50 Questions for the New Year!

1.What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
got engaged, graduated college, got a job, AND got married! WHOA!

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I made a resolution to work out consistently...didn't happen. No 2010 resolutions for me!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?:
No one I can think of right now.

4. Did anyone close to you die?:
Chico- Sean's family pet- aka- Gwyn's favorite son.

5. What countries did you visit?:
Mexico!

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?:
I'm pretty content with all that 2009 had to offer- couldn't ask for more!

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?:
Febuary 28th, Sean proposed. November 21sts, married my love!


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?:
As said before...engaged, graduated, got a job, and married the love of my life. All equally important.

9. What was your biggest failure?:
Didn't get the first two jobs I interviewed for...but I don't count that as a failure. Those jobs just were not where God wanted me. I am so unbelievably happy those two interviews did not work out because I love Endy.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?:
Just the piggy flu


11. What was the best thing you bought?:(was bought for you)
My ring- love it!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?:
uh? lots of people

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?:
ehh...who has time to worry about other people's behaviors?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?:
Once again...getting married, gradating, and getting a job!

16. What songs will always remind you of 2009?:

"Love Will Keep Us Together" As performed by Kim McGowen

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i) ...happier or sadder?:
happier
ii) thinner or fatter?:
bout the same?
iii) richer or poorer?:
Richer! (only by a little bit, I did get a job...but I'm a teacher :)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?:
relaxing...


19. What do you wish you'd done less of?:
Worrying.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?:
I spent it at with my husband, family, and friends.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?:
Each and every day I fall a little more in love...thanks, Sean.

23. How many one night stands?:
eew...do people really have those?


24. What were your favourite TV programs?:
No time for new t.v. shows...only Friends re-runs!


25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?:
i dont hate people.

26. What was the best book you read?:
Recipe for Marriage...very cute book I found at Marshalls. Random.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?:
Kim singing Captain and Tenneal!


28. What did you want and get?:
to wake up to Sean every day...best thing ever!

29. What did you want and not get?:
a six pack...haha

30. What was your favorite film of this year?:
The Hangover....kinda happens when Sean watches it 2340923749 times.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?:
Left school right at 3:15, which I NEVER do. Then, came home, took a bath, got in my PJs, and let Sean fix me supper. I turned 22!

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?:
I really can't think of anything!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?:
I'm not very fashionable...


34. What kept you sane?:
Getting a job....I was SO worried about that!


35.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?:
no one comes to mind...

36. What political issue stirred you the most?:
I don't follow the news like I should.

37. Who did you miss?:
My students from Central last year and Kim.



38. Who was the best new person you met?:
My fabulous fifth graders and my lovely partner in crime, Marisa.


39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:
Life flies by....

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."

41. What was your favorite moment of the year?
There were so many....but the BEST was probably saying my vows and hearing Sean say his.

42. What was your least favourite moment of the year?
not getting the jobs I applied for...but, again, it all worked out for the very best.


43. Where were you when 2009 began?
With Stephen, Mallory, and Sean...that was the night he fake proposed. Haha...actually turned out to be a pretty funny story.

44. Who were you with?
Stephen, Mallory, and Sean.

45. Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Not sure just yet...


46. Who will you be with when 2009 ends?
Sean, Adam, and Jessica...and whoever else.

47. What was your favorite month of 2009?
November

48. Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2009?
well, it was my first year being 21! Everything in moderation...

49. Did you do a lot of drugs in 2009?
Absolutely not. No way. Never, Ever.

50. What are your plans for 2010?
teach, be a great wife, and love life!!

Have yourself a "Married" little Christmas!

Getting Read for Christmas:

On the way home from the airport after the honeymoon, we picked up our tree. Real, of course! That night, as we also unpacked from our Mexico honeymoon, we strung lights on the tree and put up the 5 ornaments we had and some red bows. To us, it looked beautiful! The following week Sean's mom passed some of their old ornaments to us and we bought a few, too. Along with the tree, I made sure there were candles and something "Christmassy" is every room.

