These pictures were before the run even started.  We meant to take before and after pics, but Caitlin decided to hit me with some color right when we found them!

And then it was 9:30.  Time to start jogging.  Or running.  Or dancing.  Or speed walking.  Or dodging standing in front of the leaf blowers that were spraying color everywhere.

And then we went the wrong way.  Not just Leslie and I.  Everyone.  And we all had to turn around.  After running about 1/2 a mile.  So my first 5k was more like a 6k.  But it was still fun.

And of course we had to take some more pictures, sitting under the shade of a tree because it was freakin’ hottttt.

You can see the line from my engagement ring… pretty positive I shouldn’t have worn it on this run.

And then I got back to Newport News and found a soggy front yard.  Apparently the pipes leading to my house busted.  Of all the days, in all the yards…. this pipe failure walked into my life.  The day that I NEEDED a shower.  The day that I was covered, head to toe in colored corn starch.  The day that I looked like I was an alien… The day that I had to wait for the city person to come, followed by my ex boyfriend who had to fix the pipe.

I went almost two days without water in the house.  Just my luck right?  Thankfully I squeezed in a shower before the water was completely shut off.

Time for me to wrap this puppy up, put some makeup on, and head to Norfolk for a dinner and a movie date with the sweet Sarah.  She is keeping me busy and awake because at 11:45 tonight a flight lands in Norfolk that is bringing me my fiance back from Japan!!  Excited doesn’t even begin to describe it…

It’s been a while friends.  It’s been a crazy six months.  It’s been six months of tears and fears.  And a tad bit of joy.  My mom actually said to me a few days ago “It’s all gone down hill since Michael proposed hasn’t it?”   

Yes and no.  I had a dear friend from high school slap me in the face over the phone when I called her sobbing about how my life sucks.  I’m not going to get into the details, but she definitely reminded me about how life could be so much worse.  It was the wake up call that I needed.  But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to feel happy right now.

I’m no good at change.  I cannot even begin to explain how horrible I am at change.  Like no joke… I’m sure I would be better playing the piano with chopsticks while doing a headstand on a pogo stick and juggling fire balls at the same time.  Yes, fireballs.  Like the ones Mario shoots from his body after he runs into the flower. 

In the past six months I have not blogged because I was afraid I would say something that I would regret.  A lot of snarkiness has been dwelling in me.  I was let down and crushed by a company that I gave eight slash 23 years of my life.  A new boss lady harassed my mom, and even though we are no longer with “said company” she still leaves more than a “Harry & the Hendersons” sized footprint on both of our hearts.  I was upside down on my house and I had to sell it.  I quit my job of $50k (plus) for a few grand in 5 months.  I gave up my independence.  I rely on my mom and my fiance to pay my bills right now.  I had a friend whom I trusted, bail on me and hurt me in a way she will never know.  My fiance will be deployed in 10 days.  And now, I am in the midst of a move. Well, not so much midst… hopefully at the tail end of it.  (This said as I sit on the one single chair that is in my house in the middle of my living room watching the finale of The Office and the season finale of Grey’s - with half a bottle of wine…)  

To say I have cried a lot is an understatement.  I’m pretty sure all those sleepless nights my parents had when I was a newborn and all the tears I shed during my childhood and high school years would not fill half the bucket needed to collect the tears I’ve shed in the past six months.  And now, it’s time I find happiness.  

I had brunch with one of my bridesmaids a couple of weeks ago and was venting about life.  I told her that even though I am beginning to run my own wedding planning business fulltime and assist my mom in her real estate business (because let’s be real, we make a damn good team) I still do not know what I want to be when I grow up.  

Her response:  My dad thinks you should be a writer.  He thinks you’re hilarious. 

A week later I was at a wedding.  When a college friend /slash/ acquaintance, who I had not seen in probably seven years came up to me and said “You haven’t blogged since that day in Switzerland and your engagement!  What’s going on?!” I remembered the joy that blogging brought me.  And apparently other people.

I had no clue that either of these people were reading my blog and following along in the ups and downs of my life-tales and craft projects.  It made me feel good and confident for the first time in a while.  So here I am…

For the past week, I knew that writing one last blog post in the house I turned into a home all by myself, was super important to me.  You may not believe me, but I promised myself that I needed to close out this chapter of my life with some quiet time and a blog post.  

So here I sit.  On my pink chair.  In the middle of my living room.  All alone but here with you.  Spilling my heart out.

Tomorrow I will finish packing the last of my belongings and move them to Newport News, Virginia.  Not far (an hour) from home and my family, but far enough.  Really, it’s not that far… you can’t even watch a good solid Disney flick in an hour or less.  Not to mention I 100% believe that New Girl should be an hour long… so why shouldn’t my commute?

Tomorrow marks the day that Michael will be my forever roommate and eventually (less than 6 months now) my husband.  {Even if he will be leaving 9 days after I move in.}  Tomorrow will be the day that my two cats hate me for about a week as they go into hiding in whichever nook they can find in their new house.  Tomorrow will be a day of chaos and change.  Two things that make me have panic attacks.   Tomorrow will be a day of tears for me… even though I know happiness, clarity, adjustments, organization and love are on the way.

With that ladies and gents - it’s time I go upstairs and wrap up some loose strings before snuggling into my bed with my fur-babies for the last time in this cute little, practically empty townhouse that taught me so much about myself.  

And since a blog post is lacking in it’s awesome-ness when it is lacking in pictures… here’s a few for you from today:

I had to laugh when his response was “I bet they thought you were crazy.”

After all the paleo, delicious cookin’ and parties that took place in this house, the fact that my last supper was WENDY’S breaks my heart just a bit.   The fact that it was sitting next to my dad, seven years after we “broke Wendy’s bread” while working to paint, caulk, clean, and everything else needed to make this townhouse “Suz Approved” when I bought it made me happy.  Even if he thought I was nuts when I painted the entire downstairs yellow…

My pink chair.  In the middle of the living room.  There’s gotta be a country song that starts like that…