The Truth about Marriage....especially when you marry in your 40s

I have had a lot of thoughts over the past 11 months about what I wished I had known about marriage BEFORE I got married.  All you ever hear about is all the amazing parts about marriage... and there are a lot of wonderful things about marriage, however nobody seems to really want to talk about the hard parts of marriage.... and how much work marriage is... it's like a full time job with overtime.  There are no days off from marriage, however some days are easier than others.  I also didn't realize how much of a transition marriage would be from being single for the past 40 years to now sharing a life with someone.  For at least the last 20 years I have made virtually every single decision in life on my one...simple decisions to complex.... what to eat, what to do, what bills to pay, what to buy, where to shop, what music to listen to when I drive in the car.... now, all of those decisions are made with someone else.... and sometimes it has been rough getting used to it.  When people ask me how married life is going, my usually response is "good, but it's a lot of work".

The Hubs and I are about to reach our first wedding anniversary  and if I were being honest...which I always try to on this blog, I will have to admit that it hasn't always been sunshine and roses.  There has been lots of ups and downs, (way more ups than downs), during the "down" times, I often have wondered... is this normal, is marriage supposed to be so hard and so much work? During the first couple of months I spent a lot of time on the phone with my friends who are married asking "is this normal"?  There response was almost always..."YES!  Welcome to marriage."

Of course, I would definitely consider myself to be happily married, and I love my husband very, very much... but the transition from single  to married has been hard, there has been a lot of love, laughter, tears of joy and tears of saddness, screams of excitement and screams of anger... but lots and lots of hard work and happiness.  Oddly enough, I have found the transition to marriage to be way harder than being a step parent, which surprises a lot of people.  Sure, step parenting has it's many challenges... many, many, many challenges, which I am sure I will blog about soon enough, but being with kids has always come fairly easy to me.  I have always loved kids.. people would always joke with me that I was a "kid magnet".... so, for me the roughest part this first year has not been the kiddos, but transitioning to marriage.  Marriage, by far, has been THE HARDEST thing I have ever done... but of course, the most worthwhile adventure I have ever done as well.

I hope this doesn't come across as if I am complaining, or am unhappy... that is not the case, I am very happy, I just feel like it is my duty to all my other single friends or newlyweds out there to share what I have come to believe is the "truth" about marriage... so here we go!

1.   Expectations ruin relationships- not that I really need to expand on this one, but I will.  Like I said earlier, I really believed that once we got married everything would just fall into place.... I actually expected it to fall into place and we would never fight and things would come easily for us because for most of my life, that is how things have happened.   I expected that my husband and I would communicate about everything, we would easily agree on all parenting decisions, financial decisions ect.... but those were expectations.... not reality. That is not how life really works.  Nobody agrees on everything and it is a proven fact that men and women communicate different.... people communicate differently, so why should I have thought that marriage would be any different.    I remember a couple of months into the marriage, I had a little bit of a breakdown, we had fought about something, I cried and then repeated the phrase "this isn't how I thought it was going to be, it's not supposed to be so hard".  My husbands response was a simple one "what did you expect it was going to be like".  After that discussion, I realized that if I kept expecting marriage to be like it is in my head... I would continue to get frustrated and disappointed, so, I had to change my way of thinking.   I started looking at all the good things my husband does, instead of just focusing on all the stuff he doesn't.  I started asking more questions instead of just expecting him to read my mind.  I started to realize that we were not going to always agree, but if we could come to a middle ground... it would be a win win for both of us.

2.   It's okay to go to sleep mad-  I had always heard that you should never go to sleep mad at your spouse, so for the first couple of months, there were days that the Hubs and I would stay up until 1 or 2 am fighting, because I needed to have things resolved before I could go to sleep....and honestly, those fights were NEVER productive.  I realized that my husband and I do not resolve things in the same way.  In my career I do investigations and suggest resolutions for the problems that I find.  I think I brought those same skills into the marriage, so when I see there is a problem, I immediately want to find a solution and resolve it quickly.  My husband is different... when he sees a problem, he likes to have time to think about it, to ponder all sides of the problem, to think about his response ect.  Sometimes he can think about an issues for days.... me, not so much, I like to have everything resolved at the end of the day so I can move on to some thing else.  Now, I am sure you can see why trying to stay up late and talk it out when two people are tired, angry and hurt, especially when one person needs time to think...  is never the solution.  If there is one thing I have learned from the Hubs is that there is a beauty to being more cautious, to thinking things through a little bit more... so, now when we have an issues, we decide upon a time the next day when we can talk about it, and that will give us both time to think.  I can sleep because I know that the issue will get resolved, and he can have the time to think things through.

