Thankful

I am always thankful for my husband and the relationship we have.  He makes me feel loved and appreciated, and I do my best to make him feel the same.  Sometimes I fall short, and then I get a reminder about how lucky I am and I can't help but want to smoother him with my joy and relief that we have what we have together.

Today is one of those days.  Everything about being an adult is hard.  I'm not saying I want to be a kid again, because that had a whole other set of problems I don't miss.  And to be honest, I really like wine and booze.  David makes the best drinks, he's been making us some really lovely cucumber gimlets-to die for.  I digress.  Being an adult is hard.  Sharing every aspect of your life with another person can be hard.  But if you find the right person, it's not as hard, and it's worth the work.  Yes, there is work involved.  No one has the perfect relationship; no one is perfect.  I think it comes down to talking, listening, and not keeping secrets.  I know I can tell David anything, and I mean anything.  And he knows he can do the same.  We don't lie to each other and we don't keep secrets.

I'm not perfect, I freak out sometimes about really dumb stuff.  I get mad at irrational things.  Just because I get a little insane, irrational, and mad doesn't mean I ever stop loving David.  We are different people, we react to things differently.  It's the respect, and the love we have for one another that is our foundation.  We know how to talk through things.  We know how to give each other space and then listen when we come back together and work things out.  I should apologize more.  I should listen better.  I'm not perfect but I know David loves me and will be there for me.

I am so thankful for this relationship.  I know we can get through anything because we have each other.  Thank you David for being my partner in all things.  I'll stop there before I get too mushy.

My Thoughts on Marriage, And Why Ours Is Awesome!

I love my husband, and I love the relationship we have.  It is not always perfect, but it is real and most importantly it is ours.  I've had friends tell me our cuteness makes then want to vomit.  Yes.  We are a couple that is that sweet to one another.  No, it is not a show we put on for others-that is just how we are together.  No, we will not stop.  I've had people jokingly tell me I should write about our secret to success.  There is no secret, we are just crazy about one another!  Okay, so maybe there is more than just that.

Relationships are not easy.  We have put a lot of work into what we have today.  I'm not saying it has been hard, it is easy for me to love my husband.  What I'm saying is it has not always been easy.  You can't just expect everything to be perfect all the time.  People have moods, interpret things differently, and do not always communicate well.  I'm not always the most open person, for example, if I get too overwhelmed I shut down.  Despite any obstacles we have encountered we have worked through them together.  We are both fully invested in us and making our marriage work.  Every day it pays off.  I have complete trust in my husband, and I know no matter what he is going to be there for me.  Here are what I think are our keys to success:

Strong Foundation (Trust, Respect)
David and I were friends for over a year before we actually ever met face to face.  It was the kind of friendship where we weren't trying to impress one another, and I feel like we were pretty open and honest with each other from the start.  We knew each other's backgrounds, interests etc.  When we actually met, things proceeded pretty fast.  We were engaged and lived (yes, in sin) together for a year before the wedding.  During this time, all kinds of crazy stuff happened.  I had some family drama going on, we drove (and he moved) from the east coast to the west coast, we house sat in California, we moved to Oregon, I graduated from college, David changed jobs, our nephew was born, we got married, and bought a house (we were waiting to hear we got the house during our honeymoon).  That was just in our first year together.  It was a lot of change for both of us and I think he handled it better than I did, but he was always there for me when I needed him.

Along with sticking through tough things together we make sure we are honest with one another.  From the start, David's one main request was that I be truthful with him even if I didn't think he'd want to hear it.  We don't lie to one another, or keep things (except the occasional fun surprise) from one another.  Knowing that, trust and respect just sort of fall into place and we have this really solid foundation for our relationship.

