3 Weird Things I am Learning about Men

I feel like once you get engaged there should be a how-to book of what to expect when you move in with the opposite sex and how-to adjust. Even though I have been married almost three years there are still things my husband does that catches me completely off guard. I am hoping it is not just my husband that surprises me with these odd things. Please tell me it is universal across the male sex.

Pretend makes the bed. Since Matt typically leaves for work later than I do, and lies in bed longer than I do, one of his chores is to make the bed. Making the bed and putting away laundry are two things Matt hates to do. I religiously kick off my socks in the middle of the night, and if you made the bed correctly you might find a pair of socks wedged at the bottom of the bed. Since Matt pretend makes the bed every time I throw the sheets back I find at least 4 pair of socks at the bottom of the bed. So that’s where all my socks went. When will my husband actually make the bed?

Drinks expired milk! Lately I have been trying to drink organic milk and purchase organic dairy products in hopes that it will help regulate my hormones and award me with a baby. I know, I know, that is probably ridiculous, but every little thing helps right? Matt and I took our bi-monthly trip to Sprouts and got a brand new gallon of organic milk. When we got home I proceeded to toss out the expired milk in the fridge that Matt has been hording. “Are you serious Cassie? That milk is perfectly fine!” –Matt. “Matt this milk is expired. Why are you so gross? We have a brand new gallon.”- Me. “Cassie is says ‘best buy’ it may not be the best, but it isn't the worst.”- Matt. Is this really the logic men use when determining whether or not to throw out milk? I proceeded to dump the milk down the drain as Matt lapped the running milk into his mouth. Please let me this has happened to you?

Puts barbecue sauce on everything. What is up with men and their condiments? Once upon a time in our marriage I would attempt to cook a well-rounded meal, which is quite a change from my typical Dino nuggets and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have since stopped cooking well rounded meals because my husband will lather anything I make in barbecue sauce. I mean everything…. Salad, pasta, stew, soup… you name it, he puts barbecue sauce on it. So is it my cooking? Or does he really just love barbecue sauce? I haven’t figured it out yet, I don’t know if I want to.

If you have ever been a roommate of mine you know I am extremely hard to live with. I am a bossy neat freak that wants everything done on my time. But I have had to slowly learn to adjust to living well with my husband. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. 

Things I am Loving.

• Lush Cosmetics
• On a business trip to New Mexico, I waltz into Lush Cosmetics and instantly fell in love. Just recently I was strongly encouraged to start a skin care routine since the ladies at Sephora were both shocked and appalled that I don't take off my makeup at night. I started to take off my makeup and noticed a huge difference in just a week. Now I am obsessed with finding face friendly cosmetics. What I love about Lush products is that you can use them in different ways. The pink product I use on both my cheeks and lips and you only need a tiny bit, making the product last forever! 

• BB Cream
• The next product I was urged to try was BB Cream. At first a thought what a waste of money, but now I can't live without it. It is  a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, anti-aging treatment, and sunscreen all in one!! I used to put color on top of it, but as my skin gets healthier I prefer to wear just the BB Cream. I guess these Sephora ladies actually know what they are talking about. 

• Lip Exfoliating 
• This spring I am really into experimenting with different shades of lip stick. I am loving anything from bright pink to bright red to Texas State Maroon. (yes Texas State not Aggie!) But in order to avoid getting crumbly  flaky lips you have to exfoliate before applying the lip color.

• Austin Skinny Limits Juice
• OK, I am not a health nut although I could fake it pretty good if I had to. But I crave juice from Austin Skinny Limits on Far West Blvd. I also think its funny most of their juice is named after yoga poses. If you are feeling a slight health kick like I do once a month, try this place out!

When I Get Nervous I Lie...

When most people get nervous they sweat, or turn red or fidget. I do all those things (except maybe turn red… I mean I am black obviously). But on top of that I have two more slightly unusual completely embarrassing habits. When I get nervous I lie and forget where I am going.

This weekend my best friend Chanelle came in town with her new boyfriend (Chris).  When meeting new people I am always socially awkward and give too much information about myself and make inappropriate comments. Knowing this, I get pretty nervous and attempt to make a good first impression.

Here are the things I probably shouldn’t have said when meeting someone for the first time:

·   

     First year of marriage was glorious because Matt was half way across the country and my dishes were always clean and the bed always got made.(looking back I say that but at the time it was miserable)

  Comments about how Chanelle should hurry up and get to baby making.
  

  Opinion around the obvious fact that cooking skills are only needed for dating purposes. Once you’re married, what’s the point? They’re stuck anyway.

