due dates

Forgive me.

I have procrastinated and am now up to my eyeballs in due dates.

Be back soon.

sneak peek

Thought I'd give a little sneak peek at our engagement pictures...

And that's all you're getting... at least for a while:)

soft foods & farewells

      I walked into Travis's apartment when I got off work yesterday and he immediately proposed "Let's go get steak at The Veranda." Oh how it broke my heart. We both love our Veranda steaks, and he's been craving one for a while. But unless they could put mine in a blender, I really didn't really want to go watch him enjoy the deliciousness on his own. So I promised him we would go on Valentine's Day. That gives me two and a half weeks to coax myself to chew.

   For the past two days, I have not used a single function of my teeth. I've been as close to a liquid diet you can get without starving. Yesterday, my nourishment consisted of a glass of soup (yes, I drank it), soggy puff cereal, a baked potato, soft bread, and applesauce. But before you go thinking I'm a wuss, I will be the first to say that I am not in pain. However, I would not like to be in pain in the foreseeable future, hence my decision not to bite down on anything too tough. It's been 13 years since I've had these little dudes on my teeth and I'm slowly getting reacquainted with them.

   I can already tell this may be the longest 5 months of my life- waiting to get these things off, waiting to hear about jobs, and anxiously waiting to marry my best friend. Searching for sanity, people.

    I would like to take the rest of this post to say a farewell to my roommate and friend, Lara Beth. She graduated in December, went out and got a big girl job, and today she's going home for good- very sad. However, seeing as how she's about to get married, I know that hanging out in Starkville for six months would not be conducive to her situation. Sure would be fun though.

Do I Have Something In My Teeth?

Is it only Tuesday? I don’t think I’ve even begun one thing on my to-do list for this week. And while I do have a couple of things to look forward to this week, today does not contain one of those things. Today I am getting Braces.

AAHH!!!

Everyone keeps asking me why I’m doing it. My teeth are pretty straight and I don’t have jaw problems. At my six month check-up in December, my dentist noticed that I bite down funny. This change in my bite is causing my bottom teeth to push on my top teeth, which could continue to make them shift into less than desirable positions. Solution: b.r.a.c.e.s. But- not for very long. I am scheduled to get them off in May, and they are only putting them on the top- with clear brackets. I’d hoped to use something like Invisalign, but my orthodontist said that would take at least a year, and I would rather not teach with a lisp. “Hi, my name ith Mith McCulloucchhh.” No thank you.

            And while I was told to be expecting this:

            I somehow can’t avoid picturing myself like this:

And wouldn’t you know it; I scratched my eye yesterday and will be sporting my glasses for the next several days. I feel like I’m right back in 4^th grade. I got glasses at 8 and my first set of braces at 9. (If you call 8 brackets for 10 months a true set of braces.) A few months after they were taken off I got contacts, and I’ve been semi-normal looking ever since- save the 2 years where I looked as if I did not own a hair brush.

I am especially looking forward to showing up in my grad class tonight- sore mouth, four eyes, and all.

thanks girls

I have had such a wonderful week, and it is all thanks to my wonderful friends.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of  celebrating one of my best friend's 23rd birthday. Tiffany came to Starkville for her favorite blue plate lunch at the Veranda. (You know, Thursday's fried chicken- yum!) It was especially wonderful because she has been in London since October and just returned last week. It's not like we saw each other every day, but just knowing that I couldn't made me miss her so much! I was so glad to see her huge smile.

Later on I had dinner with another friend that I don't get to see as much as I'd like, Shelley. In our true form, we both sat in our cars at the restaurant for 5-10 minutes waiting on each other- at the same time. I always enjoy our talks, and she almost always has an entertaining story for me.

This afternoon, Rae-Anne and Lara Beth helped me finalize the bridesmaid dresses for the wedding. And tonight I am enjoying a visit with my sister. I honestly don't know what I would do without all the wonderful people that surround me everyday.

Say Cheese

http://dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com/page/51

  

    Travis and I are getting engagement pictures made today, yay! Our only requirements are: 1) no extremely cheesy pictures, and 2) no kissing pictures. I am absolutely, positively, strongly opposed to PDA and refuse to make other people look at that. No sir! Yes, we love each other, but there is a time and a place for all that (and it isn't when/where there is a camera).
   I can't wait to see how they turn out!

  

what it's all about

Happy Wednesday!!

I am easing ever so slowly back into my routine after the long weekend. It seems like the more I get done, the more I have left to do. But it has been a very productive two weeks since Travis and I have been engaged. I have most of the big-ticket items taken care of for the Big Day, and everything is coming along nicely.