Relationship Rules (No Bites)
This was another thing we established pretty early on.  Along with the not lying, we also agreed not to call each other names, or be physically violent with one another.  When we have the occasional fall out/argument we refrain from name calling, or any kind of hitting/swatting/angry touching.  I will admit, I can shriek like a howler monkey and sob like a crazy lady, but I don't call my husband names-we stick to those rules.  At the end of a fight, the only regrets we have is that the other was hurt/misunderstood and things escalated.  No hurtful things are said that can't be taken back.

It may seem silly, but it is really important not to hold grudges or let things add up against one another.  I'm not saying we don't get mad at one another, we just don't hold on to things to use against each other later.  We work it out and then let it go.  There is no upper hand in our marriage.  We also don't play the "you got that so I get this" game.  We make sure we have everything we need, and things we want.  It's never a competition.

Talk to Each Other, Be Interested In Each Other (Be a Package Deal)
Seems easy enough, right?  When I say talk to each other I mean talking about EVERYTHING.  We talk about our work day, we talk about silly stuff we saw on the internet, we talk about things we are working/want to be working on.  We giggle together, and are silly together, and drink wine while looking at the ocean together.  We talk, even if it's just for a minute, at lunch time just to say hi.  We text if it is a rough day and need a friendly word.  When he is out of town for work I send him silly pictures, he sends some back.  We are never out of touch, we just are not together as much as we would like to be.  We do not take separate vacations.  We are a package deal.

We take interest in what the other is interested in even if it is not something we are into.  David has gone sewing/stamping shopping with me more times than I can count, and I go wood/workshop shopping with him any time he needs supplies.  If it is important to him, it is important to me.  He does the same thing.

Don't Give Up
When things get tough don't just give up.  You relationship is something you have to nurture-both of you.  If you just give up or ignore things you don't want to deal with they don't go away.  You have to learn to work through disagreements and hard topics like expenses and what to do for date night or you are always going to struggle and the same issues will keep cropping up.  How else will you learn how to be there for one another during the hard times?  If you do not feel comfortable talking about everything with your spouse, how will you survive the things that are really hard to talk about like loss of a job, or a family member?  Those are times when you need someone to hold you and tell you it will get better.  I know without a doubt I have that with David.

How I Look at Marriage
I married David because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.  I want to do everything with him by my side, and I want to be by his.  Our marriage is a partnership, where we are both equal contributors to the partnership.  Sure, we have our ups and downs, and misunderstandings and disagreements.  But ultimately we love and respect one another.  David is without a doubt my best friend, and I consider myself to be one very lucky lady to have him as my husband.

Love to our Feathered Friends

We have so many lovely little feathered friends...we've been enjoying feeding them over the last year. We have all kinds of parakeet/finches, starlings, chickadees, a coopers hawk, humming birds and crows that visit us.  We've added more suet cages and humming bird feeders, and I don't think we are close to done.  The newest thing we've been doing is feeding our crows peanuts (and yes, I do kind of feel like they are our crows-mostly David's-because they watch for us (him)).  The crows are L-O-V-I-N-G the peanuts.  I snapped some pictures of a couple in a tree in our yard, watching David toss out peanuts for them.  Just had to share!

(This one is my favorite, and if I didn't already have a tattoo on my back I'd have something like this on my whole back)

Snow at the Beach

Last week was crazy.  Some things came up, and we had to reschedule/move some things around and the end result was getting a beach weekend with my sweetie a week early!  Just when I had gotten everything rescheduled, and things were good to go it starts to snow.  Seriously.  But all was not lost.  My sweet husband comes from a world where snow isn't as big a deal, and he has a jeep.  We proceeded as planned.  Really, the roads weren't bad.  There were trucks putting down gravel, and we saw at least 8 snowplows go by.  The only problem we had were the people who probably shouldn't have been on the road.  A drive that usually takes us about an hour and a half ended up taking more like two and a half hours.  By the time we got to our getaway, it was too dark to take any pictures.  The above photo was what we were greeted with in the morning.  There was still snow on the beach when we left a few days later.  It was a really lovely weekend once we got where we were going.  It was quiet, lovely, and restful.  Thanks sweetheart for jeeping us away this weekend!

