happy new year!

so i haven't been able to decide whether i was going to keep blogging or not...seeing as it has been forever since my last post, i had almost given up on myself. but since my husband (we will get to that part in a bit) works all day and i now have the coveted title of "housewife, (for now, at least) i have some time on my hands.

so where did we leave off? oh yes, i was in the midst of wedding planning. geez, i'm glad i never have to do that again. i do not recommend planning a wedding while in law school...and if you can't get around that, at least don't try to have a job, transfer schools, and move across the country while planning said wedding. all stress aside, my wedding was everything i wanted it to be and more. i think the best part was that all 38 wedding attendants (yes, 38. 13 bridesmaids, 13 groomsmen, 7 honorary attendants, and 5 ushers) not only got along with each other the entire weekend, but left the weekend with 38 new best friends. i have heard over and over again from not only the wedding party, but other guests at the wedding that they have never seen two groups (my friends and erik's friends) mesh so well and have so much fun together. we are already planning a wedding reunion weekend with everyone next December in Starkville! the weekend started on Thursday night, when a bunch of the out of town members of the wedding party (which was most of the wedding party) got into Starkville. We hit the ground running with BBQ at my parents' house and then out in the Cotton District. Friday was full of last minute wedding stuff for Erik and I, and the rehearsal was pure chaos. Needless to say, the cocktail hour before the Rehearsal Dinner was much appreciated. The Rehearsal Dinner was amazing- so many hilarious and tear-jerking toasts by our best friends, a beautiful atmosphere, and legit food (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans. a true southern meal for the Texas guests). Everyone once again hit the town after dinner, but Erik had to get me home before midnight (so he wouldn't see me on our "wedding day!") and I learned the next day that we missed quite the afterparty. I was just glad to get some good sleep! The Wedding Day STILL feels like a blur. I can't wait to get the photos and video from the wedding so that I can actually remember what went on that day! We had a bridal brunch the morning of, given by my MOHs and their moms. It was delicious and preciously decorated...the perfect way to start the day! Then off to the church to get ready and take photos before the wedding. Still don't remember much of all that. Then the ceremony- we even forgot to say "I do"....but I am told that the marriage is still official. :) Fast forward to the Reception...my favorite part of the entire weekend. We had it at a Lodge outside of Starkville, and in my personal opinion, it was the prettiest reception I've ever seen. Very rustic romantic. I don't think I left the dancefloor all night once the band started playing. Never ate, missed talking to alot of guests (that I so wish i would have seen/spent some time with!), but man did I tear up that dancefloor. Me and Erik both LOVE to dance, so it was inevitable that it would happen. I managed to somehow spill red wine on my dress, break my bustle, and change shoes 3 times before the end of the night. The most vivid part of my wedding for me was getting in the limo as we left the reception and looking at Erik and saying, "that was the best wedding I've ever been to!" It truly was the best day/night of my life so far.

bridal brunch- most of the girls

awesome bridesmaids

The rest of the holidays included a mini-honeymoon to Memphis, TN for the week before Christmas (our big honeymoon is in March- we are going to Kaui, Hawaii!)....we stayed at the Marriot a few nights and then moved to the Peabody for our last 2 nights...it was so much fun. We slept in, watched tons of movies, ate every few hours, and explored downtown and even made a trip to Germantown, where Erik lived as a kid. We got back to Mississippi on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas with my family. Of course, Christmas now revolves around what Jack Thomas (my precious nephew) thinks about everything....and i am totally okay with that. The best part of Christmas was waking up on Christmas morning, looking out my window, and seeing SNOW pouring down! I immediately rolled over and woke up Erik so he could see it, and we both got so excited! My first Christmas with my husband- a memory I will never forget.

 jack thomas' first Christmas. how adorable is he!?

The day after Christmas, we packed up and headed home to San Anton. I have spent the past two weeks unpacking a bazillion boxes, attempting to cook for Erik, and learning my way around the city. I have quickly discovered that San Antonio has the best shopping I have ever experienced. You name a store, and SA has it, somewhere in this town. Dangerous. My mom is coming to stay with me next weekend while Erik goes to a bachelor party....I can't wait to hit the stores with her!

wedding overload

wedding planning has officially overtaken my brain. it is all i think about lately. 

for example:

i passed by a large replica of the Constitution in my law school atrium, and immediately wondered who wrote it and more importantly, if i could pay them to address my invitations with their elegant handwriting. 

every time i go to a married friend’s house now, i check the bottoms of her plates and cups to see what brand they are- so that i can go update my registries with the new items that i saw/liked.

i dream about our wedding day at least twice a week. 

my day at work consists of- emailing my mom about new wedding ideas, emailing erik about shower dates and tux options, googling all things “bridal” and “wedding”, shopping online for bathing suits for our honeymoon, and g-chatting my maid of honor about upcoming bachelorette party plans. tough job.

whenever a slow song comes on my ipod or radio, i intently listen to the words to decide if it could possibly be used during the ceremony or as our first dance. 