Blatant comments about how being from Provo, Utah (home of BYU) is weird, and sort of mysterious kind of like unicorns.Chris (Chanelle’s bf) is from Provo

Chanelle’s boyfriend (Chris) was describing his large extended family to which I may or may not have said. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”Sometimes I think things and then realize, nope, that was actually vocalized

The most awkward thing I almost said this weekend was when Chanelle was describing how she got really sick with the flu, pneumonia, and bronchitis because of this really fancy word that basically means air pollution. Well I thought the word sounded like an STD, because it did. So I said, “Hmmm…. Sounds like a S..T..cough ..cough..cough, sounds bad!”  Who says those things? Me I guess.

Anyway, back to how I lie when I am nervous.

A couple of years ago I had an audition and they asked me my age to which I confidently responded 16. They looked at me again puzzled. Probably because I was in fact 20 and had no idea why I would have told them I was 16. Instead of letting it go, I blurted out… “I mean I am 20, I do this a lot. I always lie when I am nervous.” They thought it was funny/creepy that I forgot my age by 4 years and needless to say didn’t get a call back.

Chris will probably think I am the dumbest person on Earth. Although that may not be far from accurate given that I got lost nearly 3 times in the couple hours we spent together. It doesn’t help that I have to use navigation while walking around downtown Austin. The city I have spent my whole life in. What can I say; when I get nervous I forget where I am going.

Mistletoe Memories

Holiday Season in the Fullenwider Household is full of family, traveling, games, and laughs. The year it all began by traveling down to good ole  Belton, Texas, where Matt's Family lives. Belton is growing on me, never in Austin would you go to the feed store to buy last minute presents. Upon entering my Mother-In-Law leans over to me and says, "OK Cassie, no jokes! And here's a tip, that lifeguard stand over there is a deer blind!" Boy I love Belton!

We had our first annual Fullenwider basketball tournament.  I promised myself not to hurt anybody. So I left half way into it to make sure my scary, unattractive, competitive side didn't show in full force on Christmas Eve.

Matt's family has a tradition of playing Christmas carols with chimes. This year we had some extended family in town that added to the chaos. Erin (sister-in-law) and I thought we would add to the fun by making fart noises when it was our turn to chime. They should have known better. 

Christmas day we drove over to the Mast's. My family attempts to rally everyone together to play a new board game. This year it was HedBanz for adults. Everyone draws a card and inserts it into a headband and has to guess what their card says. If you have a family full of adults like ours, I would highly recommend this game. We were dying laughing the whole time. 

The day after Christmas aka My Birthday Eve, I met with some of my oldest friends Stacy and Erin. It is so comfortable around people you have known your whole life and interesting to see how different and similar you still are. I feel as though each of us add something different to our unique friendship. 

For my Birthday Matt and I took the day off to spend with each other. With Matt's crazy schedule we really miss just spending time with each other. One of my very best friends Chanelle meet us for some shopping. It was the best surprise! Then we saw a movie! Our favorite thing to do for birthday's is pick out our own presents. My birthday was filled with skulls and sparkles! Not a big surprise!

This years gifts that keep on giving is my new journal to record 2013 memories. This year I am promising myself to not look back and not remember anything. I also got an ancestry.com membership in order to learn about the people that made it possible for me to live such a blessed life.  I am excited to learn about my great grandparents and my great greats! It will be great ;)! 

5 things to do before age 25

On multiple occasions this year I have tortured my husband with full on breakdowns centered on how fast years go by and turning 24.  One of my favorite friends Denise and I were talking about our birthdays that happen to be on the same day. I said, “I mean seriously… we are going to be 23 this year.” To which Denise smirked and said “Really Cassie? We are going to be 24!” In disbelief I quickly computed and realized indeed I am turning 24. I now remember how old I am by reciting Gangsters Paradise lyrics, “I’m twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-four? The way things is going I dunno!” (I choose to use proper grammar though)

 Now to some of you this breakdown is ridiculous, I am still young and have plenty of time to do the things I want. However, I catch myself wasting valuable time and not remembering what I have done with my life. (My mother-in-law says I need a journal, so I will remember better.) So as a declaration to me and whoever has time to read this (before I let another year go by seemingly wasted) I will list 5 things to do before age 25 in no particular order.

1.   . Buy my first house: Although Matt and I have started on this already; I have been a sour sally constantly thinking that something will go wrong and the home will slip out of your fingers. Home ownership is scary, way scary, and I am bad at commitment. So this will be a huge check off the list!
2.      Find a hobby: Matt is always telling me I need to find a hobby. Something that genuinely makes me happy. I have always wanted to be the wife that has Bunco night, or can sew clothes, or make delicious dinner. But that isn't me, at least not yet. In 2013 I need to find a hobby, a real one, one that makes me happy.
3.    . Pop out a baby: Ok this may be TMI. Probably is, but it is true. I never thought I would get married at 21 or be wanting a family so young. But after watching a bunch of bad TV about teens having babies, or people getting pregnant and not knowing it, I thought it must be so simple to get pregnant. NOT TRUE! Getting pregnant is truly a miracle and isn't as easy as people make it seem. Now that Matt and I are finally settling down in life, it would be nice to have a cute addition. With everyone asking “so when are you going to start having kids? I tell you…it isn't easy. So I am throwing it out into the universe. I want a baby!
4.      Run a Half Marathon: So hey this may be knocking two birds with one stone. Maybe running could be a hobby? Doubt it! I haven’t been able to tackle more than 5K so 13 miles would be treacherous. Right now I can run a pretty decent 3 miles, so I have a long way to go. Anyone with training schedules hit me up!
5.    Go out of the country: Matt and I have been so busy getting to where we want to be professionally that we have not taken a lot of time to appreciate where we are at. I would love the chance to take a trip out of the country with my cute husband and explore together.

