My First Valentines as a Married Person.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and it was our first one together. I mean, we were "together" last year, but we weren't together together because I was in Alabama and Chad was in Louisville.

I think both of us were kind of nervous this time around. (Partly because Chad has now had up-close experience with the rollercoaster emotions of a female who pretends not to have high expectations about anything and then gets her feelings hurt sometimes. I really want to curb that.) Anyway, our conversation on Sunday went something like this:

Chad: What can I do for you to make sure you have an awesome Valentines Day?
me, stammering: Oh, ummm...nothing! I'm sure whatever we do will be great.
Chad: Okay, cool.
me: Is there anything I can do so it's awesome for you?
Chad: Honestly? Just make me feel like you're happy about it. Be happy.
me: Oh, yeah! Sure!

10 minutes later...

Chad: So, I'm kind of nervous about Thursday.
me: What? Why?
Chad: I dunno, I mean, it's not like I've totally neglected thinking about Valentines Day, but I just hope you don't have really high expectations.
me (innocently): Who, me? Nawww...I don't have any expectations. (frantically thinking: crap, what are my expectations and how can I get rid of them now?)
Chad: Oh, okay. Cool.  

So yes, I left that conversation thinking, "Dang it--just another example of not even knowing what my own expectations are, much less being able to articulate them. Prepare for failure and heartbreak."

I really do have some serious work to do on my interpersonal skills--like, oh, communication, for example. Scary, since I'm a therapist and supposedly an expert on that kind of thing. Weird how I can be so aware and yet so unskilled at times.

Anyway, yesterday ended up being the best Valentines Day I have ever had! Granted, I was working for most of it. And Chad and I had exchanged our little gifties on the 13th, so I really didn't expect anything else on the 14th. But there was chocolate, and nice notes, and Chad made a killer salmon dinner for us. (Only one glass and one plate got broken in the process! (which was actually pretty hilarious, since there has never been a broken glass or plate or anything, in all the months we've been married. of all days.)) It was the height of romance and fun. I love that man. First Valentines' as a married couple = success!

Chad's Sculpting Contest

Okay, so every year there is a giant contest for all the dental students in Chad's school. The contestants are given small 4-inch blocks of wax to sculpt into whatever they want. Chad wanted to sculpt his into a naked man! (weird.) Last year, Chad made an awesome guitar. He won second place, and earned 75 bones.

This year, Chad spent many hours re-creating this amazing wax guy. (Sorry for the nudity--at least he's got a leaf on, right?) One of Chad's teachers is always showing a slide with a picture of the Statue of David with his a picture of his own face pasted on it labeled, "The Statue of Carmine" (his first name). Apparently everyone loves this particular teacher, so the statue was an instant hit. Wednesday was the day of the convention, and Chad won first place!! Isn't that amazing? Not that I was surprised, mind you--look at the amazing detail on that guy! I am so proud of Chad, dental student/sculptor extraordinaire! You can just imagine how good he is getting at drilling and filling with utmost precision. I'm excited for him to start seeing patients in a couple more months!

I just want to brag about my man--is that okay?

So, yesterday was my first Sunday acting as quasi-ward choir director (recently got called as ward music chair, and decided to pull together a pick-up choir to do a special musical number in March). Not only did Chad participate in the choir like a good husband, but he came home and spent several hours using his tech savvy to transcribe the musical number I had in my head (the number splices two different hymns, Where Can I Turn for Peace & My Redeemer Lives). Now everyone can have a copy, and I can look like I know what I'm doing! He makes my life so much easier. I love that man.

3 Months and Goin' Strong!

Today is our three month anniversary (awwww!). Chad told some people today that he feels like it's been "forEVER!"--to which they sort of shuffled and laughed awkwardly. What he meant, I think, is that the first three months have gone so seamlessly and wonderfully that it's as if we were never NOT together. That's my interpretation, at least.

Chad is wonderful in so many ways. He is smart, ambitious, dedicated to his church calling. All of that. But he also makes some really sweet sacrifices sometimes that make me really happy--like purchasing my favorite Halloween movie with his i-tunes gift card money AND being a good sport about watching it with people we want to be friends with/don't want to embarrass ourselves in front of by showing them a lame movie. (Ever since I pronounced Better Off Dead as one of my favorite movies, Chad doesn't trust my movie judgement. I still stand by said pronouncement, but also declare that Wait Until Dark is, truly, a fabulous Halloween movie. And I think he actually agrees on that one, despite himself.)

We have a great life! Here's to at least three more months. ;)

The Best Day Ever

Our wedding pictures came in the mail today. I can't wait to get some of these printed and hung. Here are a bunch of my favorites. Any votes on ones I should print?

