Starting an after wedding journal [Archive]

EarlyBird

06-01-2009, 06:25 PM

yay im excited im a mrs.. i have already posted pics and the story, ill try to remember to post that link sometime..

I have not had a computer in a couple weeks cuz right before the wedding, i lost my cord and didnt have time to reorder in all the chaos.. right now, im using my brothers laptop for a couple weeks, which is happy news but probably going to cause me to procrastinate more on getting that cord for mine.... hahaa

anyways, married life is pretty much -- just the same as engaged life except DH is just GIDDY about calling me his wife and had added "MY WIFE" to everything he says hahahah its cute!!!

we didnt take a honeymoon, deciding instead to save a little money and decide at a later date what to do - we have decided at this point on a couple little vacations- we are going on a little 3-4 day cruise probably, then in july to disney and universal probably for like 5 days...

I also must add that i am SOOOOOOOOOO excited right now.. there is a book written about/by my family - i thought it had finished the week before the wedding but i found out that it wasnt finished until the week AFTER which is great b/c they were able to add me as MARRIED in there and also they chose to use the poem from our ceremony "i carry your heart" and since the book is written by a family member and dedicated to my grandparents (deceased grandfath and living grandmother) he asked if i would mind if it was used as my dedication to them.. that is very exciting to me, it will be an amazing thing to have that piece of the ceremony/life documented.. hahaha maybe im cheesy..

gwenshack

06-01-2009, 06:37 PM

We didn't take a honeymoon right away either. I think that's becoming more and more "normal" these days! We are going to go away in July though for a belated one.

Everything from your wedding was superb! You must have been so happy. Can't wait to read about the "after wedding" adventures!

PGDesigns

06-02-2009, 08:20 AM

Glad you started another journal because I loved reading your planning journal. That's awesome news about the book!

DH and I will be in Kissimmee for a week in July and are thinking about maybe going to Disney and a few other parks. He's never been to Disney, but I'm not sure if we'll have enough money to do all that with our honeymoon to Hawaii in August... add us to the list of those with a belated honeymoon, too. :D

EarlyBird

06-02-2009, 12:33 PM

Allison, If your up there the same time- email me, we can all go to dinner or something :)

(we are going at the end of july)

Yah- i figured, why not start an after wedding one, our life is fulllll of excitment, might as well share!!

So thanks to danielle, who made a design for my thank you cards, i ordered 100 thank you post cards last night.. here is the design
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/vanamarieG/Postcard_Front.jpg

im so excited about them!!! cant wait to get them.. once again, vista print, free with a 1.40 upload fee and 5.40 for shipping!!!!
i bought thank you cards the other day, spent 28$ on them and then i still had to get pictures printed, we calculated about 15 for that-- so today before work i returned the other thank yous--- saved at least 30 bucks which is nice!!!!!

something i should state about myself, is i cant stand to part with my money if i know i can get something cheaper. Im as spoiled as they come- there are luxury items fh and i indulge in - like our annual passes to theme parks - but when it comes to buying things, i always make a game of it and see which coupons i can get, promo codes, sales etc.. you might have all thought it was just wedding planning but nope, i love saving money

EarlyBird

06-02-2009, 12:37 PM

Oh Oh i meant to update this before-
So not including my dress, which i bought myself 2 years ago- (it was a total of 300 with purchase and alterations), honeymoon, any rings, and misc stuff which probably added up to about 300-400 for misc

total spent on my wedding- 18,500.00 it may sound ridiculous but considering the original budget was 35, 000. dad and myself are THRILLED hahaha

im thrilled with myself, i have not ONE cent of debt over this wedding- well i mean, i guess i wouldnt anyway cuz my parents paid, but they have no debt over it either. They put 1 thing on credit card and it was the 1,200 florist bill cuz they wanted to make sure if there were problems we could dispute, and thank goodness b/c we did have big problems, but luckily the women did the right thing and refunded alot back

PGDesigns

06-02-2009, 01:45 PM

We will be there July 11-18.

I LOVE your thank you cards, and of course, the great deal you got makes them even better!

Congrats on coming in way under budget and getting some money back from your florist.

EarlyBird

06-04-2009, 03:14 PM

I know i put these with the rest of the pics.. but i wanted to show my FAVORITE pics.. ill tell a little about it the first two .....

DH and I agreed that instead of stopping at the beginning of the aisle to hug our parents, we would walk all the way out the doors and wait there.. that way it was more personal.. but before anyone could get down the aisle, we shared a little moment tucked in a corner.. i guess the photog was following because she caught two pics that really were candid and wonderful!!!

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/vanamarieG/Wedding/IMG_1857.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/vanamarieG/Wedding/IMG_1858.jpg

this is kind of unposed too.. i was lined up to get a picture with the guys and my cousin said something funny so i looked at him and he made me laugh
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/vanamarieG/Wedding/IMG_1881.jpg

EarlyBird

06-04-2009, 03:52 PM

So i have no pics right now, but i cut my hair.. its a work in progress. my best friend is my hair stylist so we have been doing a little at a time. I think im cutting it a little more, makingit a bit funkier and adding red in the underlayer.. mil is going to kill me, dh still has a little "rock and roll" in him so i think he will love it.. :) ill post pics when its done..

f77g4

06-04-2009, 05:24 PM

Yay! Glad you started an after wedding journal!

ChristineLS

06-04-2009, 07:36 PM

I'm enjoying reading your journal.

Oh, and you and I are the same way about money. There are definately some things I'll splurge on, but otherwise, I'm a really devout coupon cutter, sales flier reader, internet browser... and it takes me awhile to make a decision to spend the money! FH jokes that I just don't spend money, which isn't true, but yeah, I'm the same way :)

f77g4

06-04-2009, 07:58 PM

I'm very like obsessive compulsive when it comes to money and finances too. We don't get many coupons in this area but I keep my eyes out for them. I think it's the accountant/auditor in me...FH thinks its quite comical sometimes.

EarlyBird

06-05-2009, 01:47 PM

Im so excited it is friday!! i know that means dh works tomorrow night but it also means i get to spend tonight with him. ever since the wedding is over, i finally get to enjoy friday with him.

tonight im making one of his fav. dinners- and im making doggie treats haha
i found the recipe online and i know they will love them. :)

I dont know, im thinking of making some sort of dessert too but have not decided what yet. i know my kitchen will be a disaster but im excited to have the weekend to myself (with hubby of course) finally so i dont care about having to clean it up.

we have spent alot of time this week helping my bro prepare his house- he has people coming to look at it to rent it out (FINGERS CROSSED FOR HIM!) so hopefully when i get home and call my bro, he will tell me he rented his house and we then im scratching the dessert project and taking my boys out to this cute little dessert place in the downtown area (hhehe i really want to go there tonight so im willing to find any excuse!!!)

I am also going to tie up a couple of loose wedding ends today- going to wrap my parents present, get my list together for the thank yous cuz they should be here monday and i want to get those out the door. buy my parents a gift card to put in wit their thank you.

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 12:31 PM

So not much productive here this weekend.. friday we ate an awesome dinner then went and saw a movie. here in south florida it has been complete and utter downpour for WEEKS .. so after my car stalling because of standing water- something about the drains int he neighborhood not working, we parked in by the clubhouse which is higher up- and took dh car- we saw the hangover.. raunchy but funny as they come.. seriously!! we laughed the whole time.. because you can totally see this happening in vegas hahahahah!!
unfortunatley a couple times since we got married, dh and i have been bickering..last night we got into a pretty heated argument..I guess i should say, I have been bi**hy beyond belief. like i even cant stand me. and i dont know whats the matter. I just feel constantly on edge - i think its because im very nervous about my job. see its only "part time" for quite some time i was putting in 30-40 hours but now its back to 25 - dh had a day cut from work to "keep costs down" and his new job hasnt called for him to start (which was one of the main reasons we didnt take a honeymoon so now im mad!!) and i think that alot of the problem is that we ddint get away right after the wedding... i kind of resent him for that and i know i shouldnt.. I MADE THE DECISION that we couldnt go because if his new job called for him to start, we couldnt be on a cruise and not be able to be reached, cuz he would lose the position. we were told he would have 24 hour notice..
ugh.. i guess i just need to take a breather.. thinking tonight of turning my house into a spa. I definatly need to talk to dh about this though because i dont want us fighting or arguing, and at the end of the day not even knowing why we are arguing. any of you girls ever feel like that ? like you just KNOW your going to start a fight the next word someone says? it feels like pms, but it isnt, and i have take a couple preg tests, not that! ugh

f77g4

06-08-2009, 03:36 PM

I get like that too Vana! Right now everything is annoying me and irritating me - I have an exam tonight at 6:30 and I know it's just the stress of that but it still sucks!