I must admit this list was originally going to state 10 things I wanted to do, but I got too overwhelmed with anxiety wondering when I am going to fit this all in. Sooo….. I decided 5 was a good place to start. Baby steps! I know 2013 won’t be a year where I look back and wonder what I did with my time. I pledge to take chances and make commitments, and relish how far Matt and I have come. 

Married Girl Problems

I get the question, “what is the hardest part about being married?” I often wonder why people even have to ask me this question. Most people that know me well know I HATE TO SHARE! I am one of those annoying people that will be the first one to take a huge bite out of your meal, but when you ask for mine, I push my plate away. I know awful!

Lately since Matt and I are saving to put a down payment on a home, we have been cutting back on the little snacks/treats we used to stock up on. One of the main things we spend our money on is food, and by sticking to a strict budget we often crave junk food. I have noticed that if I leave out ANYTHING  ANYTHING, whether it is junk good or leftovers, Matt will devour it!

Last night I left for a meeting leaving some Pringles I used a bonus gift card from work on. (My money, my food! RIGHT? Yeah probably wrong!) I know there is still a lot I need to learn about marriage and sharing. Anyhow, I was fully expecting Matt to eat some of them. NOT ALL OF THEM! I come home mouthwatering for a salty snack and to my dismay I reach for the Pringles and they are gone! Completely gone! This is not the first time this has happened this week.

I have also been hoarding water bottles, taking them to work, and filling them up in our Ozarka water dispenser to save on getting water bottles at the store. Is that considered stealing? Anyways, if I leave a water bottle I have spent a good amount of time and thought on stealing from the office, Matt will drink IT ALL! All of it, not a swig or swallow, he drinks it all.

So now the most common phrase in our household is “YOU ATE/DRANK IT ALL!REALLY?”

By far the hardest thing about being married for me is the sharing! I sure hope we quickly get the money we need for a down payment, not so we can go back to buying junk food, but so I can buy a separate fridge with a lock on it.

There’s no crying in Basketball

For those of you who don’t know, my over sized husband used to play college basketball at Texas State University (where I stalked him, and forced him to marry me!) There have been multiple times in our short 2 year marriage that we have argued over who is better than whom in basketball. Let me just remind you the only legitimate basketball I played was high school JV. But hey, I was awarded most improved!

Since I grew up in a basketball loving family, I feel it is my right to get to play basketball wherever and whenever I would like.

 Much like the connection I have with yoga or shopping, Matt claims that basketball is his release time. Where he can free his mind and forget about his nagging wife (Unless of course I invite myself to play with him). One of our biggest arguments was when Matt told me I shouldn't play with the boys at the gym. He insisted they were too big and rough for me. Does he know who I am? My response was jumping out of the car at the stoplight and running for the hills. Longest run home ever!? I am very stubborn and when someone tells me I shouldn't do something, I make it a personal mission to prove them wrong.

One of the compromises Matt and I made was that he would be o.k. with me playing basketball with the guys as long as I did not:

1.       Cry

2.       Break Something

Fair Enough!

Well, this weekend I decided I would wake up early. Pack my basketball shoes and join him at the gym.

Side Note: It is important to pack your basketball shoes rather than wear them to the gym. Every REAL basketball player only wears their shoes on the court.

Saturday morning is prime time to get a “run” in (slang for basketball game. See, I am very observant J) Everything was going great until close to the end of the game and this huge curly haired monster thought it would be a good idea to come down and elbow me in the ribs. Tears welled up in my eyes as my side was on fire. However I knew the rules and slammed back my tears and kept going. Until, this scrawny little creep elbowed me in the mouth and blood surged onto the floor.

The next game I sat out. However still didn't cry or break something. 

Hi I'm Married, but refuse to grow up.

Last weekend I had the privilege to go to one of my sorority sister’s wedding. Ashley’s wedding was amazing; I have not seen a wedding like that in real life. I thought I was in Beverly Hills at a chic restaurant or club. When you’re married it seems like every wedding you go to makes you think of your own marriage and mistakes/victories you have made along the way.