3.  Marriage is a partnership and not just about you anymore-  Like I have said, having made pretty much every decision for the past 20 years as an adult for myself  making I never really had to consider anybody else's feelings.  I was in control of all aspects of my life... I made all my own choices based on my likes and dislikes.... in marriage you can't do that, you've got another person to consider.  It's no longer "what's best for me", it has to change to "what's best for us".  In my situation, it's not just about what's best for the Hubs and I, we also have 5 little kiddos with needs and likes and dislikes... so now, the questions is "what's best for the family".  This part of the adjustment has been really, really hard for me.  It wasn't until I was married that I realized how selfish my life was... not because I am a selfish person, but because it was only me I had to think about.  In marriage it's not just about me anymore, and that is a change that I didn't expect to be so hard.   Sometimes when I come home from a long day at work, plus an hour and 15 minute commute, all I want to do is just sit down and watch tv but I can't, I have 4 kids to get to their Tae Kwon Do lessons, and then dinner to get made, homework to be done, and my husband to give some love and attention too.  Marriage means, things will not be the same for you as when you were single, and it is going to take some adjusting, and it will be hard, and there will be a few tears, and you may fight over finances, menu's, home decor, ect, but just remember, there are some amazing things about being in a partnership as well... at the end of the day, my husband will always have my back, and I his.  There is also nothing like the feeling of coming home to kids and a husband excited to see you, NOTHING.  Nobody greeted me at the door at the end of a long work day and gave me a hug and jumped up and down and said "Cami's home, Cami's home"when I was single, and that is the real beauty of marriage.  I don't have to make all the decisions, I don't have to do everything by myself... I have a partner, and a pretty darn handsome and great one at that.

4.  A happy marriage is a full time job-  Marriage is hard work!  Even the best marriages require work It never ends.  You always have to keep working and striving everyday to do better than the day before.  You have to work to resolve concerns, even when you are tired and don't want to.  There are no days off.  There is no annual leave, sick days or paid holidays.   If you fight, you have to resolve it, you just can't let it go and that requires work, when you disagree on something, you have to work until you come to a middle ground that works for both of you. As with most things in life, the things that mean the most to us are the things we have had to fight for, to work for, the stuff that hasn't just come easy, and I think that is how marriage is.... the toughest job you will ever love.  I have never worked so hard at anything as I have this past year with my marriage.  Of course there are days I miss my carefree single life, really, I do.... but I would not change being married to my hubs and having these 5 beautiful kiddos in my life for anything... even if it requires more work that I thought was even imaginable.

Well, I have more to say, but honestly, I am tired and will have to get to the rest of this blog later. My sweet husband has been on a cleaning streak (which I love) and has now vacuumed, dusted, swept and mopped most of the house while I have been working on this blog.  Yep, I've got a good one!  Love my hubs!   Now, it's time for me to take a shower and do some grocery shopping or we will all be having top ramen for dinner tomorrow.

If you have read all the way down to here... congratulations.  Thank you for reading!  Hopefully you have found something helpful from this.  I would like to know what are somethings you have learned from marriage as well.  If you have a minutes, feel free to put them in the comments.  

Wow,what can I say... it has been over a year since I have blogged and I have lots of "Real Change" to share with you all so I thought I would update the blog.  I have decided to change up this blog a little, and more focus not just on weight loss, but on all aspects of changes that have happened in my life like ...step parenting, marriage, finding balance, trying to make healthy choices ect.  Well, the first thing I should update is probably my biggest life change of 2013....

I got MARRIED!

Yep, you heard it.... I GOT MARRIED... and not just MARRIED, but I am now a STEP MOM...gulp to not just one, two or three kids...but to 5!  Insta-mom in just a matter of minutes... crazy.  Everyone I know keeps asking me how things are going, or thinks I am crazy for signing up for such a big, big, life change, so I thought I would start updating my blog again about the ups and downs of step parenting and marriage and everything in between.  But to start things off for those of you who are new to my blog, let me tell you a little bit about the us....

