And then, one day out of the blue...

I had been married almost 5 years.  It just about brings me to tears to think about it.  Where had 5 years gone? I'm so happy and yet I feel like I could be so much more! This is not what I pictured 32 to be...but there is time for everything if you just let it be.

Life happened for me a whole lot faster than I expected or wanted.  You see I was 27, living on my own and a manager at Kenneth Cole.  There was a new store manager driving me nuts, and I remember the Assistant Manager telling me, "Nette, You can do so much! You need to leave and go somewhere you will be happy."  -OR- something to that effect, and with that she had worked her last shift.  Little did I know, I would be doing the same on Valentine's Day just two weeks later.  

I had so much to do between Valentine's Day and March 6th.  There was so much on my plate, I was working on my degrees at ASU and was traveling with a group, March 6th, to New York City to sing in Carnegie Hall.  I decided it would be a great idea to spend the following week (SPRING BREAK '08 BABY!) in Minnesota and Wisconsin and end up traveling coast to coast 4 times in 11 days.  Yep, I spend Spring Break in areas where I am guaranteed NOT to have to wear a swim suit (more on that later).  Somewhere between quitting my job, deciding to spend the summer in New Zealand and Fiji for school, and my trip to NYC...I met my husband.

I knew he was going to be my husband the first night we met face to face.  Yes we are one of those couples that met on-line.  February 26th, that is when we met at a closed coffee shop.  In all fairness we didn't know it was closed, well at least I didn't.  I remember thinking I'm so tired of dating and worthless men.  I just want this to be it.  Please Dear God make this the last first date I ever have to do. Let him be the one, he seems really great. Then I got out of the car.  The first thought I had when I saw him was, REALLY?!? Okay...  You see my husband is a geek, a nerd, a gamer and any other adjective that can be used to describe someone "techy" and I had been a pretty boy fan until this point in my life (notice I said had).

We agreed on a pre-date since we both hated the whole "big" date idea.  He (or I) would spend lots of money, one would think the other is a "loser" and never call each other again, you know how the game is played.  On a pre-date we could see if we meshed, no time commitment and honestly part ways at the end of the night.  We went to the Denny's around the corner and had coffee and cheese sticks and talked for what seemed like hours.  My husband has the most adorable goofy smile that melts my heart to this day and I swear that was the only facial expression he had the whole time.  

He extended an invitation to go watch Family Guy "Star Wars" at his place and I accepted because I liked Family Guy enough to want to spend a little more time with him.  Now I would like to say, going over to a guy's house that you met on the internet is a bad idea.  But I figured he's got kids and he doesn't give off a serial killer vibe so I did what no one should ever do, yeah I know...I GIVE such good advice, now if only I can learn to follow it.  

Where was I?  Oh yeah, watching Family Guy.  So I could tell he was going to kiss me and I was ubber nervous because that's kinda the moment you know if you click with someone.  He kissed me and I knew at that very moment HE was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with.  Nine days later I was on a plane to NYC.  Eight months later I was married.  Fiji and New Zealand?  They are on the bucket list for the hubby and me.

So yes, this is long...but I woke up one day and realized: life was happening much faster than I was aware of...the days were gaining on me and now I'm 32.  I don't even know how that happened.  I have three kids, two degrees, one dream, and no job.  I'm not the weight I hoped I would be; I don't have the savings that I thought I should have.  There are so many things that I want to do and I want to help others do them too.  Once a long time ago when I went to the gym three times a day (such a grand and glorious time *ahhh*), I wanted to help people find their way, through weight loss, through budgeting, through saving, through life.  I realize now that I can only help you when I survive my own advice.  We will battle together. We are not alone. We are hilarious and awesome.  You get the point.

This blog is for Derek, Anna, Trent, and Aeris, but more importantly this blog is for ME and anyone like me who has lost their way.  This is about dreaming, implementing and achieving.  For once in my life I can actually say, I don't have all the answers.  I'm not even sure I know all the questions but I'm ready to try to find them.  Yes Dear, You were right. It's my fault. I'm sorry.