13 Years Ago My Life Began...

13 years ago today I married my best friend.  Best friend, soul mate, kindred spirit... all of those are appropriate, but don't even begin to encompass how I feel about David.  Yeah, this post might get all sappy.  Still being madly in love with the man I married 13 years ago entitles me to make sappy posts.  (sorry sweetie) 

I am indeed barefoot, dragging my dress through the sand and surf.

It was a really lovely day.  It started out overcast-which was fine.  But then after the ceremony, we had perfect pictures on the beach weather.  So much of the day is a blur.  I remember getting ready, I remember regretting some of the choices I had made regarding some of the people present for said getting ready, but even then said people didn't ruin my day.  Once that dress was on, and I was permitted to scuttle (really, it's hard to do anything but scuttle when you are hurrying in a really heavy dress) into the church so David and I could see each other and do pictures before the ceremony.  I remember David seeing me in my big poofy dress for the first time.  I remember standing in the same place for a really long time as people are paraded around me and my huge dress for an assortment of pictures (which I treasure now-even if my smile is tired in a a few of them). 

Aren't we cute?

I remember it being time to walk down the isle, and I remember looking at David through all the talking during the ceremony.  I remember the friends and family that came, because there had been so much other stuff going on (another wedding, a birth, a death) that I was surprised anyone came at all.  But through all of that, and some of the sadness that loomed, my David was ever steady.  

Yes, those are stained glass birds attacking us, but we don't care!

A pretty amazing day has turned into a pretty amazing 13 years.  We have been through a lot, and have weathered it all.  I can't imagine life without him.  Thank you, David, for putting up with all of me.  I'm not the easiest person to live with sometimes.  I really do fall in love with you all over again every day!  Bring on the next 13 (and more) years!

Off we go!

Wish We Were Here....

This is a sunset shot from from our first stay at our new beach getaway.  It's still so new and special I won't even share the name, maybe after our next stay (and we have a few more stays planned before the end of the year).  Our first time here was so relaxing.  We had an amazing room, it was lovely inside and very comfy.  This was our view from the balcony.  We spent a lot of time the first night just sitting outside on that balcony absorbing the ocean.  We had a bottle of wine (or three) and just talked and took in the view mother nature gave us.  That first night, we left the window open and piled quilts on the bed-it was the best nights sleep I had had in ages.  We came home from the lovely weekend recharged and refreshed.  When I close my eyes and go to my happy place, this is my view.  Wish we were there...

Puppy

So, it's been awhile since I've posted any Riley photos. Here is our lovely beast-cranky as ever!

(she is clearly pleased about me taking her picture)

Tuber

There are precious moments in my day where I fall in love with my husband all over again--not to say that I'm not crazy about him all day every day--but every day there is a moment where something happens, or is said or even done where I just can't believe this amazing guy wants to put up with me (all of me).  Here is one of those moments:

We were listening to the radio while driving home from food shopping when a Viagra commercial started playing. The topic was "Are you sick and tired of paying to much for your Viagra?".

Me: I am sick of paying too much for my Viagra.

David: Looks over at me and then back (he was driving). Then he says out of the blue "Lady boner".

Me:  Boner is a funny word.

David:  It is.  Boner.  Boner.  Boner boner boner. Boner.

Me:  It just sounds strange.

David:  And it's wrong, there's no bone down there.  It's misleading.

Me:  Yeah, they should have called it something else.

David:  It's more of a meat tube; a tube of meat; no bone. Frank and beans is far more accurate. Why don't they call it a frankie?

Me:  (there was some giggling about meat tube and frankie)  They should have called it a tuber!

David:  (there was more giggling about tuber) Yes!

And then David started saying tuber like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

David: Tooobah. Tooobah. I went to doctor for Viagra and now I have a permanent toobaah.

