2012 iS HeRe!!!! YAAAAY!!!!

Had to bring in the new year with Fabulous Footwork!

In my last post I mentioned being from Pennsylvania and born in Wisconsin.  If you know me you know that doesn't even come close to all of the places I've lived.  A BIG part of me is an Eastern Shore Girl.  I spent 8 years of my life next to the beach and still hold that time dear to me.  When we left we brought one of the biggest traditions with us.  My family brings in the New Year with a Seafood fest every year.  A couple of times I've tried the going out thing but it never seems to work out...so I'm thinking that's God trying to tell me to keep my butt at home with Family where it belongs. :-) The first year that Jay and I were together he went to church with his family and I went my parents house as usual.  Last year I decided to be fair and give his tradition a try. (He came to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving so I can hardly complain).  I was geared up to do his thing but was secretly wishing I could go back to being with my fam.  Imagine my surprise when he asked what I was doing this year.  Before I could answer he said "We can go to your parent's house if you want."  I would have done cartwheels if I could be sure that I wouldn't have fallen out half way through.  (I'm getting old)!!!  

 

Now back to the Seafood... We don't have a specific meal that is planned each year, as long as it comes from the Ocean it makes the cut.  I was surprised when my husband, who is not from the Eastern Shore by any means, volunteered me to make a Low Country Boil.  I may be converting him.  Well, I couldn't let him down so Low Country Boil it was. 

I honestly didn't think the night could get any better.  I had my family, I got to bring in the 2012 with one of my new great friends Phiniese and her S/O and "The Package" made an appearance!  Of course they were accompanied by their chaperons who delivered the best possible news for 2012...  & it has only just begun!                                                                                                            

HOLIDAY FUN...and politics!

Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

Okay, so I admit...I've been slipping but I'm back!  My favorite time of  year has come and past leaving with it a trail of memories.  So I never did get the time (motivation) to decorate my own place.  But Luckily I was able to enjoy the wonderful decor at a few other places.  Thank you Mom and Milo!  For those who don't know my family is from Pittsburgh but I was born in Wisconsin.  Whenever my parents talks about their first Christmas as husband and wife what, always stands out is how lonely it was.  It was just the two of them alone in Milwaukee.  So we are definitely blessed to have been able to celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas with both of our families accompanied by AMAZING FOOD!!!






For the first time Jay and I did the Holiday Office Party thing together.  All I can say is not only am I used to the terms "Wife" and "Husband" now!  But I think I may be a bit tired of saying it.  Our parties were on the same night so we covered both events back to back.  I believe I maxed out the new titles and reverted back to calling him my boyfriend for the next few days...LOL!

Thanksgiving 2011

 Honestly we had a lot of fun!  Surprisingly I loved his office party way more than mine and vice versa.  I guess we will always be total opposites.  ::Kanye Shrugs::  Mine was very conservative and his seemed like a scene out of the Hangover.

Hodges Mace Christmas Party 2011

 He doesn't know it but next year...I'm pushing to just go to his!  

6 Cities in 12 Months

Do we want kids...yes.  Do we want kids now...NO!  It seems like so many people are wishing babies on my womb. Don't get me wrong, yes I love kids.  I think children are one of the most precious things on this earth however, I do not hear my clock ticking... AT ALL!  In fact every time I spend at least 20 minutes in Wal-Mart I think it starts spinning backwards...LOL  Everything in due time...

I know when the timing is right God will bless us with my twin boy and girl that I've wanted for over 10 years now.  Just like he has for my friends Renee and Walt as well as my favorite celebrity couple, Mariah and Nick. (Don't judge me).      We realize that we are not getting any younger but people, WE NEED AT LEAST A YEAR before we jump on the baby train.  So in the meantime we are going to explore as much as possible over the next year.  Starting January 1st we are committing ourselves to hit at least 6 CITIES IN 12 MONTHS.  Jay and I love traveling.  I don't know what it is but it's like we become our ideal (couple) selves whenever we hit the road.  So in 2012 it's going down.  Whether train, plane or car we are getting the heck out of Georgia...mostly!    

