Ringin' in the New Year

2014 is here!  I am so excited to be getting married this year!  The number 14 has always been a lucky one for me, so I know this year will have to be pretty awesome!

2013 brought some very tough times for Nick and I, but also brought us so much closer together.  Nick losing his job and struggling to find a new one was very stressful and emotionally draining, but hope and faith won out.  His new job is treating him well, but the distance makes things rough at times.  My eternal optimism has been tested, but I still believe that everything will work out and these hard times will continue to help us grow and build this amazing relationship together!

This past year has also brought some absolutely wonderful memories.  Nick asked me to marry him, and I am so looking forward to becoming his wife in just 2 short months!  Between spending as much time as we can manage with our family and friends, giving love and attention to our 3 crazy puppies, planning a wedding, and making memories; I can say that 2013 will still be one to remember.

Very much looking forward to the fun and adventures 2014 will bring!  Happy New Year to all!

~Emily

Autumn's in the Air

Been a busy time around here.  Nick lost his job back at the end of May and has been on the job hunt all summer and into the fall.  Just when he felt like nothing was ever going to happen, he finally landed a job in his field.  Downside...it's up in Greenville, an hour and a half drive from our home.  This isn't the end of the world, but has made things a bit crazier and slightly more stressful.  I am just happy he was given this opportunity, but I know it will be hard to have him so far away when I've been spoiled with him home all summer long.  He had thought about commuting up there each day for work, but his car is older and probably wouldn't hold up to all the wear and tear driving that much would do to it.  He then thought trying to find a hotel to stay in during the week would be the way to go, but couldn't find a place with a reasonable enough price.  After talking it over, we decided that getting him an apartment up there would be the most cost-effective and practical thing to do.  This new job of his is currently only a 6-month contract, so this set-up will work for the time being.  After the 6-month period, we should know if they want to keep him on permanently.  And if they do, we'll then have to make the tough decision on what to do with the house and if moving is a good option.  Like I said...very busy time around here.

Along with all the of the new job excitement and stress, the wedding planning is still moving right along.  We have secured a DJ, caterer, photographer, and decorator.  Bridesmaids dresses have been chosen and the rehearsal dinner space is booked.  Only a few things left to pick out and decide on.  Now, I'm just ready to say "I Do" and become Mrs. Nicholas Kean in just 4 months from today!

Fall is here!  Yesterday was Halloween, and of course Nick and I carved our yearly pumpkins.  I carved the engagement ring and the pumpkin witch is Nick's.

I love that it is starting to be cooler outside and the leaves are changing colors.  Nature is so beautiful this time of year!  I'm the weirdo who's looking forward to the end of daylight savings because it'll be lighter in the mornings on my way into work.  Saturdays have been spent watching football and, of course, cheering on my Gamecocks!

Until next time...

Two Years

September marks a wonderful time in the start of the relationship between Nick and I.  We met at the wedding of our friends on September 9, 2011.  We went on our first date and shared our first kiss on September 15.  This month really makes me reminisce about how cute we were together in the beginning and in all the time to this point.  I love remembering all the firsts and how all this greatness began.

Two years ago today, Nick asked me to be his girlfriend, which began this amazing ride of our lives together.  It wasn't some grand gesture, but just perfect for the two of us.  This day also marks 160 days until our wedding.  I am so excited and can't wait to marry my best friend and soul mate!

Last weekend, I found my wedding dress.  It's all starting to be so real!  My mom, sister, Nick's sister, and I headed to Santee, SC (a very small town between Columbia and Charleston).  There is a bridal boutique there that gets many donated wedding gowns (some even from the big designers and right off the runway).  Half of all profits they make by selling these dresses go toward breast cancer research.  I didn't get my hopes too high because every dress is pretty much one-of-a-kind.  So I tried on many dresses before I found a beautiful ivory dress that was very flattering and fit like a glove.  I tried on a few more after that one because I still wasn't exactly sure, but I kept comparing it back to the other one.  I put it back on and decided that it was perfect for me!  I also found a veil, and my mom even found a dress to wear for our wedding.  It's great to know that some of the profits from these purchases are also going to help others in need!

