Life

I More Than Love You

Audrey24 Comments

Last week we kicked off our trade show/travel season at work. It’s a six month chunk with roughly nine potential shows or competitions spread throughout. (We also do a trip in August.) I spend a great deal of time with my husband regardless, but traveling together pushes us physically closer for longer stretches of time in higher stress situations.

So natural I got to thinking about our marriage.

I really enjoy my husband. I think he’s funny and witty and smarter than even he knows (and, trust me, he thinks plenty highly of himself). He’s sarcastic and not romantic (in the traditional sense) and not nearly as sentimental as me, though, so I don’t always tell him how gosh damn wonderful I think he is.

But I realized this weekend- five years post wedding & 11 years after agreeing that we should, in fact, date- that I ought to tell him sometimes.

I drank a few adult beverages one night on our recent business trip and *accidentally* gushed to a mutual friend about how our business’ success is 50% luck and 50% my husband (plus all the people we’ve had cycle in and out over the last 6 years, self included). I told them that K has a large ego so I’d never tell him this, but he’s so damn smart- socially & logically. He has no business or engineering education but he’s really done something incredible with the company.

The applicable part of this story is that I have these thoughts about K but I don’t ever tell him. Maybe our marriage is rare, but I doubt it. Chances are there are some “obvious” things you admire about your spouse (or grandma or brother or best friend) that you don’t tell them because… well… why would or should you?

So I’m encouraging you to tell them. It makes your marriage or relationship or work experience or neighborhood that much better. People like being told that the things they’re doing and saying every single day are being noticed and admired and appreciated.

They say to tell loved ones that you love them. Or to say thank you more often. Or to spend quality time with people. But I also encourage you to notice what you admire or appreciate about someone & tell them.

A Crisp Morning Coffee Date

Audrey26 Comments

I show up for our coffee dates about every 2 months it seems. I’m a little late with this one. Oops!

Linking up with Kristen for What’s New With You? today.

If we were sitting down for coffee I’d have to lament about the end of my favorite month. October kicks off the best quarter of the year (in my opinion) and it’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to the month. But I’m excited that the holidays are around the corner!

If we were having coffee I’d admit that I’m still recovering from our quick 5 day trip to Daufuskie Island, SC. My best friend & I drove through the night (Wednesday) to surprise our other best friend, who was on vacation with her girlfriend. We had been planning it for months and the surprise was perfect. Our time on the island was so relaxing. Here’s a link to the super quick video of the surprise: https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=yPjm4K

While sipping on our pumpkin lattes or maple coffees I’d probably gush about some of my birthday gifts. K got me tickets to see the Columbus orchestra play at a screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 🙂 My mother-in-law spoils me with a week of birthday gifts and some of my absolute favorites this year included this pillow, this skirt, and this wine stopper!

I’d also share about the new underwear I just got! (A little weird, I know, but what better way to end 2018 than cleaning out your delicates drawer and adding some comfy, quality undergarments?) Tommy Johns Underwear reached out to me a few weeks ago and set me up with some ah. may. zing. underwear. So soft and comfortable, dang near invisible, and it stays in place. I got a pair of their Cool Cotten Cheeky, Second Skin Brief, and Air Cheeky. I’m not kidding when I say I love these styles and all three materials!

When draining our adorably fall coffee mugs I’d ask if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo this year. I’ve done it every year, but never to completion. I’d really like to push myself to do it this year… I haven’t decided which novel idea to conquer, though.

Before we pull on our coats and dig for our keys I’d ask about your holiday plans. Are you doing anything fun for Thanksgiving? We have a business trip this month, then we’re spending a little bit of time in Williamsburg on a family vacation. I love historic little villages & I’m super excited. November is kind of crazy for us and I’m hoping for a slower December. How about you?

Sigh. I guess our coffee date would have to come to a close now… I’d head back to work & hopefully you’d head off and do something fun (like an apple orchard or pumpkin patch- fall isn’t over yet!).

Share with me what you’ve been doing this fall & tell me about your early winter plans!

What's New With You

Currently…

Audrey44 Comments

For Kristen‘s link-up I’m reverting back to a good ol’ fashioned “currently” post.

Reading… all the books for Erin’s 9.0 Book Challenge! I’m currently working on The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and the Prisoner of Azkaban!

Listening to… You Must Remember This podcast. I know I’ve mentioned it once this week already, but Lindsay got me hooked! I’ve listened to all the Charles Manson’s Hollywood episodes as well as the ones about Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, and Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. I’ve also been listening to the new albums from Dave Matthews and Ben Rector!