(the following are not in any particular order)
THE LINE UP:
San Francisco, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Honeymoon
New York
Washington D.C.
Savannah, GA
Anything else is a bonus!

FLY LIKE A G6!!!!

So We're Married...NoW wHaT?!?!?: The Breaking Point-

So We're Married...NoW wHaT?!?!?: The Breaking Point-: Sooooo, it's been a month that we've been married and let's just say I haven't exactly been on track for wife of the year award... . La...

The Breaking Point-

Sooooo, it's been a month that we've been married and let's just say I haven't exactly been on track for wife of the year award... .  Last week I honestly felt like the worst wife ever!!!!  With this new job and the crazy commute I'm gone 12 hours a day, M-F.  After scrambling around for the entire month prior to the wedding I was completely exhausted.  

Next thing I know the wedding is here and gone leaving behind a few family members and friends over the following week to entertain post wedding.  Jay, my husband, and I didn't plan on an immediate honeymoon because there is no way to know how lenient a new employer would be about allotting a lot of PTO...and quite frankly I was uncomfortable asking.  Luckily, I was able to get 2 days off prior to the wedding but hit the ground running the following Monday after the wedding.  So in short I've become a zombie Monday - Friday.  The weekends are spent catching up on housework that I didn't get to during the week.  So, aside from contributing to Thanksgiving I haven't even cooked for my lucky husband.  Feminist movement or none, I'm pretty sure that this is not the way to start a marriage!!!! 

It was becoming one of those problems that you hope is just in your head but then someone makes a comment and you can't ignore it anymore...  Jay finally said to me last week, "I know they say you change when you get married...but I didn't expect the change this quick.  I should have just stayed single!" Despite our mutual laughter, it's soooo not funny.  I mean how many people really want to be on the Kardashian plan?!?!  As if this wasn't warning enough I actually said I don't feel like decorating for Christmas. (Not even putting up the tree).  Now some of you may not care at all about Christmas, but it's my favorite holiday!!!  I couldn't get those words out of my head.  So I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!  I've got to force a change and I've got to do it now!  

So now... Starting with our first full week in December I'm committing to livening things up at home!  As an over achiever how could I be a R*CK*ST*R everywhere else in my life and not where it matters most?  I started last night off by putting some of my amazing new cookware to great use!!!  And I have to say...THANK YOU NU WAVE OVEN!  This is officially my new favorite toy.   I've never made a whole chicken in my life and this bird was amazing.  We should have taken before and after pics because we TORE IT UP!!!

Here's to this new adventure called marriage...   

-E  

Many couples are co-habitating before marriage and my now husband and I are no different from this modern trend. After hitting a slump immediately following the wedding 2 things occured to me.

1) Terms like "Newlyweds" and "Honey Mooners" were originally applied to those newly married couples back in a time where it was taboo to live together prior to the I-do's.

2) So that new fuzzy feeling may not be there post-nuptials because nothings changed at home but, at the same time those hard to avoid "debates" over combining furniture, working out financial plans and how to decorate squabbles are out of the way.

So what does this mean...

In regards to my personal situation, my husband and I have lived together for almost 2 1/2 years. We bought a house over a 1 1/2 ago and we do not want to have kids yet. At least for the first year of our marriage. We've ironed out a lot of the kinks of combining 2 lives into 1 household and at the least we are aware of what we may have not "ironed out" about each others living habits. Arguments over Alarm clocks, cleaning habits, cooking, bills etc. are in a since "old hat." So, I've chosen to look at this as a jump start!  As far as the "newlywed feeling." Well that's going to require a little bit of work but all great things do... right?!?!?!

So in short this blog is going to be about the adventure of the first year of our marriage and the things that we are going to try out to give our marriage that fun new feeling, minus the surprise of new found co-habitation!!!

-E