The Bug Has Bitten

Recently I decided it was time to begin planning the wedding in earnest. I'd been out to a few wedding sites before, and bookmarked things that looked like they would come in handy. I finally got them printed off and organized in a binder. I set up a wedding website, created our wedding registries, and we started talking about things like colors. We've already got an officiant, DJ, photographer, and the wedding party pretty well nailed down, thanks to fabulous friends. All of this was kind of fun, and I felt rather ahead of the game. I started on a guest list, and from there am looking into available venues. And then I went to a wedding...

Jesse's brother Ryan and I went to Kaycee this last weekend for their cousin's wedding. Haley and Geoff are amazing people, and are hellaciously fun to boot. Of course we agreed to do whatever we could to help out with preparations and such. So we spent a few days hanging thule, setting up chairs, arranging flowers, and doing most any task that needed doing. We hauled around the bride, helped figure out how to make things pretty, and played MC at the reception. Our bodies were sore and our feet were blistered, but we had a lot of fun too.

I tend to tear up at weddings, but this time I lost it about 15 seconds into the ceremony. The couple is very close to our hearts, and we'd invested a lot of time in everything turning out just so. And it did. Haley was a vision. Geoff looked incredible in his suit. Yet all I could think about was that in just over a year, I'd be doing the same thing with Jesse - celebrating our love and commitment to one another. Formalizing what's in our hearts. I can't wait!

Today's lesson: Do something for someone you care about, for no other reason than: you can. You just might enjoy it, and learn something about yourself in the process.

Silver Linings

Yup, I have an acute case. Of the blah's, that is. So many of my friends have been commenting on the fact that it's June, yet we're stuck with day after day of rain, cold, and gray. It's been fairly nice in the mornings, but by the time we're getting off work, it's storming again. We've had hail, rain, and rain. In Goshen County and Aurora, CO there were tornadoes. Every day we fear for the safety of the tender young, impressionable plants we worked so hard to plant...and paid a fair chunk of change for.

We're used to fairly decent weather this time of year. The old joke is that Wyoming has two seasons: winter and construction. Looking around, I note that there are several streets torn up and that highways to most anywhere come with a delay. So where's the sunshine and 75 degree weather we dream of all winter long? It takes a lot out of a person. I can tell Jesse is crankier when he can't go mow, pull weeds, or otherwise putter in the yard. I know that I'm happier when it I don't freeze my ass off in the office all day long and when I can lounge in the sun and fresh air.

I keep trying to look at the bright side, though. When it's warm outside, my office can also be unbearably hot. Being on the 4th floor of the oldest building on campus can do that to you. It also means that we're not having to water the lawn every single day, and that means lower water bills. It also means that later this summer, we might have a chance to go boating or floating. It means that the plants will grow more, the animals will have more food and be stronger, and we might stave off a drought for a while longer.

I still miss the sun, though. I try to focus on the silver linings, but it's sometimes harder than it looks.