in Santa Fe. Our favorite was definitely Cafe Pascual's for breakfast. It's a famous Santa Fe place that has really great omelettes and breakfast quesadillas.
Our favorite day was the day we went hiking. We did a 7.5 mile hike up to a 9,500 foot peak. It was challenging, but not too bad. It took us about 4 hours, and the worst part was that I needed to go to the bathroom for about three of them.
This is the first picture we took when we got to the top. We couldn't figure out how to get the camera to work, hence the looks on our faces. When we saw this, we laughed so hard. We tried to take a better one...
I'm not sure if we succeeded. Oh well!
This is the view from the top. The town of Santa Fe itself wasn't that pretty (everything was brown), but this view was great.
Here's me on the way down. We had to walk down a bunch of slushy snow. I fell...twice! I think this was before I fell the second time.
Overall, it was a great trip. We both enjoy the same activities (eating, going to museums, walking), so we're good travel companions. It was definitely hard to come back to work. I can't wait until we can go on another trip!
Darby and I had a lot of fun in Santa Fe. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny and in the 60's every day. We stayed in a little casita, which was really fun. We really enjoyed watching cable TV :)
This was our bed. The flat screen TV swings out from the wall on the right.
This was our little kitchen. We enjoyed making hot cocoa and eating our yummy desserts from Cafe Paris.
We ate at so many good restaurants in Santa Fe. Our favorite was definitely Cafe Pascual's for breakfast. It's a famous Santa Fe place that has really great omelettes and breakfast quesadillas.
Our favorite day was the day we went hiking. We did a 7.5 mile hike up to a 9,500 foot peak. It was challenging, but not too bad. It took us about 4 hours, and the worst part was that I needed to go to the bathroom for about three of them.
This is the first picture we took when we got to the top. We couldn't figure out how to get the camera to work, hence the looks on our faces. When we saw this, we laughed so hard. We tried to take a better one...
I'm not sure if we succeeded. Oh well!
This is the view from the top. The town of Santa Fe itself wasn't that pretty (everything was brown), but this view was great.
Here's me on the way down. We had to walk down a bunch of slushy snow. I fell...twice! I think this was before I fell the second time.
Overall, it was a great trip. We both enjoy the same activities (eating, going to museums, walking), so we're good travel companions. It was definitely hard to come back to work. I can't wait until we can go on another trip!
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Blog Fast is Over!
Well my 40 blog-less days are over! I have to admit that I might have cheated a little. At first, I was only allowing myself one blog, 3191, which is a daily photo blog. I considered that a little different than a blog because it doesn't have words and is intended for a wide audience. After about a week or two, I started reading cooking and organizing blogs. I just didn't let myself read any personal blogs. Although I wish I could have stayed away completely, I was pretty satisfied with the experience. My productivity definitely increased, which made me feel better about myself. And the blogs I missed the most were those of my friends, not the random ones I read. I think I can cut out a lot of those completely, so I don't feel like such a stalker. I also enjoyed taking a little time every day to pray a prayer devoted specifically to one person. I think I will continue that. All that being said, I am glad to be back, and I look forward to returning to blog-reading, perhaps with a little more moderation.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
My New Passion
I have become obsessed with getting rid of stuff. Knowing that I'm about to move inspired me to evaluate what things I have that are actually worth packing and unpacking. I HATE packing, so this is great motivation. However, I think I might be going a little too far. I mean, so far, I haven't gotten rid of anything really valuable or sentimental - mainly just old clothes and unnecessary trinkets. But I find myself constantly thinking, "What can I get rid of?" Sitting in church on Sunday, I was taking a mental inventory of all the items in my closet, trying to decide whether to keep them or not. I'm scaring myself.
I keep thinking that once I get my clutter under control, I'll be able to stop worrying about it. But now I'm wondering if I'll ever feel like it's under control. Is this a never-ending project? I don't want to turn in to one of those people who gets rid of everything and doesn't even have any pictures of their family. I get a high every time I find something to give away. What will happen to me when that high is gone? I'm an uncluttering junkie!
