I wanted to do Wedding Wednesdays - which I still think is something I would like to do. My wedding is quickly approaching - it's only 52 days away. My head is FULL of all kinds of details; decorations, invitations, accommodations, music, food, cake, etc. And at the forefront, the vows that I have to start writing. Due in 2 weeks to our officiant -- haven't exactly started yet (Oops). I really thought I would have no problem writing vows - I'm one of those people who commonly writes a heartfelt novel in every card I give out. But currently, when I think about actually writing the words that I will say to my fiance on our wedding day that will seal our lives together that just have to be perfect, I feel an anxiety attack coming on. Like this:
Talk about pressure! So good luck to me on that and coming up with something better than "I love you forever, even though your farts smell." All that being said, right now it's all to much for me to figure out the ONE thing I should write a blog about in regards to our wedding.
So, while trying to avoid being completely squishy and overly lovey, I figure before I go into Wedding Wednesdays - which will probably turn into more of a 'what to do' and 'what not to do' time after the wedding, I should probably tell a little bit about my fiance and I. So here goes.
I have a degree in Geology (Yay Rocks!) and I was working on a natural gas drilling rig.
The rig was a really interesting place to work as a woman - I worked 4 week shifts, in the middle of nowhere, stuck on a rig, with a whole bunch of guys who barely saw another woman for their 2 weeks on the rig. Some of you ladies may think this sounds great. But no. It was not great.
Then along came Travis. He definitely changed things for me. I started breaking my "I won't leave the rig alone with one guy" rule - typically I just needed to talk to a guy alone for more than 2 minutes and oh wow, I was sleeping with him! I was not even present for several sexual encounters that I apparently took part in. Fun stuff. Anyway, Travis and I would go hang out after work in one of our trucks, find our beer that we stashed somewhere under a bush (it wasn't allowed on site), listen to music, and talk. At the time, we kind of thought it sucked. That was the only way we could really hang out, but to be honest, I miss those times.
We had been hanging out for about 8 months at work, and after lots of getting to know each other, some ups and downs, and a little bit of playing hard to get from him, we decided I would come out to California to visit. We loved our time together and absolutely hated our time apart. As the end of the year came around, I knew that the rig was no longer a place for me, and we both knew I belonged with him in California. I quit my job and moved to Cali. He was gone half the time still on the rig, and we spent every moment together when he was home. We spent many-a-days making a bed up in the living room with sleeping bags watching hours of Bonanza (yes. Bonanza. Problem?). And with me being here more, his kids came into the picture more than I was used to. I was super nervous the kids would hate me. Knowing how important they were to him, I knew that would be bad news for me!
Good news is I fell in love with the kids and they love me back! There was an adjustment period for me getting used to them, as well as them getting used to me. But we all learned early on to work together as a family. I absolutely cherish the relationship that I have with those kids. Before too long, there was a wonderful engagement! We took the kids camping to Courtright (Travis' favorite camping spot). He took me for a walk by the lake, told me all kinds of sweet things. He asked me if he promised to love me forever, would I marry him? I said of course. We had had several conversations that we wanted to get married. I didn't realize it was actually a proposal. Once the ring was out, he got a "are you seriously proposing?!" and of course a "yes".
After some tears and excitement (and a shot of Crown), we went back to celebrate with the kids as a family.
Since then, Travis and I continued to get closer. They (whoever "they" are) always say that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Well, before getting married officially, we pretty much have gone through that year - we're basically already married without the certificate. There have been several struggles, but even more good times. A year and a half ago, we were that couple who was so lovey it was gross (according to my BFFs). We were so in love without having to deal with the stresses of everyday life together. But now, we are still very much in love, but more things come up. Sometimes we drive each other crazy. The important part is that we work on things as a team. We always love each other. I'm still crazy about him. No matter what, we always kiss each other good night and say "I love you" before falling asleep. He is my best friend and I could not be more excited about marrying him.
As for family life, if someone would have told me a few years ago that I would be marrying a man 10 years older than me and about to be a step-mom to teenagers at 26 years old, I would have laughed and called them crazy. But, I love my life. I love being a step mom to two of the most awesome kids you could ever imagine. My life is no longer going out, staying up late, or any of the other things that young 20-somethings do. I plan birthday parties, I go to bed early, I get up at 5:30 to make lunches and get the kids to school. I cook, I clean (still working at being better at this one!), I dry tears and lend a listening ear when needed. I go to football games, tennis matches, and band performances. I missed the diapers and bottles and boo-boos, and sometimes that makes me sad, but I cherish every moment that I have with those kids. I just hope that I can be an amazing step mom to them, as well as a great wife. And someday, I want to drink coffee from THIS mug:
Well, that's a little more background (and longer than I anticipated) into my life! Hopefully it won't be another month before I post again.
