Going the Distance: May 2013

Blog Every Day in May {Day 31}: Proposal Story!

Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory

Well, this memory is a recent one, but it is VERY vivid in my mind.

The day that MG proposed to me!

We were staying in Philly for the night, under the premise that he had a free night's stay from hotels.com for all of his work travels so we stayed at the Hotel Monaco on Saturday with plans to go to dinner that night. It was a windy day, but it wasn't raining like it had said in the forecast so we walked around the city during the day, did some shopping, had some cheese steaks, went to Penn's Landing market, South Street, etc. After several hours, we headed back to the hotel to relax and get ready for dinner and a wine happy hour that our hotel had at 5.

Around 5:30 we went to the hotel lobby and had a glass of wine (or two), then left to head to the restaurant. MG said that we should walk up the street a bit to hail a cab and I asked if the front door men could do it, but he said this would be easier to hail a cab going in the right direction. I thought nothing of it.

So we walk out of the hotel, towards the lawn in front of Independence Hall, and as we're walking across the grassy area, MG says we should get a picture. Being the photo-lover that I am, I eagerly say "ok" and start reaching in my purse for my camera. And then I turned around because MG stopped walking.

And there was something shiny in his hand, coming out of his pocket.
He said a lot of nice things, including how it would make him the happiest man alive, got down on one knee...and then used my full name, and asked me,

"Will you marry me?"

I am crying, saying over and over again, "Shut up! Shut up!"
Once I got over my shock, I said "yes" and he put this gorgeous ring on my finger.

We kissed and hugged...a bunch!

And then I stopped a random person, said we had just gotten engaged, and asked if he would take our picture (not knowing what had been captured above)

Then I called my dad and my mom, and my best friend. My dad informed me that he knew, because MG had had lunch with him earlier that week! (sneaky devil!)

So eventually, MG tells me that we're not really going to dinner at the place I thought we were going to, and that we needed to head back towards the hotel. We did, and waiting outside for us was a limo!

We get in, and the driver says he can drive us around for as long as we need. So we are both having champagne, calling friends and family, excited.

And after a bit, I'm on the phone with MG's sister talking about everything as we're pulling down a small street.
And then I see MG's nephew in the street. I hang up on MG's sister because I realize that his family and family friends are there!

We get out of the limo, get hugs, and then I see my mom standing there. I was SO surprised! (and proceeded to start crying again...)

And eventually after the swarm of hugs and excitement I was introduced to a guy who says, "I was the guy under the tree, and I took pictures of the whole thing!" (he was MG's dad's best friend) So we have pictures of every moment of the proposal, and a video of the limo pulling up outside of the restaurant, and it's amazing. He played the pictures for us at dinner and I cried all over again!

We had dinner and celebrated with everyone and the whole night is a total blur of happiness and excitement.

After dinner and all of the celebrating, MG's parents and my mom drove us back to our hotel, where I told the doorman that we had just gotten engaged so he took us to the lobby bar and bought us each a drink. We sat in our haze of happiness and talked about our plans and ideas....

I couldn't have asked for anything better! If I had known for 100% certainty that he was going to propose that weekend (I didn't), I never would have guessed HOW he did it or the surprises he had in store for me throughout.

I know MG said that he is lucky to have me, but I know I'm just as lucky and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!

Oh, and I guess I should also say, Thanks, Match.com! ;)
~.~.~.~

Oh my goodness, we made it! What a fun trip this has been! A huge round of applause to Jenni for setting this great idea up! And for getting us all to venture out a bit more :)

Blog Every Day in May {Day 30}

Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go

I think letting go is one of those things that's easy to talk about, but not so easy to do. At least for me anyway.

I think it's a lot easier for me to let go of things now, than they've been for me in the past. And I think that comes from lots of experience with it, and learning from situations.

When it comes to love relationships and letting go, I've learned to look at the reason it ended. What did I get from it that I want in another relationship? What do I absolutely NOT want? It took me a LONG time to be able to focus on that, as opposed to the sorrow associated with a "lost love." But I swear, it has helped me so much, and gotten me to where I am now.

