Love (and the Royal Wedding)

I could choose to be cynical. It's not hard - I usually am. I could be really critical and slightly bitter. I could be righteous and judgmental. I could scoff and roll my eyes. But I have a choice. And I choose love.

This week something happened in Britain. (I like saying Britain instead of England because I think it sounds better and more pretentious, and I like pretension sometimes.) I don't know the whole story. I only know what I have read. And I take everything the media says with a grain of salt because I don't actually know these people - though I'd like to - and I don't know if what is reported is actual truth. But I'd like to believe it is.

This weekend, two people got married on TV. Two people who seemed very much in love, and very much aware of what they were getting themselves into. Over two billion people tuned in to watch in person, on television, and online. I was one of these people. I was glued to the TV for hours, watching two people I have never met and will most likely never meet recite vows, pledge their love to one another, kiss, and wave... A lot.

I did this because I believe in love. I believe that we as humans are capable of greatness. I believe that we are created to change lives and to change each another. And, mostly, I believe we are created to love each another.

I think this wedding is a great love story. I don't know them, but I wish them well. I wish that they will experience joy and growth and love and happiness and the simple and ordinary things that can only come after you commit to share your life with someone else. It's a real love story. Yes, one of them is a prince, and the other is the woman who fell for him and who he fell for in return, so the ordinary part might feel different than most. And yes their wedding was lavish and extravagant and humongous. But it makes me happy. And in this bitter world full of cynicism, criticism, bitterness, and devastation, I think we are all entitled to a day like this.

Cheers to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge! I wish you every happiness. And thanks for the chance to look back on my own wedding and marriage and feel truly blessed. I can only hope that you will be as happy as I am.

If you have not heard...

If you have not heard... Chris got a job!!! Hooray! He is now a NCAA Div 1 head tennis coach!

If you have not heard... It's in Texas. University of Texas Pan American, to be exact. The UT university system is exactly like the UC system here - schools spread out over the state, some bigger than others, some better than others. Pan American is one of the little ones.

If you have not heard... Chris loaded up his truck and left this morning. He should be in Texas tomorrow night.

If you have not heard... I will be joining Chris in Texas in December, after the semester ends at Vanguard. We will be apart for 5 weeks and 4 days, until he comes back for Thanksgiving. After that, it will be a little over 2 weeks until I join him in Texas permanently.

If you have not heard... I am a slow processor. Don't ask me how I am feeling about him being gone. I don't really know yet. Ask me in a week.

If you have not heard... It is an exciting, sad, adventuresome, heartbreaking, blessing, and disappointing thing all at once. I rarely feel these emotions seperately. Most of the time, I feel all of these all at once... Example: In my head, I know that moving to Texas is a very good and practical move; in my heart, I am devastated that I have to leave my family and friends. In my heart, I also feel love and support and excitement for my husband's job and fulfillment, and it fulfills me to support him; in my head, I worry about what job I will get and if I will be as good at it or enjoy it as much as the one I currently have.

If you have not heard... Well, now you have.

Lost

I'm addicted.

July 17

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/

Oh my gosh... I'm so excited, I can't stand it. I'm contemplating attending another midnight showing.

Pass the Pigs

I learned this game in college. It's the funnest game ever! And I just found out that you can play online at www.passthepigs.com. Life is beautiful, Friend.

Bird by Bird

It's excellent.

25

I am starting something new. For the next 25 days, I am going to share one unique/crazy/interesting thing about myself. Why? I don't know. I am bored. And I need fun things to write about. I think I am pretty cool, but you may disagree 25 days from now. Let's find out!

#25 My favorite Disney movie from childhood was Sleeping Beauty because I was a major tomboy and liked to pretend I was the prince, bounding around the living room with a blanket for a cape and a sword tucked into my pants.

Cole

I tell you what, this kid has changed my life...

I've been around kids a lot in my life, but I never really connected very well with them. I simply had no clue how to act or talk. Growing up, my sister was always the one who was asked to babysit, and I was the one who was asked to feed people's dogs when they were on vacation. So, I hadn't had much practice - or, well, any practice at all - until Cole came into the picture. Everything I know about babies has all been learned in the last year. During Jaime's pregnancy, I would ask her question after question after quesion. I would read pregnancy articles and websites, trying to learn about Cole's progress. From his conception, this kid has fascinated me. And that is a dramatic difference from anything that I am used to. Cole is the difference. Cole is family. Cole is my nephew. I take that very seriously. I would lie down in traffic for him. He smiles at me and I suddenly have purpose in my life. He's my little Monkey Face.