….i need a break! luckily, i am home for the week and have been able to get some stuff done- with some free time left this trip so that i can spend some time with my two pregnant friends and *hopefully* get to see my nephew in person!?

registering

i always thought that registering would be one of the highlights of being engaged. picking out all new dishes, bedding, accessories, utensils…a girl’s dream, right? not so much for me…for several reasons. 

a) i am terribly indecisive, and the fact that there are about a million salad plate options alone makes my head want to explode.

b) the long distance factor-since we are having to do tons of wedding stuff the few weekends we are actually together, we’ve barely have time to go pick stuff out. 

c) i do NOT have a knack for decorating (or even knowing what colors go together) so the stuff that i have picked out probably is going to look horrendous next to each other- at least that’s my fear.

last week, i had to register at one last store and E couldn’t go, so mom volunteered to come along with me. It was both a brilliant idea and a disaster all at once. brilliant, because she DOES have the gift of decorating, and told me- very frankly- that the items i had chosen to go together were just not going to work. a disaster (at the time) because she wouldn’t let me register for over half the items that i was convinced that i really needed (that i probably would have chosen had i gone with E). although, i am fairly certain i will thank her for that when i actually get the things i really wanted, instead of that random air purifier that E randomly scanned behind my back a few weeks ago. i will never understand the infatuation between boys and those scanners. but anyway, i ended up picking alot of things that i really really want, which means i now have to go and fix my registries at the other stores that have completely different color schemes. whoopie. 

oh, and one piece of wisdom to other soon-to-be brides out there….Bed, Bath, and Beyond no longer gives you cash back for your returns. i found that out after we had spent at least half our day in there registering for every item in the store in hopes that we would get it and could later return it, thus becoming millionaires. oh well. 

a summer hodgepodge

Remember the days when I had time to blog about any and everything that crossed my mind? I want those days back sometimes. I'm pretty sure that someone pushed the fast-forward button on my life since I last blogged (in may!), and I feel like I have been frantically trying to find the stop button ever since. Let me just tell you a few things that have been going on in my summer so far:

i moved to texas for the summer.
i got engaged (obviously...see previous post).
i worked more hours than i ever thought possible, suing what seemed like every insurance company in america. (for good reasons, don't worry).
i went on family vacation to arizona with my new in-laws.
my little brother got married.
one of my life-long friends had her second little boy, who i got to see the day he was born.
i drove from texas back to virginia in two days.
i spent the fourth of july with erik on the beach.
i went to summer camp with my younglife girls in new york.
i ordered my wedding dress, and booked my: photographer, videographer, church, venue, caterer, florist, and musicians, and sent out our save the dates. whew.
i created/finished our wedding website. (that deserved a sentence of its own because it took forever!)
two of my best friends informed me that they are pregnant!
i began (and am still in) an online non-profit law class.

I really feel like each sentence listed above could have been a post/story of its own...but with so much happening all at once, time has just gotten away from me....so you will just have to take my word for it when i say that each of my summer experiences was just that....an experience. I wouldn't trade the memories from this summer for anything...but I would be lying if I said that I have enjoyed living life in the super-fast lane the past few months. I leave this weekend for yet another event, my friend Katie's bachelorette party...and then next week onto Mississippi to do some more wedding planning, and finishing off that week with Stuart's wedding. Hopefully one of these months, I will get a chance to breathe. highly doubtful. But hey, life is good...change is coming at a rapid pace...and I am determined to be ready to embrace it!

the best day of my life

i have never been more excited to tell a story than i am about telling this one. i have dreamed about the man that would ask to marry me my entire life, and i am telling you what....the man i got, and the story that comes with it, is so much more than i could have ever imagined! Now for "the story"...

Erik had been assuring me that we would get engaged at some point this summer while I was living in Texas (i am here until the end of June) since we both knew we wanted a Christmas wedding and I had been reminding him- daily- that weddings take a long time to plan. (sounds like me, doesn't it?) Of course, I was constantly asking everyone I knew who may have known something about when he was going to do it, but I couldn't get anything out of anyone...no one seemed to have any ideas. So the first weekend after I got to Texas, I headed to Austin for the weekend to see Erik (i am living in Houston and he lives in San Antonio, so we decided to meet every weekend in Austin to be able to see each other). My brother had pretty much convinced me earlier in the week that there was no way that Erik would do it the first weekend I was there because that would be way too obvious, and he also said he hadn't heard anything about any plans of my parents coming to Texas (which I kinda assumed that they would come whenever he did it) and that he was going to be so mad if they came all the way to Texas and he didn't know anything about it. I totally believed him. So off to Austin I went....semi-pouting the whole way, and with no cute clothes packed- i didn't want to waste any of my cute outfits on a non-eventful weekend! The first night I got there, we went to eat at one of my favorite restaurants in Austin, but it was my idea to go there so I knew he wouldn't do it somewhere that he hadn't planned himself..so no surprise there, obviously. It had been raining all day and was supposed to keep raining all weekend, so we didn't really have any plans for the rest of the weekend....just chilling at his parents house and watching movies in the rain and then going to eat that night for one of his friend's birthday. I had known about that party for a while, because the last time I was in Austin I had met that friend for the first time and he brought up going to do something for his birthday that particular weekend. so no surprise there either. We slept in really late the next day, and while we were eating breakfast, the sun started coming out. We ended up going for a walk in his parent's neighborhood and down to the horse stables...I kept commenting on what a beautiful day it was turning out to be, and Erik seemed to be really surprised too but said he was kinda bummed because he had wanted to stay in and watch movies in the rain all day. After our walk, I wanted him to lay out with me by his parents pool so I could get some sun, and he told me we could, as long as we could leave the house by 4:30 that afternoon since he wasn't really sure how to get to the restaurant where we were supposed to be meeting everyone for Kevin's party. (He had been texting and talking to his friends on the phone throughout the previous week and all weekend trying to figure out where Kevin wanted to go for his birthday, and he supposedly just found out that afternoon what the plan was going to be) So i got myself ready, truly believing we were headed to Ski Shores for dinner. As we were driving, the thought crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, he was actually taking me somewhere else and was going to propose. No sooner had that thought crossed my mind, I saw a sign that said "Ski Shores ahead"...the restuarant where we were meeting everyone. My heart kind of sank, but I was determined not to get disappointed, because after all, I knew it wasn't coming this weekend anyway, right?!