When it comes to friendships, I find this sometimes even harder than love relationships. Probably because I know how hard it is to find good friends who you can count on. But, in that same vane, if things aren't working out in your friendship, then maybe it isn't as good of a relationship as you thought. Or that it used to be. I've learned that surrounding yourself with people who support you and are there for you, no matter what, is SO important in being an emotionally healthy person. It's important to be with friends who are able to admit when they've hurt you, and who you feel comfortable doing the same with.
Stress is no good for you mentally, or physically, so focus on the people who make you better, especially when you're having a rough time.

Bottom line is, it's hard to let go. But, in order to move forward and become an even better version of you, it's necessary to "let go"...of hurt, pain, grievances, etc. Sure you can still have an emotional attachment to someone, on some level, but don't let it consume your thoughts. It's not worth it, and the only person you're holding back is yourself. Not to mention that all of the time you're spending thinking about them, is time that someone who is even better can't get in.

And you certainly don't want that!

So, I think this turned into relationship advice, but oh well! It's what I know in my 30 years of life experience, so you can take it for what it is! :)

**Come back tomorrow...the proposal story is coming!!!**

Blog Every Day in May {Day 29}

Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post

(1) Bless the Broken Road

I've always been drawn to this song. It encompasses everything that I believe about "everything happens for a reason." I also remember that this song came on at the first wedding MG and I went to together, very early on in our relationship, and it hit home-- I knew that I had met someone special. And it's continued to ring true to this day.

(2) Going Back to Cali

Every time I hear this song I can't help but dance to it, sing it, or workout to it. I also remember a time I was riding in the car with my friend Bree. She was dropping me off at my apartment, it was warm out so we had the windows down, and this song came on as we got close to my apartment. And we drove right on past my apartment and kept driving around the neighborhood until the song was over, belting the lyrics out the window! haha

(3) Lean on Me

In 2nd grade, early 90's, my teacher taught us how to do Sign Language to several songs and we would perform them with a 5th grade class at assemblies and such. I LOVED this song. I learned the words/signs to this song. I was SO excited to perform this song.
And then Alan Fann got chicken pocks.
And then I got chicken pocks.
And then I missed the performance. And I was heart broken.
I think of it every time I hear this song. And I still remember some of the signs. At least I think I do....but then again, maybe I'm cussing in sign language and have no idea.

(4) Joy To the World

I will forever associate Three Dog Night, and this song specifically, to riding in the car running errands with my mom when I was growing up. For some reason we enjoyed singing this song together, and I smile every time I hear it thinking about it. I can even picture the front of the case for this album, too.

(5)- Say Hey (I Love You)

I just love how upbeat and happy this song is. I bop around when it comes on, it makes me smile, and I just can't help but be happy when I hear it.
What's not to like about that?? :)

Honorable mention: MmmBop

You might be wondering what the hell I'm thinking, but there's a really funny story behind this one. In college, a friend of mine who horribly disliked his freshman year roommate, somehow rigged that guy's computer to play this song, in its entirety, every time he opened ANYTHING on his computer.
Needless to say, in order to solve the problem, that guy had to listen to this song MORE times than any one person ever should have to. Best prank ever.
(This same kid who got pranked also peed on his own keyboard one night. Punk'd himself I guess.)

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting

Oh my goodness, how is it already Wednesday? That might have something to do with the slight whirlwind I've been experiencing lately, but let's get to some WILW and Pinteresting:

I'm loving that I'm officially ENGAGED!!!! MG popped the question over Memorial Day weekend in the best way possible (story and more pics still to come!)

I'm loving the outpouring of love from family and friends. It's been so special to hear from everyone, including all of my blog friends!

I'm loving that MG made everything SO super special and memorable for me. It's a day I will surely never forget, and will continue to make me smile for years and years to come.

I'm loving my ring. Oh my word, did he pick out a good one (with maybe a little help from his sister!) Boy rocked it out (get it...rock? ok, I'm engaged, but I'm still corny) and I have a nice sparkle on my ring finger going on! (I tried to get a pic on here but blogger is being a butthead)

I'm loving that I'm inheriting an amazing family! MG's middle sister even changed her profile pic on facebook to this yesterday:

I feel loved. And I have sisters now! :)

I'm loving that I'm 12 followers away from 300! That's incredible! :)

And, as always I'm loving Pinterest, especially now that I can actually USE my wedding board!

This week I've been pinning...(don't worry, only one is wedding related)

Super cute Spring/Summer look!

Yes, purple WILL be in my wedding. LOTS of it!!! haha

Tomato egg salad made with greek yogurt!
I really need to get on this train!