This is me, Camille on my wedding day July 27, 2013... I don't know why but I just love this picture, I look so happy, and I was so happy and I am so happy.  I had been single for 40 years, and this one day changed everything for me.  I also had a whole lot of make-up on, fake hair extentions, fake eyelashes (which I loved and wish I could afford to maintain), and a beautiful dress... who could ask for more.  I also love the fact that you can see Joe holding my hand, which I don't know, I find it sweet... yes, gag, I said it... it is sweet, get over it.  Anyway... I think this picture was actually taken right as we came out of the temple after getting married to see all of our family and friends standing there waiting for us.  It was a wonderful day!  Who would have thought that I would find love, especially at 41.  Maybe I will become the poster child for finding love after 40, LOL.  Life is good, not perfect, but good.  Marriage is a lot of work, I will talk about that in another post, and step parenting is even more work... but I love my life and I love having Joe and the kiddos in it.
And now to introduce you to The hubs... or Joe.  So, you have heard the saying  "opposites attract", well it is true.  Joe and I are very different from each other.  He is more of an introvert and would be content I think to just be at home reading a good book... I on the other hand am a social butterfly.  I love to be around people, I like to go and do and he likes to ponder, analyze and be close to home.  He grew up in a small town on a farm, I grew up in the city (well as big as a city can get in Utah).  I have traveled the world, been to several different countries, while he has been to California.  He is a republican tried and true and I am more liberal than conservative... he told me the other day that I was the most liberal person he ever met LOL... and I am really not that liberal.  I remember when I broke the news to him that I voted for Obama...twice, and boy was he shocked. Other ways we are different, I am an over communicator, he is an under communicator.  He also likes to be early to things, and likes is more like he HAS to be early to everything... me, I don't think I have been on time, let alone early to anything prior to meeting Joe.  In fact, our first date, I was 1 hour late and thought nothing of it.  Looking back I can see how rude that was of me... anyway.  He loves heavy metal... Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue.... I love pop, alternative and Indie Rock so finding a radio station we can both agree on is difficult... but we both do love our music LOUD.

Some of the things I love about Joe is that he is loyal and he will always have your back.  Where I am all over the place sometimes (free spirited), he is stable and grounded.  Where I am somewhat impulsive, he thinks things through and looks at all sides of the situation.  Where I like to bend the rules a little, he likes to keep the rules.  Sometimes I only half listen to people (yes, I will admit it), he is an excellent listener, and never seems to get tired of it.  What I was most attracted to him for (aside from the fact that I find him to be super handsome), was how much he loved his kids and what a great father he is.  Seriously, I have several friends who are single moms whose ex's are basically dead beat Dad's who "occasionally" pay child support and Joe fought for custody of the kids and is the custodial parent... he is VERY involved in the kids lives, and beyond that was the most attractive thing about him.  The other reason I fell in love with him is that despite all that he has been through... losing most of his eyesight (he is legally blind), a painful divorce, and a few other hard things,  he still remained faithful to his beliefs, committed to his children and a loving and loyal individual.  I can't imagine how hard it must be to trust again after his divorce and how much heartbreak he had to have gone through, yet he still opened up his heart again to me and I will be eternally grateful for that.

Below is our wedding video that my brother Colby, with help from Kenyon made for us.  I love it, and wow, are my bro's talented or what.  In later posts I will go over how we met and proposed and all that fun stuff, but part of "our story" is in this video.  Enjoy!

The C True Hollywood Story: Joe & Camille

Oh what a difference a year makes...

Oh what a difference a year makes....

 