Where all we went:

The great thing about living within a 50 mile radius of EVERY single person you're related to is that you get not one, but many, opportunities to eat and share time with friends and family.

Christmas Eve-
5:00- Peggy and Ernests- supper part one
6:30- Richard and Opals- supper part two

Christmas Day
7:30a.m.- Puppy delivery and breakfast at Sean's parents' house
12 noon- Badin- Tina and Waynes- lunch and love martinis
6:00 pm-Supper at Sean's Parents' house- Italian style!

The next day-
6pm- Supper at Sean's "Aunt Bessies" Dumplins- YUM!

Sunday-
2:00- Lunch with Pickler family

Our first Christmas Morning

Woke up at 5:30. Puppy sleeping quietly next to the bed- ready for delivery to Sean's mom! We opened stockings that were left by Santa under the bed. Mine included chap stick, lotion, and some candy. Sean's included candy, candy, more candy, beef jerky, and a sweet love note! Following stockings we went to the living room, puppy in tow, to open our gifts to and from one another. Sean got me a camera and an amazingly beautiful oil painting of one of our wedding pictures (aww). I got Sean a drill, Columbia fleece zip up, and a Columbia fleece pants. The morning was so peaceful and full of joy. We have so much to be thanful for- anything under the tree was just gravy!

Tradtions?

-I liked our stocking being hid under the bed. It was fun opening them as soon as we woke up.

- Yule Log on T.V. stayed on all night-Christmas music playing

Pickler Honeymoon: Toes in the water, Toes in the Sand!

We left at 3 am after the wedding! We did manage to get about 2 hours of sleep and we were not ready to wake up! As we struggled to stay awake, we made our way to Charlotte Douglas!

The plane was NOT a good experience for me! We had a connecting flight with a layover in Florida. The first plane was TINY! I sat, absolutely silent, all the way to Florida. Then, I was alright when I was off the plane, but as soon as we boarded again, I was silent once again. The flight attendant even gave me free rum and coke to calm my nerves! Not a minute too soon, we landed in Cancun and I was just fine!

We stayed at Sun Palace. It was WONDERFUL! We spent a lot of time on the beach enjoying the sunshine and unlimited beverages. The room we stayed in was gorgeous and even had a hot tub overlooking the ocean! Food= wonderful!

The whole week was a time to relax from the stress of our daily lives and enjoy being married. I loved hearing "Mrs. Pickler" as we were greeted at a restaurant. Another perk was the spa service. I enjoyed two massages, a pedicure, and a manicure all for only 40 bucks! (We had a lot of spa credit because we were honeymooners). Even Sean got a pedicure because it was included! Hilarious!

One day we went to visit Isla Mujeres, an island not too far from Cancun. It was very beautiful and we got to visit their little town to do some shopping. We really didn't find any good deals and the sales people were very pushy but it was something cool to experience.

Another day, we spent the morning at a zipline tour. Sean did the zipline tour and I chickened out and instead enjoyed Corona and took pictures! Sean really enjoyed the tour.

The weather was great and it only rained one day. The water was a beautiful blue hue and the sun rose at 6:30 every morning and we left our curtains open so that we could enjoy the view. After we enjoyed the view, we had breakfast delivered every day! The menu included: cream cheese and bacon omelet, fresh fruit, orange juice, cresent rolls, and fresh juice. DELICIOUS!

Overall, we had a wonderful time! We enjoyed celebrating being married in one of the most beautiful place either one of us has ever visited.

And, yes, the flight back was every bit as traumatic as the flight over- but totally worth it!

From this day forward....

7:00 Woke up and ran around waking up all of the girls while jumping around and announcing "I am getting MARRIED today!" I then went and curled back in bed with Jessica and talked for a minute about all of the excitement. Then, I called Sean's mom and talked to her for a little bit, too. (Of course I had to spy on Sean that morning without actually talking to him) One by one, each of the other girls came in and we sat and talked for a little bit until we had to get ready for the brunch. I remember running around taking pictures and saying "I'm going to remember every second of this day!". Needless to say, I am sure I was annoyingly chipper that morning!

