Merry Christmas from the Johnsons

digital proof of the card

I had our wedding invitation designer do our Christmas cards this year and they turned out beautiful. I'm so ocd that I started dreaming these up in September and have been emailing with our designer back and forth since then. Thankfully we came to a consensus and I got these little guys in the mail on Monday.

actual card. they were hand sewn ;)

We're so excited to spend our first married Christmas relaxing with family and friends. We pray God's richest blessings on you and yours this year and we hope to see you soon.

Love,
Justin, Ashleigh and Avery

Officially done

Justin officially graduated with his MBA this weekend. He completed his coursework in August, but they didn't have a ceremony, and quite frankly I'm glad they didn't. We got married two weeks after he turned in his last final. Delaying the celebration didn't seem to matter. It certainly didn't change how proud I am of him. He juggled so much over the last two years and finished early so we could get married without the worry or stress of school.

We spent most of the day at TCU for the hooding ceremony and then the actual graduation. We had a little party with family and friends afterwards.

 

 

Congratulations honey! I am so proud of all you have accomplished.

Nine years and counting

So I still have strep. At least it's lovely lingering effects. Tomorrow marks day six of antibiotics. I feel better, just cough a lot and sound like an old chain smoker. I'm over being sick. So over it.

I didn't let my nasty little infection ruin our ninth annual girl's Christmas weekend though. After making sure I wasn't contagious, I met up with my very favorite Baylor friends to continue our tradition of catching up, festive photo ops and reliving the "good old days." Thankfully we were in Fort Worth this year, so no travel on my part. I did spend my first full weekend away from Justin, who I'm sure was really sad to get rid of his hacking, stuffy-nosed wife for two days. Anyway, we had a great time traipsing around cowtown and just being together. We can't wait for the newest member of the inner circle to arrive this Spring. We love you baby Edwards!

I'm so thankful for good friends, good times and great traditions. Merry Christmas to me. And my stupid infection.

In sickness and in health

We had our first major bout of illness this week, and it was me. I started out with a touch of a sore throat on Monday, but didn't have any other symptoms. Tuesday was the same. I just assumed it was allergies. We had our tree lighting event Tuesday night for the city and about halfway through I started feeling really sick. By the time we got home I was shaking with the chills and my throat felt like it was closing in, making it very difficult to swallow. I went to the doctor first thing Wednesday morning and tested positive for strep. I didn't realize adults could get that. Apparently we can. The worst part (aside from having to quarantine myself from my new husband), was that I had lunch with a pregnant friend on Tuesday afternoon and was around my nieces later that night. I pray that no one catches what I have. I am much, much better today thanks to antibiotics, chicken noodle soup and some ice cream ;) I'd like to say the surprise two days off were amazing, but the majority of my time was spent in a lot of pain, with cold sweats and a tremendous headache. I would much rather have been at work. No joke. Also, not being able to kiss my husband has been torture. I spent the last couple of hours of my sick day disinfecting the house, so hopefully the germies are gone. I know this will not be the last time that either of us gets sick, but it's really not fun being a newlywed with strep throat. Thanking God today for antibiotics and the best partner who was not the slightest concerned about catching anything from his germy wife.

JOY

Whoa. It's been one of those weeks. The kind where you just can't seem to catch a breath. That's what my week has felt like; throw in a lot of negativity, chaos and just feeling beat down and that pretty much sums up the rest. No worries. It's nothing personal or directed towards me (necessarily anyway). It's just been hard to face everyday. I can't really say much about it, but if you live in DFW you probably know what I'm talking about.

My sweet friend (and bridesmaid) Stacey knew I needed some good news and sent me this verse:



it's a little blurry, but you get the picture ;)

 

This afternoon I came back from lunch to this little surprise from my sweet friend (and another bridesmaid), Kelly.

Y'all, I am so undeserving of my friends. I know my week wasn't half as bad as a lot of people. I  know that. Yet, I'm lucky enough to have people in my life who pray for me, uplift me and just make me smile even on the best of weeks. I'm so thankful for that. Now I'm off to meet another dear friend (and another bridesmaid) for dinner. Things are certainly looking up!

