Meanderings of Adam and Stacia

I'm a 27 year old man.  I've been married for a little over a month now, almost a month and a half, I guess.  Life is getting to where I can say that it is starting to settle down, and I like that a lot.  For the first time in my life, things are seeming to fall into place and settle down into what I picture as my life being like for the next... SEVERAL years.  I have a family now.  I am a married man now.  We do family stuff.  We celebrate and commisserate together like families do.  There are times when it is somewhat difficult, but that is life, and that is genuinely ok because that is how we grow.

I recently did something that I haven't done in over a decade, for the most part.  I turned a page in my life and it is something that I am very proud of.  For nearly the last 12 years, I've worked with my dad in his law office doing all things secretarial and filling the roll basically of a paralegal.  It was a difficult job at times.  It was a slow job at times.  It was a huge blessing that put me through school and kept me out of the red the last decade.  I am eternally grateful to my dad for providing me with that job and for teaching me everything that he did and helping me to learn about the business world as much as I did.

Last week, I left working with my dad and started a new job with the company, CashCall.  I hadn't started a new REAL job in years and years, and starting this new job was such a pleasant surprise.  First off, I got the referral from my best friend, Joe.  He's worked there for several years, and he sent me a text one day and said his friend who is a manager there was looking for someone to hire.  I decided to see what it was all about, sent an email, and set up an interview.

So I interviewed and ended up getting the job.  I've now been working as a Quality Control Auditor for a week.  I am the guy who listens to the recorded phone calls from companies that say "this call may be monitored for quality assurance".  It is actually a super fun job.  I've come across some super fun phone calls and on top of that, I work with a really great team.  I work with 3 other people on my team, and then we all have a manager.  So we are a team of 5, and they are all really great.

I'm very much enjoying my new work.  I very much look forward to several more weeks, months... even years there.  The people are great, the work is pretty enjoyable, and it is close to home... the pay is pretty good, too... so that's nice.

Bottom line... I began a new chapter of my life and I'M LOVING IT!!!

Hey everyone!  Been a while since I wrote a new entry for our little blog here... I've been a little busy BEING MARRIED TO MY BEST FRIEND!!!!  Yeah... We've been married for 12 days now... 2 week on Saturday, and I just gotta say... IT'S BEEN TRULY AMAZING!!!  I still sometimes can't believe that we're married... WE'RE MARRIED!!!  Stacia truly is my best friend and now she's MY WIFE!!  That's wild to me, and yet... it's the greatest thing ever!!

So I've been living with Stacia for 12 days now... well, with Stacia AND Joey, my STEP SON!!!  He is awesome.  I will say, he gets up way too early and comes and jumps in bed, which isn't my favorite thing in the world... but we explained that he's got to wait until a little bit later in the morning, and he's been very receptive of that, so that's really nice to get to sleep until... 6:30am... still WAY early for me, but not terrible.  The early morning wake up calls have helped me to sleep better through the night, I think.  So a blessing in disguise.

Anyway, from the title of this post, you can probably assume it's about our honeymoon... WHICH IT IS!!!  We leave TOMORROW MORNING/AFTERNOON for the cruise!  We're going on a 9-night Mexican Riviera cruise... We're going to Cabo, Puerto, Ensenada and Manzanillo.  I really REALLY can't wait!!  We've got a few shore excursions planned, as well.  We're para-sailing in Cabo, we're going on a Pirate Ship Adventure in Puerto Vallarta, then we're getting a couples massage on the ship when we're in the Ensenada port.  It's going to be AMAZING!!!