One year ago this week I decided to take control of my life... more so to take back control of my "out of control" life which has always been good, but full of busyness, obligations, work, more obligations, family, friends, my ongoing struggle with my weight, my health, my emotional being, and blah, blah, blah... the list goes on (you can read more about my story by going to the About my Blog section or My Story under the label section)...I am sure there are some of you who can relate....  I was trying to please everyone.... that I got caught up it everyone else..except for myself.  I forgot to take time for me...sure, I found time for stupid late night reality TV shows, dinners with friends, random last minute road trips...but I failed to take time for my own self improvement... I became so busy trying to "fix" everyone elses' life (yes, I am a "fixer" personality and so I like to try and "fix" everyone but myself).  I have also been one who keeps busy, sometimes too busy and in the busyness I lost myself..... so, I decided to make a change, I was feeling tired, run down, and honestly a little depressed.  My journey this year all started my very first ever visit to a therapist, or as I refer to him as "life coach", who finally gave me permission to "fix" myself and to stop worrying about everyone else... and that is what 2012 was all about for me!  It is so amazing to see what happened when I decided to take the wheel of my own life instead of just being along for the ride on so many other people's journey.... Of course this decision came with me having to make a lot, and I mean a lot of hard changes in my life in which I had to make some difficult choices resulting in a lot of tears...(maybe even more tears than I shed while watching the new Les Mis movie)... but it has all been worth it!  2012 has been one damn awesome year for me full of tears of both sadness and happiness, ups and downs...but over all a wonderful journey. 

Some of the AWESOME things that have resulted from me "taking back control", becoming, vulnerable and doing things that I never thought I would do include: 

1- Survived turning the big 4-0 by throwing my own pretty darn awesome birthday bash... "Reception" style... I figured since I wasn't married, I might as well have a "reception" and I registered for gifts, had a reception photographer and videographer, and was able to celebrate a often times difficult milestone birthday surrounded by the people I love.  It was a magical night and I loved every minute of it... Thanks to all that helped me make it happen...JILL! 

2- Joined a gym, weight watchers, and tried to make getting healthy a priority...which resulted in me losing 25 lbs.  I know, 25 lbs doesn' seem all that much over a year's time, but I have come to accept that my journey is going to be a lot slower than others... I am definitely not a black or white type thinker and because of that.... I have a hard time not being too flexible with any "diet" plan I have tried.... in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow... I use Weight Watchers as "mere guidelines" instead of hard and fast rules... so, my journey is taking a long time... but I am still committed to the journey.  I went to the doctor's for a physical last week and I was excited to hear that my blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels were all normal...yay!  I think a lot of that has to do with eating better...or in my case, LESS and exercising. 

3- By meeting with a therapist I was able to let go of a lot of unhealthy beliefs I had about myself and self sabotaging thinking errors that had over the years become my best buddies and a way to stay in the funk that I was in.  By doing this...and continuing to use some of the tools he gave me, I was able to open up a lot more to those around me, and as my therapist said.... become more "vulnerable" and let people into my life... and not just my "surface" life.  Because of this, I feel like my friendships have become even stronger and I was able to open up to not only family and friends... but to single men (which has been an impossible thing for me in the past...and also meant signing up for an online dating website).  Yes, I signed up for online dating website which was scary at first... really scary... and I felt like I was opening myself up for a lot of rejection, but instead, I met quite a few really decent guys, opened up myself to a lot of new experiences, and found that the online dating thing actually boosted my confidence and I was able to enjoy a year of a pretty active dating life (which had been DEAD, and I mean DEAD for at least the past 15 years).  And from all of those online dating adventures, I was able to meet a wonderful guy and this new year, I rang in 2013 by celebrating it with my boyfriend...yep, I said it, my boyfriend Joe (and a Big Gulp of Diet Coke LOL) and I am looking to many more fun adventures with him in the future....

So there you have it my 2012 in a nutshell... I look forward to 2013 and continuing on my journey and hearing from all of you! 

Thanks again for all your love and support!  I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life and have been overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received from you on this crazy journey. 

 

Cheers to you and 2012!  Bring on 2013!

 

 

 

My Top 10 List

So, I am a little late getting this posted...but since when have I ever been early for anything LOL... so, here it is, my Thanksgiving post. 

I love this time of year, Thanksgiving, autumn, leaves, the beginning of the Christmas season and New Year...yep, I love it.  I especially love the month of November, I know, kind of weird huh...but I do, maybe because I love cooking, being with friends and family, and cool weather, beautiful fall leaves...and of course, heart full of gratitude.  Sometimes I look at my life and am just amazed at how blessed I am, seriously, I am blessed... in so many ways.  Of course, not everything is perfect (I am still pleasantly plump..hehehe), but things are good and I feel very, very, very lucky and grateful, especially when I see so many wonderful people around me struggle with so much hardship and trials... I guess I just feel lucky.... so I just wanted to take a minute or two to express just a few things I am grateful for, of course, I can't list out everything that I am grateful for, but I was able to narrow it down to 10, so here it goes:

 1) My family

 

yeah, so we are not perfect....not even close....we laugh, we cry, we fight, we say mean things to each other, we talk really, really loud, we but head on political issues, we do crazy things, but all in all.... I love my family, and I can't imagine life without them.  I am especially grateful for the people my siblings have married...Melissa, Sarah, Matt and Adele, you hear horror stories of people's sister/brother-in-laws and how crazy they are, but I have been really blessed because of my "in-laws" rock and I am so happy my brothers and sister chose such wonderful people to marry and bring into our crazy family.  