Telling you the victories would be no fun right? So I will tell you some of the mistakes I have learned from in our short 2 years of marriage.

First Lesson: Everyone is different. Do not have unrealistic expectations.

My grandmother is the woman! Everything of hers was absolutely perfect including dinners, cleaning, and clothing. You know one of those ladies who wear stockings with everything. She taught me how to make the bed military style, with crisp corners and perfect pleats. So when I got married, I just assumed Matt and I would be on the same bed making page. Boy was a wrong!

Matt had the day off and I was a work, so like any wife I made him a list of chores to get done. List included Cleaning, Bills, Groceries, and BED! I came home and everything was done except the BED! So I called him furiously, “Matt! You know you could have warned me I was going to come home to an unmade bed.” To which Matt replies, “Hunny, I am so sorry I was so busy doing all the other things on the list. I will make it as soon as I get home.” Yikes, what a witch! What was thinking? Lesson learned!  Have realistic expectations.

Second Lesson: Although I enjoy the awkward moments, Matt does not!

If I had a dime for every time Matt told me TMI, I would be a billionaire. For some reason whatever I am thinking just spills out of my mouth. Matt is mortified. So I call my mother and mother-in-law to rally some votes if what I say is TMI or funny.

 For instance, Matt and I went to a Halloween party of my friend Ruthie’s and saw one of my old friends. They asked me where I got my costume. I said well “I got the leotard from Goodwill…..but then I decorated it.” Then it dawned on me and here comes the TMI. “I didn’t wash it so I am probably getting diseases as we speak.” Matt slaps his forehead! Opps…. Couldn’t help myself. So now I think twice about what comes out of my mouth but usually say it anyway.

Third Lesson: Marriage is out of control

I have a naturally controlling personality, which has been a vice of mine in relationships. I was able to keep it under wraps during our dating days but now that we are married it has intensified and is out in full furry! 

For instance, one of my new things is seeing how far I can push Matt by asking, “Will you lick my toe?” or “Will you sniff my armpit?” So not lady like, and I would have never landed Matt with such nonsense. But I find it humorous seeing his breaking point, which is definitely the toe licking.

Some things I am still working on, others I choose to keep around for good blog entries. But, by being a part of other people’s special day, I am constantly reminded that every day married to Matt is special. I finally met my match!

Rule Follower

Working in an industry where you’re forced to talk to people all day can be both satisfying and exhausting. When I come home the last thing I want to do is talk some more, which is probably a blessing for my husband. This week I decided to divulge the inner workings of my mind. Scary I know!

My mind raced around the fallacy that structured religion is strictly used for an excuse to live by a moral code. Now, I am a HUGE rule follower. I remember in 5^th grade tattling on Josh Davila for sneaking his comics into his Math book during homework time, and the feeling of gratification that followed when he got in trouble by the teacher. Again, I am a huge rule follower!

I was watching Locked up Abroad, a TV show that details how people became smugglers and how they get caught. Recently there was a young man that decided to travel to South America after a bad break up. When he got to the hotel he noticed a bunch of people in the same predicament. His words were “I had no interest in doing Cocaine, but it was available, so I tried it.” WHHHATTT??? Do people really live that way? How can people have no desire to do something, but doing it anyway because they don’t have boundaries?

I am thankful I have a how-to-guide. I am thankful that I have a set of guidelines and boundaries. I believe there is a lot more to religion than strict guidelines. However, if that was all it was, would that be so bad? I am so thankful that I grew up in a church that taught self-control and self-respect.

I can’t imagine traveling through life without a map.

Bat-tastic

A co-worker recently asked me, “If you don’t drink, what gets you excited?” I immediately replied, lots of things…….. (Then I drew a blank). He responded “Your TV shows?” “Yeah, Yeah, I screamed, my TV shows!” Then I realized escaping reality through sitting my big butt on the couch probably was the lamest answer I could come up with… so I tried again. “Well…. I love organizing! My planner gets me excited.” (What? That isn't impressive either?) “Ok…. I love to craft! You know like making greeting cards, and decorating cupcakes, and bat lollipops!” Bat Lollipops???  

I frequently browse www.ourbestbites.com for new fun ideas. I purchased their cookbook in Dallas, and have been in love ever since. They have tons of great ideas for quick easy meals, and treats to impress all your friends.

I found the Idea for Bat Lollipops. They are cute, cheap, quick, and easy. All you need is:

1.       Oreos (double stuft)

2.       Almond Chocolate Bark

3.       Thin Lollipop Sticks (important that they are thin or your Oreo will fall right off)

4.       Floral Foam (to stick the   lollipops in)

5.       Black Cardstock (for wings)

6.       Candy Eye Balls

7.       Lollipop holder (optional)

8.       Fun tin can or pumpkin “treat or trick” bag to put the lollipops in when you done.

I purchased enough ingredients to make lollipops for 5 families at church all for under $30.