Fresh Starts. . . and the FINAL Louisville visit before I make it my place of residence.

Just a quick bedtime post to say I'm really grateful for fresh starts, which are in rich supply for me right now. I moved a bunch of stuff up to Kentucky and saw the beautiful little home Chad and I will be living in, and we basked in being together and enjoying our last visit before the wedding.

I guess I'm just really happy about moving into a new phase of my life, being done with grad school (PLEASE can I be done revising my thesis?!), and thinking about who I want to be. I love the opportunity I have right now to think about who I have been in Auburn--in the branch, in my calling(s), at school, with my roommates, as a person, really--and to decide who I want to be in my new city. What kind of wife/Church  
member/citizen/therapist/person will I be?


Speaking of fresh starts, I was feeling really proud of myself today for actually improving on something I've struggled with. I realized that Christ's Atonement offers us lots of 'fresh starts,' and I'm grateful for that. Starting over--whether it be moving to a new city, getting married, or just improving at something and forgetting past mistakes--it all just feels like such a blessing right now.

Oh, and um...only 26 days!! Good heavens.

Here are some trip pictures.

by the scummy water after deciding not to swim.

oh how badly I wanted to get in the water. . . but couldn't bring myself to do it.

looking adorable.

pretty trees and sunshine by our campsite.

a parody of our overly-abundant "squishy face" pictures

lookin' sweaty...106 degrees of pure humidity

flowers, a card, AND my favorite person all in one house.

The Man in the Red Shoes

Definitely the most important thing that has ever happened to me in my life happened one year ago. Well, almost one year ago. I meant to wait until Saturday to post this, but I got too excited to wait.

This time last year, I was at a Young Single Adults' (YSA) Conference (for church) in Kentucky. I had been feeling somewhat juvenile when they handed me my jade-colored t-shirt and later I was shuffled out to the hallway to meet the other members of my "group." (That's right, I was being assigned to a group, in order to maximize socialization. Definitely feeling juvenile.) I was also feeling a little out of place, and hoped I wasn't the oldest person there. (I wasn't, but I thought I might be.)

Anyway, all I remember about that hallway is a pair of red tennis shoes who walked over to introduce themselves. Their owner was tall, handsome, and seemed gregarious as he stuck out his hand to shake mine. We exchanged names briefly and were then hushed by our group leaders as people began circling up to do introductions. When it was my turn, I said, "My name is Cammie, I'm from Colorado, I live in Alabama, and I like to do triathlons." Chad, the handsome man to my right, also introduced himself, saying he had recently moved to Kentucky and was from Idaho. He then hissed at me, "You do triathlons? That is sooo cool." I sensed the enthusiasm of someone who had some connection to the sport, and asked him if he did them too. "Yeah, I've done a couple," he said. "I'm more of a runner, though." Ohhh, I liked him.

After the introductions, our group walked back to the dorms together. Chad and I chatted the whole way. He was in dental school, I found out. Although, I didn't find out much more than that. I'm a little ashamed to admit I think I talked about myself a lot. I was just so taken in by his rapt interest in whatever mundane thing I was saying--my normal role of conversation-starter and keeper-upper went right out the window and I shamelessly droned on about grad school, or therapy, or. . . something.

My thought process about Chad went something like this: He is cute. He seems normal. He likes triathlons! He's smart.

Truthfully, I don't even remember how our conversation ended. Once we got to the dorms, we were shuffled into a "social room" for snacks. The room was noisy and filled with people and as soon as we got there I looked for the friends I came with, joining them as soon as I spotted them. It's weird that I don't remember being aware Chad was in the room after that (he assures me he was). I honestly thought he was a nice, cute guy who I'd be happy to see around over the next few days. I felt reassured that there were cool, nice guys left in the world, even if it didn't cross my mind that this particular guy would have any special significance for me.

This story is kind of like a lot of other stories about times I met people--some people who I met only once, and others who became important pieces of my life. Of course, I wouldn't tell this story were it not for the fact that Chad became one of the most important pieces of my life over the weeks and months to follow. I feel really, really grateful for that warm summer night in Kentucky and the handsome man in red tennis shoes. 

Do you see us? It's too bad I was too shy to ask him to take a picture with me that weekend. I definitely had my camera. Thanks, facebook!

Sick Chad

I ran and swam some this morning, and read more of Stephanie Nielsen's book. I cried like a baby out by our apartment pool--luckily I was alone.

Today my sweet roommate Esperanza is throwing me a bridal shower. I'm excited to see friends and to celebrate. I'm sure I'll post some pictures later.