Evaluating all of my possessions has really made me think about the underlying problem, though. Why do I feel the need to acquire so much stuff in the first place? How much money could I have given away if I hadn't used it to buy things I would end up discarding in a few years? Or what one or two really nice possessions could I have in place of the million cheap things that end up breaking or wearing out? It's an interesting exercise. I'm definitely trying to evaluate every new thing I bring into my life from now on. I don't want to feel overwhelmed by my things and feel like I'm always in need of more space to store them. I want to be able to truly enjoy the things I have, and I think that starts with having fewer things.
I keep thinking that once I get my clutter under control, I'll be able to stop worrying about it. But now I'm wondering if I'll ever feel like it's under control. Is this a never-ending project? I don't want to turn in to one of those people who gets rid of everything and doesn't even have any pictures of their family. I get a high every time I find something to give away. What will happen to me when that high is gone? I'm an uncluttering junkie!
Evaluating all of my possessions has really made me think about the underlying problem, though. Why do I feel the need to acquire so much stuff in the first place? How much money could I have given away if I hadn't used it to buy things I would end up discarding in a few years? Or what one or two really nice possessions could I have in place of the million cheap things that end up breaking or wearing out? It's an interesting exercise. I'm definitely trying to evaluate every new thing I bring into my life from now on. I don't want to feel overwhelmed by my things and feel like I'm always in need of more space to store them. I want to be able to truly enjoy the things I have, and I think that starts with having fewer things.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Seattle-less
Well, Darby found out on Wednesday night that he didn't get in to UW. I'm still waiting to hear, but now it doesn't really matter. We were both pretty bummed because that seemed like the best option for both of us. But we know that we can be happy wherever we go.
We knew it was never a sure thing that we would move to Seattle, but it was still hard not to get our hopes up. For months, when I've pictured what our lives will look like next year, I've almost always pictured Seattle. Now, I don't know what to picture. If we both get in to UIUC, we'll be thrilled. But that is somewhat unlikely, given the competitiveness of the school. I'd be more than happy to go to UT, where I've been accepted. But Darby really wants to live out of state. He'd prefer Georgia, which would mean I would have to do the online program at UNT. So even though we've eliminated one choice, it seems like we have even more decisions to make. I'm trying not to worry too much about it. Maybe we will both get in to UIUC, and it won't be an issue. But it's still hard to let go of Seattle. Every day, I have to remind myself that we won't be living there. I didn't realize how much I thought about it until I found out it wasn't going to happen.
Of course, I know that there would have been downsides to living in Seattle, as well. The main ones being the distance and the cost of living. Plus, I told Darby, "Now we can just go to Seattle on vacation and not have to worry about school while we're there." I'm not totally certain how much God is involved in every circumstance. That is, I don't know if I'm ready to say that God influences the decisions of university admissions committees. But I do believe that he has a plan for us. I'm hopeful that we will be able to look back and see how he guided us to a particular school.
We knew it was never a sure thing that we would move to Seattle, but it was still hard not to get our hopes up. For months, when I've pictured what our lives will look like next year, I've almost always pictured Seattle. Now, I don't know what to picture. If we both get in to UIUC, we'll be thrilled. But that is somewhat unlikely, given the competitiveness of the school. I'd be more than happy to go to UT, where I've been accepted. But Darby really wants to live out of state. He'd prefer Georgia, which would mean I would have to do the online program at UNT. So even though we've eliminated one choice, it seems like we have even more decisions to make. I'm trying not to worry too much about it. Maybe we will both get in to UIUC, and it won't be an issue. But it's still hard to let go of Seattle. Every day, I have to remind myself that we won't be living there. I didn't realize how much I thought about it until I found out it wasn't going to happen.