Step 1: Cut out wings with your black card stock  This is the most time consuming part. I used a template I found on Google images and traced on the card stock  mostly because I haven’t found out how to use my Cricut.

Step 2: Stick the Lollipop (Thin) Stick into the cream portion of the Oreo. Make sure it is on good or it will fall right off once it hits the chocolate. I think Matt stuck them on wrong purposely, so he could eat all the chocolate dipped Oreo. Just a theory!

Step 3: Melt your chocolate, make sure to follow the directions for melting because the chocolate will burn easily! Believe me I have gone through tons of chocolate.

Step 4: Dip the lollipop Oreo in the melted chocolate, and cover completely. At this time stick the black cardboard wings in the side of the chocolate Oreo, they will stick to the chocolate…. I promise!

Step 5: Stick the Bat Lollipop in the Holder to dry. Once the chocolate becomes less glossy and hardens stick the candy eyes in the chocolate. If you attempt to stick the eyes in at the same time as the wings they will fall right off and you will have eyes near the butt of your bat. NOT CUTE!

Step 6: Place the floral foam in the bottom of you decorative tin, while your lollipops harden in the fridge or counter.  Once your lollipops are hard and set, stick the lollipop in the foam, and you have a fun treat to share. (or not hehe)  

Fanatic

Do you remember that show on MTV “Fanatic,” where people would go crazy and hyperventilate over meeting their favorite band? I always thought these crazy loons don’t have a life. Well, I married one of those loons and every other day I get to hear how awesome it would be to see Aerosmith and meet Steven Tyler.

Do you agree that it’s ridiculous that every major life event of ours needs to be planned around Aerosmith tour dates? While Matt was working in California he purchased tickets to his first Aerosmith concert, and to his dismay Steven Tyler fell off the stage and cancelled the tour. So, Matt thought it would be a great idea to spend our honeymoon at an Aerosmith concert. A couple days beforehand the concert was cancelled yet again and we had to spend our honeymoon lodged up in Vegas! I was not the happiest of happy brides.

While standing in the line at a dominos Matt gets inspired to pick up one of the magazines lying on the bench, and on the front cover is this advertisement (above). I knew I hated dominos for a reason. Matt 

looked at me and said “I will not bring it up all weekend, just think about it.” 

So Monday morning at 10 am comes and Matt immediately gets on the line to order our tickets. I couldn’t say no to the poor guy. As long as he doesn’t start crying I can bare a couple hours of stinky rockers and Matt screaming along to every song. 

Home Sweet Home?

One of my most annoying qualities is that when I set my mind up to do something, I obsess. There have been a few fast fading fads that I obsess over for about a month and then push them off to the side like a needy high school boyfriend. For example:

Insanity: Bought the full work out tapes and was pretty hardcore consistent for about a week and a half but could never quite get the hang of torturing myself every morning before school/work. I have sworn over and over I would restart but, hello I have new fads to worry about.

·     Refurbishing furniture: Had a minor addiction to bargain shopping at thrift stores and garage sales with the idea that my apartment would be super trendy and shabby chic. Well,  let me just tell you, if a crap load of other people’s unwanted junk is chic, then I have got the concept mastered.

·     Homemade cards: I have been faithfully attending a card club with Cedar Park’s finest and convinced myself I had what it takes to take it to the next level. I am still in the mist of this fad, but have already watched the steady decline as my tools stack up and the time spend between card making increases.

Which brings me to my most expensive recent fad, house hunting. As I watch our budget shrink with the rising costs of living at the domain, I think, why we are wasting so much money on rent? I think this is probably the exact same excuse everyone uses to convince themselves they are ready for a bigger commitment. The scary part is I haven’t committed to an apartment for a full year since college and there are so many factors to consider.

Maybe you more experienced/rational friends or family can give a girl a hand. What is important…location, space, and price? What is better… existing, or new construction? The big problem we are running into is that our dream location does not have a lot to offer in our price range and I would immediately want to tear every old rusty piece of the home apart and redo it to my liking, you know other people's chic junk!

All these decisions make me break out and wonder how anyone purchases their first home without making major compromises. I am hoping if I pray long and hard enough the perfect house with the perfect price in the perfect location will just pop up. Your laughing at me, aren’t you? I am also hoping like most of the other fads, this obsession poofs, disappears and I will be perfectly satisfied with renting for the years to come.

Fashionably Late?

Matt and I live in the Domain in Austin, which is a retail mall with housing above the shops. Each month they host a couple parties for the residents to network and meet neighbors. This month they had an end of summer bash to include a photo booth, professional poker dealers, giveaways, and lots of food!  Most of my experience with poker comes from being forced to watch World of Poker Tour with my dad, so obviously I am a tough competitor.

