Do YOU newlywed?

I was thinking about all the blogs I read and the advice they give. I was thinking, you know...I should probably do the same. A lot of times the advice given is something I already know and am kinda tired of hearing. Or it is simply genius. Like adding beans to meat to "stretch" the dollars. I've been doing that for years. Not only is it saving money, but i'M getting more fiber in my diet. Something we all need. But then the advice of using SwagBucks, pure genius. So I'm going to make a list of the things I've learned over the last 3+ years (wow, yearS) from being a wifey to my hubster. Oh, and my life story.

1. Your house/apartment will NEVER be as clean as you want. There has been one time and one time only in our marriage that I felt content I did everything to get the place clean, but just when I started to relax, I remembered that doorknob I forgot to sanitze oh and the closet in the other room has laundry hanging in it and did I wash the bathmats?...DID I?! Trust me, it never ends. The best thing for me personally has been realizing the house looks better when things are put away rather than me waiting a week to pick up things because it won't be perfectly organized how I imagined. Sigh, it's all romantised in my head.

2. There is a seperation between married couples, engaged couples, dating couples, and single friends. Not that I don't LIKE people who aren't married. It's just different. Just like when people have babies. You know me, I LOVE babies. But a couple with a baby is very different from being a married couple with no kids. There's nothing wrong with it, nothing malicious or evil. It's just different. The great thing is that there are sometimes when Taylor and I just want to go out with our own sets of friends. That is when single people are the most fun. They aren't tied down, they don't have to go home early or check in, they usually have really chic places to live, and always out for a good time.

Dating couples are fine, I'm good with them. Usually I can pick out the ones that will last so I know which ones to hang out with, and which to avoid. The ones I have the biggest annoyance with are engaged couples. Ug. Yes dear, I know you want pink lilies with the short vases and the rhinestone shoes and the violins playing and the filet minion and the blah blah blah. And I know you are in wedding bliss AKA BLIND MODE. Trust me, I am very VERY very happy for you. But dang girl, you're ANNOYING. Ok, there. I said it. And I admit I might have been a slightly annoying fiance myself. But good grief, I just want to go to the wedding and be happy for the couple. I don't want drama, I don't want details unless I ASK, I just want them to get married so I won't have to deal with being friends with an engaged couple. Harsh? Yes, but after getting married this all becomes true for you honey.

3. Be smart with money. Yes, we all know this but really. Just do it. From my own experience I will tell you money goes very quickly. I've saved money pretty much my whole life and I started saving seriously at 16 because I just knew one day I would marry Taylor. Nest eggs are important you know! So you can imagine I had a chunk of change by the time the wedding vows came along. With me working a fancy shmancy job and only allowing myself to have $100 in my checking for emergancies only, it was a honking chunk for a 21 year olds standards. So we got married, lived in Irvine, and the money drained.

I had quit my job before we got married because it required 90% travel. I wanted to find something in an office, working full time like I was used to. The economy took a downturn that Summer and my job prospects plummeted. It took me 4 months to find a job that actually paid ok, and still money was tight. Taylor was finishing his last year of college and there was no room in his schedule to make money other than tutoring every once in a while. We did ok, ate a lot of meals at parents' homes (thanks guys!) and moved to Michigan where things got really tough. Taylor and I switched places so he was the one working but it took me 5 months to find a job that paid minimun wage. It was less money than I made when I was 19. But, it was a job. A job in this economy is a blessing.

Months later I found a better job paying a lot more, but I wasn't happy. My boss didn't like me for whatever reason and I was so stressed all the time. I would wake up and feel like crying because I had so much pressure on me. Things got better when different systems were implemented, but shortly I was fired there after. For going home for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho. And there I was again without a job. I was blessed when I found the job I have now. My boss is understanding, I don't feel chained to my desk, I'm happy being there. I mostly work with guys (praise Jesus) and I have control of how I pace myself. Brilliant.


Let this be a lesson to any of you because I am the most positive person I know. Anyone else would have burned down a building or gone on a shooting spree in a toy store by how frustrating it can be losing A job for just causes, let alone getting fired for no dang good reason. I will always see the glass as half full, that baby isn't that ugly, and the car can go just one more mile before the next fill up. So just know, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it means that light is turning in an application to a place you thought was below you.. Just be safe with money, because you never know how much you really have. Use coupons, don't always order a soda when you eat out, and enjoy life. It's free.

4. Be nice. No seriously. I get people calling me everyday coping an attitude about their vehicles. It really annoys me and is it really neccessary to make me cry? Absolutely not. Which is why you should be nice to people trying to HELP you. Tip your waiter more too. Unless they are totally terrible, tips are the majority of their income. If they were great they should know!

5. Be respectful. I'm teaching myself this too so don't think I'm on my high horse or anything. I have to admit, I have an attitude. A major one for that matter. Taylor usually gets brunt of all my sharp sarcasm and I really don't like that. It's not fair to him, he's really great to me. It makes me annoyed that he is so great but oh well, I just should not do that.

Well, that's all my advice for today. Take it with a grain of salt if you prefer but I think the lessons I have learned have really helped me. Do you have any tips for married, engaged, dating, single life? I'd love to hear it!

God is good, all the time

We're all moved in to our new place. It's just across town so it wasn't too big of a deal. It would not have gone so smoothly were it not for my friend Sarah. She came over the day before the move and helped us get everything ready. We moved all the boxes in the living room, she packed up the majority of the kitchen, and by the end of the night I was so tired I sounded drunk. Or what I think I would sound like if I was ever drunk.

The next day Taylor and I picked up the truck, signed the paperwork for the new place, and I was left to hang out while the truck was being loaded. It was quite a task, waiting for the truck. For one, Taylor's buddies from lab were helping us move and thinking of people touching my stuff makes me crazy. Not being there was the best option. For two, there was no furniture in the new place so I had to sit on the floor. And for three, all I had was my non smart phone and myself. I'm not a fan of being by myself but I know at times it can be a necessary evil. Poor me right? It was mostly just me waiting for the AC to really kick in but I didn't have a whole lot of luck with that.

But it's all done and here. In fact, it only took 2 1/2 hours to get it all done and I'm very grateful. I'm currently getting everything back together but the feeling of accomplishment comes and goes. I'm more meh than Yeah! So I'm working on it. And in case you aren't bored out of your mind, I'm pretty bored. I don't WANT to organize. I just WANT everything to be done...ohhh well. I'll get better. Hopefully.

Al...most....there...

We're getting there, slowly.

Can't write too much but I wanted to wish America a Happy Birthday. So proud to be an American!

We're moving!

My brain is fried! I just want this to be over!