we have new neighbors and it’s ANDREW AND ALLISON! how crazy and wonderful is that?! God’s plan is so awesome! here i am praying for fellowship, wanting to find community in a new city, and God gives me an old friend and a new one–Drew and Allison–at the SAME season of life (getting married in October), in the same city, same apartment complex, SAME BUILDING!! how incredible it is when God works in the details of life. we are truly blessed to be called His.

it’s been so nice falling off the earth. i’ve been so out of touch for the past month, for several reasons. first and foremost: marriage is a BLAST! it’s a dream everyday. seriously. it’s so worth the wait b/c nothing is better (except children, i hear, but that’s at least a decade or so off). but now back to reality. i’m working two jobs and only getting paid for one of them–the other’s an internship for school (working 8:30-6:30 ea day). i will [FINALLY] graduate in december, but the road will be long and arduous for sure. all that to say time and money are very little at the duggar home so we don’t have cable/ internet. i check it when i can about once a week–hence the blog snobbish behavior or lack thereof and falling off the earth.

back to my favorite: marriage. it’s seriously so much fun. we had the best time at the wedding and then spent most of the honeymoon remembering it and talking about our favorite parts. it was amazing. the trip itself was pretty perfect, too. puerto vallarta, mexico is beautiful and… HAS A RAINFOREST!?! did you know that? we had no clue, but when we found out, we, of course, did a zip-line canopy tour of the rain forest from about 450 feet up. 8 zip lines. 450 ft in the air. repelling down 2 water falls. hiking through the rainforest. and riding mules. did i mention that there were large animals involved? it was great. another day we swam with DOLPHINS! they were beautiful and so smooth and playful like Georgia [ps. if you’re reading this blog and you haven’t met georgia our great dane yet, your life is seriously lacking.]. we got to kiss them and let them pull us around by their fins and push us with their noses. it was an experience like none other. what a blessing.

i am currently job searching for the fall/ spring. i’d love a part-time job just to pull in some income until i graduate in december, and if it could be in the field that would then turn into the full time job i want and need, that would only be better! pray for me, please that i 1) find a job, 2) find a small group [girls only], 3) find a couples bible study, 4) figure out the monetary dilemma of working while commuting back to tuscaloosa for school in the fall.

[in re: to this title, please know that i WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH with my girls, it’s just hard for me right now without the time, money, and internet. but calling or texting is GRRRREAT! i love you all to much to let too much time go by.]

until then, know that i’m enjoying being a newly wed (cooking every night for my love, spending so much time together, washing clothes, watching movies, and pinching pennies–as do most newly weds ;).

like hannah said, we have so little but we have so so much. xoxo

i’m so excited that we’re getting married in just 5 days! it’s bittersweet, though, b/c my family and i are doing the “lasts” of some stuff: the last time i’ll be home again without grant (for a while, at least), last heath-only trip to the lake, last time they’ll help me move without grant, last family cook-out, etc. it’s been really fun spending quality time at home and being with them during this last month of engagement; i would have missed this time later, had i not spent it at home. my fam and i are really really close and they’re all kinda sad that a new hero has stepped into my life–new family, new home, new love, new allegience–but they’re so happy that its grant and they love him so much, the love outweights the longing in their hearts. i am using this time to really saturate in prayer and meditate on the ceremony and what the next chapter of my life will hold. we’ve waited so long for this week, counting down from the 130s, and i’m so glad it’s finally down to only 5 more days.

this is how i look good naked. lgn. keep on keepin’ on. alright.

so, if you remember from roll call, april totally sucked except for my sweet bach weekend, which made up for everything all year long! but may, in striking contrast, is much better than the papers and projects of april. this month represents many great things. my birthday. our wedding. finishing a semester of grad school. my birthday was really sweet and totally special, but very low key. grant knows how to make me feel celebrated. and i got to talk to some of my very favorite ladies. xoxo. i got to hang out with nids and take her to the air port and spend some time with a great new friend, kate altmix (check out their website here). my family and i are moving my house (my life) into mine and grant’s apt. so much fun! it makes it feel real: bringing all our stuff to one place we call home (or soon will call home). i got an internship with a sweet historic home in roswell (1.4 miles from our place. yay! check it!) and i’m really excited about starting. that means: school credit plus experience plus an “in” with people that could potentially hire me equals eeeeee! (steph, you’re my fave; that’s a shout out to you xoxo). we’re just tying up loose ends: wedding programs, rehearsal dinner invites, new addresses for a few of the wedding party, and choosing scripture and music. it’s so much fun. and a dear dear friend of mine just got engaged too, mary catherine caldwell, and is getting married to syman (love him) october 4th. this is truly a season of love. i couldn’t be more blessed. wish us well on setting up shop with the help of the ‘rents! can’t wait to see our place full of furniture not boxes.