I'm mostly looking forward to being able to relax, finally... we've been going crazy with the stress of the wedding planning before the wedding, and since the wedding 2 weeks ago, that stress has slowly been falling off, which has been great, but we still haven't had a real chance to relax... so these 9-nights are going to be AMAZINGLY WELL-DESERVED!!!   I've been keeping myself busy finishing up the putting the house together with all the new stuff (my stuff) and all that decorating and cleaning and straightening type stuff while Stacia is working and Joey is at school.  I've also been enjoying how much I've been cooking... which I simply LOVE doing, cooking is actually kind of relaxing for me, so I love doing it and that's a plus because Stacia likes my cooking, so that's great.  I've also been Making Joey's lunches for school, makes me feel like an official dad and I like that.  I've also still been working at the office and slowly getting through some school stuff... so it's been a very busy 2 weeks.

But none of that matters... WE'RE GOING ON OUR HONEYMOON TOMORROW!!!  AREN'T YOU SOOO EXCITED, BABY?!?!?!?!

My friends, it has come down to the wire... WE HAVE ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT!  I still can hardly believe that I'm getting married... but then even more crazy to believe is that I'm getting married in ONE WEEK from today!  It's truly amazing, to say the least.  All the little things that are left are falling into place, and it's really amazing to just watch as everything is just happening for us.

Don't get me wrong, we've put a GREAT DEAL of effort into this whole thing, but we are getting so much wonderful help from so many great friends!  It is genuinely a huge blessing to have so many people willing and ready to help with all these little details of our day next week.  

Tonight is Stacia's bachelorette party with her girls, and I'm so happy that she gets to spend time with friends and family tonight, I know she's going to absolutely love it soo much, so I'm really happy for her that she gets to have a great time.  And while she's doing that with her girls... I'm hanging out with some guys... doing up some bbq, some drinks, some movies, ping pong, and some o fmy favorite musicians jamming... so tonight is going to just be amazing for everyone involved.

So anyway, we have only one week left, and it is going to be the longest week... or perhaps the shortest week.  I just know that it is going to be a very busy one...  we're picking up our marriage license on Monday (the 19th), then I am trying to figure out a night for one final UNmarried date... one last date before we're married... maybe Wednesday or Thursday, either way, it will work out.

I'M GETTING MARRIED IN ONE WEEK!!!

Check out our Wedding Website if you need details.

Adam

Well you guys, I know you've been keeping up... probably more than I have, and I'm the one who is doing all the work for it (as opposed to you, not doing any of it... cause we all know that STACIA IS FOR SURE DOING THE MAJORITY OF IT BECAUSE SHE IS AMAZING).

Anyway... I need to update a few things here.  I think as of the last post, we'd just picked up both our rings... well, I already had mine, but we finally picked up hers after it got sized appropriately, so that is simply amazing.  We've got the rings.

Next thing... All the bridesmaids and groomsmen finally have their dresses/suits.  So that is a huge stress off my chest.  I know that I was worrying that the guys weren't going to get their suits in time or that the girls were going to miss the deadlines for picking up their dresses or something silly like that.  I really am just a little bit crazy when it comes to this stuff.  I just worry that things aren't going to get done, because I KNOW THAT I AM FORGETFUL, and so I just worry that sometimes other people might be as well, so I try to help as much as possible, and that sometimes leads to me feeling super stressed out for reasons that I don't need to be.  But that doesn't even matter at all, because everyone is set on their attire, everyone got their dresses and their suits.  So that is a huge checkmark off the to-do list.

There are several little projects I've been working on... a lot that Stacia is totally aware of, and then a couple that she has no idea about (sorry, baby, it's a surprise... but don't worry... only 12 more days until you get the surprise)!!  It has been somewhat difficult to keep working on all these things while still trying to maintain everything else going on in life, but I'm getting there, I'm doing it.  It may be hard at times, but that is what makes me appreciate the rest of the times soo much more.

