Beautiful Girls

First of all, I want to tell a beautiful girl I know: "CONGRATULATIONS!!!"  My wonderful childhood friend Moriah is now officially engaged to a man that loves and understands her...and I wish them all the best.  Such great news to wake up to, this morning...perhaps not entirely my news to tell...but it's my blog, so I get to choose the content therein.  And Moriah is pretty particular in what/who she likes, so I'm sure Jason is awesome for her.  So happy for them!

Okay, I just had to start out with that, because it's by far the most exciting thing I will say in this post.  So, if you wanted the new and hip info, you got it.  Now I'm off to one of my usual rants.  
I've been trying to figure out what to post lately.  As you all know by now my life has recently consisted of trying to put our house up for sale, and sick kids, and sick Jeff, and sick me.  Not overly fun...and limiting in my computer time.  I mean, you know how you just continually go to the same sites over and over just to see if anything is new within the last 15 minutes, because you're bored, and there's nothing else to do? Am I the only one that does that? Well, I haven't even been able to do that recently.  I've been busy.  I don't think I've been this busy in a long while.  And it was just about as enjoyable as I'd assumed it would be...which was:  Not very.  
Our house is now officially on the market.  And I have to say, I'm impressed with the way Zip Realty has it pictured.  I was pretty much a wreck until the photographer came and shot most of the rooms and such...and now I can relax.  One good thing our potential buyers will be getting is a new tile kitchen floor.  Yeah, all the years I've been here I've coveted tile in my kitchen, and now we are finally getting it.  Hurray!  Just another reason that should no one show interest in our nest of love, we will be juuuuust fine with staying.  Here's the link to our realty internet site: http://www.Obeo.com/584043

Looks nice, right?  Better than our normal toys-strewn living space, but you can see why overall, we love our home.  (But not our neighbors). Make sure you use the panoramas feature.  That one's my favorite.  

So, in honor of love and engagement, I started thinking about what it all means. Did you ever see the movie, Beautiful Girls?  Yes, it's got Rosie O'Donnell in it, and yes it has some terrible language and an uncomfortable crush on Natalie Portman as a little girl, but it takes place in New Jersey, and that's how they all are.  ;)
Anyway, it's one of my favorites. Basically the plot is-surprise-beautiful girls.  And it kind of goes into the subjects of finding someone that you love, being with them, and enjoying being with them.  This guy is engaged, and he goes home to where he grew up.  And he's trying to find out how to know  when you've chosen the right person.  Does everything have to be perfect like songs and movies portray it?  And what about after the first kid--the sex seems...hurried and lacking in imagination?  And what about other "possibilities"?  I mean, they question fidelity and monogamy and why or if it's important.
So, I won't expose the ENTIRE film, but you now know the gist.  I really love this movie, because it takes a completely huge jab at the expectations of the physical part of relationships and questions everyone has about their perfect someone.  There is so much emphasis on physical beauty in terms of love, today.  But one person's opinion of beauty can be completely different than someone else's.  Like, Uma Thurman is an icon of beauty in our society.  I think she's pretty in an unconventional way, but I've heard she's extremely intelligent, and I think that always immensely adds to someone's physical appearance.   And, you know...some people DON'T think it adds anything but problems. 

{Shameless Reminiscing}
my cousin Randi, me, my sister Lora 
When I dated, and I didn't do it all that often, because it was scary and intimidating, but when I did date, I was never one of the hotties that guys saw and immediately went after.  Never.  Which was sad to me on a lot of occasions, because I had gorgeous friends that usually filled that roll.  I was one of those girls that once a guy got to know me, I became more attractive.  One guy told me that when he first met me, "he didn't notice anything attractive", (nice, huh?), "but when he got to know me I was just...so cool".  Zack from Future Shop.  Remember him, Keri?  Maybe you've come to the right conclusion that this guy wasn't prince charming by any means...but at the time, he was cute.  He was kinda funny, and I liked him. However, him telling me that really hurt my feelings, and I couldn't like him anymore.  I wanted to be that girl that the guy sees from across the room and he's magnetically drawn to her...and they live happily ever after.  
Now I kind of take a pride that that's the girl I was.  When I look back on my romantic adventures, which were few I'll add, I was the one that had to end them.  (Except in third grade when Jared Stafford dumped me after one recess.  I think all the hot 3rd grade girls were sick that day).  
Unfortunately, my taste in guys usually ran in the direction of the desperate and emotionally/mentally unstable...so when I did "end" those relationships...the process usually lasted until I or the guy moved a long ways away. Until Jeff.  I know this is the same story each and every time, but my life before Jeff was really sad and lonely.  I keep wanting to phrase it as: life B.J. (life before Jeff). But that could be taken way out of context.  :)
After Jeff, though...I finally actually understood the main point of Beautiful Girls.  That loving someone isn't always perfect.  It isn't always Valentines Day and kisses and essential oils.  It can be frustrating, and it's watching the one you love being totally vulnerable, and maybe looking less than fabulous at any given time.  
It's taking care of them when they're sick, and giving them time to themselves when they need peace and quiet.  It's respecting them, and wanting what's best for them.  It's being best friends.  It may not be that way for everyone.  I've heard it's not always exactly the same and I don't think that it should be, as we're all different.  But I do know that it's never perfect, and there will always be someone that will say something to you that may make you question your decision to be together...but you'll always know what you need to do.  You just know it.  
Anyway, that's my post.  If I could ensure that everyone would be as happy as I am in their relationships, I would preach continuously that getting engaged, and getting married is what everyone MUST do.  I can't.  But I do know what is possible.  That it IS possible to be so happy that you honestly have those moments each day where you're overwhelmed with all that you have, and your heart is always full where it matters.  Much love to you all.  I hope you have a great week.  
In the meantime, here's a couple a pictures for you to enjoy:

This is proof that Sydney is 100% Jeff's mini-me.  

And these are my nails and my new shoes.  I absolutely love them...and my polish?  Only took two coats, and that's cause I wanted them super dark.  
I told Jeff that today a cute girl commented on my nails.  She said, "I LOVE your nails, they're amazing.  I've never seen pink that hot".  Jeff then asked, "Was she six"?   Uh....Rude.  And yet, I still love him.  See?  And I'm pretty sure I just made my point.