Blogging,  Communication,  Health,  Marriage Confessions

Well, Gawwwwwlly.

(I hope you all are Gomer Pyle fans, cause otherwise you won’t know how to pronounce the title of this post. It also helps if you are Southern. And missing a few teeth.)

thank-you

I read every comment that I receive every day on this blog. When I get home from work, I sit down for a minute and see what you all have to say. But yesterday I read them over and over and over and over again. And then I cried a bit. And then I read them one more time. To say thank you is just not even close to how much gratitude I have for the kind, thoughtful, insightful, supportive, loving comments you each left yesterday. It just doesn’t even scratch the surface. Your outpouring of encouragement in blog comments, emails, Tweets, Facebook messages, and phone calls just overwhelmed me. Thank you for being there. Wherever you are. It just means the world to me.

You should also know that I got a very nice email from my Mom yesterday that basically said, “I know this is overwhelming…but you have to actually DO SOMETHING now.” So, last night Chris and I were on the phone with Sallie Mae for about an hour, actively coming up with a plan for our student loans, which are a major source of stress for me at the moment. We came up with good information and a plan of action and I instantly felt better when I hung up the phone. And I also realized and remembered that MONSTERS AREN’T SO SCARY WHEN YOU DRAG THEM OUT FROM UNDER YOUR BED! In the light of day, it was just us talking to a loan representative, who was helpful and nice and WANTED things to be better for us. There were no monsters on that phone call. And I felt about 50 pounds lighter when I got off the phone.

So I celebrated by eating 50 pounds of Halloween candy.

I blame the New Guy.

You should also know that my Grandma was here yesterday to stay home with Beaner who had a stomach bug. While she was here, she did all my laundry. All of it. Why is it important that you know that? I have no idea. I was just so excited, I felt like it was blog-worthy.

The last thing you should know is that my blog posts have been kind of skimpy this week because we are in the process of moving our site to a new, faster, bigger, better server. That means that I can’t put too much stuff up on the blog right now because of The Move. Imagine that we are loading all of our website into boxes and then onto a moving truck and getting ready to truck across town to a new server. Well, at this point everything is all boxed up, so for me to add content here would be like going out and buying new furniture and then having to unpack the moving truck to make room for the new stuff. So, I just wanted you to know that my blogging is a little weak this week because of that.

Not cause I’m cracking up.

We’ll be back to regularly scheduled blogging my little guts out tomorrow.

Until then, know that I am – as always – grateful that you all are here day after day to support me. Whether I’m dealing with a husband who is stealing my Halloween candy or something much more serious, you all continue to be here and that is just amazing. So, thanks for that.

52 Comments

  • Alaina

    Glad that you’re feeling a bit better…sometimes it really is those little things that can help you out of that hole just a bit. I have more than I care to admit in law school debt, and I owe my first born child to Sallie, but I’m super glad you got them to be reasonable with you. That will definitely help. Keep hanging in there and stay strong!

  • Amy

    So glad the phone call with Sallie Mae went well- I know that’s such a weight off. And– YAY for Grandma doing laundry! Sometimes it’s the littlest things that can help and warm our hearts the most– I think that was definitely blog-worthy 🙂 Hugs to you today, and , to echo Jo, I am honored to be considered one of your imaginary friends!

  • Jen C

    So glad things are starting to look up for you! Hang in there and know you have tons of support and love from all of your imaginary friends. And I’d be ecstatic if someone wanted to come over and do my laundry. Sometimes its the small things that really add up to make a big difference

  • Jen at Cabin Fever

    You’re welcome 🙂 And there is nothing wrong with eating fifty lbs of candy. The New Guy is a perfect excuse. Don’t stress over life. There are ups and downs, but we get through them one way or another. If life was stagnant it would be no fun. And you know what… its time for me to do something for myself too. I’m dealing with a similar stressed out situation (hence my post today) Cabin Fever in Vermont

  • Lee Ann

    Helping friends, even “imaginary” ones, is one of the joys of life. I always heard that a joy shared is a joy doubled, while a hardship shared is a hardship halved. While you feel the love from us “imaginary” friends, you cannot begin to know how much you bring insight and joy to my life every day. You make me a better person just because you make me think. I thank YOU!

