I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon

We just returned home from a trip to Phoenix, Arizona. It was a family reunion of sorts for Steven’s family. I’d met about half of the 17 people that were going to be there. Going into this trip the only planned event as far as I knew was a Diamondbacks game. I was worried that this trip was going to turn out to be kinda boring. 

So I started to do some of my own planning. I’ve never been to the Grand Canyon, and I hear it’s a big deal. I looked a few things up and asked around about it. I wanted to go but I underestimated two things: (1) the heat, (2) how included I would feel in this family. 

1. Arizona is hot. People say it’s a “dry heat” so it’s not that bad. FALSE. 105 degrees is hot no matter what. They also say it’s much cooler in the shade there. The thing is, there aren’t any trees. No one bothers to mention that part. 

2. God had other plans. God’s plans weren’t to keep me entertained but to show me that I was included in this new family. From watching The Bachelorette with Aunt Priscilla to playing homerun derby in the cul-de-sac with 15 people I felt overwhelmed at this great new family I got to be a part of. There was no point where I felt like an outsider or like I needed to cling to Steven’s side to survive. 

It reminds me how God invites us into his family. He calls me his daughter and I didn’t do anything to deserve that role, he just loves me that much. It’s an amazing thing to feel so loved and accepted when all you did was show up with low expectations. 

Honestly, I didn’t even think about the Grand Canyon until the plane ride home.  I’ll probably get there someday, and I hope I get to experience it with my family.

Here are several sideways pictures for you:

My father in law had on this cute little number

Mother in law and father in law. I get to call them mom and dad.

Ten-year-old Tori ready to go shopping!

Brother in law Josh doing impressive pool things

My husband doing impressive pool things.

Me and my new boyfriend/cousin, Baylor.

Luckily for me my husband and boyfriend get along well.

Lyle

The unthinkable has happened. I am a dog owner.

Firstly, let me explain my position on dogs. I am not a "dog person." Ok fine, I'm not an "animal person" in general. It's not that I don't like dogs, they just aren't for me. I only see the negatives of owning a pet and don't understand the positives.

FAQs:

Did you have a dog growing up?

• Yes. A border collie named Maggie. I felt the same way about her, though it took me a long time to admit it. A lot of people are eager to hate on you if you claim to not like dogs.

Have you ever found a dog that you've liked?

• No.

What would your ideal dog be?

• Small, doesn't bark, doesn't lick, doesn't require attention, doesn't shed, doesn't expect me to pet him, can take care of himself.

So why the heck did you get a dog?

• Because I love my husband, and my husband loves dogs.

I know, I sound awful. It's not that I don't have a heart. I like going to the zoo. I like watching funny pets from afar. I like shows about animals. I don't want to see any harm come to any pets. I just don't want to own one... which brings me back to the original point of this post...


Meet Lyle. A 1yo boston terrier from the local Human Society. I'm pretty ok with him. He was abused and neglected in his former life and thus he is incredibly fearful. He is scared to death of anything and cowers in fear with any new noise, person, or interaction. I feel so sorry for the guy. (Remember, I said I had a heart.)

We got him 4 days ago and he has yet to bark. So that's great with me. He also keeps to himself as he's too scared to venture out to do anything in our house. Again, this works well for me. My husband takes care of everything Lyle needs. So, so far so good between me and Lyle.

He's a completely different dog in the yard. He'll frolic like a little deer or lamb. It's pretty hilarious. I'll try to post a video soon.

First Post: A Brief Life Update

I'm very excited about jumping into my blog and sharing my life with y'all! I figured I should open up by explaining the main people and places in my life right now.

I have to admit that while I'm typing this I'm also watching The Bachelor so you'll have to forgive any typos, half thought out sentences, or accidental insertions of "Ben's hair sucks." I have a recent fascination with reality tv. More on that later.


Characters:
My main man, Steven- We will be married for 3 years this summer. (July 11th for those of you who'd like to send a card.) He makes me so happy. He works for OSU. My current list of nicknames for him includes: SteveFM, husband, and shugs. His current nicknames for me: honey bunches of oat and goodness, honey bunches of oats and goodness and wonderfulness with chocolate, and honey bunches of of oats and goodness and wonderfulness and sweetness oh me oh my. I'll let you decide who's more creative.

Sister, Mallory- Senior at OSU. Lives in the same town as me. She keeps me up to date on all things music, celeb, tv, and cheesey jokes.

Sister, Brooke- Lives in the ATL. She's a DNA scientist for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Yea, she's that cool. (Turns out 'bureau' is a very hard word to spell. My computer thought I was trying to spell 'reubu,' whatever that is.) I call her when I need advice or a good cry.

Sister, Cameron- Lives in Washington State. She's 11 and way cooler than I will ever be. She's hoping to play laser tag with the fam this summer. I'm hoping she changes her mind by June.

Best Friend, Sarah- Lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She lives life to the fullest and isn't afraid to be spontaneous. She talks me into random road trips on a whim. I talk her into not speeding across the railroad tracks to see if she can make it before the train gets there.

There are many other beloved people in my life and I will give you introductions as they come along, promise. You can look forward to dumb quotes by Sully, corny jokes from dad, cheesey jokes by mom, legit jokes from brother-in-law, and words of wisdom from Pam and Amanda.


Places:
Atlanta, GA: My first home. Where most of my family lives. Home of the Braves. Easily one of the best places on earth.

Tulsa, OK: I moved here when I was 10. Home to mom, stepdad, and Hanson. (Sidenote: I LOVE HANSON.)

Stillwater, OK: The place we currently call home. We'll be here a few more years before moving on to who knows what. Home to the OSU Cowboys.

Pawnee, OK: The small town where I work. It's a 30 minute, 25 mile drive to get there. Home to only 3,500. I got made fun of for wearing heels at the hardware store. Truth be told I'm scared to death to venture out of my office.

Ralston, OK: I work in the school there on Thursdays. 45-minute drive. Maybe 400 people live there. Maybe.

Do you see the trend of how the places in my life keep getting smaller and smaller? At this rate I'll be living on an isolated patch of land with no electricity or running water by the time I'm 30.


About me:
I recently finished my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from OSU. I currently work for a branch of an agency seeing clients in-home, in-office, and in-school. I see all ages with a host of presenting problems. We'll be getting a dog soon. I don't want a dog. Steven wants a dog. I've postponed it as long as possible.

Later days!