Chris and I don't have kids yet, but when we do, it is so hard for me to imagine my kids being cuter than him. I cannot imagine loving them more than I love Cole. I know that I will, but I didn't even know I could love a baby as much as I love Cole, so it's weird to think about. He will no't be replaced, though. Cole will always be my nephew, he will always be one of my favorite people in this world, he will always be my Monkey Face.

The Settlers of Catan

It's on like Donkey Kong. Bring it, sucka.

Shame on you

Ew. Seriously? Crocs aren't bad enough? You have to add fur? I got this "great gift idea" e-mailed to me from Amazon. Shame on you, Amazon. Shame on you. Worst gift idea ever.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

So, I made Chris watch this last night. The good ol' claymation version. He hemmed and hawwed all the way through it, and I'm pretty sure he fell asleep for a little bit. But it's Christmas! It's tradition. Every year. Get used to it.

Misleading meandering mumblings

The picture is misleading. I'm not an insomniac. I don't actually really want to go to sleep. I have been restless all day. It feels like Christmas Eve and I'm 9 years old. I don't want to go to bed, but tomorrow I have to actually, you know, do stuff. But I'd rather stay up and play Wii and listen to music, or catch up on Heroes, or, well, write to you. I don't know why I feel so restless... My days are becoming uneventful. I need some stimulation. Or some variation. Or a vacation. One of those. As long as it ends in "tion"... I'm not nervous or worried or scared or caffeinated. I'm not anything, really. I just don't feel like going to sleep, yet... I want to do something. Right now. I want to write the great American novel. I want to learn to play guitar. I want to wander the city like Holden Caulfield - except he was crazy and had a much cooler city to roam around in... That's what I want. I want to go to New York. I think I would like it there. The people, the energy. I could live in The Village, find a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, go there everyday with my FRIENDS, and do nothing but talk and drink coffee. And Chris can come too. As long as he brings a puppy. The puppy is a must. We could like it in New York. I think. I've never been, myself, so I'm only speculating... Should there have been two commas in that last sentence?

One more reason to love Netflix:

A-MAZING!

Netflix

Hallelujah!

A-MAZING!

I'm a little bit addicted now.

Tyrone

So, I've totally dug this guy since college. I just saw him play for the umpteenth time last Friday, and... I totally still dig his music. You need to check him out here. He's got a new album coming out before Christmas, which I am really stoked on. He played some songs from the new album at this concert and they're amazing. Check out "Sink or Swim" on his myspace page, it's awesome!

Cole Trabue Warren

This is my nephew. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen. These pictures do not do him justice. You need to hold him, to smell him, to experience him in order to even begin to grasp how much I love him. He came five weeks earlier than expected, but he is precious. It's been like four hours since I've seen him and my heart hurts. I cannot believe my sister and Josh created him; a fact which contributes to the many reasons for why I love him. You should meet him. He's wonderful. Really, he is.

If you want to see a sweet slideshow, go here. And make sure your sound is on!

Baby + Shower

This was one of the best weekends ever! Mainly because I got to celebrate my nephew-to-be with his mommy-to-be (SO weird to say!)... I got the wonderful privilege of throwing my sister a baby shower on Saturday, and I had SO much fun! It went so well, we had WAY too much food, and we packed her SUV full of gifts at the end of the day! It was a great, wonderful, emotional, humbling, exciting, anticipating-inducing day! Even though I had trouble moving on Sunday, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Tattoo

"Just like a tattoo

I'll always have you"

... Oh wait...

Sorry, that wasn't funny. But the tat is real. If you can figure out what it says, you get a cookie.

O, Aeropostale, how I love you...

I would just like everyone to know that I love these jeans. They are extremely comfortable and, well, they fit, which is a pretty incredible find if you're a girl. Buy some. You will not be sorry. My sister and I bought the same exact pair over the holidays and loved them so much that we weren't embarrassed to wear them on the same day.