Carrie's Rant

So, check it out, this post will be different from all the other posts. I have quite a bit to say. I am not perfect in ANY way, shape or form. I have my weaknesses. I have my faults. I will be the first to admit that. With that being said, my rant begins. I am SICK and TIRED of reading all this crap about Chik Fil A. I think it is GREAT that they came out and told everyone what they believe. I think we all need to accept it. There is so much fighting and bickering over it, among other things. We all need to realize, as a country, that all this is doing is DIVIDING us. "We are only as strong as we are united and ask weak as we are divided." WHO CARES if the person next to you is gay? WHO CARES if they are Christian, Atheist, black, white, purple, orange?! We are all PEOPLE. Of course, we will naturally have disagreements, but that is just it, we should learn how to disagree rather than hate. It would do this country and this WORLD some good if we all sit back and realize that we are all different and that's what makes us great. I'm tired of hearing people preach of love and not seeing it. Stop trying to change the person next to you and start changing yourself. Gandhi said, "BE the change you wish to see in the world." I want to put emphasis on that first part, "BE THE CHANGE." Act it, do it, LIVE IT. To all the Christians reading this, Christ taught us to LOVE one another. Teach by example. Express your beliefs, yes, but live them also. "Don't judge me because I sin differently from you."
 I've learned from being a mother that each kid will annoy you differently than the other. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but it's inevitable. If you continue to dwell on the things they do to annoy you, no matter how much you love them, you will eventually come to dislike them, or even hate them. You learn to love by tolerating the things they do that annoy you, or you disagree with/dislike. Let's use it in a story. Two high school boys have grown up together, they've been best friends since they can both remember. It's graduation day, and Billy decides to finally tell Joey something that has been bothering him for a long time. Billy doesn't really like cheese as much as he led Joey to believe. In fact, he doesn't like it...at all. But MAN! Joey LOVES cheese. He eats it with everything! It is unfathomable to him how anyone can NOT like cheese. Billy comes out and tells him. So, which would be the better thing for Joey to do? Say, "Sorry dude, we can't be friends anymore if you don't like cheese.." or, "That's okay, Billy. We can still be friends." As ridiculous as that story sounds, why can't we all be like that? Why can we not all just accept that not everyone likes cheese. Stop looking at what you don't have in common and see what you do have in common. I'm not saying we should all sit around a campfire holding hands and sing, "kumbaya," But stop being so hateful. If you don't like something, get over it. Stop being such a baby about it. I know I contradict myself by saying this, but it's a rant, it happens. So, let's all put our big people panties on and get over ourselves. We don't have to be friends, but just accept the person next to you. Don't judge them so harshly, cause we are all pretty dang awesome.

Carrie

 p.s. don't judge my terrible grammar, or my inability to stay on subject. :)

Our adventure

Wow... it has been so long since we have updated! What a blessing it is to be married to your best friend. It has been an adventure. Our baby boy, Everett, came into our lives on March 23rd.
"Baby Ninja", as Ethan and Malachi like to call him, has brought our family so much joy. The older two are such proud brothers. Already looking out for him. Everett's face just lights up whenever he sees either one of them. If there is one person that boy loves without a doubt, it is his daddy. Ugh, there has always been something about Lee that all three of the boys love. He can get them to do things I couldn't, no matter how hard I tried. He has a way with them. Such patience. I really admire him, because we all know how patient I am.. ;)
 I write these things hoping someone will read them. I always wondered if people would read a book or poem I've written and actually enjoy reading it. I used to love writing. I stopped writing and started expressing myself through dance. I no longer write or dance. Now I just feel. Love, joy, frustration... Ethan, my five year old, is going through the stage where he has to learn how to express his feelings without losing total control. It is difficult for me, because even at 24 years old, I am still trying to learn to express myself without losing control. That is where Lee comes in. As I have said before, he has such patience. He keeps calm even in the roughest of waters. He has taught me so much. Just simply by his actions. I've learned to just breathe. Take things day by day. He has taught me that, "Sometimes courage is the voice at the end of the day that says, 'I'll try again tomorrow'" by simply showing me what that really means.
 We've all heard the phrase, "opposites attract," never really knowing what it truly means. Lee and I are like two puzzle pieces. His strengths are my weaknesses, and my strengths, his weaknesses. He is quiet and reserved, I'm loud and in your face. That is exactly what makes us so perfect for each other. Don't get me wrong, we have definitely had our ups and downs, but we are beginning to really understand each other. We aren't the perfect couple, or the perfect parents, and quite frankly, we don't care to make people believe we are. Our house is constantly a mess, our kids go insane when it's time for bed. I am honestly surprised our neighbors haven't called DHR on us for the way Ethan screams when it is bed time. You'd think someone was torturing him. Of course, in his mind, we are. Forcing him to go to bed, how dare us. Through all of the craziness of our lives together, we find time to laugh, play, and have fun. Whether we wake up with a foot pressed against our cheek, or end up with soup in our lap...it is definitely and always will be an adventure.