All week I have been dreaming of the grand prize and the announcement that Cassie was indeed the chip leader. (See the lingo!) Matt on the other hand would rather stay in and watch the Olympics for the 10^th night in a row.  As soon as I got home, I showered and put on my best poker/pool party get up I could find with poker face sunglasses in tow. Ready to go promptly at 6:00 pm when the party started, I told Matt, “Come on so I can win this thing!” Which he replied, “Cassie, no one gets there right at six. It’s a party not an interview. And, why are you wearing cowboy boots to the pool? Take those off!” So…. he was right about the cowboy boots. However, is it true? Is being on time taboo?

For the most part I am a stickler about being on time. Whether it is a dinner party, pool party, or a girl’s night, if someone gives an arrival time, I assume that is the time they want people to come. Which brings me to my next question, if being on time is early, what is on time? Five minutes late? 10 Minutes? 15 minutes late? All the stress that comes with determining what is “fashionably late” gives me anxiety! Needless to say, we were fashionably late at 6:05. Baby steps! “Compulsiveness is underrated!”

Poker Results:

Matt took ALL of my chips, and wouldn’t give them back. THE NERVE! I thought when you get married you were a team! The table thought I was being charming when I said “Matt, don’t you understand, even when you WIN you LOSE!” I was totally serious, and had to count to 10 before getting super upset that my own husband beat me when I was ALL IN. Rude! 

Ask and ye shall receive

I have pondered over and over throughout the weekend on whether or not I should share a particular experience I had last week. Sharing spiritual thoughts is not my forte and I would much rather crack sarcastic jokes. However, there is vulnerability with sharing difficult personal experiences and blocking that would be disingenuous. But… don’t get used to it!

Being Mormon there is a lot of pressure from all angles. Since the Latter Day Saint community is a small one, everyone knows everything about you and if they don’t, they will. For me the pressure was minimal and I strived to be acutely obedient.For others the pressure is consuming and annoying which I have learned to be more sensitive to. The most rebellious thing I’ve done was get a nose piercing while working at Red Bull on a lunch break and then immediately take it out once I realized church was the next day. My mom found out about it 4 years after the fact. Oh and the occasional freshman year picture of middle fingers which now I find absoltely repulsive and trashy.

Being aware of your flaws is the first step to becoming a better person. One thing I have been steadily working on is becoming less controlling. I have this devilish quality to want to take away everyone’s free agency. Whether it is my husband, parents, baby brother, or myself, I love to have full control. This desire to be perfect and control everything has allowed me to excel in the business arena, and plummet in the personal one. As my brother gets older, I wish I could take him, put him in my pocket and make every decision for him. Because that isn’t a reality I get extremely anxious over the choices he makes.

Last week at work, I was experiencing anger mixed in with anxiety. Which I determined in actuality was fear and love. It is hard to work with customers all day when you mind is feasting on other thoughts. On my break I turned to the scriptures (well I don’t know if you turn scriptures on a smart phone but I digress) and happened upon the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. In this parable there are two siblings that may as well be my brother and I. As I read the passage I was overcome with love and comfort, finding faults in my own actions. I am so thankful for the scriptures and the gift of personal revelation. I am becoming more thankful for our free agency and the blessing to choose.

My biggest fear is to be an overbearing controlling mother and wife, which I am well on my way to becoming. I hope through my journeying the scriptures I will learn to let go and love.

Mommy & ME

For the past 9 month I have been living in Jealousy as one of my closest friends has been pregnant with her first child, a girl even! I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new baby, and scheming to figure out how I can discreetly kidnap her. Matt and I aren’t super serious about having kids yet since we are still young. However, there is something so special and magical about bringing a child into the world.

The night before last I got a call in the middle of watching The Real Housewives of O.C Reunion part 2. Typically I wouldn't even answer the phone and disrupt the brilliance transpiring on the television, but this call was from my cute pregnant friend. With sweaty hands I answer the phone and wait to hear that WE are having a baby. Even better…. Her water broke at work up north where we live and where the hospital is, and they live far away in the hills of Westlake. So, they asked if they could hang out with us for a couple hours before checking into the hospital. In the movies when a woman goes into labor it is almost animalistic with the yelling and clawing and punching.Well what I am really trying to say is… when and if I go into labor expect the punching to be in full force! Cute pregnant friend was calm and lovely. What an amazing mother she will be!

Matt was jumping up and down screaming “We are having a baby!” It was so cute how excited he got for our sweet friends. Then Matt and Mike (daddy to be) started joking about if I get pregnant I will be demanding foot rubs and back massages by every passerby that makes eye contact. Valid! So basically if I go into labor and suggest coming over to your house, object!

The next day we finally got to meet baby Libby. It was so amazing to finally meet her after seeing the first ultrasound so long ago. She was so little and perfect, (much unlike the giant mess Matt and I will have.) I can just imagine the 2 foot baby 12 pound baby that will explode out of my body thank to the oversized husband I have. All in all it was the most unique spiritual experience I have had and I can now be found googling cute nursery ideas for the non-baby I have. Creepy! 

