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!!!

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 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.

So a lot of people are asking how I did it... what is it, you ask?  Well... IT is how I proposed to my best friend and girlfriend.  Well... let's take a journey together and I'll explain the whole thing to you... ready... set... GO!!

We've been friends for a really long time.  Her brother is in the band that I used to go see ALL the time (and now the band that I manage).  So I've known her through the last 5 years or so, which means I've seen her through married life, having a wonderful child, an ugly divorce because of a very sad and misguided man, single life, single motherhood... I have seen her through it all.

I love this woman and her son.  Stacia Rae... she's truly the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.  She's grown me up and matured me more than anything or anyone I've ever known!!!

So there's the background... here's the story:

Stacia was gone at dance practice, so while she was gone, I went to her house to get it all set up...

I got 2 dozen roses (1 dozen red, 1 dozen pink).  I put a single long-stemmed red rose in the knocker of her front door.  As the front door opened, she walked into the entire living room covered with black sheets to make it a pure and plain surface, then atop the sheets were about 90+ pictures of us, all sizes (5x8 all the way to 8x10), all documenting our ENTIRE friendship, relationship, courtship, best-friendship.  Sprinkled on top of all the pictures was the rest of the dozen red roses.  Then towards the couch is the coffee table with is wrapped in lights (that perfectly looked like candles) and a few pictures of Stacia, Joey and myself, framing on the center of the table, a scrapbook that I've been working on since December, documenting our friendship/relationship with stories for each picture found within.  Then the last picture in the scrapbook was a picture of her front door that basically said to come out to the porch because I had a surprise for her.

So I took her hand, had her close her eyes, and walked her to the porch.  I held her face in my hands and rested our heads together, then I began praying for us.  The main emphasis of my prayer was this:  "God, help our lives as one be a beacon of hope to the world.  Help our stories show the world that there is beauty in darkness, and help us to provide a light to the lost."  And I had her open her eyes... and I told her this: "Baby, you know how I love listening to you talk... well now I want you to listen to me talk.." and I told her I loved her, that I loved Joey.  I told her that I plan to spend the rest of my life loving both of them and protecting both of them (and the babies that we'll have someday).  Then I took her hands in mine... looked her in the eyes and said, "Stacia Rae... my sweet, sweet babygirl..." got down on one knee and said, "Will you marry me and be my wife?"

AND SHE SAID YES!!!!!!!

So there you go kids... that's the story, I know this was long... but it was worth it, right?

So that's how my girlfriend and best friend became my fiancée and best friend!!