Engagement Pictures!!!

My dear, dear friend Rachel Russo offered to take Jordan and my pictures for our wedding gift! She is SUCH a talented and gifted photographer! I am seriously so happy that she took our pictures. I feel really blessed by all of my friends and family in this time of wedding planning... everyone wants to help and be there and are offering services... it's so overwhelming! I couldn't be more thankful! :) Here are some of the pictures that the wonderful, talented, awesome Ms. Rachel Russo took.

(To see Rachel's other photos go to:
http://www.rachelrussophotography.com/ or to see her blog update on Jordan and I go to: http://rachelrussophotography.com/blog/?p=1482 )

cha cha cha CHANGES!

YIPPIE!!!! I can't believe it... I am engaged!!! I still feel like I'm in high school... when did I get old enough to get married?? Crazy!

So, here's how it happened. Jordan has been asking me for a while to give him an idea of what style ring I would want... We have gone and looked a couple times, I emailed him pictures of things... while all the while... this was just a distraction! I told him at the very beginning that I am in LOVE with my great grandmother's ring from the early 1900's... he didn't seem interested in the idea, so I gave up. I had moved on to other thoughts and ideas, but always thinking and hoping that he would give me my grandmother's ring... Well... Saturday morning, we were walking around the square in Georgetown, browsing booths and what not at the Christmas stroll... Katie and Annabelle were with us. There are a couple of fine jewelry stores on the square also, so we went inside to browse some more. He asked me to point out some rings that I would like so that he could make sure he was on the right track... I pointed at a couple of pretty rings in the first store... not very enthusiastic about them... then we left and went to the second store... same thing as before. "point out some rings that you might like!" Well my eye automatically went to this one ring that was on display... it looked like a newer, cleaner version of my great grandmother's ring... "Oh, that one is SO pretty!" I said, in awe of the resemblance... "yeah, what does that ring remind you of?" Jordan said... I still wasn't quite catching on... "well it reminds me of my grandma's ring!" and as I turn around to look at him, he's getting down on one knee. And he said, "it is your grandma's ring. will you marry me?" haha, oh my gosh. he seriously caught me by surprise. I had absolutely NO idea that he was going to propose to me that day, that way... I wouldn't have had it any other way! He's so creative! Love it!

Here are a few pictures of the ring in all it's glory!

This time of year.

I absolutely love fall! It's the most perfect time of year! It comes after the blistering heat... when all you can think about is a nice cool breeze... then when you finally can't handle it anymore, fall happens! Oven heat doesn't hit you when you walk outside... instead you're greeted with a fresh crisp smell, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, and i finally get to accessorize without wanting to strip off my extra layers! It's just... nice. I actually can't believe that Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the corner... It's kind of crazy how fast time flies. I'm definitely fine with time going by faster these days though... life is finally happening!!! Yip-yip!

One thing I am sad about though... I am now living in my parents house and no longer with my awesome roommate, Sarah. I am SO going to miss living with her! It's like the end of an era!! It will definitely be strange coming home to my parents house every night... I'm not planning on living here long though... not long at all.

Well, off to bed. I had a long day of moving, watching America's Next Top Model all day (shh don't tell), and watching Christmas movies with Jordan. Kind of sad Thanksgiving break is over... but only THREE WEEKS until Christmas break! Working in the school district ROCKS! :)

Here are a few pictures of my two Thanksgivings. :)


Jordan and I... being cheesy


with the coolest sisters EVER!


Of course, Annabelle...

So, it's been a while since I updated! I FINALLY have my computer back in working order thanks to my wonderful boyfriend! For my birthday, he wanted to surprise me and fix my computer. Well, he called me while I was at work and asked me if I would like him to refinish my coffee table (something I've been wanting done for a while) as part of my birthday present! I thought it was such a sweet suggestion! So, he came to my work and got my apartment key. Well he was at my apartment for an hour and a half looking for my computer! I got a text from him that said, 'call me asap'. I called him and he said that he had dropped my house key somewhere in my house and he was looking for it. Then he mentioned being in my bedroom... well since my coffee table is not in my bedroom, I was curious as to why he was even in there! Well, finally I pulled it out of him that he was trying to find my computer. I felt so bad that I ruined the surprise! It worked out good though because I was having a friend of mine's husband look at it. So I called him and told him to go ahead and fix it! Now I have my wonderful MacBook back on my lap!