Saturday night lights

We interrupt this sappy newlywed blog to talk about Baylor football. And not your typical Baylor football either.



after the game on the field

I thought nothing could top being in the stands for last year's epic win over Oklahoma. I was so wrong. Beating the no. 1 team in the country feels even better and I am SO glad we were there to see it in person. I'd been saying (like a lot of other Baylor fans) that we could pull it off. I felt like all signs pointed to an upset, but I never in a million years thought we would win so handily and in such dominate fashion. It was a beautiful thing for this avid Baylor fan to witness. Justin and I have almost no audible voices left two days later. I guess we were cheering a little loudly. I know I've never lost my voice for this long before. Anyway, it was an exciting night to say the least. I know it's just a game, but it's fun to get into, especially after the terrible season we've endured as Baylor football fans.

nat and i doing a little griffining in the endzone

Also noteworthy: I'm so thankful I married a football fan who cheers for my Bears.

Justin's wedding gift to me

My sweet husband really outdid himself when it came to my wedding gift. You may have heard me gush about it if we're friends on facebook. If not, here goes. He researched photographers in St. Lucia and hired one to do a professional shoot while we were on our honeymoon. Not only did it speak to my heart given my profession, but I love that we had these images captured by a real photographer and not just from our little point and shoot.

The shoot was really fun to and it was nice to get out and explore with a local. I should also add that Justin had a photo album made, modeled after a vintage honeymooner's album he found on etsy. He also made a beautiful box that now hold our wedding day keepsakes. The man knows the way to my heart for sure.

We just received the cd a couple of weeks ago and were thrilled with the pictures! Here are a few of our favorites. (Warning: lots of kissy photos ;)

 

 

 

Okay. Now I want to go back. Like, now.

Reality

Are you tired of wedding photos yet? I'm not. In fact, I could pour over them for hours if I had the time. And didn't have a job for that matter. I love reliving that day. I love what it meant. I loved that our closest friends and family got to share those moments with us. The reality though, is that it's not about striving for the perfect wedding (ours wasn't anyway), but striving for a solid marriage. And that's what we're striving for everyday. We're learning that marriage isn't always perfect, pretty or glamorous. (Yup, I thought once those bands were on our fingers that life would be something like that).

Although marriage is work, it's the most gratifying type of work and worth it in so many ways. The reality is that marriage is so much more wonderful than we could have imagined. Those bands on our fingers mean more to us than we thought they would when we picked them out months ago. With just 70 days of experience under our belts, we're certainly no marriage experts. It's something we're learning more and more about everyday. And I'm so thankful to have a partner for life to walk beside and learn with everyday.

Today

I woke up frustrated this morning. Frustrated at the events that unfolded last night. I've voted in every election that I've been eligible to (4!), and this is the first year that I didn't care for either candidate on the presidential ballot. I voted for the one I disliked the least. He didn't win. That's not necessarily the source of my frustration though. I'm frustrated that our country is so divided down political lines that it's all about the good of either party and not country. In my opinion, of course. Anyway, I hope that things do truly change and that they change for the better. For the good of the people, not the party.

I did download a new iphone lock screen today. It makes me smile. I found it on this blog. Courtney graciously shared it with us and I think it's something we all need to keep in mind.

via

Thanks for the reminder and the lovely image Courtney!

Two Months

It's been two months since we walked down that aisle as husband and wife. While it's hard to believe it's been two months, it also seems like much longer. In a good way of course ;) This month was a tough one though. One week before my birthday we got a $300 water bill only to discover a slab leak was the cause. We had to replace the water line in our front yard and let's just say it put a major strain on our newlywed budget. I turned the big 3-0 this month. Justin had his toughest week at work in a long time. (His company supplies the State Fair with all of their food and they have to process returns for any leftovers). All of that and our favorite season of all (football season) is quickly turning into a disaster. More for my beloved Bears than Justin's Frogs, but still. Ugh. I can't even really talk about it.

