Randomness

I am posting a picture of my new hope chest that Sebron gave me for Christmas! I love it! It has so much storage space and will be such a beautiful addition to our home! Previously I had stored things in rubbermaid storage boxes... the chest is so much nicer! Not that I don't like my storage boxes, but I really do love this chest and the way everything fits so nicely!

Since coming home from college I have been sharing a room with my younger sister Joy. I had previously had my own room after my older sister Faith moved out when she got married, but while away at school I gave it to Hope.

I decided that I might as well share a room with Joy instead of kicking Hope out for just 4 months. So, Joy-joy has been such a great roommate! When we were little, all four of us girls used to share a room, but now it's just us.

She has been so gracious to me and all my "stuff." We don't have any closet space or extra draws for my cloths, so I've got them in my handy dandy storage boxes! My wedding things have been accumulating as well and there are piles and stacks of different things all over. I am so grateful for her kind attitude and allowing me to pretty much take over her beautiful room!

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In other news, I went up to Raleigh after work on Friday and was able to spend the weekend with Sebron! My old roommates were sweet enough to let me stay with them and let me in and out of the apartment!

We participated in the Krispy Kreme Challenge on Saturday! This was our second time running the race, but the first time either of us had attempted to eat all 12 doughnuts....

The goal of the race is to run 2.3 m

iles to the krispy kreme, eat 12 doughnuts, run back and all in under an hour. I did it totally for fun, and it was a good thing I did. I sat down at the krispy kreme for 25 minutes and only got 5 doughnuts down! That's one doughnut every 5 minutes.... pathetic! It was freezing too! As I was sitting there on the frozen road with thousands of runners stuffing their faces with glazed doughnuts I was literally going numb! It started snowing while I was down there. It got to the point where I couldn't look at anybody around me. Every bite and swallow I was afraid I would lose my whole stomach! Finally after 5 I knew I couldn't do any more! So I left the rest and ran back... only to hear that Sebron ate all 12

doughnuts in less then 10 minutes!

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I also wanted to post a picture of the place

where Seeb and I for the first time! We sat on this bench for THREE HOURS that Sunday afternoon! God has brought us a long way since that first day. It's hard to believe I'll be married to this wonderful guy in just 97 days! (but who's counting right?)

Colton

I am so blessed to have a job that I absolutely love! The Lord has been so good and I am so grateful to Him for providing this perfect job until Sebron and my wedding!

<- lunch time is so much fun! The messier the better!

I get to the house a bit before 7:30 am every morning and from then until 3:30 pm I am running around chasing or most likely being chased by Colton! He is such a sweetheart and completely 100% boy! He is an awesome hugger and loves to run up and give you tight hugs!

I love how everything is so new to him and exciting! We found a moth in the living room today and he was so fascinated by it! I got it to crawl onto his finger before we took it outside and he was so excited!

<- He loves to laugh at me!

He figured out the broom this morning and swept for literally 45 minutes! He does take one short nap before noon, so it's nice to have a small break from all the ball playing!

Such a little helper! ->

I'm not stressed.... Ahhh!

I am determined that I will not be the least bit stressed during the wedding planning process. None of this bridezilla stuff. I want the months leading up to the wedding and the actual wedding day to be as stress free as possible. This weekend however, has been the first time since starting all this wedding stuff that I've been a bit intimidated. If you know me well, then you know I hate talking on the phone. I completely dislike calling people to set up appointments, discuss issues, and confirm things. I'm not sure why, but I've always been that way. There is only one dark-haired, hazel eyed boy that I am completely comfortable with and absolutely adore talking to on the phone!

This weekend I have felt like I am part of a telephone company. All I've done it seems has been talking on the phone, calling different individuals, confirming things, setting up appointments, and trying to figure out schedules. It seems like for each appointment I have to in turn call 4 different people to make sure it works with their schedule.

I can do invitations, napkins and order forms but something about calling people to set up appointments and trying to figure out what weekend we are doing what with whom, completely stresses me out.

I am so glad for Sebron and the huge encouragement he has been this past weekend!

Cooking 101

As I look ahead to May and my wedding, there is one thought that truly scares me. Cooking. When I marry Sebron I will be expected to cook. It's not that I don't terribly dislike cooking, I used too, but now I'm just afraid too. When we were all little, Mama would have all us girls help out in the kitchen to prepare dinner. I hated it with everything that was in me and would let Mama and all my sisters know it too. I can still remember complaining about it up one side and down the other while washing lettuce or scrubbing potatoes. I was so clumsy (not much has changed over the years) and spilled everything or mixed the wrong ingredients together.

I would cause such a big stink that Mama would finally boot me outdoors to help Daddy and the boys with something. That was during a really rough time in my life and fighting against kitchen duties was one of the ways I rebelled against Mama. She realized all this, and eventually stopped calling me in to help with meals. So while my three sisters helped Mom and where learning to cook, I was outside playing soccer or building forts.

I remember thinking I had really won that time. I totally got what I wanted- at least for awhile. Now I'm 23-years-old, getting married in a couple months and have three recipes down pat: pancakes, chicken and rice, and chocolate chip cookies. I can make a couple other simple meals, but frankly the thought of preparing a "real" dinner completely terrifies me!

Sebron is a better cook than I am and although I always wanted a guy who knew his way around the kitchen, it is somewhat embarrassing. I remember the first time I cooked dinner for him up at school. We had just started dating and I was so excited and nervous about making the meal just right. He came in and we talked while I started the rice. 10 minutes later after much scrutinizing, I realized I had turned on the wrong burner and the water hadn't even started to get warm.

I love the feeling I get after working hard to prepare a meal for Seeb and we sit down and I can watch him enjoy it. I never thought I would think that was cool, but it is! I feel so accomplished and wifeish and I can't really think of another word to describe it.

I was thrilled when for Christmas, my mother-in-law-to-be (Sebron calls her Mae, he pronounces it like Ma-ee) gave me a beautiful recipe book with all of her and Sebron's favorites! I am looking forward to exploring and trying some out!

I am not as scared as I was before, and I'll just take it one meal at a time. Seeb is such a great encourager and loves everything I put in front of him...... at least he says he does!

Nanny/running/wedding = Life

My first week of nannying has gone extremely well. Little Colton is a 14-month bundle of endless energy! I have him most of the day and so far we have gotten along very nicely! He is constantly on the go and falling over his own feet. He's a little snuggle bug and is repeatedly coming over for hugs and cuddles. He has such a contagious laugh and giggles all day at himself and me. Obviously he thinks I'm pretty hilarious! We have fun laughing at each other's funny faces. It's been fun, just him and me all day.

In other news, I joined a running group that meets three days a week. I'm hoping it will keep me motivated towards my 1/2 marathon goal. I miss running with the xc team at State and with Sebron.

Wedding plans are in full swing. Mama is constantly thinking of things we need to go over. I am so grateful for her and her wisdom and all the time she has put into Seeb's and my wedding. I have always been a big detail thinker, what everyone is going to wear, where it will be, what time, etc. Mama thinks of all the tiny details- napkins for example and the color they should be. I truly would be lost without her through all this.

Happy Thought

Nanny

The Lord is so good! A lady contacted me about nannying for her son! I met her this morning for an interview and we were supposed to meet with her husband for coffee this weekend so he could meet me as well. She called me tonight to tell me that her husband is working all weekend and said that even if I don't like him I'm hired anyway!

They have one little 14-month-old boy. I'll have him four days a week and I start on Monday! The mom seems really sweet and I'm looking forward to meeting the little man!