Now, I'm going to spend time with my wonderful man and enjoy celebrating two amazing years together!

Wedding Planning

So the wedding planning is in full swing!  We have officially set our wedding date as March 1, 2014.  Only gives us about 6 months to plan, but personally, I don't want a long engagement where I have to wait and wait to finally get married.  I've waited long enough to find the man ;)

We will be getting married in Lexington at Town Hall with the reception taking place there as well.  My mom has taken on most of the actual planning, and she is doing a fabulous job!  I've already been so stressed with school starting back and trying to get back on a "normal" schedule.  Super happy to have Mom's help!

Short post, but just wanted to give an update.  More wedding details to come...

An Engaging Vacation

Last week, Nick and I, along with his parents, took a trip up to Gatlinburg, TN.  We had a wonderful time enjoying all the touristy attractions there in Gatlinburg and nearby Pigeon Forge.  The Smokey Mountains were gorgeous!

                                          

We left on Thursday, and once we got checked into our hotel and had dinner we began walking "the strip" to check out the sights and sounds.  On Friday, we went to an entertaining dinner show about the Hatfields and McCoys.  The food was great and the show was a lot of fun.

Before heading out to walk around again that night, Nick turned on the first song we ever danced to together and asked me to dance with him in our hotel room.  In the middle of our dancing, Nick got down on one knee and proposed to me!  I, of course, burst into tears immediately.  I definitely said yes, and I am super excited to be marrying my best friend and soul mate!  My engagement ring was actually his grandmother's ring.  I am so honored that his mom has let Nick give me such a special piece of jewelry.

Currently, the ring is too small for my finger, so we will have to go get it resized.  Nick wanted to make sure I would have something shiny to wear until my real ring is ready, so we picked out a temporary ring.

The rest of our trip was so much fun!  We checked out a local cavern, went to the aquarium, saw another show at the Comedy Barn, went up into the space needle, ate A LOT of food, and walked around checking out as many of the shops as we could.

This was one of the best vacations I have ever taken!  Now it's time to get back into school mode.  And to let the wedding planning begin!

Time to Start Anew

I know it's been an extremely long time since I've blogged, but I think now is the perfect time to get back on track.  I desperately need to lose some weight and work on getting myself in better shape and more healthy.  It is also time for school to start back, which will hopefully help in putting me back on a more structured schedule.  I'm hoping that if I blog about what's going on in my life, I can hold myself to being more accountable in all things I want to work on.

So here are the things I hope to keep track of here:

• As I mentioned before, I need work on being more healthy.  A co-worker of mine has been eating primarily fruits, vegetables, and beans following the plan outlined in Eat to Live.  I have started reading this book and want to try to implement this into my life.  Hopefully adding a better diet to the exercise I've already been doing, I'll see some improvement in my weight and health.
• I'm starting my second year of teaching 7th grade science.  I'm hoping to grow in my profession and work on bringing more hands-on activities into my classroom.  I hope my students grow and learn so much in my class!
• Nick and I have been together for almost 2 years now, and we continue to fall more in love each day.  I want to make sure we continue to keep the excitement and fun in our relationship by trying new things and experiencing life together.

I'll leave it to that for now, but expect to share much more.

Kato

Back in December, Nick and I decided we were ready to adopt a puppy together.  As you know, I have Rosey, and Nick has a Yorkie named Java.  One Saturday, we headed out to Petsmart to look at the dogs the local rescues bring in for adoption.  We spotted Kato right away!  We decided to walk around and check out the others, but immediately came back to him.  After seeing how much attention he was getting, we put in an application as fast as we could and were approved to adopt him within a short time!  Here is our first picture together:

We picked the name Kato while heading home with our new baby.  He was about 2.5 months old when we got him and weighed about 25 pounds.  He is a retriever mix and loves to play.  Rosey and Java have taken to him very well.

We have really enjoyed being the parents of 3 fur-babies!  Here are some more pictures of Kato:

He's getting so big now!  He is almost 7 months old and is weighing in at about 70 pounds!

Here are they all are together!  Kato, Java, and Rosey

~Emily