Of course, I know that there would have been downsides to living in Seattle, as well. The main ones being the distance and the cost of living. Plus, I told Darby, "Now we can just go to Seattle on vacation and not have to worry about school while we're there." I'm not totally certain how much God is involved in every circumstance. That is, I don't know if I'm ready to say that God influences the decisions of university admissions committees. But I do believe that he has a plan for us. I'm hopeful that we will be able to look back and see how he guided us to a particular school.
Friday, February 22, 2008
HILMM - Part 6 to The End
Wow! I didn't realize how long it was going to take to tell mine and Darby's story. I'm getting kind of bored with it, so I'm going to condense the rest of our story into a timeline. Even condensed, it's still pretty long, so you might want to get comfy.
July 25, 2001 - Darby and I officially become "boyfriend and girlfriend"
November 5, 2001 - We have our first kiss after watching Shrek at my house. (Yes, almost four months after we started dating; Darby was a little shy).
January 31, 2002 - We say "I love you" for the first time. I actually say it first.
February, 2002 - We start talking seriously about getting married in a few years. What were we thinking?! We were 16!
2002-August 2003 - We spend countless hours together - eating Frostys (Frosties?) at Wendy's, going to the fountain park downtown, watching movies and playing games at each others' houses, talking at Starbucks, riding bikes on the dam, jogging together after church, wandering around Wal-Mart because we had nowhere else to go.
August 2003 - I leave for my first year at ACU. Being apart is hard. I go to Waco a lot, and Darby comes to Abilene. We see each other about every other weekend. At first, these weekends are wonderful, but we begin to fight increasingly frequently.
December 8, 2003 - We break up. Even though I kind of saw it coming, I am crushed. My friends and family are very supportive, though, and I have a good Christmas in spite of the situation.
January 1, 2004 - We get back together after spending time together at the church New Year's Eve party. I like this line from Seinfeld. "The first break-up never takes. It's like shaking a vending machine. You have to hit it again and again." (my paraphrase)
Spring and Summer 2004 - Darby and I are kind of in a holding pattern. Our relationship has improved enough for us to hold on but not enough for us to be really happy. Not that there weren't good times, though. Darby sent me tons of sweet cards and e-mails letting me know how much he loved and missed me. I went back to Waco for his senior prom, and we had a great time.
August 18th or so, 2004 - After an emotional summer in Waco, we break up again, this time for good (or so I thought). It is a less emotionally wrenching experience than the first break-up because we both realize how toxic our relationship has become. We agree to remain friends, and Darby assures me that he's still happy with his decision to start ACU. We leave separately the next day.
September 15th or so, 2004 - Darby and I meet on the benches outside Moody Coliseum "just to talk." We confess that we still love each other, and we both admit the mistakes we made before. We begin to get together secretly because we're embarrassed to let people know that we're back together again. We spend way less time together than we did before, though. Both of us are cautious; we know that this is our last chance to make it work.
Thanksgiving, 2004 - Everyone knows that we're officially back together. Actually, most people figured it out long before that. We weren't too sneaky.
2005-2006 - We rebuild our relationship, and it's way better than high school. We spend even more hours together walking around campus, playing Scrabble at Starbucks, hanging out with the Westgate college group, doing homework together, cooking for each other, watching Flip That House marathons (oh, the good ol' days when we had cable).
June 11, 2006 - Darby proposes while we're walking in Nelson park.
July 7, 2007 - We get married. Finally! It was quite a six years, but definitely worth the wait. Because we had already been through so much together, the transition into marriage was pretty smooth. Of course, we have our fights, but it seems that we got most of the kinks worked out in high school and college. And we definitely didn't go into marriage with the illusion that the other person was perfect :) Looking back, Darby and I sometimes can't believe that we actually made it. We were both so immature when our relationship began; when we got back together the second time, it was basically starting a new relationship because we had changed so much. I think we are lucky to have already spent such a big portion of our lives together. There were things we might not have had to go through had we been more mature when we met. But, I don't think we would have grown into the people we've become without each other. Each of us definitely tempers the extreme qualities in the other. I can't wait to watch the rest of our story unfold; it will definitely have twists and turns, but we know that we'll face them together.
