Just a few moments from the most wonderful day of my life...

35 days and loving every minute of it!

So we've been married for 35 days and I LOVE IT!!!!!! Its the best feeling to fall asleep in the arms of your best friend! Sadly with me starting a new job the day after we got back from our honeymoon and Stephen starting seminary last week we are fighting for time just to be together!! Thankfully labor day is just around the corner then I have fall break in October and we're going to take a few days to drive and see Steve's family!! I can't wait!!!! We both need a vacation from the day to day drags of working full time!!

Married life is great....I highly recommend it! :)

Single Digits Baby!

Thats right...we're at 9 days!! I am so stinkin excited!  But as I said goodbye to Steve last night and counted how many more nights we'd have to go through the same goodnight routine ("just 10 more minutes" "baby I have to go, it takes 30 minutes to get home", "I know, I"m SO ready to be married" "I know, me too sweetie" "ok be safe" "Ok I'll text ya when I make it home..." yes same thing every night....but last night I realized that we only have a few more days of life like this.  Its all about to change!  We will say our vows, see LOTS of people at our reception, then off we'll go on our honeymoon (its still a surprise for me!!) then when we return, I'll start to work August 2nd.  Steve will start seminary.  And there we will be...NEWLYWEDS!!! As excited as I am to be married and not having to say goodbye at night, I have become aware of how blessed we are right now where we are.  So as I count down the days till we say  "I DO" I'm also going to cherish these sweet moments left in single life! 

A new date to await...

Well my sweet fiance' is off leading 2 summer camps over the next 2 weeks...14 days without my man makes me want to curl up in a ball and not move till he gets back...but sadly there are too too many things to do, to lay in bed and wait till my prince comes back... Cinderella has to finish her wedding to do list and begin the major paper-work process for my new job!!!  As sad as I am, its a very strange feeling to think that this is my last 2 weeks as a single gal...yes I'll have a couple more days when he returns but normally I do my wedding and teaching thing in the morning and await Stephen to finish work and we either hang out here, run errands, or head to our apartment for me to nest!  But today, when I would normally be showering and putting on a clean t-shirt for Steve to drive over from work, I sat in the same outfit I put on this morning, no shower, no shaved legs, and my hair in a bun...yes I'm enjoying my last few days of singleness HAHA!  But honestly I wear my hair in a bun around Steve all the time and I would much rather him be here and for me to have to put on a clean t-shirt :( I'm really missing my baby and ready for him to come home...hurry up July 9th!

Where is the summer going????

Well its been about a month since my last post and let me just tell you...its been a crazy month!! First off, we are 31 days from THE day...yes thats right people 31 days (I would calculate in hours but I don't have the time). 

Let's see where I left off....I GRADUATED!!!  Steve came over and that Friday and we moved Adam into his and Amy's new apartment then a family dinner at Olive Garden...my favorite!!  Saturday was one stinkin HOT day but a good one! But after listening to the other 900 people's names called out I got my own chance to walk across that stage....a little over-rated but still exciting!  Then a few picture in the blazing sun and we were off to Jim-n-nicks...another one of my favorites!! Steve and I packed the rest of my stuff and I said goodbye to the sorority house...my lovely home for the past 3 years!  Steve and I had a fun drive back and actually drove past our Memphis exit cause we were so engaged in conversation...yes we are still that in love that we can just talk and loose track of where we are!  

Once back in Memphis we finished getting things together for Adam and Amy's wedding then I was quickly back in the 'ham.  Their wedding was BEAUTIFUL!!! Everyone had such a great time and we are so excited for them to start their life together!

The next week was spent prepping for Mission Trip with Steve but we also signed the lease for our new apartment!!!!  Our very first home and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

Not much time to celebrate the new home before we were back to working for mission trip.  It took a lot of work to get everything together but once in Ohio things went really smoothly...Steve did such a GREAT job leading his first mission trip!  I was so proud of him!!  And despite him being in charge of 70 students and 12 adults, we were able to sneak away for about 30 minutes for a Steak-n-Shake milkshake!!  We REALLY missed our alone time and were grateful for even the little moments like the rides to carry the trash to the main building...you'd be surprised the things you'll be thankful for!  Overall the trip went wonderfully and I LOVED getting to know the youth group!!!  