It will all work out but maybe a little weekend vaca wouldn't hurt you guys.

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 09:59 PM

I have felt it with my two best friends before, like aggravated if they just speak to me on a day where im on edge.. its not dh thats doing it to me, he just lives with me so it affects him :( i feel bad.. i sucked up a bit with the cooking of chick marsala which is his fav meal !! HHAHA he does not get home from work till 1am tonight and ill actually cook it then. its best fresH!

Other then that im going to look at flights for july. we always take a trip for his bday, usually disney, last year was vegas and this year, we were thinking ny since we have a ton of family.. if not we will prob go to disney and universal again.. i just got to check flights.. prob be cheaper for ny tho cuz we dont have to pay for a hotel hhaha

The next couple weeks at work is goingto be crazy.. the owner is out of town and its just two of us women in the office.. not as fun as it sounds, she and i dont get along well.. grrrness.
nothing really new in my life.. my dad said the edited pics of the wedding are online, im going to check those out too..
ill post a link

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 10:08 PM

http://www.freewebs.com/onlinealbums/apps/photos/album?albumid=5924777

link to online album, she says its still in progress so we shall see

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 10:41 PM

ohhh forgot to mention.. i got my Thank Yous today!! i was sooo excited. they are beautiful and i have about 30 done out of 50.

futuremrsallen

06-08-2009, 10:46 PM

Those thank you cards are soooo beautiful!! I was thinking about getting some but was unsure. Good to see some really nice ones to get some ideas though.

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 11:06 PM

Those thank you cards are soooo beautiful!! I was thinking about getting some but was unsure. Good to see some really nice ones to get some ideas though.

i ordered them from vistaprint- the standard postcards- my std were the same thing, standard postcards from vista, and my invitations for my bridesmaids thank you party were the large postcards.. very satisfied with them all.

EarlyBird

06-08-2009, 11:54 PM

ChristineLS

06-09-2009, 10:25 AM

Question for those of you that read this boring mess..... did the name change process SUCK for you? Basically i have to wait for my certified marriage license to come to do anything----anything---the checks havent been cashed, i have received one piece of mail with my new name because im using it as "mine" on all "mailing" documtnet- like if i order smething but i cant change it anywhere until i receive that license.. and they told me 6-8 weeks. this doesnt seem normal.. not for anywhere but here.. im so confused.. having an identity crisis.. like im trying to get used to using my new last name but its hard cuz well ummmm its not really MINE yet!!!

If it's any consolation, my Mom waited 17 years to change her last name on her social security document (she says she never got around to it, which was kind of funny because she's the epitome of responsibility in everything else :rofl:), and [herfirstname] S********* was still very much hers through that time.

I mean, who is the government to tell you who you are? You're just having to wait to tell them :)

PGDesigns

06-09-2009, 11:08 AM

My problem was not the waiting time for the courthouse to send the certified marriage certificates back to us. Instead, it was the pastor waiting a couple weeks to send the signed license to the courthouse after the ceremony.

The problem was that I only had 30 days after the wedding to be added to DH's insurance, so after we figured out that the paperwork had not been filed, my dad picked up the paperwork from the pastor (they live in the same town) and took it to the courthouse himself. Once he explained the situation, they processed it while he was there and gave him all the certified copies we needed. I think it normally only takes a week or two to receive it once the officiant has filed the paperwork, but I needed it done right then to make sure I had insurance.

I got my new SS card within 10 days (I think it was more like 7 days.)

Mrs.Goff

06-09-2009, 12:34 PM

The day we got married our officiant told me that it would take 4 to 6 weeks to get the certificate back. My eyes about popped out of my head. lol Thankfully it only took about 6 days. My problem was that I didn't know that I had to change the SS stuff first. So I went to change my license and was turned away. Once I got the SS stuff taken care of it was a breeze. After that the only problem I had was the bank didn't send me a new debit card right away, then when I called they said that I needed to order a new one. I told the lady that was ridiculous! It's pretty obvious that I needed a new card, I have a NEW last name! If by chance someone ask to see my ID they could refuse my debit card. Then they charged me $7.50 for the new card.:irked: I called and complained until they refunded that money. haha

I hope it all works out for you soon.

EarlyBird

06-09-2009, 03:21 PM

changing my ss card BLAH who has time for that !!! i hate this stuff it stinks.. although the bank said they can change my name iwht just the marriage cert. first - my utilties all said the samething too.. so i figured ill start off slow.. going to go ahead and do that.. cuz even if your asked for "id" at the bank and dont have your new id.. they said they would take a copy of the marriage certificate on file - at least wachovia and wamu told me this..

grr i hate this mess

EarlyBird

06-09-2009, 03:21 PM

duplicate message

using it to post some smileys showing how i feel

:icon_barbar::hothead::censored::jpticked:

PGDesigns

06-09-2009, 03:43 PM

Not sure if it helps or not, but you can download the SS name change form online and fill it out before taking it to the office. It saved me a lot of time when I went in.

EarlyBird

06-09-2009, 04:28 PM

I looked for it, and the form was confusing.. do you have a link? cuz believe it or not, i foud like 10 different links and i was not sure which one to click.. when i finally did the form was confusing.. like it wanted mothers maiden name and social, but then at the bottom it says Not needed if this is just a duplicate ss card---- but isnt it!?!?!? cuz its ME -- same ss number-- just name change.. im confused..

PGDesigns

06-09-2009, 04:58 PM

I believe this is the form I filled out:
http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.pdf

You won't need your parents' SSN since you are over 18.

I also just remembered that (at least here in GA) you have to bring in a certified copy of the marriage license application. The marriage license itself and the marriage certificates will not work. (This may vary from state to state since some require your new signature on different documents. For instance, we did not have to sign anything on our wedding day or anything like most couples have to do.)

EarlyBird

06-09-2009, 09:39 PM

Allison, thanks for the info. i changed my work hours recently, so the minute it comes in im going to go to the ss office in the next morning. i cant wait- cuz we are booking a trip in july and i really want to travel under my new name :) and today i had a problem. i have been using my new name, ross and i used my new name and my social security number for somethng and they said that "sorry something is wrong" and i was like haha oh that wont match up sorry !! hahah

anyway, i met with my mom tonight. we only live about 5 minutes apart but we met for coffee, had a nice chat and she is got her thank you- she loooooved them :) Im very happy- i got some compliments on people i gave them to already- since the front is just a picture many people said "ohh im going to frame this" haha

so i looked more into flights tonight- might be going to ny for mike's bday- im going to talk to him tonight then call a couple family members and see if they feel like company hah

EarlyBird

06-09-2009, 09:43 PM

also, i looked more into the cakes for dh birthday- here are a couple ideas i got.

