The Cory & Topanga Syndrome.

For those of you that know Trav and I really well, you're aware that we're pretty much in love with the old TV show Boy Meets World. We bought all the seasons, and we've watched them all...prooooobably about 10 times each. We quote it on the regular, so if you hear us say something that makes no sense at all, it's pretty safe to assume it's from that show (or Friends, but don't even get me started on that). For those of you that have no clue what Boy Meets World even is, get on YouTube ASAP and start watching...seriously...it will change your life.

Anyway, enough preaching about the show. A few nights ago, I was watching an episode in the later seasons, a little while after Cory and Topanga got married. The whole episode centered around them struggling with the fact that they were becoming a "boring married couple" because they sat in bed and watched documentaries all night instead of going out dancing with their friends (and, of course, their remedy was that they threw a hilariously awkward party that consisted of Twister and 80s music). At one point in the episode, I could literally envision T and I living out this same situation after we tie the knot (though if it was up to T, we'd be playing Scrabble, not Twister...probably equally as awkward). YIKES. Now, we've joked about being a boring married couple pretty much ever since we started dating, but we could get away with it because we weren't ACTUALLY married...but that's gonna change in 8 months...and we might just become the Yeager version of Cory and Topanga.

So...what's actually BAD about being a boring married couple? I mean, obviously the word "boring" is not exactly flattering...but if "boring" means going to sleep before 10pm, SIGN ME UP. We're definitely not those college kids anymore who considered 12am early, or who's Tuesday nights consisted of dancing the night away at The Hut with people from class that we kind of recognized (but not really). Nowadays, we can't sleep in past 7:30am and our bar-hoping nights have switched to Duck Dynasty TV nights with our closest friends. Don't get me wrong - we can go out, get down and party hardy, but we've figured out that that's why Friday and Saturday nights were invented. The other 5 nights have other priorities, and that's not a bad thing. As I'm sitting here thinking of other ways I can describe our "boring married couple" life, I'm realizing that I kind of LOVE it. It doesn't matter if we're watching Boy Meets World episodes on our super old school TV (I'm surprised it even can read a DVD) at home or with the Zeiers during our "BMW Night" (yes, we made it a THING), or rooting Jason on at his volleyball game, or stuffing our face with cheese fondue at Wine Cellar and gabbing with our best friends, or dancing the night away at a wedding....we ALWAYS, always have fun. We don't need drinks or a party or the early hours of the morning for that. I believe that has more to do with the people that are right there with us than anything else...and since we know those people will always be around, we'll embrace our boring married couple title with open arms. What a compliment. :)

Side note....Cory & Topanga are actually the coolest couple ever. I'll play Twister with them anyday.

By the way...Boy Meets World SEQUEL called Girl Meets World is airing sometime this year...SO. EXCITED. It follows their lives as parents...but don't panic - we won't be able to relate as well to THAT one for a while. ;)

C.

A Love-ly Day in February.

Oh, Valentines Day. You love it or you hate it…here's to hoping there's more love than hate floating around today. Boyfriend or no boyfriend, Valentines Day to me is not all about one person or thing. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a huge sucker for cards with make-me-cry poems and flowers and adorable Facebook posts and candy hearts and, of coursssse, CHOCOLATE…but it’s not my February 14th focus. Every year since we’ve started dating, I wake up to beautiful flowers from Trav and, oh yes, I certainly smile like a little girl with a crush – but it’s the tradition that makes me so giddy, not the roses. I don’t love stuff – I love LOVE. That darling man brings a lot of it into my life for sure, but there are so many other blessings that I can’t help but appreciate on this day of love.

