Ever Distant Lives

Something occured to my as I was sitting up having my morn'in cuppa. My family has changed ALOT. I think back to my younger days as the oldest boy in a family of 6 as my father made his livelyhood as a Methodist preacher. We moved around together, much like a traveling band of gypsies, without people offering to sell us their children. My dad is no longer a preacher, and has not been for 10 years. All of my siblings, save myself, are done with undergraduate college, and I will soon be joining their ranks. All of us, but my little brother, are now married and moved out of the house. Finally, my sister and her husband are embarking to the furthest location away they have lived from either one of their parents. So, what does this all mean? Well, since Kristi and I are still "just around the corner" from our parents, literally, it doesn't mean as much for us yet. For Mary and Lane it means that they will be picked up at airports for holidays and the dropped back off reluctantly. It means that my mom won't be washing or ironing my clothes anymore, which I should have been doing more of when I lived at home. It means I need to be more responsible about emailing not only both my sisters and their husbands, but cousins who live in Tennessee, Florida, Nebraska, and Alabama. I need to call my grandparents more often and tell them how much I love and miss them. These are sins I am guilty of. Thank goodness I have a very loving and forgiving family. As I write this blog, I am reminded of a song by Derek Webb called "Faith My Eyes". In the song, he writes "And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face ,with a touch of my father just up around the eyes. And the sound of my brother's laugh, But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives.".....This is so true of my life. This is just change, not bad nor good, just change. You learn to adjust. Btw, thank God for email.

The Married Life.....almost one month.

.....and so it begins. Kristi and I have almost been married one month. We were getting ready for bed and it occured to me last night that ......I AM F'ing MARRIED!......YES MARRIED!!! *Chinese Guy from Sixteen Candles Voice* This was just one of those milestone type feelings, like when you realize you are graduated from highschool or you drink your first legal beer. I kind of compare it to the "moment of clarity" alcoholics experience when they finally see hope in their lives for the first time. I am sure feelings like this will occur again when Kristi and I have our first child. Alot in my life has changed MAJOR in the past 3 years. I am almost about to graduate college, something I thought I'd never do. I have been in a 3 year relationship, something else I never believed was possible for me, and I LOVE IT! I LOVE not being single and having to prove myself to every Jane Doe that walks my way. I mean, not that I don't still try to say impressive things or walk a little more confident when I encounter the opposite sex, but I just don't feel like I HAVE to impress them, because I am not playing the "pitch 'em woo" game. It's more as in a professional atmosphere or acedemic sense. The crazy thing is, I think my confidence and savy derive frpm being with Kristi for so long. She gives me that in AMAZING WAYS. Kristi and I respond to each others "love languages" pretty well. If you don't know about "love languages" those are the things that either turn you on emotionally. (i.e. acts of services, affectionate touch, words of affirmation and encouragement.) If you are currently in a relationship, I HIGHLY reccomend you discover what your significant other's love languages are. Hopefully, you are like Kristi and I and have natural tendencies towards adhereing to your partner's language.
Well, I hope I'm not being to mushy gushy about how wonderful it is to be married to Kristi, which it IS! Maybe we are still in the "honeymoon period" so to speak and really haven't allowed the QUIRKS to set in. I am really trying to make a conscience effort to work on some of my flaws to avoid having them on the QUIRK list. (i.e. doing chores around the house). Please pray for my vigilance in accomplishing this. I really don't want to replace my mother with Kristi (well, not in this capacity). Kristi is STILL going to have to comfort me in SICKNESS....it was in the vows man!

SUPERFABLOUS WEDDING....SORRY IF YOU MISSED IT!

I am now offically Hitch-a-fied and it's pretty gnarly so far! Mine and Kristi's wedding was a galia affair to say the least. The reception wasn't without it's problems, but atleast everyone had a good time. We honeymooned in Orlando and our trip MORE than made up for the snaf-fu's at the reception. We went to a waterpark and two disney themeparks (all the themepark tickets and the 3 day 4 nights in the 5-star Marriott property was FREE! courtsey of Daddy-Claunch-Bucks! We saw Train in concert at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney on Monday, we had Massage Therapy on Tuesday (WHICH ENDED UP BEING HALF PRICE DUE TO THE FACT THE ENVIRONMENT FOR MASSAGE THERAPY WAS BASICALLY IN THE WEIGHT ROOM AND NEXT TO THE "KIDSZONE" PLAYROOM....we complained to the management and since my dad and I used to work for Marriott, we got 2 fer 1!!!). Tuesday night we boogied down at The City Walk, which has a reggae club, a dance club, a piano bar, a jazz club, and a latin club (which was unfortunately closed) We did The Majic Kingdom and Epcot both on Wednesday. (word of advice for future Disney patrons..don't try 2 parks on the same day..you'll feel you missed ALOT!) Finally on Thursday we shopped at the Florida Mall. They have a swank shop called Lucky Brand that was super fabulous! I got a shirt that was really cool...although kinda pricey at around $70. I think it was worth it though. I have very little "Swankness" in my wardrobe. We left Orlando at 3 on Thursday and returned to Panama City at about 10. All in all the entire "getting married" experience was exhilirating and threw both of us through a gauntlet of emotions. The point is we survived.