4 1/2 years late

Tim and I have been married for 4 1/2 years.  4 1/2 years ago we hired an amazing photographer to capture our special day forever.  We got the most amazing wedding album of our day and ordered a few prints to hang in our home and we were happy and in love.  There was one thing that I have always regretted...we didn't have the money to purchase the digital cd of our images with the copyright release. 

It was just too expensive at the time...

So, 4 1/2 years later I called up my amazing photographer and inquired as to how much it would be now, and to my surprise the price had decreased significantly!  I guess it was good to be patient all these years!

So, here are a few of my favorites from that day 4 1/2 years ago.  A day that changed my life forever, but for the best! 

June 20, 2009

For those of you who know Tim and I, you know we met at UC where Tim was a percussionist and I was the field commander/Flute player.  I spent hours of our dating relationship sitting in a practice room watching him practice marimba.

 

This pretty much sums up my brother and I.

My beautiful parents.

I am so lucky to have in-laws that have accepted me into the family and treat me as their own.

I can say that each of these girls are still my best and closets friends.  God has surrounded us with wonderful people to call "Family" outside of our actual family.  I count my blessings every time I pick up the phone to chat with any of these girls.

Our beautiful flower girl.  She was seriously adorable!  There is one picture where she is giving her mom a "thumbs up" because she was doing what she was suppose to be doing.  I love it!

How can you not adore this!  It captures all of our closets friends.

She was an angel!

This is my mother-in-law.  I'm not sure what was happening when this picture was taken, but I love her face.  That is what pure joy looks like!  I'm just glad she has the look of joy and not the look of, "OMG!  I can't believe he's marrying that creep!"  :)  Like I said, I am one lucky girl!

Thankful

I think it is important to be thankful.  I don't think you should only be thankful around the holidays, but I do believe this is a time where we tend to think about being thankful more than other times of the year.  So tonight I want to make a list of the things I am thankful for.  I'm not sure what my magic number will be...maybe ten and maybe one hundred.  We'll see!

1. My faith and where it has brought me in life.
2. My husband who I am convinced God dropped out of the sky just for me.
3. My parents who are two of the strongest people I know!
4. My brother who is also one of the strongest people I know!
5. My nana who has taught me more about life than anyone else.
5. My in-laws who love me like their own.
6. My cats both past and present.  They are the best friends a person can have.
7.  The friends that we have.  Specifically Kaci,and Nate and their precious Silas.  My Roomie and Heather whom I never see but are still my two closest companions that I trust my life with.
8.  Our home.  Buying our home was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.  It has brought so much calm to our lives.
9.  My new vehicle because it doesn't fall apart, or rattle, or blow tires, or need a new transmission, or any other thing that was wrong with my old car.
10. The beautiful children that I teach everyday.  They have so little but they bring so much joy to my life.
11. The career that I have.  Teaching isn't just a "job", it is a passion.
12.  My niece.  God made an angel when she was born.
13.  Cokes in glass bottles.  Who needs alcohol when you have that!
14. UK Basketball.  Gosh I love my  boys in blue!
15.  The ocean...any ocean.  I could listen to that sound for the rest of my life and never get bored.
16.  A good praise and worship set.  It is just my way of connecting with God. 
17.  The women's bible study group I just joined.  It is kicking my butt in a good way.
18.  Sunflowers
19. Fall colors in general.
20.  A house decorated for Christmas.
21.  Snow.  The world is so beautiful and so pure when there is a blanket of snow on the ground.
22.  Shows like Big Bang and Friends and my friends who like to talk about them.
23.  Pictures and good cameras.
24.  Sharing a good meal with family and friends.
25.  Being my my 20's.  This time next year I won't be able to say that.  :(
26.  Warm sunny days where I can sit outside and read.
27.  The flowers that I planted and kept alive all summer.
28.  Getting real mail.
29.  The rocking chair that was given to me this summer that was my great-great-grandma's and was in our house when it was the "little cabin".
30.  Cooking with my husband.


And although I could keep going I will stop for now.  Happy Thanksgiving.  Be thankful for all the blessings that you have!  

Blessings

Tonight I am writing because I am blessed.

I told you the horror story of my MRI.  The good news is that I don't have a tumor.  I knew I didn't.  It was still nice to hear that from a doctor. 