It breaks my heart to see people hate this holiday. Yes, Hallmark and jewelry stores have really focused all the hoopla on boyfriend/girlfriend romantic kissy lala love, but there’s so much more going on! For example, I adore the way my co-worker loves her pet fish. Yes, she has a fantastic husband…but she got a new fish yesterday for her work tank (she picked the ugliest one because she was worried no one else would adopt him – if that doesn’t make your heart melt into a pool of mush, then you should probably stop reading this) and boy oh boy, she loves him! How lucky that fishy is, to have his very own Valentine. No flowers necessary! Isn’t that just as precious? I sure think so. Props to you and your giant heart, girl.

I love the way my best friends and I exchange cheesy texts and swoon over how much we adore each other…it’s totally nauseating, but the warm-and-fuzzy feeling is so worth it. I love the fact that my parents’ wedding anniversary is 2 days after Vday and I’m reminded that 28 years of marriage is a piece of cake. I love that our couple friends have traditions of their own that they do on this day every year, and how something as simple as going to Subway or having a picnic in the living room can mean so much. I love how much my best friend loves her job so much that even though she has to work on Vday night, she doesn’t mind. I love that my boss had her 3 year-old son help pick out Minnie Mouse pencils (because we're all girls, obvi) for her to give all of us today at work. I love that two of our dearest friends decided to give their dog an amazing Vday and took her to her fav place - the beach. And, to top it off, the I love the 72 degree weather in February that reminds me how much I love California. See all of this? THAT’S how my Vday goes. No one is professing their love for me in skywriting or showering me with gifts. It's all the same sweetness that happens throughout the year...with just a bit extra awareness and appreciation. :)

So…to my darling fiancé and all my friends, family, co-workers, the jolly man at the Starbucks Drive Thru, our server at lunch with the really pretty eyes, and the nice woman/man I accidentally texted a somewhat awkward but kind of funny Vday note to this morning…thanks for brightening my day. I hope I could do the same for you.

Happy Love Day, lovelies!!

C.

It's 2013...and I'm back.

2013. I couldn't honestly tell you where the heck 2012 went...it came and gone, along with so many other things...including my vow in my previous post to bring this blog back to life. Whoops. I thought the tail end of 2012 might slow down a bit - ya know, take some time with family for the holidays, have those lazy winter mornings where you can sit in bed drinking tea and watching Friends re-runs, watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for the 1289634782th time and laugh my face off, re-teach myself how to wrap Christmas gifts since I'm horrible at it...the usual. Needless to say, while all of that DID happen, I had to make sure I didn't blink so I wouldn't miss it all. And here I am, all confident and naive like "oh yea, I've got control of time and I'm going to make SURE it slows down." HAH, nice try, Courtney. Mother Nature is currently laughing at me right now. Despite the insanity that 2012 brought, I can look back and say it was legitimately one of the best years of my life. November brought one of the biggest blessings: my boyfriend became my fiance! I've probably been dreaming about this moment since I first fell in love with him...and dreaming about  my wedding since, well, forever. Typical...BUT, I must say, I am WAY more excited for a marriage than for a wedding. Forever with this guy?! Yes, yes, and yes. SIGN ME UP. Done. BFFs. C&T. The Yeagerbombs. Mistah and Missus. I'm embarrassing myself...you get the idea.

Sooo, since that little surprise put me on a bit of a timeline for 2013, I'm hoping I'll be able to get a better grip on life...hope being the key word there. I really am enjoying every second of it so far...and we're only 25 days in. My mind still tends to run on full speed all day and all night - thank goodness for one of my truest friends and beautiful bridesmaids, Miss Karla - she constantly reminds me how precious life is and how important it is to slow down and treasure it all. Amen, sister. And we both know that I need to hear that...day after day after day. I should figure out how to make that saying my alarm clock somehow. There's so much I'm changing about my lifestyle, attitude and general mindset as I head further into 2013, much of what she has influenced. I just love it when you have those people in your life that you know were put there for a reason...I make sure I count my blessings for this one, and for all those lovely ladies I'm lucky to call my best friends...so spoiled with special people. :) A sappysappysappy tangent, but necessary.