July 25, 2001 - Darby and I officially become "boyfriend and girlfriend"
November 5, 2001 - We have our first kiss after watching Shrek at my house. (Yes, almost four months after we started dating; Darby was a little shy).
January 31, 2002 - We say "I love you" for the first time. I actually say it first.
February, 2002 - We start talking seriously about getting married in a few years. What were we thinking?! We were 16!
2002-August 2003 - We spend countless hours together - eating Frostys (Frosties?) at Wendy's, going to the fountain park downtown, watching movies and playing games at each others' houses, talking at Starbucks, riding bikes on the dam, jogging together after church, wandering around Wal-Mart because we had nowhere else to go.
August 2003 - I leave for my first year at ACU. Being apart is hard. I go to Waco a lot, and Darby comes to Abilene. We see each other about every other weekend. At first, these weekends are wonderful, but we begin to fight increasingly frequently.
December 8, 2003 - We break up. Even though I kind of saw it coming, I am crushed. My friends and family are very supportive, though, and I have a good Christmas in spite of the situation.
January 1, 2004 - We get back together after spending time together at the church New Year's Eve party. I like this line from Seinfeld. "The first break-up never takes. It's like shaking a vending machine. You have to hit it again and again." (my paraphrase)
Spring and Summer 2004 - Darby and I are kind of in a holding pattern. Our relationship has improved enough for us to hold on but not enough for us to be really happy. Not that there weren't good times, though. Darby sent me tons of sweet cards and e-mails letting me know how much he loved and missed me. I went back to Waco for his senior prom, and we had a great time.
August 18th or so, 2004 - After an emotional summer in Waco, we break up again, this time for good (or so I thought). It is a less emotionally wrenching experience than the first break-up because we both realize how toxic our relationship has become. We agree to remain friends, and Darby assures me that he's still happy with his decision to start ACU. We leave separately the next day.
September 15th or so, 2004 - Darby and I meet on the benches outside Moody Coliseum "just to talk." We confess that we still love each other, and we both admit the mistakes we made before. We begin to get together secretly because we're embarrassed to let people know that we're back together again. We spend way less time together than we did before, though. Both of us are cautious; we know that this is our last chance to make it work.
Thanksgiving, 2004 - Everyone knows that we're officially back together. Actually, most people figured it out long before that. We weren't too sneaky.
2005-2006 - We rebuild our relationship, and it's way better than high school. We spend even more hours together walking around campus, playing Scrabble at Starbucks, hanging out with the Westgate college group, doing homework together, cooking for each other, watching Flip That House marathons (oh, the good ol' days when we had cable).
June 11, 2006 - Darby proposes while we're walking in Nelson park.
July 7, 2007 - We get married. Finally! It was quite a six years, but definitely worth the wait. Because we had already been through so much together, the transition into marriage was pretty smooth. Of course, we have our fights, but it seems that we got most of the kinks worked out in high school and college. And we definitely didn't go into marriage with the illusion that the other person was perfect :) Looking back, Darby and I sometimes can't believe that we actually made it. We were both so immature when our relationship began; when we got back together the second time, it was basically starting a new relationship because we had changed so much. I think we are lucky to have already spent such a big portion of our lives together. There were things we might not have had to go through had we been more mature when we met. But, I don't think we would have grown into the people we've become without each other. Each of us definitely tempers the extreme qualities in the other. I can't wait to watch the rest of our story unfold; it will definitely have twists and turns, but we know that we'll face them together.
Monday, February 18, 2008
HILMM - Part 5: The Longest Two Weeks of My Life
After our hand-holding episode, I wasn't quite sure what to do. Darby and I hadn't really talked about any future plans. When he left Daniel's house, I said bye hurriedly, wanting to avoid any potential awkwardness in front of our friends. A couple of days later, I decided to call him to see if he wanted to go play putt-putt with a bunch of people from church. I left a message at his house but didn't hear back from him that night. I was kind of disappointed, but I figured he was already out with friends. (This was before everybody had cell phones...ah, the good old days).
