Friday, October 31, 2008

Separation Anxiety Part 2 by Kelly


I read Andreas blog and couldn't help but laugh. Five days???? In the first two and a half years Jake and I knew each other, we saw each other for a total of four months (meaning if you added up every day we spent together). If we were ever lucky enough to go only two weeks without seeing each other we felt so lucky.

Now I'm in no way saying that you shouldn't miss someone after five days. It's just funny to me the difference in our stories. I got into my relationship knowing I'd never see him. It was four months from the day we met until the next time we saw each other.

Honestly it wasn't even hard. We were both addicted to our phones and never stopped talking. I should say never stopped texting. We probably talked on the phone like twice. I don't like talking on the phone. We tried not to go longer than 3 weeks without seeing each other.

Now things are a little different. Now I don't have a clue how we did those two and a half years. He's gone for a few hours and I miss him.

I have to give Andrea credit where it's due; she is a much stronger woman than me. I could go a month without my fiance now, but there's NO way I could part with my engagement ring!! Kelly

Monday, October 27, 2008

Separation Anxiety by Andrea


So I finally gathered up the courage to get my ring sized properly. I've been stalling for over a month because Kay sends it out to their factory or whatever and I have to wait a week to get it back. I was waiting for a "convenient" time to send it out, but when someone asks you to part with the symbol of your love for a whole week, it's never convenient. My hand feels naked. And everyone keeps asking, "Where's your ring?!?!" and that only reminds me of how naked my hand feels. I do believe I'm suffering from some form of separation anxiety. Is that really normal to be so attached to an inanimate object? Or am I just being materialistic? Anyway, I'm counting down the days til I get it back. And the best part is that it'll fit perfectly and I won't have any worries about it slipping off and falling down the garbage disposal. Yay! :) Andrea

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Absence makes the heart grow fonder by Andrea


Last week, I attended a 5 day conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Besides the fact that Utah isn't exactly our country's most interesting state, I was a little hesitant to go because Dre and I had never been apart for more than a day. (Yeah, well what do you expect? We've only be dating 14 months!) There was no big fanfare upon my leaving, but I could tell it was going to be a test for us.

The hotel was GORGEOUS and the view from my suite was breathtaking...but it would have been 10 times better if Dre was there with me, and I was really just looking forward to going home at the end of the week. So every morning, we'd talk on his way to work (and he'd even stay on the phone with me a little longer than he should at the office). And every night we'd talk before going to bed, and long-distance kiss goodnight. He left cute little notes on my Facebook page every day quoting song lyrics that kept me smiling (and sometimes laughing my head off)...but made me even more anxious to go home.

We survived our first(and hopefully one of few) week apart. We both kept busy, and stayed occupied with other stuff. I was at the conference all day, every day or on the plane. He was at work during the day and then made plans every evening to visit family, attend the Black Catholic revival at our home parish, and hang out with his friends. I don't think 5 days was too bad, but any longer would have been inhumane. When I got home, he tried to play it cool and act like it was no big deal that I'd been gone for a week, but you know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder. :) Andrea

Monday, October 20, 2008

Wild Birthdays by Kelly


I am birthday obsessed. Or maybe I should say I'm obsessed with my own birthday. I love it. I feel like I'm a princess and I just want lots of attention and maybe a few presents from the candy section of the dollar store (I also have a candy cigarette obsession but we'll talk about that another day).

Jake has never been home for my birthday. Last year he was in Germany and the year before he was in Texas. I was able to fly out to him the day after but that doesn't count. I don't want to celebrate my birthday any other day.

So this year he's actually going to be home. I'm super excited. We have big wild plans. We are going to do what I'm pretty sure most 27 year olds won't be doing for their bday...we're going to see Bill Cosby.

Maybe I'm not actually turning 27. Maybe I'm turning 77. But I think he is so funny. The Cosby Show is probably Jakes favorite show.

Actually we're technically not doing this for my birthday since it's 3 days after. So I guess you should ignore what I just said about only celebrating it on the day of. I'm sure I can turn it into a month long celebration. Kelly

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Bad Parenting by Kelly


I am an idiot. Jake, who wasn't even around when I got Haylie, informed me she isn't 5. She is only 4. That made me happy/feel stupid. I was thinking she was halfway done with her life(I've decided dogs live until 10. But she just got an extra year. How exciting!

Work is slow so I want to wedding plan but can't really think of anything to do. I need to plan our honeymoon. We need to find somewhere Jake hasn't been. I think we're going to go to Mexico but that makes me nervous. It'll be during spring break month. I don't want to see him on Guys Gone Wild. Kelly

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Heart Attacks by Kelly



So I have this puppy. She's nowhere near a puppy considering she's 5. We have a nice love hate relationship. I love her. She hates me.

She sure does love Jake though. She growls at me when I go near him. But sometimes we get along marvelously. Usually when I have food or her toys in my hand.

Last night she got hit in the face (accidentally) by one of her toys. Instantly her eye went insane. I figured it was just a poked eye or something like that. If it was still bad in the morning, we'd go to the vet.

She was fine all day until about 6:30 PM. Then both eyes went insane. And I mean red, twitchy, just scary. So I took her to the vet and it was seriously the scariest 30 minutes of my life. I was afraid she would die. Not that anything gave me reason to believe that. But she's never given me any reason to worry before. This was a huuuuuuge deal to me.

So basically all I mean to say that having kids is crazy and I don't know how anyone does it.

