This was my favorite dress. But I couldn't find it anywhere to try on. And the dress I finally picked out is so much cooler than this dress and not really like it at all. ha. When we first went to try on dresses they made me try on dresses with parts of this dress in them. I never liked any of them. Sigh. A few days later my mother was feeling rather depressed and told me that dress shopping would cheer her up. After visiting another store, we went to a store downtown and I started trying on random dresses. The last one I tried on was the one that I didn't ever want to take off. It was so much fun to wear. I brought Sarah and Hayley back later the next week to see it. And TODAY... I finally went and bought it. It will take four months to make, but it is going to be SOOOOOOO awesome. And no, you don't get to see a picture. You will just have to come to my wedding to see it. It is made by my favorite wedding dress designer (or the one that I liked the most of her dresses), Maggie Sottero. What fun!! And I got 10% off the dress today.

So ... I BOUGHT MY DRESS!!!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I can't wait to try it on... I think I will be driving to see it all the time and trying it on.
It is amazing!

300 days...

Until I don't have internet anymore,

get to wear my favorite dress,

and eat chocolate peanut butter cake.

Excited?

My parents, Dean, and Jared came to visit me today!! People I know (and like) are always such a welcome sight. I get to see Rachel Townsend tomorrow and we are going to see Jars of Clay, Third Day, and Switchfoot. I am really looking forward to seeing Jars of Clay!! Woohoo. Oh, and I get to hear C.J. Mahaney preach tomorrow! I have never had the pleasure of hearing him speak. I love his wife and his books. I just finished Feminine Appeal. I couldn't put it down. My favorite C.J. book so far is the Cross Centered Life. Jared gave it to me for graduation, but I left it at his house. And since I don''t go over to his house very often, I borrowed Dad's copy and have been rereading that one. heh.
So parents, good friends, great music, and wonderful preaching... it looks to be a good weekend.

I saw this today... I thought some of you would like to see this. It very touching.

I'm a teacher now...

I really enjoyed teaching today!! It was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me. I had a blast for two hours helping students learn about circuits and how much fun they are. If I continue to enjoy teaching this much, I think I will apply for a job teaching physics back in Salisbury next year. That would be awesome! So I loved my first class. They all were very good... well, there is always that one kid in every class that thinks they know everything, but even he wasn't too terrible. I think I handled him pretty well. I didn't let him get away with anything. Oh, and one last thing... I LOVE LOVE LOVE real chalkboards. The ones that erase really well and are just plain wonderful. Wipe erase boards have nothing on chalk boards. I want to get a chalkboard when I homeschool my children. That would be fun. :)

Funniest moment: The class starts off with me lecturing for half and hour before lab starts. So they all sat down at their lab benches and I started teaching. This one kids goes, "Wait! YOU are our teacher?!?!" It was really funny.

I teach my first lab today.

YIKES!!!

I must be at school (because I am posting). Today Sarah, Mom, and I woke up at 5:30 (which is the time Jared wakes up everyday. I don't know if I can get out of bed that early when I get married to him. Although, it will give me quite a bit longer of a day) and drove up to College Park. They dropped me off and I just finished orientation and filling out payroll information. They went to Ikea and Anthropologie and maybe David's Bridal to look at bridesmaid dresses. I'm waiting around for a meeting with the professor that I am TAing for this semester. She is a new teacher at the University and I don't know if she has ever taught before... sigh. I am sure it will be fun, I was just hoping to have the professor that has taught this class for the last four years. He was awesome to work for last time I helped with this class. I still feel just as not qualified as I did last time. heh. I wonder if you ever truely feel prepared for anything in life. I guess that just makes us depend on God more.

I don't know what I'll be doing this weekend. My watch stopped so I am going to need to go get the battery replaced on that. Maybe I will beat Jared at some more Cribbage. He almost beat me last night. It is really a fun game. I enjoy it a lot. Luke, Dad, Jared, and I played "Up the River Down the River" on Saturday and Mom, Dad, Jared, and I played Hearts and Spades on Sunday. I love playing card games. Cards cards cards. I keep forgetting that I want to teach Jared how to play Clue. I played it with Stephanie while I was in Denver and I really enjoyed it. I bought it for her so that she could have a game. I let her pick anything and that was the game she picked. I hadn't played it in years, but if you all go out to Denver and visit Stef, you can stop in and play Clue with her and Ben.

Anyhow, I am off to my meeting. I should have a few interesting stories once my job really starts up. I think I am going to be a really mean TA (or at least strict). Happy Labor Day Weekend!! The traffic on the bridge is already terrible. Boooooo!

