It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

Hello y'all!

Let me preface this post by telling y'all that I am writing this comfy from my couch with my first semester of nursing school under my belt and let me tell ya it feels great! I'm not even a week into break and I've already watched about 7 movies on Netflix and eaten a whole bag of cheetos so all is well in my world.

In all seriousness I couldn't possibly be happier to be done with this semester. I only have a year left before I can officially introduce myself as Natalia Dent, RN and if you think I'm kidding.....I am, but I'll want to. This semester was hard and everything I thought nursing school would be plus some more, but I made it out alive and it was all I could do not to sob out of sheer exhaustion and elation when I got out of my last final. I'm shocked over how much I've learned in what feels like a short amount of time. I was somewhat doubting I would be ready to take care of someone after 16 months of schooling, but after this semester it's beginning to seem likely.

We have been the captains of the struggle bus since we got back from Thanksgiving break. I almost wish I didn't have that week off because it was close to impossible to get back on the study grind after a week of relaxation and fun. I say that, but I probably would of spontaneously combusted without a week off from school. My last two weeks of school were filled with exams and Addison (who still has a day left, bless his precious heart) has pretty much had nonstop exams. I think he has like 5 exams this week? If that doesn't make you want to jump off a cliff I don't know what will. They really make you work for a dang break around here, am I right?

Addison had his 25th birthday on the 3rd and wouldn't ya know it he had an exam that day. It also ended up being my longest day because I had an exam that ran an hour late so I didn't get to spend much time with him on his special day. We went out to eat and then met up with some friends for a drink. I made Addison some cupcakes to celebrate that night and I will proudly mention that we didn't eat all of them! It ended up being a very low-key and hopefully relaxing day. His birthday is my favorite day of the year because I am the most thankful for that cute, hard-working, loving, sometimes frustrating, but mostly cool husband of mine ;).

Anywho, Addison has been going shooting a lot (no surprise there). We've hung out with his classmates on the weekends to let off steam and relax and it's always a good time. On Thursday, my last day of class, I went out to dinner with my class and then spent some time with some of my classmates after dinner and we had so much fun. Addison couldn't make dinner because...wait for it...he was studying for a test! He was greatly missed, of course. I was so nervous that I wouldn't find any friends in my class when I moved here or that everyone would be like...why are you from Mississippi, but turns out no one thought I was weird and they're smart and fun and will be awesome nurses.

I haven't done much since I've been on break other than try and tidy up the house and start packing and wrapping presents. OH, and I think I've changed the polish on my nails every day because I can finally have them polished on days that aren't weekends! We set up our christmas tree the week after we got back from Thanksgiving. It's filled with Ole Miss and Oxford ornaments from The Lily Pad in Oxford (if you're near Oxford you need to go to the The Lily Pad...it's the best store in the world). Mrs. Dent gave us some beautiful Ocean Springs ornaments too so pretty much it's a Mississippi tree and I couldn't possibly love it more. Sassy has taken to sitting under the tree and using the bottom branches as a back scratcher because she's short enough that she can scoot her way under the branches and get her whole back scratched as she moves. She's a smart one. She has tried to climb our pretty little tree and swat down at ornaments I thought would be out of her reach (how could I be so dumb), but she hasn't caused any serious damage or anything...yet.

So pretty and purrfect ;)

We are so looking forward to going home for the holidays and my birthday(12/29 for those who need to set a reminder on their phones). I can't believe this year is almost over. I started 2014 with some of my best friends in Oxford after a long day of work at the hospital and a few days managed to land the cutest boy in the world thanks to the sweetest and most cuddly proposal ever. I had the best bachelorette weekend, the wedding of my dreams, a perfect honeymoon, started nursing school, and began a life in a fabulous new place over the course of one year. It'll be hard to top this year, but I've got a good feeling about 2015. Of course, I couldn't of done ANY of it without my incredible parents and brother, my awesome husband, my fantastic in-laws, my fabulous family, and my spectacular friends (new and old). My heart is always on the verge of overflowing with so much love.

We hope y'all have a fabulous week and a very Merry Christmas! I'm sure I'll post again before new years and it'll probably be sappy because I get so many feelings at the end of the year so brace yourself for that wild ride.

