Directions to my new house

I am learning a lot about the new place I live. Southern Alberta is quite a Mormon area. And it's pretty much guaranteed that there will be a daily conversation on lineage. (who are you related to? Where are you from? What's your maiden name? Do you know Joe?) Southern Albertans don't realize how odd it is to label people in such a way, and, to someone like me, (an outsider coming IN), it's intimidating and scary and strange. Really, WHO CARES what my Gramma's first brother's cousin's step-mother's name is?! And no, I'm not related to the same John Smith family as the ones who live on the corner in the blue house.

Sadder yet? I went to church in our new ward again this Sunday.
Introduced myself as Debbi "McSpanky", because I knew that introducing myself as Debbi Barber would prove useless as I'll be changing that last name in a few weeks. The next question, "what's your maiden name"...
And then later- "Who are you related to? Are you from Southern Alberta?"
And then, the inevitable, "Whose house did you move into?"


Where's the sad part, you ask? Well, I answered all of those questions (for the bagillionth time) as a Southern Albertan. Yes. I fell into the trap. ...I moved into "Jack Dawson's old home". The yellow one on the corner with the playground in the back.

Yes.

I gave that answer.

And everyone knew what house I was talking about.

If you're not from around Southern Alberta, and you wanna come visit me and Will, we'd love visitors. You may sleep on a foamie in the basement until the old house sells and we bring out beds over, but we'd still love to see ya. I may even bake cookies. Just don't ask me which house number it is. I couldn't tell ya. But we live right beside Norma Jean and right behind Gertrude and Thomas. You'll find us. Ask at the post office. They'll likely give you our mail to take to us too. But don't ask about Mrs. Johnson's health, or you'll hear all about her latest boil issue.

True story.

Time for Some Confusion

While I wait for some unhallowed hour to come when my three monkeys will walk through the door, or more likely, be carried I have a moment or twelve to blog. FINALLY. Chris decided at the last minute to bring them home from BC a day early - leaving me scrambling to return the 2 hours back to Calgary in order to be here when they arrive. And, might I mention, he left at about 9 pm. And it's over 6 hours of driving. So, I may be up for a while yet.

I can't REALLY complain, though. I mean, Chris took the kids for the ENTIRE past week, so I could get the "old house" moved into the "new house". Don't let those confuse you-- it may be "NOT ME MONDAY", but when I say "old house", I mean the one I am moving out of-- NOT the "new house" I'm moving into. In reality, the "old house" is much newer than the "new house", seeing as "new house" was built about 30 years BEFORE "old house" was. Confused yet? :)

I have about one vanload left of "stuff" in this 'old house' to bring back to the new house. And then, old house is just a decorated shell. As I said before, I have one house that LOOKS functional... but ISN'T, and one house that DOESN'T look functional, but IS. Old house is just for show now. And hopefully, that show gets it a sale, too! Because I'd really like NOT to have two mortgages.

OOOOh...a few 'before' shots of our new house. For your laughing viewing pleasure. And yes-- we're FULLY aware that the kitchen is carpeted, the carpets in the house are wool and blue, OR shag, and yes, the curtains are to die for (or because of!). But in a few days, it'll be home sweet home. It's got GREAT square footage, and HUGE yard, and will fit our family. And I'm marrying a handy, clever, hard-working dude, so just you wait for the after pictures. Besides, it's not the furniture or the carpets that make a house a home...

Wedding plans are going great. I'm super super lucky to have some GREAT friends with amazing talents, and they're all CONVENIENTLY joining forces into one company. If you wanna see some of their work, check out their individual blogs or sites, (Vanessa= photography, Carla=catering, Keshia=graphic design, and Bree=Event planner) or, best yet, check out the company's blog, Mod Squad.

I'm also thrilled that so many others are helping-- sewing/altering dresses, decorations, music, cakes. Everything is coming together nicely, and we don't have much else to get ready. I can't wait to post pics for you guys.

And Will and I? buying a home and changing jobs and joining two families and renovations and merging bank accounts--- BIG changes. There's bound to be some speed bumps along the way of our first year of marriage. Lucky for us, being married before kinda helps us go into a new marriage with the understanding that those things lie before us. Unlike the first, VERY naive times we got married. This time, there's just a little less wool over our eyes. (let's not make another reference to the blue carpets already! ;) )

Six Word Saturday- Time

One of These Days I'll Blog!!



I totally miss blogging, actually. I miss reading everyone else's blogs too. This week, though, it's just not possible...

I got most stuff moved to the new house this week while Chris has the kids. It's very uncomforting to have half of my stuff in one place, and another half 2 hours away and I kinda feel like a nomad... I don't know where home is right now. Alas, many people have taken time to help me get it done while I'm childless, so I appreciate that. ALMOST ready to make my new home my permanent home. Even though it's intimidating to me: I don't do well with change.

Wedding is coming up soon. September 11th better be a sunny day! :) But thankfully most stuff is done, or getting close, because school starts soon and I have enough other things to do. When I'm set up (or back at my own computer) I'll post our before pictures of the house. Get ready for it! LOL (those who've seen it understand why, but the rest of you-- it was a house built in the 70s... and it STILL looks like it: carpetted kitchen and everything!!! )

Did I mention that I'm totally in love?
Yah, just checking.

I wanted to leave on a good note. :)



(if you wanna play Six Word Saturday, visit Cate at http://www.showmyface.com/ and play along, kay?!)

Six Word Saturday- Moving

Stressfull situations make for big growth.


Yep. That's my week. It's probably the theme for a few Six Word Saturdays to come. But if you'd like to play along, visit Cate at Show My Face dot com.