We rode to the brunch at Debbie's house hosted by some of the women in my family and ate yummy food. I gave each of the girls their gift and told them THANK YOU for all they had done over the past couple of months. They really are so awesome : )

After we finished eating Martha and I headed back to the lake house to work on my hair! We spent about 2 hours getting ready there and that time was special to me. Of course, she did a wonderful job on my hair. But, also, it was nice to spend time with my soon-to-be sister in law. She and Neal will be married soon and there are some things that she can especially understand because are marrying brothers. In other words, when I complain about Sean she understands because Neal and Sean are SO alike in some ways.

After my hair was complete we headed towards Central to get ready. Honestly, as soon as we got to John and Nicole's to get ready and all of my "ladies in waiting" arrived time flew by! Aunt Tina delivered such a sweet letter from Sean. His words were so sweet and so sincere. The letter gave me butterflies but surprisingly did not make me cry. I remember trying to picture him writing the letter. I then sent Sean's gift- a set of cuff links with Shanda, my matron. Next, I did my make up, waited for the photographer to arrive, and then put on my BEAUTIFUL dress. All of my girls were there, of course, but also my Meamaw, Sean's Mamaw, Aunt Tina, and Gwyn were also there. I just remember everyone smiling SO big and feeling so loved. The next hour before walking down the aisle was spent posing for pictures and making sure I didn't get my dress dirty! Thank goodness the photographer did not mind all of my crazy picture ideas. I also need to add that my girls looked HOT! Their dresses, hair, and feathers were awesome. They looked as if they were from a magazine! I even remember joking and saying that I should rent them out to other brides. Even cuter than my bridal party was my adorable flower girl was actually pretty convinced she was cuter than all of us because she loved posing for cute pictures!


Soon enough...it was time. The girls and I walked across the street and up the stairs into the school. We went quietly out of Sean's sight and waited to be called out for our turn. While we were waiting we ended up talking and laughing so hard at Tegan-the flower girl that we actually had to be shushed because people could hear us over the music! In what seemed like 2 seconds the girls were asked to come out and I was all by myself for about a minute. I closed my eyes, prayed, and concentrated on remembering everything. Sean's dad came back to get me and I might have cried a little had he not completely fell apart. Soon enough, it was time to stand in front of the double doors and wait for them to open! I stood, listening Cannon in D being played and the doors opened. No words can describe the feeling. At the end of the aisle stood by best friend. Sean looked incredibly handsome and truly happy.


As I stepped up next to Sean and felt him next to me I was immediately calm. My favorite part of the entire day was looking in Sean's eyes as he said his vows- so pure and sincere. After some brief and beautiful words from my preacher, a song sang by Kim, and our hands being blessed by the women in our families, we were announced as man and wife! We faced the crowd and Kim began our rather untraditional exit song "Love Will Keep Us Together!" by Captain and Tennille. Sean and I both were extremely excited!


The next couple of hours absolutely flew by! We took pictures (which are absolutely gorgeous), did all of the traditional stuff (first dance, cake cutting, tosses, ect) Before too long, it was all said and done! We had our "exit" for a photo op and then came back. Sean and I sat and enjoyed some time to just relax! Our wonderful families and wedding party helped clean up and break down. Afterwards, joined by some guests and our families, we went to one of our favorite places-El Ranchito! Finally, we had time to eat, enjoy a margarita, and let everything slow down. Of course, Sean and I were in full wedding attire ; ) A perfectly simple ending to our simple wedding!

Wedding bells and school bells rang for me on November 20th...

The day before the wedding...

Most brides are bouncing around running errands, getting pedicures, putting final touches on the venue, ect. Me? I decided it'd be just fine if I worked that day! So as all of the last minute details were falling in place I was with my students discussing the water cycle, division and playing dodge ball. HA! Luckily, my "entourage" was doing all of the running for me. My lovely ladies were making sure that there were flowers, a cake, decorating was finished, and that everything was in running order for Saturday. God bless everyone who lent a hand that day...wouldn't have pulled it off without you!

