Brownie

Here's the newest addition to the Brunner family! Isn't he cute?

Brownie - Yorkshire Terrier

We adopted him from the Sioux Falls Humane Society on Saturday. He had been left by another family because one of them had allergies. He's a three year old Yorkshire Terrier. He's not fully potty trained yet because his previous family left him in the garage most of the time, but hopefully that'll get better with us working with him. We brought him home Saturday night and had a rough first night. He instantly formed a bond with me and was very cuddly and affectionate, but we soon found he didn't feel the same towards Neil. Everytime Neil tried to walk down the stairs to our living room Brownie would start barking and run at him, no biting though, then he'd run back to me and just cower like he thought Neil was going to hit him. After a couple times of this we called the Humane Society for some advice. We found that this was Brownie's way of overcompensating for his small size. Basically he was trying to act like a big dog and felt he needed to protect me. I had to show him that I didn't need him to protect me and that Neil and I are a team. Since then Neil's been very patient with him and we've shared all the responsibilities of taking care of Brownie so he knows that he's our dog, not just mine. There was a while where we thought we might have to take him back, but luckily it seems Brownie's grown comfortable with Neil and he can stay! He's such a cute little guy, how can we not love him?!?!

Neil's Photography

My husband has decided he loves photography, so I thought I'd show off some of his photography skills!

HOMEOWNERS!

It’s official; we’re homeowners! This also means I get to cross #1 off of my list of 101 in 1001 Days! With the house came a few other things I can cross off the list or at least put in progress. #2 is now in progress as I have the date and time picked for my Pampered Chef party, December 18^th at 1:00pm, just need to get invitations out and host it. I am also working on #38 as we move from the apartment to the house. Thursday evening we went to Home Depot because they were having great sales on washers and dryers and purchased a front loading washer and dryer which crosses off #56. We now have an extra bed in our house that my parents kindly brought down Saturday so we finally went out and bought a new comforter for our bed (#55) and put our previous comforter on the guest bed. We also crossed off #81 because our new dining set came with a baker’s rack which I will be able to set my china out on.

Back to the house….we L-O-V-E it! It is absolutely perfect for us and even though the two lower levels aren’t finished there’s plenty of room for just us two. Eventually we’ll finish the two lower levels, but we really don’t need to worry about it until we start having kids. Closing went very smoothly Thursday evening and only took us about 45 minutes, best part was closing costs were MUCH lower than we had been told they would be the day prior. We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday moving. We were able to move enough stuff to the house to make it livable, thanks to my parents and Jeff. My dad brought down a trailer and he and Jeff provided much needed man power help to Neil so things got accomplished much faster (and less complaining) then if I had to help him lift and tote stuff all over. Now we just have to finish moving from the apartment, get stuff all unpacked, and, my favorite part, decorate! We’re so thankful that everything fell into place for us to get this house and can’t wait for family and friends to visit and see it!

Envy

Jealousy, desire, covet, want… all words that people don’t talk about. No one wants to admit that they’re envious of someone else, and people don’t want to hear others long for something they don’t have. Lately, I’ve been running into these emotions far too often. It’s hard for me to admit when I’m jealous of someone else because it’s hard for me to explain all the feelings that hit. First and foremost I am happy for the other person. Secondly the jealousy hits, I want what someone else has or achieved. Then all at once I feel guilty for being jealous and confused because I am truly happy for the person. I also get very upset with myself for being envious. I am truly blessed in my life. I have a loving, amazing husband who is proof of God’s love and blessings. I will soon have a house that we will own. I have a new vehicle, a good job, a wonderful family, I’m healthy, and so much more! Yet, there are things that I still want and want to achieve. I’m only 23, I’m not worried about being too old to accomplish my goals, but it seems they are staring me in the face. I find constant, little reminders of the things I long for whenever I turn around. I find myself avoiding certain Facebook pages and emails to stop the reminders. I’m human, these feelings hit me out of nowhere, and I do everything possible to make them go away.

Back to that amazing husband of mine. When I’m upset or happy or stressed or really any emotion that I may have, I talk about it. My husband gets the brunt of this. There are things, such as jealousy, that I won’t talk to anyone else about. I don’t want them to take it the wrong way or diminish their excitement, so I talk to Neil. Whether I’m crying, yelling, or just venting he will sit and listen. He helps me get through everything, he points out what I have to be thankful for without making me feel guilty for wanting more. He reassures me that someday it all will happen and I know he means it, he would give me anything in his power and I would do the same for him.