Along with my family, I am so blessed to have these kiddos in my life, my nieces and nephews...they have brought such joy and laughter into our family, and I consider being an Aunt one of life's greatest blessings.  I am also blessed to be called "aunt" by several of my friends kids and I feel honored to be able to be a part of their lives as well.

 

2) My friends who have become my family
Wow, I think the Beatles had it right by saying "I get by with a little help from my friends"...seriously, I have the most wonderful people in my life, people I can call on when I am feeling down, discouraged, overwhelmed, stressed out, bored,  need a good laugh, need a good cry, and no matter where they live..near or far, or how much time comes and goes in between seeing them, we can always easily reconnect.   Friendship is something that I value and take seriously, so having good friends in my life is more important that gold, silver, and even chocolate or Diet Coke...so thank you friends!  Thank you for being in my life!

3) A job I like and great people to work with
It's not always perfect, but I love that fact that I can leave work at work, I have flexible hours, and awesome coworkers...even the really eccentric ones LOL.  I have made some really great friends working at the DLC and feel blessed to be able to have not only a job, but one that for the most part, I enjoy going to.
 

4) Laughter
"Humanity has unquestionably one really effective weapon—laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution—these can lift at a colossal humbug—push it a little—weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand". — Mark Twain

5) Good mental health
Seriously, I thank my Heavenly Father almost every day for my mental health...maybe it is a weird thing to thank him for but if you worked in the same field as I do (some of you might), than you how much easier life is if you don't have to struggle with mental health issues....  Statistics are that 1 out of every 4 people have a mental illness...that is a staggering number.  Mental illness doesn't show on the outside, but it is a silent struggle/battle/fight that a lot of people I know, some very close to me deal with every day...and I am extremely grateful that I personally don't have to have that struggle.  Life is tough for everyone, but even tougher for those with a mental illness.  Although my life isn't perfect, nor has it worked out as I had planned back when I was a young girl... I can still wake up each morning and find joy and happiness in just being alive... and I think that comes a lot easier for me because I have been blessed to not have the added challenge of things like depression, anxiety, mood swings, personality disorders, delusions, compulsions, ect...and I recognize the gift of good mental health that I have been given, and it is one that I am thankful for, because like with anything else, it could always change.   

6) Spirituality and my religious beliefs
I love my Savior, I know He lives and is aware of me.  I am thankful for  modern day prophets.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the principles that are taught in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I am thankful for parents who taught me those principles when I was young, and for church leaders and friends that have helped me figure out who I am, which as it says in the Relief Society Proclimation "I am a beloved spirit daughter of God, and my life has meaning, purpose and direction".

7) 2012 and the many great experiences I have had this year and new people who have come into my life

I will post more about this later, but this time last year I made a decision and committment to "Sieze the Day"....to take back control of my life and make the year I turned 40 one of the best years of my life...and I will say with all of my heart, that 2012 truely has been one of the best years ever, for many reasons and I am grateful for all of the experience I have had this year and for both my old and new friends who have played such an intregal part of it!

8) Physical health improvements over the past year
I will be starting 2013 (provided the world doesn't end on 12/21/12) 30 lbs lighter (I know that might not sound like a lot...but to me it is) than I was last year, several inches smaller... and several months under my belt of consistently going to the gym.  Last spring when I stepped into the gym, I was a little nervous and intimidated... this morning when I went to the gym...and almost every time I go I am greeted by name and I don't even have to show them my membership card...they have it memorized because I come often enough...yay!  I am thankful for those who have supported me with this goal...especially my gym buddy Jen.  I will also be starting this new year with the same resolve to continue on my weight loss journey, no matter how long it might take me.  I have better physical stamina than I had last year and I feel better physically than I have in a long time. 