So. 2013. We finally meet. I like you a whole lot, so far. I have a feeling your other 11 months won't disappoint either. And, to my poor, abandoned blog...let's reunite, shall we? Deal.

I'm spending tonight hanging out with my mom and Trav watching Downtown Abbey re-runs. Does life get any better?

Here's 12 things happy people do differently. In 2013, I want to conquer them all.

C.

7 months feels like 7 days.

So...it's been 7 months since I last posted on this blog. I could dish out all kinds of excuses like how I was working 12 hour days, or maybe traveling a lot, or even just didn't feel like posting. Reality is, none of those are entirely true. Time just kept moving, and it went a little faster than I could keep up. In my last post, I spoke with such confidence about overcoming the challenges I knew 2012 would bring me, embracing the new experiences I would encounter and living in the moment. I can honestly say I've succeeded in that regard, but now that the first day of August is two days away, I'm in shock. Here's a general overview of what my life has consisted of in the last 7 months:

Took our anniversary trip to Napa. Rode a zamboni at a Sharks game. Won a phototshoot at SCU with Trav. Got Lasik surgery. Made multiple amazing friendships. Celebrated 1 year at MoFo. Watched my best friend graduate from SFSU, and many other of my favorites graduate from SCU. Wine tasted in Paso Robles. Gasped at the fact that I've been an SCU alumni for a year. Bought and watched every single episode of Boy Meets World. Tested and became a notary. Celebrated the first Nolet cousin get married. Fulfilled my lifelong dream of going to an Earth, Wind & Fire concert. Saw Les Miserables in San Francisco 6 years after falling in love with it in London. Stayed up until early hours of the morning watching the Olympics...

...just to name a few.

I thought high school was the faster 4 years of my life. Then I went to college, and fast didn't even begin to cover the speed in which it went by. Now that I have no essays and tests to consume my nights, my bedtime seems to come a lot quicker and the mornings come a lot earlier. What is happening?! Time for a breather. I'm bringing this blog back to life, while simultaneously attempting to slow time down. Wish me luck.

The world can't possibly end in 2012. I still have WAY too much living to do.

C.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012.

2011 was, to say the least, NUTS. I never thought my life could change so much in one year. Looking back, I can't really imagine how I did it all and still kept a little bit of sanity. Flying to Rhode Island to surprise Megan for her birthday, graduating college (!!!), quitting REI and starting work at MoFo, moving out to a new apartment, throwing Travis a (successful) surprise birthday party, celebrating one year of our relationship, paying endless amounts of bills, making so many new friends and reconnecting with old ones, running all over California, and doing it while learning how to function in the real, adult world. I have fond memories of long drives with friends, crazy family get togethers, hyper-active butterflies in my stomach the week before graduation, facing my fear of flying, wandering around lost in Providence, saying goodbye to the people I love at REI, feeling completely overwhelmed and intimidated at MoFo, falling in love with Napa, and spending time with my sister when she's home from school. Phew! Now that it's officially 2012, I can honestly say that 2011 was one of the BEST years of my life. I owe most of it to the people who were holding my hand on the scary parts of this roller coaster I'm strapped to, and those laughing with me on the highest parts. I owe a lot of my memories in 2012 to them.

I don't often make a New Years resolution, because A) it's usually generic, B) I usually never keep it, and C) my life changes so often that I want to be able to roll with the punches and adjust my goals to fit. This year, I'm taking on the same NYR as my mom does every year - to do one good deed for someone else every single day. It can be as small as opening a door for someone who needs it, or as big as knocking on someone's door to let them know they left the lights on in their car (my mother actually did this the other day, God bless her soul). I feel that it's one I'm more likely to keep.

When 2011 rolled around, I was a little anxious about everything that was supposed to happen that year. For 2012, I'm beyond excited. I have a feeling that this year is going to turn my whole world upside-down again, but I'm more prepared to take whatever life throws at me. Nothing will ever be perfect and things won't go exactly as I plan them, but maybe that's the point. This is the first year I don't have school to fall back on for stability. Nothing is expected, nothing is planned, nothing is certain - every decision I make means something. But I know that 2012 will be just as amazing as 2011, if not better. Bring it on.