I think we took yet another normal innocent word and made it dirty (funny).  No one makes me laugh like David does.  I'm a lucky lady!

~Emily (and David (accuracy is key when talking about toobahs!))

12 Years With My Sweetie

To celebrate our 12 years together on October 21 we went and stayed the weekend at our favorite beach getaway.  Here are some photos to sum up our stay, enjoy!

I'm looking forward to the next 12+ years with my best friend, the love of my life!

Love Letters

I am the last of that generation that grew up knowing what a rotary phone is, or that tvs and computer monitors used to be huge and bulky and not slim/flat screen.  There are numerous other things like no seat belts, no bike helmets and no cell phones or internet and the mix tape.  All of these things are pretty big changes now.  Some of these changes are good, even if they can make life more complicated at times.  It's not always a good thing that your boss/family can reach you 24/7 but then it's nice to always have a phone with you because you never know when you will be stuck with a flat late at night near a part and that guy with a hook hand is coming for you.  Assuming you have cell coverage that situation just got a lot less scary.  If you don't have cell coverage... eep!

Henry the VII knew how to
woo the ladies

Then there are sentimental things that are no longer taking place, like the writing of love letters.  Email and text messages have pretty much done away with snail mail correspondence anyway.  I'm not saying it's not nice to get the "I <3 u" text or sweet email because it is.  It's just different than going out to the mail box and having a handwritten letter from someone you love waiting for you.

Remember in Grease when the Pink Ladies were having the sleepover at Frenchy's?  Marty was writing to stack of pen pals and offered one to a sad Sandy to cheer her up.  Before Sandy went off to write her letter (which actually meant she was going to go off and sing a song) Marty spritzed the pink paper with some of her perfume.  Girls don't do that anymore.

I still have a keepsake box that has special little tokens and things as well as a few love letters from my hubby.  I can't help but think that my nieces may miss out on something like that.  One is old enough to text, the other is still in diapers.  It's harder to look back at text ten or twenty years later.  I love being able to open my little box and see the notes and cards.  I have letters from people no longer with us anymore, which are just as precious to me as my love letters.

It just seems sad that future generations are missing out on sentimental things like this.  I am going to cherish the ones I have and make sure I tell my nieces about the time their uncle sent me the sweetest card...

Happy Place

Those of you that know me know that I grew up in a small town on the coast.  Every fiber of my being wanted to live anywhere but there.  Now that I am "grown up" (ha ha ha!!) and live elsewhere, I find that I *need* to be near the ocean.  Not all the time.  But I need to go there to recharge/reset/gain balance.  My wonderful husband understands that, and finds the same calm there I do.  We recently had one of these getaway/recharge weekends and here are some pictures from that lovely time.

Who's Got My Back?

These ducks do!

Finished and healed!

I love them!

This was my first tattoo, and it was a really wonderful experience.  I love the finished work; just thinking about them being their makes me smile!  Alena S. Chun was amazing to work with.  Icon Tattoo, where Alena works, is an awesome place!  All of the artists are amazing and talented, and the feel like a happy tattoo family, which makes the vibe there just awesome.  I can't say enough about the shop or Alena!  She was very easy going and calming, for me (a self proclaimed worry wart) she was the perfect person to work with.  Getting to know her, and finding out we had some similar book, tv, movie and music taste made the appointments feel more social fun and less like a tattoo appointment where I might experience some pain. This is not going to be my last tattoo.  I see how they can be addictive.  Hopefully this will not be my last with Alena either.  I look forward to working with her again, and adding her artistic interpretation of what ever plant or critter I decide I want next!  I also have to thank my sweet husband-as this tattoo was his birthday present to me (he asked me what I wanted, and didn't really flinch when I told him a duck tattoo).  He knows the story, and what this tattoo means to me.  Thank you. <3

Lack of Sleep+Bad Dreams=Emo Post

Last night I had an awful dream.  In my dream something had happened to David, and I was suddenly forced to go on without him.  You know the type of dream, and how icky it feels and how sometimes you just can’t wake up and stop it.  It made me think about some things.