I didn't hear from him the next day either, which I thought was kind of weird. Then, he wasn't at church on Sunday. I started asking around and found out that he had left for camp...for two weeks. I was so upset. He had told me that he was going to camp on Friday, but for some reason I thought he meant the next Friday. I was kicking myself for not telling him goodbye or at least solidifying things a little. I felt sure that he was going to fall in love with a girl at camp and forget all about me. (I was pretty dramatic back then...perhaps I still am). I expressed my concerns to his friend Cody, who made me feel a little better. He said, "When Darby likes someone, he's in it for the long haul." Still, I worried and worried, counting down the days until he came back.
The day he got back, he called me. The first thing he said was, "So, Cody told me you were afraid I wouldn't like you when I got back." I admitted that I had been worried. He said, "Don't worry. The whole time I just prayed and prayed that you would still like me." He had even written me a song at camp. We talked for a long time, and I felt good knowing that we had made the leap to actually talking about how we felt about each other.
When I look back, I laugh at how worried I was. I mean, it was only two weeks, but it sure felt like a lifetime to me at the time.
I didn't hear from him the next day either, which I thought was kind of weird. Then, he wasn't at church on Sunday. I started asking around and found out that he had left for camp...for two weeks. I was so upset. He had told me that he was going to camp on Friday, but for some reason I thought he meant the next Friday. I was kicking myself for not telling him goodbye or at least solidifying things a little. I felt sure that he was going to fall in love with a girl at camp and forget all about me. (I was pretty dramatic back then...perhaps I still am). I expressed my concerns to his friend Cody, who made me feel a little better. He said, "When Darby likes someone, he's in it for the long haul." Still, I worried and worried, counting down the days until he came back.
The day he got back, he called me. The first thing he said was, "So, Cody told me you were afraid I wouldn't like you when I got back." I admitted that I had been worried. He said, "Don't worry. The whole time I just prayed and prayed that you would still like me." He had even written me a song at camp. We talked for a long time, and I felt good knowing that we had made the leap to actually talking about how we felt about each other.
When I look back, I laugh at how worried I was. I mean, it was only two weeks, but it sure felt like a lifetime to me at the time.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
HILMM - Part 4: The Fireworks
Well, after our rock show encounter, several weeks passed with no real progress. Darby and I talked at church, but he wasn't making a move. Pretty much everyone in the youth group knew about our situation at this point. So on the 4th of July, a bunch of my friends were going to watch fireworks at Baylor. One of my friends, Kristene, decided that if Darby and I weren't going to move forward, she would push us forward. She asked Darby if he wanted to come with us and told him that I liked him. A little embarrassing, yes, but I guess it did the trick. He rode with me to Baylor because he had just gotten his license two days earlier and didn't feel comfortable driving downtown. (I had had my license a whopping two weeks!) He did bring his CD collection along for the ride and made me listen to quite an eclectic mix, including a bagpipe CD. I thought his unique taste in music made him seem cool and interesting. (Darby brought this up to me a few weeks ago and said he's embarrassed by how nerdy he was back then.)
While we watched the fireworks, I tried to keep my hand available for holding, but Darby didn't seem to get the hint. Afterwards, we went over to our friend Daniel's house. The guys were shooting off their own fireworks, and I was scared. I acted a little more scared than I really was, though. My strategy worked because Darby put his arm around me to comfort me and later while we were sitting on the sidewalk watching the fireworks, he held my hand! Finally! After about a month of dancing around the issue, we seemed to have finally both acknowledged our feelings for each other. I was so happy; I could not stop smiling the whole way home and all the next day at work.
But two days later, my happiness turned to tears.
To Be Continued...