Lately I have not been feeling good... I don't know what the deal is! I feel like my stomach is getting to be like an old lady's. It can't handle certain foods like it used to be able to. I left work early today and came home and slept. I went to sleep at like 3:15 or so, and woke up at like 8! It was such an odd feeling too! I thought it was the next day! I have been feeling so behind on sleep lately though, so it feels great and refreshing sleeping that much!

Well, my sister, Katie, and I have been working out together every week since the beginning of the summer! I never in my life thought that I would be a runner, but I have slowly been turning into one! I am actually involved in an after school program that my school hosts called Girls on the Run. It's a program for 3rd-5th grade girls that focuses on healthy habits, healthy friendships, and just an overall healthy self-image. It's such a great program, and I'm so glad I signed up for it! We are all training together for a 5K in December! 3.7 miles! I feel like I could mostly do a 5K now... I don't know if I could run the entire time, but I could definitely finish it! Katie and I have been running/walking this 4 mile loop once or twice a week lately! I love it! Fall has the most perfect weather for running outside. I don't think I could do this year-round!

Hmm...let's see, what else has been going on in my life in the past couple months of not updating my blog!? Well, I have been dating Jordan now for about four months! It's so awesome dating someone that I've known so long. 11 years or something along those lines! He is someone that I can be completely myself in front of... it's so wonderful! Ha, the other day we went running in his neighborhood... well, when I say running, he was sprinting and I was trailing far behind... well he has been training for this Firefighter Combat Challenge in Florida and part of the challenge is pulling a 185 pound dummy for 100 feet. Well, he picked my up on his back and started running backwards down his street. We were passing a lot of older people, so naturally I was waving at them! Jordan was like, this isn't a parade! haha... anyways, it was funny. So, this challenge that he's a part of is pretty cool! Him and a few other guys from the Leander Fire Department have a Combat Challenge Team... and I must say, they are pretty mighty! He's in Florida right now... I wish I could have gone to see them compete, but maybe next year!

I can't believe that it's almost NOVEMBER!!! Fall is going by SO fast! It's my favorite season, I wish it would stick around a little bit longer!! Saturday Katie and Craig are having a garage sale... I'm going to try to sell some of my stuff in it. I just need to go through my things and see what I'm able to get rid of! Also this weekend is the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk! I am so excited! My goodness, I love my little niece SO much! She is the most beautiful little thing in the world! I couldn't imagine her being any different... she is SO perfect! She has the most beautiful eyes and the most precious laugh! She brightens my day! Katie and Craig really lucked out with her... She is seriously such a gift!

Well, happy fall everyone! I'll try to update more often now that my computer is fixed! :)

Summer

I have been SO enjoying this summer... every day I wake up and go over to Katie's house. She lives right next door to my apartments... I'm SO LUCKY! I get to be with Annabelle all the time... she has started smiling at me! She just locks her eyes on me and watches my every move! I'm pretty sure I can make her laugh :) She loves me... haha. I haven't updated my blog in SO long! My computer is still not working, hopefully I'll have enough money to get it fixed soon... It's been hard for me to keep taking pictures because of it. I hate asking people to use their computers and I am barely EVER on the computer anymore... but if I'm taking pictures, I have to have one available to me. Kinna sucks...

So, the school year ended... and I miss my little girls. Well, I miss all my kiddo's, but I really miss my little girls. They were all so much fun! They are moving on up to kindergarten which is so weird to think about... They're getting SO BIG! I am really excited to go back to work in a couple months! I honestly can't wait to see my new kids and old kids! I am seriously so thankful for my job... I LOVE it!