I can remember growing up and having those dreams except instead of losing David (as we did not know of each others awesomeness yet) it would be losing a parent(s) or sibling(s) or the family pet(s).  Occasionally I still dream I lose a family member, and they are no less devastating.  I’m older now, and I have a support system all my own now.  Things are so different when you are a child and still dependent on your parents for everything.  

It makes me realize how completely intertwined my life is with his.  How just about everything I do every day he is a part of.  He is my coffee slurping partner every morning.  He is the moisturizer of my tattoo.  He is the person I have to email the really silly crap that happens that I know only he will find silly, and I email him almost daily.  We talk every day at lunch, even if briefly and no matter what mood we are in.  He is the one I text every day just before I leave to let him know I’m on my way and to see if there is anything I need to get for our evening.  He is my zombie apocalypse partner.  He is my opener of wine.  He is the person I seek comfort from after a really bad day, his hugs can cure just about anything.  Can I live without him?  Sure.  But life is so much better with him.  

Loss is the risk part of letting other people into your life, I understand that.  It’s the trade off for getting to share even the smallest amount of time with someone amazing.  My. Heart. Hurts. at the thought of not hearing my husband call me “lady.”  The life we share now is so worth the broken heart.  My life has been so much more full, and wonderful with him in it.  He has helped me become a stronger person and I know that I will be okay no matter what happens.  That is one of his ongoing gifts to me.  I can only hope I have done something similar for him.

Losing people you love just flat out sucks.  No doubt about it.  No way to change it.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think about family no longer with us and feel sad.  Some days I can talk about it or share a memory with out crying, some days I have to bawl my eyes out.  But at the end of the day, and the thing I guess I’m trying to say with this post (other than I love my husband) is that the good memories and the good things you experience from loving those people and letting them be a part of your life is worth the heartache of eventually having to say goodbye.  If your lucky, someone feels the same way about you.  Cherish those people who make you feel as loved as you do them.  We’ll all pull through okay.

Time Sure Flies!

11 years.  That is how long I have been married to the love of my life.  It may not seem like a long time, and to others it may seem like too long.  Well, I’m of the school that there is never enough time with the one you love.  Never.  And to me, 11 years is a pretty big deal. 

In the 11 years we have been together we have watched other marries fall apart.  We have experienced losses together, something not all couples can survive.  We have experienced disappointment, our immediate family consists of the two of us and a cat who only tolerates us on the third Tuesday in months that don’t end Y, H, T and R.  We have experienced fights (more of them my fault than I’d care to admit) but we don’t go to bed mad (often).  And David has put up with more than his share of my crazy train.  

In the 11 years we have been together we have watched our extended family grow.  We get to be the Uncle and Aunt to some pretty amazing kids.  We have faced every one of the things in the above paragraph that could of pushed us apart and only grown closer together.  We have a cat.  We enjoy our time together going to places we both enjoy and doing things we both enjoy (beer).  We have laughed more than we have fought (at ourselves and some of the really stupid things we have seen).  And I know what the shit comes down (Zombie Apocalypse) David is going to be there for me 100%.  

In the 11 years we have been together I have learned a lot.  Marriage is not easy.  Marriage is worth it.  The best things in life, you really do have to work for.  It’s like this intricate song you don’t get the sheet music for, you have to figure out the notes as you go.  Sometimes you are going to hit a wrong not or miss a note.  You just have to keep playing and work out those runs/cords.  You can’t get caught up on the small stuff, you have to play through the tough stuff and most importantly DON’T GIVE UP.  When you take a moment, like I am now, to look back you don’t remember all the wrong notes and mistakes.  You see this beautiful body of music you contributed to.  That part that sounded strangely like Bjork was mine, sorry.