We were about 30 minutes early for dinner (because Erik "thought it took longer than it actually did") so we had some time to kill before the party started. There was a park nearby that I had heard about last summer when living in Austin that was right on the lake, so he told me he would just run us down there and let me see it. Again, I started to get suspicious, and my heart skipped a few beats at that point. As we pulled up in the park, however, I felt let down- again. It wasn't a very "pretty" kind of park...more like a party park, with people all camping out everywhere and loud parties going on all around the place. Knowing the romantic that Erik is, I just knew he wouldn't propose there, with all those people all around and no place to really be by ourselves. But we parked anyway, and got out to walk around a little bit and go see the boats go by on the lake (and you know how I am about lakes- just seeing a wakeboard boat will make me happy!) We managed to find one picnic table that wasn't occupied, so he wanted to go and sit down for a second since we were still "killing time"and he had paid $8 just to get in there anyway- wanted to get our money's worth. So we sat down on the bench (well, I sat...he wouldn't sit down but just kept looking down the lake alot) and then I started getting suspicious again. He was acting weird and checking his phone alot, and Erik NEVER gets nervous (or checks his phone!!) so I knew at that point that something was going on. He sat down on the bench and smiled really big at me, and started telling me that he had been reading a verse alot lately and that he was really excited about getting to live it out soon...so of course, I asked him what verse that was (we both were smiling really big at this point) and he told me that it was Ephesians 5:25 ("husbands love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her") and that he knew God had blessed and ordained our relationship-from the moment we met up until that very day. He talked for a while about alot of other sweet things (i was crying at this point) and then just smiled at me. I finally asked, "are you going to ask me or not!?" he told me I had to wait though, because he had a surprise for me first. So we just sat there for a while, and he kept looking down the lake - which made me turn around and look down the lake to see what he was looking for, but there was nothing ever down there! After about 15 minutes, he finally took my hand and told me to come out by the lake and stand there with him. So I did, and when we were almost to the water, he stopped, got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and finally asked me if I would marry him! I immediately screamed "YES!", grabbed the ring from the box, and gave him a huge hug.  As soon as I put the ring on, he told me to look out at the water....there was a HUGE party barge going by right then that started honking, with tons of people on the boat cheering and waiving....our friends and family had seen the entire thing!!! We walked down to the dock at the park and the boat came back to pick us up to join the party. (Erik kept saying over and over, "I did SO good!!") We spent the rest of the evening riding down Lake Austin on the boat, listening to music, eating BBQ, and hanging out with all of our friends. Of course, the weather was GORGEOUS the entire time- sunny and breezy....my favorite kind of day! My parents' flight had gotten cancelled that morning to get to Austin for the party, so the next one they could get on arrived right as the boat was docking....we went straight to the hotel to meet them and show them my new ring! We ended the night by going out downtown on 6th street with all of our friends, and the next morning Erik's parents hosted a brunch at their house for both of our families. My parents' first (cancelled flight) was supposed to leave really early on Sunday morning, but their new flight didn't leave until Sunday evening so we got to spend the whole day hanging out with both of our parents after brunch. Erik also surprised me by getting a flight back to Austin from Houston late Sunday night so that he could drive with me back to Houston on Sunday afternoon. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. :)

right when i saw the boat- so surprised!

some of my favorite people in the whole world.

the first meeting of the in-laws. a GREAT success! 

the ring. obviously.

I could not have imagined a more perfect engagement....on a lake/boat, on a beautiful day, with so many people I love, in TEXAS! I haven't stopped looking at my ring since I got it, and I think I am still in shock that it's really happening! I'M GETTING MARRIED!!! AHHH!!!!! I must say, that God is truly amazing...I have prayed for my husband and this moment my entire life, and I have never seen the goodness and faithfulness of God in such great measure as in my relationship with Erik. People always say, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." I say, however, that if it seems too good to be true, it's probably GOD! I could not tell this story without giving the Lord all the credit for the wonderful man I get to marry in 7 short months! 

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is GOOD!"- psalm 107:1

easter and a fool

let me just say...i have been in desperate need of some warmer weather lately. i am convinced that cold/wet weather drastically dampens my mood, and last week was especially cold and wet in VB...no bueno for lori. however, the weather was AWESOME by Friday...just in time for a fun easter weekend! 

my parents and erik both came to virginia beach to visit for the weekend...mom and dad came in friday morning, giving us the whole day to hang out (and SHOP) since i didn't have school or work. i loved having them in town...they took me and some of my friends out to eat friday night (before erik got in) and then spent the rest of the weekend hanging with just me and E. Erik had to study a little while on Saturday for a big test he has this upcoming week, so we went and shopped some more to "kill some time" while he diligently studied. As most of you know, i am a hardcore shopper, and even more so when my mom is around...we can go to a mall and stay from 8 am until they kick us out at night and STILL not have gone everywhere we wanted to go that day. That being said, this is how i know i am in love-- as soon as Erik texted me telling me he was done studying and that we could come get him whenever we finished, i booked it for the check-out counter with only ONE shirt in-hand (in forever 21, my favorite store!!)...all i cared about at that point was getting back to him as soon as possible. Don't worry, we spent the rest of the weekend attached at the hip....the way i prefer it. :) We took mom and dad to Sunrise (our favorite breakfast joint in VA- also where we had our first "date")  before church this morning, and then hit up the early service at Wave. awesome service, as always. I am going to miss that church next year! After my parents left town (they were planning on driving all the way back to MS today....gross), we met up with all of our friends and went to brunch (yes, we like to eat. don't judge) at Doc Taylor's on the beach. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, so we sat outside in the sun and drank mimosas for a couple of hours...definitely got a few new freckles after that. 