I had to fly back a little early to make it to Mississippi for my bridal shower.  What a fun day...although exhausted it was still GREAT!!  

Then on to Vacation Bible School...which was another fun-filled week!  I had a awesome group and amazing co-leaders!  We were called Team Awesome...yeah thats right...and awesome we were!!

 On Wednesday though I had a job interview....God was so good and allowed it to go wonderfully!! Its probably not my first choice in schools because its quite a ways away from our new apartment but it would be a job. They told me I would hear back from them in a week or so but they actually called me the next day and offered me a job!!  PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!! :) :)  I haven't signed the contract yet but its pretty set in stone.  They emailed me this week and let me know I'll be teaching Kindergarten!!  The Lord has really answered our prayers!!! 

There continues to be worries...like new teacher training week the week of our honeymoon but I'm learning/trying to trust in God that he always works things out for His glory!!  

Ok I think that officially updates things....We continue to wedding plan and school plan...and are on a major countdown to the wedding day!!  31 days!! We can't wait!!!!!

Thoughts for the day...

This week marks the end of my college career! Its really hard to believe!! Sometimes it feels like just yesterday I was dragging my stuff up the Veil staircase to meet my new roommate in our lovely new home...but then there are moments like today where I think of all that has occured in the past 4 years and I'm blown away! 4 years ago at this time I was sitting in my beautiful home in Mississippi writing a graduation speech and preparing for my senior mission trip with my class, with not a care in the world other than what to wear for graduation...3 years ago at this time I was packing up my room to send some of it to my grandparents house in Mississippi, some to my parents in Virginia, and a large suitcase to head with me to Camp Ozark in the middle of no-where Arkansas where I would spend most of the summer...2 years ago at this time I was packing up to head to Virginia only to get there in time to help my parents pack up and move to Memphis....1 year ago at this time I was quickly packing my room in order to get home and take care of my sick mommy (thankfully at that time, I did not know what all would be in store for that summer!), and now, as I sit in a half empty room, I am once again packing...packing to move out of college and into a brand new phase of life...MARRIAGE and MINISTRY...the ministry of being a wife, the ministry of (hopefully) a teacher, and the ministry of being a minister's wife (say that 3 times fast!) It all seems so surreal sometimes and despite feeling a little overwhelmed at moments of all the uncertainties that lay ahead, I am extremely grateful for this next new phase and looking forward to the rest of my life as Mrs. Stephen Foster Short!!! :)

Its been an interesting and exciting 4 years with LOTS of challenges and blessings...makes me wonder what I will be writing the next time I stop to look back.......

Easter in Ohio with my new family!

Although the weekend was extremely short, I enjoyed spending Easter with Steve's family in Ohio! They gave me a beautiful and fun shower on Saturday where we were blessed with so many gifts! They were beyond generous!!

Plus it was great to meet our new little nephew Jacob...he is precious and I definitely got my 'baby fix' for the weekend!! He was only 2 weeks old and I know he will be so big next time we see him.

And I have to admit that being called 'Aunt Ashley' by 7 cute neices and nephews was pretty fun. It was really hard to leave (in fact I cried two or three times before Steve even drove me to the airport). Its so hard being that far away from his family but I'm glad that we'll get to have another brief visit when we head to Cleveland to do some mission work this summer!

Easter morning! :)

Our invitations! I loved them!

Engagement Pictures on the square!

Beach Bliss!

We got to spend Spring Break in Gulf Shores and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets, a little sunshine, a little shopping, and LOTS of yummy food! :) It was really nice to take a break from wedding planning and school work!!! Well I guess we didn't completely take a break from wedding planning but a little bit. It was a wonderful week!!

Dad's awesome photography skills! We love that he takes pictures of the sunrise every beach trip cause none of the rest of the family is every up earlier enough to view it!!

WE LOVE DINOSAURS!!!

This week I started a Dinosaur Unit and the kids LOVED it!! Since my kids love to sing, I found a dinsoaur song and taught them some motions to it. I loved hearing them sing it at centers, at lunch, and 500 times a day!! I even found myself singing it in the shower one morning - kinda catchy!!!