Love this for a dining room table that saves space, too!

Mmmmm, pie!

true story.

Check out what else I've been pinning!

Wishing you a happy Wednesday from up here on Cloud 9! :)

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!

~~I interrupt my Blog Every Day in May post to bring you this mega exciting one! (Scroll below for the Blog Every Day in May post)~~

So, this Memorial Day weekend is going to be a memorable one for me, because MG and I got engaged!!!! He proposed to me in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Saturday!

The whole, gloriously romantic and well-planned-out story will be coming soon, but for now, here's a pic of us, just after it all took place:

Everything was SUPER perfect, the ring he picked is gorgeous and exactly what I wanted, and I couldn't be happier!

I just need to learn how to sleep in between all of this excitement now! :)

Make sure you check back for the full story later this week...it's incredible. But, maybe I'm a little biased :)

Blog Every Day in May {Day 28}

Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures

Blog Every Day in May {Day 27}

Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers

Dear blog buddies,
Thanks for sticking around and reading about all of my "stuff". Whether it's mundane everyday stuff, stupid stuff, or silly stuff, you've been around for a lot. I never thought that 2+ years ago that I would be a part of such a cool community of people.

There have been several times (break ups, my dad's heart attack, my horrible roommate situation) that I've vented on here or just shared 'out loud' and you guys have surrounded me with such support, words of hope, and just straight up love. Without that, I'm not sure how I would have made it through some of those situations. It made me really appreciate the blogging community and what awesome people are a part of it.

I love hearing from you, and learning about you. I've developed some really great friendships on this blog. I look forward to seeing your pages, hearing your comments on my posts, and just laughing together. My bloggie friends are awesome people, and I can only hope to develop even more friendships along this journey. And learn more beauty secrets. I can always use more of those! :)

People who aren't a part of the blog world don't get it. And they never will. It sounds silly and cliche to say "I have a blog" to someone who doesn't have one. But, those of us who do, we know the power that it holds. I'm thankful every day that I started this little blog as a creative outlet. I never could have imagined I'd have 200+ (almost 300!) followers, and several friendships from it. I'm thankful to all of you for reading, commenting, and just being there.

Bottom line is: You all rock. And I love ya to pieces!

Love,

Jenn

Blog Every Day in May {Day 26}

Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

Besides blogs, I don't read a ton of other things online. Between that an Pinterest...oh, and my job, I'm pretty packed.

One site that I absolutely love, that makes me laugh to no end, is DamnYouAutoCorrect.com or DogShaming.com. If I'm having a bad day and need a good laugh, I'll stop by these to chuckle.

Lucky for me, these are also embedded in Pinterest....my one-stop-shop for everything I could ever need! haha

(I'm pretty sure this Blog a Day in May for me is turning into a personal endorsement for Pinterest, lol)

So, if you need a laugh, stop by the above sites!

Blog Every Day in May {Day 25}

Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)

Well, it's difficult to pick just ONE thing that someone has said about me that sticks out in my brain.

But, I will say the general thing that means the world to me, and makes me truly appreciate what I do, is when a parent tells me what a difference I've made in their child's speech/language skills. And I love seeing a kid's face light up when they finally "get" something that they've been working hard on, or when they tell me that I'm their favorite teacher. They make my heart go pitter-patter and get all fuzzy inside.

So, in more of a general way, I'd say that anytime someone let's me know that something I've done has helped them/their child, makes my day. And I hang onto those compliments, especially when I'm stressed out and overwhelmed with meetings.

It's the little things in life that make the biggest impact :)

Blog Every Day in May {Day 24}

Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits

1. I'm a worrier. I worry too much about things. Sometimes it wakes me up in the morning, or won't let me fall asleep at night. I try not to, but I worry.

2. I get very comfortable in routines/am not super open to change
Sometimes routines are a good thing--it's what helps get you through the day-to-day. But, being able to embrace change is something that's important. And I just don't accept it well, right off the bat. I feel like sometimes my initial reaction to a change is to totally dislike it. I wish I was more open to changes.

3. I care too much.

About what someone else thinks about me. About work things. About people that could give two craps about me. Lots of things! (....and then I probably spend too much time "worrying" about it...Trait #1)
Caring is a good thing, but caring too much, especially in situations where people really don't deserve it, is a problem of mine.
I've been told, on many occasions, to "let it go" or "stop thinking about them"...and it's just not that easy for me to cut off my caring.
Does that even make sense?