So, how do I get these feelings to stop? That I’m not entirely sure of, but remembering all I have to be thankful for helps. Talking about it also helps; sometimes hearing myself say things out loud shows me how silly I’m being. Avoidance also helps me, but it’s not something I can stand doing because I don’t want to hurt the other person. Having my husband tell me over and over I’m not a horrible person for being jealous also helps a lot! I know I’m harder on myself than anyone else could possibly be and Neil continues to try balancing that out and for that I am more thankful than he’ll ever know. Writing helps (thus this blog), being able to get my feelings out in the open without having to say the words is like a weight being lifted. Being able to voice my feelings, admit I’m by no means perfect, and maybe have someone else read my words and understand because they’ve been there too. Lastly, sharing in someone else’s excitement helps. I would never wish for someone to have less than they do or have something taken away. No matter what feelings may unexpectedly hit me I have always been able to share in others achievements and blessings and be truly happy for them; for that I thank God every single day.

Thankful

I’ve read it on several peoples' status that November is thankfulness month and each day leading up to Thanksgiving I’m suppose to change my Facebook status to say something I’m thankful for. Instead of bombarding everyone with an updated status each and every day, I’m going to make a list here of things I’m thankful for. Thanksgiving is on the 25^th this year, so my list includes 25 things that I am thankful for, even though there’s much more than just 25.

1. God – He is first in my life. Without Him I wouldn’t have the following 24 to be thankful for.

2. My husband – he is the kindest, sweetest, most loving man I have ever met. He makes my life better everyday and makes me a better person.

3. Family – my dad is my hero, he sacrificed 14 months of his life to ensure my freedom. He shows me everyday the unconditional love and protectiveness of a father and what it means to be family. My mom is my best friend, whether I’m excited, upset, stressed, etc…she will listen, give advice, let me vent, laugh with me, or cry with me. My sisters have always been there for me, I couldn’t image life without them. My brother likes to hide behind the teenage boy façade, but he’s growing into a man my family can be proud of. He loves his family and would do anything for any one of us. My in-laws are amazing. I always wondered what type of family I’d marry into and I found one that I feel I fit in as well as I do with my own family. My nieces and nephews are the most adorable little people ever. Their smiles and hugs make my whole day.

4. Heat – walking outside to a cool, fall morning I am so glad to be able to jump in a car and turn heat on and then enter a building where I’m warm and protected from the cold air.

5. Starbucks – some days I’m not sure I’d make it through without

6. My and Neil’s jobs – there’s slow days at my job, but I am thankful to be employed. We can earn money, pay our bills, and live without fear of going without

7. Financial stability – this has allowed us to become homeowners within our first six months of being married!

8. Democracy – the right to vote, which this year allowed the Smoking Ban to pass so I no longer have to leave a restaurant or bar smelling like an ash tray

9. Shoes – my not-so-secret love

10. Pictures – if you ever see my house you’ll quickly learn I’m a frame fanatic. I love capturing moments that I never want to forget or people that I don’t get to see enough and finding just the right frame for the picture

11. Cars – thanks to my grandpa’s love of horses I’ve rode in a wagon pulled my horses numerous times, and though a sleigh ride with family is fun, I am very thankful it’s not my only means of transportation

12. Vacations

13. Planners – I’m an obsessively organized person and would go crazy without my calendars and planners to keep my life organized

14. Phones – at the drop of a hat I can call up someone with a random thought or just out of boredom, my families never surprised when they answer the phone and are greeting with me saying “Random thought for the day…”

15. Salons & Spas – there’s not much that could beat a day at the spa or a visit to the salon, I always leave feeling rejuvenated and relaxed

16. Christmas – celebrating the birth of Jesus and all the family time, I can’t get enough of Christmas decorations and music and all the tradition that comes with it

17. Weekends – time to do what you haven’t had time to do during the week or just relax

18. Books – I love all books, historical, biographies, fiction, non-fiction, etc…  

19. Seasons – as much as I may complain about South Dakota winters I wouldn’t give up living in a place with four seasons for anything. Each season brings a different beauty that I appreciate and look forward to.

