Dreams

I had not one, but TWO, wedding dreams last night. Ok, I confess, one was during my afternoon nap. Gimme a break, I was sick Monday.

In the first dream DJ from Full House was getting married. Her wedding was being televised as this 'dream wedding makeover' type deal. I remember that I wanted her dress, but the dress kept changing every time I saw it so it did not help me get any closer to choosing 'the one.' I also remember looking at her napkins like they were paint chips. She had plum, wine, copper, and deep teal. I looked at them for a long time in this dream and decided that I wanted those colors. Once awake I decided that the first three were pretty colors but I'm not so sure how they would look together.

The second dream was a little bit more traumatic. I dreamed that I went to the hairdresser for my final hairdo on the day of the wedding. The stylist chopped off all of my hair like they do in those overly dramatic makeover shows. It was cute but it wasn't my hair. I was SO upset! Anybody know what 'hair dreams' mean?

Bragging

Wesley has been updating his photography website. He has been working with both digital and film these days. I've gotta say... The man has an eye for beautiful things. Don't you agree??

Oy!

I had my second test in Obstetrics today. I made a 79.2. Bleh!! Anything below a 77.0 is failing. I haven't made a test score below a B (83) in nursing yet. I guess I should be happy to have done this well so far. But OB is kicking my butt and I'm ready to be done with it.

I know one thing, dealing with vah-jay-jays all day is not for me. The primary goal of Labor and Delivery nursing is to make sure the woman isn't bleeding to death through her vagina. Not my idea of a fun time. I think I would rather assist with an amputation. Don't you agree?

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.