To my Husband

For 7 years I have been able to call you mine.

For 365 weeks, I have known that you would be my one and only.

For 2,558 days I have been the happiest I've ever been.

For 61,392 hours I have thought about you, and our future.

For 3,683,520 minutes I have wondered why God gave me you.

For 221,011,200 seconds I have loved you with every fiber of my being.


   Compared to the years ahead of us, seven doesn't really seem like that many. But so much has happened since you asked me to be yours. We have very literally grown up together. We have both changed, but we have intertwined our lives together. Looking back I realize just how young we were, but even youth couldn't keep our love apart. I knew for a long time before we got married that you would be my one and only true love. I knew that we would fight for each other, and even through the hard times, our love has prospered. I think about our first year of marriage, how hard everything was. But we never took the hardships out on each other, instead we looked to each other for comfort.
   I remember getting criticized daily for wanting to get married so young. Only our families believed in us. But we took no heed to the warnings thrown our way. I think we both knew in our hearts there was no other option. We needed each other. I remember kissing you goodnight before you would go home and I would be truly sad. I was supposed to be with you. God intended for a woman to be with the man she loves, and I think we both knew it was the right time for us. And it was, without a shadow of a doubt I know we did what was right for us.
  I want you to know that I love you more than you could ever know. My love has grown each day in leaps and bounds. Sometimes I feel like my heart could explode with the love it holds for you. There are so many things you do everyday, I feel like each day I get to fall in love with you all over again. You make me laugh constantly, which is one of my favorite things about you.  I love that you laugh at my jokes, even when they aren't funny. I love our car ride conversations...or the dance sessions we have. Speaking of car rides, I don't know any body else that goes out of the way to ride together places like we do. We will live a vehicle in town all weekend, so we can ride together. It is like being away from each other for only 20-30 minutes is a hardship, and it is. When I'm not with you, my heart knows your not there. I miss you every second that I am not by your side. My favorite place to be in the world is in your arms. I'm safe and secure and have no worries. Your the only person that can calm me when my mind gets anxious and worry takes over. You are so logical and you can always put things into perspective. I could go on and on about why I love you. I could never tell you enough. I hope I show you. I wish that for one day you could see inside my mind, so you would know the depth of my love.
   Mark Arnett, you are my whole world, my life, my husband. Thank you for the last 2,558 days. Thank you for being mine. Thank you for loving me unconditionally.
  You have my heart, and I'll love you forever and always.

Happy 7 years babe, I can't wait to see what the next seven have to bring.

Thankful

       A lot of people have done a day of thankfulness each day of November. I haven't done that, but I thought I could put it on the blog! Its not exactly 30, but just a little list of thankfulness!

    First and foremost, I am most thankful for my husband. (I'm sure yall saw that one coming!) He is honestly the most amazing man, and I thank God for him each and every day. I have no idea what I would do, or who I would be without him. He makes me smile on a daily basis and shows his unconditional love for me in so many different ways. I don't know that a day has gone by that he didn't tell me how beautiful I am or how much he loves me. I'm so blessed to have him in my life.

        I'm thankful for my parents. They have taught me so much, and maybe even more so since I've moved out. I love how much they love Mark. Mom even told me a few months before we were engaged that I could never leave him. She said it would literally break her heart. Lucky for her, she has nothing to worry about:) They showed me what love looks like. As I am getting older I realize how much like my Momma I am becoming. I hear myself talking and cooking like her. The cleaning like her part?? Yea, that has yet to come! I'm a lot like Dad too. I'm always right and really stubborn, but I would give you the shirt off my back if you needed it. He taught me a lot about selflessly giving. I love them both more than they know.

      I'm thankful for my little home in Shelby. Its not much in most peoples eyes, but its OURS. We have a steadily growing list of repairs and upgrades that need to be made. But she is a work in progress! But my favorite thing about my home, is the person I get to share it with.



     I'm thankful for my sister. Good Lord, we don't get a long sometimes. But I love her dearly, and she means so much to me. I will always be here for her, and I try to be an example to her. She could learn alot from my accomplishments, and more importantly my mistakes. God gave me a life long friend when he decided to give me Dallas.

I'm thankful for the grandparents I still have in my life, and the ones I've inherited from Marks side of the family! They have helped us in more ways than imaginable, and I owe them the world.

I'm thankful for my love bugs! I love my sweet cuddle babies!

I'm  thankful for my car! FiFi the Fiesta! Mark and I have had our run with vehicles the last two years, and I'm so thankful for a reliable car! It is small, gets great gas mileage, and gets me back and forth to where I need to go!

I'm thankful for my job. I am finally doing something I love, and that makes all the difference in the world.

 I'm thankful for our friends. They mean so much to me and I wouldn't trade them for the world!

    I'm thankful for Sons of Anarchy! This may be funny to yall, but I seriously love this show! Mark bought the first season so I could watch it, and I was hooked! We stayed holed up in the house for weeks watching the first three seasons I had missed. I mean who wouldn't want to look at this face once a week?!?

    I'm thankful for technology. I take for granted how much easier life is because of my iPhone, my television, email, etc.

   I'm thankful my mom taught me the love of reading. My favorite pass time is to curl up with a good book. I sort of cheat by logging into her kindle account, free books for me! I love good romance novels, because who doesn't like happy endings? I wonder how many thousands of books have been read between the two of us.

   There are so many things I'm thankful for that aren't on this list. My blessings are too many to count, my cup truely does run over.