  • Heather in ND

    What an amazing thing blogs can be, huh? I’m happy for you that things are starting to get better. Baby steps!!! And how great is Grandma that she did your laundry–amazing and so wonderful!! It just shows the support you have, all around you!
    Keep your head up! You’re doing wonderful!

  • Shannon

    Girl, you will pull through this! I have no doubt! Whether you realize it or not, you ARE an amazingly strong woman! I hope today is all butterflies and roses for you and your family. PS. Can you send Grams my way to do my laundry??

  • Candice

    I recently had that phone call w/the student loan people myself and afterwards thought, “Why in the world did I put that off so long??” I instantly felt SO much better.

    When my mom babysits, she washes all the bottles. It’s a small thing, but it feels SO good to come home after work and not have a bunch of dirty bottles lined up. (Now if only I could get the hubby to do the same.)

  • Layne

    YAY! I’m glad you are taking your loved one’s advice and letting them help you. “Help me, help you.” Name that movie! 😉 Anyway, I’m also really happy to hear that you are feeling better. And doesn’t that Type A/perfectionist/productive side of you feel great now that you have a plan for the student loans?!? So glad to hear you are feeling better!

  • Katy

    Agree 100% about the monster thing! My husband and I had a similar situation with some student loan issues right before we got married, and that phone call was HARD to do, but once it was over, such a weight was lifted! Thinking about you!

  • Abigail

    Your grandma doing your laundry is AWESOME!! I’d love for someone to come do all my laundry. . .which I’ve been trying to overcome for a week now. . .trouble is once I get near to finishing the piles from the previous week there’s a new one (or two) that has developed in the meanwhile. Ahhh!!

  • Bhuvana

    That is AWESOME your grandma did your laundry – I wish I had someone like that! And sorry to hear Bean was sick – hope he’s feeling better today.

  • Dianne

    Glad things are looking better for you all:=) Hope Bean Man is feeling better and thank goodness from grandma’s who like to do laundry!!!!

  • Beanie's Nana

    I read the comments yesterday about 20 times, too, and blubbered through each one. But in the end, what I took away from your Readers was this…..Completely contrary to today’s popular belief that this is a big old hard hearted world, I now know that beyond our yard is a world full of caring and loving people that are just like us. God Bless every single one of you that bless Kate, Chris and Beanie with your friendship.

  • Jennifer

    Your grandma rocks!! Can she come to my place?? 🙂
    Making that phone call is a big step in the right direction. I know how hard it is. When I have to do those kind of things I stress about it and I put it off until everything almost blows up. Everyone has hard times, just know that your faith, family and friends (imaginary and not) are there for you and all you have to do is ask for help. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

  • Ashley

    It’s because we love you (and your blog)! It’s awesome to be one of your imaginary friends…your posts brighten my day and make me feel less depressed. I hope you keep on feeling better. Thanks again for trusting us with that last post.

  • Jaclyn

    I’m so glad that deciding to post on such a tremendously serious topic ended up helping you so much!! Yay Katie!! And I’m glad that the first baby steps to feeling like things are fixed also helped you feel better. Hooray for nice phone people — they sure can be hard to find and a good one came at JUST the right time for you!

  • Lindsey

    Katie, first I have to say that I love your blog and I think Bean is the cutest! Anyway, your post yesterday really hit home with me. I have been going through some things and I could totally relate to how you were feeling. I’m only engaged, but the stress between my family and fiance is really taking a toll on me. But. you have inspired me to do something about it. Just wondering if you have advice on how to deal with family not getting along with my “New Guy”?

  • cattybug

    Katie, know that God has not forgotten you. Though you may have a hard time seeing and knowing Him right now rest assured He has been there the whole time and He will never leave you. Thank you for your post. Lost of love from Northern Virginia 🙂

  • Nate's Mom

    Grandma’s loving laundry duty is most certainly blogworthy. In fact, it’s a great reminder of the love and help that you have around you all the time – even when you might not realize it. Holla for Grandma!!!

  • Angel

    See Katie, The sun does come out tomorrow! (name that movie, I dare ya!) Sometimes we all need encouragement, love, and good friends whenther they be real or imaginary.
    Sending you love from your imaginary friends !!

  • tiffany

    katie, if you guys haven’t already consolidated let me know. Sallie Mae has made me her slave for a while now. but I reduced my payment from 1200 a month to 100 bucks a month.. hope it all worked out…

  • Christina C.

