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

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

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.

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.

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