    I had every intention of posting this blog on Thanksgiving. As you can see it is a little late, and honestly I am thankful for that. This post being late means I was too busy spending time with my family and friends, working, or maybe even just relaxing! It means that life got in the way, a life that I am so so very thankful for.

Smash Book

I found this on Pinterest, and I thought it would be something cute to do a couple times a week! Its short and fun, and probably not interesting to any one! HA! But it would be fun to look back on in a few years!

1. It is currently 1:07 am and I'm only half way through my shift at 911. So I definitely went for comfort today when I put on my favorite pair of jeans and one of Mark's Guy Harvey t-shirts. Its loose fitting and who doesn't love their hubby's over sized t-shirts?

2. "Stay" by Florida Georgia Line! It sounds a lot like something "Creed" would preform and I'm obsessed with that type of music! Do you call that alternative? Here's a secret about me, I LOVE break up songs. I have no idea why, its just a "Caitlin thing" as Mark would say.

3. I have a million lists in my mind about the holidays. Where we are going, working around work, what food I need to prepare, what gifts to buy, who has the best deal...etc. I'm sure if I put those lists on paper I would feel less anxious.

4. I'm going to assume this means the dream I had last night? I don't remember in the slightest. But if I keep doing these post, prepare yourselves! My dreams can be super strange!

5. Its a Friday night and I'm at work, so I rewarded my self with a Pizza Hut pizza. Thin-crust, supreme. All those veggies have to be good for you...right?? And it is enough that I can eat on it the rest of the weekend at work!

6. I discovered these babies on Pinterest tonight! They are portable (rechargeable) chargers! You can plug in pretty much anything Apple or anything that has a USB charger. It is under $7 and I will definitely be giving these for Stocking Stuffers! It would be great when you are somewhere that doesn't have a plug-in accessible, like the mall! They also come in a few different color options! You can find them at everybuying.com.

7. I can't get my mind to settle down tonight. I feel anxious over everything.

8. I am so ready for next weekend! My first weekend off in three weeks, and it is the IRON BOWL! Roll Tide Roll, my friends!

Date Night

  Mark and I decided last week we were way overdue for a date night! I told him we could do whatever he wanted, and to  just tell me when to be ready! It was so nice to dress up and feel pretty! I wear jeans and a polo to work everyday, and makeup is rare! I though me and the hubs cleaned up pretty well! 

   I have been crazing seafood so bad lately! Back home, we either had a freezer full of shrimp (that we personally caught) or there was a restaurant near by that had FRESH seafood! I'm sorry but this girl does NOT do Captain D's!

   We heard about the Dixie Fish Co in Hoover, and decided that was probably our best bet. We made reservations for 6:45, and they did not disappoint! When we arrived there were at least 12 couples waiting to be seated. Usually even with "reservations" you're going to have to wait a bit especially with the crowd they had last night. But no, we walked up, gave them our name and reservation time, and they sat us IMMEDIATELY.  I was so impressed! 

   We (well I) stared off with half a dozen oysters! 

*excuse the poor picture quality

    I seriously love raw oysters, Mark despises them! I got the 

'Oyster tasting' - two raw, two baked with Parmesan cheese, and two orange and blue. The orange and blue were fried and covered in a sweet/buffalo sauce, and topped with blue cheese crumbles! I actually talked Mark into trying one of those and he really enjoyed it. They were a little spicy, and he was all over that! 

   The entrees were equally delicious! I left so full and finally satisfied my craving! 

  

  Mark bought us tickets to the Comedy Club, the comedian was James Gregory. I admit, I was a little apprehensive. I was nervous that I wouldn't enjoy it. Let me just tell you, I've never laughed so much in my life! James was so funny! Mark was also scared I wouldn't like it, and the first time I really busted out laughing, I literally heard him breathe a sigh of relief! 

   Mark did a good job planning our date night, but honestly, we could have gone anywhere (or no where) and it would have suited me. I spent some quality time with my hubs and that's all that really matters!

 

It's been awhile!

        I started this blog when Mark and I first got engaged. I'm a little embarrassed that I did not write even ONE blog after the wedding. Things have been pretty hectic in the Arnett life, hectic but wonderful. Mark and I are in our second year of marriage. I can honestly say marrying Mark is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt we took the hard road. Life has slapped us in the face many times in the last two years, but I'm grateful for the struggles. It taught me a lot, and I feel like I've grown in leaps and bounds as a person.
           I no longer work at the bank (thank GOD!!). Until recently I had two jobs. One as a dispatcher for Alabaster Police Department and the other at Shelby County 911 as a dispatcher. Now, I'm just at 911 and I am very thankful that I will be getting more much needed off time. I truly love my job at 911. Never would I have thought this is where I would have ended up, but I'm so grateful it is where I've landed! I work 7 days every two weeks (which is about 84 hours a week) and I am working the night shift. I thought I would hate nights, but come to find out I actually enjoy it! It was hard at first because I saw Mark much less. But once again, God has provided and now he is on nights at his job too. He's back at Saiia working in the quarries. With us both working nights, we get to spend a lot of the day together!
          I'm not making any promises about how often I will post. I am just going to write whenever I feel the need to. I won't be writing about anything specific let's be honest I'm too busy for hobbies. My free time has to be used wisely! This blog will just be a look into our lives. I am mostly doing this so I will have it to look back on one day. We could consider it a diary of sorts..just a place to put my thoughts down.