For the last 11 years I have been incredibly lucky.  I am proud of all we have worked through and experienced together.  I’m lucky that I have a husband who is in this for the long haul and sees what we have is something worth all the work.  Thank you for the 11 years of love, security, growing and incredible memories.  Here is to more years of our funky song and hopefully some head-bites.  I love you sweetheart!

~Emily (quack)

A Girl and Her Car (A Love Story) Part 2

It's been a while, for part one go here.

What was different this morning was David was the one trying to put my bag in the car and safely get my coffee in the cup holder.  The passenger side door did open for him, but it was moist inside and the getting the cup into the holder was not an easy task.  I got in and started the car to warm it up so I could shift out of park.  While the car warmed up David said with his most serious of faces, "we need to get you a new car."  I think I gave my usual response of something like "it's paid off, I'll drive it until it dies" or "we will at some point."  As annoying as the morning routine was, I was kind of getting used to it.  As much as I wanted a new car, it was nice not having to make the payments.  I could wait awhile longer.  The car warmed up, I was able to shift out of park and away I went.  Thinking noting more of the morning car routine.

I had been at work for an hour or so when David started sending me IMs about cars.  He told me it was time to seriously start looking, and that prices were not so bad right now.  He sent me links to cars at our local Dodge dealership and we talked about what I really had my heart set on (a charger!) and what I could live with out (sun/moon roof).  I really wanted a silver or dark grey colored car.  Nothing in red or blue (the Jetta was blue).  I had had some time to really think about the car, and given that there were some better deals and options on cars that were not my Charger, if I was going to actually get a Charger I would be happy with whatever features it had.  I agreed that I would have to be flexible on color, but David agreed that a spoiler was a complete deal breaker (we both think they look horrible on the car).  We tentatively talked about going to the dealership that weekend and checking things out.  There were a couple online that David said he was going to call the dealership about and do a little research before we went down.  I was not looking forward to the car buying dance, but the thought of no more jetta issues was really really nice.  I didn't hear anything back from David for the longest time, and then I got busy.  I figured he got busy with work and we'd talk about things more when I was home.  I completely forgot about it.

Work got really busy, and it was one of those days where we had people coming and going.  For us, that is a crazy day.  I was in the middle of a project when I happen to glance out the window and see David walking up.  I head out of my office to go out to meet him, as I head past our windows I note his truck isn't visible.  Larry was also standing at the windows and he says to me as I'm walking out the door "wow that's nice!"  I have no idea what he's talking about until I get to the front door.  David met me in the lobby and asked if I could come out side with him for a few minutes.  That's when I see the Charger.  He takes me over to it and asks me what I think.  It's silver, there is no spoiler, and I see the magic word "hemi."  I tell him it's beautiful!  Then he says a bunch of other stuff that I hear but not entirely because I am in a state of shock that this silver beast is sitting in my parking lot!  He said something about the blue Charger he was first interested in ended up having a spoiler, as did the others he was interested in and that they sales guy kind of thought it was funny that that was a deal breaker and showed David the car I was now looking at.  I may have muttered something about it having a hemi, and he quieted that with a "it's actually not that much more for the hemi, and it is at a great price right now."  Then he introduced me to the sales guy, who I didn't even notice was there.  He told me that they needed a little bit of information from me and that the sales guy wanted to check out the trade in.  I opened the car so he could check it out, and I gave David copies of the things he needed.  Before he left he asked me if it was what I wanted, and still in shock I told him yes.  I asked him if it was fun to drive and I got his big grin that told me it was.  They left and I was utterly distracted the rest of the afternoon.