We're excited for month three and all that it will hold. We're looking forward to the holidays and experiencing them as a married couple. We're slowly building our home together and are having the best time just hanging out. Last night was super fun passing out candy to all of our adorable neighborhood trick or treaters. Surprisingly Justin loved it almost as much as I did. (Passing out candy to the neighborhood kids is one of my very favorite things). Anyway, it was fun to do it together. I love being Mrs. Ashleigh Johnson and am thankful for the last 60 days I've gotten to spend with my new husband. Happy two months to my love.

The night before Halloween

Justin and I carved our 2012 pumpkins last night. It was kind of last minute, but something I'm glad that we did. It was our first "free" night in what seems like forever. This year's pumpkins weren't quite as elaborate as some of our past creations, but it's a fun little tradition to keep going. I did our new monogram and Justin did a traditional jack-o-lantern.

I toasted the pumpkin seeds and used a different technique this year. It was quite simple and super tasty. I modified it from something I saw online and the results were fab. Justin called them "savory".

Pumpkin seed recipe:

1.5 - 2 cups clean and dry pumpkin seeds
3 tbs brown sugar
olive oil cooking spray
dash of kosher salt
dash of pumpkin spice
dash of cinnamon

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan on medium heat for 7-10 minutes. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and stir in brown sugar until it caramelizes. Add in spices and stir. Cool completely before eating.

I also made s'more cookies for Justin to take to his coworkers for Halloween. They may be my new favorite cookie. Recipe found here.

And last, but certainly not least, here's our little fur baby showing off his Halloween costume to Grandma. He hates it. In fact, Halloween is Avery's least favorite day of the year. It doesn't help that he's dressed as a squirrel this year. He is in the middle of a six year war with the squirrels that live in our backyard. Justin sides with Avery. He said it would be like him forcing me to dress as *insert coworker I can't stand* for Halloween. Point well taken. Avery will still be wearing this tonight. The trick or treaters get the biggest kick out of seeing our cute little guy all decked out. He'll get over it. Happy Halloween blog friends!

The big one

I celebrated a very big birthday on Tuesday. You can guess how old I am now. I'm not telling. Just know it was one of those milestone birthdays. I had sincerely hoped that it would float by with not much attention. Truly. I'm not a big fan of my birthday. I think it stems from starting school a year early and always being a year younger than everyone in my class. It took me a long time to realize that being younger is a good thing, but I'm still not fond of my birthday.

This year was actually quite nice. Go figure, people spoiling you and making you feel loved all day isn't so bad after all.

My sweet dad texted me this Monday night. My parents are no strangers to my birthday blues.

My cute husband got up extra early and brought me Chick Fil A for breakfast, which I ate in bed, in my pjs. Bliss.

I came to work to find my office decorated rather loudly. Decorations courtesy of my male bosses I might add.

 

My in laws sent me beautiful flowers that are still blooming in my office.

 

 

All of this and I was completely spoiled by my friends. Stacey and Kelly surprised me at our last sprinkles night with 30 gifts for turning the big 3-0. (So much for not telling my age). My family drove all the way to downtown Fort Worth to eat at one of my favorite spots for dinner, not to mention spoiled me again with a million wonderful gifts. (Notice the trend? Spoiled). So, maybe I'm learning that getting older isn't such a bad thing after all. Maybe.

A letter to my mom

Dear Mom,

Thank you for helping me plan the wedding of my dreams. Thank you for finding a way to make my day special (and keep dad happy too ;). Thank you for painting 150 chargers. For helping hand-sew our burlap and lace table runners. For "babysitting" our wood chips as you call them. For allowing me to make my own choices even if you weren't the biggest fan. (Ahem, baby's breath, burlap, "catholic" candles, s'mores bar, chalkboards, etc.) Thank you for bearing the burdens and stress of the day when things didn't go according to plan. Thank you for taking me all over creation to find my perfect wedding shoes. Thank you for cutting a layer out of your veil so I could wear it on my special day. I love that I wore your veil for the ceremony.

More importantly, thank you for being such a strong example of what it looks like to be a Christian wife. Like I said at our rehearsal dinner, I am so, so thankful to have such a legacy of love and Christian marriage in our family. I know how rare that is these days. So thank you. For everything.

Love,

Ashleigh