If I've learned anything from 2011, it's that family, friends and faith are the three most important things a person could hold on to. Without those things, 2011 could have (and would have) rocked me harder than it needed to. I had my incredible family to support me and encourage me through every decision, accomplishment and challenge. I had amazing friends to lift me up when I was falling fast, to ground me when I was floating up into the clouds and to celebrate and cry with me through the highs and lows. Finally, I had faith. Not only in God, but in myself and my life, trusting that everything happens for a reason. I wish nothing but the same for all of the people in my life, and I plan on being for them what they were/are for me.

2012. Brand new year. Brand new changes. Brand new memories. Let's do this.

C.

Tradition.

Tradition is VERY important in my family. Every Thanksgiving, we have a huge dinner for 17 people at either my parents' house or my aunt and uncle's house (they trade off each year). It's an entire day of family, football, and fabulous food. This year, however, the adults made the executive decision to have our Thanksgiving dinner at a RESTAURANT. This hasn't happened in my entire life so needless to say, it didn't go over so well with my sister and I. We had a hard time coping with the drastic change; we wanted the same thing we had gotten year after year, but we sucked it up and ended up having a fantastic day with our family.

While it was hard to eat turkey that didn't come out of our own oven, we were back to our old addicted-to-tradition selves the very next day as we made the trek up Skyline to our favorite Christmas tree farm. Travis joined us this year for his first time ever cutting down a Christmas tree! We love putting on boots and gloves to hike up the muddy hills of the farm, swinging the old saw that is supposed to be able to cut through a trunk easily, analyzing tree after tree and trying to avoid the large clusters of ladybugs that have made their homes there. Dad thinks ever tree is too yellow/brown, Mom wants a 10 foot tree that won't fit anywhere in our house, and Megan wants the "fluffy" ones that are so full, there's no way you could fit any ornaments on it. We always manage to find a perfect tree that everyone loves, and we can hear the "hallelujah!" chorus in the background, just like in the movie Christmas Vacation (which we quote year-round due to our excessive watching of it each holiday season). Every year, every Christmas tree hunt is full of laughter, pictures of the whole family being ridiculous, and watching Dad and Travis struggle to saw down the tree due to the "condensation" (excuse??). There's nothing like bringing in a Christmas tree that we found from nature itself, smelling unbelievably good. We spend the whole rest of the day/night decorating it, and every year as tradition would have it, the middle strand of the lights doesn't work AFTER we've already strung the whole tree. Pure comedy.

This year has taught me how important tradition is, how comforting and special it is to do the same family activities every year. However, I've also learned that a little bit of change is okay, that the important part of the holidays is to spend time with the ones you love no matter what you're doing. If I'm eating a home cooked turkey next year, it'll be great only because I'll be with 17 people that I adore. On November 23, 2012, we'll be right back up Skyline, looking for that tree once again. I cannot wait :).

C.

For that, I'm thankful.

Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays. Not only is it one of the absolute best days of eating (oh my gosh, I could eat stuffing for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy), it brings my whole family together and reminds me to take a step back and look at how truly blessed I am. So, instead of posting a status on Facebook or sending the same mass text to a bunch of people, I'm posting my thanks right on here, for each and every one of you.

1. I'm extremely thankful for my entire family. My parents are my mentors and I treasure my fantastic relationship with them. My sister is my absolute best friend in the entire world. My aunt and uncles are some of the funniest people I've ever met, and my cousins are on the top of my list of favorite people. My grandparents teach me strength and prosperity, and even my second cousins in Germany that I almost never see still keep in touch. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by such supportive, loving and happy people, and for that, I'm thankful.

