I'm getting married in a month

*sigh*

I couldn't be happier

Wedding Planning

I recently got engaged. I'm happy, EXTREMELY happy - like beyond the scale happy.

I've never been the girly-girl that never had the dream wedding and there are SO many options. Everyone wants something different. I just want, at the end of the day, to be married to the man of my dreams and for people to leave saying, DAMN that was an awesome party

Single Parenting

I don't know why, but it INSTANTLY infuriates me when people make single parent jokes. It's dumb and I'm sure I'm overreacting BUT... on facebook, this girl put some nasty remark about single parents and there are all these jokey comments after that.

It's not funny
it's not a joke
it's not something to take lightly
it's not anything they, in their pretty little world, could ever even come close to comprehending how hard it is.

and i'm being prejudice towards them as well, who am i to say their world is pretty, they could be miserable, get beat, hate their life, whatever, but still.... I am a damn fine product of a single parent and i think my mom did better than lots of 2 people parents out there.

So, immediately, give single parents the respect they deserve.

My favorite movie quote

Young Noah: Would you just stay with me?
Young Allie: Stay with you? What for? Look at us, we're already fightin'
Young Noah: Well that's what we do, we fight... You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass. Which you are, 99% of the time. I'm not afraid to hurt your feelings. You have like a 2 second rebound rate, then you're back doing the next pain-in-the-ass thing.
Young Allie: So what?
Young Noah: So it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, for ever, you and me, every day.

Reflection...

It's so funny that in the last 3 years, each year, I think I'm doing something for the long term and by the end of the year I'm doing something that can't even be described as the opposite thing, but just so off the radar of the original plan that it's just, crazy. This year, I THOUGHT I was going into the year being flexible about what life would look like but it's still, a little over a year later, a completely different plan. So in honor of the last year-ish, I'd like to list some of my favorite moments. This is in no order, just as my memory kicks in and I'm sure there are more, so I may add later as I remember:

- My "Blink 8 times" Post-it <-- actually, I will rate that at number 1 and the rest are in no order ;)
- Last year when Taza was getting ready to open, Jason and Anthony came by to help. We were throwing some metal into the basement, making Jason almost have a nervous breakdown. Then went to Cheap mexican, then went to see a coffee exhibit at the museum in Mt. Adams - while on the way to the coffee exhibit, seeing the world in 15 minutes (while be told every 5 that they were closing in 15). Then being severely disappointed by the 5X5 coffee exhibit. Then going to the park where Jason and Anthony recreated the statue with the kids nursing from a wolf (can't remember the names). Aaron, I don't think you were paying me yet, so no worries ;)
- Obama
- Bare Your Soul at Taza
- Dropping blueberries on the floor at Krogers pretty much every time I went.
- Taza work day, when a ton of people came to help, including employees we hired (but hadn't opened yet) and Brian got stuck in the basement shop vac-ing all day.
- Mary
- Sweet Emily Marie White
- The night at Riddle that we cleared out the chairs in the kitchen and sat on the floor. The Strouse's stalked us that night too. I think this was the same night that Nick pretty much destroyed the boys (Mac & Te) with pillows. So funny.
- War at Riddle (see video)
- One of my first days at Taza, before we opened, I was sitting on the stairs by the side door eating a muffin around 9am or so. I just took a minute to sit back and just thought, this is my life and I LOVE IT. It was awesome. Granted, then a local came around the corner and dropped her 40 on me....but still...
- Seals - every year I love them, but Fall season, I think it's the closest we've come to the championship before. Oh dang, I still need to pick up those t-shirts.
- The green love mug
- Geshi
- Getting to know my baristas. They are so amazing.

There are more, but I'll stop there. Thanks for being part of my life this year.

Transition

I'm incredibly happy.

So much is about to happen and it seems that's the trend with my life in the last three years that almost EXACTLY at the end of each year, my life is turned upside down and a completely new direction is taken. Who knows, maybe it's been the same direction this whole time...

I might freak out, but for now, I'm amazingly happy.