Cutesy Couple Shots

Correspondence

Yesterday morning I sat down at the kitchen table and scrawled a small note into a pretty green card with floral patterns. The card was my first official piece of wedding correspondence.

It was a thank you in response to the card Wesley's grandmother Margaret sent me. Hers spoke of good decisions, love, and luck. In it she welcomed me to the family. Mrs. Wesley is a Southern matriarch, a Grande Dame, if you will. Her elegance is unsurpassed, her love for her family unmatched. Reading her card, I felt like I was joining lineage with royalty. So I sent my gratitude.

Even though I didn't request it, the postman gave me the 'wedding stamp' to mail my card with. I think it is a sign of good luck. Don't you agree?

holding my breath

I have been waiting and waiting to be able to write this post. It has felt like holding my breath for the past couple of months. Part of the reason I have been posting less is because everything has been wrapped around this one BIG secret. What's the secret you ask??

Here's a hint- it had to remain a secret (or quasi-secret truly) until a conversation was had with my dad.

Figure it out? Of course you did, you are smart people. I'm getting married!! [insert girlish giggle here]

Wesley asked my dad for to give his blessing to our marriage, a date has been set, a city has been decided on, colors chosen, priests called, and family members told. We are on our way! Before you ask, I don't have any compressed carbon weighing down my left hand just yet. And may not for a while to come, but who cares? What matters is that Wesley thinks highly enough of me to make me his wife and mother of his children (NOT anytime soon!!!). I am having so much fun day dreaming about our life together, seeing how good we have become at making decisions and resolving problems together, and feeling so loved that it wouldn't matter to me if the the ring could came the day before the wedding. I get to spend the rest of my life with my greatest love and my best friend. Nothing else in the world matters... well, except getting out of nursing school alive but that's another story.

Over the past two months, wedding has taken over my mind, conversations, and free time like kudzu takes over a field. I have scoured theknot.com, theweddingchannel.com, and many others like them, as well as wedding dress websites, and anything else wedding related on the internet. I have tried on dresses, which is SO much fun! I haven't found the right one, but it's a blast to wear five or six gowns in an hour or two. It's a great pick-me-up when I am feeling stressed out. I will almost be sad when I DO find the right dress because then I can't try them on anymore when I need a break from the mundane life of a student nurse.

I've looked at bridal magazines (all dresses and no substance), books, planners, all of it. It's a blast but at times it can be quite overwhelming too. Luckily, I've got my mom, four aunts, grandmothers, and some truly fantastic girlfriends to buoy me up and keep me grounded all at the same time. Not to mention how fantastic and involved Wesley has been already.

My aunt Sally and I have been emailing back and forth for a few days now. She is as excited as I am. It has been so uplifting to tell her about plans and ideas and have her ask questions about this and that. She has even offered to grow Rosemary for me to use in my bouquets and centerpieces. It feels so good to have her support and excitement.

So I should warn you that over the next year, this blog, like the rest of my life will be taken over with wedding-kudzu as I try to plan an event that is 75% sacrament and 25% party to start off what I hope to be the best and longest chapter of my life.

Miss you guys

If there is anybody still checking this blog and wondering where I have been, just check HERE.

I feel like I'm six feet under and sinking each day. I think I'll make it, but school's a bitch right now.

Distractions

You know how when you have something really, really important to do ALL of those other things you could be doing become really, really even More important?

I've got it BAD this semester. We just started back last week after a three week hiatus. I am taking Obstetrics and Pediatrics which I have been looking forward to since I started the program. Unfortunately, after my summer semester I am simply burned out on nursing school. I am just having a hard time mustering up a good givafuck.

Instead, I have been enjoying hanging out with my two spectacular roommates, having fun discussions with Wesley about this that and the other, and virtually anything I can find to do that doesn't involve studying or working on careplans. Truth is, I don't care how many centimeters a woman's cervix can be dilated and labor still be delayed (up to 4, by the way). Or maybe I do. I know I at least care about graduating seeing as how the rest of my life depends on it and all.

In other news, Wesley and I are going to Jackson for the weekend. It is our four year anniversary since our very first date. As a matter of fact, I'm sitting at the table next to the one we sat in on our first date at this coffeehouse (where I came to study). We are going to see my mom and step-dad, my dad and brother, my grandmother, and my surrogate family throughout high school, the Hall-Shaffery's. It should be a blast of a weekend with mimosa brunches, boat rides, barbeques, and a hot date on Saturday night. Wesley also says he has a surprise planned for me. I have no bloomin' idea what it is and am dying to find out! All I know is that it may or may not have something to do with a microwave... I know. Your guess is as good as mine.

Are you a hiccup murderer?

You know you are guilty. We all are. Atone for your sins by watching this funny little animated short.

Blogger Hiatus

It's a dirty little trick we play on one another to disappear from the virtual coffeeshop that is blogging. I doubt it is ever intentional but the silent treatment can be just as unpleasant here as it is in reality. I know I have worried about a person's health a time or two when I didn't get to read any antics for a stretch. Even though I've only got a small group of blogbuddies (that I love dearly), I'm sorry for leaving you guys on the hooks.

