Back to School...

Its official, everyone. It seemed that I was only talking a big game (heck, even I was starting to doubt myself...), but its finally happened. Starting January 22nd, I will start classes at Cal State, Northridge for Masters degree in Literature.

"What is this, Laura?", you may be asking yourselves. "Didn't you already do this? Are you mad?"

...The answer is, yes. I have already done this. Yes, I might be mad. The bottom line is, I LOVE being in school. What is more, I love learning. And after being soundly rejected from every, (yes, EVERY) school that I applied to for a PhD program, I decided that I needed to regroup and approach this from a different angle. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I took my cues from my friend Melanie, as I had not a clue how to pursue a graduate degree after having my ego crushed by the UC system.

So, I am excited. Very excited, actually. I can't wait to be back in school again. I can't wait to start feeling like I am actively working on this thing I had been so set on. I want to read, I want to write, I want to wax philosophical on a bunch of dead guys' writings. So in the words of the great Billy Madison..."Back to school, back to school, so my dad won't think I'm a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight. I hope I don't get in a fight!"

A Gobble-licous Holiday

Can you believe how the time is flying? It seems like only yesterday Tony and I were donning our 80s paraphernalia and tripping off to Halloween parties, and now we are sleeping off triptophane hangovers. Who would have thought?

Our Thanksgiving was festive...and busy. We celebrated the day at my mom's house, California style. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that concept, it means sitting in the backyard and soaking up the 80 degree weather. Its rough being a California girl sometimes... Thanksgiving evening was spent at my best friend's parents' house, which has been a tradition of mine since I was in middle school. There was wine, there was pie, there was good conversation. Really, it was everything a girl could ask for for kicking off the holiday season. Tony was able to extend his day well into the evening, which is part of his tradition, and I was able to see friends who I haven't seen in a couple years. It worked out well for everyone.



Unfortunately, Tony had to work on Friday, so I spent the day lazing about and working up the energy to brave the shopping crowds. Because of his work schedule, we had to delay our trip to San Diego to see his family for the holidays. I took the train down on Saturday, and Tony met up with his family and I after work that night. Although short, our San Diego stint was fun filled. My sister-in-law and her family stayed the night, as did my brother-in-law and his wife (it took A LOT of convincing to make that happen...Darryl and Ellen were facing a 160+ mile drive back home in holiday traffic...no fun). My niece, Lydia was on her game and performed a song and dance act at dinner, and my nephew, James showed off his extensive vocabulary (he's 2). All in all, Tony and had a great weekend, and can't wait to make another trip down for Christmas and/our New Years.



I hope that this post finds everyone safe and well and recuperating nicely after Thanksgiving. Much love and hugs to everyone we didn't get to see, and for all of you who did celebrate with us, thank you for making our first holiday as a married couple memorable! Thank you, and good night!

Its a Jaeggmeyer Halloween, Charlie Brown!

Greetings again, devoted readers. I know that it has been too long since our last post, but things have certainly been busy these last few weeks. In addition, my laptop is now possessed by Satan, and I can no longer log into our blog account at work. WTF?!

In other news, Tony and I are doing GREAT! He is loving is job (although his commute is nothing short of awful), and really seems to be making his superiors take notice of all of his hard work. YAY! I am loving working part-time. Truly, there is no other way to fly when it comes to teaching. My work load is a fraction of what it has been in years past, and I for the first time in a long time feel like I have time of my own again. A girl could certainly do worse.

October was eventful at our house. As many of you know (mostly because you were living it as well), there were about 13 devastating fires burning their way through Southern CA. The Buckweed Fire came within .6 miles of our house (we could see the flames cresting the hills North of our house--yikes!), and Tony and I were ready to evacuate at a moments notice. Thankfully, we are fine, and his family in San Diego (where some of the worst of the damage was) is fine as well. Thank God for miracles big and small! Speaking of San Diego, a friend of mine is raising money for disaster relief for some of the worst hit areas in SD. Check out the following websites for more details:
www.witchfire.etsy.com
www.witch-fire.blogspot.com

My sister, coincidentally, rang in her 27th birthday by watching all of the greater Santa Clarita valley burn. Goodie for Amy! :)

Halloween was also an adventure. Tony and I celebrated our friend, Jenno's 30th at an 80's party. I paid homage to the lead from the movie Flashdance, and Tony was a republican yuppie named Kip. We also made it over to our friends' Jana and Mike's 2nd annual Halloween Spooktacular (their words, not mine). There were ghouls and matadors aplenty, and a good time was had by all.