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-sushi-cupcakes-8.html

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-pez-cake-20.html

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-chinese-food-to-go-cake.html

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/coolest-batman-gotham-city-birthday-cake-34.html

gwenshack

06-09-2009, 09:54 PM

Vana -

I think the name change thing is probably a big frustration for a lot of people! I know, for me, I've been stalling in general, but part of that stalling has to do with the fact that I get paid every 3 months and I want to make sure that the name change thing happens with plenty of time to ensure that my check has a name on it that corresponds with the one the bank has! Plus, I travel all the time and have been constantly going through airport security since March when I got married. I have airline tickets in my maiden name through the first week of August and am hopefully not going anywhere for a while after that so I'll be able to get all that stuff straightened out!
I don't think men realize how much women have to go through with the name change thing! Every couple of days DH looks up and says "When are you gonna change your name? When are you gonna change your name?" Um, how about when it won't cause me massive problems?!? haha :)

It'll be ok though! You'll get it done! :)

Deanna2112001

06-14-2009, 10:27 PM

I have yet to change mine. I have the list of things to do and how to do it. But I am still holding on to my name.. lol.. Maybe after boat season is over I will get it over with.

EarlyBird

06-15-2009, 12:55 AM

So today dh said to me "i just went on facebook for the first time since the wedding, your name says gerardi ross? why?" i was like stuttering. i did it there cuz honestly, if people see Vana Marie Ross they might not know its me.. like people from school etc.. so i left gerardi for searching purposes.. but truthfully now that the marriage certificate came, im a little panicked!! :(

so yah, the marriage cert. came and tuesday morning ill be on my way to the social security office... then the drivers license place before work.
then wed or so, ill go by the bank and ill send in the paperwork to change the electric, cable, etc etc. ughhhhhhhhhhhh this nightmare should be over by next week on wed.

EarlyBird

06-15-2009, 01:00 AM

Sooo, anyways- i have no posted in the last week or so. Been super busy... been planning Mike's birthday trip which is great!! im super excited cuz instead of just going thursday after work like i thought until sat morning, mike is going to request off. work granted me thursday all off so we are leaving wed the 29th of july after work until august 2 which is sunday!!!
so far, we have planned out his bday dinner and the fact that we are getting the universal annual passes -
i have been searching and searching and searching for different hotel options. we shall see... hopefully ill have that nailed down by next week

EarlyBird

06-15-2009, 02:46 AM

So this last week dh has been feeling under the weather and i have been completely BLAH cuz i found out last week my car needs new brakes.. not just brake pads either.. makes me soo mad. the car is like a year old.. im not going thru the warranty bs.. its just annoying!!! tomorrow my daddy is taking it to the shop for me :) we have an appointment, the guy already ordered the part so tomorrow i will have my car back and i have made a pledge to myself to treat it with care. I am pretty carefree with my car and dont take much care of it like i do everything else. NOW im regretting it :(
friday after i found out about my car, i came home to a reaaaally sick dh and put up a pot of homemade chicken soup for him. Then yesterday my best friend (cousin, formely, moh) called, she was super sick so i offered to bring her some chick soup and take my niece for the day.. i went there but since dh was home sleeping it off for work that night, i just stayed and hung out and played with my niece and watched movies/shows with my cuz. then she wanted to get out so she drove with me to wake dh up to get ready for work.
Then last night he was supposed to work at midnight and as he was walkngout for work, he got sick again.. so i called him in!!
then this morning, i get a call from my mom asking if i had heard from my bro cuz he was reaaally sick.. so i brought him soup too. Luckily when i make it, it makes enough to fille 3-4 freezer bags and this time i got to say, it really came in handy.. cuz got a bag, bro got a bag and dh has finished off nearly the 2 extra bags in the last 3 days!!! my soup did not go to waste.. now i feel that im getting sick, but i dont have time for that.
Luckily today dh was feeling better and so we went to this indoor mall type place.. its not really a mall, lots of neat stuff. some homemade, some jewelry, some purses, cheap makeup etc.. i guess its like a flea market but inside etc. Its called the festival mall, they have a "farmers market" and stuff. we got some really cool homemade dog treats, a nice shirt for dh, a new phone charger, had a great lunch and just a good day out. it was nice to have him out and about.. esp on a sunday- cuz usually he works till 9am on sundays so he sleeps till about 6 and by then everything is closed.. it was nice to have him around.. i feel spoiled.. could get used to it haha

EarlyBird

06-16-2009, 12:12 AM

I officially share a last name with DH!!!! its on my drivers license, my bank, my electric bill, my cable bill and my social security card.. i was REAL busy today- left work realllly early :) and decided to be productive.. now im at my moms cuz dh is at work and i locked myself out of the house!!

PGDesigns

06-16-2009, 01:51 PM

CONGRATS on officially getting the name change taken care of on so many things already!

f77g4

06-16-2009, 08:14 PM

Congrats Vana!

EarlyBird

06-17-2009, 12:42 PM

Ugh when it rains it pours i guess.
As i said this weekend, we found out my car needed new brakes, completely shot!!! that cost us alot, then yesterday i lost my keys to both cars, my house, mil house, parents house, my brothers house, work, work mailbox, house mailbox and the work storage place... you would think with all taht i could not lose it. but luckily this morning, my parents called to say they found them. Then on my way to work.. FLAT TIRE.. yupp completely flat at the rim.. could not reach anyone after that - called dh but he worked till 3am, called bro, sleeping, parents were in a work meeting.
i was stranded. i walkd to the store, bought fix a flat, btu i was worried to drive it. luckily my bro called me back, came and got me, followed me with my car home a few blocks, then drove me to work. a mess i know- now im stranded at work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

on a happier note, when dh got home at 3am, i woke up.. i decided i didnt like the house how it was so i rearranged the dining and living room and came up with a different way i wanted pictures arranged etc etc etc. we are going to try it out for a couple days but i cant buy anything new in the next couple weeks. im still trying to save for the trip in july and also now i have all these car problems. - grrrr

kgvettegirl

06-17-2009, 01:04 PM

I sure hope your day goes better from here on out. Hang in there.

f77g4

06-17-2009, 04:06 PM

When it rains it pours is one of my most common phrases cause that is always the way.

Hopefully there will be some sunshine too!

ChristineLS

06-17-2009, 04:40 PM

This means you'll be due for a really awesome day to offset the miserable one ;) Hang in there!

EarlyBird

06-21-2009, 02:26 AM

well, im still waiting for the awesome day, but the last couple have not been SOOOOOO horrible!!!
just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone -

EarlyBird

06-23-2009, 02:20 AM

every year for dh birthday we go away. its summer, we usually can get time off work, and it works out perfect for something to look forward to! We did vegas last year, but went for 6 days. this year, we wanted to do disney. dh really loves it since its where we got engaged and so i have been on a search for good deals etc etc for WEEKS. finally today, a breakthrough. i found on hotwire a 3 star hotel in universal area (we have annual pases but dont cover parking and to get around the 12 $ a day parking fee, we wanted a close hotel) it was 38 a night and we figured, a 3 star for that price is incredible... i researched and found out the most likely hotel is the four points sheraton which we know is a nice hotel. - i purchased it and lo and beholld,it was that hotel. we had budgeted 250 for the 3 night stay but i was able to get this for 176.00 total for a 4 night stay (at 38 a night we figured we woul maxamize and stay a bit longer) - plus no resort or parking fee like alot of them!!!! i am thrilled. on july 5th i will be purchasing our annual passes for universal studios and have already made our two dinner reservations (one of which is free for mike on his bday) im ecstatic about this trip now since i have had such great deals- and its about a month away!!!!

Danielle9608

06-23-2009, 08:38 AM

Vana I have no idea how I missed this before. Love your thank you notes, lol but I'm a little biased. ;) Congrats on the awesome vacation deal!!

EarlyBird

06-23-2009, 12:17 PM

hahah danielle.. you have NO idea how many compliments i get on them. everyone can not believe how nice you were to design those and that i only paid 8.00 total to have them made and sent from vista print.. i swear i can not wait to have kids so i can order invitations and announcements etc from vista..