On a sidenote, I filed another Leave of Absence from school.  So that means that I am going to delay graduating another semester... which means I won't be done until May of 2012... which isn't a bad thing.  I technically have until Fall of 2013, but I just want to be done with it, ya know?  I want to be able to be finished with school, have my Master's and get a good job... get working into a steady career that is at least SOMEWHAT enjoyable, if that's possible, so that I can feel like I am contributing to my family.  Yes, I am working right now, but I'm only working part time, and that is difficult as a man and as the leader of a family to not be bringing home the main source of income.  But I am coming to understand, with the wonderful help from Stacia, that God gives us different things at different times.  And perhaps right now he is just trying to refine me into who I am supposed to be for my last semester at school so that who I am ministers to someone else, and they see Jesus in me... so I hope that this extra time, and this extra slap against my ego is going to be used in some way.

Ok friends, family and fans... I'm checking out for the evening, I'm tired.  I had a long day... there's only 12 days left until I get married... so I am trying to soak up as much rest as possible, cause this next week and a half is going to be stressful to the max!!!

Love you all and thank you soo much for taking the time to read these blogs.  Don't forget to check the Wedding Website for details about church location, wedding party, the story of how we met, our registry, or anything else about us!!  Please sign the guestbook while you're there.  We love reading what you have to say!!!

~ Adam

Feels like it's just been a few days since I last posted a blog.  That might be because it's only been a week and a half or so, but who knows, right?  Either way... it doesn't really matter, because I've got more news to share with you all (whoever "you all" is in this case).

Today is the tail end of Wednesday the 17th, so that means on Monday the 15th, wait for it... STACIA AND I GOT OUR RINGS!!!  We were walking around MainPlace mall in Santa Ana and went to Ben Bridge (don't go to that one, the workers are LAME), and we were hoping to go to a Kay, cause we found ones that we REALLY liked at the Kay in the Spectrum, but that's neither here nor there.  We didn't find a Kay, but we saw a Kevin, so we went in and shopped around... nothing stood out, so we got over it and went to eat.

So we were eating Panda Express, then as we were walking over to the mall directory thing to see if there was a Kay somewhere in the mall... BAM!!!  Right smack dab in front of our faces... it was right there!!!  So we went in... spoke to the most amazing salesman, Chris, and after about 45 minutes... WE GOT OUR RINGS!!! They are super amazing, and I can't wait for everyone to see them... next month!!!

Best part about the whole thing... we stayed UNDER budget in buying them, so that's really great!!

But honestly, they really are amazing, and I couldn't be happier with our picks... they're just so... US!!!

So you'll all get to see them next month, and you'll love them, too!!!

Don't forget to check out our Wedding Website for details about where we're registered!

So this last weekend (August 5, 6 and 7), I did a lot of organizing and moving in of a bunch of my stuff into Stacia's house (soon to be OUR house).

Stacia works full time, and I am so incredibly proud of her and all the hard work she puts into her job each and every day.  Being the Financial Controller of a big company is very noteworthy and I couldn't be more proud.  I, on the other hand, only work part time, and while I'd like more hours to afford for more income, I'm willing to let the ego and pride fall for a bit because I'm also working on finishing my Master's in Literature and Writing and planning a wedding and looking for more work AND moving my life up and over to Stacia's house... so the part time work is good for now, because it allows me to do all the heavy lifting, so to speak, and get all the work done that needs to be done, and that Stacia doesn't necessarily have the time to do.

So, like I said, I moved a bunch of stuff over to her house and while it was incredibly exhausting and completely wore me out, I feel like it was very productive.  It's going to take some time to get used to the idea of living there and her house being our house... but with time it will feel like home... like OUR home.

I still have a lot to move over, and she's still got a lot to re-organize and move out, etc., but we're getting there.  There's only 46 more days until the wedding, and that blows my mind... it's literally just around the corner... a month and a half... crazy... AWESOME.

So I'm a couple weeks late in posting this update, but not to worry, there hasn't been too much crazy that's gone on since then.

We've sent out all the invitations and received a great deal of RSVPs back already, and we are very excited about that.  It's always fun to come home and see a big stack of those waiting to be entered into the Excel Spreadsheet (that Stacia works on, being that I don't fully understand how to work that program - I'm a words guy, not a numbers and formulas guy).  So that's one thing, and it's awesome.

