Engagement Sneak Peek!

on Sunday we met up with our amazing photographer

Libby McGowan

we cannot rave enough about her 

seriously 

we met from 5:30-8:00pm

(typical engagement sessions are 1.5 hours) 

she went above and beyond for us 

yet again 

here is a sneak peek of the pictures 

we did most of them around NC State campus 

there are a few more secret locations...waiting for the rest to share :)

my grandmother is mildy obsessed with Jared's seersucker suit

Court of the Carolinas and the ears in the Brickyard 

behind the Court of the Carolinas
I am SO in love with these three! 

Jared's idea to take some pictures at our favorite bar across from campus 

can't wait for Libby to capture our wedding day

really never thought Jared or I would be so comfortable in front of a camera 

Wedding Wednesday

Kelly and Matt Become Mr. and Mrs. Miller! 

this weekend was absolutely wonderful
mainly because we got to see two of our close friends get married! 

Kelly and Jared went to high school and ran cross country together

Matt and Jared met their freshman year of college way back in 2004...

Kelly and Matt have been together about that long (wow-wee)

Now begins the overwhelming amount of iPhone pictures I took over the weekend 

Rehearsal Dinner May 24, 2013

held at the Tucker House in Downtown Raleigh 

borrowed from: http://showandtellblog.typepad.com/
how fantastic is that location?!

my hot date for the weekend!
(and the rest of my life)

with the gorgeous soon to be Mrs. Miller! 

handsome groom and two of his groomsmen..up to no good. 

Wedding Day May 25, 2013 

ceremony was held at Sacred Heart Cathedral

most gorgeous Catholic church in Raleigh

the reception was held at Haywood Hall 

it was the most gorgeous location for a wedding that I have ever seen 

perfect southern feel that fit Kelly and Matt wonderfully! 

 first dance and joint father-daughter, mother-son dances!

speech and special gift time

 Matt got a "Masters Green Jacket" and Kelly got a personal caddy outfit

besties

Mr. and Mrs. Wuf surprised the bride and groom
best thing I have ever seen at a wedding
so jealous

Old Southern Traditon: 

bury a bottle of bourbon upside down a month before the wedding 

sky should be clear on the big day! 

worked for them, lets hope it does the same for us!

of the four years at NC State I never got a picture with them
my dreams came true at the wedding
I was literally star struck

 with the groom

Kelly, "suddenly I forgot how to cut a cake!" 

 

bubble hazing send off 

they rode away in a vintage truck named "Old Blew" 

adorable. 

Post Wedding Brunch May 26, 2013

the morning after the wedding a brunch was held at Tobacco Road 

it was a great way to get family and friends together on a smaller scale to continue the celebration

and discuss the events from the night before

having a brunch is actually a tradition in my family so it was nice to see someone else do too! 

Love Story

Today is our 5 year anniversary together 

the final one before we get hitched 

4 months and 4 days until our forever starts

I thought I would post about how Jared and I came to be where we are now

January 2008

we met  

Jared had just recently returned to North Carolina from Texas 

where he had to live for a while with his parents 

he wasn't in school, didn't have a degree and was selling cars (not ideal)

I had heard many stories from mutual friends about him

I was intrigued to meet "The Jared"

February 13, 2008

our first "date"  

since neither of us had money he picked me from the dorm 

we went to his apartment to watch Out Cold (so romantic)

he didn't have anything to eat or drink

it was super awkward 

I was still hung up on the guy I met at the beginning of my Freshman year

I confided in my roommates that I didn't think it was going to work with Jared 

February 14, 2008

Layne tells Jared that he and I are not going to work out 

basically told him I wasn't interested 

obviously he was devastated ;) 

My frist year of college went on...

Jared and I continued our on & off(ness)

remained just friends 

trying to hide our feelings for each other 

at Buckhead singing to each other
lots of classy memories were made there 

Then he brought another girl out one night 

it was all over

we didn't talk or see each other for sometime 

May 16, 2008 

Jared came to Wilmington for the weekend 

tequila and a long conversation bring us back together

May 24, 2008 

we make it official 

Jared, like a high school kid, 

asks me to be his girlfriend as Hillman's graduation party 

again, so romantic...

we fell fast and hard 

June 2008

our frist real date at Mellow Mushroom 

Jared tells me he thinks he is falling in love with me 

tells my mother, over toxic margaritas, that he is going to marry me 

we say "I love you" 

I knew early on I wanted to marry him 

but, I told him I could never marry a man that didn't have a college degree 

or at least a stable job & selling cars is not stable

December 2008 

fly to Texas 

meet the Rice family 

they are simply outstanding 

fall even more in love 

January 2009 

Jared is back at NC State 

pursuing his Bachelors of Business Administration degree 

May 2010

Jared graduates from NC State 

starts his first full time "big boy job" 

 

November 2010

we get our precious fur-baby 

Beauregard 

May 2011 

I graduate from NC State 

June 2011

I move to Greensboro 

we do long-distance for a little while 

July 2011 

Jared moves to Piedmont Triad

starts working for R.J. Reynolds 

January 2012

we move in together in Winston-Salem

I start my accelerated nursing program 

June 2012 

Jared gets his "dream" job at John Deere Hitachi 

I say dream because when Jared was first back in school he made a list of potential employers 

the only name on that list:

John Deere 

August 2012 

Jared is accepted into Wake Forest's Master of Business Administration program! 

this was so unexpected but oh so wonderful 

later in August...

we get ENGAGED! 

August was a really great month

March 2013 

earn my BSN and become an RN 

Dreams can come true folks :)

I can't wait to call such an amazing man my husband!  

Traits

Your top three worst traits. 