EarlyBird

06-27-2009, 06:07 PM

so things have been pretty BLAH lately.. one of my great aunts passed- we are a tight knit family so it hit everyone pretty hard. We spent most of the week at funerals and lunches for her etc- but now things are starting back to "normal"
its been raining like crazy here so i have been going a bit stir crazy- but im trying to really throw myself into planning this trip. OH and my brother has made the smartest decision in recent year and he will be renting his house out so that he can live with someone else. We offered him to live with us, but ill be honest, i can be hard on him, so he will be living with a single guy cousin which will be nice for them btoh! but anyway- my point of that is we are trying to save him money, so we have been taking any big items we can use and putting in our house or garage. because of this, i have beejn rearranging the house all wekk. I really like how everything is coming out :) ill post pictures at some point. I also ordered some paint for the bathrooms or an accent wall. havent decided which yet but glidden was giving away free quarts of paint so my cousin, mom dad, bro and i all ordered in two colors, and everyone has told me i could have theirs so far haha

EarlyBird

06-27-2009, 06:10 PM

GO LOOK AT SOME OF THE EDIT4ED PICS.. AWESOME
http://www.freewebs.com/onlinealbums/apps/photos/album?albumid=6040165

gwenshack

06-27-2009, 06:11 PM

Aww, I'm sorry to hear of your family's loss. :(

Mrs.Goff

06-27-2009, 09:23 PM

I'm sorry for your loss.

You pictures are great!

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 09:47 AM

I guess its just one of those things.. The reception is over, the tuxes returned, name changed and thank yous sent. I dont feel disappointed that its over. I just keep having these "I wish we would have done......(insert something that amazingly i didnt think of/forgot after over 2 years of planning) Im happy to be married, I thank god every day, and as much as i didnt think things changed after we got married. i have found they did!! I love it.. all good changes, but still some getting used to. I have effectivly STOPPED using my maiden name. in mostly everything. It is legally changed, but sometimes I find it still comes up and i proudly say "MY LAST NAME IS ROSS" I find dh has been MUCH more attentive to everything like helping around the house etc etc etc.
I know i have not been "around" much, but i really have been just stalking the boards without posting. I look at all my pictures and im a bit down about how i looked, how certain things looked. I guess after all, its just a day, its just a dress, the only thing that is extraordinary is the fact that its a day of marriage for two people and two families. Seriously. I thought about it. I felt beautiful in my dress but after the ceremony, i was still clumsy as ever, still ripped my dress, still got it dirty and spilled things on it.. my dress was an absolute disaster.. haha

anyway, another reason i have not been on at least this week, dh fell and hit his head. He convinced me he didnt really HIT it but he had cushioned it by his arm and such. He fells on concrete and grass, so i kept an eye on him and stayed home to make sure he was okay, and we went to his parents for dinner that night. He was fine, maybe a little quiet but okay really but we looked at him and it looked like he was seizing. Shaking, couldnt hold his fork and we immedaitly had him rushed to the hospital. They knew he had a concusion after the CAT but were pretty convinced it was a seizure too. He stayed and had a battery of tests, and we still have quite a few more as outpatients. About 2 hours after being in the ER he was his "normal" self. Not slow moving like earlier, not shaking or slurring his words. they suspect that the concusion, because left completely unattended (no ice) could have caused a little bit of a reaction to his brain and thats why he got so bad. He was in the hospital for a couple days, no more episodes and no history of seizures, so they let him go home. He wanted to go back to work tonight and he wanted to get ready for our trip on wed and his birthday this week. He came home last night and he is doing well, but he really gave us a scare. Luckily, he is doing well, and I will be going home at lunch to check on him again!

PGDesigns

07-27-2009, 09:55 AM

Oh gosh! I'm glad Mike is doing better. I can't imagine how scary it must have been. I hope he continues to do well!

And, I totally understand about feeling that way after the wedding. Our wedding day was a complete disaster aside from the fact that we managed to get married, and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered. I still look at some things and get sad because I wish they would've been done differently, though.

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 09:57 AM

Ya, i think you and i probably get that same thought "PLANNING FOR OVER 2 YEARS AND I COULDNT MANAGE TO GET THIS RIGHT?!?!?!"
But you know what?!?! these things happen hahaha
Ya, im hoping mike is doing good too. I really am starting to get nervous cuz he was grabbing some extra shut eye before work and i cant check on him :( UGH oh well !

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 10:05 AM

So also, wanted to post here that about a year ago, one of my fellow brides on here told me to start a blog; I did, but could not get into it. I had a journal on here i loved updating, and i didnt want to type the SAME THINGS. so a couple months ago, someone asked "what are you doing with your time now that the wedding is over" i laughed and said "spending money but doing it smart and my way" all my friends know im NOTORIOUS for money saving. If they tell me about something they want or are getting, I usually jump in with a way they can save money. I run most of my shopping trips and even grocery trips like a "challenge" - like give myself a budget and something that i want out of it (100.00 for at least 5 outfits) or something to that effect. My friends get a kick out of it, because they say " you would never know it! " about me and my urge to save money and be thrifty - Heck i have even started xmas shopping!!!!
Anyway, i started a blog, as my friend kept saying "just do it, its fun and you have something very interesting to write about" - i have started posting "my fav money saving coupons/deals" "challenges" and all that good stuff, i even posted that any brides looking for money saving tips should come check out this little community!! if you want to check it out.
havent updated it in a couple days. Since i think he was in the hospital.. so ill be updating today http://vanamarie.blogspot.com/

ChristineLS

07-27-2009, 10:08 AM

I guess its just one of those things.. The reception is over, the tuxes returned, name changed and thank yous sent. I dont feel disappointed that its over. I just keep having these "I wish we would have done......(insert something that amazingly i didnt think of/forgot after over 2 years of planning) Im happy to be married, I thank god every day, and as much as i didnt think things changed after we got married. i have found they did!! I love it.. all good changes, but still some getting used to. I have effectivly STOPPED using my maiden name. in mostly everything. It is legally changed, but sometimes I find it still comes up and i proudly say "MY LAST NAME IS ROSS" I find dh has been MUCH more attentive to everything like helping around the house etc etc etc.
I know i have not been "around" much, but i really have been just stalking the boards without posting. I look at all my pictures and im a bit down about how i looked, how certain things looked. I guess after all, its just a day, its just a dress, the only thing that is extraordinary is the fact that its a day of marriage for two people and two families. Seriously. I thought about it. I felt beautiful in my dress but after the ceremony, i was still clumsy as ever, still ripped my dress, still got it dirty and spilled things on it.. my dress was an absolute disaster.. haha

Will and I were freaking out a bit last night, over whether or not our wedding would work out... I have a bad feeling about it... that we bit off more than we could chew, that it's going to be scorned, that I'm going to be disappointed with my appearance, etc, etc.... The above has made me feel a lot better :)

anyway, another reason i have not been on at least this week, dh fell and hit his head. He convinced me he didnt really HIT it but he had cushioned it by his arm and such. He fells on concrete and grass, so i kept an eye on him and stayed home to make sure he was okay, and we went to his parents for dinner that night. He was fine, maybe a little quiet but okay really but we looked at him and it looked like he was seizing. Shaking, couldnt hold his fork and we immedaitly had him rushed to the hospital. They knew he had a concusion after the CAT but were pretty convinced it was a seizure too. He stayed and had a battery of tests, and we still have quite a few more as outpatients. About 2 hours after being in the ER he was his "normal" self. Not slow moving like earlier, not shaking or slurring his words. they suspect that the concusion, because left completely unattended (no ice) could have caused a little bit of a reaction to his brain and thats why he got so bad. He was in the hospital for a couple days, no more episodes and no history of seizures, so they let him go home. He wanted to go back to work tonight and he wanted to get ready for our trip on wed and his birthday this week. He came home last night and he is doing well, but he really gave us a scare. Luckily, he is doing well, and I will be going home at lunch to check on him again!