After school I signed off on my sub plans and headed to our fancy wedding venue, Central Elementary. I walked in and immediately my heart stopped and I teared up. Everything that we had worked on throughout the week was officially together and our Michelle was playing Cannon on the harp. Then, I caught Sean's eye and immediately knew that regardless of what happened in the next two days, everything was going to be alright because I was marrying HIM.

Six o' Clock rolled around and the rehersal began. Unfortunately because I am "little miss last minute" there were a few things that were not exactly in place. But, after 2 hours we did eventually figure everything out. By the end of the evening I was just so tired from spending and entire week preparing for the wedding and teaching 53 fifth graders that I honestly was just ready for it to be Saturday!! Sean was of course as relaxed as he could be!

After the rehersal at Central we went across the street to John and Nicole's house for a beautiful dinner. The menue consisted of baked ziti, bread, and salad. The food was delicious and the setting was relaxing and elegant.

Following supper, a few of the girls and I ran to Wal Mart to get some last minute items. After Wal Mart we headed to Jessica's lake house for a night that turned out to be the most relaxing one of the week. All of my bride's maids sat around and chatted until WAY past our bedtime. I looked around and felt so blessed to have such wonderful women in my life!

As I fell asleep last night I remember thinking...whoa!! I am getting married today!!

Time flies...

It's really hard for me to believe that I'm getting married in less than a week. The past almost 9 months have flown by and we are actually tying up loose ends and, ready or not, Saturday will come and go and we will be husband and wife this time next week! I'll admit, I may have waited a little too long to get everything together...flowers, programs, play lists, bridal party gifts...seriously, the list keeps going! I'm continuously reminding myself that this is a time to celebrate and be thankful that I am marrying my best friend.

Since my last posting, we both had our Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. Sean stayed at Martha's lake house with his brother and friends. They played poker and enjoyed some food and lots of beverage! My friends treated me to a night in Charlotte. They even had shirts made "Saying goodbye to single life! Soon I will be Sean's wife!" Theirs said: "Caution: Bridal party may be HOT!" haha! I had a ball and it was so nice to spend time with great friends. Thanks ladies!

This past Thursday my 5th graders hosted a surprise Bridal Shower in my honor. With help from parents, they were able to pull the whole thing off with me not finding out until they jumped and yelled "surprise!". There was cake, punch, snacks and a beautiful gift from the whole class- a ceramic Christmas tree that lights up and plays carols. I feel extremely blessed to have such thoughtful students. I am a lucky gal!

The upcoming week promises to be a busy one but I couldn't be happier : )

Marriage License: 60 bucks. Hearing Sean talk like a grown-up at the Court House:Priceless

We now have our MARRIAGE license! Excitement for sure! After school today we went to the Stanly County Court House took one more step toward making it "official". Sean was very adorable! Tonight, we both put our rings on and decided that we are pretty darn excited about wearing them. I absolutely love both of my rings. My beatiful solitaire with a plain band is so ME and so CLASSY! What was funny was seeing SEAN in the ring. I guess that I have gotten use to wearing my ring but it was different to see Sean wearing his because he has never ever worn any kind of jewelry. I may be a little biased, but I think that I have landed one handsome fiance!

Tonight for supper I was craving Sushi (for the second night in a row) and Sean was craving Taco Bell. So, for supper we sat in front of the T.V. with our diverse entrees and watched re-runs of Friends. I think that we'll settle in to married life JUST fine. Thank goodness I am marrying my best friend : )

My new favorite quote

"Only ordinary things ever get full consensus from people. Doing something extraordinary should never make complete sense to everyone in your life. People will always support photocopies of what's always been done, but if you start something new, something different, you should expect resistance."

No clue who said it. Saw it on facebook. LOVE IT!

So much to do, so little time!

We are officially in the TEENS!! Only 19 more days until the big day. Excitement is setting but there is so much to do. The in-laws leave tomorrow for Italy and I am freaking out because Gwyn is the best at last minute details and she's leaving me! BUT I hope they have an awesome time- they are really excited!