How to make your husband do anything you want, or so I thought

So Tuna Tower Thursday Was a Huge Success. I found a recipe online shared by a sassy blogger. Obviously this lady is a bombshell, since she bragged about getting ½ of the ingredients for free and premade and well…. I didn’t!

The first stop was getting all the Asian inspired spices and sticky rice from the store. If you thought that sushi rice was just white rice like me, well it isn’t. It goes by the sophisticated name sticky rice and you add a plethora of ingredients to make it sticky and formable. My rice is always sticky, but probably because I overcook it! Well bombshell recipe blogger bragged about going the local Central Market where they sell sushi, and getting a bag for free. Following the steps to exactness, I walked up to the sushi counter at HEB and said, “Hi, can you bag up that sticky rice for me…for free!” I am a get down to business kind of girl. Apparently there is some smoozing that takes place before you can outright ask for free things, that wasn’t in the footnotes of the recipe. So when that didn’t work, I asked if I could purchase it. When that didn’t work, I tried to slip the cute Asian man in the chef’s hat a $10 bill with a wink. THAT DIDN’T WORK! Which was infuriating and led me to believe the recipe home girl must double as a play boy bunny, getting everything for free…shame on her! So, I referenced Google and found out how to make my own sticky rice, much better than HEB I am sure.

The second stop was the Quality Seafood Market off Airport Blvd. I have heard great things about the market and that most Austin restaurants get their seafood here (so, obviously it was good enough for my Thursday Tuna Tower).  I was greeted by a Seafood Santa and a dozen fish heads. Legit! Seafood Santa has a deep rich voice and a long white beard and was not offended by my lack of fish knowledge. He told me which tuna to use along with which crab meat would be nice to top it off and off I went.

My day was a huge success until I got to my third stop, home. As I am forming this spectacular Tuna Tower with homemade sticky rice, spicy mayo crab meat, avocado, topped with fresh raw Tuna, in walks my super sensitive husband. (I say that with the most sarcasm I can muster)! I mean hello….. Look at me Cassie Sushi chef! I hope it is extremely apparent that I do good things to get tons of praise and credit. I mean, what wife builds a tremendous sushi tower for dinner? NOT ME TYPICALLY! So when I received an objection about getting some last minute pita chips the tuna tower right about went through the window. This would have been amusing seeing it land atop some domain shoppers head!

I must admit it was a little dramatic. I mean we didn’t need anything to eat the tuna tower with. But because I worked hard on the masterpiece, I wanted it to be perfect. And perfect meant Pita Chips! That didn’t make much sense to my starving 6’7’’ hunk of a man. The patience that man must have with me is equivalent to a kindergarten teacher. Luckily, the store is around the corner and they had my favorite pita chips. We went home, turned on Big Brother, and had an amazing dinner! So tonight I am going to be slaving in the kitchen making my next creation. Cereal!

Three signs that point to your Husband watching too much Reality TV

I feel so bad for my poor husband. He must be the best husband on earth to sit through all the sappy reality TV I watch. Now that all the sports we watch have concluded it has become even worse. After my ritual of cleaning house, we sat down to watch some TV before bed.

Sign #1: Your husband is genuinely upset that you erased the last episode of the bachelorette because he didn’t get to see the ending.

·         Now I know that my husband can live without watching The Bachelorette each week. But, once you have men all roped up in a love quadrilateral, it can be kind of addicting. Plus you have to admit, watching John get sent home was a little funny.

Sign #2: You husband compares you and your family/friends  to members of the Real Housewives

·         I don’t know how many times I have heard. “Man she pulled a Vicki!”

Sign #3: In order to convince you he is telling the truth he uses the phrase “Bible!”

·         No lie, last night my husband predicted the ending of Misadvised when a date turned horribly wrong when a guy took the girl to the strip club. When the guy told the girl he had a surprise, Matt knew it would be the strip club.

o   Of course I thought Matt had seen the episode and the prediction was a hoax. In order to proclaim his innocence Matt yells “Bible, I didn’t know!” I guess we are an unofficial member of the Kardashians. Yikes!

Lesson Learned! I will make sure that we fit in some manly shows throughout the week. Some shows Matt will absolutely refuse to watch, but others can be a little catchy. Either way, Matt makes such a sacrifice to become interested in the shows I like to watch, the least I can do is watch Pawn Stars every once in a while.

No One is Off Limits

So before I start ripping into my new friends on my flag football team, I will start out on a lighter note. Yesterday while diving for a ball I found out that I am painfully allergic to grass. Immediately after rolling to get up, my whole back felt like it was on fire. So I viciously ran up to anyone close and started rubbing my entire back on them. I am sure they were thrilled with my sweaty back and arms rubbing all over them. Thankfully Matt wasn’t there to witness my promiscuity.  So now I will be wearing full body sweats to my next game.