the cutest boy in the world. 

the gang.

in other news, my parents pulled a GOOD April Fools on me this year. So on their drive to Virginia, they were planning on stopping along the way and looking at some jet skis (because they are also planning on getting a LAKE HOUSE soon, woo hoo!). Well, i am sitting in class (trying to create a fake ad on Craig's List for free puppies with my mom's contact information for April Fools--didn't work though, ugh) and she texts me and says, "Dad just bought you two brand new jet skis"...so of course i am thinking HA HA, you got me....NOT...and so I texted back, "very funny, this an April Fools joke isn't it" because if you know my dad at all, you may know that he is very frugal...he has never bought a BRAND NEW anything as far as i know! So my mom continues with the "joke" and swears that she is serious and that they are being put together at the moment and that they will be able to pick them up in a couple of weeks. My mom has never, ever played an April Fools on me before, so I am more amused than anything about this conversation we were having. So then, my dad calls (i can't answer because i am in class still) and leaves a voicemail that I later listened to assuring me it WAS, in fact, a joke and that he would never buy two brand new jet skis (just as i had suspected). SO...the next morning we were at lunch and I was commending mom on her good April Fools joke, and she told me they had a "confession"....they REALLY HAD gotten the jet skis after all! The April Fools was the "April Fools" part of the story after all! At least I got two new rides out of it....me and erik are already planning trips home so that we can hit up the river this summer/fall and try them out! 

reunited

i am so excited about my weekend....i am heading to DC after class today to spend the weekend with one of my all time BEST friends, Natalie! It's her birthday this weekend, and our other bff, Baleigh, is flying up for the festivities. I cant wait to see the girls and catch up on life. Some of my favorite college memories were made with these two girls, and my life has definitely been changed-for the better-by having them in my life. Happy Bday, Nat! Can't wait to see you!

bag check.

so yeah, i officially hate long distance. you all know this. however, i have found the key to long-distance dating: seeing each other...A LOT. i really don't understand how people can date long distance for long periods of time and only see each other like once a month (or even less)...i would be so depressed! i already get so sad when erik is not around, and we at least get to see each other almost every other weekend. in attempts to make our relationship "easier", we sat down the other night (via skype) and planned out every single weekend from now until next December. talk about a task. let's just say i am going to need a sturdier suitcase than the one i currently own if my clothes are going to make it back and forth to/from texas every month.

no but seriously...i am on the lookout for a new one. mine is literally tearing apart from all the traveling/flying i have done in the past seven months. it's been a trusty companion, but i am about to have to send it to its final resting place. it was a good one too--burnt orange....easy to spot at baggage claim. so, i am starting my search for a new, cute, spacious, and TOUGH suitcase. let me know if you have any suggestions.

oh, and i really really want this bag:

jon hart: carry-on tote bag

I just feel like it would make traveling so much easier if i had this cute bag to carry through the airport (not necessarily in red, although i do like the color). and all jon hart luggage is monogrammed, so unless there happens to be another "LAH" out there with a knack for stealthy purse-snatching, I should feel pretty safe about leaving it alone in the overhead bins. 

bangs

so, i got bangs yesterday. i cant decide if i love them or hate them. i mean, i think they look cute...but as you know, i have VERY curly hair and i haven't worn them curly yet. could be a distaster. and i just want to touch them all the time, so that makes my hair more greasy when it's straight. i think they are just going to take some getting used to, but i am glad i did it- i was in a MAJOR hair funk...i needed something different to give me some encouragement to actually fix my hair in the morning. we'll see how long that lasts...

(ps i HATE self portraits...but i wanted to show them to you!)

the in-between

I feel like I am living a double life lately. well, in a sense. My life seems to be taking two directions simultaneously. one headed straight for Texas, and the other firmly planted right here in Virginia. For instance, I will be spending the first two months of this coming summer working in Houston....and the other two months working in Virginia Beach. I will be staying in VB for the first part of my 3L year and then finishing it out in San Antonio. I feel like i spend all of my free time planning/daydreaming about my future plans (all in Texas) and the other half actually getting stuff done in school, work, and Younglife (in Virginia). As much as I am ready to be with Erik in Texas, a part of me is not quite ready to leave the amazing friends I have made here. I have loved Regent since the first time I stepped foot on its campus...and as much as I am ready to be done with school in general, I really would prefer to stay in this little bubble as long as possible! I feel torn almost everyday about this, but I know that God has a plan for me HERE right now and THERE a little bit later....and I guess that really is what is getting me through this little funk I'm in lately.

"I woke up this morning, with Texas on my mind" -Pat Green

and.....breathe.

well, to say i had an eventful spring break would be pretty accurate. i am finally back in Virginia (not happy about it either) from my jet-setter week across the continental United States. My flight pattern went something like this: Virginia-(ATL)-Mississippi-Texas (Dallas, Austin, & Houston!)-California-Texas-(Florida)-Virginia. Luckily, I got to do most of those flights with Erik, so those were more of an adventure than a hassle. I lost my bags once (on my very first flight, ugh!), almost missed our flight back to Texas, and had two planes delayed. Considering all the flights we were on throughout the week, I guess those problems were fairly minimal!

erik, during our flight from MS to TX. poor thing, he was worn out.

