The Quiet Life of Violet: Marriage

11/24/2011

Thankfully

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that I'm huge on expressing gratitude for my life's blessings. I honestly believe that there is something to be thankful for in every situation, good or bad. Looking back at the posts I've written and the life that I've lived, this year has to have been the best of all twenty-seven. God has left me so fulfilled - so many of my dreams, my wishes, my hopes and wants have come to fruition and my heart is so very full.

Thankfully...

Six years ago I woke up. I've woken up every day since.

Six years ago I was also bald and sick, but still made it to this day.

Four years ago I had a spot, got 'knifed, clung to my life and was Whippled. It was tough, but I am tougher.

Almost three years ago I lost a huge chunk of my heart, but today I've healed.

Two years ago I got to see the end, and I'm still here today witnessing many new beginnings.

A year ago we shared this with you all, and this morning he smiled at me and pulled my hair with his chubby, sweaty fingers.

Five months ago we met our boy and he had his first diaper change. Today this little monkey dances all over our hearts.

I have never been more thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends.

Nov 24, 2011 6:42:00 AM | Life, Marriage, Parenthood, Squid

10/24/2011

My Happy Marriage...

...is seven years old!

A letter:

Happy Anniversary to you, my Husband. I love you more today that I ever have. I love you more than the sun and the moon and the deep blue sea. More than reality t.v and green olives and perfect days. Thank you for being my best friend, for standing by me when I'm right and wrong and every color in between. Thank you for your hot little rump and those deep darkeyebrows. Thank you for our son. He's the most amazing thing we've ever done, our best projectm the greatest recipe. Through him, I've found even more love for you if you can believe that. I didn't know that there WAS more love that what I felt for you, but I was so pleased to discover that there was. Our love just seems to multiply and I can only hope that with the birth of our next child in a year (or two), it grows even bigger. I thank God for you everyday, Dustin. You are my miracle and I am so thankful.

I love you,
Your Wife

____

We decided to add to our collection and go to Benihana on Friday evening to celebrate.

[These are just a few of the pictures that we've amassed over our seven years.]

Squid's Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Uncle Beef (yup, that's what he wants to go by!) and Grand-Aunt and Uncle all babysat. Ha! That's a lot of babysitters. You can tell our little man isn't lacking in the love department. It makes it so much easier leaving him for a few hours knowing that he's being taken care of. Hooray for grandparents!

Our reservations were for 9 pm and we didn't start eating until 9:30. We were pooped! We normally eat around 7 or 7:30, so the late meal kicked our butts. We were planning on seeing a movie, too, but we were just too tired. Long gone are the 3 am bedtimes after a night of frolicking abut the town. The death of one life is the birth of another, that's for sure. It's so beautiful! We sat and looked at pictures of the baby on my iPhone the whole time. We just couldn't seem to drag ourselves away from our boy. Even lobster couldn't distract us!

OHHHHH YEAH.

Oct 24, 2011 12:13:43 AM | Marriage

06/13/2011

Last Date Night?

Saturday was a busy day for us!

We had spent the evening on Friday with Dustin's parents, so we woke up in our hometown, Oakley, on Saturday. Our sweet puppies had their very first agility class, bright and early, at Fiona's Farm. Widgey and Fonzie both worked on their teeter-totter, blind tunnel, A-frame, jumpy-pole thing and weave pole skills.

They were pretty much rock stars.
(... minus the time when Widge decided to pee on the tunnel...)

[Fonzie, post blind tunnel.]

After that, we went shopping for "Manager" clothes for Bub. (Oh! Did I tell you guys? he got that job! He's now a manager! A manager , almost a Daddy and debt free. Holy crap. Life just throwing us rainbows, hey?!)

SO, back to the shopping. There were some killer coupons ($10 off $25 - and we had two!) for JCPenny's, so he got a few nice dress shirts, a pair of swanky man pants and a tie. He was happy, so I was happy!

We stopped by In-N-Out 'cause Squiddy was callin'... That little boy loves burgers in muh belly.

[Okay, looking at this, I'm starving again!]

After that, we stopped by a local cherry orchard and picked up some luscious red lovelies, and then stopped by my Mom's. We watched baseball, picked blackberries in the backyard and chatted it up. My Sister stopped by and wanted a picture of my belly, so she took my trusty iPhone and snapped a few.

[I look a bit bottom heavy, no?]

After saying goodbye, we stopped back over at Dustin's parent's to pick up our stuff and say bye to his family and our sweet pups.

We drove home, freshened up and then headed out to IKEA for a few Squid-room organization things. Then we grabbed some pizza for dinner and stopped by a cute candy shop to pick up some movie goodies. It was a "by-the-pound" place, so I was able to get a few pieces mix-and-match sour candy and Dustin got a butt-load of M&Ms and peanut butter candies.

[This is only half of what they had to offer.]

We made our way to the theater, bought our tickets for Super8 and settled into our comfy, over-sized seats. (Does anyone else ever wish they could get a pair of those chairs for home?) The theater filled up a good 15 minutes before the movie started and then it hit me.

Whoa.

This could be the last movie that Dustin and I ever see as non-parents.
Our Son is due in 2 weeks and 6 days.
Our lives will never, ever be the same.

We couldn't be more excited if we tried!

Oh, little boy... you are more loved than you'll ever know.

Jun 13, 2011 5:09:42 PM | Date Night, Days out, Dustin, Family, Marriage, Pregnancy

04/27/2011

Hats

I was driving home from the grocery store Monday when I turned the radio on and a Papa roach song that I hadn't heard in years happened to be playing. Whoa. Time blast.

As a teenager, I think most of us liked to try on different "hats", as they say. Trying out different looks and styles, making new friends and finding your "group."

From ages 14 to 16, I was very into trying on the Alternative/Skater/pre-indie Indie "hats". I wore those big, puffy skater shoes, wide-legged pants and graphic tee-shirts. I used to wear those colored rubber bracelets on both wrists. About six solid inches of bracelets from the bottom of my wrists going upwards towards my elbows. Do you guys remember those bracelets? I used to convince my Mom to treat me to a new pack whenever we went to the mall. Oh, Hot Topic. Many a weekend afternoons I spent in that shop. I was convinced that I'd work there someday and now I just laugh at myself.

I wanted SO badly to fit in with the Skater group. I wanted to have myself one of those hot, hot skater guys and wanted be a skater chick myself. That dream came crashing down the day that I, equipped with my fake leg, decided to try and actually STAND on a friend's skateboard... I carefully stepped on the board with my left (real) foot, took a second to steady myself, and I slowly put my right "foot" on the board. Yeah, the second that neither of my feet were touching the ground, my butt decided that it would do the honors for me. *whooooosh, PLUNK* No damage was done, except that of my ego.

It was a tough time in my life, trying to find my place. I wasn't interested in drinking or smoking pot or spreading my legs like a.. well, you know. ;) I wasn't interested in flirting with just anyone to get attention and didn't really disrupt class. I wasn't a class clown or super smart. I wasn't amazingly beautiful or charismatic. I was just kind of me... weird and loner-ly with a handful of friends and that was alright. I didn't mind not really having a "place", but I knew that I wanted... more.

And then I met a boy.