So now onto the next, the results from back to back football games…. Basically it was horrendous. For those of you that know me well know that I absolutely hate to lose. What I hate worse than losing is losing badly. Let me just tell you I always keep score (ask my husband) and in these games it was completely pointless. I kept a good attitude and a smile on my face until I got into my secret lair (car) and immediately vented to my trusty side kick (husband). His response was “Well, football has a specific physicality that YOU are probably not used to. So you were probably falling ALL OVER the place.” Needless to say that comment set me off after a hard loss. But we made up after a Culvers Sundae and I have decided to give everyone including myself a second chance. So I will keep the tongue lashing to a minimum until next week, the no one is off limits. 

Oh yes, I have also been going back and forth on which of my teammates will find my blog and ban me from the team. Therefore, when things start to get really good or ugly, I will make up code names. Then I will be safe from exile. Anything thoughts?

I wear a Mouth Guard in Case There's a Fight

My husband advised me that I should “get a hobby.” I think that is boy code for I am sick of you. Either way I decided to load up my calendar with various clubs and activities that would fancy Matthew. One of which is my card club where we make homemade cards for all occasions, I am getting pretty good and I am thinking of making a side job out of it! If you need cards, invitations, or thank you notes hit me up. The other is my co-ed football team Beer, Sweat, & Regret. Obviously I was not responsible for the team name since I am not a drinker. 

Teams have the option of signing up a full team or signing up individually to hope by some miracle your team of misfits has some sort of talent. Mostly because I do not have 13 friends that live in Austin, and partially for better blog material, l I chose to sign up as an individual. For sanity, I asked my good friend Brittany Burton to join along in this adventure with me. Our team is full of random strangers that have absolutely no natural chemistry.

Let me introduce you to the main players I have met thus far:

Brandon: Brandon is a former Marine and therefore makes a natural captain/coach. Brandon is probably one of my favorite characters on the team. I am super competitive (that is the reason why Matt wouldn’t sign up with me. Rude! ) but Brandon has me beat by far! Prior to our first game today he sent out the official playbook, so on breaks I have been shamelessly studying the many routes planned for tonight.

Byron: Byron is a large, black man and rather quiet. But when he says something I cracks me up. You can tell he is there for a good time, and is just an all-around a good guy! When someone mentioned they went to church on Sunday, his response was “I went to Churches!” (As in churches chicken)  haha. We will be friends.

Chris: Chris has the most energy I have seen of any adult in all my life. He is always bouncing around and pulling faces and facing off with Brandon as to who is the better quarterback. Just so happens Chris slightly resembles Tom Brady, while Brandon slightly resembles Tim Tebow. I like Chris and think he is hilarious mostly because upon meeting him he says, “You don’t drink? Then what do you do?” (gives me no time to answer) “I heard you do what you would normally do, except just don’t drink!” (probably true) Then he continues, “That sounds miserable!”

Angela: Angela is the team mom, she keeps us all updated and on track. Not to mention she is super-fast and zigzags down the field, till she loses you! She is like a real life Katniss.

Lauren O: Lauren reminds me of one of the guys. She is always telling me what position to play and how she wants things done. I have a feeling we may be best of friends or we may clash once and a while. But I did already warn her I am bringing my mouth guard. Not for football purposes… but just in case I get into a fight.

So far those are all the characters along with Brittany and I. Tonight we have a double header against two of last year’s champions. Updates will follow. Just forewarning if we lose the next post might be explicit. Well as explicit as I can possibly be.

Do you like me? Check Yes or No

Last Sunday I met the cutest lady at Church and found out that we both live in the Domain. If you know anything about me, you know I am the worst friend maker in the world. I wonder if it is a major character flaw to want to sit and watch television or if I am feeling extra spontaneous.… read a book, instead of entertain. I wish it was socially acceptable to disclose that your best talent involves a DVR.

                However, yesterday I thought I would step out of my comfort zone (GO ME) and go to Kona Grill with my new friends. I was extremely nervous that this whole double date would be a complete failure. Often times when meeting new couples my eccentric husband will go off on 20 minute tangents about who knows what and all I can think about is, “I hope they are interested, and we aren't scaring them off.” My husband could get along with anyone and is super friendly, much unlike myself.

                Sometimes I feel like meeting a new couple is like going on a blind date, all I can think about is “Man, I hope they like me” and “I sure wish I don’t have anything in my teeth.” Is it a bad sign when after our date the couple announces they will not be in town for a couple weeks? Should I take a note from the movie He’s Not That Into You, and assume they were letting us off lightly? Maybe I am being too hard on myself. We had a lot in common, and although it is hard to admit I would have rather been eating with that couple, then watching Criminal Minds.