From the mouths of babes….

My husband is an Assistant Principal for a public Elementary school. A few days before we got married, one of the second grade classes decided to make him a book full of marriage advice. Every now and then I read it and think about how easy it would be if we just listened! Especially about the new car part…seriously Honey get with the program. J

 

My No Spend Month starts today!

So I have gotten a little more into blogs lately and coupled with my Pinterest obsession (because for serious, who isn’t obsessed these days), I have stumbled across the idea of a No Spend Month.  The idea is based on a family of 3 or 4 people who are only allowed to spend $250 on extra “stuff”.  Necessities like groceries, gas, and bills don’t count. 

I want to do this a little different.  I really can’t include my husband because we somewhat keep our finances separate for the time being.  He (we) have number of rental properties which he is sinking a lot of money in at the moment.  I will write more about our lovely (cough, cough) rental properties sometime.  Right now they are consuming our lives to the point where I don’t want to think about them! 

So, I want to try and spend $300 between now and July 20^th.  That will be $75 a week.  This includes groceries and gas but does not include any bills.  Make sense?  Sound difficult?  Only time will tell.  What worries me about this is tomorrow, for example, I will have to get gas.  $60 right there!  Ugh!  Then I believe I have a hair appointment on July 18^th.  Dangit.  $120 right there!  Double ugh!  That got me thinking….there is not much I can do on gas.  My commute is like nothing and that will probably last me 2 weeks.  But the hair thing, hmmm.  Maybe I can work on that. 

I have a few reasons for wanting to do this.  For starters, ok I admit it, I have a teensy bit of credit card debt I’m paying off.  Ok maybe more than a teensy bit.  Let me put it this way.  It’s under $5k.  I know, I know, geez I was living on a single income for like ever.  It’s so much harder than living on two incomes.  That being said, with my townhouse being sold (fingers crossed till closing in 2-3 weeks), every cent I earn goes right to paying that off.  So…another two to three months, and that should be gone.   My second reason is, I need a new car.  Ok, I take that back.  I don’t need a new car, I want one.  See my problem here?  (However, the front console of my car is being held together by a rubberband)  The sooner I can pay off that debt, the sooner I can start socking moola away for a slightly used, super chic, SUV.  A white Nissan Rogue is at the top of my list right now.  That may change by the end of the day.    My third reason is, that when we have little Kehrer’s running around (which I hope is sooner than later), I would really like to be able to stay at home with them.  This will entail living off of my husband’s income, which he makes a good living, but that doesn’t mean we will have money for me to spend my days shopping and hitting up the local spa.  Not by a long shot.  So I figure this would be good practice. 

We have SO much food in our pantry and fridge, not to mention about 400 pounds of steak and ribs downstairs in our freezer.  Brian bought a half a cow awhile back.  Great investment if you are thinking about doing it!  We should have enough food to not do much grocery shopping for awhile.  Hamburger helper anyone???

I will post in one week to let you know my status.  Wish me luck!

What to write about. 

Well I started this blog a long time ago…I have wanted to get back at it and now, while I should be “working hard” right now it’s more lie “hardly working”.   I figured it would be a great time to start! 

I have now been married a little over a year.  I think (know) that both my husband and I would agree with the saying of “The First Year being the Hardest”.  We are both two strong willed people that have been used to getting “our way” for a very long time.  We are getting better with this, slowly but surely.   

Some random thoughts about our marriage so far…

1)      Knowing that even though my husband did quite well as a bachelor for almost 38 years, his life is so much more complete with me in it.  We were driving back from a little weekend get a way a few weeks ago and the song came on the radio “I’d be looking for a woman like you” by Lee Brice.  The song has always reminded me of us, and I didn’t even realize my husband listened to words of songs but the second the song came on, his first words were “this song so reminds me of us”.  And yep, from the line of “She knows what a mess I'd be if I didn't have her here” to “And not one throw pillow on the bed”, that song pretty much sums up our marriage.  We have a total of 9 pillows on our bed when completely made, just FYI.  It’s awesome.    

2)     We will make great parents and I think we will have a wonderful family.  I don’t think there are two people in this world that balance each other out the way my husband and I do. 

3)      I have realized that I have a lot of work to do on myself.  Not that I ever thought I was perfect or even close to it.  I think being married makes you realize that your perception of your own strengths and weaknesses are not at all accurate.  I’m not quite who I thought I was.  Before I was married, I used to think I was level headed….after being married for a year I can wholeheartedly say that’s not true, I really need to relax.  I also used to think of myself as kind of a hard ass.  While I know my husband shakes his head, rolls his eyes, etc when I am trying to save every helpless animal that I come in contact with, I know deep down he loves this about me.  Brian makes me feel like I am one of the most caring, sensitive (in a good way), empathetic people in the world.  And that makes me want to be even more “that way”.

4)     I have turned out to be a damn good cook.  More posts on this later…

5)     No matter how big the fight or how frustrated you are…being married is worth it.  As I stated earlier, I think both Brian and I would agree that the first year has been tough.  We have had a lot of adjustments, and still have many more to go.  But, even at the lowest point, I wouldn’t trade him or what we have for a second. 