So here I am. Back in Bloggerland for a visit. Life has been moving at warp-speed for the past couple of months. I've had times when I could have sat down and tapped something out on the keyboard but I just wasn't sure what pieces to share. I did start to write about the conclusion of my internship at the institution for mental retardation. This is how far I got before saving it and forgetting about it:

I have come to the end of yet another semester at SBFU (Southern Baptists Fundies University). The summer semester started off well with prospects of learning new things at my clinical site and my psychology internship site. I did indeed learn a myriad of things at both places. Some fall under the category of 'text book knowledge' and many things fall under the auspices of 'the truth about reality.'

I learned the sad truth that even at a facility where hard work, dedication, and advocacy can be found, clients are still often treated in a sub-ethical way. The inappropriate things I saw and heard about were typically sins of neglect rather than abuse. They were nonetheless heart breaking. Many of these children cannot communicate and advocate for themselves and therefore can be subjected to somewhat legal but definitely unethical treatment. It broke my heart. My last day was on Wednesday (July 25th) and I was so grateful. I fell in love with the children I worked with and their lives both inspired me and broke my heart. It isn't something I can readily describe beyond that point. One must experience such a thing in order to understand it I think. Or maybe I'm just bad with words.

I am in Asheville right now. I have been here for two weeks and have a week left before I have to go home and start classes again. The first week we had visitors from Michigan and Memphis, as well as a weekend long meeting in Greenville, SC. My mom got into town before I even got the first three people on their planes. We had a very pleasant visit during the five days she was here. She and Wesley got to know each other better and it was wonderful to see them getting along so splendidly. Also, I will have pictures from our visit to the Biltmore estate and hiking expeditions on my gallery website soon.

Life is busy, life is good. It's moving along at a happy pace towards a destination that I am looking forward to reaching. The storyline might be changing sometime in the near future and I look forward to that.

The Hug

I've made a friend at the special education school where I have been interning this summer. He's non-communicative, but is a very bright boy with a huge capacity for emotion. He is a sweetheart. I simply love him to pieces and I'm really going to miss him when I stop going next week.

Today we were outside with the children. C was in his wheelchair, sitting not far from me. We were 'talking' when he reached out his long arms one at a time. First arm came over and I took his hand in mine. We shook hands and he smiled. Second arm came over and I leaned in closer and took his other hand. He pulled me close and held me with his arms wrapped around my shoulders for the longest time. It was one of the sweetest hugs I've ever been given. A child's hug, innocent, with no expectations. We both had smiles on our faces for quite a while after that. He simply made my day.

Ether=Love

Now, I understand that everyone deserves happiness and that one person's idea of happiness wouldn't match my own. I do. But I have Never seen desperation meet desperation like it does at MailOrderHusbands.com. I was clicking through Stumble when I came upon this Beaut of a site. I thought it was a farce, maybe a part of the Onion or something. Oh no. It's real my friends. People like Steven really want you to buy a chance for matrimonial bliss with them.

Name: Steven
I'm definitely a classic romantic. I like a candlelight dinner, some quiet background music, and a couple hits of ether. I prefer a woman that has insurance and a car would be great as I need to make the occassional trip to Mexico to pick up "souvenirs".
Location: New Mexico, U.S.A.

The site even has an article in MailOrderBrides monthly magazine to advertise their services. The interview (posted on the website) is hysterical. Almost as funny as the paint-thinner drinking romeo competing with Steven for my checkbook, er, I mean affection.

I weep for humanity.

The alarm goes off at 5:15 Monday morning. This is early. I mean, hot damn, way early. I somehow manage to get myself out of bed and into my whites knowing that it's going to be a long day. By the time I arrive at the hospital I am alert and ready to go.
I got to see all sorts of awesome-grossness and do all sorts of nursing-type things. It was a blast. I did a double-clinical so that I could have Thursday off and come to Asheville early. I didn't leave until 11:00 that night. I came so close to doing my first 16H shift. I was only slightly delirious by the time I got home although I did manage to snap at a classmate for asking a stupid question (she understood) and make a slightly lewd suggestion to my professor regarding our one male classmate. That was about the time we were let off the hook early.

After a few hours sleep I woke up at the same time on Tuesday. I was supposed to move the clothes to the dryer. I didn't. And now I have a random assortment of mismatched clothes with me. I got to school early and took my psychology midterm that was given to the rest of the class the night before. My psych professors have been graciously accommodating. I couldn't do it without their help. After that was the Med-Surg lecture at 8:30.

12:30 comes and it's finally time to get out of dodge. I hop in the car, find Tom Petty's Saving Grace on the Ipod, roll down the windows and hit the road. I get about fifteen miles outside of town when my car just decides that she has had enough. The engine is still running, but not getting gas. I slowly decelerate until I am stalled on the side of the highway. Need I remind you that this is Mississippi in July. It takes about 2 minutes before I am sweating like a linebacker. I wait, call Wesley, call Dad, curse my luck and try to turn the car on again. It cranks. It goes. It stops. I think I might have made the sailors on the coast blush- I'm sure they heard me. I call AAA. I call the roommate. Roommie comes to get me and take me back to the house. Mom drives from Jackson and takes me to my grandmother's never-used car, and the tow-truck picks up Jezebel (yes, that's her name). Ok, things are moving along. {Thanks Mom, Dad, and Courtney for all of your help!) and I get on the road at 6:00 PM. Luckily, Mamaw's car is a very comfy 2003 Accord and the drive was uneventful from Jackson on. I made it to Asheville around 3:30 AM, exhausted and hyped up on Sobe energy drinks.

Part II to come.