Bittersweet

What once was my husbands and my metro love nest is now cardboard heaven. I still can't believe Will and I are making our first real move together to down south. My feelings are so bittersweet I can almost taste cocoa on my tongue! I'm so excited to be on an adventure with my husband and support building his career but.. my families! With the cabin, Jenny's home so close, and being completely spoiled by seeing my parents almost every weekend ... it's depressing! However, the move must go on and there's much to be done which takes my mind off of being so close to home sickness. I have to admit, I don't mind packing boxes... (Yes, Jenny, I said it) I actually discovered it's one of my fortes. I LOVE organizing, labeling, catagorizing and puzzeling. Which practically describes getting ready for a move. When Will started hauling the boxes up I felt like a kid in a candy store.. uh hm... or myself in a candy store. I thought, so much organization to be done! Immediatly I ran to the store to gather the essentials: tape and a big fat labeling pen. I gave Will minimal grief for finding random, non-priority things to do since he was making packing suggestions that were not acceptable to my system. Apart from organizing the perfect packing system, I had some other fun. Everyone knows when you move you find things that you hadn't touched since the last time you packed them to move. I decided that those things are there to make packing more enjoyable with little surprises. ALSO, things that you see everyday MUST be packed and you think about where you with UNPACK them.. which in my case, I consider a big deal. Here are a few things I packed today and the thoughts they brought: 1. My sister wrote a heartstring-pulling blog the other week about my Grandma Jorgensen and today I thought alot about her. Some of my things I acquired through her and I realized today how they aren't just stuff. I pulled my drinking glasses out of the back of the cupboard that used to be grandma's. There are a set of blue ones and a set of pink flowered ones. I call them my boys and girls cups because I love to drink out of the pink flowered ones and Will drinks from the blue ones. (I think they should be just one giant set) Grandma never called them boys and girls glasses but it almost made me remember her more..oddly enough. She is still making memories with her cute glasses even though she is not with us anymore. 2. Grandma loved STUFF (jewelry specifically). I realized today how much STUFF I have...and how I get enjoyment from it. I like to think that whether good or bad I get my love for STUFF from grandma. My mom always said in my grandma's day she was such a stylish lady. I love hearing that small story... about the dresses and jewelry she wore. I may have a stuffed closet but grandma did too and she looked GOOD. 3. However much I like my stuff it was not hard at all boxing it up for possibly a couple months. The only thing that was hard to put in a box and ship to my new home was my newest picture of Aiden baby. I love my sweet nephew so much and he is learning so fast. The hardest thing is going to be being away from him so much. But there are trains, planes, and automobiles and I intend on becoming very cozy with each. 4. Arizonia is sunny, warm, and no humidity. Instead of stocking up on sweatshirts like the minnesotians I must get my swimsuit collection out. But as much as I say I hate the winter... I love those big 'ol sweatshirts and puffy coats. I can't help but think I won't be cozy until my Christmas in Iowa/Minnesota. I'm thinking about taking a pole once I get down there as to how people snuggle in such heat. 5. My husband is so sweet! He really tried his darnest to help out all day and bless his cotton socks. I have never seen my husband pack before and I'll tell you.. it was quite interesting. He was trying to put kitchen utensils in with shoes and socks in with medicine. Which drove me CRAZY. I tried to assign him little jobs that I wouldn't care about but the dear thing usually found something to entertain himself with and whether helpful or not, he thought it was darn important to our moving process. 6. LAST BUT NOT LEAST... I love my toolbox and I will never get rid of it. It has as much character as a cottage in Greece. I have had my toolbox for about a year and a half now. All it is, is a pink flowered box that once held fancy glasses but now holds my dad's old hammer, screw driver, and nails inside. That's all I've ever needed and I intend on keeping it simple. I love how girly and simple it is-with just the essentials-my dad's old hammer and the star screw driver. I'm sorry fellow readers for how long winded this ended up to be! I had such a long, thought filled day.

My Husband has Habits

My husband has habits
It's not like the flu
I've called doctors and nurses
but there's nothing to do.

The symptoms are there
and all the red flags
wet towels on doorknobs
and 3 unpacked bags!

Cords here and cords there
and clothes on the ground
dirty or clean?
I must swift through the mound.

When dinner is cooked
he's always concerned.
It's not like his mom's
but now it's my turn.

The truck is a mess
never cleaned out
not vacuumed or wiped,
stains still need some Shout.

 I have not heard of a cure
for this illness called Habits.
Will says it's so common
that I also have it!