OMG. :hug: I can't imagine how scary that must have been. I'm glad he's doing better, I hope it stays that way!

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 10:50 AM

Christine. I am soooooo glad that made you feel better.. really.. you would not believe how many times i got mad at my brother for saying "its just one day, a party vana, you throw 5 parties a year, this one is just a larger party and your wearing a prettier dress" I got mad and i apologized after a couple weeks (after the weddign) b/c he was right.. he was completely and utterly right. In the end, things will work out as long as your end goal is marrying your sweetheart :)

MrsDM

07-27-2009, 01:01 PM

f77g4

07-27-2009, 05:15 PM

Sorry to hear about Mike - glad to hear he is ok though!

kgvettegirl

07-27-2009, 07:03 PM

Keep a eye on him for awhile. Concussions are tricky. I acted weird for about 2 months after mine.

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 09:48 PM

Keep a eye on him for awhile. Concussions are tricky. I acted weird for about 2 months after mine.

My dad said the same thing!! Mikey keeps saying he has a headache and my dad told him they sometimes last a couple weeks after a concusion. I spoke with him tonight the good news is, we were told saturday when we called him into work that he would not have a job and that they would call us this morning to give us official documents to that effect, but Mike went there today and spoke with HR and they said "hang tight, we didnt get orders to terminate you yet, and usually we would have already gotten them and called you so dont be so sure about being fired yet" so he went into work tonight.. It was such a big worry he would lose his job.. Esp since we are leaving in two days for vacation, we didnt want to deal with that and be stressed on the trip!

EarlyBird

07-27-2009, 09:51 PM

First, I've been wondering where you have been! I'm so sorry that happened to Mike. You must have been so worried! I'm glad he is doing better.

Secondly, I'm terrified that I'm going to miss wedding planning when the wedding is over for the same reasons you mentioned. I think it becomes such a part of your life, especially when you are planning the length of time that you did and I did. I think the blog is a great idea!!

Thanks for wondering where i was.. was wondering if i was missed around these parts :) but yah, honestly, its hard for us girls who have been planning so long but want to know something funny?? i never got DEPRESSED about it, just kind of nit picky about things i wished i had done.. my mom was DEPRESSED. i mean in bed for like a week. telling my dad there was nothing left to do and she was bored haha.. poor mommy. we got her out of bed eventually but she had a hard time with it. she was like a wedding planner. between 2-10 hours of her days were only wedding planning. Calling vendors, going to shops, buying things for the wedding, doing wedding research etc etc... she was lost haha

f77g4

07-27-2009, 10:06 PM

Thanks for wondering where i was.. was wondering if i was missed around these parts :) but yah, honestly, its hard for us girls who have been planning so long but want to know something funny?? i never got DEPRESSED about it, just kind of nit picky about things i wished i had done.. my mom was DEPRESSED. i mean in bed for like a week. telling my dad there was nothing left to do and she was bored haha.. poor mommy. we got her out of bed eventually but she had a hard time with it. she was like a wedding planner. between 2-10 hours of her days were only wedding planning. Calling vendors, going to shops, buying things for the wedding, doing wedding research etc etc... she was lost haha

Oh your poor mom! :(

EarlyBird

07-28-2009, 12:23 PM

we leave tomorrow for vacation!!!! im so excited! We need a vacation badly! We will be gone for 5 days and i know that will be more then enough. Going up to orlando for mikes bday/mini moon. yay!!

PGDesigns

07-28-2009, 03:00 PM

Your poor mom! :)

Good thoughts for Mike's job, too. I hope they were right about him not losing his job. I hope you two have a great, stress-free vacation. You definitely deserve it!

Oh... and OF COURSE you were missed here!

EarlyBird

08-04-2009, 12:18 AM

We are back from our long and very very hot vacation!!!!!!!! I will post more about it tomorrow! Im already planning a next one cuz i didnt want to come home! haha

f77g4

08-04-2009, 05:40 AM

Welcome back - glad you had a good time and good weather! :)

EarlyBird

09-08-2009, 04:49 PM

Okay so the last couple months have flown by and been really really unexpected and crazy.

I could start with the obvious but let me say first.. i have been stalking when i get the chance around here to see whats going on with everyone. i even came and wrote this out a couple weeks ago in my journal but it got deleted before i could post.. and it took a crayz hour to write to begin with.

okay, so since its been a while, CONGRATS TO ALL THE GIRLIES WHO GOT MARRIED SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON A HIATUS! i have seen some pics in the threads and loved everyone's gorgeous pics.
To be honest, I had to take down some wedding pics in my house.. well most of them, im having a lot of memories bring me pain lately and that was one of my triggers.

Okay let my next point to say, Hubby and Doggies and I are all "great" - as far as maritial bliss and health right now. Thats a plus ;)

Okay so next, Thank you Danielle (if you still read this) again for doing the beautiful pic of my grandma. thank you thank you.

and thank you to all the girlies for your wonderful kind words

Okay now, onto my discussion of "our lives" over the past month +
the thing is, we got home from our vaca on Aug 3. WOW, only a month but it feels like that was 6 months ago, so much has happened!
our vacation was amazing, and believe it or not, we were able to get another 3 night free stay for next time we go back. there were some complications on our stay and i wrote a letter to the manager explaining the good, the bad,the ugly and they responded with a complimentry 3 night stay plus some other goodies like free movies for that visit, free bfast etc. so when we do get a chance to go up (was supposed to leave the 16th of sept, that didnt happen) - we will be able to know its FREE.
While in orlando, we visited universal 2 or 3 days and disney another day. It rained or was ridiculously hot (106 degrees at some points)
but overall we had a blast. Since it was the first time we had been to disney since the wedding we got "just married pins" and the disney crew is trained that if they see that they MUST say congrats.. so at some point, we took them off, b/c 8 hours of it was mroe then enough haha. but it was also hubbys bday so he also had the happy bday pin that he insisted on removing at some point as well.
We visited a couple of our fav places to eat up there (we even visited our fav sushi place twice!!) and we really had a nice time over the 5 day vacation. Upon coming home though, things got a little crazy. We returned very late sun night and didnt get the dogs till the next day. Monday, we went to my parents house and got the dogs and like normal, visited a while. My grandma has lived with them for 2 years, and has always been independant as far as still drove, went out with the girls, etc etc. she was not dependant on anyone, but since she was widowed, she didnt live alone, instead she lived more like "roomies" with her kids.
Monday, I was told she wasnt feeling TOO great (had been a little run down in the last week) - She was scheduled for a hip replacement, although she could walk, to better her quality of mobility, and it was important for her to be tip top shape for her pre op appointments later in the week. Thursday morning, she went to her regular doc to discuss some of the operation stuff, but was still not feeling great. She felt lethargic and he admitted her to the hospital for a sodium deficiency from her antibotics/medicines. A couple days later she was still out of it, if not a little more, but they realized there was an infection and she had to fight it off with more antibotic. For about 5 days this went on, and The following Wed. they ran some more tests. By Thursday afternoon, we had found out she had stage 4 cancer and would not last more then about a month or two. A big blow for someone who we were told 5 weeks earlier was the "picture of health" she even had a PET scan to clear her for her surgeries. But the doctors said the cancer attacked once she got an infection because it knew it could tak her down pretty much!
That monday she was moved to hospice and the following thursday she passed away.
2 weeks from the day she went into the hospital, she passed away. A blessing, but its been a shock. my cousins and i have all been close with our grandma our whole lives. as we got older she was an amazing friend and really enjoy everything we did together. My husband and my cousin's husband in particular, they were also very close. Over the course of the week after she died, we did the lay out, the burial and all the memorials. Its been a little over a week since all that mayhem stopped, and now its just been a little glum. That is why i said i had to take down some pictures. 3 months before her death (a little under) she was DANCING - 5 days before she went into the hospital, she was at the beach DANCING AND SINGING. i guess it stops you in your tracks to think how quick it can be but alot of good has come since her death and i couldnt believe more its HER working up there for us (of course, my beliefs only!)