Watching… The Bachelorette. My friends and I text-party watch and I look forward to it every week. We’re usually snarky about the guys and supportive of Becca so I don’t feel the least bit bad about my not-so-guilty pleasure. Anyone else watching this season? Let’s discuss 🙂

Pouting about… Lebron James heading west. Sigh. I’m not mad at him and I still hate basketball, but it’s a bummer he’s not ours anymore.

Celebrating… this week’s intermission. America has her faults (many of which are occurring right now) but yesterday was her birthday and everyone almost everyone deserves a celebration. I’m grateful for the day off and I’m grateful to live in a country where we have the freedom to do the right thing, help others, and vote in people who will actually put the needs of humans first.

Eating… lots of grilled stuff and summer foods. Watermelon, corn, steak, hotdogs and burgers, ice cream.

Drinking… wine. My in-laws have been working on opening a wine company for the last year and a half, and they’re finally up and running! Our house may or may not be stocked with the best wine around right now… 😉

Working on… getting all the left over garage sale stuff packed up and shipped off to charities. We had a pretty successful sale but dang it was hot outside all weekend!

Playing… softball! I joined a co-ed team that plays every Sunday afternoon. I played for eight years nearly 15 years ago, so this is slightly out of my comfort zone. I really like it, though!

Planning… a fall vacation. I’m not sure what or where yet, but I presented a 2 week out west trip to K and he shot me down. (I knew he would.) Now that I’ve softened the travel-blow with an extravagant idea, it’ll be much easier to talk him into a 5-7 day stretch of relaxation. 😉

Praying for… so many. Families who have been separated, the safe journey of refugees escaping violence and persecution, my sweet friend Rebecca Jo and her family, the health and well-being of family members and pets, neglected dogs who suffer when the heat index bursts.
**Definitely doing something additional about these things, too.

Recovering from… pleurisy. Two weeks ago I went to the ER with some chest pain, thinking it was just a stubborn gas bubble in my abdomen. Turns out it was/is pleurisy left over from untreated bronchitis. I’m much better now but the pain and immobility was a nuisance.

Relaxing… with my new video game! I found Mario Kart on https://wikibuy.com/ for a great price and finally pulled the trigger. It’s the only video game K will play and I’m really proud that I held off on getting it until I could find it for a low price!

Wishing for… colder weather (sue me), a long vacation, peace on Earth, and a pina colada.

Thanks for hosting What’s New With You?, Kristen!

*Thank you so much, Wikibuy, for reaching out!

What's New With You

What’s Up

Audrey42 Comments

Typically I do a coffee break or currently post for Kristen & Gretch‘s link-up, but I’ve already shared posts like that recently. Today I’m just recapping what we’ve been up to since the start of 2018.

J A N U A R Y

We didn’t do a whole lot in January (which I love). We had some health-stress but most of the month was filled with dog cuddles & lazy weekends.

Ly & E both had clean bills of health from the vet. We got their DNA tests back. And Buckeye fought off befriended a coyote.

Lots of snow meant lots of cozy reading time.

My mom had a pretty stressful month so I treated her (and me) to pedicures. That night K tried out his Christmas gift (a new smoker!) & we had my parents and his mom over. (His dad was out of town.)

The next day my brother and sister-in-law came home to surprise and cheer up my mom. We played Mario Kart on the Switch all afternoon.

Lylee loves her grandpa.

I ended the month with a 24in48 reading challenge. I read +6 hours total and squeezed in an intermission because my favorite 3 year old and 1 year old were celebrating their birthdays!

F E B R U A R Y

I had a (beat the) Winter Blues party at the beginning of the month. It was super small. Best friends & parents came over for drinks and games and camaraderie.

The next two weeks were filled with business travel. We spent four days in Columbus, OH, then came home for two, then flew to San Antonio, TX for six days.

The dogs were very happy to finally have us home.

My mom and I had a little date night in town between my Texas trip and Cleveland overnight. We got coffee at the local cafe, then popped across the street to the small theater to see Peter Rabbit. Guys… it was SO cute and comical. I loved it.

This past weekend I spent the night in Cleveland with my two best friends…

And that’s what’s new with me 🙂 What’s New With You?

Happy Birthday to my Grandma Peggy!

What's New With You

First and Foremost

Audrey37 Comments

Hi! I missed y’all 🙂 Coming back strong with a fun little “firsts” tag that I borrowed from Stephanie! I was driving my parents nuts with all these, “What was my first xyz…?” questions.