1. I over-analyze 

every. single. situation. 

someone once called me a ruminator 

ru-mi-nate (verb): to turn a matter over and over in the mide or to chew cud (what cows do) 

I was not flattered 

2. I am quick to judge 

I form opinions about people as soon as I meet them 

often those opinions are hard to change 

3. I nag 

yes, I admit it, I nag Jared 

about everything 

I worry he will forget if I don't keep reminding him 

really working on this. 

Schooled

Things you've learned that school won't teach you. 

What did school teach me? 

Hmm well, 

my most recent degree, BSN, taught me how to take care of patients 

before that I was unprepared for life 

high school failed me going into college. 

9th grade gym class
oh if I could go back...

I have learned that...

the outfit above was not cool (then or now) 

the girl in above is my best friend (basically my sister)

plans don't always work out 

you will not get your dream job right out of college 

I am not as smart as my GPA tells me I am

life isn't always fair 

wine can almost make any day better 

love is the best feeling in the world 

grades are not the end all be all 

who you were in the past doesn't have to define your future 

friends should be treated like family 

managing money and paying bills sucks 

being an adult isn't as fun as it looks 

life moves pretty fast (Ferris Buller actually taught me that one) 

don't take people for granted 

you will survive with out the expensive clothes 

some people are just mean 

men don't know what you're thinking, no matter how long you've been together 

it is never as bad as it seems 

always get a to-go drink, you will want it later 

fountain Diet Coke is better than bottled 

I am blessed with everything life has given me 

Rant

Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. 

Oh this is a perfect topic for me

 I love to rant about my pet peeves 

(I have a lot)

I will only discuss two...

First, 

I cannot stand, repeat Can.Not.Stand., when people post on social media about TV shows/movies

I understand people if take to Facebook and Twitter after the show ends to say how they felt about it

A simple, "The season finale of Revenge was freaking crazy!!" 

done. 

People seem to think that this is the place where they can discuss specific events that happened 

Last week three season finales of shows were ruined for me

News Flash: it's 2013 people

some people work, do other things, and don't watch the show live when it airs! 

(mostly to avoid boring commercials)

don't ruin it for others folks

Also, it is ridiculously stupid to live tweet as a show is airing. 

That is all on that one. 

Second, 

Chew with your mouth closed. 

This is my top pet peeve

because it is disgusting 

I hate eating with people who smack their food and I can see inside their mouths 

Parents should teach their children to chew properly 

really its not difficult to do. 

My mom (and grandmother) stayed on us about this growing up 

hence mouth-closed-chewing

Really it is just nasty and makes me not want to eat with you. 

Phew that feels good to rant about. 

Struggle

Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now. 

Jared left this morning. 

He is gone to Milwaukee on a business trip

At 3:30am he kissed me goodbye and headed for the airport

I will not see him until Matt and Kelly's rehearsal dinner Friday night,
(yay for our sweet friends finally tying the knot!!)
which is also our five year anniversary together (what the what!?)

We will be apart for 112 long hours. 

People may think this is "dramatic" that this is my current "struggle"

But in all honesty we spend very little time apart from each other

And I like it that way. 

circa december 2008
that time Jared surprised me with his new "haircut"
and that I thought it was cool to part my hair entirely too far over...
even then we were inseparable. 

It isn't just the being apart part that is my struggle

It's the fact that my anxiety sky rockets when he isn't here.

Early in this challenge we had to talk about fears which I discussed here

Basically I freak about, well, everything. 

I have anxiety about everything. 

Especially when left to my own devices...

So really I am struggling with not only being away from my future hubs 

aka protector of all things scary and my life saver 

but the fact that every noise in this house scares me...

Beau is comforting, but won't beat down an intruder (lick to death, yes)...

we live in a not so safe neighborhood...

my car is sketch and likes to not work when I most need it...

 I am struggling with my anxiety. 

It could get its own chapter in my life

because it sucks and takes over my psyche.

hurry up Friday

Good thing I am marrying the man who keeps me clam and somewhat sane. 

Phew, deep breath. 

I will survive this week and Jared will travel safely home to me

and whatever the future holds (travel or not) we will survive.

Memory

Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try and be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt. 

I am an awfully forgetful person. Which is mainly why I wanted to start this blog. I don't remember a lot of the memories I have. Sure there are bits and pieces of times in my past but I can hardly remember what I ate for lunch yesterday. 

One vivid memory I have of my childhood is when my cousins were visiting us in Wilmington for vacation. In an early post I talked about how close we were to them and I loved when they came to see us. I can't remember how old I was, but if I had to guess I would say 9 or so. 

My mom and aunt gathered us in the living room and said there was something they needed to tell us. They gently told us that our great grandmother had passed away (their grandmother). My oldest cousin immediately burst into tears. I don't know what came over me but I felt the sudden urge to laugh. I still don't know if it's because I looked up to her and she was older and a mess over this, or if didn't fully understand what was going on at the time and that was my best reaction. 

My cousins were going to leave Wilmington to go to Florida for the funeral. I remember this making me really sad and jealous. I wanted to spend more time with my cousins. How come they got to go to the funeral and I had to stay at home? 

I wish I could go back and slap myself for being selfish. My great grandmother was an amazing strong Polish woman who I was lucky enough to meet and spend some of my childhood with. I wish I had more memories of her and the time we shared. 

I can't hear the Barenaked Ladies song One Week and not think about this memory of my childhood.

"Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad 

I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral..."

Photo

A favorite photo of yourself and why. 

Taken in the New York City Subway Station December 2009 on a family trip to the city. 

Its not the most flattering picture but...

this my favorite because I think it sort of describes me as a person. 

Loud. Energetic. Excited. 

Just loving life.