6)       When people call me Mrs. Kehrer, I still feel the need to do that snort/laugh combo at them.  Sometimes I actually do it.  I don’t know why.  I’m almost 32 and still don’t feel old enough to be a “Mrs”.   

7)     In some alternate universe, if my husband was married to some other woman, I would be painfully jealous of her.   

So there are my random thoughts on our marriage for the day.  I will end with this….

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?
- George Eliot

…Getting there.  J

Wedding day and one year later! 

Just over 2 weeks to go...

Well if read my last post I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to read that I got fired from my job.  Praise the Lord.  I never thought I would say those words and it's not like me at all but I am so much better off.  That company was a total nightmare to work for and I am a happier, better person not being there anymore.  It's a lot to get into but with everything going on in my personal life, trying to deal with that whole situation would had been catastrophic.  The more and more time goes on, the more and more I realize that God really was looking out for me.  Things will for sure work out for the best.  For the past month, I have still been unbelievably busy planning the wedding, moving my stuff to Brians, combining households, getting my house on the market, job searching, etc, etc.  PLENTY to keep me busy.  I hardly turn on the TV at all.  It's kind of getting to the point where I'm starting to feel a little...I don't know.  Not empty...but just kind of blah about not working.  But trust me, it's a lot better feeling then I had about a month and a half ago.  Anyways....
everything with the wedding is coming along as best as it could be.  My husband to be is doing great.  Working very hard as always.  I know we are both a little (well maybe more then a little) anxious about the changes that are about to take place.  I just can't believe in just two and a half weeks I will have this whole new "life".  It's crazy...but at the same time I can't wait to see what awaits.  That sounds super cheesy I know.  :) 
I vow to write 2 more entries on here before the wedding.  Two weeks from Saturday.

Where did those few months go...

Well I know where they went.  If you read my past post, you will understand.  The past 2 months I have been working non stop, planning the luncheon (which was incredibly successful and I'm proud to say I did a great job), and just have not had a chance to sit down.  It's funny I just looked at my past post and what I predicted is exactly what has happened...in a way.  Through January/February I was working a TON.  I was completly stressed out and overwhelmed with the luncheon.  Plus, planning the wedding and thinking about moving.  I must say I think I handled it very well.  Now that I don't have the staffing issues and am done with my Panhellenic luncheon I have to say that things have not gone as great as I thought they would.  I'm having some major problems with my job unfortunatly.  It's hard to keep your head in the game for something that you really don't believe in.  I'm struggling to find what it is I want to do for the rest of my life.  It totally sucks I am so down in the dumps about my job right now.  I am doing my best to put it behind me though.  Some things are just totally beneath me and at the risk of sounding...I don't know...sometimes I think that God just doesn't want me to work there anymore.  It's not a healthy environment and not good for me.  I would hate to lose my job at this point because of the guilt factor.  But, at the same time...maybe it's for the best.  I just know at the end of the day a paycheck is very, very important...but self worth is a heck of a lot more important.  My job isn't giving me any self worth lately.  Honestly...it's humiliating to work where I work.
Ok, enough of that...Ok! About 2 and a half months to go.  I'm still so excited.  Next weekend we are headed to Arizona to visit my parents and then the madness begins after that.  Showers, bachelorette partiest, the whole nine yards.  I can't wait!  I still can't believe its all coming together.  Well...yes I can.  It feels like we have been engaged for awhile now.  I am just ready to be MARRIED!!
Good to get some stuff off my chest.  May 21...only like 72 days away!

So...I have been busy!

Pretty much what my title says...I have been super busy with stuff.  Mostly work stuff.  I'm glad I kind of psyched myself up for stuff because I know I have to me majorly on my toes over the next few months.  My job will be very demanding over the next month or two because of staffing issues.  I'm also planning a Panhellenic Alumni luncheon for around 200 people that will take place the end of February.  Oh and putting my house on the market as well as planning a wedding on top of that.  If that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out, I don't know what will.  But, I will get through it and you know what, come the end of February or more likely the beginning of March, when the luncheon is over and my job is not requiring massive amounts of time and brain power, I will be more the ready to take some time off and get ready for the wedding and...OK I will go ahead and say it...the happiest time of my life!  Sorry...I am honestly just getting so excited about everything.  I'm counting down the days till the wedding but I know that the wedding is only one day, well more like 3 days when you factor in rehearsal dinner, bridal luncheon, family dinner, day of wedding, actual wedding....anyways...I AM very excited for that weekend.  But, I'm more excited to start out married life.  I have a lot of friends that have gotten married in the past few years.  Most of them have lived together, some of them have not.  I see absolutely nothing wrong with living with your significant other before marriage, and I really mean that.  I think/know that if Brian and I weren't kind of already "settled" in our own lives, that maybe living together would have been an option.  But when we met, I had my place, he had his.  I know I'm rambling...bear with me.  I guess I hear a lot of people when asked "how's married life" their answer is "well really nothing different than before".  Nothing wrong with that....at all. But I guess part of me is just excited for that "big change".  I know some of it will be awkward and some of it will be really, really fun.  And when I say awkward I really think at first it's almost going to be like "playing house" but in a fun way.  Anyways, that was pretty much the all over the place posting ever.  That's kind of my mental state right now, understandably.  Maybe the next one will make more sense!