However, with every bride-to-be tasks I complete, I am becoming less focused on the Big Day and more anxious for what that implies. After the wedding, Travis and I will go home as husband and wife. How surreal! Right now I truly wish that the wedding was today- not so that I can get dressed up and celebrate- but so we can finally begin our lives together. Honestly I can think of nothing better. At the risk of sounding old fashioned (I think that ship may have sailed), I can't wait to be one of two.

My sister gave me the book Inviting God to Your Wedding by Martha Williamson. She writes about how some couples get lost in the trivial matters of the wedding and forget what it's all about. The day itself isn't what is important and you don't get married so you can throw a huge party for your friends. Every day after that is what matters. I genuinely believe God has chosen to unite the two of us for a purpose, and on July 14th we will come together before Him to begin the journey He has in store.


I promise I am not one of those girls whose dream is to be barefoot and pregnant just months after the wedding, so don't put me in the same category as a domesticated house cat. I am just so excited to be able to spend every day with my  best friend.

http://marriedtoanentrepreneur.blogspot.com/

Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. Mark 10:9

...

Best Day

   This does not so much describe today as it did yesterday. And yesterday, the stress of the morning was so thick I couldn't even write about it.

   At 9am I sleepily trudged into that graduate statistics course and I wasn't excited about it- go figure. But it only lasts an hour so I told myself to get a grip and rally through. The professor began explaining the difference between parametric (normal) statistics and nonparametric statistics. And if you know anything about statistics, nonparametric deals with populations that are not normally distributed. The end. Can I have an A now?
Didn't think so.

   His explanation seemed simple enough, and we began to go over a normally distributed population- just for review. No big deal, I've had 3 semesters of stats, this is all second nature. Then he wrote THIS on the board. (Yes, I found a copy just for you.)

   I don't know about you stats pros out there, but this is not what we used in my previous courses. I was immediately bombarded with that inside voice screaming at me "What the heck?!?" But I was sure I'd eventually figure it out.... until he started drawing integrals on the board. Light Bulb. This is a cal-based stats class. I didn't know there was such a thing. I began to realize I was on Level 3 of a brand new game, and to win I would have to learn levels 1 and 2 by myself- and quickly.

   It was only a few minutes later that I felt that swelling behind my eyes. I blinked hard to stifle my emotion. I hate that feeling of being so far behind. I knew I could do this, but I did not want to spend my semester stressing out about keeping pace and catching up. So I began working on Plan B. Right there in the middle of his lecture, I began strategizing my way out.

   I made a list of every university and community college campus in an hour's drive, plus all those that offered online classes. The moment class was over I sprinted to work and immediately started researching. Ole Miss had no online math courses for the spring. EMCC had none that I had not taken. As a last-stitch effort, I messaged my advisor. She sympathized with my feelings and said she would look for something I could replace that class with here at MSU.

   Several minutes later, she responded with
"Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday! One of your finance courses, Investments, will count as a math credit"
   My heart was racing. Not only could I drop that stats course, but I didn't even have to replace it! I went from defeated to elated in a matter of moments. This also means I can work from 8-12 every day, which is my ideal schedule. (definitely made up for my embarrassing fall on Monday).

   Maybe it was by chance that I found a solution to my predicament, but I believe it was God's way of answering my prayer for help. I prayed that he would help me through this class, and instead He helped me get out of it. Never underestimate the power prayer can bring- even for the little things. God loves us, and he shows us through those little things that he is listening and that he cares.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

...

I can see the light

In all the hubbub of the engagement and planning, I forgot one tiny thing...

School!!

   Today was the first day of my last real semester of grad school. I didn't have class until 9:00, which made parking horrendous. I actually look forward to getting here at 7:30 tomorrow when I will not have to stalk some poor fellow trudging to his car and wait for him to vacate his parking space. Yes, it happened.

   To add the the excitement, I left my cell at my apartment. At the moment I feel like I am missing an appendage. And  it would not be the first day without forgetting to check my schedule for my class location. So without the option of my phone, I decided to go to the grad office and ask my boss for the copy of my schedule- my AHA moment of the day.

   If you are in town you know that it has been raining for quite some time, and if you know me you know that my feet are never outfitted for water or warmth. So wouldn't you know that on my way in, wearing ballet flats, I slipped into a very ungraceful split-like pose in the lobby of Allen for all to see. I got to my feet as quickly as possible, cracked a joke ("It's a little wet right there") and carefully walked away. Of course I caught a few people trying not to laugh at me and one guy said "Yep, looks pretty wet." Sigh.Typical.

