Then Came Marriage Part 2

Okay, so at this point we have been dating for a couple years and Kahu has come in to the picture. We have been discussing marriage and I have made it clear that I would like Romeo to propose.

Ladies, you need to take this as some key advice. If you want your guy to propose STOP ASKING ABOUT IT. Romeo wanted it to be a surprise so he waited until I stopped talking about it. It was so hard to wait for him to decide to propose and I took it to mean that he did not want to get married. I was wrong. He just wanted to be able to propose on his own accord.

I went to visit family in Pennsylvania and I had been back for a few days. Romeo asked me to meet him at his house for our date night, which was very common. When I got to the door I saw rose petals all over the floor. I followed them which led me to a heart made out of roses with a ring box in the middle. Then Romeo walked out.

He told me that he loved me and asked me to marry him. Of course, I was overjoyed and said yes. We knew we wanted our engagement to be for at least a year. We looked at dates and went back and forth with each other and our family. It took some time but we finally set our date as December 7^th, 2008.

This put our engagement at about a year and a half. I’m glad our engagement was that long because I don’t think our wedding could have been planned in less time. The planning started right away.

I can honestly say that our engagement was the hardest time in our relationship (well, second to when we broke up years ago…). Our families wanted different things from us regarding our wedding plans and we were torn in different directions. I’m stubborn and wanted what I wanted. I stood my ground…for the first year. Then I started falling apart. Our relationship was suffering and we were arguing with each other and our families all the time. My in-laws wanted so much and Romeo didn’t know how to make them and me happy. I gave in and told them to do whatever they wanted for a number of things. I was tired of fighting and tired of wedding planning coming between me and my fiancée. I wanted to marry him and that was all. I just wanted to get the wedding part over with. My mother and I fought constantly. She knew there were parts of the wedding that I was not happy about. The problem was that there were parts that I did want and she couldn’t tell the difference. She’s stubborn too.

Sorry that so far my wedding planning part of the story has not been all warm and loving. It was tough and there were many parts of my wedding that I would change, if I had the chance to do it over. But, I did get to have the locations and colors that I wanted. And, more importantly, I vowed to be with the person that I love for the rest of my life. My family and friends were there and we danced the night away. Romeo drank way too much that night, but that’ll happen.

Be glad I didn't post more pictures. I have HUNDREDS

Once the wedding was over I got to breathe a sigh of relief. We went on our honeymoon, which was a 10 day cruise of the Caribbean. It was awesome. We got into our grove of married life and things got better day by day.

I love Romeo with my whole heart and soul and am so glad that we have the rest of our lives to spend together. I love being married to him. We have been through hard times together and have made it through to the other side better than we were before. I can’t imagine being with anyone else.

Then Came Marriage Part 1

Okay, so technically I was dating my now-husband before I got the dog. But we got engaged and married after I got Kahu.

My husband, Romeo, and I were high school sweethearts. We met at school and had a couple classes together in our senior year (study hall and government).  We knew of each other but didn’t really talk. Then I decided that I needed to get a job. I applied at the restaurant that his parents owned, Mamma Mia. I got the job and started hostessing and waitressing there. Romeo worked in the kitchen so we saw each other every single day. We began talking more and more.

Unfortunately, I had a boyfriend at the time that I had been dating for over a year. Let’s call him “The Nerd.” It wasn’t an exciting relationship at all. It was something that was “easy” so I stayed with The Nerd. He wasn’t hot, that’s for sure. We had practically no passion and were more friends than anything else. When I would come over to his house I would sit and watch him work/play on his computer. (I told you it wasn’t exciting.) I knew that I needed to end things when I started dreading going to see him. When I talked to The Nerd on the phone I would roll my eyes all the time and not participate in the conversation. At the same time, I was becoming more and more attracted to “the hot guy at work.” I looked forward to going to work and the classes I had with Romeo. We didn’t talk on the phone or hang out yet but we flirted each time we saw each other. So when The Nerd told me that he was moving in with a friend that lived almost an hour away I took it as a way out. I told him that was too much for me to deal with and we needed to break up.

I told Romeo right away that The Nerd and I had broken up. He is a good guy and waited about a week before asking me out. Of course, I said yes. We clicked instantly and were inseparable. The Nerd tried to get me to come back to him but I told him I had found someone else and was not interested in the slightest. He took some time but finally figured out that Romeo was my new one and only.

Romeo and I dated through our first year in college. Okay, community college. I’m not rich and could not validate spending that kind of money on school when I didn’t know yet what I wanted to do. Plus, I’m kinda lazy. Romeo started to get antsy in the relationship, as expected for a college guy. We broke up for about a year. That year was tough. We hated each other for a good part of the time and I wasn’t sure that I could ever forgive him for the way he treated me.

We got older and more mature through that time apart. As I was stubborn as a mule, I wouldn’t quit my job so we still saw each other at work all the time. We began talking again and as time went on we realized we still enjoyed each other’s company. We decided to give “us” another try but I told Romeo that he would have to earn back my trust. Well, he did. Looking back, the time apart was good for us. We were able to grow ourselves and mature and we were able to be better in a relationship together.

We dated for a couple years and began talking about marriage. I knew Romeo was the one I wanted to grow old with. While we were dating I decided I wanted a puppy. That led to the search and obtainment of my boo-boo, Kahu.

And you’ll need to check my next post for the engagement and marriage story.  So stay tuned!

First Came The Dog

When I decided I wanted a puppy I did my research to find out what breed fit me the best. I did an online breed questionnaire that asked me questions about what I wanted from my dog. I said I wanted a large dog that was low energy (as I am lazy), had little grooming requirements (again… lazy), would be a good guard dog, would be great with kids, and would be very attached to its owner (as I am needy). Clicked enter…. Bing! “You should get a Great Dane.” Well, thanks dog breed questionnaire!

