Christmas on a Budget

Tis the time of year of peace and joy on earth! As it should be!!! Jeff and I have begun finding our way as this year has been super busy! As a reflection, 51 weeks ago, we were almost all boxed up to move on my birthday to Austin to begin what we believe would be our new life in South Texas as Jeff was to student teach in an area that would allow his foot to be in the door for a job come graduation. I was able to visit my family on a regular basis and see my sister almost twice a month and plan a wedding much easier than up in Lubbock. Jeff graduates and then gets a job offer with Frenship which of course he accepts and I begin my hunt for a job in Lubbock. This of course being our monthly travels to Lubbock. Days before marrying I get an interview with a LISD and barely a week happily married I interview and days later am offered what I call a job of a lifetime! Jeff is an amazing first year coach and I'm excited at being a PE TA getting to work with all grades not just in PE!!! Therefore, Christmas yet again is on a budget but I am the most excited about this year as I have been in about 5 years!!!! All most all gifts are homemade or INSANELY cheap. I almost bet this is the first year I've bought gifts with coupons too! LOL. I'm so excited to see everyone's face's this year (and I hope that all I've got comes in on time) so much so that I'd be perfectly happy not getting a thing! I'm too excited to see everyone face and to share the stories behind them all!! God has been good and answered every prayer above and beyond what we could have imagined even curious to see what other answers he has in mind for us! God bless you all with Good Will and Spirits!

Married Life.....

Time flies and where has it gone.. Basically we married, honeymooned (which was super awesomely fantastic!!!), moved across Texas to the Lbk again! Worked, then his career has begun!!! He's fantastic at it and I LOVE watching him hoop and holler and get his boys pumped up! He's first game was winning 20-0 and his second game his defense had held them 4th down 36 to go! I LOVE my job!!! The kids are soo wonderful and my heart wants to be there to teach them after school! Some kids have sooo much potential and I know that my teachings in 8 hrs is not enough in the grand scheme compared to the hrs they are in their home life. And the fact that I love the job and want to go back day in and day out and keep working lets me know this is what I want and LOVE! Now, Just to pass the EC-6 test and the my student teaching (blah) and I'll be a certified teacher and have my foot into a school system, one in which I hope to make a huge impression!! So, as you notice by my caps, there is a lot of LOVE :) in this post though all I talk of is work... Needless to say then that we don't see much of each other. When we do its great and all "honeymoon" stage though personally I'd like it to stay even when his football is in off season. :) There's my update in a nutshell 3 1/2 mo married (On that note too.. my thank you's are officially in the mail tomorrow 0:) hehe!

5 Days, 14 hrs!

Soooooo As to not overwhelm my facebookers with all my excitement of wedding planning, I wanted to fill everyone who wants to read in on everything. Its nuts on how everything has played out these past few weeks. Jeff has received a job with Frenship which we are both thrilled about. So, in the weeks leading up to the wedding, our spare time has been spent looking for a place to live, one way or another. I've enjoyed my Sunday's with friends and getting some kind of sun. Today was spent catching up on all the little things and I feel fully ready to rock and roll, As long as I can remember to bring everything! Good thing I'm leaving before Jeff so I have a back-up-bring-this plan! :) I've got awesome family and friends who've talked me off the ledge a few times (for the planning/details of things that is) and I can't be more thankful. I'm ready to celebrate with family and friends and enjoy the entire day! I'm proud of my thriftiness and thankful to have actually gotten what I wanted 6 days before the wedding lol. I actually got better items than intended and at cheaper costs. I've finally found my mellow happy spot. I'll be crazy busy the next 2 work days, open to close and training the whole day mon. then getting our marriage license (cause its the last day we can) tues then closing. I'm really thankful for that tho, cause it keeps me happy, busy and takes my mind off wedding things, then its r&r with steph then fun with fam then the BIG DAY!!!! Ahhhhhhh then honeymoon time in disney and HARRY POTTER!!!!!! Can you tell I'm stoked and ready for some vacation!!!! Next post... I'll be Mrs. Wilkerson.... Till then, I love you and thanks for sharing in my wedding adventure. :)

30 days!

Where has the time gone? Almost everything is in place and ready to go for the most part. All the little things are now popping up so we're taking care of those 15 calls in a day at a time. Backdrop of ceremony is phenomenal!! My dad is a talented, amazing, crafty man who constructed it. You'll be jealous! Center pieces (which we've had since beginning, which were actually inspiration for theme) are well on way to being made, flowers are gathering, now the only items left to truly get will be the sand and glassware for our unity sand ceremony! I'm sooooo giddy and feel elated just thinking about it all. 1 shower down and 1 shower this weekend which I'm totally pumped for! I'm sure I'll update you at least 1 more time before I become Mrs. Wilkerson!

2 months!!!!

The 2 month mark has come and gone. Invites are getting mailed, cakes are being tasted, hotels have been arranged and honeymoon is almost paid off! I'd have to say I'm glad its finally getting close cause I'm really tired! I'm very thankful of my Mom who's been doing a ton of the leg work and finding all of the amazing deals! She's gonna have to get a huge something! Again, I really can't wait for the day to be here and I get to see everyone and marry an amazing man!!!

3 months

Ok, so its well past 3 months now but hey, better late than completely skipped! I can't believe how close it is, how much is done and how much left to do. It's all falling into place nicely and I can't be more excited! I love that so many friends and family are planning on coming to the big day and I feel as if that is whats making it that much more special!

Lazy Days no mas

So, I felt the need to update this not just wedding. Well its gonna be a lil wedding naturally. :) Since our move to Austin its been non-stop. I haven't been this busy since High School when I was padding my resume, leaving the house at 6:40 to be at school around 7 for physics, followed by school, college english, softball, NHS, StuCo, and everything 4-H, and oh yes! bringing Project Lifesaver to Texas... man, tired just remembering allll the billions of things I did from 5:45am-11pm daily! I find it hard to have a life outside of work, tho I still do as ALL my weekends have been booked since beginning of Dec '09. Family and friend time has been amazing and its nuts how much I missed it living hours away in Lubbock (tho I do still really miss that place regularly and all my amazing friends still there). Even with all of this, I love where I'm at! Times naturally are tough with just me working and Jeff full time student teaching, pro bono of course! ;) He is doing amazing, kicking butt, taking names and getting his name out there like you would be a fool not to know who he is and not want him on your staff! :) I'm so proud of him!
I feel a sense of belonging and I feel like I'm really making a difference! I am stoked to see positive things happen daily and hear positive feed back from friends and family! I crazily enough don't feel overwhelmed and I feel as if this is where I'm meant to be, even if for the time being. So many MK people have come into my life, literally every day this week as a reminder that it is a part of my life as well and I want to really make that happen to. Its as they say, busy people will always be busy so who better to make time especially for you! It's an enormous compliment for a woman to offer another woman an hour of just them time, and when they leave, they are ready for the day/night looking fabulous in their new skin!
Of the MK box, Wedding is full force! I can't believe we haven't done a registry and I'm already talking 2 showers! Yikes, what happened to taking care of this in Nov. Getting dress altered as I type to be done end of March, check! Need to pick cake and that hoopla, get our invites ordered, heck solidify the guest list.. EEEKK!! Need to finish taxes so we have the last bit of money for paying off honeymoon. Man, that's a lot with a lil over 3 months left... on the plus side... I've still be steadily loosing weight and I've now lost 32 lbs since Jan '09! All that w/ hardly working out. But no worries, guilt is setting in and I know that I really need to buckle down and get my work out on.. bring on Bob!!!