Snoozin'

{This is a lovely shot of my bouquet from my wonderful, dear, life-long friend and attendant Chelsea Harms. Thank you, Chels!}

We have spent the last week knee-deep in marital bliss.

We have been in lots of states and seen lots of family and friends.

We are exhausted.

Tomorrow we are leaving for honeymoon phase 4, which is the Texas phase. It has been absolutely wonderful to spend time with the Nixes in Nebraska. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful family, and I hope hope hope we get to spend lots of quality time with Aaron's parents, sisters, brother-in-law, brother and sister-in-law (and puppies Lily and Izzy) in the upcoming years.

I want a Bichon puppy, too...

...guess i'll have to wait until next Christmas.

Christmas Eve

Good morning, blog world!

It's 6:20 a.m., my body hasn't adjusted to mountain time, and there's a man in my bed. Yes, I'm blogging from the honeymoon. He's snoozing...visions of sugarplums and that whole bit... and I can't seem to sleep past 6 a.m. I haven't been able to since we landed at Vail.

I'm technically not allowed to post anything, check my e-mail or facebook while we're honeymooning, but since he's asleep and I CAN'T fall asleep, I figure it's OK to do this.

The wedding was a whirlwind for us. A beautiful, hilarious, amazing whirlwind that left us here, fireside, on the top of a mountain, watching the snow fall. If you were a part of our wedding, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It was an incredible gift to see those whom we love gather together in one place for those hours, and our hearts are overjoyed and thankful for you.

We're off to hit the slopes for one more full day before traveling to Aaron's parents' home tomorrow evening.

Merry Christmas!

Wedding Day

I'm getting married to my best friend at 4:30 this afternoon.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advance

This has been quite the week:

1. I finished college.
   
2. I found out today I officially got the job I've been praying for/ working toward for two months. I've known since Monday that pending a background report I would be offered the job, so I've been a bit more relaxed since then, but it's still nerve wracking to wait.
3. I am getting married in four days.
   

   "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

It was so easy to be overwhelmed by this semester. Admittedly, I often was. But I was consistently pushed forward by the people in my life, and the temptation to fail or stop never won out. Thank you to everyone who prayed for my 21-credit-hour, 20 hour work week, wedding planning life over the past semester.

I am eager to stop thinking about school and work hard on wedding stuff for the next four days. I've only got four, but I'm determined to make these the best days of my single life.

Doing.

I'm writing my last college paper ever---I fell asleep before finishing it last night and (mercifully) woke up with PLENTY of time to fine tune it. I like being awake right now, when the rest of my house is asleep and there are funny noises I don't know about and kitties creeping through the hallway. I am working in the living room right now; about 30 minutes ago I heard Aaron from where he's sleeping in the office say a couple things in his sleep. I wish I could remember what they were. It made me laugh. I didn't know he talked in his sleep. I guess I'll learn all about that in 4 days...

I can't tell you what a relief it will be to be done with school-related work.

writing a blog, writer's blog, writer's block, hotel block...

The wedding is six days away!

There is so much yet to do!

I am wasting time writing blogs!

I am excited for the wedding day!

My fiance is in Tyler!

We will not spend any more months apart (God willing)!

I have a six-to-eight page paper due tomorrow morning!

I haven't started it yet!

Uh oh!

...such is the progression of wedding week 2009!

Why I can't watch "Say Yes to the Dress."

I have never felt like I love my dress or that my dress was "me." I'm glad for the relationship Aaron and I have, because I think I'd care a lot more about how my dress looked if I was worried that he wouldn't think I was beautiful. Knowing that he doesn't care about the dress- or anything like that- relieves me, and helps me know that Aaron won't be waiting for me at the end of the aisle because of what I'm wearing.

Anyway, when I watch this show, it makes me sad because I never had those moments where the girls look into the mirror and start to tear up or share great smiles of jubilation. It's the biggest regret of this experience so far, I think, even though I have no way of knowing that if I'd waited or looked longer for a dress I would find that "one" that makes me have that reaction.

Yeah.