I've included some of the pictures from the past month, but be sure to check our our snapfish account for complete details. www.snapfish.com See everyone in two weeks for Thanksgiving!

The Invasion!

Ahh, how time flies when you are busy! Tony and I haven't seemed to be able to take a breath since he moved in. He really likes his new job--traffic not withstanding--and has definately been putting himself on the map with his superiors. He was working 16 hour days for about two weeks, which was beyond crazy, but things seem to have been settling down now. He's also looking into taking computer programming classes at Santa Monica College to continue his IT studies. As for myself, I am back in the mix at Verdugo as though I never thought of leaving. Part time DEFINATELY has its perks, although there is an adjustment to being in the wings as far as English department life goes. I am also back at school, slowly and surely plugging my way through Medieval poetry and L'Morte de Artur. Hot dog! In between Beowulf and Cantebury Tales, I am also dilligently practicing my downward dog (yoga class, that's it!). I love being back in school, but I am definately anxious to start my coursework for my Master's program.

In more recent news, Tony and I had guests this past weekend. My sister and brother in law, Dannie and Doug, came up last weekend with their two kids. Lydia and James are 4 and 2, and are the CUTEST kids in the entire world. We spent most of the weekend chasing the cats around our house and listening to James' sing-song "Hi kitty. Hi Sappho. Hi Pretri (he couldn't say 'Petri')". Needless to say, Tony and I loved every waking minute. We spent Saturday night at our friends, Gavin and Julie's, house. They also have two kids, so it was like a toddler extravaganza. Throw in our friend, Jen's, four month old and it was like being at the zoo.

I've included a couple picutres here, but definately check out Snapfish for the rest. I've also (finally) posted our honeymoon pictures for your viewing pleasure. See everyone next month!

P.S. Stay tuned for pictures in the next few days!

Domestic Bliss....

Hello folks! Well, its been a whirlwind since Tony and I returned from the honeymoon. Probably the most exciting news is that Tony just recently--literally, last Friday--accepted a job working at a company called Razorgator. They are located in West L.A., and are a ticket broker for everything from concerts to sporting events. Thanks to the powers that be, and a little birdie named Jana, Tony found out about the job and interviewed on August 13th. By Friday, he was hired. Coincidentally, he will be working under our friend Mike Onori. Its not what you know, my friends...

That said, Tony and I are finally (finally, finally) cohabitating! Who would have thought?!?! I can't express how excited I am that I can finally share a living space with my husband. Granted, living with my husband also means that I am living with a boy, but I am certainly not complaining (at least not yet! hee hee...). We have moved most of his things up here from San Diego (in the matter of about two days...while still working). Like I said, its been a whirlwind. We are settling in, and just enjoying being a REAL married couple.

In other news, I am starting back to school next week. It is going to be a bitter slower of a process than I had originally intended, but I am starting to work on a second masters degree (this time in American Lit). which will eventually translate into a PhD in Post/Modern American Lit. It sounds fancy, but mostly I just want to sit in class and learn things forever. I will be returning to Verdugo part time so as to make sure I have enough time to devote to my studies. If all goes according to plan, I will do Open Enrollment as a full time student at Cal State Something in Spring.

Between jobs and school, honeymoons and moving, Tony and I spent most of July in San Diego. I lazed and enjoyed the sunshine while he worked, all the while reading the last installment of Harry Potter (fantastic...truly a great book). Tony started pursuing his IT studies again, and intends to do something computer-y soon enough. I taught three weeks of summer school to earn some extra cash and to keep myself out of trouble.

All in all, its been a busy two months. Its been great, and Tony and I can't wait to see what the next two months will bring. :)

Jaeggmeyers in Paradise!