What was your first word? My mom thinks it was “Nan.” My dad and his siblings called their grandma (my great-grandma) Nan. According to the story I was told, I tried to call my dad’s mom Nan. Since that was bound to get confusing, I was forced to figure out a different name. Some how the term “Numna” (num-nuh) came about. And that’s what everyone has called my grandma since I could talk. Yay for being grandkid #1!
Do you still talk to your first love?  Not really. We’re Facebook friends and I see him around maybe once a year, but I don’t go out of my way to talk to him.
…
What was your first alcoholic drink?  Wine coolers. I’d tasted my parents’ beer/wine before, but my first intentional just-for-me drink was a wine cooler.
…
What was your first job?  My first real collect-a-paycheck job was at Quiznos. And after a month I got fired. Lol
…
First pet?  Bruno, who was a very good boy.
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What was your first car? My darling yellow Volkswagen Beetle. His name was Lenny and I totaled him four years and three days after I got him.
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Who was the first person to text you today?  Aubrey! Saying how excited she was for Kayla and I to come hangout in Cleveland with her. (I answered this question last Thurs.)
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Who was the first person you thought of this morning? Enzo, because he kicked me in the throat at 2 am.
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Who was your first grade teacher?  Mrs. Turner.
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Where did you go on your first airplane ride?  My dad’s pretty sure my first plane ride was to Boston. My aunt & uncle lived there at the time and they took me there to meet them.
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Who was your first best friend and do you still talk?  I had two best friends growing up, but we were friends because our moms were friends. The first bff I picked for myself was a girl named Lindsey. We still talk. We went to a country superfest last year together.
Lindsey is on the right.

Where was your first sleep over?  Ever? Probably my grandparents’ house. I also remember staying with my aunt and uncle (not the ones in Boston) when I was a kid. They were in their twenties and we’d play Nintendo and Sega way past my bedtime.
…
What was the first concert you ever went to? A Fallout Boy, Hawthorne Heights, From First to Last, and All American Rejects concert. I was a freshman in high school.
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What was your first broken bone?  I snapped my tibia and fibula when I was 7. That hurt a bit.
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What was your first piercing?  I’ve never had anything pierced.
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What was the first foreign country you’ve gone to?  Switzerland when I was six.
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What was the first movie you remember seeing?  I think my parents took me to see The Little Mermaid in theaters, but I looked it up and it came out in ’89… so I don’t know. Air Bud was the first movie I ever cried during.
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When was your first detention?  Six grade, I think. I was a good student, but I forgot to do my homework sometimes. I remember getting at least two detentions in middle school for incomplete work. In high school I got caught skipping class and got in-school suspension for two days. Lol. I was a good student, just defiant.
…
Who was your first roommate?  Kristene. We went to hs together (and elementary & middle school) so when we picked the same college we decided to room together our freshman year.

Kristene is in black. I’m the moron with ORANGE hair. Woof.

What was the first sport you were involved in?  Frickin’ T-ball. Then I went on to do baseball/softball for 8 more years. Woof.
…
What is the first thing you do when you get home?  Let the pups out, comb through the mail, and then sit on the ground with Ly and E to play with them and snuggle them.
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When was your first kiss?  My freshman year of high school, toward the end of the year. It was actually a pretty good one (although K is my favorite person to kiss 😉 lol).

I love that pig picture so much, lol. I think someone in my family made me that costume.

Ok, now you answer some of these! What was your first plane ride or concert? Does anyone get anything other than their ears pierced first?! (Besides nothing at all, lol.)

Random December Thoughts

Audrey30 Comments

I haven’t post a collection of random thoughts in a quick minute so …

Well let’s kick this off with a weird one.
Sometimes, while sitting in the bathroom, I think to myself how fortunate females are because we sit down to do our business. I mean, anything we go to the bathroom to accomplish (besides throwing up), can be done in the same position. Meanwhile, if a guy steps into the bathroom to go #1 and he finds that his bowels have other plans, he has to turn around and sit quickly OR shuffle from the urinal to the toilet.
*I asked K if he’s ever had a bathroom experience were a guy at the neighboring urinal quickly changed his mind and stepped into a stall. He says never in his life. I’m skeptical.

I’m unnaturally happy about the newest royal engagement. I feel warm and fuzzy when I think about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I don’t know them, I don’t keep close tabs on the family, I don’t have a crazy crush on the prince- I just love that they look so happy and healthy.