Just as my day was coming to an end I got a text from David telling me not to leave, he was on his way with some paperwork.  First I wondered to myself if he had spent all day at the Dodge dealership.  Then I wondered if that sexy silver beastie was going to really become ours.  I was anxious for his arrival.  When he pulled up to the office he was in the Charger, followed by his truck.  The sales guy was driving the truck.  David came in and handed me a funky looking key "it's yours after you sign a stack of papers!"  Giddy doesn't even come close to describing what I was feeling!  The sales guy had all the documents for me to sign, and I signed and initialed until I couldn't feel my hand anymore.  I didn't care.  I knew what was waiting for me in the parking lot!  David had spent pretty much the whole day down at the dealership working everything out, getting the paperwork as done as he could with out me and even getting the car registered and my license plates put on.  The sales guy had come with him to my office so we wouldn't have to drive back down to the dealership.  He would drive the Jetta away and I would be driving home my dream car!  We emptied out the Jetta, I told it a civil goodbye (it had at least mostly driven me around without leaving me stranded) and then was in complete awe (and a little nervous) about driving the Charger.  David gave me a quick run down of all the things I needed to know.  I started the car and it roared to life.  I love that sound!  After David was sure I knew enough to drive it home, with a huge grin left me to sit in our new car and grin like a fool (which I still do when I remember it's really ours and I get to drive it).  The first thing I noticed was it didn't take much pressure on the gas to get it to go.  I would have to remember that, and be really careful!  It was not a big as I thought it would be, it only felt a little bit bigger than the Jetta-definitely longer.  I giggled and grinned the whole way home.  It really is my dream car!  And I have my husband to thank for making it really happen.  I know it was more than we wanted to spend, and I know gas is going to make me cringe, but... but... it's pretty!!  Every day I get into our car and drive to work I know how much my husband loves me.  I love to drive it, I love it when he drives it.  It's been a dream!  I have a feeling I'm going to be a grinning fool every time I see it for a very very long time!

And that folks, is the story of how my David surprised me with my dream car.  And now, off we drive into the sunset. :)

~Emily

PS-for those of you who said I was going to get a ticket... NO TICKET YET!

A Girl And Her Car (A Love Story)

This story starts like many love stories do.  A bad relationship, and a dream for something better.

Ok but seriously, things were bad.  The car I was driving was a 2003 Jetta.  It got me from point A to point B, and we had paid it off so it was a car with no car payments.  No car payments makes it hard to walk away to car payments again.  For about the last year, things were starting to go south with Jetta.  Last fall/winter it started to leak.  If it froze outside, there would be a layer of ice on the inside of the windshield, as well as the outside.  Same with the back window.  Also, the trunk was leaking, so if I opened it to put stuff in there was like a layer of dew, except not, in the trunk.  Frosty mornings sucked, but thankfully in Oregon, where we live, we get more rain than super cold/ice.

Then maybe 6 months ago (give or take a month or so) it would not shift out of park.  I'd get in the car in the morning to go to to work and I was stuck.  I called the dealership we bought the car from and take it to for service for advice.  What did they tell me to do?  "Get out of the car and shake it.  That should release the locked gear."  Seriously?  How exactly does one shake a car enough to do that without being a superhero?  What I really had to do was let the car warm up for anywhere between 5-15 minutes.  Then my ongoing battle with the cup holders took a turn for the worse.  (For those of you not familiar with the cup holders of the 2003 Jetta-they were like praying mantis mandibles and held things not as well.  Also, if you are a music fan they were inconveniently located right in front of the radio.  You couldn't swap CDs or see what station you were on if you had a beverage.)  If I turned to sharp (or really turned at all) my precious cup of coffee would come tumbling out of the "holder."  And then, to add insult to injury, my passenger door stopped operating properly.  In the mornings I go out to my car with my work bag and put it on my passenger seat before I get in the car and go.  The door lock was not working correctly, my key fab wouldn't unlock it all the time.  I'd have to get in the car and open it from the inside.  And, on the days that I did that, it wouldn't lock with the key fab and I'd have to lock it, and then lock the car.