The afternoon she died, my dad got a call he and i had been waiting for about 4 months... HIS BUSINESS LICENSE WAS APPROVED. we have been waiting to open this for about a year, and it was an amazing gift. It brought a little bit of joy on such a hard day. Since then my dad and his business partner have done an amazing job at securing our leases, our equiptment etc etc. And a week from today,i will make my big and official transfer over to that office and will be running the interworkings . too exciting for words really. Its not that i dont like the job im at. I just really have wanted to do this for a while, and just losing my grandmother, i know my dad and I could use the extra time together. Of course, i will post more about that soon.

FFC

09-08-2009, 05:00 PM

I'm sorry your grandma was taken from you so swiftly Vana - I can sympathize with you because I know how much it hurts. It sure is a blessing that your family was so close to her and got to enjoy her company while you had her. It will always hurt, but the pain will be slightly dulled with time.

Also, CONGRATS to your dad for the business license!!! That's awsome! Congrats to you as well for the transfer!

MrsDM

09-08-2009, 05:09 PM

First, I'm so sorry about your grandma. (HUGS) I understand about taking down the pictures, but at least she was there for your wedding smiling, dancing, happy and healthy!

Glad to hear your guys had a good trip, and how cool that your dad got the business license!

Danielle9608

09-08-2009, 06:25 PM

You're welcome Vana! Once again, I am just so sorry for your loss. Glad to see you around again.

f77g4

09-08-2009, 07:07 PM

Hey Vana - welcome back!

Sorry again about your grandmother - with time the pain will heal but there will still be times when you wish she was here.

Yay for the new job for you and for the exciting trip!

EarlyBird

09-11-2009, 11:59 AM

So its about 2and a half more days of work until my new job. i actually will be down at that office this weekend, but im excited. I got to go in a couple days ago and see/pick my desk and help arrange everyting and give my input.. we also got our keys to the new place and woo whoo its exciting!
Mike is excited too. He knows its the beginning of a very neat start for new things. Not only will this new job bring more money, but a little more freedom on our time, etc. i wont be a slave to someone elses clock as much. Plus, we are hoping to pick up business in the next 5 months and then mike will come on board with us as in sales or collections.
Right now, Im feeling a little overwhelmed today. Its been one month since we found out about my grandmother's cancer and I just cant believe how much life has changed in a matter of 4 months..
Looks like the new year will bring some new stuff too. With the possibility of both of us working near our old home (about 10-15 min) we are thinking about getting a new place down that way. looking for a place with a yard for the pups.
Tomorrow is my day to spend with one of my close friends. She and I spend Sats shopping and hanging out, but she and I saw each other last night, and she is a little short on cash so i will be buying goodies to cook and bake and renting a movie. She usually sleeps over since mike works all night, so we will pick something girly :) on the menu for tomorrow, french onion soup. I made it last week, but since its one of her favs, she wants to learn how to make it.
I think in the morning, hubby and I will visit a local inside mall. Its got alot of handmade booths etc etc owned by different people. More like a market then a mall. Hoping to go to their discount makeup counter!

now on my brain is what to cook for dinner.. any ideas?

f77g4

09-11-2009, 05:12 PM

ooh sounds like a good evening with your friend Vana!!

I wish I had some friends in our city so that we could do something like that - sounds like a lot of fun.

Ninedays9

09-11-2009, 08:03 PM

Hmmm... homemade pizza might be fun to make. Or lasagna. Or chicken and rice... Haha, can you tell I'm hungry? I'm sure you'll think of something really tasty to make. :)

EarlyBird

09-14-2009, 01:54 PM

so on the plan for this weekends things to do were go to that inside mall and get some makeup, do laundry, grocery shop for some drinks and snacks, have a girls night.
what i got done? none of it except the girls night, but i still had a good weekend.

friday hubby and i went to Bed bath and beyond and were just browsing for something to do since i got off work early. We were browsing clearence and hubby goes "van, look a george foreman" i rolled my eyes because seriously, i never had a desire to pay 100.00$ for one. but i realized it was on clearence and asked how much, he said 24$ - the reason stated "display" so hubby and i asked if we could plug it in to make sure it worked, which it did, and i had a coupon - so 20 bucks and we got the big george foreman. it worked perfect and i had gift certificates left from the wedding, so it cost us nothing.

we spent alot of the weekend coming up with menu items for it.
we tried a couple and i got to tell you, im hooked!!! its so much easier then firing up our huge grill for just two people

then saturday my cousin and i took my niece to a water park here. she went last weekend and got passes to come back free till october so we took advantage and went :) yay!!!

MrsDM

09-14-2009, 05:32 PM

Wow, what a steal on the George Foreman! We got a Calphalon grill for our wedding that I haven't used yet. If you have any good receipes, please share! :)

FFC

09-15-2009, 10:57 AM

I got the big foreman as well - and I love it!!! Usually I'll load it up and save most of the food for leftovers.

EarlyBird

11-21-2009, 03:31 PM

so its probably pretty bad that my wedding dress will never ever ever be coming clean due to the fact that its still in a hallway in my house. :) but anyways.. i noticed a couple people thought i disappeared via msg on fb and myspace. but i swear, i still lurk and post.. i enjoy the pics and all the ideas- but to be honest, i have been so lazy.. i think my brain is shutting down and i have no more creative ideas, so i havent shared :)

I think i mentioned last time, i was starting a new job.. so i did that.. two months now, i love it.. its hard times.. long days.. but it will payoff and im super excited..

on "couples" news.. this new job has made mike a better husband :) he works nights and much fewer days, so its nice when he surprises me and goes ahead and spends a few days being super husband. In our house - he doesnt cook... its just one of those things.. he doesnt really know how. but he tries.. and two nights ago i came home to LOBSTER on the table, cooked by him!!! it was amazing and then yesterday he brought me a dozen of the most beautiful fall colored roses at work :) i do have a great hubby!!!!

EarlyBird

11-21-2009, 03:34 PM

Wow, what a steal on the George Foreman! We got a Calphalon grill for our wedding that I haven't used yet. If you have any good receipes, please share! :)

just saw this, sorry ----- i really like portobella mushrooms on the grill like a sandwhich or a steak - he doesnt so this is perfect for me---- i like to use a little worchestire, salt and pepper on it, put it on the grill and then sometime i melt a little bit of cheeese on it... usually mozerella... good stuff... and simple :)

gwenshack

11-21-2009, 03:51 PM

Hey Vana, Glad to hear you're still around and that you :heart: your job and your fantastic lobster-making husband. :) That's fabulous. :soppy:

Deanna2112001

11-21-2009, 04:43 PM

Whats your email so I can add you to fb

FFC

11-22-2009, 12:28 PM

Glad to hear from you Vana :)

EarlyBird

12-02-2009, 09:15 PM

so, The night i wrote my last post, dh got into a serious car accident .. he is "okay" - 2nd degree burns, very messed up spine, torn rotaror (sp?) cuff etc etc.. but he is alive.. and that is what matters..

our car.. nope.. its crumbled, crushed. ka-poot!!!!! IT WAS A LEASE (NOTE TO SELF...NEVER FRIGGIN AGAIN) -- os insurance covered it but we are stuck with one less car.. leaving us with a big problem.. a couple nights after the accident, dh was scheduled to work, so he dragged himself in, bandaged and bruised.. and following our train of luck- he was fired...

so, trying not to let this sour my mood for the next year or so... i thought i would pop in, vent on here.. and say hi to everyone...

my dear deanna-- the email is vmgerardi@hotmail.com :)

FFC

12-02-2009, 09:25 PM

OMG Vana! I'm sorry that your hubby was hurt - but I'm glad he's alive and healing.