Mississippi was wonderful in every way. The weather was awesome the entire weekend, so we spent most of it outside. We did go skeet shooting--no one tried to shoot each other, so that was good. Erik did REALLY good....and of course I sucked. whatever, Im a girl. We went to see Carley/Cole and Harris/Louis in Left Field Lounge later that day....I was so excited about taking E there, and he loved it- esp. since Cole had cooked some bacon-wrapped deer meat for us! we didnt watch ANY of the game...but catching up with the girls was way more important at the moment. :)

my bests. 

We went out that night and saw *almost* ALL of my high school friends, which was so much fun! We flew to Texas the next day and spent a couple of days in Austin with Erik's family (Erik was sick and we both had to study the whole time- not an ideal situation, but we somehow managed to make it enjoyable)

Then I flew to Houston and spent a couple of days with Bo and Emily...I pretty much just played with Maverick (their ADORABLE dog) the entire time- we went on a lot of walks together. I almost killed him at one point when I "accidentally" let him off his leash and he ran full speed around a corner and straight up to a Doberman Pincher. Imagine the scene: me, sprinting after this tiny dog and screaming the whole way, him yapping at this HUGE dog that is literally trying to eat him for lunch, and the Doberman's owner- who weighed MAYBE 115 pounds- trying to choke her dog by pulling him off of Mav, and me trying to keep Mav out of his mouth while also trying not to get MY hand bitten off by the killer-dog. Lesson learned: NEVER let a dog off his leash, no matter how cute or "good" he appears to be. 

yeah, he LOOKS cute...

The night before we left for California, Erik drove into Houston and we went out with some of our friends from Camp. I say "our" because although we were originally supposed to meet up with some of MY friends, a bunch of HIS good friends ended up showing up to this random bar we were at...and everyone in our groups already knew each other!! I feel like mine and Erik's worlds get smaller and smaller everyday with the amount of mutual friends we have that we usually don't even realize until something like that happens! i love it. 

and these are the reasons why i now want to live in H-town.

We left EARLY the next morning for California- let's just say it took some patience and a lot of love for each other-on both of our parts-to be in a good mood traveling so early. Everyone tells me that one of the biggest "tests" of a relationship is how well you travel together. I was happy that we passed that test..for the most part, i loved traveling with him- he is way more patient than I am and doesnt get stressed as quickly as I do about flights, bags, etc.  AND he let me sleep in his lap during every flight. What's not to love? I will post about our Cali trip later (it's WAY too much to explain in this already too-long post!) but it was a weekend I will never forget. I will include one pic from the weekend....but don't judge my no-makeup face. 

our beautiful view of the Sacramento River on the bridge in Redding

Overall, a VERY successful Spring Break! Now it's back to school- my friend Katie reminded me this morning that we only have FIVE more weeks until finals. I almost puked when she told me that. Looks like it is time to start paying REALLY CLOSE attention in class and craming my outlines into my brain!  ugh! 

the sip

I am about to go crazy....just sitting in class, waiting on 3:20 to get here. (i still have 30 min to go, Lord help me!) All i can think about is being in Mississippi in just a few hours--5 to be exact. Mom and Dad are picking me up (thanks, mom!) and we're going to hang out and wait for E's plane to get in like an hour later. Then we are going STRAIGHT to Bops! I can't wait to get a large bop's favorite with cookie dough...my favorite! Erik is equally obsessed with Bops- but he has yet to find a favorite...maybe we will find him one this weekend. I am planning on eating it at least twice a day. don't judge me. 

I also can't wait to see Harris/Louis and Carley/Cole....we have a big triple date planned all day tomorrow. John's Grocery and Dudy Noble Field, here we come. This weekend will the first time we have all been together with our significant others- we've been planning out our lives together since high school, so I guess this weekend will be the "test" of how well we all get along. I'm not too worried about it....I just hope the guys can get a few words in with us three around! I also get to see all my high school girlfriends who are coming into town for the weekend- girls, get ready for some fun Saturday night!! 

Also, we are going to shoot Skeet tomorrow morning- my dad just got his new skeet shooter in and is ready to try it out. We should probably all pray for Erik. just kidding, him and my dad are pals now...I don't *think* there will be any wedding crashers-type "hunting" going on. But just in case..it may not a bad idea to say a prayer or two. ;) 

needless to say, i am PUMPED about going back home for the weekend. Ice Cream, Baseball, BBRs, Skeet Shooting, and Southern Accents= heavenly.

me again.

i am on a blogging KICK lately! i love it. the only bad part is trying to think of good titles for my posts, without being too cheesy or generic. maybe i will just stop putting titles. anywho, on to more important things. here are a few things going on in my life right now that i feel i should tell you about:

1.  i started this bible study with my law girls this week. we're doing the online plan, where we read like 2-3 chapters per week and come together once a week and talk it over. Most of us didnt realize just how insecure we really are until we started this, but we are all loving it so far. [Let me just say, every girl out there should be reading this book....seriously, this is a massive struggle for ALL girls!]






2.  i also just started doing Pilates! i've only been to one class so far, but i am going again today after class. it is soo relaxing--it's in a very calm-feeling room in my gym and the teacher is super chill and soft spoken. (they would never let me be a pilates teacher. but whatever, i suck at it anyway.) it's actually a pretty intense workout--all core exercises and conditioning. i hope i start seeing some results, but even if i don't i will most likely still go just for a little r&r during the week. i should probably invest in a yoga mat too- i used the ones they provide last time, but i always feel yucky after laying my face on it.

not me. and for the record: i despise that stretch/move.

