A little thing called love...

found here

So, this isn't exactly a wedding post, but more of a marriage post. Life doesn't stop when you're getting married, and the last couple of weeks has definitely been testament to that. Background info for this post: I am ~3 months away from finishing my PhD... raise the roof people!! (Do you remember when raising the roof was cool?!?! Those were the good ol' days!) This means that in addition to planning a wedding, and more importantly, a marriage, I am working around the clock analysing data, writing chapters, banging my head against my computer (hello shaken computer syndrome!!), and occasionally, crying!

The crying is like a nameless beast, that rears its ugly head at the most in-opportune time... like 1 hour before our engagement pictures on Friday night. Makeup... check! Hair... check! Outfit... oh-my-god, I have nothing to wear, which reads like "she's vulnerable, an attack by the nameless beast would be effortless... let's get her!!". What the f?? Puffy red eyes is really not my best look, so I quickly got things under control, but let's be serious people, the stress in my life is overwhelming at times. And it would appear the stress is being carried in a really crappy way when you are trying to slim down and tone-up for all these damn photo ops that is wedding life!! Yes, that's right brides, I am carrying my stress around my waist... attractive right?!

So, in addition to the list in my life that reads something like this:

1. Figure out what the mutha my data is trying to tell me
2. Write my chapters for my thesis
3. Graduate
4. Wedding... hold on, lets break it down into things that are on my mind now:
5. Invites... and my gorgeous envelopes... get em done!!
6. Ceremony... my creative (ie. romantic) juices have dried up like Joan Rivers' ovaries
7. Dress... alterations, undergarments, etc.
8. Talking to my dad about the fact that he will not be walking me down the aisle... (that's a story for a whole nutha post)
   

... in addition to those immediate issues, I now have to figure out a way to manage stress, so my cortisol levels come back to normal, so I can shed this stress weight that has found the prime real estate around my mid-section!!

But wait, love... the little thing called love I alluded to in the title of this post... let me tell you about the saving grace I have in my life right now. My man has unconditional love for me. full stop. sigh. It's the kind of love that I don't have to think about, because it is safe and sound in our hearts... going absolutely nowhere. He loves the crap outta me, and I can see it, past the alligator tears that well up when confronted by seemingly insurmountable barriers, can hold onto it, like a lifeline out of a raging river. He pulls me out of it, into safe waters, where we can discuss my fears, anxieties, hopes, expectations. He has helped me realize that if life throws curve balls, you gotta hit 'em outta the park! So, engagement session... done! We really did have fun, and while some of the pics can't hide the weight gain, they also can't hide our love for each other.

check back soon to catch a glimpse of some of the photos!!