Hello folks! Well, we're finally back from our honeymoon. Tony and I have had a whirlwind adventure globetrotting these last two weeks. I make our trip sound a little sexier than it really was, although we did have an absolute BLAST. We left on June 24 and flew to Minneapolis/St. Paul. From there, we drove down to Ames, Iowa to visit one of my best friends, Ryan (who also had been gracious enough to officiate our ceremony...thanks Ryan!) and see his new digs. Iowa is gorgeous (despite the rumors to the contrary...hee hee) and Tony and I had so much fun hanging out with Ryan and getting to see his life at Iowa State.

The next leg of our journey took us to beautful Evansville, MN (population: 566). While small, Evansville is scenic, and is home to my mom's side of the family. Tony was a trooper and held his own while being bombarded with my extended family coming at him from all sides. No joke...at the reception my cousins Elaine and Char hosted for us, Tony met AND remembered some 60 relatives that came to meet and greet. That's no small feat! Between visting, fishing, more visiting, and the occasional relaxing moments, Tony and I stayed pretty busy for the five days we were there. It was great to see my family, and its always hard to say goodbye when I only get to see many of them once a year.

Our last stop was the icing on the cake. Unfortunately, good things sometimes come to people after a very (VERY) long wait. After spending six LONG hours in the Miami International airport, and consuming copious amounts of alcohol at the Jose Cuervo's in the airport terminal, we finally found ourselves winging our way to the sunny beaches of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Jamaica is everything everybody has ever said it would be. Beautful, sunny, lush, tropical, beautiful some more. It truly is spectacular, and I am afraid our pitures hardly do it justice. In any case, Tony and I spent seven glorious days relaxing poolside and beachside, tasting the fare of the area, partaking of the local rum (well, Tony, not me. Rum and I don't get along very well). It was incredible, and the perfect way to truly spend our honeymoon. We had time to just spend with eachother and be...well..married. Between our tans (read: sunburns), the food, the site seeing, and the various wildlife that took up residence in our villa, Tony and I had a truly memorable week in Jamaica. We can't wait to go back for some soon anniversary.

It was sad to go, but its always great to be home. We have quite a few photos from our journeys (I'll be posting all of our trip pictures on snapfish), and lots of great memories for our adventures. Who could ask for better?

Pictures Galore!

There isn't nearly enough room here to include all the photos that have been sent to Tony and I. Instead, I've uploaded various albums to my snapfish account. You can take a look there to see what we have!

www.snapfish.com

The Boy's Take

I have to agree with my wife. Everything everyone tells you about your wedding day is true. It is surreal, a blur, and amazing. When I sat at the sweetheart table with my wife and ate dinner, I took a moment and looked around at all the faces there to celebrate our love. It is simply amazing to think we know as many people as we do. And more amazing that we have that many people in our lives that love us. I personally want to thank each and every one that was there for our special day. You all made it wonderful.

Laura was such a vision of beauty. We took pictures with the bridal party before the wedding and she was nothing short of picturesque. It brings tears to my eyes to think how beautiful she is. She stole the show as every bride should. I had it easy, all I had to do is show up in a tux, and not to brag, I can do a tux pretty well. I am glad we had that time before the wedding, so we could get on with the celebration with our loved ones. Our photographer was patient and simply amazing. We will let you all know when the pictures are posted on the web.

Our day has come and gone, and I want it all back again. I will give some sound advice to all those about to get married, or those that are thinking about getting married. Have breakfast together the day of your wedding. With the planning, people coming into town, and last minute details, it is easy to get lost. Laura and I had a nice quiet moment that morning that set the pace for the day. She and I both did our best to not let our emotions get the best of us. Those moments we had in the morning helped to calm our nerves. Laura and I are truly meant for each other. I know this like the sky is blue. We just fit and belong together.

Our friends and family have meshed so well, it is obvious we are meant to be. We are two worlds colliding to become one. Yet, I know we will sustain our individuality. I have shared the most wonderful day of my life with Laura, and I know there are many more to come. I love you all! And most of all I love you Laura Diane. Thanks for marrying me. Take care all, and please send pictures. We will be putting together a master slide show sure to make you laugh and cry.

Love always,

Tony Jaeggmeyer

Guess What We Did!...

So, we've done it. After all the stress (which seems minimal now, in hindsight), the festivities (which flew by), and everything in between, Tony and I got ourselves hitched.

