I like my neighborhood

My neighborhood is pretty great. While the houses may all be small and all look the same (gotta love G.I. homes build on a concrete slab in the 50's), I still am very proud to call it my own, Ja's and my home. What I like about my neighborhood today is that several of my neighbors have Kerry- Edwards signs in their yards. I like that. I also like that some yards look good... some yards not so good, so it's okay that our yard is still "under construction." We'll have a good yard in time, but we're new at this and don't have the time to figure out what we're doing, and it's getting dark before I get home... hell, it's dark when I leave. I don't even see the yard anymore! I also like that right to the north of us is Mission Hills, KS- filled with big, pretty homes. Right to the south of us is Leawood, KS- filled with big, pretty homes. Right to the west of us is bigger, prettier homes of Prairie Village, KS, and onto the east is State Line followed by some unique homes of Waldo and Brookeside. And then there's our nieghborhood stuck in the middle. I wonder how it ended up here. -em

Here we are! 

Making Memories

Another hurdle is now behind us in this great obstacle we call planning a wedding. I have booked my photographer! You can check out Rob's stuff to see some of his awesome work. I really can't wait to have pics of the wedding to look at once it's all said and done. And they also make you a slide show DVD, so that'll be fun to view too, whenever I need a "wedding fix." The next step is Ja and I have to schedule a time to go do our engagement portrait session. We also have to decide where we want to do this. I'm thinking somewhere outside. It's too bad we haven't lived here for longer than a year, b/c we really just don't have that special place in town. But there are some real pretty places, so we should be fine.
OH! Another hurdle-- my dad has booked us a hotel room for our wedding night, so that's nice of them. :) After the reception we get to escape in a carriage to the Marriott down there on the Plaza. Then the next day it's off to a Sandals Resort in the Caribbean. -em

Making it work

My friend Brandi has recently sent me a link to a website that I am actually finding interesting and definitely helpful. It's called marriagebuilders.com and it's not a bad idea for everyone, whether single or married, to check it out. I am finding out that while I have several flaws that are negatively affecting my relationship with Ja, I am not the only one, and there are ways to change my flaws into positive aspects of our relationship. It's a very thorough website, so I have only made a minor dent into all that it has to offer, but I already feel like I have some things to work on. I know I demand a lot out of Ja, but demands are the not the way to make someone want to do something. SO, it's things like this that anyone can learn from to make their lives more pleasant, as well as those that they interact with. I am going to try to read more every day and work on applying it to my relationship... wish me luck! It will be easier said than done, but I feel it's a necessary challenge. -em