mr. and mrs. johnston

My twin brother is getting married today. Three years ago he was my Brother of Honor, and today I’ll be returning the favor as his Sister of Honor. I thought maybe I’d surprise myself and mange to hold it together, but I’m already a little teary.

Obviously, as twins, we have known each other longer than anyone else ever could. I wasn’t sure he would ever get married and honestly I’m not sure he was either. But after he had been with Jenna for a little while and I saw them together, I knew it would happen in time.

They’re so funny together. You can tell they’re best friends, but they’re also the good kind of couple who doesn’t forsake their other friends.

Kyle finally popped the question last summer. By that point, no one was surprised.

I’m a little nervous for him today. He’s shy in big crowds and I’m hoping he doesn’t pass out or vomit. I watched him almost faint while getting his tattoo, so this is a legit concern. Adrenaline is a bitch.

So at the end of the day Kyle and Jenna will be hitched and I get a new sister. This is a pretty big win for me. My other sisters-in-law are just about to turn 19, and they live in South Carolina and are not as awesome as Jennafer. She’s been family for six years, so I’m excited for her to officially be a Johnston.

I love you guys. Congratulations!

photo shamelessly lifted from Jenna’s facebook

 

love is the law

I took a half day at work today so I could head down to the Capitol. When I found out yesterday that Governor Dayton was signing the marriage bill today at 5 pm, I knew I had to be there.

It was 98 degrees. I stood in a massive crowd for an hour and a half. It smelled like melting sunscreen and felt like magic. Starting August 1, same-sex couples will be able to get married in Minnesota.

We’ve come a long way, baby.

If I had been thinking, I’d have posted this on our engagement-versary.

There’s a thread on a forum I read about proposals. It’s super sweet and I’m a little tipsy, so EMOTIONS.

Anyway, I posted Darren’s proposal. It occurred to me that I maybe never really blogged about it, so I’m reposting here:

It was a very cold day at the end of September 2009. We were in our living room, watching a rerun of The Office (you should really read the synopsis). I was in a hoodie and sweatpants, he was in boxer briefs and a t-shirt. We were living in a 450 sq ft apartment with our cats. Our couches were set up in a L formation and we were each sitting on our own, holding hands.

Suddenly, he rolled off his couch and onto one knee. He said some very nice things that I don’t remember, and asked me to marry him. He didn’t have the ring yet; it was on its way. For the record, we had been discussing marriage for quite some time. I actually ordered the ring myself- it was custom made, based on a slightly different design the maker already had.

So he said all this stuff and I had to ask him a few times if he was serious. We’d both “proposed” to each other a few times, so I had to be sure that this was the real one. Obviously, no matter how unplanned it was on his part, he meant it.

It was not a fancy proposal, but I married him anyway. Who needs fancy?

buckley

I said I was going to write the cat post, but I find I don’t have it in me to rehash the entire ordeal. Putting Buck to sleep was the most gut wrenching, heart-achingly painful thing I think I have ever done (and I think I can speak for Darren here and say he feels about the same).

Buck was a weird, sweet little cat. He was a finicky little princess who protested if his litter box wasn’t clean enough or his food wasn’t fresh enough. But he was always good for a head bonk. He loved being scratched on the neck and sleeping on laps. I still find myself glancing toward his perches, expecting him to be there.

We’re going to stick with being a two-pet household for a while. I know it’s a silly thing to say, but our little orange buddy will live on in our memories.

Sappy post alert

It occurs to me, in my current slightly inebriated state (when was the last time I drunk-blogged?) that I neglected posts regarding both my anniversary and my husband’s birthday. Shame.

So! First! On August seventh Darren and I celebrated our first anniversary. It was a low-key day; we celebrated by sort of recreating our first date: a movie, and burgers at Johnny Rocket’s. Plus we got delicious cheeses from a store at the Mall of America. No big deal.

Then the twentieth was Darren’s twenty-sixth birthday. I made him the meals he requested (BLTs for lunch and meatloaf for dinner, plus DQ ice cream cake) and then we got drunk at the Half Time Rec. Pure glory.

I’m sorry to say that there’s nothing more to either of these stories. Pretty much, I’m just a lucky lady to have married such an excellent dude. He keeps me grounded and mostly sane, and we have tons of fun together. He loves food about as much as I do, and he doesn’t mind my tendency toward hermitude. Honestly, I look back on the other guys I dated and that’s sort of the biggest deal breaker for most of them (with one exception, but there are very different reasons for the disaster that that relationship would’ve been). Sorry guys: I’m lazy and I hate people and I found a fella who is okay with that. Your loss? Yeah, probably. I’m awesome.

I’m glad that Darren and I can sit in the same room, doing our own thing on separate computers or whatever, and it’s still a night well spent. We both take pleasure in grocery shopping and the doofy little chores we do together. We can go out with our own friends, without each other, and that’s just fine. At the end of the night we get to come home to each other, and we get to share our ridiculously comfortable bed – us and the dog and sometimes one of the cats – and that is what makes life sweet.

So maybe he leaves his socks around and I have to bribe him to do the dishes. He also opens jars for me and gives really good massages. Among countless other things.

Yup. Lucky.

hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it

The building I work in has the standard fancy-schmancy air filtering and conditioning system which keeps it hovering around the same temperature range year ’round. Imagine my surprise when, for the first time this year, I walked outside after work and was greeted with the stifle of  humidity. It was like a split second of being smothered by a pillow before adjusting to the heaviness of the air. Believe it or not, I missed that. Oh, I might complain about the heat later, and sweating through my shirt while I walk to my bus stop, but you know what’s great about it? When it cools off juuust enough to sit outside on a clear night with a cold beer and a campfire. That’s why I prefer summer over winter: the nights. So fresh and perfect. I also like flip flops and tank tops rather than puffy coats and clunky boots.

I got home and made a nice salad I found in Women’s Health. Chicken, cucumber, tomato, red and yellow peppers, onion, cabbage (the recipe calls for bibb lettuce), white beans, and toasted chunks of pita. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, sugar, red wine vinegar, and pepper and toss that in the salad. I added balsamic vinegar and some salt. So tasty!

Anyway. We are watching The Pillars of the Earth on Netflix and it’s pretty much amazing, so back to that.

The sky. It’s yellow.

Also? I cannot get this song out of my head. Love.

I give thee my troth

Today is Marsha’s wedding day.

She and I became friends in third grade, I think, when we met in Girl Scouts. In fifth grade, we became inseparable. We’ve been through boyfriends and breakups, fights, distance; and after all these years our friendship is stronger than ever. I feel so lucky to have a friend like that (more than one, actually, but this post is for Marsha ;)).

I remember a moment sometime in middle school, in gym class, talking about how one day we would totally be in each others’ weddings. Today I can say we have succeeded in fulfilling that particular childhood promise. Nine months ago she was there for me, and I am honored to stand next to her today as she marries the man she loves. From what I can see, he treasures her. That is magical, and I hope their magic lasts forever.

So sappy.

Cheers to Marsha and Jeremiah! May a flock of blessings light upon your back.