My sister drew this picture!! I'm a huge Christian Bale fan. One of my friends at school and I celebrate Christian Bale by having CBADs (Christian Bale Appreciation Days). We watched all his movies worth watching and some others that we would like to forget. heh. Anyhow, this drawing would only be more awesome if she had given it to me...

WANTED: 1 Wedding Photographer

I need a wedding photographer... :) Any ideas? I figured that last time I needed something big (a house in College Park) I posted it on my blog and I ended up living at the Howards (which has been amazing), so maybe someone out there knows a photographer who would be just as amazing (they could even be half as amazing and they would still be totally awesome because that is just how great the grandi-howards are!!).

S A V E T H E D A T E

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Time: TBA (between 1-3 sometime... the bride can't make her mind up)
Who: Jared and Faith are getting married!!!
Where: Providence Presbyterian Church
Reception to follow in Princess Anne.
More details to come.

I might be buying my dress this week!! :D

I went to the gym today and this afternoon I am going to take Hope to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. I've had a lot of fun cooking this week while my parents are away. Cooking always takes longer then I expect though. I have to start on dinner as soon as lunch is over. So far we have had roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes, and blueberry pie and chicken pot pie, corn on the cob, tomatoes, rolls, and peach pie. Tonight I think we will use up the leftovers from the pot pie.

In other news, tomorrow Hayley, Sarah, and I are going dress shopping. I want them to see the dress that I really really really really really like. YES!! And then we might go sailing. What fun the summer is!

Olympic gold medalist and outspoken Darfur activist Joey Cheek has had his visa revoked by the Chinese embassy, hours before the speedskating champion was set to fly to China.

Click for the rest of the story.

For those of you that don't have facebook. Here are a few shots from Colorado!! I have seen the Air force academy, Pike's Peak, the outside of Whit's End (it was closed), the Rocky Mountains, Boulder Co, the Denver Zoo, the Denver Capitol building (totally awesome), and hiked and walked around all over all sorts of small towns and little trails. It has been a blast. I love seeing old friends and getting to spend time with them and my little sister. I will be sad to come back. The first and last photo are from a little 100 year old amusement park that we went to on Friday night. The middle photo is the Air Force Chapel (it is AMAZING)! The chapel and the capitol have been two of my favorite places that I have visited so far. I love architecture. It intrigues me. I'll talk more about it later, but I think Stef and I are going to go play Ultimate!! YES!! Love to all at home!

Anna and I went and explored downtown Denver today. The capitol building was really awesome.

Just a quick note:

* This week (Monday - Friday) I was camping with my family in beautiful Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland. We hiked, relax, saw the olympic kayak team practicing, and saw Dark Knight (AMAZING MOVIE) at midnight on Thursday night. It was great. I love camping with my family and I can't wait to take Jared along camping with me!!! YES!

* Saturday night I went to the Delaware State Fair with Rachel Townsend, Hayley, and Jared. I stuffed my face full of all sorts of good food. I had Grottos Pizza, kettle corn, carrot cake, and strawberry pie. It was amazing. I love summer.

* Tomorrow I leave to fly out to Colorado to visit Steffy and Sarah Meadows. Anna and I are going to Whit's End, Pikes Peak, the Air Force Academy Chapel, Red Rocks, Denver, and all sorts of other fun places. I hate flying, but I look forward to being there. Funny, I miss Jared already though. What will I do with myself?!?

I'll blog again next week when I get back. I'll be back on Wednesday (the 30th). :D Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Oh, what a melancholy choice this is,
Wanting home, wanting him,
Closing my heart to ev'ry hope but his,
Leaving the home I love

Since I had a suspicion that Jared was going to ask me to marry him Friday, June 28, I had a little time to think about it. At first, I didn't think that was such a great thing because at first thought I just wanted to tell him to wait. But then I thought that I would probably just keep telling him to wait for forever, if I had told him to wait. Once I started thinking about it, I realized the only two things that were keeping me from rushing into marriage (other than school - heh) was the fear of growing up and not wanting to be the first to leave my family.

Growing up is not fun. I mean it is, but at the same time I just wanted to stay 10 for the rest of my life or maybe to stay 17 (and a senior in high school). Or to bounce between those two ages, with the knowledge that I have now. I wanted all my siblings to stay frozen in time and for my family to go camping together and to laugh together forever. However, that is not how God designed this life. We get old. We grow up. We leave our families and go own to have our own. The memories we made with our families remain, but we start to make more with new people and in new places. It isn't bad, just hard sometimes. But God is good. I know that he doesn't ask you to do something and then not give you power to do it. And things that seem like they are going to be hard are good for you because you have to depend on God alone for your strength because you know you can't do it by yourself.

