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.