We love y'all and miss y'all so very much!!!!

xoxo

Thanksgiving in Steamboat Springs

Hello sweet family and friends,

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. There's something about yummy food, family, and a built-in nap time that you just can't beat. Although it's my favorite holiday, this is the first year I've had a countdown going since August because it was my first break from school and I truly didn't think I could make it to the end of the semester without it. i'm only being a little bit dramatic. Now, we just have to tough it out for a few more weeks and then we're home free and off to be reunited with family, southern accents, yummy food, and the smell of salt water. My mom sent me a picture of the food she made for Thanksgiving and even though I had stuffed myself until I might pop my mouth still watered. I can't wait to see that lovely woman.

This Thanksgiving we met Addison's family in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was cold and snowy and the opposite of Arizona and we loved it. We've decided that while the snow is beautiful it can be a pain and we'll take our 100+ degree summers over snow plows and lots and lots of layers of clothing. Although, I won't lie and say I wasn't super excited to break out my boots and hats. On our first day we explored the precious downtown and spent a lot of time relaxing with his family. I love getting to spend time with Addison's family, but it was definitely too short of a visit. The week was exactly what I hoped it would be, filled with good food, sweet family, and relaxation. I spent a few hours everyday preparing for finals, but finally I just gave up and decided I should enjoy the company I rarely get to spend time with and that school could wait until we got back to Arizona.

When we did head back home, it was sunny and 84 degrees. We spent Thanksgiving with some of Addison's classmates and some of their family. It was the perfect ending to a long day thanks to the delicious food and great company. Addison and I brought macaroni and cheese made from the recipe Addison loves and that his mom was kind enough to share with us. We also brought green bean casserole and I'm happy to announce that Addison approved of both and said the mac and cheese tasted like his Mom's! I was on a bit of a losing streak with my dinners before Thanksgiving so this was kind of a big deal for me. I made a spicy chicken rigatoni that ended up being about 20 times spicier than anyone on the planet would like. I also struck out hard with a honey balsamic chicken that ended up tasting like nothing. I'm thankful for a husband who is willing to try my pinterest experiments and is fine with waiting another 30 minutes for me to run over to panda express and get us dinner after my experiment flops. I will say that I made fajitas and lasagna this week and the lasagna was my best one yet :) !!

Since getting back I've tried to study and get the house back in order. I had been losing weight before Thanksgiving only to gain half of it back in the days before Thanksgiving....shameful, I know. So I've spent time at the gym as well. Addison got a beautiful over and under shotgun for his birthday and took it out to go clay shooting with his friends and is even more in love with it. It really is a gorgeous gun! Sassy was surprisingly unhappy to see us when we got back, but she's made up for it the past few days by being sweeter than ever. She actually got into my lap and cuddled today while I was writing a paper. I got some pretty priceless video of her purring her cute little face off yesterday while cuddling with us.

Addison's birthday is coming up and I'm so lucky that I've been able to spend 7 birthdays with this handsome, brilliant, hilarious, and adorable human being. We have plans to put up our Christmas tree this week and I am so excited. I've still got some Christmas candles from The Lily Pad (check them out if you're in Oxford) and I've been burning them non-stop since we got back.

I hope to update y'all again soon! These next few weeks will be busy for us, but hopefully will include some blog-worthy stories. I hope y'all are all doing well!! We miss you and love you each so much!!

xoxo and hotty toddy to all :)

More Recent News

Hello sweet, sweet friends and family,

I'm going to power through the past couple weeks to catch y'all up!

School is overwhelming and stressful, but I learned how to do injections and put in a foley catheter (we don't have to talk about that) last week. Injections were so much fun! I can't wait to practice on Addison and Sassy. Only kidding, we practice on lemons and hot dogs, although I'm still nervous my lemon is going to welp in pain or something...which is so silly, but whatever. Also, Addison doesn't let me practice anything on him. I guess the whole nurse fantasy isn't so hot when your nurse pumps up your blood pressure cuff to the point of "pain" because she can't hear your non-existent pulse at all. BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT. Addison is going through another tough class, but that's okay because we get to be miserable together. How's that saying go....a couple that cries together, stays together? The rest of my semester is pretty much horrible and every hour that puts me closer to Thanksgiving break and Christmas makes it slightly bearable.

I forgot to tell y'all that I ran for a board position for my school's student nurse organization and I got it!  My campaign consisted of bribery via candy and pictures of grumpy cat (still relevant? questionable...but he's from AZ so that's cool) instead of posting pictures of Sassy, because unfortunately Sassy's fame hasn't quite reached Arizona yet.

