When The Cat's Away, Mice Will Play (Or at least I will steal your computer mouse)

Bachelorettes and vikings? No idea!

Hello, is anyone there? Testing, testing... How does this thing work? I guess I just punch on these little letters, throw them into this electronic box, and it spits them back out at the voyeurs looking in our peephole called a blog? Well, here goes nothing:

As Ms. Presh is off enjoying an estrogen-packed weekend with "the girls," I have been left at home alone to take care of certain manly duties, such as scooping poop from the cat box and folding thongs. However, being half ninja blood, I took a moment to hack into her computer, also now known as the blog box, and thought I would punch in a few random thoughts to let you know a few extra tidbits about the author of this site, the incomparable Ms. Presh.

Warning: I am about to describe someone very special, so grab a drink and some popcorn (and perhaps some tissue) because this could get long.........

And baby, don't read this... it could get dangerously honest! :)

When I first saw this creature commonly referred to as HB, I watched as she gracefully took over a dance floor, seemingly floating effortlessly with every gliding movement. Then she tripped and fell as she stepped off of it! I told a mutual contact, "I'm going to marry that girl!" (True story.) But my fantasy was promptly smashed as I found out she was taken. I had not even talked to her up to that point. It began with merely a glimpse of this sickly gifted mystery woman that tickled my eye and awakened the butterflies that had long been sleeping within me.

It wasn't for several weeks that I finally was able to meet and speak my first words with her at a comedy festival, and she challenged me to a joke-off, and hence we wound up quoting lines from famous comedic movies. Are you kidding me? Is this woman for real? Does she know who I am?? 

Who is this eighth wonder of the world, and why God, are you torturing me with this she-devil? ... And what is this icky feeling I am getting in my heart?

But as only God would have it, I sat back and waited for Him to play his hidden hand. It wasn't until months later that the card up his sleeve was revealed -- and it turned out to be the Queen of Hearts (or at least of my heart)!!

When describing her, I have always said the same thing: she is one of the few humans I know that EVERYONE loves. It doesn't matter if it is an old grumpy man who rarely talks to anyone, or even a fickle female who trusts no one of her same gender... everyone adores Ms. Presh! In fact, that is how she got that name, and it didn't even stem from me originally. We were at a practice with several of her peers when one of her co-workers, lovingly known as Spike, kept repeating, "Ooooh, isn't she precious?" Well, in fact she is, and from that moment on, the name stuck.

You can't tell here... but she is more precious than naughty!

It's actually a little absurd how sweet and... well, precious... she is, and if you know her, you do not need to be reminded. If you don't know her, picture a cross between Minnie Mouse, Lady Diana, and Jenny McCarthy. The former only because... well, once again, if you know her you do not need an explanation. Truth be told, if you have a problem with Ms. Presh, you should probably take a good, hard look in the mirror, because chances are it's not her! I know this because whenever we have disagreements, it usually stems from my idiocy, and not the contrary. (I say that now, but if anything changes, I will let you know.)

Seeing her daily growth spiritually, emotionally, mentally... thankfully she never has to worry about physically... is my great honor and my gift in life. Her relationship with her family is unparalleled. Spending time with them is a priority for her, and that is a blessing that I miss out on far too much with my own. Her passion for people (and even animals) is unwaivering. She gives and gives and gives, expecting nothing in return, and actually becomes embarrassed when the attention is turned toward her, although more deserving than most. Her love for life is extraordinary, and when I say extraordinary, I mean "extra ordinary." She loves living more than the average person and she relishes the moment - every moment. The way she handles conflict and obstacles and drama (I hate that word but it's out there, especially in her world), I gotta say, I TAKE NOTES from Ms. Presh, the princess of calmness and the champion of resolution.

Sporting her shirt with a motto for life!

But the thing that has captured my heart the most is her budding love for the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords, the creator of the world who is also the creator of my special sweetheart, the one who brought me up from dark places only to find His light, and who delivered Ms. Presh to me in a time when I needed it the most. I have to tell you, when things started getting serious between us, I came to a moment of decision. Did she have the same beliefs as me? Was she willing to walk on the same spiritual plane as I wanted to go? Was I willing to compromise my God for my girl, the one I so desperately loved? The answer to all three was no. The crazy thing is Ms. Presh was a better person than me, and even had a gentler spirit and more passionate soul than me, but still I was conflicted because we were not parallel on the one thing that mattered most.