While we watched the fireworks, I tried to keep my hand available for holding, but Darby didn't seem to get the hint. Afterwards, we went over to our friend Daniel's house. The guys were shooting off their own fireworks, and I was scared. I acted a little more scared than I really was, though. My strategy worked because Darby put his arm around me to comfort me and later while we were sitting on the sidewalk watching the fireworks, he held my hand! Finally! After about a month of dancing around the issue, we seemed to have finally both acknowledged our feelings for each other. I was so happy; I could not stop smiling the whole way home and all the next day at work.
But two days later, my happiness turned to tears.
To Be Continued...
Monday, February 11, 2008
HILMM - Part 3: Chicks Dig Guitarists
So after our less-than-stellar first date, I decided that it wasn't going to work out between me and Darby. I told my mom that I just wasn't interested in him in that way. I figured that he probably felt the same way, since I knew he had sensed the awkwardness on our date. We still talked at church, though, and things seemed to go back to "normal."
Darby and his friend Cody and another guy Keith had a band called Serna. Darby was the lead singer and guitarist. My group of girlfriends and I decided to go to their show at Trinity Lutheran Church on June 14. I stood in the front and watched him sing, and I had to admit, I still thought he was pretty cute. What girl can resist a lead singer? After Serna played, Darby and I sat on the pull-out bleachers and talked and talked. I can't remember what we talked about, but I do remember that at one point our knees accidentally touched, and I felt absolutely giddy. It was so easy to talk to him when we weren't in a "date" setting, and he made me laugh a lot. I started reconsidering my decision to remain just friends. But I didn't feel like I could ask him on another date or anything. Plus, I was embarrassed that I had changed my mind in just 12 days. Was I being fickle? I decided to just wait it out and see what happened. I could tell he still liked me, so I was hoping he'd take a chance and ask me out again.
Did it happen? Tune in next time to find out...
Darby playing with Serna. What's not to love?
Darby and his friend Cody and another guy Keith had a band called Serna. Darby was the lead singer and guitarist. My group of girlfriends and I decided to go to their show at Trinity Lutheran Church on June 14. I stood in the front and watched him sing, and I had to admit, I still thought he was pretty cute. What girl can resist a lead singer? After Serna played, Darby and I sat on the pull-out bleachers and talked and talked. I can't remember what we talked about, but I do remember that at one point our knees accidentally touched, and I felt absolutely giddy. It was so easy to talk to him when we weren't in a "date" setting, and he made me laugh a lot. I started reconsidering my decision to remain just friends. But I didn't feel like I could ask him on another date or anything. Plus, I was embarrassed that I had changed my mind in just 12 days. Was I being fickle? I decided to just wait it out and see what happened. I could tell he still liked me, so I was hoping he'd take a chance and ask me out again.
Did it happen? Tune in next time to find out...
Darby playing with Serna. What's not to love?
Thursday, February 07, 2008
HILMM - Part 2: The First Date
Okay, fast forward almost four years. It's the summer of 2001, before my junior year of high school. Darby and I have been friends for the past four years, but not really close friends. We talk at church and get along, but we don't ever spend time together outside of church activities. Recently, though, I've been surprised to find that I might actually like Darby as "more than friends." My heart beats a little faster when he's around, and I look forward to seeing him at church. I'm still hung up on the age thing, though. Even though he's only two weeks younger than me, I don't like the idea of dating someone in a lower grade.
I can tell that Darby kind of likes me, too. He singles me out a lot at church, and we have a great time talking to each other. One afternoon, he, Cody, and I are up at the church working on camp t-shirt designs. Darby mentions that he wants to see the movie A Knight's Tale. Knowing where this is heading, I say that I want to see it, too. He asks if I want to go the next Saturday, and I agree. I'm still not totally sure if this is a date, though. Maybe he's invited other people, too. Or maybe we're just going as friends. I'm not even sure I want it to be a date, since I haven't decided how I feel about him.