But this isn't why I am blessed.

I am blessed because the medication they told me only had a 10% chance of working is doing exactly what they thought it wouldn't do.  It is working.

And for that I am grateful! 

For that I am blessed.

You see, I have a God that is bigger than a doctor.  He can heal things that doctors can't heal.  He can do things that doctors don't think are possible.  Or that they think are only 10% possible. 

My God pretty much rocks!

You know what else rocks? 

My friends and family. 

My family loves me dearly.  Of course they will pray when I call on them. 

What has really amazed me is the dedication of my amazing friends. 

Those who have called me to say, "How are you today?"  The ones that have said, "OMG!  It is a brain tumor!" because they knew it would make me laugh.  The ones that I have prayed for me right there on the phone.  The ones that told my story to KLove when they called randomly about their prayer drive and had them praying for me on air.  The ones who have said, "I just know the medicine will work!" even when the doctors said it probably wouldn't.  The ones who have let me cry without judgement.  The ones who have listened to my rants over and over again.  The ones who haven't made fun of me when I call a blubbering mess because it is working and I'm so full of joy that I can't hold back the tears.  The ones who know how much I love them even though I don't tell them enough. 

I am blessed. 

I hope that the whole 5 people who read my blog know how amazing God is.  If you don't know, ask me!  I have a lot of amazing stories to share. 

Story Time

Those of you that know me know a few things about me...

First, I hate injections of any kind.  Shots are bad enough, but when you start inserting IV's and injecting things that I can feel creeping through my whole body really just send me over the edge.  On many occasions injections and giving blood have caused mass panic to form.  This always leads to a near death experience called passing out.  I can't help it.  I know it's silly.  It annoys me to my core.  None of that matters though!  It is who I am!  I can think about needles and start feeling all icky all over.  In fact, I'm feeling it right now!

Second, and almost as horrible are dark closed in spaces.  I hate to feel trapped.  I especially hate to feel trapped in a dark space.  I hate knowing that I can't control how and when I will get out.  It makes me a nervous and sick mess. 

When you thrown all this together you get a disaster when your doctor orders an MRI of your head! 

They put me in the tube.  But before they did that they laid me on this little hard bed, put ear plugs in my ears, and put a cage on my head.  Yep, a cage.  Then, they push you back into a cave.  A cave where the walls are inches from your face.  To make it worse, the cave is North Carolina blue!  PUKE! 

I literally thought I would die! 

I'm embarrassed to say that I had to have them pull me out, undo the cage and let me sit up for a minute.  I think I apologized a hundred times for how stupid I felt and for wasting 5 minutes of her time!  Then she gave me an awesome gift.  A mirror!  It allowed me to see the outside world! 

There were still moments when I thought I couldn't make it!  But!  I willed myself to get it done! 

But this isn't the end!  Remember that injection I told you about?  Yes, they pulled me out of the tube after 25 minutes and say, your doctor ordered a contrast to be injected.  HUH? 

I asked if she could sit me up.  Nope.  You have to stay in the exact position in order to get accurate results.  Of course you do!  So, I went to my happy place.  I was literally saying, "palm trees, palm tress, palm trees" out loud as the poor nurse shot what felt like ice water through my veins! 

You should be proud!  I didn't get pale.  I didn't throw up.  I didn't cry.  I didn't pass out!!!! 

She pushed me back in the tueb and I finished the last 10 minutes of my MRI like a champ! 

I feel like I conquered something today!  I feel a bit empowered that I made it to the other side alive! 

All prayers appreciated!  I have my results back Tuesday.  All this is over an ear by the way!  The same ear that I posted about earlier this summer.  The ear I was scared a bug had crawled in!  Maybe the MRI will show that I have spiders living in my ears and I'll have to wear panty hose on my head when I sleep.  (NAME THAT SHOW!) 

Now, it's time to rest!!! 

29 for 29 on the 29th

I haven't written anything in a looong time.  School has begun.  Band season is in swing, sorta.  We have entered our families busy birthday season.  Fall is coming.  Life is just busy!

Since I haven't written in forever I thought I'd do 29 "things".  I picked 29 because I just turned 29 and today is the 29th day of September.  Plus, I love making a list of things. 

