on the 5th day of christmas...

Lizzie and I went to the tree lot and bought a 44 dollar tree

for 30 dollars.

But there was no price on the tree, so how would we know?? :)

and it is perfect.

on the 6th day of christmas.

we gathered most of our addresses along with our guest list.

and had

a day/night filled with family.

on the 7th day of christmas.

my best gf gave to me...

a new head of hair.

i'll spare you the details of the hair-ball kalie extracted from the shower drain.

my little fiance gave to me...

a stressful few hours of over the phone shopping. UGH!

my father gave to me...

a day full of house shopping.

luckily, he was too worn out to be grouchy anymore.

on the 8th day of christmas...

my best friend gave to me...

a reason...

to be domestic...
and to conduct my first bridal shower.

love her.

on the 9th day of christmas.*

my true love gave to me-

a pep talk while i was sobbing.

*i'm copying. and not apologizing for it.

USMC Fiancé.

i am such a fan of these.

it explains how things are better than i can.

and yes, the ending is pretty cheesey.

You think you know me, but you haven't the slightest clue.

I'm the brunette standing behind you in line at the grocery store, eyeing the newest "Support Our Troops" magnet while paging through the latest issue of Modern Bride. The look on her face is complacent and her thoughts are thousands of miles away on some military base she's only been verbally described of over the phone.

I'm the young girl in the next car with the windows rolled up and the glassy visage only on the road ahead. The radio is set to one of the local country stations which is currently playing "Letters From Home." But you can't hear it because you're talking to a family member or a friend on your cell phone. You catch a glance at the Marines sticker on the bumper of her car but you don't know that when the song reaches "My dearest love it's almost dawn, I've been laying here all night long, wondering where you might be...", her heart breaks a thousand times.

I'm the young woman who is planning an entire wedding on her own, with only the little input she can get from her husband-to-be over the phone.

I'm the girl who visits the Marine Corps Wives website at odd hours of the night to find some kind of comfort for that lonesome feeling that has settled in the pit of her stomach.

I'm the woman who has fought an inner battle, trying to accept the path the man she loves has chosen. I'm the woman who will willingly sacrifice her family, her home to follow a man clear across the country. I'm the woman who never asked for this but deals with it without complaint.

I'm the young woman who swells with pride every time she sees her Marine standing tall in his dress blues. I'm the one who spots a Marine sticker, license plate, or flag and feels a connection with its owner, hoping that maybe she's not alone in this melancholy, sacrificial situation.

I'm the one who hates war but knows that it's a necessary thing. I'm the one who supports her President, regardless of her own opinion because he is the boss of her soon to be husband, because he's the man who our troops are fighting under.

I am the young woman who tries her hardest to go about her everyday life.

I am the young woman who tries to concentrate during her classes and do the job she gets paid to do.

I am the young woman who hates sleeping alone.

I am the young woman who closes her eyes and pretends that the man she loves is laying right there next to her, his arms wrapped around her.

I am the young woman who tries not to miss him, who tries not to cry whenever she hears his name or even the mention of marines.

I am the woman who is terrified that the love of her life will be sent off to war, disabling them to get married when they had planned, hoped, and prayed.

I am many things.

A daughter.

A sister.

A cousin.

A niece.

A co-worker.

A friend.

But most importantly, I am the fiancé of a United States Marine.

"eat, pray, love."

"I seriously believed [he] was my soul mate."

"He probably was. Your problem is, you don't understand what that means. People think your soul mate is your perfect fit, and thats what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you will ever meet because they'll tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave. And thank God for it. (...) [Their purpose is] to shake you up, (...) tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light could get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you HAD to transform your life. Then introduce you to your spiritual master and beat it. That was [his] job. And he did great. But now it's over."

Thank God for it.