On Saturday, June 2, he comes to pick me up. (Well, technically his parents come to pick me up; neither of us has our licenses yet). They drop us off at the theater, where he pays for my ticket. At this point, I realize it is a date. After the movie, his parents pick us up and we all go eat at McAlister's Deli. Talk about awkward! Our first date was a double-date with his parents! They dropped me off at my house, and I thought, "Well, that was a bust." Things just felt forced between us. I figured we'd go back to our friendly relationship at church, and nothing more. Not exactly an instant love connection.
So how did we end up together? Tune in next time to find out. :)
I can tell that Darby kind of likes me, too. He singles me out a lot at church, and we have a great time talking to each other. One afternoon, he, Cody, and I are up at the church working on camp t-shirt designs. Darby mentions that he wants to see the movie A Knight's Tale. Knowing where this is heading, I say that I want to see it, too. He asks if I want to go the next Saturday, and I agree. I'm still not totally sure if this is a date, though. Maybe he's invited other people, too. Or maybe we're just going as friends. I'm not even sure I want it to be a date, since I haven't decided how I feel about him.
On Saturday, June 2, he comes to pick me up. (Well, technically his parents come to pick me up; neither of us has our licenses yet). They drop us off at the theater, where he pays for my ticket. At this point, I realize it is a date. After the movie, his parents pick us up and we all go eat at McAlister's Deli. Talk about awkward! Our first date was a double-date with his parents! They dropped me off at my house, and I thought, "Well, that was a bust." Things just felt forced between us. I figured we'd go back to our friendly relationship at church, and nothing more. Not exactly an instant love connection.
So how did we end up together? Tune in next time to find out. :)
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Blog Fast
I've given up reading blogs for Lent. I don't say that to brag. In fact, I think it's kind of pathetic that blog reading is a big enough part of my life for it to be a true sacrifice to give it up. It started out okay when I was just reading my friends' blogs. But then I started reading about friends of friends of friends. My list of blogs I follow almost daily is a mile long. It's definitely time for a break. And I'm going to try to spend some of the time I would spend reading praying for the people instead. I just wanted to let you know, so those of you who have blogs know why I'm not commenting on yours.
I will still be updating my own blog, because the time I spend doing that is minuscule compared to the time spent reading others' blogs. Maybe next year I'll give up my own, as well. So if you want me to know something about your life, call or e-mail me. And I'll look forward to catching up in 6 weeks! :)
I will still be updating my own blog, because the time I spend doing that is minuscule compared to the time spent reading others' blogs. Maybe next year I'll give up my own, as well. So if you want me to know something about your life, call or e-mail me. And I'll look forward to catching up in 6 weeks! :)
Monday, February 04, 2008
How I Landed My Man - Part 1: Let's Start at the Very Beginning
In honor of Valentine's Day, specifically my first Valentine's Day as a married person, I thought I would go back and recount how Darby and I met, fell in love, and got married. We dated for six years, so it's a pretty long story. I'll divide it up, so you don't get too bored. Here goes...
Honestly, I don't remember the very first time I met Darby. His family moved to our church when I was in 7th grade and he was in 6th grade. I'm sure I was introduced to him one day at church. The first memory I have of him, though, is when we both went with the youth group to South Texas Youth Conference in San Antonio. It was a couple of months after he had joined our church. I thought he was pretty cute and funny, but I didn't have a "crush" on him. I thought he was "too young" for me. That one grade really makes a difference :) Strangely, my sister actually had a HUGE crush on him. (Don't worry...that ended long before Darby and I got together).
I don't think we really talked all that much that weekend, but I remember him acting crazy with his friend Cody (in the picture below). He seemed like he would make a good friend. I definitely could not have guessed then that in 10 years, I'd be married to this cute new guy.
Chase, Darby, Cody, and Hannah (my sister) - April 2008
More to come...
Honestly, I don't remember the very first time I met Darby. His family moved to our church when I was in 7th grade and he was in 6th grade. I'm sure I was introduced to him one day at church. The first memory I have of him, though, is when we both went with the youth group to South Texas Youth Conference in San Antonio. It was a couple of months after he had joined our church. I thought he was pretty cute and funny, but I didn't have a "crush" on him. I thought he was "too young" for me. That one grade really makes a difference :) Strangely, my sister actually had a HUGE crush on him. (Don't worry...that ended long before Darby and I got together).
