Catch-Up

Well, it seems that I fell off of the blogging map for about 4 months, and SO much has happened. My apologies for not updating more often, but I hope to improve on that, at least a little bit. Here is a run-down of some highlights and noteworthy events since my last post.

1. We finally got married!!!!! (That was the best part =] )
2. We went on our honeymoon to Wilmington, NC. (Why Wilmington you ask? Well, quite frankly, when you're not 21, your travel options are rather limited ;) So we stayed at this cute little B&B that was within walking distance of the historic downtown area. We did absolutely nothing for most of the trip, and it was absolutely perfect)
3. We moved into our apartment. Thanks to our awesome families, we squished EVERYTHING into a trailer and several cars and got it all there in one trip--wedding gifts included. Then we spent a few days unpacking and settling in. Here's where I MUST brag on my wonderful husband. He was incredible when we moved in. He was SO adamant about me having a nice place to stay while he was gone for the summer. In a matter of a day and a half, EVERYTHING was unpacked, put away, organized, and it actually felt like home. It doesn't sound like much, but this was seriously one of the best things he could've done for me before he left. That way it still felt like "ours" and not just "mine" since I lived there by myself for a while. ***For photos of the honeymoon and apartment, see my album on Facebook   http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150191575407950.314114.503237949&type=1 
4. We went to the lake for Memorial Weekend. Pretty uneventful, but it's tradition, so it's worth mentioning =] It was good family time before Taylor had to leave.
5. I turned 20!!!! We slept in on my birthday, then Taylor took me to Olive Garden and Orange Leaf in Wichita. For my present, he bought me a teddy bear and he made it into and "Army Bear" that was all decked out in digital camo and his rank pins. It sounds kind of funny, but it was just perfect. And he wrote me the first of MANY letters. Then after we got home, we went to his Grandma's house to celebrate my birthday again with his parents (I had WAY too much food that day).
6. Taylor left for BCT (Basic Combat Training) the day after my birthday. It wasn't a fun day.
7. I started my job at ResCare. I work with developmentally disabled adults, helping them work to earn money and also helping with their needs at home.
8. I spent every weekend with my family in Hutch.
9. I wrote about 65 letters to Taylor--I love letter writing =] If you've never written your significant other a letter, like a real letter with a pen and paper and not just on their birthday or Valentine's Day, I highly recommend it. It's time-consuming, but it's worth every second.
10. I watched the first 6 seasons of Grey's Anatomy. 
11. I killed many spiders.
12. I shopped at Target for EVERYTHING due to many lovely gift cards from the wedding.
13. I lost weight--it's amazing how easy it is when you buy your own food and just cook for one. Snacks cost extra money, so they don't get bought, and cooking didn't always sound like much fun, so I ate a lot of popcorn.
14. I helped my mom host my best friend's wedding shower. It was a great day, and I just love Miss Amy Limes to bits =] So happy for you both!
15. I went to Durango, CO with my mom, stepdad, brothers, and sister. It was a great time of talking, card-playing, river-rafting, zip-lining, jeep-touring, and rodeo-watching. Awesome trip.
16. I got a new purse =] It holds everything, and just a little bit more.
17. I went to Columbia, SC with my mom and grandma to see Taylor graduate from BCT.
18. I saw my husband for the first time in 3 months!!!! Taylor graduation=proudest moment of my life
19. Taylor came home!!!!!!!!! (This was the 2nd best thing=] )
20. My best friend got married =]
21. Taylor started football, and real life began again
22. Nursing school started. I'll see everybody in 2 years.
23. We began attending Cornerstone Bible Church in McPherson. 

So that about covers all of the highlights, at least I think it does. Things are going pretty well though. Sure, it's stressful, but God continues to be 100% faithful to us, and we're eager to see what's ahead.

Married life is absolutely the best =] If you're not married, you should be because it's wonderful. Ok, ok, wait until you find the perfect person, but when you do, get married! I'm still settling in to all of the cleaning and laundry and some cooking (Taylor eats at the school cafeteria), but it's slowly coming together. Right now, I count cooking as a success if I only burn myself once. And in my defense, the only food I've burned is what I've baked because our oven is BLAZING hot, and I haven't quite figured out the temperature difference yet. But Taylor is just great. He's patient and so supportive and encouraging and challenging and he definitely keeps me on my toes. He doesn't hesitate to point out areas I need to work on, and he's the most forgiving person I know. How I got so blessed, I will never know. He's doing good as well. He changed his major to Pre-Med, and his goal is to graduate from Bethel and go to Physical Therapy school for the Army at Baylor University in Texas. We'll see! He's also still playing football. They still aren't going exceptionally well, but I anticipate a better season than last year. Hey, anything's better than 0-10. Taylor, personally, is doing very well though, and no, I'm not biased at all ;)