Tackle this to-do list

Tim told me yesterday that he was bored and that he needed something to do. He has been threatening to clean out my “junk” room – also known as my craft room. But if he is SO desperate to do something, I can give him a list.

·         Research wedding photographers and videographers.

·         Research wedding invitation and prices.

·         Look at the wedding budget I sent and figure out where to cut or if I’m missing anything that is essential.

·         Research tuxes for the wedding.

·         Look into wedding honeymoon ideas.

·         Research mini vacation options that are budget friendly. This includes dog friendly traveling (or dog sitting opportunities), accommodations, restaurants (you know I’m going to want at least one night out) and activities.

·         We have one very blank hallway. Look at photo options and frames for this wall.

·         Find new décor for the front door.

·         Research craft room storage options.

·         Read.

·         Rearrange Tupperware storage.

·         Go buy storage equipment and sort out the utility room.

·         Find somewhere to take the rugs to give them a good beating.

·         Look up dinner options – and go grocery shopping!

·         Reassess spending over the last 3-6 months and figure out a way to start saving more.

·         Start watching “Big Love” on HBOgo.com so you will stop asking me about what happens.

·         Find some more TV to watch.

·         Figure out what to do with the medicine at the top of the fridge. Should we just have them the way they are, or should we buy some kind of storage unit for them?

·         Clean out the closet where we store toilet paper. That doesn’t mean throw things out – that means arrange and rearrange. Unpackaged the toilet paper and stack them so they’re easy to get out. Refold the towels so they fit. Put all the left over “junk” or scraps into one or two boxes.

·         Go exercise.

·         Do syllabi for fall classes.

Can you figure all of these things out this week?

A few thoughts as the end of summer nears

The boy and I.

Have had a rough summer.

• I didn't have a job going into it.
• I had to move – twice!
• My gallbladder was removed while I didn’t have health insurance. $$$$$ Recovery period = 30 days (July through early August)
• My aunt, who helped raise me, passed away.
• The boy had surgery to fix two hernias. Recovery period = 30 days (August through mid-September)
• I had to wake up to the boy throwing up because he got really sick one weekend. This is the first time he had thrown up in 10 years!
• We worried about paying the bills.
• We’ve had to learn to deal with each other’s pet peeves and bad habits.
• We’ve fought – and fought.
• We have continued to deal with the boy’s family’s drama, but on a much more limited scale. Still never fun.
• We’ve been super busy seeing lots of friends and family, traveling distances near and far. Sometimes the weekend trips to far distances were back to back weekends, sometimes back to back days.

But at the end of the day, I think the boy and I have been positive and remember all of the great things that have also happened for us. We are incredibly blessed and we truly learned that this summer. Some great things that have happened or helped us get through the months…

• We took Sebastian to the beach for the first (and last) time! He just hated it, but it was still fun to take a “family” trip.
• He asked my parents for my hand in marriage.
• We found a fantastic house to rent.
• We moved in together.
• I've had time for me.
• We got even closer – and continue to learn so much about each other every day.
• We’ve learned to say sorry – and to put arguments to rest just as quickly as they happen.
• We’ve both lost weight and eat much healthier!
• My family has been fantastic and so accepting of our relationship.
• We have amazingly supportive friends – some with whom we’ve grown even closer to.
• We have friends and family that love and care about us.
• We’re still so in love - and we say it more than ever.
• We laugh all the time.
• We are happy.

So, when I think about the hard times we’ve had, I am so thankful for all the great things that have happened and how they have helped us grow – not only as partners in this relationship, but also as friends, lovers and even as individuals.

I can’t wait to see what the rest of our lives hold.

Love you, Tim (and sometimes more than Sebastian).

Summer List Update

Here is an update on my summer list.

Make fresh pasta.

• I need to go buy a pasta machine. A cheap one - and probably not a great one - costs about $30. It's worth a try, right? This one might be put on hold until further notice. The ideal situation would be for me to get a KitchenAid stand mixer and get attachments to make pasta. But that could be years down the road!

Make a REALLY pretty cupcake.

• I did get really close to this with the cupcakes I made for my sister's bachelorette party. I made red velvet cupcakes with pink cream cheese icing, topped with white whipped icing piping. I don't have pictures though! If I get some, I'll post them!

Try a recipe with an ingredient I’ve never used.

• I've used parsley this summer for the first time. I don't think I'm a fan. I also cooked with shallots - and they were incredible. I still want to try something a little more difficult though. Maybe a root here or there. I don't know. We'll see!

Use the steamer my mother bought me.

• Nope. I think I'm going to cook fish with this, but I haven't decided when yet.

Go out dancing in a fabulous outfit.

• I've gone out dancing twice already! But not in a fabulous outfit. I think I will just go ahead and say I can mark this one off though. Don't think fabulous and dancing will ever work out. I don't think I can stand wearing 4 to 6 inch heels that long!

Use the backyard for something – anything!

• I finally treated the backyard for mosquitos so we need to do something ASAP. Ugh. Maybe I'll go out there and read tomorrow or this weekend...

Find a new recipe to make a chocolate cake from scratch. The last one I made was just OK.

• Nope, not yet.

The end of summer is near

Here are some random thoughts of the night...

Summer List

If you can’t tell, I like lists. So here’s another list – list of things I’d like to do before the end of summer.

• Make fresh pasta.
• Make a REALLY pretty cupcake.
• Try a recipe with an ingredient I’ve never used.
• Use the steamer my mother bought me.
• Go out dancing in a fabulous outfit.
• Use the backyard for something – anything!
• Find a new recipe to make a chocolate cake from scratch. The last one I made was just OK.