Sappy Stuff

Groomzilla will probably not like this post as it may make him blush, but I think that my wedding blog should also include things that have to do with marriage and our relationship.

After being with him for five and a half years, I have adequate evidence of why Brandon will make an amazing husband.

He makes sure that I eat and drink before I do. I never ask him to take out the trash, but he just does it so that I don't have to. He is neater than I am. When we walk on the sidewalk, he always takes the outer side where the cars pass. He knows that when I say, "You don't have to," it actually translates to "Yes, that would be nice if you did."

Brandon fixed our toilet when he was home a few weeks ago and I was so proud of him because I'm sure we will be encountering similar problems in our future homes. He still reaches for my hand when we walk and is not shy about giving kisses. I am constantly reminded of how much he loves me and how beautiful he thinks I am. He's also an amazing daddy to Bella.

Things are just better with him around, and I know he feels the same way about me.

And these are the reasons why I am marrying him on December 27th.

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible"-When Harry Met Sally

100 Days

One hundred days until I marry the man of my dreams.

One hundred days until Brandon and I start our new lives together.

One hundred days until we get to celebrate this new beginning with our loved ones.

One hundred days until we take pictures like this one (in non-teddy bear form).

An Army Wife Preview

On December 27th, I will become an Army wife. With a swift tap on the bum by a sabre, I will be welcomed into the Army.

My opinions on marrying into the military have changed ever since Brandon and I started talking about our long future together. I specifically remember not understanding why anyone would want to have that lifestyle since it is such a difficult one full of sacrifices.

While I admire all military spouses and their families, I found it hard to believe that they could be completely happy. Holding a successful career would be near impossible since the Army life requires moving every three to five years. Your own goals are put on the backburner as the Army always comes first. They have to be prepared to raise kids on their own for numerous months while their spouse is deployed. And, of course, the worst of it all is consistently worrying about their safety.

But then I fell in love with a soldier, and all of it seemed to be worth it. When you love someone as much as I love Brandon, you are willing to give it all up in order to pursue your own version of "happily ever after."

I had a taste of what it would be like to live in a military town and wait for my man in ACUs to come home when I stayed in Columbus, Georgia for a week. Admittedly, I was bored out of my mind during the day. Brandon would leave at 4:30am for work and not come home until about 5pm. Five hours later, it was time for bed in order to rest up for yet another long day.

Those five hours that we were awake together each night were happy, and far too short. I loved watching him get ready for work, and I stole kisses from him because I didn't want him to leave. But I even more enjoyed greeting him when he came home with even more kisses and giant bear hugs.

We will lead an incredibly joyous life if all of our hellos and goodbyes stay this way.

There is also a great community of people. Brandon's fellow soldiers, while sometimes crude and brutally honest, are all full of heart. They take care of each other, and that is something I am more than excited to be part of.

We both have a lot to learn about military life, but it is a journey that we will embark on together.

Age is but a number

I apologize to my maybe four to five readers out there for the delay in posting. I have been busy with work and school. Let's not forget the fact that I can be incredibly lazy, too. I hope you will accept my apology in the form of a cute video of Bella:

Our dog has issues. She doesn't like it when a blow dryer is pointed at her, even if it is turned off.

Now, back to wedding stuff.

Brandon and I are a young couple. I am turning 21 years old in July, while Brandon will turn 22 next month. We used to joke that if we got married after his graduation in May like most cadets do, I wouldn't even be old enough to legally drink champagne.

When people heard that I was engaged, those who did not know me well were less than happy about the news. Debbie's friend went so far as to claim that I was "wasting my life."

According to divorcerate.org:

Age at marriage for those who divorce in America
Under 20 years old
Women: 27.6%
Men: 11.7%
20 to 24 years old
Women: 36.6%
Men: 38.8%
25 to 29 years old
Women: 16.4%
Men: 22.3%
30 to 34 years old
Women: 8.5%
Men: 11.6%
35 to 39 years old
Women: 5.1%
Men: 6.5%

The statistics for young marriages look grim. There is a significant decrease in the divorce rate for those who marry after 24. It doesn't help that the divorce rate in this country is already a miserable 50%.

We both come from divorced families. Brandon and I were exposed to broken marriages, and yet how are we so amazingly confident in ourselves?

Truthfully, I have absolutely no idea. We love each other. That should be enough, right? Well, that can't be the case because our parents were in love once, too. So how are we supposed to know that we will last?

We don't. But we do know that we have something so great, so magnificent, that we do not want to lose it. We're taking a chance. We're gambling. We're making a leap. We're doing all of the overused metaphors you can think of. What is important is that at least we're doing it together.

I have always been more mature than my peers. I suppose you could call me boring and lacking a sense of adventure. Either way, I feel older than I actually am. I have been told that I look and behave much older than 20. The general agreement is that there is something about the way I carry myself. I never found the need to climb on monkey bars or imagining that I was a princess in a faraway land. That was just silly nonsense and a waste of time. Instead, I was the kid who organized the toy section at Marshall's or Ross while waiting for her family to be done shopping.

I know that I am ready to be Brandon's wife.

We have already made it thus far against all odds. Upon his graduation, Brandon and I will have finally joined the 2% Club. Only two percent of cadets make it through all four years at West Point with their high school girlfriend. As a couple, we have already encountered more stress and tribulations than can be expected out of anybody, and yet we powered through.

So all of you doubters out there, please just relax and trust in us. We know that you are concerned, and we appreciate it, but we know what we're doing.