3. i cant pay attention in school this week because all i can think about is getting to sit in this little piece of heaven this weekend with a very special friend:

and i get to lay my head down here:

change of profession

screw law school.....i'm going to be a flight attendant. heck, i probably know how to do their job better than they do these days. 

who wouldn't want to be a stewardess with outfits like those?!

this weekend begins yet another crazy spell of flying (remember my 12 airport visits in the month of December?) only this time it is all happening in ONE week!! Beginning on Friday afternoon, I will fly from Norfolk to Jackson--w/ a nice little layover in the ATL, an airport that absolutely DESPISE. Don't get me started. After spending the weekend in Starkville (i'm sure i will blog more about that later this week), me and E will fly back to Austin together (w/ a layover in DFW- Erik's favorite airport...I have yet to figure out what is so great about it). I am spending the next day hanging out with his mom before flying to Houston (flight #5 if you haven't been keeping count) to stay with Bo and Em for a few days. Erik is getting into H-town thursday night, just in time to fly out Friday morning for CALIFORNIA! (don't you worry, there is a layover involved in that flight somewhere- not even sure where at the moment). After spending the weekend in Redding, we will fly BACK to Houston and spend the night again with Bo/Em. I fly out from there the next morning, making it back to Va Beach just in time for Con Law on Monday afternoon (which is where i am at the moment...I am obviously learning a ton in this class). So for those of you that aren't as good at math and/or werent really paying attention, that is 6 separate airport securities I will rush through, 11 planes that i will ask for some peanuts and a diet co...errr...water on, and 17 total airplane touch-downs I will be making.....IN ONE FREAKING WEEK!!! ridiculous...but so worth it. (PS if you have stock in either southwest or american airlines, you should be set for life...don't sell. and you're welcome.)

speaking of traveling, i am trying to find a new bag to travel with as a carry-on (to carry a couple books, my laptop, etc. on the plane) Any suggestions? It needs to be easy to carry, big/small enough to hold a mac, and super cute of course. 

these are a few of my favorite things...

i may be a complete idiot and/or failure, but i have decided to give up TWO things for Lent this year, to make up for the lack of discipline i have shown in the past few years for Lent. I feel like I am a much more disciplined person these days- you kind of have to be when you are a full-time student, have 2 jobs, involved in a youth ministry, try to maintain and strengthen a long distance relationship, and still try to fit some time in there to work out! So that is why I have decided to give up two of the things i love most in the world....

1.

and

2.

I have tried and miserably failed at giving up diet coke for Lent for the past two years. I used to drink 2-3 a day, so it was doomed for failure from day one. However, I have decreased my diet coke (and soft drinks in general) intake to around 3 or 4 per week, so I am pretty confident I can do this now. As for the bread, that may be a different story. I go to Panera a few times a week to study, and I get soup and salad every single time. Of course with the meal comes a nice, warm french baguette to dip into my creamy tomato soup...my stomach is growling just thinking about it. It has become without a doubt one of my favorite meals. SOOO.....this is going to be a challenge to either: find something on the menu that doesnt require bread as an option (panera is a bakery, so that should be easy...NOT), or skip out on Panera all together. Since it's freezing outside right now, and Panera not only has a fireplace in every store but also free wi-fi, it doesnt look like I will taking option #2 anytime soon. Im gonna be doing alot of praying at the cash register it looks like...I'll keep you informed on how it is going. It's only 39 more days....I can so do this. right!?

be my valentine.

well, i guess there really is a first time for everything. This year has held many 'firsts' for me, with regard to Erik....as my first "serious" relationship, he's first boy I've ever said "I love you" to (more importantly, the first boy i have ever really loved!)....and yes, my FIRST EVER Valentine! For the past 23 years (or at least since i realized what V-day was really all about), I have proudly celebrated "Singles Awareness Day"instead and secretly despised any and every couple that stood within even an arms length of each other. One year in college, me and my roommate dressed in all black the entire day to protest the stupidity of the holiday. Too dramatic? We sure didn't think so. And it's not like I never dated anyone all those years- I just somehow managed to NOT be dating anyone during the month of February I guess. I would like to say it was just coincidence that it happened that way, but the truth is, I've never been able to stand mushiness and I run as far and fast as I can at the first sight of it. Hence the reason I have probably subconsciously made sure to be mush-free on February 14th each year. Until this year. I have had to make Erik tone down his mushiness ALOT since we started dating (which most of you probably would not even consider mushy things at all, Im just SO anti-romantic), so I had no idea what I was in for this past weekend. He must have caught on fast, because our Valentine's day was PERFECT, and better than I could have ever imagined my first Valentine's day being.

We started the weekend with all of our friends at a hole-in-the-wall Kareoke bar Friday night that we had discovered our 1L year. I will shamelessly admit, me and Erik were a HUGE HIT with our many duets (mainly b/c erik was hamming it up....as usual), AND we kicked everyone's butt in pool. Overall, a very successful night.