I probably should mention she's just sick. She has some sort of infection that has nothing to do with getting hit in the eye. Sometimes I forget to add the major details. Kelly

Monday, October 13, 2008

Andrea and Dre answer the quiz

1. What's surprised you the most about being engaged?
Andrea: The word "fiance" sounds so foreign to me still...and I guess "husband" will take some getting used to also. Anyway, the thing that has really surprised me is the barrage of wedding crap...It's insane!!! I'm getting catalogs, magazines, and coupons for wedding photography packages in the mail, plus a sudden influx of diet solution emails. Even on Facebook and MySpace the internet banner ads have all changed to wedding rings, photography, dresses, registries, laser hair removal and whatnot. This industry is filled with vultures just waiting to attack the minute you change you relationship status to "engaged."
Dre: Nothing surprised me. Everyone else was just surprised that I'm engaged....friends, coworkers, family, EVERYBODY.

2. What worries you about being married?
Andrea: Fear of the unknown. I'm not looking forward to our first big fight... we typically agree on most things and find ways of talking through the things we disagree about. But when we have kids and need to make other tough life decisions, I hope it doesn't cause any drama between us. I guess we won't really know how we'll react until we're in the situation.
Dre: Nothing really...because I don't worry about too much of anything. I figure when the time comes, we'll figure it out, and we'll be alright. Maybe just a few worries about kid stuff, but I figure we'll both come to an agreement we'll be happy with.

3. How is your planning going?
Andrea: Planning is smooth so far, but I think it's because we were just really lucky to have everything laid out for us. For example, the reception was a no brainer because we're having it at the place where we met...duh, that's an easy one. We're not having an official bridal party, so we don't have to worry about pairing people to walk down the aisle or stress about what they're going to wear. And since there's no bridal party, that also means we don't have to plan a rehearsal dinner...there's nothing to rehearse.

The wedding is in the middle of September, so fall colors seemed obvious. We have family and friends to hook us up with flowers, invitation design, photography, etc. So it's smooth sailing.

Now dress shopping might be a bit more complicated now that I can't do bridal runway modeling this year...I couldn't fit into the skinny dresses! (Kelly was right about that unwanted 15 lbs.) I was planning to try on lots of dresses and maybe get one for free. Looks like I have to go shopping like everyone else. LOL
Dre: Going well. I stay away and let the ladies do their thing. They'll let me know what I need to do if I need to do it.

4. What was your last fight about?
Andrea: We don't "fight" per se... just discuss our disagreements. So the last "disagreement discussion" was about his unexplainable dislike for bonfires and Halloween parties. I think he's weird, and he's sticking to his opinions. So the resolution was that we will all go to the Lupe Fiasco concert and maybe out for drinks on Halloween night, and he can stay home and watch CNN while the rest of us go to the Halloween bonfire at our friend's house the day after. I've learned that he doesn't like to compromise on things like this. But he won't hold a grudge if we leave him home alone. Stubborn yet fair.
Dre: I guess it wasn't really a "fight". I just don't like barns and bonfires...I'm cool on that.

5. Is there a married couple you want to (or don't want to) be like?
Andrea: I've always looked up to my parents and their friends in their couples group. They have always been great role models for loving marriages, as well as the importance of having a strong support network of other married friends to keep your relationship uplifted. I know too many people who think marriage is just an extension of dating. For example, many failed Hollywood marriages started out as whirlwind romances with shallow roots, so when they got married, they were expecting real life to play out like the movies they star in. Life isn't a fairytale...even if you experience some fairytale moments.
Dre: I like Andrea's parents, my dad and his wife. I don't want to be like the Bundys.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Jake and Kelly answer a quiz

*
1. What's surprised you the most about being engaged?
Jake: What’s surprised me the most about being engaged is how much happier the future wife is.
Kelly: How quickly I was able to gain 15 (unwanted) lbs.

2. What worries you about being married?
Jake: When will we hit that five million mark in the savings account is what I worry the most about.
Kelly: We'll now I'm worried about being fat. If an engagement can make me gain this much weight God only knows what a marriage will do.

3. How is your planning going?
Jake: Planning is going great, we are taking care of all the stuff asap. That way when it gets closer to the wedding date we can just relax and know we already did it.
Kelly: Ridiculously well. I think its too easy.

4. What was your last fight about?

Jake: Last fight? Don’t even know; it wasn’t a big deal obviously. It’s not that often we "fight," very rare, but "fighting" can also be healthy.

5. Is there a married couple you want to (or don't want) to be like?
Jake: Two married couples would be my mom and dad and mom2 and dad2. They both have been married for like over 126 years.
Kelly: I would like to be like our parents. I would not like to be like the Bobbits.

*Editor's note: Kelly wants you to know that the camera adds 27 lbs.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Shrinking Fingers by Andrea

We stopped by the mall over the weekend to make the first payment on the ring, and I wanted to see about getting it sized to fit my finger just a little tighter (I think my fingers are shrinking. The lady at Kay told us that once they send it out, it'll take 7-10 days to get the ring back. "Oh......it must be new. Not ready to let it go yet, huh?" (I guess she could tell by the look on my face that I didn't want to give it up for 10 days.)

So she pulled out her pliers and a little strip of metal and suggested a temporary alternative to keep the ring from slipping. It looks like some sort of orthodontic torture device I had to wear in high school. But hey, it works, and my ring won't go flying off. Eventually I'll need to build up the strength to send it out for sizing....wish me luck! Andrea