Blog Every Day in May {Day 23}

Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

~as a teacher, you may have to put on your Private Investigator hat to track a parent down

{via}

~people treat you the way you allow them to treat you. Don't settle.

~being an adult sometimes isn't all it's cracked up to be -->

~Men really are from Mars, and Women really are from Venus. Read that book. It will change how you view relationships forever, in a positive way.

~people skills/social skills sometimes matter more than what level of education you have and will get you through some of the most awkward and difficult situations

~flipping someone off in the car is probably only going to make them do something else stupid, rather than apologize (doesn't stop me from doing it from time to time tho!)

~meeting and becoming friends with quality people will always outweigh having a quantity of friends

~saying "I don't know" is alright, as long as you intend to find an answer

~ my personal favorite, which should be no surprise, "Everything happens for a reason." Trust it.

I'm sure there are lots of other ones, but I think those are some of the more important ones.

How about, for some fun, things that school taught me that you'd be surprised about:

~how to tell if you're healthy, based on your poop being a "sinker" or a "floater" (Trish, you remember Women's Health at UMD!)

{via}

~the difference between anal beads and butt plugs (yes, this was actually discussed in one of my classes in college...my parents would be SO happy...). Side note: this is not something I ever wanted to know...

~that I can live off of EasyMac and Ramen Noodles if I HAVE to.

~when told you have a single index card to write down information, I CAN write so small that an entire semester's worth of information makes it onto that card.

How's that for some unexpected/funny things I learned in school? :)

Blog Every Day in May {Day 22}

Ready for your second post of the day? (Scroll below for WILW and Oh How Pinteresting!)

Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

Alright, there are lots of things that I want to talk about in relation to things that happen in schools, but I don't want it to get in the wrong person's hands or be misinterpreted and all of a sudden I'm out of a job. So, I'm going to go with pet peeves.

In list form.

1) Leaving dishes in the sink. Especially when the dishwasher is right next to the sink.

{via}

I get it if you don't have a dishwasher, but if it's a matter of opening the door and putting it in, I can't stand when they're left in the sink.

2)Leaving cabinet doors open. Why? If you're done with it, close it.

3) Leaving time on a microwave when you've taken your food out before the timer goes off (I don't know why this bothers me, but it does, especially when I'm looking at it for the time and it's not there)

{via}

4) listening to someone clip their nails. Especially toenails. Ew. (I thought of this when watching RHOC last week and Terry was clipping his toe nails while he and Heather were talking.)

5) When someone doesn't plan, and all of a sudden they want you to deal with it. Right away.

{via}

6) When people won't accept responsibility for something that they did/make up excuses for it

7) When people don't respect someone else's time (running over a meeting time, starting late, etc)

8) When you order chips and some kind of dip-- they bring you out a huge thing of dip, and only like 10 chips. "How do you propose I eat the last half of this?"

9) When people use words that sound like real words, but aren't actually words. Like "irregardless."

ahhhh, I feel better now that I got some of those off my chest! :)
What are some of your pet peeves?

WILW and Oh How Pinteresting

Are ya ready for another edition of WILW and Oh How Pinteresting? If not, get ready!

I'm loving that it's a long weekend this weekend. And that I made an impromptu decision to take the entire day off on Friday instead of just half a day. 4 day weekend for me!

I'm loving that we are going up to Philly for the weekend. We haven't seen MG's family since the beginning of April and it'll be good to see everyone, hang out, and not have to rush back after a day.

I'm loving the Blog Every Day in May challenge. I've learned a lot about other people participating in it, that I didn't know before. Hopefully you all are learning a little bit more about me, too!

I'm loving that there are only 18 more school days left this year! Countdown continues...

I'm loving that I've been doing a really good job of exercising regularly, and making conscious food decisions. Doing some HIIT exercises is really helping to kick start my body back into shape for Summer, which is important since my complex's pool just opened last weekend!

Speaking of the pool, I'm loving that I took advantage of a Victoria's Secret sale this weekend and got some super cute bathing suits that I can mix and match (maximizing, people!) Yeah I spent money, but if they work out, I'll have bought 2 suits and will be able to use them 3 different ways!

And, as always, I'm loving Pinterest in all of its awesomeness.

This week I've been pinning...