Welcome...
Many of you who are reading this probably know I have been toying around for a long time with the idea of entering the blogging world.... and I may have even promised some of you long ago I would get on here to keep in better touch (sorry it took me so long).
I have a love/hate relationship with blogs and those who blog. I love reading/seeing what our friends and family have been up to. I love having a good laugh at some of the witty posts that are out there. But, I develop nausea when I read the blogs filled with "My perfect my life, my perfect husband, my perfect kids, I can't believe how fertile I am, etc.." . Maybe this is part of the reason it took me so long to get on here. I kept saying well, maybe I will join when this or that happens... or when life gets better... I finally realized that was stupid. Who cares that I live in Mississippi- where the most exciting thing to do on a Friday night is to go to the gas station and get chicken on a stick (you heard me right- yes, chicken on a stick... and it's delicious), or that I don't have an amazing house, or have a husband that has an amazing job-or for that matter a job at all (just to dispel any dismay at the last statement- Mike is in grad school and we hope he will have a job when he graduates in a year and a half), or that I'm not as thin as I'd like to be (thanks to the chicken on a stick). So to make a long story short... I'm bloggin anyways. You can follow us at mikeandbriedance.blogspot.com.
For those of you who I may not keep in touch with much, here is a brief rundown of what we've been up to. We moved to Mississippi in July of 2010. In case you don't know much about Mississippi here are some fun facts. Mississippi has the highest rate of morbid obesity in the nation- and while you may cringe at the thought, Mississippians are proud of it. They love anything fried. Fried catfish, fried okra, fried collard greens, fried chicken, chicken fried steak... it just goes on and on and on. Mississippi also has high rate of meth use and meth production (aka Meth labs). So- for any of you who didn't think of any lucrative industry came from Mississippi- you're wrong. Meth is HUGE here. Trust me, I work in the ER. Mississippi has the lowest number of teeth per capita in nation as well- and for those of you who are confused this isn't a medical phenomena, it is just premature dental decay due to poor oral hygiene. Mississippi is also home to the fashion phenomenon of nike running shorts paired (during all seasons mind you) with an over-sized tank top, Michael Kors watch, and Tori Burch purse, and keys to not just a BMW 3 series like any rich Utahn would drive to college..... no Ole Miss undergrads drive vehicles such as X5's, Porsche Panamera's, and Range Rovers. One day Mike and I were driving around town, and I said to him, "Look Mike a poor serority girl... she's driving a brand new Honda Accord ". Sad.
But, for each of the items I listed above Mississippi has just as many wonderful things about it. We have met some of the friendliest, kind hearted, God fearing people here. This state is beautiful. The scenery is green with long rolling hills. There is a slower pace to life around here (frustrating at times). The members of our ward have been our family. I can truly say our lives have been enriched and blessed by the opportunity to leave Utah and see how things are away from the comforts of the Murray Ghettos. Mississippi is where Mike and I really became our own little family unit. So for all of these reasons, I will always have a special place in my heart for Mississippi.
Mike is in his 2nd year of law school at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss.. yes, that's the Blindside school). In fact, he has 2 more finals to go for this semester, then he is officially halfway done with law school! Hotty Toddy!!! (which in Mississippian means rock on....) I won't spend too much time bragging about Mike (so I don't invoke feelings of nausea as you read), but he is pretty awesome. He is looking forward to spending next summer at the DA's office (outside of Dallas) interning. He was invited back after he pretty much rocked it (or Hotty Toddy'd as we like to say in Mississippi) his first summer there. So, we are very excited about the upcoming opportunities that lie ahead with that.
For those of you who are probably curious about our family planning.... Yes- we have been married for 3 years, and no we don't have any kids yet. And no, I am not pregnant (yet). Do I want to become pregnant? More than anything. I'd sell a kidney or one of Mike's kidneys for that matter to get pregnant. In all seriousness, I'd give my life if that meant I would have the chance to have a baby. So as you have probably gathered by now, our pathway to becoming parents has taken longer than I may have liked. But, as with many things that don't happen as soon as we would like there are blessings along the way. And this has been no different... Although it has hands down been the most challenging, gut wrenching, soul searching, and faith testing trial in my life so far... it has provided me with the most personal and spiritual growth I have ever had. So, for that alone I am grateful.
I am looking forward to sharing glimpses of our imperfect and sometimes boring lives.
Love,
Brie