Obviously it was time to take the car to the shop for usual service and to see what was possessing it.  I told them everything it was doing (or not doing) and asked them to replace the batter in my key fab.  The next day when I picked up my car, they told me they couldn't get it to act up so maybe there wasn't really a problem.  And that there is no leak in my car or trunk.  But that they had done the usual service and replace the battery my key fab, and to call them if it acted up again.  I drive home, mostly confident in the service department.

The next morning, the Jetta is up to it's usually tricks.  They tell me to bring it back.  Again, they keep it over night and send me home with a car that they said was fine.  Oh, but the guy suggested that I check to see if my brake lights come on when I hit my brake, because if they don't it could be that my car isn't registering that the brake is on.  I ask him how I'm supposed to do that by myself (yes, I know I can have David help me but how is that feasible to do every morning?).  My confidence is rapidly dropping.

I tell David I'm not taking the car back again, even if it acts up.  Which it does.  My morning departure routine gets altered by 15 minutes allowing for time for the car to warm up.  Oh, and did I mention my key fob starts working; the key fab they put a new battery in?  David feels bad for me, he puts up with my complaining and offers me various cars.  But I am stubborn.  There is a specific car I want, and I stubbornly refuse to change my mind, insisting I'd rather drive Jetta until it falls apart (which at this point could be sooner rather than later).

So what car did I have my heart set on?  This:

2010 Dodge Charger (with a Hemi)

And so life went on.  Bad Jetta became the norm until one cool morning.  David was helping me load up the Jetta and I think he was kind of amazed what I had to do to get the car rolling in the morning.  Looking at it now, it had to be sort of comical, the way I would contort to open things or manage the coffee into the cup holder maneuver.  While I think he was impressed with my crazy morning skills, I do not believe David was impressed with Jetta.

To Be Continued....

~Emily

Long Weekend-Never Long Enough

It was time for a long weekend at the beach.  We got lucky, it was cooler and overcast most of this trip.  We even go rain on our last full day there.  Here are some pictures from that lovely stormy rainy day!

This horse did not seem to thrilled to be out in the rain.

Pretty waves :)

I enjoyed the peace and quiet-I'm ready go back!

~Emily

Feed The Crazy

I really do have the best husband in the world.  He is way more understanding and tolerant that most.  He has, with only understandable teasing, put up with my infactuation with the Twilight series.  He lovingly ordered me the box from Amazon, and put up with me while I complained that they would never arrive.  He did not shoot me too many strange looks as I stayed up to read the books over, and over (and probably over and over again) every night.  And this morning, he fed me a good breakfast and kept me company as I fretted and twitched waiting for Target to open so I could buy Twilight on Blue Ray.  I am a happy little geek-I have the beautiful Blue Ray, I have enough special features to keep me amused for a long time, and I have the movie on my phone because the Blue Ray came with an iTunes download of the movie.  David puts up with a lot, but I know without a doubt how much he loves me.  I also know how lucky I am to have such a patient and supportive husband.  Thanks sweetie, I love you!!

~Emily

8 Wonderful Years!

Today is David's and my 8 year wedding anniversary.  It's kind of unreal.  The last 8 years have pretty much flown by.  I'm one lucky lady.  I have a husband who loves me, and has put up with me for the last 8 years.  I have to show off the pretties he surprised me with at work today:

Sweetie, thanks for putting up with me, and loving me, and being there for me!  You are my best friend and I would be lost without you!  Happy Anniversary! ;)

~Emily

Appreciation

I am a very lucky lady.  I am reminded of that in so many ways, every day.  For example, today when we were knocking out some quests in World of Warcraft with some of our friends I was reminded how respectful David and I are to one another.   This doesn't mean our friends don't care for eachother.  Their banter is more mean spirited than ours is.  We are a good team playing when playing our game.  But we are like that in any task we do together.  My David is a safe, warm, loving place for me to land when I've had a rough day.  He's like that for me every day.  It's been kind of a rough couple of weeks, and I just really appreciate my David.

~Emily