The Engagement

Winter started, and the housework slowed down. My birthday came and went, and the holiday season had begun. Gifts to buy, trees to trim, lights to put up outside. We even decorated the cement deer that was left in the front yard like Rudolph! Red nose, and a wreath around his neck!

We had fun decorating for our first Christmas together. It was a busy season, as it always is. Between my family and his, there were a lot of get together's and things to do. Our company hosts a Christmas party every year and a hotel near our home, and of course that was a fun time. I didn't know it at the time, but that was the day that David bought my engagement ring. While I was at the salon getting my nails done, he took his sister, Kelly, to the mall to help pick out the ring that he would hopefully slip on my finger.

As Christmas grew near, we did our normal family things, one of them being a dinner hosted by my parents on Christmas Eve. We sat there, David knowing full well what was in store for me. After dinner, we left and came home to spend the night alone for our first Christmas Eve in our new home. David had plans to light our fireplace and listen to music. As we sat down, I noticed that he was really jittery. He couldn't sit still. His heart was racing. I kept asking if he was ok, he replied that yes, he was alright. Finally he stood up and asked me if I wanted to dance. We talked about our past, all the things that we had done together. Eventually he popped the question. *I'm not going to divulge the way he proposed, some things are just to special, even for a tell all blog* I of course said, "YES!" and then we hugged. Soon after I called my family and friends and he called his sister, Kelly to tell her that I said yes. She put her son, Dylan on the phone and he asked, "Can I be your ring bearer?" Of course I said yes! Right after that we drover over to Kelly's, and talked about some plans. I remember being so flushed and excited, that ever photo that Kelly took, I have a bright red face! When I called my best friend, Melissa, she couldn't believe it, she just kept saying, "Oh my god!". I kept repeating it back to her, because I was so tongue tied that I didn't know what to say either!

The next morning, David and I opened gifts and then got ready to go to his mom's house. He hadn't told her that he was going to propose, infact, he didn't tell anyone in the family except Kelly! So as we walked in and put down out stuff, David asked everyone to come into the living room. It was Kelly, Dylan, David's mom Susan, and his stepfather, Dave. He announced, "Well, I proposed to Jodee last night..." and it was then that everyone yelled and Susan hugged me and everyone was so happy. But we had to make the announcement again twice. Once when Susan's family arrived, and again when Dave's family arrived later that evening. Both times there was hooting and hollering and tons of hugs, and of course, showing off the ring. Everyone kept asking, "When's the date?" We hadn't even been engaged 48 hours, and family was asking all about the details. We had no idea. We were just elated to be engaged.

The following day we went over David's father's house. And again, announced to his dad, Robert, his stepmother, Kim, and his sister, Amanda that we were getting married. With all three of these families I've never seen such a outpouring of happiness for us! It was such a great feeling. On the way home, I made David stop at the grocery store so I could buy bridal magazines. I was all geared up and ready to start our wedding plans!

Newlyweds

Hello! Welcome to the Wildings blog! I'm Jodee, the newly married wife of my wonderful husband, David. We got married on Oct. 6, 2006, So essentially, we're newlyweds. Here's some quick background:

We met at work in 2003. I guess you could say it was "intrigue" at first sight, but as fate would tell you, I already had a boyfriend. :-( So the months went along, and here comes February, 2004. I break up with the boyfriend, and go straight to David. Our first date consisted of him making me dinner at his apartment, and a movie. It was then that we realized that we were going to be inseparable. We spent everyday together, which included work, although very few knew of our "dating" status. It became official when on Mother's Day, 2004, I moved in with David. The official address change. Soon after, we realized that our apartment was way too small for the both of us, and we started shopping for a house together. After looking at about 100 houses (online and in person) we finally settled on one in a nice neighborhood, full of families and a cozy feeling of neighbors walking their dogs. We moved in July of 2005. We immediately started going to work on making our new house a home. Unfortunately, the woman who lived in our house before us LOVED the color pink! The walls were pink. The carpets were pink. The curtains were pink. Not to mention that all other rooms that weren't pink were wallpapered with the most horrid old lady wallpaper you can think of. Check it out:

This is right after we moved in. We took the curtains down right away!! After that, we knew that we were going to have to keep the carpet for awhile, so we borrowed a carpet scrubber and went to work. Then, the walls were painted and after a few knick knacks and photos, it started to feel like home. It was strange having a house, so much room, so many rooms, and too little stuff to put in them. Thankfully, my sister was moving to NYC in November, and we inherited her couch, bed and frame, and a cool easy chair. All of that for just being her sister! But we couldn't stop there! Next was the dining room, thankfully filled with furniture, because the woman who sold the house to us also sold her dining room furniture, along with some other odds and ends. We were very thankful, knowing that we really couldn't afford to buy any of this stuff. So on we go to the dining room, my own personal baby, with my "Italian Chef/Wine" motif:

Everything was coming together! Did we mention that along with the house, the woman left something else?? Her cat! She wasn't able to take it with her so she simply asked us if we could take him. We couldn't rightfully say no, I mean, how could you say no to a cute kitty?? Boy did we have our hands full!! He was 12, half blind, scared of us, and to top it off, he started peeing everywhere, including under the Christmas tree! We really didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Unfortunately, we had to put him down last year, we found out that he had feline leukemia. For as much as he got on our nerves, we both cried when we have to put him down. I guess he had grown on us. Poor Kippy. :-( Shortly before the Kippy fiasco, on a whim decided to go to our local animal shelter to look for a dog. I had nagged at David to get a dog, since we couldn't have pets in the apartment. He balked at the idea, but came with me anyway to look for a dog. (Just to look, yeah right.) We walked in to the kennel, walking down the row of puppies and dogs. In the very last cage was Jake. The soon to be love of our lives. While all the other dogs barked and whined, Jake stood still and just looked at me with his beautiful sad hazel eyes. And I just knew. I told David, "I want that one". His first response was, "He's too big." I said, "No. He's perfect." After a few minutes a deliberation and a meet and greet with a very smelly dog, we decided to take him home. And he was the perfect dog. He became our passion. Everything revolved around that dog. He was 5 when we got him, and he wasn't wanted because of "expense". We had a perfect year with him. He stayed when you told him, he wasn't whiny, infact, he didn't even bark. He was kind to every friend we brought to the house and he didn't try to run when we let him out. He was THE perfect dog. We pampered him, the best food, the best groomer, the best toys. But our time with him was too short. In late October of 2006, he started losing weight. He wouldn't eat, and he had no energy. We got scared when he because emaciated, and took him to the vet. And the prognosis wasn't good. Cancer. Within two months it was time. Jakey left us on December 6, 2006. We were beyond devastated. We couldn't think, we couldn't do anything but cry. We were there during the scheduled visit that would end his life, and we were there till the end, petting him and telling him that it would be ok. I think it was the hardest thing we have had to do as a married couple. But we're still healing from it. We decided to get Jake cremated, and he now resides in a box in our living room shelf along with a memorial frame. We miss him everyday. Oh well, I guess thats enough of an introduction for now. There will be plenty more to check out with the Wildings. Look out, next is the engagement, the planning of the wedding, the wedding itself, and of course the new and improved The Wild's Wild Kingdom!