when and now

This past weekend my sister Marley got married. She was stunning. Everything about her wedding was more beautiful than words can say. She went with the vintage/rustic route and it all fit in place that evening perfectly. Here’s a fun picture of my sister and all of her bridesmaids on the grounds of the reception venue. 

Anyway, I was one of Marley’s Matrons of Honor. Since all of the MOH speeches to date in my family have been top notch, I had to think of a way to go above and beyond. So I thought, why not sing a song!! I rewrote the lyrics to “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond and sang my little heart out. I thrived on audience participation in the choruses too, which was great, and I pretty sure that my no good very bad singing voice was taken as humorous as well. 

“Marley and Kev”

Where it began, Wilmington, North Carolina

Marley was 3 when Mom had me

All growing up we were the best of friends

Playing house, store and Barbies

Hand … Kev asked for your hand

You said yes, and now we’re here, here today

Marley and Kev

Oh oh oh

Your love is oh so good

So good so good so good

Marley and Kev

Oh oh oh

You got married like you should

And when I look back

I sure do miss the old days

Sharing a room and talkin’ ‘bout boys

We grew up so fast

But I can’t help but smile

‘Cuz I still have my best friend

Sirman … is your new last name

Mine’s McCombs … but we’ll always, always have Brown

Marley and Kev

Oh oh oh

Your love is oh so good

So good so good so good

Marley and Kev

Oh oh oh

You got married like you should

I’ve been reading on Facebook and in blogs what everyone is and has been thankful for with the holiday season upon us, and so naturally I’ve been thinking about all that I appreciate in my life. Instead of detailing each and every thing that makes me smile from day to day I decided to make a list. I’m sure I’m missing many, many things but it’s a start and it’ll continue to grow for the rest of this Thanksgiving week and for the rest of my life.

I’m THANKFUL for …

• Being married to a wonderful man and having a relationship where I fall in love deeper every day
• Having two amazing parents who love and support me in everything that I do
• My close relationship with my five incredible siblings
• Being an aunt to the two most precious little girls
• Being a part of a big family
• My genuine friends - both near and far
• My faith and my desire to learn more about my religion
• A new job that will help me grow professionally and personally, and where I can make a difference
• Being a homeowner in a beautiful part of the country
• Being healthy enough to do everything I want to do
• My experiences as a marathon runner and a field hockey player
• Chocolate indulgences
• Good books that I can’t put down
• My TV show lineup
• Laughing with my loved ones
• Singing and dancing with my nieces in public
• Making a meal that makes everyone happy
• A good night’s sleep
• Sunday fun days with my husband
• Social media to keep in touch with friends and family

… and LOTS more!

Please think about all your thankful for this holiday season and find love in your heart to brighten someone else’s day. Make someone thankful for you. :-)

This year will go down as a year of change for me … big change, and lots of it. Generally speaking, it has all been change for the good. Better yet, change for the great. My life has flipped, turned, spun and is teetering back and forth right now about to settle down. At least I think so.

First, I started the year off engaged and in the midst of wedding planning. That was a whirlwind in itself. Nothing more had to happen and I would have had a busy enough of a year. Our friends bought a house last year and it got Chris and me thinking. Is that something we could do or even afford? It seemed so far out of reach but the question kept arising, “Why would we continue paying rent when we could start investing in a home?” So, we went to the bank and sat down with a mortgage broker. Is this possible, we asked. Apparently it was. So, we began spending all of our (not so) free time looking online and going out with our real estate agent to find our future home. After some twists and turns, we found one we loved and we moved in on March 8.

Now on top of planning our wedding, we were also learning how to be homeowners. There is always something to do and something “we need to buy”. That didn’t go great with paying for a majority of our wedding either. To make all of our expenses and our new mortgage easier to handle, Chris and I joined bank accounts. Even though it wasn’t a major change, it was a change nonetheless, and one we continue to work together on every day.

Finally August rolled around and we tied the knot. On August 13, I became Mrs. Meredith McCombs. It was a perfect rainy day. The celebration was filled with love, family and friends, dancing, alcohol, more dancing and more alcohol. It was a Brown/McCombs wedding – we didn’t expect any less.

When we thought we could finally breathe, I was contacted by a recruiter regarding a job opportunity a couple months following our wedding. With some investigation I became extremely interested in the position and what the company had to offer. After a couple phone interviews, a Skype conversation and an extensive in-person interview, I was offered the job as the product manager. Without hesitation, I accepted. Not only was I switching companies, but I was also venturing into a position that was new to me. It’s an exciting move that will bring many rewarding experiences.

As you can see, 2011 will be one to remember. A year in the books, as they say. Many people are reluctant when it comes to change but I think it helps you develop as a person. It’s the detours in life that give you the experiences to pull from to make you a better person. Kind of like my blog name - I’m thankful for my “when” because it makes for a better “now”. This year, not only did I grow in my personal life, but I am confident that I became a stronger professional in my career and a better wife, sister, daughter, aunt and friend. I feel blessed to be surrounded by the people I am who undoubtedly helped me through this rollercoaster of a year.