Hey guys! So I can make sure that you have yummy food to eat, do me a favor and leave me a message if you are comming to the wedding. You know, that thing that’s going on at Southside Baptist Church in oh… about 2 weeks. (May 20th at 2:00) I hope everyone is having a good week and will be able to survive finals.

Wow, February 24th was a long time ago. Spring Break was good, I have the absolute best sister and best friend in the entire world. My family rocks, Jason rocks and as always God is good and takes care of silly, little people like me.

Saturday was my lingerie shower. (Yet again, awesome Ashley and Angela) I have the absolute best friends in the entire world. While I’m not yet certain about how to use some of the items in my “Basket O’  LOVE”, I’ve really been needing a new tool belt. Thanks for gettng me off to a good start, guys. (You’ve made Jason a very happy man, I’m sure.)

Also, I’m more and more certain of God’s plan and His timing every single day. My job is much better, I don’t hate it. I’m glad I didn’t weenie out and quit a long time ago, I’ve learned a lot of important things. While I’ve learned a lot, I’ll quit my job at the rec center this summer because we have been given new jobs I got a phone call a few weeks ago from a pastor in Wills Point and to make a long story short, I not only have a new job doing children’s and youth ministries in a big and growing church, but Jason has a new job doing multimedia services for the church (a job we’ve been looking for and praying about for a long time) and we also will have a house with all of our utilities paid starting this summer. When you worry about things and wonder whether or not God’s going to provide, think about us. He hasn’t left anything up to chance and has started taking care of us even before our wedding. I don’t know about what anyone else thinks, but that rocks.

Random observation:  I’ve lived in Commerce for about 2 years, we’ll move again this summer in June. (Just like every second June since I was in elementary school. Why can’t I live in a place longer than two years? This is just crazy.)

I love you all and probably won’t post for awhile, but to anyone who still reads this, have a wonderful day. (Leave me a message and tell me about… the weirdest thing you’ve ever gotten from a vending machine…)

Random observations:

Pop-tarts are absolutely the best food ever

Popcorn and animal crackers do not make a good lunch

Fat mouse does indeed make me happy

My sister is fun to work with

Ants can eat through a sealed Ramen Noodle Package

Tuesday I got 14 hugs (from different people) within 5 minutes

That’s it.. I guess.

I must say, Valentine’s Day this year was quite nice. For anyone who hasn’t seen the forest of roses at the Stab, you should come visit, it’s pretty cool. I’m truely grateful for how normal it was. I don’t really know how to say this… Most people like Valentines Day because it’s the one day a year that you get roses, extra kisses and are told that you are beautiful. I’m so lucky because I get most of that every single day. I feel so sad when people get lonely on Valentine’s day because they don’t have someone. Very honestly, relationships aren’t based on what happens on Valentines day. It’s what happens every other day. It seems like any guy can buy a rose, one day a year, it takes a real man to keep an amazing relationship every other day. I’m so excited that I get to marry the absolute coolest person I can think of. (By the way, for Valentine’s day, Jason went and bought all the things that I’ve said that I liked in the past year or so. He got me a pretty pink rose, a kids book (that I said I wanted), a furry blanket (that I said I wanted), a pair of shoes (that we both liked a lot) and this really cool bucket/box thing that I have no idea what I’ll do with it, but I said I wanted it, so he got it anyway Isn’t he cool?) I got to get all dolled up last night and we went out to dinner. What more could you possibly ask for? This post was really mushy and girly, but dad-gummit, I’m happy so get over it. I love you guys, have an awesome week and leave me a message telling me what you would do if you were trapped, alone in a forest of roses.

This is just for Brooke… because she told me to update

I think I’m beginning to understand the wole point of this whole wedding buisness.  It seems awful because no matter what happens, someone usually is upset or has their feelings hurt.   I’m learning to hopefully not be so sensitive to everything and I’m blessed to know that Jason is going to back me up, weather he understands why I want something or not. As many times as I’ve wished that we’d just eloped, I know that we wouldn’t learn as much on how to deal with things together if we hadn’t.

mmm… cake…

On a lighter note… Weekends are awesome. We just got back from playing racket ball and bouldering at the rockwall. And last night we cooked an awesome dinner and had not one, but TWO awesome desserts!! (Cookies and Cream ice cream AND double chocolate cake!!) What more could a woman possibly ask for?? While there are a lot of frustrating things going on,  I hope I’m still vocal about the fact that I am so blessed. I love you guys and hope that you feel the same way. (I know that I’m lucky to know each of you, you make me blessed) Have a wonderful weekend, Brooke I’ll try and update again sooner.

