I'm A Bad Blogger

I realize that I started this blog and then quit posting for about a year. Life happens and you get busy and my view count is so low I doubt anyone missed me. But I do want to be consistent in my blogs. I have so much to catch my few readers up on!

First, I got married! It was lovely and better than I could have ever imagined it to be. The decorations were beautiful and I think I did pick the very best people for my bridesmaids. They were a great comfort to have right before I walked down the aisle. Especially my sister-in-law. Being the only one in my group of bridesmaids to actually be married she had a better understanding of the anxiety that hits you right before the ceremony starts. Those last 5 minutes are the worst! Yes, I was excited to get married and I know I chose the right person to spend my life with but I was nervous! Up until right before the ceremony we were taking pictures and getting ready and then when it was time to go hide before people got there I just started freaking out. It was only like 15 minutes but it felt like an hour.

The ceremony went smoothly and the reception was a blast. My favorite part I think was how my maid of honor just snatched the bouquet during the bouquet toss. Another one of my dear friends was so close to having it in her hands and then Krysten swooped in at the very last second and stole it.

And now some highlights of the wedding!

Back to School

School has started back and already it is kicking my poor behind. I have to wake up in the middle of the night to let Sadie out because she isn't quite up to making it through the night without an accident. Then after I mess up my sleeping schedule I get a few more hours of sleep until I need to start getting ready for my 8am class. It would help if parking wasn't so crazy.

Thankfully only two of my classes insisted on doing the dreadful introductions. They wouldn't be so bad if I was on time with my degree but I'm nowhere near. I should be finishing it up but it seems like I'm just starting. First I did just the basics and didn't dare question my advisers on what I should be taking. I had wanted to teach high school English and they told me I need to major in English then. So I took almost every English class there was at my school. Then I changed to elementary because I don't think I could handle the stress of state testing and big high school kids. I loved spending time sitting in on classrooms but I learned something extremely important. I enjoy kids, I love to play with them, bond with them, and talk to them. I don't necessarily want to tell them about math and sentence structure. I realized by wanting to teach I really wanted to decorate a classroom and play with kids.

I'm marrying a pastor and by being a pastor's wife most churches will automatically expect me to fulfill the role of children's minister. If my future is planning VBS and teaching Sunday School and children's church then I don't want to add full time teacher to that list of activities. Instead I like working for my dad and helping out with the family business of finance. So I changed my major and found a good adviser that told me exactly what to take and when to take it. So I hate introducing myself because everyone else it is their first or second year and it is my fourth. I should be done by now, a lot of my former classmates are finishing up already and I'm just starting. It's embarrassing and I despise talking about it. I just want to get my degree and finish without even walking the stage.

Wisdom Teeth

Earlier this week I had my wisdom teeth pulled. It wasn't too bad since they knocked me clear out for it. I looked away when they started to put in the magic needle that would make me forget this whole experience. Needles freak me out, I can't stand them. Most people find that funny since I used to have a lot of piercings but there is a big difference between making a small hole and injecting stuff into you.

Anyway the next thing I knew I was waking up in a comfy chair hooked up to a machine checking my blood pressure. I asked the nurse how long I had been sitting there and she told me 40 minutes! I couldn't believe I'd been knocked out that long. I think my mom and brother were disappointed in my amount of loopiness. They were hoping I would be talking nonsense all day like the last time I had any kind of pain meds. But I slept it off and then was just sore for the next few days.

Jacob helped watch Sadie and make sure she went out like she was supposed to. She is getting more into routine which is great. Allen brought me flowers and was so sweet! Leah and Krysten stopped by twice to bring me ice cream and see how I was doing.

The only bad day was Wednesday. I tried to go back to work too soon. It was my day at the church and I thought oh I can handle just going in and getting the bare minimum done. But I couldn't. I started feeling sick to my stomach and hot. Poor Allen didn't understand the urgency when I said we needed to go. I guess I did a little too good a job at sounding calm and collected because when he didn't move, I rushed him and he looked shocked at the sudden change in tone. I had to keep stopping on the walk back to the car. I only had to cross a small field but it felt like forever. Then when we sat in the car I told him to turn the AC on full blast and then I leaned over and threw up in the parking lot. Allen put his hand on my back and later apologized for not realizing how miserable I was feeling at first.

Sadie Kay Bramlett

My corgi baby is here! Her official name is Sadie Kay Bramlett but we call her Sadie. Sadie for Sexy Sadie a song by The Beatles, Kay for Duck Dynasty, and Bramlett because that's Allen's last name and my future name.