The to-do list is still longer than we'd like but I am slowly, but surely, marking things off one by one. Gwyn and I took my dress to be altered on Saturday (different alterations lady) and she is going to make an alteration that I am SO excited about. I SO love my dress. After school today I went to Central to have see and visualize a couple of things with out extremely unique wedding location. Then, dropped bubbles and ribbon off with Sean's Mamaw. Tomorrow I have a meeting after school but HOPE to get the cake ordered. Then, on Wednesday we are meeting afterschool and getting the MARRIAGE LICENSE! I am excited because it seems like this will be the week that everything starts coming together.

We had a great Halloween, but it did seem to sneak up this year. I went as a cop(thanks for the last minute costume loan, Jessica) and Sean went as Michael Jackson.
Also, the next morning we enjoyed the extra hour of sleep : )

Now, catching up on some grading and TRYING to get my lesson plans written for the next couple of weeks!

Yep, new post every day?

Idk about this posting every day business...it lasted for all of two days! Too much going on!

Sunday was our wedding shower with church people, family, and friends. I really enjoyed seeing everyone and we got some great stuff. We now have all of our towels and lots of baking stuff. Aww moment: we got these BEAUTIFUL glasses that have a "P" on them. Of course I had tears in my eyes when I opened them.

Monday it is back to school for a short week for students. They are def. ready for this long weekend and Halloween: ) Before they all left today I gave them the "Safe Trick-or-Treating Speech" and sent them on their way. I hope they have fun. They are all very excited about their costumes and what-not. The next two days are work days for teachers. I will spend all day Thursday getting organized, grading, and some "house-keeping" stuff. Then, Friday I will host the parents of my home-room class for conferences. Still pretty surreal that I am old enough to be the teacher!

Sean is now signing up for his rotations next year. At this point, we don't care where he has to go because he was SO lucky to get a Charlotte rotation. We could have been sent to Florence, Ashville, Winston-Salem, and a number of other locations. Thank goodness we'll be close to home and I will be close to school. He graduates in 18 months. I am SO proud of him :) When asked if he's excited he says, "Still feels like forever away".

24 days until the Wedding! Whoa!

Dress fitting <3

This morning I went to have my dress fitted for the wedding. I was able to try everything on together and I SO felt like a beatiful bride : ) Luckily, not much has to be done to my dress so it will be steamed and ready SOON! Afterwards, went to See Mallory and Stephen's new house! BEATIFUL! They move in next weekend and we are super excited for them. The rest of the afternoon was spent napping and lounging around. It was so restful to have a Saturday without must-do plans! I was able to relax and get rid of the last bit of the Flu. This evening we went with Adam and Jessica to see "Couples Retreat". Cute movie and the island made me think about MEXICO!

Resting up for my Bridal Shower tomorrow!

It felt like FALL today

What a great day to live in North Carolina. It was absolutely perfect "Fall" weather! I stayed at school until about 5:00 getting grades in and then I went to a baseball game of some of the boys in my class. They seemed super excited to see me outside of school. I really enjoyed seeing them in their element. It was interesting for me to see them outside of the classroom. One, who is always happy-go-lucky and care-free had such a serious attitude out on the field. I also got a chance to meet and speak with some of the parents. It was nice to hear what the kids were saying about me, "the new teacher". Baseball season is over but I for sure want to catch some basketball games this winter.

Absolutely exhausted at this point and ready to relax some with Sean this weekend :D

1 Month until I'm a Pickler!

New Goal: Blog every day between now and the wedding. As if I don't already have A LOT to do, why not? Or, why? Because I want to remember being a young, blissful, (broke), almost-newlywed who is absolutely in love with my best friend : )

"They say our love won't pay the rent..." Well I hope to goodness it'll pay for new tires on my car (the old ones were ALL different and very bare and slick), a trip to doctor because of the flu(mind you that my insurance hasn't kicked in yet!), over the counter meds to get me feeling better quickly, a lawyer for my red-light ticket, a new CAT converter so my car could get inspected...and, well, the list goes on and on....