We've also figured out decorations for the reception AND we're already working on center pieces and a few other special little things here and there... so that's pretty much a really cool deal, we're soo happy that things keep on falling into place so well.

We've already received a few wedding gifts, and we love them soo much.  So to those of you who have already purchased gifts, thank you, they are amazing.

We had a wedding shower with the wedding party and family and close friends.  It was such a fun day... just hanging out, bbqing and enjoying everyone's company, I enjoyed it a great deal.

BIG NEWS!!!  Stacia just the other day bought her first brand new car ever!!!  It is such a nice car.  It's a Hyundai Tucson LIMITED... it's got ALL the bells and whistles... I LOVE IT AND I'M SOO INCREDIBLY HAPPY FOR MY GIRL!!!

Ok... that's about all we've got going on right now.  Keep checking back to see all the new progress and updates, etc.

Love you all.

~Adam & Stacia

PS - Check out the Wedding Website for details about Registry and Map to the church, etc.

Hello friends and family, just another post here to keep you... well, posted on the new progress we've made since last months update.

As of the end of last month, Stacia had purchased her dress and her shoes, so that's still very exciting for us (her more than me, since I've not seen the dress).

As of today, I've purchased and gotten my suit for the wedding!!!  It was during the very amazing deal at Men's Warehouse where buying one suit gets you another one for free.  So I got a suit for the wedding, a very awesome one, I might add, and another one for our honeymoon and to use for the rest of my life, for that matter!  So that's great.  All that is needed is a little bit of tailoring, I have very short legs, and then it will be perfect and ready for the wedding.  I'm very excited, I really like the suit.

Another great move forward is that 3 of the groomsmen got their suits already, so that is absolutely fantastic!  That's almost half, so that's good.

We also ordered the invitations, so that's another great progress.  I really like that we're getting all these things done.  The invitations are really great, I like them a lot, I can't wait to get them so we can start addressing them and send them out within the next month.

So that's what all we've gotten done since the last update.  Keep checking back for more updates, and don't forget to visit the wedding website for more details and pictures, etc.

We love you and appreciate all your support and help.

~Adam & Stacia

Well, it's been a few days (not sure I remember exactly when I updated last) since my last update, so here I am, updating again, this time at 2am... it's ok, I wasn't sleeping anyway, you'll learn that about me, I have problems sleeping... might help with babies someday.

Anyway, so what is new since our last update?  Let's see... Well, we've gotten all the Save The Dates ordered, addressed, and in the mail.  Many have already arrived, but there are still some in the mail on their way, so that's pretty exciting.  The picture we used is one of the amazing photos that Jonathan Lavey took of us during our engagement pictures shoot, and everyone loves it so far!

I'm still working on getting my suit, BUT I figured out the groomsmen's suits, so that's a good move forward.  They haven't picked them up yet, but there are 4 months left, and they know exactly which one to get, so it's just a matter of each of the guys picking it up and then that will be all ready and set and good to go.  Like I said, I'm still working on my suit, so that's a bummer that I haven't gotten mine yet, but I'm thinking that within the next few weeks I'll have it and will be all set with it, so that's going to be a stress lifted.

BIG NEWS... Stacia got her wedding dress AND her wedding shoes!!!  She is so very excited about the dress.  I haven't seen it, obviously, but from what she tells me... it is amazing, and I already know that she's going to look absolutely stunning in it, simply because she is absolutely stunning ANYWAY!!  But the shoes are really cute, and I won't give away any details cause I want her to do that, but they are REALLY cute shoes and she loves them, and I love them, too!

We've been blessed so much already in this planning process, and we are loving it, even though it is sometimes stressful.  But that is all I can think to update you all with as of right now.  But before I go, I'll leave you with the picture we used for the Save The Date... enjoy!!