Our official Valentine's celebration actually began on Saturday. Since the very first time Erik came to see me, we have continued a tradition of going to eat breakfast at different restaurants all over Va Beach (there are tons) each morning throughout the weekends. Knowing that one of Erik's favorite restaurants is the Cracker Barrel, I found one near Virginia Beach and took him there for a late breakfast. We had planned to drive to Norfolk and go to a movie at a little indie venue, but it started snowing during breakfast so we decided to skip the drive and watch the Olympics at home instead. We came back to the lodge, built a fort (yes, a fort. it was an awesome idea. pictures to come soon.) and watched TV all afternoon. Well, Erik watched TV- he is obsessed with the Olympics....I mostly just napped. That night, we cooked dinner together, using my mom's homemade chicken spaghetti recipe. We cooked enough to feed a small army, but it tasted AMAZING! We also exchanged presents that night because he couldnt wait any longer- he gave me a freaking michael kors watch....I have only taken it off twice (to shower) since i got it. I'm that in love with it. Mostly because it makes me think of him every time i look at it. :) 

is that thing fine or what?!

On Sunday, we went to our usual pre-church breakfast joint- best breakfast in Virginia Beach and right next to church...how convenient. We spent the afternoon watching (more) Olympics and hanging out, and then went to a special service at church that night about relationships/marriage. We both agreed that it was one of the best part of our weekend---we heard some much needed advice/wisdom from some couples in our church that have been doing life together for a REALLY long time! After church, E took me to Buffalo Wild Wings (so romantic, i know) and our friends Sarah and Gabe met up with us there and we all hung out for a long time discussing law, friendships, the future, and life in general. I love that we have such good friends-both in VA and TX- who live and love life the way we do! 

Erik got to stay one more day than he normally does, since Monday was President's Day and he was off work---we spent it doing homework together. Ah, the life of law students. I cant wait to live in Texas so that i can sit next to him everyday and do homework!! 

winter blues

so apparently Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow last week, meaning we are in for six more weeks of winter. what a lame groundhog. who appointed him the king groundhog anyway?? however, i did hear that several other groundhogs around the world did NOT see their shadow....which if they are right, means we dont have that much longer for winter after all! i am personally going with the majority vote here, and telling p.phil to stay in his little hole where he belongs.

i am bitter about winter- can you tell? it has snowed the past two weekends in virginia beach. not the blink-and-you-miss-it kind of snow either- i'm talking DEEP snow. At first I was loving it- although i was in Texas (w/ erik- who by the way is doing GREAT recovering from surgery!!) when the big snow storm hit, i got home just in time to see EVERYTHING covered in pretty white snow...and i mean everything. James and Ryan wouldn't let me drive my car on the icy roads of course, so they came to the airport that Sunday to pick me up (complete w/ cowboy hats, boots and all- since they figured i would be sad that i had to leave Texas) and I was ushered back to the Lodge to stay the night "in safety" (like there were snow monsters outside or something?!?) but I didnt complain- i was tired and COLD and in no mood to argue with them. Class got cancelled the next day and my Office shut down (Va seriously shuts down at the first sight of a snow flake- just like Mississippi, so I'm totally used to it), so I was at least able to take advantage of the snow problem that seemed to be halting life all over Virginia. However, after about a day of laying around and staring at the snow, I started going stir-crazy. I couldnt drive anywhere because of the roads, and all i wanted was to shower in my own bathroom and get some sweatpants from my house. I finally got to go home the next day when the roads were cleared a little, and from that point on, i was SO OVER the snow. However, the snow was obviously not over me yet, and paid a visit AGAIN this past weekend while me and Katie were in the middle of a drive to Newport News to look for wedding dresses (for her, not me...dont worry). I won't even admit that it was really pretty coming down, because when I think about that, I immediately remember the biting cold that the pretty snow brought with it and just want to cringe. 

some pics:

my snow-covered beach. (ok i will admit, this was pretty)

the lodge monday morning.

front yard.

large snow mound...these were ALL over the place!

my car after the 2nd snow- only a couple hours into it! yuck!

I just cant believe I live in a BEACH TOWN, yet it wont stop snowing! there is something just wrong about that, don't you think?! I am so ready for Spring. I can already imagine it---riding down the boardwalk on beach cruisers, eating on the open porch at Doc Taylor's, wearing linen and seersucker on a regular basis, making MULTIPLE trips to Mississippi....oh, how I hope you are wrong about more winter, p.phil! 

soulmates.

as i write this post, erik is going into surgery to have his appendix taken out. obviously, having an appendectomy is NEVER a good thing....i would know. I had my appendix taken out almost a year ago, and it was the worst pain i have ever experienced. So when Erik called me this morning at 4 am to tell me he was going to the hospital with a really bad pain in the lower right side of his stomach, i immediately knew what was going on. The crazy thing is, last night we were skyping, and I was complaining b/c my stomach hurt really bad...and as we were talking, he started getting a stomach ache too. When i finally said good night and went to bed, mine was starting to feel better. He never brought it up again, so I just figured he was feeling better too. Little did I know, he was getting WAY worse. I never ever hear my phone when I am sleeping (i can sleep through anything), but for some reason when he called me in the middle of the night, I jumped up and answered it without even thinking about what time it must be. As soon as he told me he was at the hospital getting it checked out, I knew what was happening. Sure enough, he called me back an hour later to confirm that he did, in fact, have appendicitis and would be having surgery first thing this morning. I got out of bed, grabbed my suitcase, and started packing. I'm flying down there in a few hours to stay with him for the weekend-I figure I would know better than anyone how to take care of him since i know EXACTLY how he feels/will feel when he gets out of surgery. I mean, what are the odds of BOTH OF US getting appendicitis within a year of each other!? There is only one explanation I can think of for my feeling the symptoms even before he did, for my waking up to his call in the middle of the night, and for knowing immediately what was wrong (since i have already been there, felt that) when he called....we're soulmates. :)

please say a prayer for him if you are reading this in the next few hours, and also that i make it on my flight- I don't have an ID (i lost mine in LA and my duplicate copy is in the mail at this very moment) but I am praying they will allow me to get on anyway. thanks!!