    So I didn’t get to read your blog yesterday so I am commenting here…I am so incredibly proud of you (which seems silly because we don’t know one another and I don’t really even comment enough for you to know me) but, I am proud. And I am completely amazed at your ability to share this side of yourself with all of us strangers. It’s incredible to me to see how trusting and open you are on your site, I appreciate that about you and hope it will inspire others to speak out too. Talk talk talk and you will get through this time, just think, you’re already on your way out of the dark, so much good lies in your future and in the future of your family.

  • Bronwen

    Your Grandma knows just what is important!!! That made me smile. When my sister had very serious postpartum depression last year, it was me on laundry duty (for three kids plus parents, incl. two kids in cloth diapers. yeesh). It made me feel as if I was doing something useful, and it was good to be too tired to worry (much) about her at the end of every day. Even when no one’s sick, laundry is what we do in my family to help each other. For the last three years, my mum did my other sister’s laundry every week when she went there to look after my nephews. “White load” was one of my nephew’s first phrases, and he’d say it whenever my mum opened the front door :-B I am glad to hear you are making good progress on the practical side, and as a fellow depression-sufferer, I know it will get better.

  • All My Monkeys

    Aw! Gosh, away from the computer for one day and I miss tons.

    I just… … like you. And thanks for talking about your faith. I appreciate that in a life is real and it’s not always pretty kind of way.

    Glad to hear you’re having realizations and dealing with things in a positive way. So lucky that you have such a loving and supportive family.

    I feel you – on the whole life is overwhelming thing and being pregnant is just one piece of that puzzle. As a mom of soon-to-be-five, I totally get that. (My avoidance technique: Facebook.)

    While I will pray for you, might I also send a word of caution on the whole “drown my sorrows in Halloween candy” thing. Gestational Diabetes can cause crazy hormones, and loading your system with sugar is like adding fuel to the fire. Plus, there’s the weight gain, but who’s counting. Mostly, I’m talking hormones. And insulin is a hormone. So.. be careful.

  • Amy J

    Such a great reminder, there are a few things I’m hiding in ‘the closest’ that should be dragged out.

    You are already getting on top of things- soon you’ll be back on top of the world (and with a cute man like The Bean around, how can you avoid it?)

  • Amanda

    I live in pittsburgh, but if i was anywhere closer to you I would make you a big pot of soup, a batch of pierogies, and some cookies. And I would visit you every week so we could hang out and drink coffee and bitch about everyday things. I know how you feel completely. That’s me right now too. I feel like the problems in my life are so big sometimes that even though I know there are others less fortunate than me – I am so frustrated with my own situations that I forget there is a world still out there. It’s like being the bubble boy – and all the challenges and obstacles are in the bubble too. Sometimes it takes a big change or a big step to burst the bubble. I hope my big change is coming – and i hope it’s a positive one. I just paid off my student loan 2 weeks ago with Sallie Mae. I can definitely relate. Sadly there was no congratulations cake from Sallie.

    It’s hard when life keeps stacking thing on and on to remember what things were like in good times. But good times do come around again.

    Hang in there!

  • Sarah S

    I love your mom’s e-mail “now you have to do something”. Such a mom thing and so true. It’s always the hardest part for me though. You are absolutely right that once you start facing your problems they get better. We were having money issues a few years back and it got so bad that I quit looking at our checking account because I didn’t want to deal with it. Once I got over that and started looking at it every day and dealing with it every day, things started to get better.

  • Maple

    I don’t usually leave meesages but I’ve been lukring for ages…but I love your honesty. You are smart, strong, and you will get through this! Big hugs!

  • Becca

    I’m so glad you write about these things (and that it’s helpful for you). I kind of feel like I know you, even though we’ve never met, and I hope you can think of all of us as a community of (as yet unmet) friends who are there for you.

  • Christina

    I have missed a couple of days, but am about to catch up. Before I do, I would just like to ask, can your grandma come to my house?
    Also, having ALL of your laundry done is totally blog-worthy. We-interrupt-this-regularly-scheduled-programming worthy. That is something that never happens around here. Never!

  • Meredith

    Imaginary friend Katie… you inspire me! I read your blog and it makes me laugh almost every time. I love knowing other people, even people across the country have problems and feel sad and things too just like me. Hope you’re feeling a little better still. 🙂 LOVE your blog!

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