Where in the world have the Hartwigs been!?

WHEW! I NEVER thought life could get as crazy as last year when I had my wedding...turns out it can be. School ended the end of April and David graduated :) :)!! Then may started out with Faith's graduation where alyssa & melyssa (and many more friends) graduated! The next day my bro in law was commissioned into the airforce as he had graduated from ISU. Way cool! The next day...haha...I had my first road trip with the eichelberger fam as they dropped me off to spend a whole week with Alyssa as we planned and organized her WEDDING :) that following weekend! Which...my oh my...that will have to be another blog entry. It was the first wedding I had coordinated.ya...another entry for sure. The wedding was amazing despite rain and I'm soo utterly happy for my dear friends & blessed to have helped them! The next week I jumped back into work with a new boss...which was a tad diffcult. Praise the Lord, it has gotten MUCH better! I then helped my mother throw my brother's open house...oh ya! My brother graduated from highschool!The next day I took my cousin Tia shopping to celebrate her graduation which i had missed the weekend of alyssa's wedding :( We had SO much fun!That night Zach graduated!.then the the next day...you guessed it... (story of my life) we took off to burlington to attend yet another cousin Aaron's graduation. Came right back to attend my longtime friend Meredith's shower!! Then...hmm...what else did we do.Seems like there was something big.oh ya...we went to ORLANDO :) For our 1st anniversary!! Ok.rewind.My amazing inlaws gave us-as an anniv gift- points from their vaca timeshare to go anywhere...on the "last minute" list. aka the resorts that need to fill up. We originally thought it wouldn't be a good idea since we were so busy and we had spent SO much obviously.haha...but after that first rough day of work in the summer, i was bound and determined to leave this place with JUST my husband. So we booked it about a week before we left! It was fantastic...another blog entry :) It was just what i needed and i feel so rejuvenated!aww..such a good feeling. we came back and david started Agritech...his summer job.The first weekend in June, I had Leah's Personal Shower.SO fun and SO relaxing for the bride to be! The following week was filled with wedding festivities such as my very first pedicure :D...awesome btw. SO on June 11th Leah my lady became a MRS. I had such a fun weekend spending time with her and the other girls being a bridesmaid! So excited for them. So here I am....blogging and catching up on the bachelorette. bentley is such a jerk btw...and william isn't my fav either. I have some very exciting news too!...I'm NOT pregnant....BUT my husband did just get an opprotunity for his dream job!...once again.another blog entry.So basically that's what i've been up to for a month and a half. I have a bunch of shows to catch up on, a beautiful stack of every season of friends thanks to my bff and nothing to look forward too until August. SO if you're bored call me :)...I'm now available!

Life Unaccommodating

     It's 3:37 am and Davids alarm goes off. He goes back to bed. I remind him that he actually has to get up. (he's turkey hunting). He fly out of bed, gets ready, the room gets a little darker, and the door shuts.I can hear our (not so small) puppy Briggs whining.Her best friend just left her (to go hunting none the less).My stomach drops because I realize this will once again be life this summer.

Bff's. Wish she was still this small :'(

     Our life does not accommodate for time together. We have 4 entities that choose it for us: Lowes, Grandview University, DMACC, and Faith. After that we put our schedules together and pray for time. Don't get me wrong, we find it, but it's never consistent. Oh consistency, how I long for you. I dream of the day it can all fall into place and be a some kind of "normal"...but i feel like thats not going to happen fffooorreeevveerrr. Oh, and what I was talking about before, about summer...well, david is returning to his summer job (that he's had the past four years.) He works for a crop dusting company, driving trucks and mixing chemicals.He's paid by the acre sprayed, which means that a "good" day is him going to work before 6 am and getting home after 11or...for him not to come home for a day or two. uggghh. I hate it. BUT that job kept us alive this year, and because life didn't go exactly as my "perfect (kind of unrealistic) plan" was, we decided for him to do it one more year. I was totally ok with this decision, as i am currently feeling the sweet benefit of it, but lately i've been just burnt out by time (or lack there of). Now as I think about this summer, it just sucks. I can fill my time with friends (or my master plan of watching the whole series of friends and boy meets world), but in my heart i'm screaming "I just want my husband home.with me." Oh, did I happen to add that one of my very close friends will be gone all summer, along with my sissy (in law), and my BROTHER is living with us (as he will be working with david)??? YEAH.yeah. 


     So there it is. I know some would say that I have it good compared to military life, or having a husband that is required to be gone for weeks. BUT I believe that God has placed everyone in their position based on what he believes we can handle (with some room for stretching). I've wondered why I am struggling with it so much...I managed to get through so far! Why now? Could it just be a pity party? Am i just exhausted or burnt out? I know, I know I asked for this life. I got married in college. If I would have waited until late 20's, early 30's to settle down (like the rest of the world-well the secular world, ha) then we wouldn't have some of these issues...but God put me in THIS place. SOO...now what?


     I know there are people out there who have done or am doing the same thing. HOW??? What are tricks you have to strengthen in the time you do have together? OR can you think of some scripture that would shed some light on the subject??I am in desperate need of it.


Thanks for reading, and please pray...that I will always keep heart.

April Showers Bring May Weddings

Bridal showers (and baby showers!!) are bustin up all over the place.I love 'em.It's like never ending christmas, and since my love language is gifts, I still enjoy them fully :).SO i thought i'd give some tips for the bride, and the generous givers!

1. REGISTER.OK, so current brides have probably done that, but for future someday brides and post-shower brides, this is for you! 

• This should be done like 1-1.5 months before the shower at the very least. 
• TIME SAVER: Sign up yourself online beforehand so you don't have to do it before.
• If you have the time, and a patient fiance, register for EVERYTHING.even cleaning supplies and food staples.It might trigger in people's heads to give essentials like that. 
• Also, I registered for everything at every store...ya never know where people will shop!!
• Registering for stuff online= it not being in the store your guests go to=you not getting it.see?
• EDIT.EDIT.EDIT.unless you decide to make it a surprise and never check your registry...(good luck,ha), keep editing and deleting!! I was quite dedicated to mine....i only had to take back 3 items out of ALL my showers and wedding!HOlla!
• FEED YOUR FIANCE BEFORE YOU GO. guaranteeing a better experience.

2. STORES: Target: LOVE IT.best thing. Bed, bath, and beyond. Budget 3ish hours if you go straight through (and do everything), can be intense and a place for tears (so i've heard.) BUT it really is an essential place to register and you can save time through allowing an employee to register for everything in the brand you want! Walmart: in my experience, not worth it. Kohls: fun and pretty easy to register at.

3. When people ask you or your mother what you may want, be honest! If I were you, ask for essentials! Like cleaning supplies or food staples. That stuff adds up sooo much! 

• INSIGHT: after the wedding this is how much we paid for stuff. Cleaning supplies: $200-250ish (with a $100 vac). Hyvee: $250ish Target: $250ish. Bed, Bath, and Beyond: $500 (all our "sets" were there...bathroom, bedroom, plates)

4. Do your Thank you's asap. don't wait. my mistake.

5. At your shower, make sure you give your love story and a thank you, it's just straight up etiquette! 

6. Gift cards: If you have something big you need like a vac or your bedspread, dedicate it to that until you get it! That way you don't blow it.

7.GUESTS: Unless you are buying something you are pretty certain is safe, stick to the registry 100% easier. BUT, you should think outside the box, like using essential-themed gift baskets! 

SO this was my experience anyway.

THOUGHTS!?!?!?!