20. Friends – knowing there’s someone to call up for a cup of coffee, dinner date, or just a girl’s night is invaluable

21. Date nights  

22. Freedom – I read CNN almost daily and my heart breaks for people in other countries and all they suffer though

23. Music – I’m not musically talented, I’d never sing in public and I haven’t played an instrument for seven years, but I appreciate the radio that seems to find a way to coincide with my mood or put me in a better mood

24. Education – being able to gain the knowledge to read, write, and know all I want about anything else I’m interested in

25. Volunteer Opportunities – being able to give my time and assistance to help someone who needs it

Our First Home

We spent the weekend starting to get ready to move into our first house! Our first stop was the appliance store. Our house is a new build and did not have the appliances in when we signed papers so we had a little leniency as to what appliances they were. We were given an appliance allowance and showed the standard appliances that come with the house and chose to do some upgrades to get what we wanted. We upgraded our refrigerator to have an ice maker and water dispenser, we upgraded to have a microwave installed over the oven, and we upgraded the dishwasher to one that was better quality and not so noisy. After we paid for all the upgrades we wanted we headed to Home Depot to look around. We had already picked out our garage door opener online through Home Depot, but wanted to double check that it wasn’t in the store. We also looked at washers and dryers and are still trying to decide if we want top loading or front loading. After wandering Home Depot for awhile we went out to see what else had been finished on the house. We can’t actually get inside the house because it’s locked, but we peaked in the windows. They finally have the carpet down and the deck built, we were both excited to see some progress made and are even more excited to move in! Neil even started packing up some of our stuff that we don’t foresee needing in the next few weeks.

As we get closer to closing on our house I become more and more thankful for my parents. They, along with my brother, will be coming down to help us move the weekend after we close. My dad has a pickup and my brother-in-law owns a trailer that will make moving (hopefully) very easy! My parents also have a few extra things they’re letting us have so we don’t have to buy new right away such as a queen bed set for the guest room and a chest freezer to put in the garage. I am so very grateful to my parents for everything they’ve done for me/us and I could never tell them enough how much I appreciate them. I love chatting with my mom about all the things we have planned for the house and hearing how excited she is to see it!

17 days to go!

Hobo Day and Red High Heels

Saturday was Hobo Day in Brookings and Neil and I decided to be involved alum and at least go watch the parade. I had never watched a Hobo Day prior to Saturday as I was always in the parade with my sorority. In Neil’s six years at SDSU, he had never watched the parade either due to needing some extra sleep or having to work. We met up with Neil’s cousins Steven, Ryan, and Ryan’s wife, Whitney. I loved watching the parade and being surrounded by all generations of alumni. Everyone has such school pride and people who were meeting for the first time sat and talked like they knew each other forever because they were both Jackrabbits. The parade was nice and long with a lot of student organization involvement. My favorite was The Pride, SDSU’s marching band. After the parade Neil and I ran some errands around town before the tailgating area opened. My cousin, Sean, has a tailgating spot that we went to. My cousin and I graduated together so I had a chance to see many other people I graduated with that he still hangs out with. Neil and I decided not to actually go to the Hobo Day Game because we didn’t want to have to buy tickets and sit overly crowded; instead we watched the game on TV. SDSU beat Youngstown State 30-20!  After the game we went downtown to meet up with some of Neil’s friends. Neil had a lot of fun, as he always does with those guys, and I just enjoyed seeing him out with his friends and not feeling like I was invading “guy time”, Neil made sure I knew that he wanted me there with him.

Sunday my mom and sister, Stephanie, came to visit with my niece, Kayla. Every time I see Kayla she’s grown more and is even a little bit taller than my nephew who’s a month and a half older. We went and wandered the mall together and it’s so fun to see Kayla look around at everything. We stopped at The Children’s Place so Steph could get Kayla some fleece pajamas since, sadly, winter is coming. While we were in there I found Kayla the cutest pair of shoes I’ve ever seen! They were shiny red, had a little bow on the top that was sparkly, a strap that actually hooked (not Velcro), and the best part was the tiny, little heel. 

I showed them to Kayla and her eyes got huge and she had the biggest grin, I’m sure this was from them being so bright and shiny, but I like to think she has her mother and aunts shoe-addiction! Steph, of course, bought them for her (if she hadn’t I would have) and so Kayla has her first pair of heels! Unfortunately, my mother and Stephanie told Neil about the little red heels so now he’s insistent we’re only allowed to have boys. Lucky for me baby boys have cute clothes and shoes too!