Raging, Ranting, Raving, and Rhapsodizing

I only needed one lesson to get some sick air (and dress like a dude).

Of course, that's not me. I'm a liar. Anyway, it's official: I am no longer crap at snowboarding, and I shall never ski again. We went again on Saturday and I made a breakthrough. I can now honestly say that I'm carving and improving quicker than Stephen thought I would. Amy came too, and did great. It was fun seeing two of my favorite people, my fiance and my sister, joking and getting along. Amy didn't even cry, like I did my first day (though, in my defense, conditions that day were awful).

I discovered that fear was the only thing keeping me from doing what I wanted to do, which seems to hold true for me in a lot of other ways. The only thing stopping me was mental, and once I overame my fear of falling down or failing, it was easy and I had fun the whole day. Also, I am proud to report that I was able -barely- to put on my bra without help the next morning (see my 11/16 post).

I still have a long way to go before I can keep up with Stephen. He's been very gracious in his willingness to take it easy and teach me (and he says he appreciates the chance to practice riding switch), but I want to be able to ride with him without slowin him down. Happily, my cousin David is coming with us on Friday and he's good, so Amy and I can practice on the greens while the boys go rock the outback.

On a different topic, Stephen and I are saving for our honeymoon and have therefore decided not to exchange gifts. We thought of each putting a certain amount into a joint savings account (boring, but wise) or just buying something that we want (like a digital camera).

Which leads me to this subject of money: I keep thinking how wierd it is that my money will not strictly be mine anymore, nor his strictly his. It doesn't bother me, it's just... wierd. I'm used to keeping and spending my money the way I see fit, and I think I do a wiser job about it than most people. It's how my daddy raised me, and it's why Stephen and I decided that I'll be the one managing our money when we get married. Soon, I'll be accountable for how I handle my-our bank account. I can't just spend and save as I see fit. I have to think of what's best for both of us and I have to include someone else in my decisions, which, like I said, is WIERD. It's a stretch- I suppose it's a good wierd. I've been thinking hard about living selflessly and serving the people you love. Stephen brings out the best qualities in me- traits I never knew I had. It sounds cheesy, but Stephen makes me a better woman, and I make him a better man. We've grown together, and our prayer is that we'll continue to do so.