-Mae Cousin

Walls ain't got nothin'

Today I was making my daily 15 mile drive to UNI, my hand rested in it's usual place; the radio seeker. I admit I can't sit through an entire song and am certainly a track skipper. I paused when I heard the familiar voice of Celion Dion and her old song, "If Walls Could Talk", and it got me thinking... Walls ain't got nothin'. I think everyone will agree when I reveal my agruement. Celion Dion goes on about all the secrets bedroom walls have and quite frankly, on intimate levels we can be honest and agree, however, I have had more experiences, conversations, arguments, and laughs at the kitchen table. It sounds alittle stale and unexciting but how many secrets and memories does the kitchen table really hold... tons and unforgettable ones at that. The kitchen table is where I sat everynight at dinner and asked Jesus into my heart, ("just to make sure":)) I remember kneeling over the kitchen table to smell the delicious Saturday morning cinnamon rolls my mom made. The kitchen table witnessed many teenage rebellions as we stomped away from it, often enough. It held so many laughs as we watched Erik tear the sinfully ugly flooring up and as Dad stuck either carrots or kleenex in his nostrils. The kitchen table only knows what I did with my nauseating alalpha tablets. It knows the pain and laughter of Erik squeezing my hand too hard during prayer. It's sacred seating knows Jenny's experiments with Mary-Kay. The kitchen table always knew Peaches' hope of scoring the clean-up of an accidental spill while she panted at our feet. It holds 1st times and last times. It's where I saw Dad drink a bud light for the first time, where I first tasted sweet potatoe cassarole, where Jenny brought her first boy to dinner, where Erik tasted dog food, and where Mom had numerous first dishes. The wood frame has played as a ginea pig for wedding reception center pieces and as a ladder for lightbulb changes. It's heard the worst and the best news. It's heard I love You's and it's heard words to be kept secret. It's frustrated with the amount of the phrase "May I be excused?" it's heard but loves that it's taught us manners. It knows of sister's quiet late night snacks and malicious TP plans. The kitchen table experienced 5th grade writers block, 8th grade messes, 11 grade break-ups, and parenthood tax days. The secrets and conversations it's heard has guided all it's inhabitors into adulthood and helped us through middle school drama. Will and I have the Jorgensen's OLD kitchen table and everytime I sit in it I think of blowing bubbles during play group. I don't even KNOW what secrets this kitchen table holds but it's about to make some new ones.

kissin' Cousin

What a weekend... a GREAT weekend. For some reason when Will comes to Waverly I can count on being wiped out Sunday night. My schedule takes a U-turn from daily naps, TV, and my 9:00 bedtime. Will is a popular boy who can't decline an invite... and I'm glad! It was time for me to break out the sundresses and tuck the sweatpants into hibernation. On friday we visited family friends, The Nortons. My fingers were crossed and my breath was held hoping the words "mushroom hunting" didn't come up. However, Dan Norton's vocabulary consists of only those two words come May... so there I got ropped into Saturday morning mushroom hunting. During the first month Will and I were together he took me mushroom hunting and like every girl that is swept off her feet I tried to convince myself this was reason number 87 he was the perfect boy. Well two years later, married, and other new-found reasons he is the perfect boy...mushroom hunting is not so much fun. BUT because I didn't want to miss a minute of my husband weekend I went with. After finding about 9 teeny mushrooms Dan and Will were convinced "it's too early in the season". We took our tiny treasures home (along with some burrs and ticks) and cooked them up for dinner to ration them out :) Although mushroom hunting is a little of a bore, I love seeing the kid in my husband come out when he spots a tiny mushroom to take home and show everyone! It was well-worth the early morning. I have finals for the next two days and then I go on to kissin' Mr. Cousin. I need to get up there; Will had PB &J and ramon noodles for dinner. PS my camera is working randomly again so I will begin posting pictures of our Iowans to Minnesotians transformation.

If your happy and you know it plant a tree

Happy Earth Day! It's earth day so throw one back for Miss Earth and give her a pat on the grass. Clerk: Would you like this in a plastic bag? Me: Wouldn't that be like throwing mud on your outfit on your birthday? Clerk: True...

Aiden and Auntie Adventures

I didn't mention that I successfully had my first babysitting adventure with sweet Aiden! I definitly scored some cool Auntie points and we had soo much fun... however, I must say, Jenny IS a busy girl. Aiden's mama and dada made sure he was just waking up from his nap when they left :) Auntie mae was a little tired of playing the "chase Aiden around the coffee table game" by the time Mama came home. I found that to be the game of choice, as Aiden squealed and laughed his head off while making laps around the coffee table. He also told me all about his balloon and we discovered that the beach boys didn't make for a good dance party. I think he was enjoying himself since he didn't have to eat his beans and got to play with Pia's swanky cell phone all afternoon.

Dear Mrs. Poppins

Dear Mary Poppins, I need your help! I have seen your expertise in fitting a floor lamp in a suitcase and unpacking a wall mirror from a small duffle. So, I was wondering if you could assist me in fitting my apartment into a few boxes. I was in awe of it when I was 5 but now that I am grown, my husband and I are in need of your secret. Lids are not fitting on containers and tape is simply not holding things in. If you neglect my plea I will begin to have second thoughts... I am already questioning your spoon full of sugar philosophy as my cavity count continues to increase. Kindly respond as soon as you can; I would like to be able to fit my dresser in my pocket by Friday. Sincerely, A. Mae Cousin PS tell the penguins that I am working on my steps. View this link to see Mrs. Poppins skill that I am seeking.