Do you say “bless me” when you sneeze? Because I do and it makes K crazy. He says you can say excuse me (for yourself) or bless you (for others), but bless me is just self-centered. We had a drawn out argument over this at work a few weeks ago… Looking for real feedback here.

A few weekends ago I went to Hocking Hills in southern Ohio with two of my best friends, Enzo, and Kayla’s dog Ernie. We hot tub-ed, hiked, drank too much wine, and just had a really fun time. If you can, take a girls’ trip 🙂 The cabin was only 2 or 3 hours from all of us (we all live in different cities in OH) and we found a weekend to just go. Your trip doesn’t have to be miles and miles away!

My brother and sister-in-law pay attention to my blog and they asked for a Christmas list. So I’m randomly throwing in some things that fall under the “want” category this Christmas…

  • Chunky knit blanket (example)… I don’t care where it comes from. I just like ’em.
  • This book preordered. It doesn’t release until the end of January.
  • A make-up holder and a brush cleaner.
  • A watch. (I don’t know what I want… smallish and minimalist, but quirky.)
  • This mug. This sweatshirt and this sweatshirt. And either this doormat or this one.
  • This poster. I really want the artwork with Leo’s story from TWW, but I can’t find one I like on etsy 😦

Is that enough stuff, Fred? 😉

Share a random thought with me. (Also, do you say “bless me”???)

Currently…

Audrey35 Comments

Hello, November 🍂

My blog has been very surface level lately so I wanted to link-up with Kristen and Gretch today to go a little deeper with a currently/What’s New With You? post.

Right now I’m R E A D I N G so many books simultaneously. K got me a Kindle Paperwhite for my birthday last month and I went a little crazy on NetGalley… Physical-book-wise, I’m finishing up The Moon-Spinners and Circling the Sun. I just finished Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair at Style. On Kindle I dove into Fairest of All. (K got me Kindle Unlimited and I found it on there.) After I finish some of those I’ll crack into my NetGalley reads! I didn’t end up finishing Erin’s book challenge but that’s ok.

We’re done moving and the old house is officially turned over to the new owners, but I’m still S T R E S S I N G – O U T – O V E R the settling part of new homeownership. I completely broke down to K a few weeks ago and told him that our constant chaos in the house is killing me on the inside and making my anxiety a raging beast. I feel like a failure in my home which makes me feel like a failure in all aspects of life (as a wife, as an employee, as a daughter, as a fall-lover, as a dog momma). I know that’s silly and unhealthy, but I crave balance and order. I promise I’m trying to slow down and focus and relax this month.

I’m also P R E P A R I N G for the holidays (i.e. Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations). I think getting some of that stuff done will reset my brain and give me peace.

The kitchen is finally in order so we will be E A T I N G some yummy home-cooked meals soon. FINALLY, guys. I think one of the worst parts of moving was all the takeout and fast food and sodium-filled dinners during the process. UGH. The last few nights we’ve been snacking on the dips we had at the party (spinach & artichoke, taco, etc.).

We moved all our furniture into the new house and don’t plan to change anything, but we’ve definitely had to add. We are B U Y I N G allll the things right now. Lol. We just got new bookshelves and reading chairs for my library area, I got a new hamper for my itty-bitty laundry room, and we’re currently trying to decide on some end tables and a coffee table… Home tour soon. Promise.

My brain is overwhelmed like an accountant in April, but I am very T H A N K F U L – F O R all our friends and family. Between helping us move, letting me vent on the phone/through text, and celebrating with us at birthday and Halloween parties, I just can’t get over the love and support we’ve been given. Thanks, everyone 🖤 I love going into the holiday season feeling so loved.

We have a business trip in Indianapolis coming up, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t P L A N N I N G a potential winter trip for K and myself. I’ve only mentioned it to him, but I feel like I need to mentally and physically get away for a long weekend. We’ll see if it happens. I’d settle for a girls’ trip instead, but my bff is laid up after knee surgery. We’ll see…

In the interest of full disclosure, I have been R A G I N G – A B O U T the state of our country. The current administration, the Hollywood assault stories, the preference of policy and politics over people. It’s embarrassing and heartbreaking.

Let’s end on a good note, yes?

I am P A R T I C I P A T I N G – I N Alexandra and Shea‘s Live Your Best (Holiday) Life or LYBHolidayL in November. I’m pretty excited about it, actually. Taking the time to be grateful and intentional without spending hundred of dollars 🙂

(I don’t care if Halloween is over.) L A U G H I N G – A B O U T :

This is us trying to get the dogs to adjust to the new neighborhood. LOL

So what’s new with you?

What's New With You