   Then on to class. The course is called Nonparametric Statistical Methods, a graduate level course. After personal introductions, I learned it is also a required course for math and statistic masters and PhD programs. Woo. Hoo. I was the only education major in the bunch. Luckily, the instructor is fairly easy to understand. However, I am just a tad worried because during the 50 minutes he "reviewed" basic concepts he wanted to remind us of, I am the only one who wrote anything down. Looks like I've got some work ahead of me. But this is my last semester- I can see the light! I just have to get through the tunnel.

 

Scary tunnel though, right?

stand firm

Mark your calendars!

 We have set a date for the big day:

July 14, 2012

I have been engaged for a little over 4 days and have already contacted officiants, musicians, churches, reception venues, florists, and photographers. Guess what? 6 months is NOT a long engagement!

aahhhhh!!!

The Post

   I sincerely apologize to you friends who have been waiting for this post. Given the circumstances, I have been a busy, busy bee.

For those of you who do not know the origin of my ramblings, I have some very exciting news......

I'm engaged!!

I have joined the many many girls I know who will be getting married within the next year- and I couldn't be happier!

   I have been expecting Travis to pop the question for a while now, I just didn't know when it was coming. For the past couple of months, he has been making plans for when he moves to Memphis to start his new job. Every now and then he would make comments about moving like "we will need two bedrooms," and "we will have options for our lease agreement." It was as if I would be moving right along with him. Well he knew something I didn't because I will be joining him in Memphis very soon!

   After spending some time in Tupelo with my family, I drove down to Madison to spend the New Year's weekend with Travis. I arrived on Thursday and Friday night we attended a very fun wedding for some friends. On Saturday we went out for lunch with his family and spent the afternoon lounging around (our favorite thing to do).

   Travis told me he didn't know of anything big going on for New Year's Eve (ha ha) so he'd just made some dinner reservations. We went to dinner at 8:00 and indulged in some tasty Italian food, one of my favorites. Then Travis had the idea to drive to the reservoir and watch fireworks to bring in the new year. No big deal. Right.

   We drove down the Natchez Trace for a while until we came to a perfect spot to pull off: tall, wavering grass, big oak tree, picturesque view over the water. Travis parked the truck and got out, then opened the backseat only to pull out a sleeping bag and several blankets to put in the bed of the truck. I walked around, climbed up in the back, and began laying out the blankets. In a moment, he climbed up and settled in beside me with a hand full of candles, which he began to light and set out. Then we opened bottles of champagne and ginger ale and began sipping on the holiday mixture and sat back on the cozy palate.

   At the time, I didn't think much about the romantic gestures, that is just typical Travis.  But here is where the story gets interesting. Around the time we realized we don't really like champagne, the wind picked up and the candles went dim. After several failed attempts to relight them, we gave up, and the wind did not. A few moments later, we were squinting into the blinking blue lights of a state trooper car, followed by a loud voice amplified by a megaphone: "The west bank is closed except to fishermen."

   Really??? Yep. So we got out and began to pack up our things. So there we were, with nowhere to go, driving down a federal road with an open container (we lost the cork). After searching for about 20 minutes, we finally found a public loading dock and turned in. It took a bit but we re-situated ourselves in the bed of the truck. As we sat and looked out over the water, we spied a heavy black cloud inching its way toward us. The wind picked up to a strong side-ways gust and the temperature dropped considerably. So there we sat in the cold wind, fearing rain at any moment, with absolutely no fireworks in sight.

   It wasn't long until "the proposal" began. I will spare you the mushy details, but after several sweet sentences proclaiming his love, Travis pulled a box out of his pocket, and asked me to be his wife. I said "Yes!" very quickly and repeatedly, and when he put the ring on my finger I threw in a "thank you".

   We sat and talked for a little while before calling my parents. Of course, they already knew, as he had asked for their permission in early December. But they were excited, as was my sister. We got back to his house just before midnight and had a mini-celebration with his parents. I soon learned that I was one of the very few people who didn't know it was coming.

   I think it took me an hour to fall asleep that night, but waking up knowing I will soon be Mrs. Travis McCullouch was one of the best feelings of my life. He is absolutely my best friend, as well as a kind, smart, goofball, and it is a blessing each day I get to spend with him.

   I will post soon with updates, including ring pictures and wedding details. For now I am still reveling in my joy.