Everything that other marrieds tell you is absolutely true. The entire day passed in a blur. As I walked down the aisle with my dad, I looked out on a sea of faces. It didn't really register who I was looking at. And during the reception when everyone was congratulating Tony and I, I STILL couldn't believe that all the well wishes were for me. The dancing, the pile of gifts (SUCH a nice perk though...), the tears. I've been to plenty of weddings, but now I feel like I am a part of some secret club. You don't get it until you do it. It was...unreal. That's the best word I could use to describe the entire experience. Unreal and perfect.

I couldn't have dreamed of a better day. The location was incredible. All of our friends and family were there to celebrate with us. Tony looked amazing, and I felt uncommonly beautiful. When I was six and hanging toilet paper down my back, I had a vision in my head of what my wedding would be like. Granted, at the time, that vision involved something resembling a Barbie doll walking down the aisle with Kirk Cameron by her side, but nonetheless, a girl has expectations. My wedding day far (far) surpassed any of my childhood fantasies.

The best part is is that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. Tony and I have this magical, amazing shared memory of one of the best days (if not THE best) of our lives. When we are old and grey, we will still be able to share that moment. I wish I could put into words what it feels like on the other side. I wish I could explain the high that you are on during the day, and the surreal calm in the days following. But, like I said, you can't understand it until you do it. And I did. And it was great!

Commencing Countdown, Engines On...

So in eight days, eight days from this exact moment, I will be arriving at my hair appointment to start getting ready for my wedding day. That is so absolutely strange to me. I thought that at my shower, I was finally acclimating myself to the fact that I was going to be married in such a short time, but I guess I still need to get used to it. Does anyone really ever get used to the fact that they are getting married before they actually say the words, kiss one another, and are pronounced husband and wife? How could you? Its not something you can ready yourself for. Their isn't a prep class a girl can take to make sure she is 100% ready on the big day. This isn't the SAT's...

Its not that I am not ready. Preparations wise, no, I'm not even close to ready. But the kind of ready where I really, really want to do this...where I can't wait to be a Mrs. (more specifically, a Mrs. to Tony's Mr.), I'm totally ready. I was ready on August 12th when Tony was kneeling in the sand. I just wish that "prepared" could always equate to "ready", though. Because I will be honest, this last week has been something of a storm of the none-too-savory variety. Between flowers that are more than I expected (or budgeted for), my photographer being fired, my dress being lost three (yes, 3) times, my hair stylist double booking herself and about a thousands little things inbetween, I have had more than my share of wedding plan snafus. I am not a planner. I have never promised to be a planner, and having all of this thrown at me in the home stretch is enough to have me curled up in the fetal position in my bedroom.

I'm a trooper though. I know that eight days, eight days from this exact moment, I will be arriving at my hair appointment to start getting ready for my wedding day. What better thought is there than that? This week is going to be cake. Saturday is going to be amazing. And all of the snags that lead me to June 2nd are going to disappear. Flowers and photographers are nothing. Next weekend will make it all worth it.

Weather Forecast: Sunny with Occassional Showers

Its a funny thing about showers. Party showers, that is. I've been to what feels like hundreds at this point. Truly, between babies and weddings, there isn't a girlfriend of mine out there that I haven't celebrated in the past few years. But when its YOUR shower, the entire experience takes on a kind of surreal quality. The food is there. The punch, the cake, the women folk who chat amoungst themselves. Yet, there is something different, and I felt that difference the moment I walked into Jana's house. This was MY shower. I was the one getting married...finally. The pile of gifts...those are for me. The fantastic scrapbook everyone was busily working putting together...mine too. I think that Saturday was the day that it finally sank in that I am getting married--really married, not just school yard married--in less than a month. How rad is that?!?!

That being said, I have to gush about the shower for a bit. My bridesmaids, first of all, are amazing. They put so much work into making my day special, and they did just that tenfold. All of my nearest and dearest were there, if not in body then certainly in spirit. I feel spoiled these last few weeks with all the attention that is paid to me. What is more, is how absolutely foolish it seems to get SO excited about opening your gift of a crockpot, or a gravy boat, or a party tray, or pillow cases. But you do...at least I did. Each of the gifts is just another reminder of the life I am about to start with Tony, and I am almost jumping out of my skin when I think too much about putting our home together--beer mugs and all. There was nothing--not a single thing--that I would have changed about the day. The weather, which had been cloudy, sprinkly, and windy only the night before, was gorgeous. The food was great, the drinks were tasty, the flowers were beautiful, the company was the best.