change of plans?

a potentially MAJOR update:

so i found out today that i am eligible to "visit" another law school next spring for my final semester of law school. As in, one in Texas. (insert a very excited shrieking noise). It just so happens that Erik goes to one of the law schools in Texas that would approve me to take my final 6 credit hours. coincidence? i think not. I need to take several classes that are heavily tested on the Texas Bar and Regent doesn't offer them, and so it is kind of perfect that I can do this. Me and Erik have spent the past few weeks in CONSTANT prayer about God's next steps for us, both as a couple and individually, and as soon as one of my law professors heard about our long-distance relationship and how serious it is getting, she suggested the possibility of either graduating early or visiting the last semester. Apparently, I have too many credits to try to cram into one final semester, and the probability that the Dean and Academic Committees (3 separate hurdles) would approve me to visit another school (without a VERY good cause...i.e. already married and have to move w/ husband) was almost an impossibility. At least, according to everyone I talked to...until today. I am the Dean of Students' Graduate Assistant, so I had a meeting with him today about something totally unrelated- but I took advantage of having some time to talk with him and just asked his advice about my "predicament." He actually met Erik during one of E's visits to Virginia, so he knows about us and how we are doing the whole long distance thing. He told me about his own engagement being long distance (disclaimer: i am NOT engaged- i am just stating what our conversation included) and how it was so hard for them, so he completely understood my situation. Long story short, he told me that he would approve anything I needed to get me to Texas for my final semester. Since he is the Dean of Students, he has the final say in all matters concerning transferring, visting, etc. at Regent. Coincidence that I already had a great relationship with him before knowing transferring would one day be an issue? Again, I think not. So anyway, it seems like doors have been just flying open all over the place the past couple of days- both me and Erik are discovering TONS of legal contacts that we have in the Austin/San Antonio areas.

I also found out today that I am eligible to get my 3rd-year practice certificate, which would allow me to try cases on my own in court before I even graduate...and it just so happens that I am allowed to take up to 2 more externship credits that would count towards the hours I need to graduate. How does this fit together? Well, there is an externship opportunity this summer at Legal Aid, a non-profit organization in Norfolk that offers pro-bono services to low-income citizens who really need legal assistance but cant afford it. (ps, WHAT A GREAT SERVICE!) The best part about this story/opportunity is that I did not know anything AT ALL  about it before this afternoon- the professor I would be working with for the externship credit hours approached ME in the hall (not knowing at all who I was or anything) and just started chatting it up with me...asking about life, interests, etc. After hearing that my interest is mainly in non-profit law, she started telling me all about the externship and how it would be a good opportunity for me to experience NPO's first hand. Oh and then the part about trying cases-on my own, as a student, came up. Um, that's all she neeeded to say- I was already sold.

All I can say, is that God is SO FREAKING cool, and awesome, and WISE, and creative in his plans for our lives. I cant stop thanking him for what he is doing in my life right now. wow.

                  if those dimples aren't a good enough reason to get to texas, the muscles should do it. :)

the life of a professional traveler.

the past month has been nothing short of CRAZY. i know, i know, i feel like every time i finally get around to blogging I end up saying that, but I promise the combined months of December/January take the cake. As if finals weren't crazy-stressful enough themselves, I spent the weekend before finals in Mississippi for Bo and Em's wedding. Taking a break was totally worth it- the weekend was SO MUCH fun and so so sweet- it was a memory I will never forget. Two weeks and 5 finals later, I hopped on a plane and flew to Texas for the weekend to see Erik and hang out with his family. had a great time and LOVED the family. Then home to Mississippi for about a week for Christmas....the best part of the break for sure! I got to see MARGARET the night I flew into MS for our once-a-year get together, and I made it back to Starkville just in time for the S'ville Christmas Party at Barrister's the next night to see all of my old friends. so fun. The weekend after Christmas, we (me mom and dad) headed BACK to Texas to visit Erik in Austin and then to Houston to help Bo and Em move into their new apartment. It was a crazy few days, but we got them all moved in (they have an awesome place in Midtown) and Erik even came and helped move one night....what a doll. The day before NYE, I flew to New Mexico to spend a few days with Sarah in AngelFire, where her family lives and has a cabin near the resort. We snowboarded for a few days (well, until my butt was literally numb from falling down so much) and spent the rest of the time sledding, hiking, eating, and sleeping. I don't know if I am necessarily sold on snowboarding after that trip, but I definitely enjoyed the challenge. I did hate the cold weather though...too much altitude for my preference....i think I will stick with the lake and wakeboarding from now on. :)

After spending TWO days back at school, I unpacked, repacked and left again for California to go to the National Championship Game in Pasedena (my Christmas present from E) and then spent the weekend in Santa Monica with Erik and his friends. It was definitely one the best trips I've ever taken....we stayed at Erik's aunt and uncle's house (in a legitimate mansion....think elevator, maids, etc.) and the view from the balcony in my room overlooked- the mountains to the right, city to the left, and ocean directly in front. not bad. We spent the weekend hanging out in LA, riding bikes from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, and eating some really good meals. The weather was perfect the whole time- needless to say, I did NOT want to come back to Virginia to the cold and tons of school work piling up really fast.

I am FINALLY home for a couple of months- I have enjoyed getting back into a routine and getting school under my belt....i have a really tough load this semester so I am trying to stay on top of things before Younglife and my internship kick back up full force. But if this month is any indication of what the rest of the year is going to be like....all i know is that it's gonna be a good one. :)