But let me tell you how big a God I serve: there was no pressure from my end, but only the occasional conversation and a consistent seed of a message planted at the beginning of our budding relationship together. One of the greatest moments of my life was getting to be a hand in Ms. Presh's commitment and baptism. She is not ashamed! Not only does she love the Lord, but she is a constant reminder of how amazing He is and how rich His blessings are. And now, she often keeps me in check in our daily walk, which happens with a sweet but meaningful punch in the face every now and then, and far too often.

I will admit it here and now, and every other time it pops up: I DO NOT DESERVE THIS WOMAN! People say it all the time, and I will not argue the obvious fact. I am certainly marrying UP! I try not to take things for granted in my life, but this elephant in the middle of the room is staring me down daily as a meek and humble, passionate and driven, consistent and genuine, gorgeous and sleek, petite, blond beauty (sometimes brunette, honey, or ginger, depending on the time of the year). Her deliverance has changed my life. Never has she tried to change me or the way I do things, but because of that, I WANT to change to constantly adapt to be the man of her dreams.

I was not even sure I would marry again. (Yes, I was married before for the newbies reading the blog.) I was slightly jaded and terribly hurt from that experience, and God knows I never saw it coming. I had not dated since junior high, so doing so was a like walking into another country with a backpack and flashlight, but not speaking any of their language. Meeting Ms. Presh removed me from that gross situation, changing my notion and clearing my head. She spoke the language of love, and that is what I needed the most! I have walls that would intimidate most onlookers, driving them away and bleeding them of their patience. But not Ms. Presh - she confronted them gently, taking them down like those of Berlin, with her chisel called love, brick by brick.

I want my kid to be just like her (far left)!!

Shocker alert!! This is going to be a little crazy for some of you out there, but those who really know me today, it will not. I work with kids nearly every day of my life, but seldom did I see myself desiring my own little wolfpack. Ms. Presh is a game changer. I... I... I... I want kids!! Shoot, it's not too late, right? Hopefully her traits win out so they are beautiful little boogers, running around that look like her, fart like her, act like her, break things like her, dress like her, burn toast like her, talk like her, love like her. Notice I didn't include my qualities in there... no, no, no... I definitely do NOT want to deal with those kids. (Seriously, please Lord, make them like her!)

And don't be surprised if that happens in Costa Rica, because we are going to enjoy it to the fullest! She's going to hate this part, but I warned her not to read due to my diarrhea of the mouth. If she has a baby nine months from our wedding night, don't any of you go thinking it happened sooner, because that would be impossible - in fact, a miracle. Many of you have heard the whispers, and speculate the rumors, but suffice it to say that what you possibly heard is true. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read between the lines.) And for those of you who know me, you know it truly is a miracle! So look out Costa Rica... land of volcanoes... you have competition. (Sorry Ms. Presh.)

What else can i say? I have said this before, and many of you will probably hear me say it again... I have witnessed some crap in my life - it hasn't been all roses and champagne. But that is what makes life so amazing, isn't it! We must experience the bad, in order to appreciate the good. How would I recognize the peaks if I haven't first found myself in the valleys, how would I know what is warm unless I have first been cold, how could I see the light if I hadn't first been in the dark?

I love music, so let me explain it to you lyrically with a couple links: Rascal Flatts sang, "God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you..." and I believe that song fits. And similarly, the great lyricist Jason Mraz (how can he not be if he also sings "Geek In The Pink") explains my above sentiment best in his song, "Life Is Wonderful," given to me by a great friend several years ago. Check out the link and listen closely to the lyrics... it might take a few times to get it.

Wherever it goes, we're going together!

Ms. Presh, I don't know what our world together has in store. I have a feeling we will journey down some rivers of laughter, some trails of tears, some highways of adventure, and possibly some sideroads of misfortune. However, no matter where we venture, I have extreme comfort knowing that you will be traveling to experience it all alongside me.

You simply have to take a glimpse to your side and will find me there - the keeper of your heart, the guardian of your soul, the lover of your life, the leader of your home, your shoulder to lean on, your pillar of strength, the father of your babies, your very best friend. I will never take you for granted. I will never leave you forsaken. I will go to you for guidance. I will accept change. I would die for you, but I will certainly die with you.

I LOVE you.

Wow, I'm a mushy mess! But who can blame me? Let's get on with it already...

1 MONTH AND 22 DAYS UNTIL COSTA RICA!!!

MR. HESS

This one's for YOU, Mr. Hess!