That's BS he was fired - I'd fight it, but then again, ya'll might not have any more fight in ya. :hug: I hope you two get through this stronger than ever.

gwenshack

12-02-2009, 09:29 PM

Oh no Vana! :( I'm glad he's alive! :hug:

MrsDM

12-02-2009, 09:35 PM

OH MY GOSH, VANA. I'm so sorry about your DH. I'm glad to hear he is alive and recovering. I can't believe they fired him. That is unbelievable. Some companies really know when to get their employees when they are down.

I hope you guys hang in there. What happened in the accident??

f77g4

12-02-2009, 10:20 PM

Wow Vana!!!! I'm so sorry to hear about your hubby! So glad to hear he is alive though. What happened?

And why did they fire him? That seems so messed up.

Here's to a better 2010 for you both!!!!

EarlyBird

12-03-2009, 12:44 AM

I hear ya.. 2010 has to be a better year. i told fh.. i just cant believe what a crazy roller coaster year it has been.. first, the wedding events were amazing. then gram died unexp., now he is hurt, ongoing therapy, needs surgery, and we are down a car..

justina.. i couldnt have said it any better......no more fight left in us. about anything. . . . seriously, sometimes, when i am stressed at work or home, i just feel defeated from all the bs the last couple months, and let the issue go.. maybe its a good thing, ya know??!

he basically got fired because he worked in a casino - a dealer - and he could not perform his job due to the fact that he could barely move.... ugh.. basically its just one of those things that left me going "really, did that just happen?!"

:hearts:but hubby is alive, he is home now, and thats the thing that matters, right now.
he is looking for another job, with two interviews tomorrow, everyone keep their fingers crossed.

f77g4

12-03-2009, 11:44 AM

Honestly that sounds like a wrongful dismissal suit in my opinion.

Good luck for hubby's interviews!!!

PGDesigns

12-03-2009, 10:37 PM

I was wondering where you'd been. Glad he is alive and on the road to recovery!!!

You two will be in my thoughts... and fingers crossed for his job interviews, too!

Docsgirl

12-07-2009, 09:15 AM

We've missed you!

Sorry to hear about your DH. But the good thing is that he's alive and recovering with you there by his side. :heart:

EarlyBird

12-12-2009, 09:40 PM

Hi girls... checking in.. trynig hard to get into the holiday spirit.. baked a ton of xmas cookies today for parties this week and everything.. Last week, ordered some gifts to be delivered to family in NY, Decorated a bit, had a pretty ornament ordered for my mom from the wedding and ordered some "holiday/new years" cards to send out in the next week.
But we had more tragic news around here.. You all will remember my MOH(COUSIN) and Flower girl? Their respective signifigant other and dad, was killed last weekend. - I want to elaborate more, but just can not find the words. Its a hard thing to try to console them, One doesnt even know how to begin, even though we have been as close as sisters since birth.

how is everyone doing? If anyone has any extra xmas spirit dust, please drop it my way.

f77g4

12-12-2009, 09:46 PM

Aww Vana I'm sorry to hear of the death of your cousin and flower girl's relative....That's got to be rough especially this time of year and with everything else that has been going on as well with you guys.

DH and I are struggling to find the Christmas spirit this year too - money seems tighter and DH has just never been a fan of holidays due to all the fighting with his family.

I hope y'all can have a nice Christmas despite everything and here's to a better looking 2010.:crossfingers:

Tadswife

12-12-2009, 10:28 PM

:confetti::confetti::confetti::confetti::hug::hug: :hug:
Sending some Christmas spirt your way and plenty of hugs! I just caught this and only can imagine the rollar coaster you have been on. First it's wondefull to hear DH is ok and that he is recovering, sorry to hear he lost his job! I'm sure he will find something better. And I am so sorry to hear of your cousin's loss. 2010 can only get better for you both:yesnod:

EarlyBird

12-12-2009, 10:44 PM

yes girls, here is a toast to a better 2010 for everyone....
:toast:

Tonight i have been thinking about how to do 2010 a bit better. I know that my money will be a bit more secure, as i am making more, and we should be able to do something fun... I have enough points to get almost 3 nights free at a sheraton.. Was thinking of doing that - dont know if for valentines day or our anniversary.. but i am thinking we will probably go up to orlando for another mini vaca :)
we are at my parents tonight. came here on a whim just to hang out.. and dh has been so so upset about his job and being depressed over it.. so its nice to hear him laughing and yelling about sports with my dad tonight!!

So my mils 60th birthday is coming up- we are having a party for her on dec 26 (bday is on 25) And i just have to share the cutest thing i sent to her (gets there on the 24th) - never saw it before.. and i wanted to send her something small even though we will be with her on her bday http://a764.g.akamai.net/f/764/16742/1h/www.1800flowers.com/800f_assets/images/flowers/images/shop/catalog/93234z.jpg

I LOVE IT!! and even better- it was FREE (what? you think i stopped money saving because my wedding is over) - i belong to a money saving forum and i was told about how to get free 40 bucks from 1800flowers- so i did it and had DH do it.. so we got 80 bucks.. and last week i found another way to get another 20 bucks free from them.. so dh and i did that one- so we wound up gettnig 100 bucks free. I sent his aunt a hanukka gift (on sale) and his mom this- plus used a 10$ off coupon code. so my total was under 40 bucks and i got to use my "free" money from them..
It expires in feb, so i am thinking i will send dh something for vday (NOT FLOWERS) - maybe candy and mom something for her bday (in feb as well!)

f77g4

12-13-2009, 09:15 AM

Ummm that candy apple looks delish!!! We have a store in our mall that sells them Rocky Mountain Chocolates and you can get all kinds of different ones - going by that store is a real test some days...lol....I'm sure she'll love it. Good job on the money saving trips too!

The free nights at the Sheraton sound like an awesome plan - it will be nice for the two of you to get away again! Good luck with the plans!

Docsgirl

12-13-2009, 10:58 AM

YUM! That caramel apple looks so good! :drool: I'm sitting here wondering if I could come up with a way to make one myself.

So sorry to hear about your MOH and flowergirl's loss. :hug:

And here's some extra Christmas spirit for you!:confetti::confetti::frantic::ura1::ura1::drun k:Apparently I have too much this year.

FFC

12-13-2009, 08:40 PM

I'm sorry you're going through so much right now Vana :hug:

I think this year is tough on a lot of people. It's sooo hard to get into the spirit - this is definitely our toughest Christmas yet, and I hope only goes up from here.

I hope you and your DH get to go on a mini vaca together and just forget about all of the 2009 trials. :hug:

EarlyBird

10-06-2010, 05:06 PM

I have not posted in 10 months- wow. it didnt seem that long because i have been stalking.
It seems i am able to post now but will not mention actual NAMES of people other then myself and hubby :) just one of those stupid internet things -

So i hope that people still visit here. Im going to post a few updates, 10 months worth actually.
As i mentioned before, I got a new job. Working back with my family- DH started working there about Feb too and its been nice. Believe it or not, its okay- most people said working together would be hard, but other then bringing more work home then usual, its not bad
Certain family members are adding to our family (not us) which is very exciting, We have talked about following their footsteps not toooooo much further in the future.

I know i posted about our anniversary and such, - it seems i looked at the calendar and we were married way over ayear, but we did celebrate a little bit.
we went to disney for about 6 days, it was nice to get away, and we earned enough points and got free hotel stays, so we went back for labor day a couple weeks later :) it was definatly fun, but because we work so much, we couldnt take that much time off, so we wound up working at least the mornings while we were away.
the dogs are good.. ace is currently wearing a cone for the last week, and it never gets old that its so big on him, cuz he is so small, that he walks into things (not dangerous, his body never actually hits the walls, he kind just walks slow before he hits things!!)

work is more stressful then i could ever imagine. we are home very very little,which results in the dogs spending alot of time at my parents, and we are just working on making our future good with this business- no pain no gain :) the pain is currently, little sleep, i rarely cook and lots of stress, but its all temporary, and will hopefully pay off in the end.
but there are always pros, so money is at least better, and we are able to have a little more fun with the free time that we DO have!!!
I have let my crafts go by the wayside, but i am thinking of going to the store this week and doing some ceramic painting of coffee mugs. Im thinking of doing coffee mugs for everyone in my home office (6) we go through ALOT of cups, and i just think it would be a cute gift to give out sometime soon- Maybe get some smiles out of people as our stressful/busy time of the year comes up.
Ill definatly let you know how it goes.