Two days ago, Chad threw out his back. Poor dear. I feel really bad for him, because I know he can't get around very well and it's hard for him to get comfortable, even just lying in his bed. However, I have secretly enjoyed the flurry of sweet and dramatic texts that being bedridden seems to have elicited. "If I die, I want you to know I loved you." And, "Someone is thinking about how wonderful you are." Poor little sweetie. Hope he gets better soon.

In Which I Remember How Much I Struggle to Like Salespeople, and an Update about the Jam

The jam set up! The jam set up! And it tastes like jam! I had some on a pb&j I made myself for lunch. And now, I have three lovely jars of blueberry jam to stick in a pantry--as if I were the kind of woman who does that! And just guess who will be eating homemade jam on his sandwiches this year. I hope he likes it.

this is him and my friend Lauren eating the cheesecake he made for my birthday. I hope he likes jam as much as we liked that cheesecake. Let's just say it wasn't around for long.

On another note, I had an interesting set of run-ins with some unnamed make-up salespeople this weekend. Despite a longstanding personal resolution to avoid meeting with this sort of person at all costs (ever since my mom and I got cornered into free makeovers once when I was in high school. Free makeovers=high pressure sales), I am getting married next month. I want to have nice makeup on that day. I feel relatively incompetent in the world of makeup. And so, with some encouragement from my roommate, I looked one of these people up and called her.

She was available right away, and I went over to her house. We actually had a great time. She made me look really pretty and we had a great time getting to know each other. Of course, our interest in each other was somewhat cheapened by the fact that she wanted to sell me lots of makeup AND convince me to throw a makeup party AND someday become a makeup saleperson just like her. But aside from that, we had a genuinely nice conversation.

Anyway, as is often the case with me, I am bad at saying no to people, and when she asked me to help her with a "mock interview" the next day I stumbled to think of any reason why not. She assured me this was just an opportunity for me to help her out; her supervisor was going to be in town from Virginia and would come tell me about their company and my new friend would sit and observe. This was only a training tool, my friend assured me. I gave no firm answer, but said I would let her know if I was interested. However, on the day of the "mock interview," my friend called several times and even had her supervisor call twice (I googled the area code from the unknown number and gasp--it was a VA number). Finally, I answered the phone. I gathered my courage and weakly expressed my disinterest in becoming a salesperson. Again, I was assured there would be no pressure of the sort.

The funny part of the meeting was when my friend was trying to win me over by talking about me to the supervisor lady, while I was sitting right there. I sat there while she told her supervisor about how I was getting married next month in Utah, and then said to me, "And just tell her what you told me about why your fiance says you guys won't ever move back to Idaho or Utah!" She said this as if what I had shared was the most fascinating secret. The supervisor lady chuckled and said knowingly, "Oh, I can only imagine. . ." I halted, confused. "Um, well, we won't move back there because there are too many dentists. We're Mormon. I guess there are lots of Mormon dentists." I hadn't thought that was particularly interesting when I mentioned it the day before, so I was surprised to be asked to repeat it.

At another point in the "interview," the supervisor lady mentioned that one of the great benefits of being a consultant for this particular company is that you get tax write-offs as a business owner. I nodded. This signal of comprehension was yet another cue for her to talk about how amazing I was. ("Now, I'm going to say this right in front of Cammie, but you probably notice I don't need to go into a lot of detail with her. You really don't have to go into a lot of detail with people who are very educated like she is.") I was trying so hard to fight the eye-roll reflex.

Anyway, I learned that 1) I am interesting because I'm not moving to Utah or Idaho, and 2) I am smart because I can act like I know what a tax write-off is. I'm not sure whether to feel elated or insulted. But no matter: I am happy with my purchases, I successfully convinced two ladies I was not interested in joining their team, and I've got some funny stories to show for it all. Have a lovely Tuesday!

On Long-distance Relationships. . .

I really don't recommend them. Unless, of course, you find someone amazing who takes your breath away and is the sweetest and most wonderful man ever.





Which only makes it crummier that you don't get to see him but once a month. Miss him.

A braggy post about my life.

So, sometimes a blog seems like a good place to brag about how great your life is. I mean, if people don't want to read it, they don't have to, right? (Whereas I could seriously annoy people if I did all my bragging face to face).

This weekend I went to Louisville, KY for a visit. Some of the highlights included:


playing lots and lots of tennis


seeing Blind Pilot and Brett Dennen in concert


experiencing bits of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky in the fall



and mostly, just being with one of my favorite people. This man makes me soooo happy.


Oh, and tickets from Birmingham to Louisville are only $29 each way on Southwest. Have you ever heard of such a thing? AND I met the lead singer of Blind Pilot. How is life so good?!