Things Are Coming Together

It's amazing how fast time goes by. I remember still being on my mission thinking that the end would never come. I don't say that in a bad way, but since it was such a long period of time in my life, it seemed something so permanent. However, that time did pass. And I quickly approach the one-year point of when I returned from Spain.

After getting home and being with Carrie again, the new 'countdown' in my mind became our marriage. I cannot believe that at first our wait was six months! That six months has swiftly dwindled down to one. I made a simple little countdown app for Carrie on her phone; it contains a little message along with the days, hours, minutes, and seconds left before we reach noon on May 14th. It was just a fun little project I could work on to develop my java skills. :) According to the app, we have 26 days and 13 hours exactly remaining. :) Carrie and I have come so far, and we're so ready.

I love Carrie. She is an incredible woman with outstanding desires and aspirations. Ever since we met she wanted the best for me. She has always motivated me, encouraged me, strengthened me. She is totally awesome.

As we get closer, we are trying to get more things done. We're coming along nicely with preparing our house for when we are able to move in. We've painted and have moved in quite a bit of stuff. We still have plenty more to do! It's a lot of fun, though.

I personally am basically all set up to attend UAH starting in the summer. I am very, very excited to continue my education and get it done! It's crazy how badly I want to have a professional computer-related job. I just love that stuff so much. In the meantime I'll just continue learning and working on little projects on my own.

Well, there's not much else to tell. Many things are on the dl. :) This new kind of adventure sure is great. I can't wait for the next step to officially begin!

Lee

Registry info!

Just for those who want to know, Lee and I are registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond, and Target. :) That is all. haha

2 months.. !!

Only 2 months..It's truly insane how quickly time goes. Some memories seem like forever ago and some seem like only yesterday. With Lee, I've been able to make memories that will forever be close to my heart. I look forward to the time we will spend together throughout our marriage, but I don't want to miss out on the time we have with each other now.
Dad and I were discussing the phrase, "happily ever after," and jokingly he said there was no such thing. I quickly asked if he was happy. Of course, he said he is, and then I responded with, "Well, there's your happily ever after, I guess." Depending on what it was "after". After birth. After graduation. After marriage. What's so incredible about life is, if we wanted, we could have a million "happily ever after(s)". Depending on what they are after. ;) Lee and I will have points in our marriage the we'll need work on, but that doesn't mean we won't still be able to achieve happiness. "Love is proactive. Love is service...We love because we have given." Working together, as two separate beings, building our love, and remembering that love is not just an emotion, will help us live our "happily ever after".

With that being said, the recent events around the world are heart-wrenching. Find a way to help. Whether it is by donating a simple dollar, or taking in a whole family in need. Every bit helps. Use what you have to make a difference.

Three months? Wasn't it three days?

the drive was worth it

because I had her hand again

but we held on tightly 

because we knew the hours end

we learn from this

and we make the best of who we are

now she's wearing a symbol

because from all the time we've spent

we've decided on one thing:

the hours on a ring never end

I think we're both pretty excited to start our lives together. :)  

Every moment I spend with Carrie I learn more about her.  I couldn't even begin to describe all the things I learn from being with her AND the boys.  It's insane how much I learn from those two.  It really makes me want to be the best person and adult I can be.  I really love her and respect her for being so strong, mature, and willing to strive to do what's right in everything.  

Three months seems like too long right now haha. :)  But it's plenty of time to learn, grow, and prepare.  I will get to finish my first semester of college, which is awesome.  Things just seem to be working out in a very smooth way.  Carrie and I have already talked about a lot of things in preparing for 'the future.'  We've talked about apartments, where we might live, money stuff, school stuff, who's going to do most of the cleaning (me ;)), who's going to learn how to cook more things (her)(okay, I'll be joining in that as well!), how we're going to class sometimes in grocery shopping decisions.  It's great. :)  There really is so much to talk about!  She's doing a crazy good job of getting wedding things together.. it's insane how many clever ideas she has for all of that stuff.  I love that she tries to include me in stylistic and decorative decisions and that in the end we realize she should just take complete charge. :P

I just really can't wait until I don't have to drive three hours anymore to see them.  Everyday. :)

Lee