I gush because I can't help it. I want to remember all the details for these last weeks before the wedding, because I feel like they are going to pass before I can blink. I'm getting married once, and each detail needs to be permanently fixed in my memory. There...I have another one to add to my collection.

Thoughts on the finding the perfect someone...

So a friend of mine told me that I was supposed to write my own thoughts about my relationship, love, Tony, weddings, whatnot. I’m not sure what to say. Not so much because I have nothing to say about any of it, but more because I feel like now I am on the spot to wax philosophical. Sound smart. Make everyone weep with the eloquent things I have to say. But I digress. Back to the matter at hand…

When I was a kid, I had a picture in my head of what my wedding was going to be. There was a strapping man standing next to me. Muscles, stature, a sense of protection and security…the works. His face was always vague though. Something fuzzy and indistinct. Probably because I hadn’t found the right guy yet. Anyway, I wear some sort of huge white dress. Something with sparkles and ruffles, I’m sure…it was the 80’s then. Digressing again. The thing that I always knew though—really knew—was that the day, the man, and the choice we made to be together were perfect. Not in the puppies and flowers sort of way, but the deep down, body and soul this is the way it was supposed to be sort of perfect.

A person will have dozens of relationships time and again to replace those childhood fantasies. Some are gut wrenching, some are bittersweet, some are just simple mistakes of time and circumstance. But at 14 when I had my first boyfriend, or 16 when I had my first heartbreak, or 20 when I had my first true love I was still too young, too fresh, too naïve to really know what love was supposed to be. A person needs those experiences though to grow, to hurt, and to reach a place in their life where they can stand before that certain someone and know—really know—that the it is perfect. A person’s heart needs to swell and break a thousand times before the calm sets in. The tears need to dry, the wounds need to heal, and the soul needs to ready itself for that other. Only then is the moment amazing.

I wish I could say that I felt the light turn on the moment I saw Tony across a crowded room. I wish I could say that I knew after my first relationship, or my second, or my third. But I didn’t. And neither did he. We needed that growing to come to this place, at this time to make our stars align and our paths cross so incredibly. The wait is long—interminable at times—and the pain of all the other lost “loves” is indescribable to anyone who hasn’t felt it themselves, but what I feel now is so completely worth it, and unbelievably amazing.

I feel…quiet. My heart and soul are quiet, however trite that might sound. The confusion, the frustration, the fluxing of a relationship that was not meant to be is gone. Simply and purely without pretense or circumstance I know that I love completely and unaffectedly someone who feels the same for me. I can look into his eyes and see a future stretching before me and I am excited and anxious for that future to begin. My rough edges are smoothed away. My fears are calmed. My pain is eased. I am complete. I am whole, but its not Tony that makes me whole. What I realize now is that instead of finding that feeling outside of myself, Tony helps me to make myself feel complete. Love isn’t a puzzle. It’s not a matter of using someone else to fill in your gaps. It’s a matter of filling in those spaces yourself, and having someone to support you in that process. I am better when I am with Tony, and I know that the feeling is mutual.

Maybe its fate. Maybe its luck. Maybe its kismet. Maybe it doesn’t matter. What I know is that I have found my match. In all the people in all the world, the man who is supposed to be with me, is. So I can wax philosophical forever, but in the end, I have found my end.

The boy blog

As stated in Laura's blog, I am new to this sort of thing also. I just wanted to say at this time that I am very excited for our up coming changes. We will finally be living in the same zip code, and area code for that matter, after a little more than a year of dating and engaging. We are definitely looking forward to our honeymoon, and starting a new life together. Laura and I are in a very unique situation. We have been friends for 14 years, and just figured it out last year that we were meant for each other. Amazing how the one you are supposed to be with is right in front of you.

Laura and I share an amazing bond that will never be broken. We are in a fortunate situation that true friends are getting married. I am very lucky to have Laura in my life in any capacity. Those that are reading this know what an amazing person she is. Now to switch gears.