I don't think we really talked all that much that weekend, but I remember him acting crazy with his friend Cody (in the picture below). He seemed like he would make a good friend. I definitely could not have guessed then that in 10 years, I'd be married to this cute new guy.
Chase, Darby, Cody, and Hannah (my sister) - April 2008
More to come...
Friday, February 01, 2008
1,2,3's of my life
I saw this on one of the many blogs I read and thought it was cute.
1. bedroom in our apartment
2. wonderful younger siblings
3. months until Darby graduates...woo-hoo!
4. possible cities we could be living in come August
5. years I have lived in Abilene
6. weeks until Spring Break!
7. months of marital bliss (on Feb. 7)
8. miles I can ride on a bike in 30 minutes (a stationary bike, that is!)
9. minutes I snooze every morning
10. years I have known Darby
Also, I just have to brag on my husband a little bit. He just got his acceptance letter to Georgia Tech, the 7th ranked engineering school in the country! Woo-hoo! That's not our first-choice school because I wouldn't be able to attend an on-site program there. But it's still really good news. And if our other schools don't work out, we'd both be perfectly content to move to Atlanta. It's exciting to know that we at least have one option.
1. bedroom in our apartment
2. wonderful younger siblings
3. months until Darby graduates...woo-hoo!
4. possible cities we could be living in come August
5. years I have lived in Abilene
6. weeks until Spring Break!
7. months of marital bliss (on Feb. 7)
8. miles I can ride on a bike in 30 minutes (a stationary bike, that is!)
9. minutes I snooze every morning
10. years I have known Darby
Also, I just have to brag on my husband a little bit. He just got his acceptance letter to Georgia Tech, the 7th ranked engineering school in the country! Woo-hoo! That's not our first-choice school because I wouldn't be able to attend an on-site program there. But it's still really good news. And if our other schools don't work out, we'd both be perfectly content to move to Atlanta. It's exciting to know that we at least have one option.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Another Book Meme
I love answering questions about books. I found this on Superfast Reader's blog (link on the left) and thought it looked like fun. The quiz is really directed towards book reviewers, so I omitted some of the questions. Thinking about books is so fun! The formatting on some of these questions is a little funky. I couldn't get bold and italics to work right for some reason.
Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I wouldn't say I "irrationally" cringe away from reading it, though. I'm just not sure I could take such graphic descriptions of violence. I am really disturbed by violence in books and movies, and I think I would be especially disturbed by the senselessness of that particular crime.
Lena from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, and Clare Abshire from The Time Traveler's Wife. All are amazingly smart, savvy teenage girls. (Clare is a teenager for a big part of the book). I would just want to sit down for lunch with them and find out what makes them so confident and independent. Who do they look up to? What did their parents do right?
Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
A Tale of Two Cities. I actually borrowed it from Darby about 4 years ago with the intention of reading it, but I've never gotten around to it. Whenever it came up in classes, though, I would usually nod along, like I knew what people were talking about.
You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (if you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead of personalize the VIP)
Hmmm....if the VIP were female, I would recommend The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. For a male, I would recommend Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Both are "fun" books with compelling storylines, but they make you think, as well. I think both could convert a non-reader to a reader.
A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
I'd say French. There's a lot of good French poetry that just can't be translated well.A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
The God of Small Things by Arundhati RoyThat good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.
Hmmm...I actually really prefer softcover; they're easier to handle. I would have every book that could be considered "classic," as well as the Pulitzer and Booker prize winners for every year. There would be plenty of windows to let in light; I like lots of light when I read. There would definitely be a fireplace and big soft blankets to curl up in. I would have my own personal Starbucks barista to mix me up a perfect latte whenever I wanted. And I would definitely have one of those rolling ladders. I've always wanted one of those.
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