Do you like the new look? Justin re-did the title design for me while he was in Knoxville for the week!
Well wow. A lot has been going on since my last post! On the Thursday before Good Friday, I flew to Raleigh. Upon landing, Justin picked me up from the airport and we then went to a party with a bunch of his vet school friends. They were celebrating "halfway to DVM" as they had just finished all of their final exams for 2nd year! I got to see a bunch of friends that I had not seen in a while and we made mega-smore's in a fire pit. Friday, I met 3 of my 4 bridesmaids for lunch at Village Deli. It was awesome to catch up and I was really happy to see all of my girls chatting and getting to know one another. (I feel like it's always a bit awkward when you show up as a bridesmaid to a wedding and don't really know any of the other bridesmaids)
It was gloomy and rainy all day...which was beginning to make Justin and me nervous for our planned engagement photo shoot the next day. After lunch, Justin and I went to the barn so I could ride in the 4:30 lesson. I decided to ride Eli because I had been craving a good, lazy, easy ride (Essau tends to be slightly more work than, say a Quarter Horse). Eli was such a good boy and I had a great time riding, jumping cross rails, chatting with the girls, and catching up. I spent some time loving on Ivan while I was there and he just makes me smile :) After a sprained ankle/fetlock, he is going to start getting back into work very soon, so hopefully I will be able to ride him on my next trip to Raleigh.
I texted our photographer, Annie Harrison, that evening to inquire about the weather situation. She was a little weary about how wet the ground would be and decided we'd get in touch in the morning. Low and behold, it was still rainy/overcast in the morning and things were not looking good. The weathermen LIED (big surprise), and the sun wasn't supposed to come out until 2:00 PM. I told her that we would like to try if at all possible since I had no idea when I would be in Raleigh next. With our fingers crossed, Justin and I got ready (my ring cleaned, painted nails, ironed all outfits) and around 3:00, she said "let's do it!" We had our pictures taken at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, NC. It was absolutely gorgeous and the clouds made for some nice shade in which to take pictures. We were really pleased with how the pictures turned out and our photographer is AWESOME!! She is full of energy, jokes, and smiles and we just love her. Here they are!
Justin and I drove back to Knoxville Sunday after church and lunch with my parents. He spent the entire week here with me because he had a week off between finals and his one week of selectives. Last week was my very last week of classes for this semester! I was at the lab/classes for most of the day and he got to be lazy and chill (a much deserved break for him!). It was really awesome to come home and him be there (a foreshadow of married life). It's also just really nice to have someone in my apartment to talk to. Even with my kitty, it can get lonely.
We got to attend an Animal Science banquet on Tuesday evening where I won a scholarship. Wednesday, the most insane storms came through Knoxville and we endured a lot of rain, the most lightning I have ever seen in my life, as well as ping pong ball-sized hail. Both of our cars took a nice beating and will hopefully be fixed soon! I took Justin to some of my favorite restaurants around K-ville including Calhoun's, Wasabi, Trio, and Menchie's. We also ate at a new burrito restaurant on Market Square with Kim and Jessy and enjoyed Rita's for dessert.
Following Dr. Edwards's advice, Justin and I began reading Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray. We have only read 4 chapters and are already loving it. It is a guide to understanding the opposite sex and points out the differences between men and women. By understanding our differences, it is easier to communicate and become closer. The chapters we have read have already sparked some great discussion that has brought a little bit of clarity and insight into each other's way of thinking, feeling, and expressing emotions/stress. I would highly recommend it for any couple and hope it will continue to give us a better understanding of one another.
Aside from the crazy weather, it was an incredible week. I am now finished with classes and only have one final exam on Wednesday! Tomorrow is my first meeting with most of my committee and I am hoping that will be very productive. I really hope we can all agree on what I am going to do so I can start doing it! I need to keep busy this summer, so I will gladly take a laundry list of tasks from them.
Justin left today and, as always, it was not easy to see him go. I am very much looking forward to a time when we are together and don't have to part ways at the end of the weekend. I know this past year (and especially this past semester) has flown by and I hope and pray that the next one will as well. Justin will be working with USDA all summer and I will be busy doing research, so hopefully that will keep the time zipping past.
On a random note: my brother is getting married in less than 2 weeks! He and Sam, his girlfriend, decided to tie the knot and applied for a marriage lisence last week. They recently moved to James Island, SC (just outside of Charleston) where they are now living in their first house and are working new jobs. I will be heading to Charleston for the wedding in my Grandma Jan's back yard on May 11th. I'm happy for him and hope the wedding is everything they hoped for!
No comments:
Post a Comment