For the next two weeks, I'm back and forth between three cities, planning the wedding and moving HALF of my stuff. If this house would just sell already.

The best advice I got this week?
Instead of thinking about how busy and crazy and hectic and scary these million changes are in my life, remember how lucky I am to have a nearly FRESH start! A new ward, a new home, a new city, a new job (?) and a new family with my new husband...
All I need is a new wardrobe. :)

(okay, so I may have added that last part in)

(ooh, speaking of wardrobe, I picked up the dress yesterday. FUN. Will was there, and the lady brought it out to me and totally ditzed out until the other employee told her to take it to the back with this sense of urgency. No matter. It looks WAY hotter on! lol)

I Hope You Dance

Ever heard that song, "I Hope You Dance", by Lee Ann Womack?
This weekend, at the wedding, I was reminded of this simple phrase in all its genuinity. (yep, real word).

You see, during the reception, God started a freak rainstorm. The sun was shining, and the mercury was still hovering around 30' C, (86' F), but the heavens opened and halted the celebrations for a while.

Weddings and rain never mix.

Unless you're a child like Mimi. And you're boiling hot. And you don't care that your hair will stick to your head, that your dress will be soaked, or that everyone may be watching you. You don't care about your makeup. Or your jewellery. Or a fake reputation you think you have to uphold.

All you care about is making yourself happy. And when a good tune comes on the speakers, and there's an empty dance floor, you remember that it's not about anything other than RIGHT NOW.

You find happiness in the raindrops. You find relief in the stormclouds. You find joy because you can still hear the music over the thunder.

And everyone watches you, and secretly wishes they had the joie de vie you have.

5/52, SWS-Weddings, NMM-Lessons, TT-Advice?

I am in a funk.
Not a muse-funk-- in fact, I have TOO much to say! I have so many things going on right now, and I could take days and days just talking about each one.

Truth is, I don't have TIME to do that.
So, it's a funk as far as getting posts posted. I should join the P.O.S's. The Prisoners of Summer Bloggers. As in, since summer hit, I can't blog as much. Parole is in a month or two once school starts, the wedding's done, and I've moved.
I'm gonna do my best for the next while- but there's SO much going on, and I'm in the middle of so many time-consuming things, that blogging will continue to be sporatic and possibly mundane. Fair warning.

So, first things first. Let's play "KETCHUP".

Friday: Find Mom Friday! This was me at my good friends' wedding in Nelson, BC this past weekend. Well, not at the actual WEDDING. Who would wear a tube-top to that!? No, it was an outside wedding on the beach, and between the ceremony and reception, there were 4 hours to kill. So my (ex) mother-in-law and I took the kids swimming at the beach. It helped that it was a killing 37' outside that day! HOT HOT HOT!!

Saturday: Six Word Saturday. My six words for that day are, Wedding Vows Mean Something More Now. Watching Uncle Andrew and Joe join their two families the way that Will and I will be doing in a few weeks touched my heartstrings, and I had tears fall easily as I saw how much they had gone through to get to this precious moment in their lives. Chris was the best man, and looking up there at the couple and him standing beside them, while vows of fidelity and "forever love" and devotion were spoken, it was hard not to feel a bit of that heartache from years past. Remembering when he said those same things to me, promised. My heart said a prayer that they would ALWAYS love each other this way so they wouldn't have to end up like Chris and I did- hurt. I was reminded last night that I'm truly being blessed to have this new life in front of me with such a special man in Will.

Monday: Not Me Monday. I did NOT miss my man this weekend. I did NOT drive over 12 hours in a 24 hour time period. I did NOT learn a bunch of lessons this weekend, mostly from my children. I will NOT be blogging about those in the near future.

Tuesday: Tuesday Tunes. Of course, lately I'm listening to a lot of love or wedding songs. But my kids crack me up- while we drove home the other day, it was thunderstormin' somethin' fierce! The kids requested "Fire Burnin'" on the iPod. They loved watching the lightening crack to the beat, and we probably listened to that song on repeat about 6 times before *I* said I couldn't handle it another time! lol

And, Wednesday: Wednesday Ws:
Who: Me
What: hates playing "Ketchup"
Where: in my blog, in my journal, in my housekeeping, and in my LIFE!
When: when I forget to take the time to keep up
Why: because it always makes me feel unorganized when I don't have my thoughts written or typed down. It's just how I cope.

Flipped Out

Remember that contest I won, on THIS post?

Well, remember how I won a bunch of coupons to give away as a 'reward' to my bloggy friends?
Well, remember that I haven't done that yet???

So, here it is:

If you'd like to win ice cream coupons for a pint of Ben and Jerry's Flipped Out Ice Cream, here's the simple rules to win.

I will reward one coupon to each person who comments on a time when they TOTALLY FLIPPED OUT. A freak out, a day spent on a trampoline, a tumble down some stairs-- ANYTHING counts. If you think you 'flipped out', leave a comment with the story, and you will be one of the winners!

Yep. that's because I have no imagination to make this contest any tougher!

And, lastly, you have to leave an email address for me in order to get the coupon to ya (the company sends them to you personally). You can email me your email personally *(debbirn2b@hotmail.com) or you can put it in the comments for us all to hound your inbox with.

***EDIT: These coupons are only valid in the USA. If you're a Canadian reader, and you want one, that's fine. There's lots of readers I know who travel to the US often. But, I didn't want to mislead us Canadians... They're only valid in the USA.

And one of these days I'll post something good. I'm stretched to the max right now with the wedding and moving and money and selling and coping and planning and cleaning and packing and...and.. and..