This led me into finding out any and all information I could about the breed. (You’ll learn that this is the type of person I am. I am a planner.) After checking out Great Danes I fell in love with them. They had the personality I wanted, they were humungous, they were “low odor” (they don’t have as strong of the doggy smell), they had few grooming requirements, and were very gentle. Well, as gentle as a 150-200 pound dog can be. I would show my mom pictures of them and say how cute I thought they were. She would say that they weren’t cute. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

I found a reputable breeder that was within driving distance and signed up for a puppy in an upcoming litter. I knew I wanted a male because they tend to be “Velcro-dogs.” When the pups were born I was sent pictures of the available puppies and knew he would be mine. Kahu means “guardian” in Hawaiian. His kennel is Hawaiian themed and I lived there for a few years as a child. (I was an Army brat, so I’ve lived in a number of places.)

Oh, FYI- my breeders are Ohana Danes and Jaya Danes. Kahu’s litter was co-owned so he kinda has two kennels, although Ohana was where I picked him up. Stacey, the breeder for Ohana Danes, is amazing. She is always helpful with any questions I have with Kahu and loves all her Danes. She wants to know how they are doing and looks forward to pictures. If you are interested in a Great Dane I highly recommend her. And she is a responsible breeder and only does one or two litters a year. We have visited a number of times and Kahu loves playing with a bunch of dogs his size. I would love to eventually get another Dane from her. Maybe someday. Maybe…

I love my puppy. He may weigh about 175 pounds but he is still, and will always be, my puppy. There were times that he made me so mad I wanted to scream (and sometimes I did scream…okay, and curse…) but I wouldn’t trade him in for any other doggy. He is my boo-boo.

And for those who need to know… Yes. He does eat a lot.

Welcome!

Welcome to My Uneventful Life. This blog is about… well……..my uneventful life.

I’ve recently become a new mommy so most of what you will hear about will be regarding my experiences that come along with welcoming a baby into my life. I live in a small Southern town where not much goes on. Family and friends are a big part of who I am. They are there for me through thick and thin and they know I am there for them, no matter what.

Now, for the introductions of the key players.

First there is me, Heather. I’m a mid-twenties woman and will admit that I can be a bit weird. But you gotta have some spice in life, right? I like to have my kind of fun and if doing a little jig in a store for finding “the perfect onesie” is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

      

Next there is my husband, Romeo. No, that is not a pet name or a joke. That is his name. It’s pronounced Roe-may-oh. He is from an Italian family so get used to Italian names. You’ll hear plenty of them.  We’ve been married for three years and, although we had some pretty tough times in the past, he is the love of my life and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else. He is amazingly supportive and gets my odd sense of humor. I love that he isn’t afraid to be weird with me. And that he doesn’t judge me when I’m goofy all on my own. He is the Ren to my Stimpy. The Spongebob to my Patrick.

Then there is the newest family member, our beautiful daughter Quorra (pronounced Cora).  She is the light of my life. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I could be a mom but I am so glad we decided to have a baby because now I could never imagine my life without her. I love her more than I ever imagined loving anyone or anything. Having and raising a child is hard work but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Quorra will be the basis to most of my posts. I’m new to this parenting thing so we are working things out and learning together, day by day. Oh, and if I hear of any child from here on out with the name Quorra I will know that you stole it from me. Be creative and think of your own baby name. Mm Kay? Good.

Like I said, my family is a huge part of my life. You’ll hear most often about my sister, Jessica.  We are only a year and a half apart in age and we are super close. Of course, we had our rough patch when we were middle school/high school age, but don’t most kids? She is an amazing auntie to little Quorra and is always there for me, whether it’s for a shoulder to cry on, someone to bitch to, a voice of reason, a listening ear, fun times together, or a last minute baby-sitter.  Her husband, Kevin, is also pretty legit. I honestly could not imagine any better man for her. Oh, and did I mention that Jessica also has an amazing blog?? You should check it out. Heart on Homestead.  Do it. Right now.  Well, after reading my blog, of course. Other then my sister, I have two brothers and (obviously) a mom and dad. My mom and dad are still married, which seems to be rare now-a-days.

             

Other family members that will be mentioned plenty will be my cousins, Kristin and Nicole. Although we live over 5 hours driving time apart (and have always been at least that far away) we grew up together and are the best of friends. My sister, my cousins, and I are a fierce foursome. Be jealous.

Also, Nicole has an amazing blog as well. Read it. Pampers and Pumps.

Then there’s the Real Housewives of Harrisonburg, aka the RHH. And no, you can’t join. We are a group of ladies that have become great friends and love hanging out together. (Harrisonburg is the Podunk city that we live near.) We do tons together and are a great supportive system for each other. The RHH consists of (for now, we add people often): Kristin L. (who also has a mad awesome blog, Halfway a Housewife), Michelle (who’s blog is Left on WishingWell) (can you tell blogging is the new black?), Angela, Lindsey, Megan, Laura, and Natasha. Kristin and Nicole are honorary RHH members as they don’t live near us.

And now we have come to the main guy himself…. Big man of the house… Kahu. He is my 4 ½ year old Great Dane.  He is spoiled rotten. I love my puppy. You will love him too, whether you like it or not.

So, there you have it. The main folks that make up who I am.

For my readers, there is not much that I can promise you. But I do promise that I won’t write every day, I’ll probably post blurry cell phone photos, have tons of misspellings and grammar issues, you won’t always understand my humor, and I’ll try to give you some insight into being a new mom.

Now read on to see how things progress in my continuing quest to be a good mommy and finding balance with having a baby and having a life. Even if it is an uneventful one.