As to the second reason, I have already been the first one to leave my family. I went away to school two years ago. And I am the oldest so it makes sense. I will still see them and can still have fun with them. I just won't be there whenever I want. This is probably the harder one for me to swallow. I miss my family so much when I am away at school. I miss being a part of their lives, not just them. I miss sitting in Sarah's hallway talking to her until all hours of the night, being teased by Luke, and trying to be heard at the dinner table. I miss my Dad giving me hugs and leaving me presents under my pillow, I miss my Mom's cooking for me, and Anna asking me to take pictures with her. And it is hard for me to know that I will be in the same city as them, but living a different life. I know I will see them, but I won't be there to catch every job and hear every story that happens. It makes me sad. Sigh.

I realized that if God is calling you to something you should jump right in and face your fears. He knows what he is doing and delaying that is going to just cause you more trouble. I didn't have any valid excuses for not saying yes. Skip over the next paragraph... it is sappy.

I think Jared is a great guy. He encourages me Biblically and points out things in my life that I need to work on (but he does it without making me feel less then him). In the past year he has become so much more caring then I could ever imagine. He tries to look for ways to make my life easier and encourage me. Like when I drive the 2.25 hours back to school, he talks to me on the phone while I drive. This may not seem like much, but 1. I dislike driving and 2. He dislikes the phone and 3. A year and a half ago he wouldn't have done this. He took me to see Leeland this past semester. Again, this doesn't seem like a lot either, but Jared doesn't like concerts and he doesn't like much CCM music. And he went to Delirious with me two weeks ago!!! That was so awesome because he gave up his seat for standing with me at the front. And it was probably the last Delirious concert I will go to. If you had asked me two years ago who did more work in our relationship, I would have said me. I remember talking to my mom about this and how I felt like I was the only one that ever gave anything. Now I feel like Jared is so thoughtful all the time and doesn't give me enough chance to give of myself. heh. I have no reasons not to marry him. He makes me laugh. He knows how to communicate his way through a fight that I have started. He is patient with me and he points me to a great walk with Christ. I thank God for having blessed me with him. I thank God for last summer.

God is so good to me. I trust him. I look forward to seeing what the rest of my life holds. Happy negative one anniversary, Jared! I look forward to spending my life with you.

Goodbye, my Marble.

Last July I had to say goodbye to my dear cat. My parents took her to be put down because Tiger had caught a bat and we didn't know if it was rabid. But she ended up coming back. I thought she was going to be put down, but instead last minute they just put her in a cage for six months. This time she won't be coming back. I really thought that since I had cried my eyes out last summer and had prepared for her to die that I wouldn't be as affected this time around. I think the part that makes me cry the most is thinking about whenever I used to cry. Marble would come running from whereever she was. Most people though she was a grumpy cat, but she was the sweetest, dearest cat to me. When I cried she would run over and still her little head in my face and curl up next to my head. It was so cute. She'd let me cry into her fur and do whatever I wanted to with her in those moments. I cried with her a lot over the past 14 years. She was my baby; she listened to everything I said. I'll miss her little marbled face. She's had a good life and I thank God for my funny little cat. Goodbye my furry friend. I love you.



Pictures from December 2006.

The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. When I was little I used to ask if I could have a picnic for all the families instead of a birthday party. I love having lots of people over at my house and getting to play games and sit around and talk (the talking part has only become a favorite of mine in the past few years). This year I brought one of my friends from school home with me. I remember once that Sarah Meadows was saying that she like when her two worlds came together and got to meet. I didn't know what she was talking about then, but now I understand and agree. It is really neat.

The fireworks got rained out and Hayley, Rachel, Jared, Laurie, Luke, and Michelle and my family sat in my living room with the lights off and watched the lightning and rain outside. It was fun. I like doing random what-other-people-might-consider-boring events with my family and friends.

Hayley, me, Michellle --> my friends are both taller than Jared... weird.

My dad wears this shirt every year. He was explaining to a group of us this year that is doesn't work out very well to wear it on St. Patrick's day or Easter. Dad, also left me m&m's under my pillow when I came back this weekend. YAY!! They were peanut m&m's. Yum yum yum.

A table shot. This is the 4th for me. People eating in my backyard. Eating so much food until you burst. I love it.