Well, last night Stacia and I were sitting at the computer looking up some stuff. Turns out we found 2 REALLY awesome ties that we think are going to work perfectly. One for the groomsmen and one for me. Mine will be slightly different from theirs, but they are both very similar. Same design, just different colors, basically.

It is amazing, though... cause they are perfect and would look SOO good with the bridesmaid dresses, so that's awesome.

And also, I got my shoes for the wedding... a nice pair of black leather boots... I'm SOOO EXCITED about that, because I get 1) a new pair of boots that are awesome and 2) MY WEDDING SHOES!!

We're also just a few short clicks away from my suit for the wedding, also. So that's exciting, too.

AND we've already ordered Save the Dates... should be getting those on Monday and start addressing them, so that's AMAZING!!

Basically, things are going well.

I am in the process of planning a wedding with my absolute best friend and fiance, Stacia. In just under 5 months, we are going to be married, which is the greatest blessing my life has ever known. She and I came together in the most unlikely of circumstances, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it, because our story is truly amazing and I love every line of it.

That said... it is safe to say that in all relationships, compromises are met and sacrifices are made for the heath and benefit of the other. I will absolutely acknowledge the compromises and sacrifices that my girl has made for me, and I am eternally grateful to her for each of them. She made them out of love for me and out of a desire to do what is right for us. In the same vein, I've made sacrifices and compromises for her, out of love for her and a desire to do what is right for us.

Now... I used to be a very heavy drinker. Some might even have called me an alcoholic, and I'd probably have agreed with that label. No, my drinking never affected my doing well at work or in school, but it truly and very negatively affected my emotional and mental stability, therefore, while I was still able to function, I was allowing my drinking to tear me down.

Since being with Stacia, I've grown and matured a great deal, and my drinking, as a personal choice of my own, never a request of hers, has become much more limited. Yes, I still enjoy a drink or two or three from time to time, depending on the circumstance, but I in NO WAY drink anything like I used to.

Some confuse my now more matured and more sober persona as a lack of happiness or joy in my life. And while I can understand that perception, I see it as completely the opposite. I am happier now than when I was drinking like I was back then. Was I happy back then, it most likely seemed so from the outside... always loud and part of the crowd, always making jokes and being the "fun" guy to hang out with. Yes, all these things are true, that's how life was for me as a heavy drinker. But I was empty. I was drinking like that to hide the emptiness.

Now... my happiness now is different. Some don't notice my happiness now or appreciate how right now I'm the happiest I've ever been, but truly... that is the case. I finally realized that I don't need alcohol to be a happy man. Like I said, I do still enjoy alcohol here and there, but I understand that I do not need it.

I'm saying, here, that just because my happiness and my joy do not seem like they once did, as loud and on the surface as it used to be (due to the alcohol and lack of inhibitions), my happiness and joy are still there... and much more meaningful and profound.

If you think I'm not the same guy I used to be... that's because I'M NOT. I'm a different man, a better man, a much happier man.

Just ask and you'll see it. Ask me why I love my fiance... look in my eyes as I explain the little things that make me love her... then try and convince yourself I'm not happy... You won't be able to.

Well... now the time has come for another update.  Yeah, it's been a while, about three weeks or so, since I last posted what all was going on, so I'm going to shout out real quick and let you all in on the most recent happenings for us.

Tomorrow, April 23, we are FINALLY getting our engagement pictures taken.  I may have mentioned, but we have scheduled twice before to have our pictures taken for engagement, but both times had to be cancelled, which we completely understood, but which still frustrated us.

So with that said, we're meeting with Jonathan Lavey tomorrow afternoon to enjoy the entire last half of the day shooting pictures in various locations and with various props, and some very special ones that will remain a surprise until a later time.

Yeah, so we are pretty stoked to finally get our pictures done, and we are excited that it gets to be with Jonathan, he's amazing.

