The Changing of Times but Never of Piggies

This past weekend was quite a big one. Not because of the duties or obligations that I had, but because of it's timing. It was the last weekend that I wouldn't be able to see Daniel because of school. :(=) !

Yes, I absolutely loved going to see all my kiddies graduate and walk across that stage but it meant that I didn't get to see Daniel (well, that coupled with a few obligations on his behalf). Regardless, this is the last time that will happen.

It's pretty exciting over here. I'm going to start moving stuff to Nashville in a few days, look for a new apartment in a new time zone, and start building my life to be with Daniel. It's terrifying, yes, being in a new city where all of the roads lead to some unknown place, but it's also really exciting, because I get to visit all of those unknown places with Daniel (and our soon-to-be new puppy... and then our piglet!).

I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us boo bear. It's going to be fantastic!

A Pinterest Perfect Piggy

In a recent bout on Pinterest (because I have time for that now!) I came across a homemade book called "My Little Book of Whether or Not He's Worth It." I found this to be intriguing so I opened it up. It was one girl's rendition and overview of the famous book (and movie) "He's Just Not That Into You." I've never read the book but I've heard great things about it, so I decided to see what this little book said. It was an empowering message telling girls to never settle for a man who is anything but the best. Too often bad relationships exist because girls don't go out and fight for what they deserve but rather settle for something they think is on par with their worth. It's a sad situation because so many girls have low self-worth and thus, crappy relationships (although that's another topic for a different blog). All this to say, here's the advice the little book offered:


“It’s very tempting when you really want to be with 
someone to settle for much, much less—even a vague, 
pathetic facsimile of less—than you would have ever 
imagined. Ladies, please, keep your eye on the prize. 
Remember always what you set out to get, and please 
don’t settle for less. If you can’t do it for you, do it for 
everyone else: [Good-for-nothing] guys are able to 
exist because there are a lot of women out there who 
allow them to.”
- Greg Behrendt

He's Just Not That Into You, pg 49


I will only date and eventually marry:

• A man who makes me feel so excited, I can't stop myself from wanting more.
• A man who doesn't keep me guessing about his feelings and what he wants.
• A man who pursues me.
• A man who sees me as the bright spot in his day.
• A man who means it when he calls me baby.
• A man who will forget about all the other things in his life before he forgets about me.
• A man who does what he says he's going to do.
• A man who doesn't make me feel anxious, uneasy, or worse by being in a relationship with him than I did being alone.
• A man who makes an effort to be a peacemaker and bring harmony to fights and disagreements.
• A man who is not afraid of commitment and proud to call me his.
• A man who makes being around him feel natural and easy.
• A man who doesn't suppress his feelings to look cool or appear uninvolved.
• A man who never keeps me in the dark.
• A man who never would do anything to compromise the integrity of our relationship, or get anywhere close.
• A man who can respectfully discuss issues without manipulation or losing his temper.
• A man who is strong and tough, but not a “bad boy.”
• A man who doesn't make me feel ashamed, needy or “unliberated” for wanting marriage and a family.
• A man with whom a relationship would bring me closer to my aspirations for the future.
• A man who makes me feel comfortable enough to bring up sensitive topics.
• A man who loves me enough to marry me in every time zone if that's what I wanted.
• A man who doesn't need forever to realize I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him.
• A man who would move mountains to keep me.
• A man who doesn't like to be without me, instead of just not wanting to be alone.
• A man who allows me to love freely, without restrictions.
• A man who doesn't have to heal in the relationship, but has already taken care of his past.
• A man who makes it clear in his everyday actions that my happiness is important to him.
• A man who makes a constant attempt to love the people I hold dear, and especially my family.
• A man who does not engage in any activity to an extent in which I feel uncomfortable.
• A man who understands that there is no reason to yell at anyone ever, unless for safety reasons.
• A man who treats me just as perfectly in public and around his friends as he does when we're alone.
• A man who treats me better than I feel I deserve.
• A man who never belittles me to feel superior.
• A man who goes out of his way to make sure I know my worth is infinite, that I'm smart, valuable and deserving of everything I've ever wanted.
• A man who hungers for information about me and doesn't spend our time solely talking about himself.
• A man who has the ability and desire to provide.
• A man who doesn't make me feel like I have to give up anything which I find to be essential for making life enjoyable.
• A man who honors the woman I am and have the potential to become. man who will always want to protect me from things that frighten me.
• A man who is nice to me all the time and who is clearly a good, kind, loving person.
• A man who makes me hope that my sisters and best friends can find someone like him.
• A man who believes in love the verb, not the noun.

I will only date and marry a man who's love is profound, life-changing, healthy, uplifting, joyous, inspiring and intoxicating, because I deserve a wonderfully fulfilling life.


Pretty great, eh? I think it's wonderful advice that girls need to hear and really take to heart. So why am I posting this on my Daniel blog? Because reading this only reaffirms that Daniel the absolute best man out there. There wasn't a single one of these that I read and went "Oh, if only Daniel did that," but rather I spent the whole time reading it, saying "Daniel does that, and that, and he's great at that one, and that, and that..." There was never any doubt in my mind that Daniel was one of a kind and the best boyfriend out there but this really solidified it. To be honest, it makes me feel bad for everyone else knowing that I've got Daniel and there's no way that anyone else will ever have a man as great as the one I have. But the flip side of that is that I couldn't be more blessed or happier to be so lucky as to call Daniel mine. It's the best thing ever because he's the best thing ever.

And after attending my graduation, spending beaucoups of time with my family, sitting through 2 dance recitals and eating a lot of really great but really bad food, Daniel has proven (as he always does) just how wonderful and special he is. He's my rockstar and without him, I wouldn't be able to do half the things that I did this weekend.

Thanks for being great. Thanks for being supportive. Thanks for being so loving. Thanks for being you.

:(=)*

I'm living in a pretty surreal time right now. I'm about to graduate college with my Master's degree, I'm moving to Nashville (a city that I've previously had no ties to whatsoever and really hadn't ever been to before Daniel), and I'm looking for a real job, with a real salary, and real problems. It just doesn't seem like this is real life. Not to mention, the time where I own a puppy is rapidly approaching... !!!! It's crazy scary but also crazy exciting all at the same time.

For the first time ever, there's no "norm", there's not a set schedule that I should be sticking to, and there's no one whose sole job is to guide me through this process. It's terrifying really. 

But Daniel has played such a great part in all of this. He's helped to keep me motivated to do everything in a timely fashion, he's been there to keep me from being discouraged, and he's helped me figure out exactly how to leave a voicemail for a potential future employer. It's been stressful throughout this process but he's been there the whole time. I hesitate to think about where I would be if he wasn't there for me and it scares me. I don't ever want to imagine what my life would be like without Daniel. But the greatest part of it all, is that I don't ever have to. And that's the greatest, most exciting part of it all.

I love you, boo bear :(=)