For a while, the money saving wasnt really working, i just didnt have time.. but im back to making time and shopping for the best bargains :) So im feeling like im settling a little more into this marriage life and that the other part of my life is blending easier too.

EarlyBird

10-06-2010, 05:10 PM

FFC

10-06-2010, 05:24 PM

WOW It's great to hear from you Vanna!!!! I'm glad to hear things are going well, even though work is wearing you out.

Haven't started thinking about the holidays yet - except for I'm still trying to figure out a Thanksgiving dress for Katie, but I still got a bit of time :)

f77g4

10-06-2010, 05:28 PM

Welcome back and thanks for the update.

Glad things are going well for you guys - sorry work is so stressful but I think we all have those times.

Yes I have started my Christmas shopping too when I see something on sale. I don't have them wrapped though...

Glad to see you around.

Good luck with TTC when you guys decide to follow in your relatives footsteps.

amisteratwisterandme

10-06-2010, 06:21 PM

Good to see you (relatively speaking)

I've wondered how you are, and hoped your DH has fully recovered.

EarlyBird

10-06-2010, 06:40 PM

oh yes hubby has recovered and as of yet :::knocks on wood::: we still have the car we purchased in feb without accident :)

we actually have tried making SMALL steps toward being more green. we went down to ONE car! we used to drive two cars to the same work place, two cars hone etc.. it was ridiculous!

Ninedays9

10-07-2010, 12:38 AM

Thanks for the update! It sounds like you're really busy! I guess I can say I've started Christmas shopping 'cause my sister is making something for my mom and my brother (two different things), and they're from both of us. I bought my cards tonight.. it'll be the first time I'm sending out cards, and I'm really excited 'cause they're Snoopy ones, haha.

Docsgirl

10-07-2010, 03:21 AM

Vana, we've missed you! Thanks for updating. :)

Sorry to hear work is stressful, but it'll be worth it in the end!

And I can say I've started looking for Christmas presents, but haven't started shopping yet. I'm trying to get my family traditional Japanese things that they'd actually use/display/like. A lot harder than it seems! lol

dodgercpkl

10-07-2010, 03:38 AM

ohh i pressed send before i had a chance to add; Anyone else doing holiday shopping already? I have presents wrapped and im pretty estatic!!!!! buying as i get sales, so its not a big hit at the end
have 3 or 4 gifts for hubby already, 2 for mom and 2 for dad.. got a couple more things for mom and dad, then getting them a cruise for a couple days in january... and hubby, im not totally stumped.. he mentioned he wants a blu ray burner, external (does ANYONE know anything about these?!?!?!? cuz im at a loss, know nothing about them) or a kindle for his big gift- so far i got him a radar detector and a couple other small things. --
I have asked for a gym membership, a wii and a couple gift cards :)

*grin* I have all my christmas shopping done already and have since April! Yes I know... I'm crazy. lol But to be fair, most of it's from the Netherlands and I wasn't going to get back in time to buy it later. :P I love that you have everything wrapped already too! I have some stuff wrapped (they wrapped it there) but still a lot to wrap as it gets closer. Welcome back btw! I'm glad you are settling into things and that things are going well for your business!

EarlyBird

10-20-2010, 02:13 PM

so we just went away on vacation with my family for a wedding! 5 days and lots of fun! we visited NYC but sadly, and surprisingly, i didnt really do much shopping. :(
I am trying to get back into work and all that good stuff! my house looks like a tornado, and of course, i need to do laundry, - why does it always feel like we need vacations after our vacations!??!?!

Good news is, my brother was able to help me out today and pick up my new digital cable box so that i can catch up on demand with some of my shows tonight :) doesnt look like ill get much done!:frantic:

Docsgirl

10-20-2010, 03:05 PM

Awe, I've always wanted to go to NYC on vacation....I have a feeling my pocketbook would hate me afterwards though!

And yay for the new cable box. Just look at catching up on your shows as a way of welcoming yourself back home. ;) The laundry can wait for one day!

FFC

10-20-2010, 08:53 PM

I've been to NYC once and it was an awesome experience. I'm glad you had a nice get away!

Ninedays9

10-21-2010, 01:07 AM

We took our first vacation together in NYC last summer... and you're right, it does seem like you need a vacation after your vacation. You should put up some pics (if you have time) :).

EarlyBird

10-23-2010, 01:03 PM

this is totally on the hush hush, we just found out yesterday and told my parents and brother, not his family yet (want to tell in person) WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

amisteratwisterandme

10-23-2010, 01:07 PM

this is totally on the hush hush, we just found out yesterday and told my parents and brother, not his family yet (want to tell in person) WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How exciting is that. You need to stick around now and do a pregnancy journal :hearts:

EarlyBird

10-23-2010, 01:19 PM

we ae so excited! We found out last night and he couldnt wait, he wanted to tell everyone, i finally reigned him in, and gave in to tell my parents since we were on the way there. And My brother was over there too which was nice!
Today, we will head to his mom's and share the news with her, and then i told him its free reign. I know some people dont tell because of the fear of miscarriages etc etc but we are close to our family and i said if i have to endure what god gives in the form of that loss, i would rather endure it with family and friends by my side!!! :) i asked no facebook postings or anything, until after the dr. - and now im on to planning that stuff!!!
tomorrow my dad has invited all our close family to brunch (its not off for them, because we go every sunday as a family) - and we will give the news then. exciting!

Ninedays9

10-23-2010, 01:20 PM

Congratulations!! I agree that you should start a pregnancy journal here! :)

amisteratwisterandme

10-23-2010, 01:22 PM

EarlyBird

10-23-2010, 08:32 PM

well we told his mom and dad. tomorrow, we wil tell the rest of my family at brunch :) yippeee

Goin2thechapel

10-23-2010, 08:47 PM

Congratulations!!!!!

Docsgirl

10-24-2010, 04:36 AM

Congrats Vana!! That's so exciting! :preggo:

f77g4

10-24-2010, 02:49 PM

Congratulations Vana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CaseyK37

10-24-2010, 03:55 PM

Congrats Vana!! That is so excited!! I agree - You need to start a pregnancy journal now!

Jacklynn

10-24-2010, 04:46 PM

Congrats babe!

Danielle9608

10-25-2010, 08:20 AM

Congratulations!

EarlyBird

10-25-2010, 03:12 PM

im not starting a baby journal until i see a dr ad get over the scary moments. Im pretty scared about a miscarriage - thinking every move and everything i do is going to cause one. Im also freaking b/c when i looked at the calendar and read up on it, it seems i should take the FIRST day of my last period- That was the 10th of Sept. - So that would make me about 7 weeks - but i know if it was around that time, im probably only 6 or 5 weeks - but its killing me cuz i cant find a dr i want/like etc
I want to deliver in a certain hospital, i wold prefer a female, but its not a deal breaker, and I dont have insurance so i need someone that wont kill me, or possibly i could get a government insurance (since nobody will insur me) and would need someone who accepts that.
I called a place today, and i have heard the stories about it seeming like its no big deal tothem when you call etc etc and they dont rush to get you an appt. but the places seemed crazy. -like wait until 12 weeks, or after 12 weeks, etc-so i have a couple more recommendations- I would prefer not to switch hospitals to deliver at, but i will waiver on the other stuff if i must ~