I'll let you in on some of the shots at a later time when they are back to us.

~Adam

As I am sitting here, I realized that it has been some time since I gave an update on the wedding process thus far.  I guess I've posted a few podcasts talking about where we are in the planning process, but other than that, I haven't really let anyone in on where we are... and thus, I write this blog entry.

As of right now, April 6, 2011, we've got the following things taken care of for the wedding:

• Wedding Party all picked out for both sides (bride and groom)
• Venue for both the ceremony AND the reception
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Officiator (pastor performing the wedding)
• Reception entertainment (a few live bands)
• Honeymoon booked
• Wedding night booked

I was on my way in to the office this morning and something occurred to me.  Sure, I've thought it a few times before, even have written about it before, a poem I believe.  But that's neither here nor there.  The point is that I thought of this once again...

While I was on my way to the office, on the freeway, I noticed so many impatient people.  I was driving a bit over the speed limit, probably hovering right around 76mph or so (I don't like getting up to 80mph anymore, just to be safe).  And yet this speed, which was 10mph over the limit, was not fast enough for several individuals behind me.

I kept on having people get impatient with my already fast paced speed and pass me with such impatient and somewhat angry looks on their faces.  Where are they going that they need to get there an extra 20 seconds sooner?  That's all that going around me would afford them, an extra few seconds.  So after a few of these cars getting impatient and going around me, I just began to think... We go through life much faster than we are meant to.

When we speed from task to task, from point A to point B, we miss so much of what this life has to offer.  We get so caught up in what is going on in our cars, around our cars, on the side of the road, what's in our minds, etc. that we lose sight of the fact that RIGHT NOW is a gift, that's why it's call the PRESENT.  Cliche, yeah, I know.  But I don't care because IT IS TRUE.  We are all taking breaths as we read this, that is a gift.  We are all given the ability to read this with our own eyes... that is a gift.

We need to slow down and admire the world around us.  Even if the view isn't great, even if you're stuck in traffic... slow down your heart and your mind... YOU'VE ALIVE!!  You have been given the greatest gift of all... LIFE!!!

I know about the hustle and bustle of the world around us, I was raised in a family of six kids... I know how busy things can get sometimes.  I know that stress levels mount ALL AROUND US... believe me... I'M PLANNING A WEDDING AS I TYPE THIS... I know that stress is real and that it will ALWAYS hit us here and there... but that's not the point... the point is that IF we take the time to slow down and admire the beauty around us... the stress will feel a little less painful.

When I'm feeling stressed there are a few things I do that help me more than anything I could ever have imagined...

1)  When the stress levels are taking me over and freaking me out, making me feel helpless and hopeless... I close my eyes... I breathe deep, and I acknowledge that this is just a momentary stress, even if the moment lasts a month, two months, it is still JUST A FRACTION compared to the rest of our lives;

2)  I open my eyes back up to the world, and I thank God for the little things.  The fact that my windshield may be cracked, but it hasn't cracked any more in over three months.  The fact that I have a car to get me where I need to go, and that I have a job to pay for that car and all the gas that I need for it; and

3)  I realize that I've never been so blessed in my life as I am right now.  I AM MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND IN LESS THAN A YEAR!!!  One year ago today, I was in a pretty dark place, I was filled with depression and I was spiraling downward... and fast.  But then something happened, I realized that my friend needed a friend, and I went to her.  And from there, from that simple act of comforting someone I cared about... from there grew the greatest love I've ever known and I've never been happier than I am with Stacia Rae.  I would never change anything about her or our relationship.

So take the time to slow down... be a few minutes late... don't rush through the day... you'll miss something for sure.  I'd love to avoid the stress of planning this wedding, but I wouldn't miss ANY of it for the world... I don't want to speed through any of it, I don't want to miss ANY aspect of it.

Here is a little video I put together to illustrate my marriage proposal to my very best friend in all the world, Stacia Rae!!

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