2. My wonderful, wonderful boyfriend, Travis. And, we admit, we owe Ben Greer for introducing us :). I've never met someone who is the love of my life and my best friend. My family and friends love him and he them, and I love his family and friends just as much. I can't wait to see him everyday, and I'm excited to see what other surprises and changes he will bring to my life. He's an incredible man who loves me and supports me through my trials and tribulations and for that, I'm thankful.

3. Travis' family. His caring parents who instantly adopted me as one of their own. His brother Tyler who is one of the most down to earth people I know, and his brother's adorable girlfriend Rachel, who has also become a friend. His grandparents and all of his aunts and uncles (there are a lot!) who are incredibly family oriented and make me feel at home. I'm so happy to have such wonderful people in my life who create a second family for me and for that, I'm thankful.

4. My best friends. My life would be so different without them. Brittany Hall, Erin Cutler, Brianna Rose, Paige White, Sara Dolan. 5 of the craziest, sweetest, hilarious girls who constantly bless and enhance my life. These girls will be bridesmaids in my wedding, aunties to my children, and girlfriends I play Scrabble with when we're old. They keep me laughing and loving every day of my life and for that, I'm thankful.

5. My degree from SCU. I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to attend Santa Clara University and study what I love. Graduating in four years as a transfer student seemed impossible at the beginning, and without attending a school that wants their students to succeed, I wouldn't be where I am today. SCU pushed me to my wits end, focused on my success and introduced me to some very important people in my life and for that, I'm thankful.

6. My job at MoFo. I feel so lucky to have landed such a great job right out of college that pays me well, gives me great benefits, and allows me to learn and grow. Over the last 7 months, I've been pushed, tested, confused, uncertain, interested, excited and intrigued with the work I'm doing. Not only that, I've met some brilliant people who take interest in me and my future and I've made many lifelong friends. MoFo keeps me secure, interests and entertains me, and gives me great friends and for that, I'm thankful.

7. My friends. Especially the ones I've met through Travis (though really, they're the people I met through Ben ;)). I may have only known these people for about a year, but they are truly some of the funniest, coolest, kindest people I've ever met. Ben Greer, Mike Chavez, Jason Von Raesfeld, Jerome Burton, Keith Guo, Matt Paolercio, Mike Gibler, Dane Rasmuson, Mike Bermudes, Mike Sylvia. Annie Espinosa, Julie Connelly, Tess Rickert, Marissa Silver, Jenny Long, Jenny Harlow, Siyi Tian. Such wonderful people who I'm sure will be lifelong friends. I'm also so appreciative of the friends who I've kept over the years and even though we don't speak 24/7, we still connect instantly when we see each other again. Lexi Burns, Tiffany Liou, Jacki Tuman...that list goes on way too long. I feel so blessed to have such caring people in my life and for that, I'm thankful.

8. My best guy friends. Guys are so important to have around - they ground me, give me advice, and we have so much fun whenever we hang out. Sean Pierce, Michael Boyd, Mike Chavez, Michael Arriola, Myron Cotran, Patrick Brennan, Steven Ross...the list probably goes on. They understand me and appreciate me for who I am and for that, I'm thankful.

9. Steamers. It may be a funny thing to be thankful for, but I truly am. Travis and I love this grillhouse in Los Gatos that we go to every Sunday night to drink amazing wine and hang out with our two favorite bar tenders of all time, Mike Chavez and Khalil Mujadedi. It's a great way to start and end our week - trying new wines, desserts, and talking/laughing with great friends. It's great to know that some of the simplest things can mean the most and for that, I'm thankful.

10. My apartment. It might be cold at times, or the shower head might not be the best, but it's a roof over my head and a place to sleep every single night with two awesome roommates. We've got heat, water, electricity and food, and for that, I'm thankful.

11. Everything that I haven't mentioned already. There's so much in my life to be thankful for and for that, I'm thankful.

Hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving and remind yourselves how truly blessed we all are. :)

C.