love love love!

Things are bittersweet here.

Nathan and I had the most incredible weekend last weekend together. Nothing planned, but we went home to see my mom and actually pretty much spent the weekend alone! We got to cuddle, talk late into the night, laugh a lot, eat cupcakes, cruise the mall, AND on Sunday we actually got our wedding bands! Mine are (I got 2 ahh!) shiny and beautiful and vintage and amazing, and his is gorgeous and manly, and simple and so him. It warmed my very heart to see that ring on his finger! I'm used to seeing mine since I have had my shiny for a few months! I can't wait to make that man my husband! 

I passed all but one of my nursing tests (I failed by 2 points, something that I am actually relieved by after taking that research test... Dang).  I found my bridesmaids! Three sweet ladies from my nursing class are going to help me walk down the aisle! Who would have thought?! I have to get in hardcore saving mode.

Also, when I went home, the scale read 125 point something, but 125! Also, since then I have been a little lax eating Oreos and cream puffs from work! Work kills my diet. They are always making tasty treats! So, I actually bought a 400-calorie meal thing from Barnes and Noble this weekend, and I'm going to get back on track.

OH! And we had our engagement pictures made! They are beautiful! Well, the 3 preview pictures we had!
Our friend Carrie-Ann (who co-owns In Sienk Photography with her husband, Scott) took them, and they look wonderful! I cannot wait to get the rest back :)

Ahh! <3

With the ups, there are always downs, and we hit a low this week. I have unspoken prayer requests for my Mom and Dad. Financial trouble has been a HUGE burden on my family the last few years, and it doesn't seem to be lightening up anytime soon. Prayers are needed and appreciated! Also, Nathan's parents need some prayers too. We just need prayers all around!

Nathan and I are going to marriage counseling again next Saturday! I can't wait! But that also means that I need to get on the ball with my reading. I'm such a procrastinator it hurts. But, this really, really opened doors for us and I can't wait to learn and talk more with these Godly people and each other. This is going to do us wonders before we get married!

Speaking of which, yesterday was 13 months to the day of our marriage! Ahhh! I'll leave this post with that :)

excitement!

Things have been pretty wonderful lately! Nathan and I are learning more and more about each other and growing in God. He is reading Wild at Heart, which is giving him good insight into himself and into me, and I am reading about not being stressed out all the time! :) It is seeming to work! I am a lot happier and a lot more calm, not thinking about the things that I used to all the time, and now they are growing rarer and rarer everyday (which I am super thankful for!). I went to the doctor the other day and I am still hovering around 130 (129.5). I feel like mostly because I haven't been sticking to my diet like I should be! Nathan and I have been enjoying ourselves... with food! The other day I took him to a Mexican restaurant that he had never been to, and while the fish tacos were delicious, the pickled jalepenos super hurt my stomach :(

I also bought some new Chacos the other day after much pursuasion from Nathan, and we toured around 5 Points in Athens and ate a lot of pizza at Earth Fare. It was a wonderful, wonderful day! Today after I get off work and Nathan meets me home, we are going for a long walk, and then we are going to eat all of the calories we just burned by indulging in Olive Garden's unlimited pasta bowl. It is my favorite event of the year, except for Christmas. Maybe Thanksgiving, because I get to ride horses. But, pasta, for real. Also, today I looked for more wedding stuff at Goodwill, like I do all week, but I couldn't find anything for the wedding. However, I did find 4 dresses, 2 of which were 3 dollars a piece, a cardigan for me, and a flannel shirt for Nathan that matches my flannel dress that I bought! I smell engagement pictures!!!!

Anyway, we are narrowing down plans for our pre-marital counseling, and wedding planning has gone on hold for the most part. I have to start school on Thursday, and I am not ready! At all! I have a Med Math test that I HAVE to make a 100 on, so prayers would be great!

The end.

Fiance is the best artist!

I love this plaid dress! It has pockets!



This one looks like those blue and white china plates!



Plaid  dress and my Mad Men style sheath dress! <3

happenings

I haven't written lately! I know. I'm horrible! And so much has happened!
We booked the venue AND a photographer!
His name is John Shim, and this is his website: http://www.johnshim.com/
He's very talented and we are so happy that he is going to be shooting our wedding!

I have been super falling more and more in love with my fiance! It still feels amazing and awesome to say that! We have had crazy days lately. Just a lot of going and going and not much time for relaxing! We went crafting and got supplies to make bunting and went antiquing some more and he found some real cool suspenders this weekend that he is going to wear to the wedding!

We went to North Carolina to see his Poppy (mine too now I guess!) this weekend. Friday we went and finalized some stuff with our venue, which we were pleasantly surprised that it had been expanded for the same price that we paid for when it was smaller, then Saturday we drove up and spent the day walking and holding hands and spending time with family and eating way too much food. We went antiquing in Greensboro and got some delicious chai tea at a cool coffee shop where Santa was drawing pictures, found some cool stuff for Nathan, but not so much for me, but it's ok :) Today we went to church and ate more tons of good food and I am stuffed! We stopped at another antique store in Lavonia that was incredible, but we didn't have enough time to look at everything in there! It was humongous! Then we went and ate pizza and talked about married life and what we want and got some scratch off lotto tickets (I won 2 free tickets!) and laughed a lot :) We also locked my keys in the car this morning after church... but all ended up well with only a few bad words said. (Just kidding)

I started a new job at the school! It doesn't pay awesome, but the schedule is great and anything is better than nothing! Most of that money is going to go towards the wedding! I just want to get married right now. I love Nathan so much. He's the sweetest! The other day I was having a bad day (it happens...I'm a girl) and he kept calling me his cinnanom bun. Yes, cinnanom. So when he came over to see me he brought me some cinnamon doughnuts from Krispy Kreme :) He's wonderful! And I need to snatch him up quick and for forever!

I need to start working on my nursing stuff since I go back in less than a month... Oh man. Am I looking forward to it? Yes... and no. It was stressful and wonderful and I learned a lot, but it strained a lot. I lost social time, free time, fiance (then boyfriend!) time, and sleep. I lost a lot of sleep. But, I am looking forward to learning more and edging closer and closer to my degree. I need prayers!

G'night!

pretty walk at Poppy's house

venue!

suspenders!

expanded venue!

whirlwind!

Life since getting engaged to my best friend life has been crazy busy!

We both have realized how expensive weddings are and how easily the cost can add up. However, we have found a beautiful venue :) We are getting married next October at Densmore Farms in Cleveland, GA. It's BEAUTIFUL! The barn is amazing and totally DIY, the areas surrounding it is beautiful with trails... we love it! I have been on the search for the perfect photographer.

If there is any one thing that I want to spend money on, it's a good photographer. After it's all said and done, that is the only real evidence that we will have of that day (besides us and our wedding rings)! I found a fantastic cinematographer and someone to do makeup AND my dress. Oh, I wish I could describe it, but my husband to be will read and will know and we can't have that. :)