However long my list of complaints, my list of joys is MUCH longer : )
"I just call you mine..." Thank goodness I can call him mine. I think I could spend my whole life searching for someone as kinds, funny, generous, witty, and brilliant as he- and still not find anyone close. Yes, occasionally I brag on him <3>me." I am for sure a lucky gal. (Below is a picture of us at our first prom. Hilarious!



School's great, too. I missed Monday and Tuesday because of the Flu. Feeling much better and it was nice to be back today. I warmly welcomed back by my wonderful students with a MILLION questions. Seriously, who would have thought that fifth graders have just as many questions as first graders. When is this due? What are we playing in P.E.? Can I still turn this in? Finally, I had to tell them that I was only about 70% back and that there questions would simply haved to wait! I have to say, they were awfully patient with me today : ) My lack of ommph after the flu was accepted and they even used "quiet voices". I have until Friday to get everything graded and into the computer for report cards. Somehow, it will all get done. It always does : )

Yay for prayers being answered and cool weather settling in...

I am now, officially, a fifth grade teacher at Endy Elementary. I got a call on a Thursday morning, right after I got a ticket from a jerk of a state trooper. The prinipal called and asked if I was available. My immediate answer was "of course, but I'm in jeans and a T-shirt. Is that alright?" She said sure and literally 2 hours later I was being introduced as the "new teacher" to all of the staff. Excitement! Now, I am the proud teacher of 53 awesome fifth graders. They really are so enthusiastic and full of life. I couldn't be happier with finding a home at Endy. It is a great school. As a matter of fact, I am replacing a teacher who started her career there- 35 years ago. Needless to say, the turnover rate is LOW! After much anticipation, I have found my niche! I've never been more convinced that God answers prayers in his own time....

These days, I'm so thankful I have a wonderful fiance! He listens ever-so-patiantly to all of my school stories and doesn't mind doing the cooking when I am at school until supper. It's exciting to me that in just 45 days I'll be Mrs. Pickler. I have already informed my fifth graders that they are NOT to get too attached the the Ms. Haire! BUT, I won't be the only Mrs. Pickler. Martha and Neal are engaged and they are planning a spring wedding :) Now, I not only get a brother in law, but also a SIL!!

Holly and Derek are getting married this weekend! YAY! Let's pray for good weather. Either way, the wedding is going to be beatiful and I am really excited about spending this wonderful day with my family!


Goodnight! It's 10 pm and that's past my bedtime these days....

The First Day of School

Do you remember the night before the first day of school? The excitement of starting a new year has filled me every August since I was 5. I remember having everything ready...new supplies, outfit picked out, and butterflies in my stomach. I have always loved school.

This very day last year, it was the night before my first day of student teaching. Their smiling faces coming in to the classroom reminded me of the simplicity of being six. They were brightly lit, a little nervous, but ever so excited. At 20 years old, I was just as excited and twice as nervous!

The first day of school has a smell- I believe it's probably a mixture of squeaky new shoes, freshly sharpened pencils, and boxes of 64 crayons (sharpener on the back). New school sounds fill the halls, too. The sound of those squeaky new shoes that smell so good; the sound of chatty friends who have lots of (slightly embellished) tales of summer; sniffles from parents as they walk their little ones to their classrooms; bells ringing; and teachers scrambling to get last minute details in order. Good stuff.


Tomorrow, for the first time in 16 years, school will start without me. I can't believe it and I am sort of in denial. Like, maybe, some school will call me at 6 am and say, "We can't start the show without you!" I'm telling you, I'd be there before they could finish that sentence. However, chances are, I will actually be sitting on the couch watching Regis and Kelly as the four surrounding counties (all of which have my resume on file) begin the school year without me.

Job Update and Wedding Excitement!