1.  I love fall.  I love the colors, the weather, the scenery, the smells and pretty much everything else that has to do with fall. 

2.  The start of school is always hell.  I spend far too much time getting ready for the start of the school year and thinking that it will allow me to not be at school past 4 each afternoon.  Yeah, who am I kidding!  I've been averaging 50 hours a week at school since school began.  This doesn't include the time spent at home or on the weekends.  One week I figured up that I'd worked more than 70 hours in that week.  I'm ready for things to calm down...that usually happens around April. 

3.  My heart has been really heavy for a few of my students this year.  There are a few students who have really rough situations going on.  I have been on my knees in prayer for them.  One in particular I have already warned Tim that if given the opportunity I will bring home and adopt.  I'm not just saying that.  I really will.  Tim knows this.  He hasn't even tried to argue with me about it because he knows he would loose.  Pray for my kids. 

4.  I am secretly already looking forward to decorating for Christmas and it isn't even October.  Don't worry, I won't decorate until the day after Thanksgiving, but I'm ready! 

5.  I love completing projects around my home!  I'm so thankful for websites that give me inspiration! 

6.  This year West Jessamine decided not to do a competitive marching band.  I have a love/hate relationship with this.  I have missed it, but I am IN LOVE with my Saturdays with Tim.  It has been nice. 

7.  Tim spoiled the life out of me for my birthday weekend.  Flowers, cokes in glass bottles, bubble bath, massages, big bang theory season six!  It was a great week. 

8.  Am I the only one who celebrates their birthday for an entire week? 

9.  Next year I turn 30.  Thirty!  OMG!  I can't believe that!  Just go on and prepare to wipe my tears next year.  Also, I want a kick ass birthday party for my 30th!  If I have to turn this dreadful number I want to enjoy it!

10.  I am so thankful to not have homework to do anymore!

11.  I have my first college practicum student in my classroom this year.  He's a sophomore and only 19.  He's precious...a bit clueless...but precious.  He'll grow up by the time he's finished.  I think it is crazy that I have someone "under" me!  Should they really trust me to mold future teachers?  Heck!  Should they trust me to mold the minds of America?  Scary, huh? 

12.  I am re-thinking this 29 thing! 

13.  I am excited for basketball season!  I mean, scary excited.  I mean, I'm already talking about it and planning my way to go to a game.  Bless Tim's heart!

14.  I woke up and was curled up in a ball at the bottom of my bed this morning.  When I looked up to my pillow to see why I was curled up in a ball at the bottom of my bed I realized it was due to my cat asleep on my pillow.  She has issues.  Apparently I do as well!

15.  We got a new kitchen faucet a few weekends ago.  I'm in love.  I guess that makes me a grown up.

16.  We have deadly spiders in the front of our house.  I want/need them to be dead but am too scared to kill them.  My husband just doesn't understand my irrational fear of them.  I literally hid in the house screaming to him how to kill them the other day.  It's a good thing we were married before we lived together.  He would have never proposed if he'd lived with me first.  He should have asked my dad about these things rather than asking my dad for permission.  :)

17.  We also purchased a new dishwasher a few weeks ago.  In love!  I mean it has seriously been one of the greatest purchases we've made as a married couple. 

18.  My nephew is walking.  It's so freaking cute to see his little baby butt running across the living room.  He looks like a little drunken mess.  I just laugh hysterically!

19.  I need to go get my nails done in the worst way but I just hate spending money on such silly things.  I just suck at doing them myself. 

20.  I would love to hire someone to clean my house a few times a month.  Maybe every two weeks.  It is so hard to keep a house clean when you work as much as Tim and I do.  But, as in number 19, I'm too cheap to do it!

21.  My favorite place, other than the beach, is my moms porch.  I especially love it in the fall.  There is just something magical.  Time stands still.  I love to look out over the farm.  It is amazing. 

22.  Seriously?  Why did I say I'd do 29?

24.  The other day a student told me he had to poop.  I just cracked up and told him to go.  Why do kids feel the need to tell you every detail about their life? 

25.  Tim just put my cat under a blanket and told her it was a kitten tent.  He says he doesn't love our cats the way I do...he lies!