My best man and one of my groomsmen are steadily planning my bachelor party. It looks like we will be attending an Angels game and doing some sort of boy fun earlier in the day. That may consist of paintballing, go carting, or darts and pool. Any which way, I am looking forward to the time I will share with my comrades. Laura and I will also figure out some other type of social events for the time surrounding the wedding. I know that many of you will be in town for a number of days, and you would like to maximize your time with us. I also know that many of you are traveling thousands of miles to be with us for the wedding. We will do our best to make ourselves available, as the wedding will be pretty much a busy time for us. Please stay posted here, as Laura and I will continually update this site for our upcoming social events. I love you all and can't wait to share time with you.

The Dealy-O

We wanted to make sure that our wedding is as action packed as humanly possible for all our guests. To ensure that your time is well spent, Tony and I (with the help of our wedding party...actually, this is mostly their doing...) are planning food, outings, alcohol, more food, and more outings to keep everyone entertained. Here's what the calendar is tentatively looking like right now...

*Wednesday, May 30th--White Trash BBQ at the Jaeggi Manor
Think beaters and Keystone Light, corndogs and jello salad. We will be having a potluck sort of deal at Debbie and Tony Sr.'s house in Carlsbad, for anyone who is the area. Potluck details will follow shortly, so stay tuned! In addition to the bbq, Tony and I are asking that everyone bring two things: 1) a picture of you and (one of) us as you best remember us. Dig through all your old photos to find the gems from high school! 2) a piece of marriage advice. We will provide index cards to write down this advice, and we will compile it together into a book for us to keep!

*Thursday, May 31st--Bachelor/ette Parties
From Anaheim to Fallbrook, Tony and I are taking over. The boys and girls will be assigned to their respective locations for one final hurrah to celebrate the happy couple. Regardless if you are blue or pink, there will nothing but blue skies, tasty grub, and great friends as far as the eye can see!

*Friday, June 1st--Descending on Orange County
-Late Morning/Early Afternoon--possible brunch happening for the wedding party and bachelor/ette guests who are still
around. This is still to be determined, so stay tuned.
-Rehearsal, 3 pm--Wedding party and family will be finalizing the big day at The Hacienda from 3-3:30.
-Rehearsal Dinner, 5 pm--Dinner celebration for the rehearsal attendants at ??
-Lucky Strike Bowling, 9 pm--For any and all who are interested, we are making a trip to the Lucky Strike Bowling alley at
The Block at Orange. Be there or be L7!

*Saturday, June 2nd--The Big Day
Its the wedding day, duh! The girls will be indisposed bright and early, and there's talk of a boyz only breakfast for those who would be interested. Details are to be determined, so stay tuned.

*Sunday, June 3rd--The Wrap Up
-Final brunch--Anyone who is still around the hotel might be interested in getting together for brunch with Tony and I to
see us off. There is a restaraunt attached to The Ayres, so we'll see you in the lobby!
-Disneyland!--Who wouldn't want to celebrate the newlyweds BUT at the happiest place on earth? We're planning a final
hoorah after brunch and going until whenever. Join us!

Whew! If this doesn't keep everyone busy, I don't know what will. Keep you eyes peeled for updates and whatnot for the logisitics, but I hope that all of you can join us for (all) the festvities!

In the Beginning...

Hello all. I figured that now was as good a time as any to start a blog page for Tony and myself. We are in the midst of so many changes and plans, and we know that all of you will want to stay informed of what is going on. Tony and I are so excited about everything that is coming up. The wedding is in 29 days, I have seven weeks of school left before I am officially done teaching (well, at least temporarily), and we are going to be leaving for our honeymoon before we know it. What's more, is that I will be moving down to San Diego in the beginning of July. Like I said, lots going on right now.

I'm new to the whole blog site movement, as is Tony. I know that I love reading about the happenings of my nearest and dearest, and I know that Tony and I are lucky enough to have such supportive friends and family who are curious about how we are doing. It is hard to keep in touch with everyone all at once. It's difficult to maintain our long distance friendships with people who are miles away. My hope is that Tony and I will be able to keep everyone informed and maintain those vital links with everyone special in our lives. So, without further adieu, let's get started.