Also, I just wanted to say, God is so amazing. He really does surprise me daily! Especially right now... He just really works in mysterious ways... I am THANKFUL and GRATEFUL and EXCITED about what's next in my life! YAY!

Routine, routine

I read a very interesting devo in Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest the other night... I hadn't read it in a few days, I guess I had gotten out of the habit. Well... funny... because the entry I read was about making a habit about spending time with God and having a quiet time with just you and Him. Chambers was saying that we really need to be careful to not let spending time with God become spending time with our habit. It sometimes becomes something that we just get so used to doing that we kind of don't even take it seriously or even think about what we're reading or praying. Spending time with God shouldn't be something that we check off of our list... it should be something that we will do without a shadow of a doubt... knowing Jesus should become such a part of our lives that it doesn't feel like a habit... it feels like a lifestyle. Sometimes we get so caught up in having our devotional at the same time every day that we miss out on things and actually kind of push people out of our lives... it becomes something that makes us unsocial and kind of selfish... it isn't about spending time with God anymore, it's about making ourselves feel like we are these good Christians... it gives us a feeling of accomplishment... it's kind of false christianity in a way. It's like... Church on Sundays, praying before we eat, quiet time before going to bed or when we wake up makes us feel good... like we've done our part to stay a Christian. Sometimes we forget that nothing can take away the fact that we will always be Christians and that God is always with us... not just in church or when we pray or when we have a quiet time... ALWAYS every second of the day. I think if more people were constantly aware of Jesus in their lives that they wouldn't feel this craving to make Jesus a habit.

I don't know... that entry that Chambers wrote just kind of grabbed me. I totally know that feeling,.. I mean I was in Bible school and experienced the habit... I saw other people with the same habit... I have just gotten back into having it a habit... I don't want to spend time with God because I feel obligated... I want to spend time with Him because I want to get to know Him better.

Try and be more aware of God's presence every moment... (it's not that hard) maybe then you'll start to have lots of mini quiet times with Him all day long which is probably growing you more than just one while you're half asleep before or after bed. :)

weird...

So... I was planning on updating my blog every single day, but I can't! My precious Mac decided not to work for me anymore... SO I'm only updating when I have someone else's computer available to me...

Being an Aunt is amazing... I couldn't imagine loving anything more than I love Annabelle. She is so extremely precious to me! God truly doted upon Katie and Craig by giving them this precious little girl. She is truly truly a blessing..

So, today is Mother's Day... usually I spend mother's day with my mom... this year, I spent it with my mom, Katie and Katie's mother-in-law. It is so crazy that Katie is now a mommy! I bought her a Mother's day gift and everything! So weird! I don't know how to explain how weird this feeling is... Time has gone by so fast! It seems like just yesterday Katie and I were driving around Round Rock in her crappy little nissan, listening to Madonna or 80's music, eating snow-cones, TPing friends houses, going shopping, reading Wedding magazines, drinking frappucino's, talking about boys, thinking about our future which has seemed to become the past now. It's so crazy how different our lives turned out than we thought they would... I am SO thankful that we are where we are right now... It's just weird to think about 10 years ago... it feels like it hasn't been that long...

Then I get on facebook and see all of my friends who are having babies or getting married, it's just... weird. That's seriously the only word I know to use to describe it. I just can't believe how old everyone is now.. I do not feel this old... I still feel like I wanna have slumber parties with my friends and giggle about boys and prank call them... on a land-line! hahaa...

I know that God has a plan for my life and for my future... It's just a strange feeling to not be in the same place in life as other friends of mine who are married with babies now. I am thankful though... SO thankful for this stage in life... I am content. I really am enjoying being single... I still pray daily for whoever I end up with if I do end up with someone... and for my unborn children, Lord willing I have some! :) As for now, I am so loving being an Aunt... what a blessing!

Happy Mothers Day all you momma's out there!