I am sleeping on the couch until she is better potty trained and can trust her on the carpet. So far she's been pretty good. She snuggled up to me around bed time and just passed out. I got up and took her out multiple times throughout the night so I'm tired. Whenever I felt her start moving more than just rolling over in her sleep I took her out or put her in her pen lined with puppy pads. She whined in the pen unless I laid next it where she could lay next time. After she went or starting falling back asleep I'd take her back to the couch so I could sleep too.

Nicky doesn't seem too sure about her, Buster likes her, and we still need to introduce her to Ringo and Mumford. Poor Nicky was so excited to see me until he saw her. He doesn't dislike her but is wary of her for now. I think the pen helps because she can't run around the house freely like he can. I've been making sure I still love on him just as much or more than the puppy. I read that doing so shows his dominance and lets alpha dog know he's not being replaced.

I'll be happy when she's potty trained and I can sleep in my comfy bed again but for now it's not too bad. Her cuteness helps make up for my lack of comfort.

Marry and Bury

This weekend we went back to Allen's hometown. We were there for two reasons.

One. We had to discuss wedding plans with his side of the family. His dad still needs to find a way to come here and meet my parents. Then we talked about what the groom's side is responsible for and what the bride's side has. News to us was Allen's dad is supposed to pay for my bouquet. We just thought he covered the rehearsal dinner. And the Parkers plan on helping us with the honeymoon. So I'm giving up my dreams of Hawaii for now and agreeing to go on a cruise. Allen immediately started looking up cruises and they're booking up fast so we need to get a move on in that area.

Two. Allen got licensed! Not got his license like he can drive now but licensed by the church. Now he can perform wedding ceremonies and funerals. The pastor left out until last minute that when he called Allen up to present the license he was going to call me up too since we're getting married. The look on my face was that of shock and fear because I hate going up in front of people. I'm more of a behind the scenes person. Allen's home church is huge too. I'm used to 30-100 people max. His church has on average 600 people there! I was terrified but I was there for him.

Money Doesn't Grow On Trees

Money problems. Everyone seems to have them. I used to be free of them for the most part. I still don't have as many bills as most since I live at home and I'm thankful for that. But lately I've been struggling and it sucks.

I had this nice big amount saved up from when all I had to pay for was my car insurance and my gas. Then I took summer classes and had to pay for those, there went a chunk but it was still ok. I still had my safety net. Then I got a new car and that pretty much wiped me out and added to the list of monthly bills now I have a car payment. I tithe.

I'm about to get a corgi so I have to pay for that. I need to pay my parents back. I dropped a summer class and after I paid for the classes my dad paid me back for them. Well that money went to the car and to the huge deductible for upgrading to full coverage insurance. Now I owe dad for a class I dropped. I owe mom for using her card to buy Allen's wedding ring.

I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled and have to pay for half of it myself because my mom can't afford the whole thing and her part of wedding expenses. She keeps hoping Dad will offer her help with it but so far no go and we don't want to ask for it so unless he offers I plan on paying her back for half. She doesn't expect me to but I want to because she is struggling without child support. My little brother hasn't gotten a job yet so she still has to pay for his gas and insurance as well.

Allen struggles too and I help him when I can. Unfortunately, my safety net is gone so I can't help him right now. It is all so frustrating but we'll make it through. I'll just have to keep praying and budgeting.

Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married (book)

I just finished the book Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman. It was helpful and insightful. He brought up things I hadn't thought about.

Before I say anything else about it my only complaints are that sometimes he gets a little pushy about reading his other books like The Five Love Languages and he puts down his early years of marriage a lot. I intend to read his other books because this one was actually helpful but I don't need a plug in every other chapter about how I should get read the others. And he makes his marriage sound terrible throughout the whole book. As if he and his wife just hated each other after marriage.

Other than that it was good. I think my favorite chapter was I Wish I Had Know That Toilets Aren't Self Cleaning. This chapter discussed how couples need to talk about who does what around the house. His example was in his house he never saw who cleaned the toilet he just knew it was cleaned. In her house her dad always cleaned it so she expected him to do that once they were married and he had no clue. This led to a fight after a few weeks of no one cleaning the toilet. His idea is to have each person make a list of things they know need to be done like cooking, cleaning, mowing, etc. Then put the lists together and make a master list and make 2 copies. Then you each take a copy and put the initials of who you think should be in charge of each thing. Then when you're both done compare your lists and where you differ you discuss it until you come to an agreement on who does it or if you will share the responsibility.

There were other chapters like personality, love languages, and how you marry into a family not just one person. Yes you marry that person but their family becomes your family and there is no escaping that.

I highly recommend reading it even if you're single, dating, engaged, or married.