26.  I managed to keep plants alive all summer long!  Be proud! 

27.  My niece turns one in 2 months.  I can't believe it!

28.  I love spending time with my nana.  She is my favorite person on this planet.  I wish I lived closer to her. 

29.  I made it!  I am wanting to plan a reunion with some friends that I haven't seen in a while.  *cough, Heather, cough*  I miss my closest friends like crazy.  I wish they would just move to Lexington already.  :)  Seriously though, move to Lexington! 

From One Indenpendence Day to the Next

I've been pretty reflective the last few days.  Sometimes I just get in the mood to be reflective.  I think it is good for the soul (most of the time) to think about where you were and how far you've come.  This year (meaning from last 4th of July to today) has brought about many changes for Tim and I.  For the first time in a long time I'm feeling "settled" and that feels good. 

Since you all know how much I love making lists, here is a list of some of the changes that have taken place since last July 4th:

1. We moved into our new home last July 4th.  What a way to celebrate Independence Day!
2. I started my 3rd year at CVE.  My 2nd year teaching 3rd grade is now in the books.  I love the grade I'm teaching now. 
3.  We had some major administrative changes this year at school.  It was a rough transition, but life at CVE is so much better now.  I love going to work (most days).  I love our kids.  I love my team.  Life at the Valley is wonderful.
4.  We have completed two home improvement projects!  Budget holds us back from knocking them out faster, but I'm loving slowly making our house our home.  We put bead board up on our kitchen "bar" and it looks so much more inviting and nice!  We also redid the landscaping out front and it added so much curb appeal to our home! 
5.  We celebrated our first Christmas in our home.  We've hosted cookouts.  We have space for more than 4 people!  It is a blessing to finally be able to do these things! 
6.  In May I graduated with my masters degree!!!  It took exactly two years, but I am finished!  I think the greatest accomplishment is that Tim and I had to borrow nothing for me to complete the degree!  We have plenty of other debt from school, but we were able to finish my degree without borrowing a penny.  That took a lot of saving and budgeting, but I am so glad we did it this way!
7.  Tim took a new job at the same place he already worked.  He is now FULL TIME and on salary!  He is a CLS manager.  Don't ask me what that stands for because I would not get it right!  I do know that he manages clients and their case workers which involves a lot of stuff.  He's good at this job.  It was made for him. 
8.  We took our first REAL vacation this summer!  We celebrated our 4th anniversary at the BEACH!!! We spent 7 glorious days at South Myrtle Beach listening to the ocean.  It. Was. Amazing. 
9.  We bought a car!  God bless my little Ellie.  The 2007 Ford Focus that was meant to last for 10 years...didn't.  She was falling apart and BAM!  Tim found a way to budget enough to justify me getting a new car.  I love my Honda CR-V.  I still haven't named her, but I love her! 

So you see, we have a lot to celebrate from one 4th of July to the next!  We also became aunt Rissa and uncle Tim since last 4th of July! 

I think it is important to be reflective.  If you let yourself forget where you've come from you won't appreciate where you are now.  We've come a LONG way from that couple living in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment with no jobs and seminary bills to pay.  I am grateful for all the blessings in our life.  They haven't come easy, but we've learned so much about life and each other through our journey!  God has blessed is richly and I don't ever want to forget that. 

Taking the Plunge

I'm not writing this post for anyone but me.  I'm not asking for support or congratulations or anything of that nature.  I am simply putting this out there so that it is out there.  So that it is real.  So that I know that others know.  If I didn't I would stop. 

I'm on a journey.
.
A long journey.

A journey that I started about 6 years ago and quit halfway through. 

A journey that I am determined to finish this time. 

You see, I know that I'm not in picture perfect health.  I know that I need to loose weight.  I know that I need to be more active.  I know that my blood pressure would not be elevated if I were healthier.  And, despite what some may believe, I didn't get this way because I eat 5,000 calories a day.  Some people just struggle with their weight.  I always have and always will.  It is frustrating, but I'm done letting it control my life.  So today I joined Weight Watchers for the second time in my life. 

I had great success the first go around and I am going to have great success this time as well.  I am determined. 

Determined to be healthy. 
I could care less if I am "thin" or if I have the "perfect body" or any of that other crap.  I just want to be healthy.  I want to feel good about who I am as a person because I have a purpose in my life and because I am healthy enough to live that purpose out. 

Here I go!  I'm on my way to a healthier me!