"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream, and how you handle dissapointment along the way." Robert Kiyosaki



Another week gone by, and still no job. It's August 23rd. One more day and school will be in session-with or without me. As of now it's looking as if it will be in session without me. It'll be OK, though. There is a plan for me-I truly believe this. However, patience in waiting for things to just "happen" has never been my strong point. Regardless, waiting is my only option right now. And the fact that I am not great at waiting is not due to a lack of practice! I have been waiting by the phone and the computer. Just waiting...waiting for the phone to ring or an e-mail to pop into my inbox. I don't care how the news is relayed to me. I just want to hear/read "WE WANT YOU!" Hopefully the upcoming week will provide an answer. Furthermore, it'd be just fabulous if this week provided me with an answer that I'll want to hear! I want this!





The sunshine of this week was our couple's shower on Saturday. My beautiful bride's maids threw us a party! There was great food, a DJ, and we spent the evening with great family and friends. Thank You: Bride's maids for organizing everything; Opal and Gwyn for making the desserts; Shanda's in-laws for loaning us the barn; Tom and Michelle for transporting us and our gift safely home; and EVERYONE who came for our great gifts and taking time to be part of our special night. To the left is a quick picture of me with 4 out of 5 of my bride's maids (Mallory, Shanda, Jessica, and Holly)! (Heather had a game and was missed dearly!) The night went by too quickly!
Moments:
Coolest: I felt like a bride!!
Sweetest: Dancing with my soon-to-be husband
Funniest: Justin dancing! Who knew someone in my family could have moves? He got all of the rhythm!

Before Coupons and VIC savings: 77.43, After: 15.92

Triple coupon week at Harris Teeter is underway! I went at 7:00 this morning because all of the good deal stuff is gone if you wait too long! (I even managed to bribe Sean out of bed with a trip to BoJangles. Who says you can't train men?) Just kidding! Sean was really sweet to get up and go with me!

My total before coupons was $77.43 and after coupons and vic savings, I walked out for only $15.92. I got a ton of great stuff. In case you can't see everything in the picture, here's what I bought: toaster strudels, ziplock bags, Dukes mayo, Hellmans mayo, lots of refrigerated biscuits, bottled water, grapes, cake frosting, cookie dough, hamburger meat, tortilla chips, jam, Comet, Chef Boyardee, ketchup, spaghetti noodles, and tape! There are about 32 items. So, you could look at it as spending $0.50 per item! I love it! I used mostly valid coupons and along with a $5.00 instant savings for buying 15 "General Mills" products. Honestly, so worth the 4 hours I spent clipping coupons and trying to figure it all out!

It's Friday and I have offically made it through my first week "unemployed". However, somehow, I managed to babysit for 12 hours yesterday and I am also booked for tonight! YES! I am so thankful I have had something to do!

Everyone keeps saying "you'll be able to get so much wedding stuff done". Yep, except for the fact that I work ONLY under pressure. Two weeks before the wedding, I will be in action. I am SO not a detailed person. We have the "big picture" of how the wedding will be, but have not really started putting together everything. For example, I picture that we will have music but have NO clue where the music is going to come from. Piano? Guitar? DJ? I keep telling Sean that the next time I get married, I am going to be a GROOM! Most importantly, we are EXCITED! We aren't wrapped up in HOW it's going to happen just THAT it is really happening!!

Funny Story:

12 Midnight: Power out (We didn't realize it at the time)
1:00: I wake up hot. Sean is not concerned.
2:30: Ok. Really HOT! Why is it so hot?
3:30: The fans not running and our alarm clock is off? Ohh. Duh!! The power is out. Check texts- Adam sent one asking if our power was out. Yep, sure was.
4:00: I insist we go to the gas station to get ice for the food in the fridge. Sean is REALLY not happy about the idea.
4:15: Food in cooler with ice. Goodnight
4:30: Power back on.
You really had to be here to truly appreciate the humor :)


Dog sitting this weekend for Tom and Michelle. Griffin is so cute and we are really excited. I am hoping this will help Sean to see that we really NEED a dog!! Job, or no job!

With this ring...

Sean met with Patty (our ring lady) and picked up our rings today. They are B-E-A-UTIFUL! Too bad Sean insists I can't wear it around on a daily basis...