9) A roof over my head
I have been living in this apartment for 6 years, it honestly feels like home to me and I am grateful that I can come home every day to a roof over my head.  I drive by the homeless shelter on my way to work every day which reminds me over and over again, how lucky I am to have a place to call home. 

10) Peace and balance in my life (mostly)

How Millie got her groove back....

So, I know this blog was primarily set up to focus on my goal of losing weight and getting healthier, but like I have explained in some of my earlier posts... getting emotionally healthier was part of my year of taking control of my life.  One of the things that I decided to try was online dating...yep, you heard it... I have joined the ranks of many other desperate and not so desperate singles looking for love...  I have many funny stories from my online adventures, some good... some not so good... but all adventures.  When I first got online and saw some of my options... let's just say, I was scared... really, really, really scared... I debated posting these pictures, but I couldn't help it (I figure if they were willing to put it online, then I can repost it)... these are ACTUAL pictures from the website I have been using...

Now, I am guessing that these guys are probably nice, and maybe even mocking my profile pic at the moment... but really, what's with the seductive pose with the stuffed animal, or the deal with yellow flower? 

Anyway, I digress... I did have to switch my thinking a little in order to not get discouraged... once I did that, online dating became kind of fun... a challenge.... an adventure.  I think why I resisted online dating so much in the first place was the fear of getting rejected... that somebody would look at my profile and say, wow, she is too fat for me, or too ugly, or I hate girls with short hair.... blah, blah, blah... my running joke was "why would I pay to get rejected by boys when that happens to me all the time in real life for free".  Interestingly enough, as I got online and started searching all the profiles, I rejected a lot of them, just like they could potentially be doing with me, so it no longer became a fearful thing... I no longer feared rejection from men.. because if they rejected me online, I honestly would never know so why was I so worried.  Once that switch was flipped in my head, I had a whole new perspective on things (also going to a therapist helped a bit too).  Anyway, some day in the future I will share my tips with online dating since I have had several people tell me I should write a book.... but, I'm tired and that will have to be another day. 

So over the past year, I have gone out with 12 men... yep, 12... that is 11 more men than I have gone out with in the past 10 years (sad but true).  All these years I have been going to a singles church group, trying to find men (and spirituality of course), hoping that some boy would notice me and my awesomeness and declare their undying love for me... but nobody did.  Then, when I went online, I met lots of people who were interested in me enough to to want to go out with me... it was kind of empowering in a way.  I was no longer just a participate in life... waiting for the man of my dreams to be dropped on my doorstep, but I was out, actively searching for him.  The first boy I went out with was a really great experience for me.  He was a cowboy, simple, nice, easy to talk to, and just a good guy.  Even though that didn't work out, I still think he is a good guy, who feared commitment and just wasn't ready for a serious relationship.  There were a couple more guys over the months... several that had an interest in me, but none that I was particularly interested in.  I look at online dating kind of like interviewing for a job... you got to throw a lot of resumes out there to find a job... so that is what I did.  In the summer I met another person, my latin lover... and that is how I got my "groove" back.  Now here is where this post gets a little personal...I have kissed a couple of boys in my life... but none in the last 15 years, sad but true...I even "dated" and I use that term loosely a guy over the period of 2 years back in 2007 and we never kissed... or even held hands... but on the second date, my LL just went in for the "kill" when I wasn't expecting it and kissed me... and we kissed for awhile... sadly, that kissing was not all that enjoyable, but for the first time in years, I actually felt like I could potentially be desirable...even if I was fat.  The story of the whole kissing episode was funny, since most of you know, I am not a touch feely person and barely hug my friends... so having a man all up in my grill was way too much for me to process at once... a little overwhelming..  but again, it was a confidence booster.. maybe I was desirable.... As some of you know, that relationship was on and off quite often, so I decided to continue to date other people... I had a month or two when I had consistently lined up 2 or 3 dates in a week, all with different men.  It was crazy, fun, tiring, awesome, stressful all at the same time.  Several men I went out with numerous times, some I only met up with once, and even a few I talked to on the phone and decided before the meeting that we would NOT be a good match.  Anyway, I met two other men who have profoundly changed my life.. in a good way... and gave me one of the most precious gifts I have ever received... the gift of being with a guy and feeling like I was "enough"... that I was pretty enough, smart enough, funny enough... and desirable enough.  One of the guys, I will not actual use his name... is someone who I will care about forever, who changed me, and I will always love and care about him, but I was not in love with him.  He would tell me all the time, things like "You know Millie you are actually much pretty than you give yourself credit for", or "I have never met anyone like you, you are not like anyone I have gone out with, you are special".  He valued me for me, I felt like he was one of the few guys that I had met that actually "got me".  Of course with the talking and emotional connection, there was also a lot... and I mean a LOT of kissing... all of which I enjoyed, and again boosted my confidence and helped me change some perceptions of myself that I had held onto for years ...  Of course along with the good (he is an amazingly tender hearted guy), there was the bad...he has a lot of issues and in getting to know each other, I realized that we have very different goals and values, so after a night of shedding many a tear, on both of our parts, I had to have the "talk" with him, and boy was it hard, and let him go as a romantic interest and be "just friends".  Again, he is someone that I will always care about and be grateful for meeting.  The other guy who has profoundly changed my life... well folks he and I are "in a relationship"... we are dating seriously and I have now cancelled my online account... he is my boyfriend...yep, I said it, I have a boyfriend... and I think he is AWESOME.  He has 5 kids...yep, I said it 5 kids... from the ages of 6-13, but I have yet in my single life found a boy I enjoy being with more than him.  He is funny, goofy, energetic, steady, determined, kind, easy going, emotionally stable, faithful member of my church, overcome a lot of challenges without letting them get him down and an awesome dad... and most important... adores me (lol, it's all about me...hehe) and I adore him.  So there you have it, I have publicly announced that I have a serious boyfriend...whoa, big, big, big step for me.  Anyway, in any relationship there is always the possibility that things might not work out, and of course that is a possibility with this relationship, but for now, I am going to enjoy every minute of it and move forward with the hope that this one will work out... and I will of course post some pictures later...