Wow, it’s been a long time since December 23. I’d love to say a lot has happened… but not really.  I kept thinking that by only taking 15 hours, and ex-nay on the band and leadership team would give me time to stop and smell the roses… I’m not quite to the point of laying on the couch while a cabana boy fans me and I eat bon-bons, but I have much more free time As far as I know, there’s going to be a big shin-dig in Palestine after school gets out.  Then I get to go to Mexico  If you see me, you should definitely ask me about the place we’re going on our honeymoon. I love you guys a whole lot. Leave me lots of messages and have a scrumtrulescent week.

 

                                       Yay for random silliness

Christmas break is finally  here. It’s taken me almost a week to be able to eat and sleep like a normal person. This semester was insain, it’s amazing what God can show you when there’s no possible way you can finish all that you’ve committed to do. Last year I committed to play in band, sing in choir, take 17 hours, be on leadership team, work part time and start planning a wedding. No big deal, right? Even though it should have been terrible, it really wasn’t, God’s bigger than my ability to overcommit. I’m truely blessed to be where I am. Honestly, who meets their husband when they’re 16? Who gets to do all the cool stuff that I’ve gotten to do in the past few years? It’s been good, and if I try to commit to doing as much as I did this year, please smack me in the head. While everything that had to get done got done, I feel like I didn’t see anyone but Jason all semester. I love you guys a lot, thanks for putting up with me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS I love you all a lot, leave me a message and tell me about your favorite Christmas food.

Dude, Thanksgiving rocks. Not only did I get to eat a LOT of wonderful food that I didn’t have to help cook or clean up after, but I got hit on by a 5 year-old who didn’t realize he was my cousin and got to spend countless hours on a moon walk. My family rocks. I mean co’mon, everybody’s family is different, but honestly, who has a moonwalk on Thanksgivng? I also bought flowers for the wedding… 60% off, yay for after Thanksgiving sales. It was so nice to get to rest and not worry about anything, but it’s nice to be back in Commerce. Our apartment has magically morphed into a Christmas Wonderland. I love my roommates Enough from me! I hope you all have a good week, I promise to update more often if you leave me lots of coments.

Random note of encouragement: We’re almost there, guys. The semester isn’t THAT far from over.

Countdown:

– I only have to wake up early for work 9 more times

– Only 2 more leadership meetings

– Only 1 more band concert, and 1 more choir concert

– Only 7 class days until we get to leave for Thanksgiving

– Only 22 class days (85 hours) until Christmas

– At least 9,458,999 hugs left to give

– Only 974 sexual references that I won’t get in my psychology class

We’re almost there guys! I love you all and will hopefully get to spend time with people this week

This is one very happy Manda.

    (Watch out guys, this is pretty girly and has a potential for cheesiness, but I don’t really care. Note: you’ve been warned.) Maybe nobody tells you how great this stuff is, or maybe I just wasn’t listening, but man, this whole buisness where a girl meets an awesome guy just might catch on. I never expected to look forward to a date where you don’t get dressed up, don’t go anywhere or really do much, but I think I had the best date ever this weekend, and we didn’t even do anything. I don’t remember anyone telling you that nothing ever gets old, it just seems to get better every day. It still takes me forever to get dressed before I see him, and I still change clothes like 6 times before we go out.  I’m pretty excited. I talked to Joe last week and he brought up the idea of us doing a couples bible study next year. I’d already been thinking about this and can’t wait to get started. God is so good. He’s blessed us a lot. I think He’s gonna use us and let us have a pretty good time in the process.

Hwa. There, girly part over. Sorry it was so much writing. Unless we elope, the wedding’s still on May 20th at 2:00. We have a church, a wedding dress and a reception place. How on earth am I going to make it until May without exploding? 

Classes are insain, work is kinda yucky but at least the semesters half over. The girls in my apartment are wonderful, I can’t wait to start having girls nights more often I don’t see anybody EVER… so just in case I look familiar, my name is Amanda and we are friends. You should definitely call me or leave me LOTS of messages. I love you all a lot and hope you have a wonderful day!

(You also deserve a massive cookie for making it all the way through this mondo-long post)