We all know that March was a little crazy, and a tad bit on the busy side.  Well, hello April, you sure did come here with a BANG if you know what I mean (hint to my previous Bride of Frankenstein post)!  As we head into April, I can't help but feel a little overwhelmed at everything we "missed" on our TO-DO list from March and I shared some of these worries with Mr. Hess this morning.

Somehow through all of this, he remains completely cool, calm & collected.  I'm starting to realize how different we can be, but at the same time how much we can compliment each other in every way needed.  Today, I realized I really have found my life partner and I wanted so much to share with all of you WHAT exactly is so great about this Mr. Hess guy.

Lake view from our balcony at home: where these thoughts all started tonight!

Well, to begin with, I'm not sure if all of you know exactly how we met.  It was through work, and since that story is long enough on it's own I'll try to keep it short and sweet...

In August of 2007, I came on board to a great company in sports and met Mr. Hess a few weeks afterward.  I had met him a few times, and apparently he had already shared with his department that he was "going to marry that girl." I felt flattered, but really didn't think I was ready for any kind of relationship, much less one going towards marriage.  After a few months, we got to know each other pretty well and became best friends.  Movies and dinners turned into getting ice creams and mini golfing and before we knew it we were dating.  I had never dated someone like him before, and knew every day with him would be some kind of adventure.  New Years is our anniversary date, and we will be married after 3 and a half years of dating!

Okay, now you know the background.  I don't want to bore you with a bunch of sweet and sappy love stuff, but it just feels so great to be writing this and getting this all out.  Since my "incident" 2 days ago I have been laying on the low side and have spent some time home, thinking about what's in store for our future...and I'm getting pretty excited!

What attracted me most to Mr. Hess was how much he let me into his soul.  He is the type of person who will more times than not be funny and joke around with you, give you a hard time, have a fun time, and will rarely let his "sensitive" side out to most.  He is perpetually known as being a "goofball" as well as notorious for "pushing people's buttons"...but there's a side I get to see of him that only a select few see as well, and sorry in advance Mr. Hess but today it all comes out!

YOUR WISDOM: Maybe this is because you have a few years on me, but you are always teaching me life lessons and usually do it in a very nice and caring way.

YOUR GENEROSITY: You would literally give the shirt off your back to anyone, and have a "big brother" type of caring quality that a lot of my friends get to see.  You always put others before yourself and I know anyone close to you can call you no matter what time of day it is, and you will be there to listen and help anyone through anything.

YOUR LOVE: I have never been loved in such a way where I feel like everything I do is for you, everything you do is for me, and everything WE do is for US.  I wasn't exactly sure this type of relationship existed and I am so lucky to have found it.  When you show your love for me, it's in such a genuine and reassuring way and I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world.

YOUR FAITH:  You have been such an inspiration from day one for me and my relationship with God.  You talk with me and pray with me and I know our growth with God together will only deepen as time goes on.  I strongly believe everything happens for a reason, and God put you in my life at the exact time I needed you.


YOUR WORK: You may not have the most conventional "9-5 job" in the world, but you have an amazing work ethic.  You make something that could be so simple so fun and exciting to watch and I get blown away by how creative you can be.  Planning a wedding with you has been more FUN and CREATIVE than I ever thought it could be, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

YOUR FAMILY QUALITIES: I know you are going to be an amazing husband and father.  It's no lie that you don't have the same connection with babies, but when it comes to kids I can never tear you away from having a good time.  It's so fun and comforting to watch how much kids love you and how much you go out of your way to make sure they have a good time.  It's truly adorable.

YOU: Everything about you...well almost! (just kidding!) ;) You have kind eyes, a loving heart and a crooked smile.  You have hands that fit perfectly into mine.  You have a gentle kiss and an embracing hug.  You love the arts, theater and have a huge appreciation for dance.  You love to drive with the windows down and sing at the top of your lungs in your car and in the shower.  You love me for ME.  The list could go on and on....

We found lime green (can't really tell) and pink roses! Randomly coming home with flowers makes our home so much happier!

It's obvious to me that I have found THE ONE I am going to spend the rest of my life with, and I spent a lot of today thinking about that.  I feel so blessed to know that someone will be there for me from here on out, and I am soooooo happy to not only take his last name, but take HIM as my partner, my best friend, my husband, and my life.

I'm sorry that I just did exactly what I said I didn't want to do with the sweet and sappy love stuff, but I just couldn't help it.

I LOVE YOU MR. HESS!!!!!!

And I think I just wrote my wedding vows...

108 days until I'm MRS. Hess,

Presh

Mr. Hess, Pup & his Razorbacks!