Saturday, Michelle, Sarah, and I went to visit Jared's cute little house (and no Jamie, I didn't get pictures - maybe someday). Then we went and picked blueberries out and drove down to the Taylors for some board game and sailing fun. Also, really awesome food and confetti cup fun!!! I don't know what it is about confetti cups that I love, but they sure are good. Mrs. Taylors grilling is always good. She even cooked my meat well done for me. How sweet. It was delicious. Hayley even made us a cherry pie for dessert. That was awesome as well.

Sunday my Mom made me sweet corn and green beans from the garden before I drove back to college park. The sweet corn was amazing. I had at least 7 ears of corn before I left!! I left at 2:40 and arrived in College Park around 6:30. Yes, it did take that long to get back here. The traffic was awful. Boo holiday beach traffic. Michelle and I listen to Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader on the way back. Then as I was carrying in my stuff I found this in the back seat:

I flipped it over and on the back (like the picture) was a card from my dear Jared. He's so sweet. That made me smile. It is sitting next to my bed now reminding me how thoughtful Jared is. I thought I would tell you all how great he is to me. It is making me smile while I finish up these two project papers and take two final exams and have a cold. Miserable summer cold.

In my last post I forgot to say how AMAZING my ring is!! All I told Jared was that I wanted it to be traditional and classy and not too big and white gold. I know Jared is great at picking out gifts for me. He is always so particular about what he gets. I knew that he would do a great job. And he didn't disappoint. Afterwards, I asked him how long he had my ring and he asked, "this ring?" I looked at him and said, "were there others?" Sheepishly he admitted that this was the third one that he had bought for me. :D That is my Jared. My ring is perfect for me!! It is the most beautiful ring that I have ever seen. The stone isn't too small and it isn't too big. It sparkles like crazy and I love to play with it. I couldn't have imagined it any better. Jared is great. My ring is perfect. :D Weeeeeeee!!!

Anna kindly took a few pictures of us today. This is probably the best shots you are going to get of my ring until 1) you come see it in person or 2) I get my wedding photos.

Jared actually held my hand. ha ha. I can't wait to be able to hold his hand and hug him whenever I want. That will be so fun.

I know the pictures are kind of goofy, but then so are Jared and I. I hope that these make Jamie and Dasha, Mrs. Shelton, Linnea, and others in far off lands very happy. :) Oh and my ring really is incredible!! I love it more each minute. Weeeeeeeeeeee!

* My favorite number is 3.
* Jared and I are 3 years and 33 days apart.
* My birthday 6.21.1986 can all be divisible by 3.
6/3=2
21/3=7
1986=3=682

I love 3s!

So what could be better then to get engaged 33 months and 3 days after you were first asked out?!? It just added to the awesomeness!

For those of you that want the story: Last Saturday when I was home for my birthday Jared asked me to come home this weekend. He said we would go canoeing if I came home. I have been asking Jared for almost 3 years to take me canoeing, but we hadn't ever been, so of course I said yes. I came home this weekend and on Friday Jared took off work an hour early so we could leave around 3 and canoe down to Shad Landing and have an early dinner. We paddled down to Shad Landing (which took about an hour and fifteen minutes) and ate lunch/dinner. Jared packed lunch meat, cheese, bread, chips, yogurt, red grapes (my favorite, he likes green grapes), and Gatorades. Once lunch was over, we left. We outran a storm on the way back (it rained on us for a short time, but it was so hot I didn't care) and loaded up the canoe. I then dropped Jared off at his house and took the canoe back to my house and showered. I ran out to pick up movies for Anna because she was sick. Jared came and picked me up around 8 and we went to see Wall*e (which is an adorable movie). Then we headed back to my house around 11:30 and walked around my neighborhood. Jared then suggested that we go look at the stars in my field. So we walked back there and looked at the stars. There was no moon and all the stars were really hazy. So we are sitting on a picnic table out there just looking around for a while and then Jared asked me which star was the brightest and so I looked around and didn't see any that stood out, but then I turned around to look at him and he was smiling and holding the ring. So he got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. And I said YES!! Then we hugged, prayed, and went inside to wake up the family around 1.

My mom has a picture on he blog that is sort of similar to my ring. Anna has been sick so I haven't gotten any pictures yet. Maybe next weekend when I come home.

Saturday we went to see Delirious? and that we so amazing. We had front row standing sections thanks to my Dad and Luke. It was so great to take Jared to something I greatly enjoy. It was very sweet of him to go on the 10 hour trip down to Richmond and back with my family and me. Richmond was great. We ate at an delicious little Mexican restaurant and had Krispy Kremes and saw Delirious? in this incredible old opera house called the National. The traveling was not great, but it was worth it. It was a neat concert.

So there is what I did this weekend. Any questions? Did I forget any details that you want to know?