 

So there you have it, how I got my groove back, and one of the reasons that I haven't been posting as frequently as I should. 

 

Thanks again for following!  I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life... so thank you! 

 

The zombies are coming....

So a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement for a very interesting 5k race called "Night of the Running Dead Race" where everyone comes either dressed like zombies or humans.... so, I signed up and posted on facebook to have others come and join me.  Now, I am NOT a runner, nor did I even plan on running any part of the race, I just wanted to participate in something active where at the end I could feel like I accomplished something...and luckily several of my friends saw the post and decided to join in the fun and do the race too. 

Before the race several people came over to my house for some "pre-run" festivities, we chatted, laughed, ate, and just enjoyed getting all made up in our zombie gear and preparing for the race.    Because all of my friends are at different fitness levels than me, we all seemed to get a little separated at the beginning...well, except for me and my sweet friend Beth who decided to hang back and take things slow with me.  As we began the race I swear to you it was all up hill... really up hill... and I was so not prepared for that and I seemed to go slower than even I thought I would be going, but I had Beth by my side and we just chatted as we walked...up hill... but we kept walking.  Part of the course was to walk through a neighborhood and the awesome part was that most of the people living in that neighborhood were all out on their porch cheering the runners on... even Beth and I, the very last ones in the race... but they were out there, cheering.... encouraging us to keep going.  I think it would have been pretty fun to watch 3000 runners come through your neighborhood...some dressed as zombies all chasing the humans... awesome.  Anyway, literally Beth and I were the very last people in the race... but still, there were people standing on the sidelines cheering. There were several points during the course where I just wanted to give up, I was getting tired, it was uphill, my legs and feet were killing me... but we kept going... sadly, after about 2.25 miles, we got lost, yes, I said lost... because we were so behind everyone else, there was nobody directing the runners/walkers anymore and we took a wrong turn that ended up with us at the finish line, without actually finishing the entire race...  it was kind of funny really... but hey, what can you do... I am still claiming that I finished the race LOL and it was a fun evening! 

Later on in the week the race got me thinking just about how in life we all need people on the sidelines cheering us on... even when life seems hard, and it's all uphill, we need someone who will tell us to "hang in there" or "keep going".... people who will stay by our side through the difficult times... we all need cheerleaders just to get by... and luckily I am blessed to have many cheerleaders in my life..  and I can't tell you how much you all mean to me!  I am truly one lucky chick! 

Just for fun

This is how I am feeling today.... Just thought I would share it!  LOL