We all know Mr. Hess is a little bit of a ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS fan...he only went to the school, played in the marching band (YUP - sure did play the trumpet), and was THE Arkansas Razorback Mascot for 3 years!  He is loud and proud of his HOGS and never misses a game.

Tonight when I got home from work, I saw the ARK vs. OHIO ST Sugar Bowl game on.  Of course, there Mr. Hess was watching the game in Razorback gear head to toe.  Tonight though, we had a new guest over to watch the game...

About 5 nights ago, Mr. Hess called me in the middle of the night from downstairs telling me that he was coming up, but he found a stray dog.  Half asleep, I agreed to let him come into the house for two reasons: 1) I love dogs and 2) it was in the middle of a cold night streak in Orlando.  I felt bad for the little guy, who Mr. Hess said was cold, wet, and wandering around looking lost.  He had a blue collar on, but it was very tattered and there weren't any tags on him.  We spent the next few days after we found him putting up signs around the neighborhood, but haven't gotten a response from anyone.  We have been looking for MISSING DOG signs, but haven't seen a thing.  So for now, we have a pup.  We bought him some puppy food, made him a bed, took him on lots of walks, and pretty much took him in as our own.

We haven't named "Pup" yet, because we didn't want to get attached, but clearly that has already happened.  We are excited to introduce the newest member of the Hess family (for now anyways) to you:

We would aboslutely LOVE to keep him if his owners aren't anywhere to be found.  I don't know who would have the heart to do it, but just by the way he responds to strangers and kids, it leaves us to wonder what kind of home he came from and if he ran away on purpose, or if he was abandoned.  He seems to like it at our place, even though we swore we would never have a dog in an apartment.  If we had a house, the desicion to keep him would have already been made.  So, we'll see what happens in the next week. Pup is one of the sweetest dogs I have ever come into contact with and something tells me we were meant to find him...I'm just saying. ;)

Keep you posted!  Until next time...

GO HOGS! WOOOOOOOOO PIG SOOOOOOOIEEEEEEEEE!

198 days and counting...we're in the 100s now! WOW!

Presh

Happy Birthday Mr. Hess!

It's that time of year where we celebrate yet another year going by, and in this case, celebrating the birthday of my wonderful fiance!

This year, our birthday gifts to each other (well, Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary, AND Valentines Day gifts combined) are wedding bands! ;) With the wedding being only 8 short months away - HOLY MOLY!!!! - we have to start being smart with where we chose to spend our money!  This year for Mr. Hess's birthday we had a Magic home game (same as last year), so I had to get creative with how I could spoil him from when we woke up, up until about 2pm...

Before he woke up, I wanted to surprise him with a birthday suprise in the living room - wouldn't top last year's set up - but, still impressive I thought! When we got home late Tuesday night, here is what he found waiting for him:

He was truly surprised, and went to bed feeling loved...but he should have known better that I had more in store since we weren't really getting each other "gifts" this year for birthdays...

The next day was his actual birthday.  I can't think of any better way to wake up than breakfast in bed, can you?! Originally, I wanted to take him out to breakfast, but I figured this would be better, and give me a chance to brush up on my skills in the kitchen.  So, I woke up about 8:30am, started a pot of coffee (clearly for me), and started cracking some eggs.  The day before I made a special trip to the grocery store to pick up real eggs and real bacon, since all we have here is egg whites and turkey products....I was hoping he would realize the difference, and also that I was trying to treat him as much as possible! :)

Birthday Breakfast - notice the heart shaped berries!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

He's a HAPPY boy! :)

Since we both had to work later that afternoon, I only had a few hours to spend with him on his day. So, I figured what better way to relax than with massages? Again, saving money this year - I thought I was very clever to use the already paid for massages we had saved up...

SO relaxed...ready to work yet?

It was good to get away from how much was going on this week for at least an hour!

Now, it was off to work - but the celebrating didn't stop there.  One of the girls on my team made him the cutest little cupcakes!  So we celebrated with our amazing singing skills (we really should all just stick to dancing), sang him Happy Birthday, and cut the cake I made him!

Em's amazing cupcakes! They were banana flavored with peanut butter!

The birthday cake I made him!

After the game, we went out to dinner, and a great group of friends showed up! It was so nice to kick back and celebrate the day with my buddy! I always love to celebrate birthdays, because we get to spoil the ones we love.  It didn't hurt that there was also some yummy goodies involved, either. 

Birthday Dinner for Mr. Hess!

Me and the Birthday Boy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LOVE!!!!  

-Presh