Also met with Shanda and Jessica today to give them the shower list. They are adorable and apparently have a lot of fun stuff planned. They are being very secretive. Sean and I are super excited!!

Off to make breakfast for supper : )

Just GO with it!

The summer is quickly coming to an end. The end of summer brings lots of excitement...such as: Holly's Bachelorette weekend at the beach, moving in with Sean and playing house, and getting very excited that our wedding is just 3 and a half months away. On the flip side, I still don't have a job, but am TRUSTING that there is a method to the madness and that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right now! God does have a plan for me! My new motto is "Just GO with it"!

Back to the moving in...Life is great! Every day I am reminded of how funny, adorable, and sweet Sean is. There is comfort in knowing that I have chosen a wonderful soon-to-be-husband. Just the other night, I caught him flexing in the mirror. When I called him on it, he of course denied it- all the while his ears were turning red and he was trying not to laugh. Again, he has a boyish charm that makes everyday life more fun.

We have been learning eachother's quirks. Sean, for example, has NO idea how to load the washer and he hangs is bath towel all bunched up. EEW! Hahha. Actually, he's just not doing those things the way I do them! It's all about compromise... Now, he's not allowed to start a load of laundry and he has agreed to hang is towel over the bar without folding it. On the other hand, he's informed me that I don't make the bed very well and that I am NOT allowed to iron his shirts. Fair enough...

With the help of Sean's mom and meamaw, I am learning my way around the kitchen. They each send me a couple recipes a week and every time they go on a shopping trip, I end up with some kind of kitchen gadget. This past week, it was a bundt pan. Not really sure what to do with it, but fairly certain those two will send me a few "bundt pan" recipes this coming week :)

Alrighty, im off to make supper and spend some time with Sean! Meeting with Jess and Shanda in the morning to give them the guest list for a shower and discuss details. I am very excited!

Coupons : )

Blogging isn't my only new hobby- I've also been coupon shopping. Not just regular, old, coupon shopping either....but SERIOUSLY saving so much money! I have started, with the help of a few websites, comparing weekly sales adds to coupons from Sunday papers. If you have a coupon for something and it's on sale, you can save a lot of money! Even more, if you can use the "coupon codes" and cheat, you can get things for FREE! It's a little time consuming, but very addictive. Sean thinks it's great and Jessica and Adam are now "couponing, too. Tracey and Stacey, two of the thriftiest moms I know, taught me the "tricks of the trade". I am so grateful! For me, this makes me feel a little more "in control" of the current job market/crappy economy. I feel like if I can save lots of money on stuff we use, we'll be O.K. Ya know? Plus, I'm currently "nesting", as Sean refers to it, and getting all suzy-homemaker. I'm sure the phase will pass, but I am excited about cooking and baking with things I can get for cheap/free. I've attached a picture of my shopping trip from tonight. It was a quick one and I didn't get a lot, but you get the idea! $5.12 was my total after couons. Compared to 29.37. So I got things that we need for 1/6th of what it would have cost me without my coupons. I'm sold!

Question someone asked me today...

Question: How'd you meet your fiance?

Answer: I was a freshmen in highschool, Sean was a sophomore. A mutual friend of ours gave us each a ride home. Sean, at the time, was 5ft 3 inches. I was 5ft 7 inches. I told him when he grew up (literally), he could date me. Nice, huh? A year later, he did. In 2003, we began dating and have been together ever since! He is now 5ft 9, the love of my life, my constant, and my best friend. I am so excited about the next chapter in our lives!

I love our story!!

What in the world?

Alrighty. I am going to try this blogging business. I have no clue how to make my blog pretty, but I will soon figure it out! Sean thinks it's silly, but I think it's a great way to record memories and keep in touch with friends. Plus, I love to write. However, I have only written papers for the last 3 years, so I am a little out of practice. I am looking forward to posting and keeping you all up-to-date on the job hunt, wedding planning, day-to-day, and everything in between. I sure will feel silly if no one else reads this! Hahah! Either way, I think I will enjoy this new little "hobby".