Addison has been going shooting a lot with some of his classmates and I think he is really loving it. They tend to go after they finish their tests, which I imagine is somewhat therapeutic. We went to the movies for the first time since July 4th (we were so patriotic on the fourth and went to the movies instead of watching fireworks or doing anything remotely American) to see Gone Girl. I read the book and I practically could not sleep because all I wanted to do was finish it. I was so pumped for the movie and couldn't wait for Addison to get all confused by everything, but we both left a little disappointed. None-the-less, it was a much needed study break and I'm always down for those.

This past week we were graced by the presence of sweet Melissa and Sadie! They came into town for a vet school interview and we were able to squeeze some time in with them before they left. It was so much fun getting to see Melissa after months of being apart. We went out to eat, showed them around town, and caught up on each other's lives, but the visit was too short. It only makes me want a break from school even more to get to spend some more time with our girl!

I won't talk about the game-that-shall-not-be-mentioned, but I will say that we are so ready to watch the Rebels take on Auburn in Oxford this weekend and I can't tell y'all how badly we wish we were there. Oxford in the fall is just so stinking perfect. Have I mentioned how "fall" in Arizona still means temperatures in the 90s? YEAH. You would think I would have become a tan goddess by now, but I am pale as a sheet because all I do is stay inside and study. We have had some nice days though and this Sunday it's supposed to be a high of 75, which is literally music to my ears. I made sure to pack all my boots and sweatshirts and scarves for the move to Arizona because.......who knows. So the fact that I get to break those out almost moves me to tears.

We miss y'all so very much and hope y'all have the best week. We're sending you guys all HUGE hugs and kisses!!!! Don't forget to send up a prayer to the football gods that Ole Miss gets a W; we like being ecstatic rebels not depressed ones. Happy early halloween!!! Love Y'all!!!

They melt your heart with their cuteness, right???

xoxo

Playing Catch Up

So how about those Rebels, y'all?? We've been riding the high from beating #1 Alabama now for 2 weeks and last night the Rebs gave us another reason to yell "hotty toddy" at strangers and hug everyone we see!! On to LSU next weekend (the most heart-wrenching game for this Louisiana girl) I hate to root against my dad and my brother, but I want that Rebel win. Here's to a good ball game!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted! I guess time flies when you're having fun? We've actually been busy bees for the past month or so. School is in full force. I've already had 5 tests and I'm right around the corner from test number 6. Addison just finished up what has bene rumored to be the hardest class he takes this year and he survived! He's currently studying for a final he has on Monday so send good vibes his way!!  I've got a countdown going until Thanksgiving and Christmas. I hate feeling like I'm wishing my life away, but I can not wait until we get a break! I'm about to start my 9th week, which means I have less than 14 months left before they let me lose on you people and I get to join the big girl world.

We'll try and catch you up on what we've been up to! Addison had a much needed fall break a few weeks ago and we went to Sedona and Mormon lake for the first weekend. Sedona was just as beautiful as I expected it to be. We drove up to Sedona on Saturday morning with two of Addison's classmates, Pedraum and Lucas. It's only about 2 and a half hours from Mesa and the drive is gorgeous! The red rock mountains are so red it makes the blue sky and green vegetation stick out and you feel like you've never seen a more blue sky or a more green tree. We stopped at Slide Rock National Park first.  Slide rock is a natural water slide made by some rocks in the water that you can slip and slide down. We were so pumped. When we pulled up to the park the park ranger let us know that we were there on opening day and that they had been closed for several months because of the Slide Rock Fire that happened in May and had dirtied up the water with sludge and debris. She told us that there would still be sludge in the water so to get in at our own risk. Buzz kill, am I right? Naturally, we decided that sliding down rocks > potential cancer and changed into our bathing suits and made the trek down to the water. To sum up our experience: the water was freezing, the rocks were super slippery, and someone let their dog pee in the water we were playing in. That being said, it was cool and on a really hot summer day I might not even care that there was dog pee in the water.

We ended up realizing that we hadn't planned well and wouldn't be doing any hiking on this trip. Also, Pedraum, our DJ for the weekend, had a hurt leg and we couldn't leave DJ Cool Peds behind. We found several jeep trails and took Addison's jeep out and played. The trails were great and we made it to some beautiful spots that helped make for some stunning selfies. Lucas and Pedraum helped Addison navigate the jeep through the trails and I just assumed the role of the photographer.

That night we hit up the sketchiest restaurant in Sedona and got our food order in about 5 minutes before the kitchen closed so the food was super awesomely delicious (kidding). We managed to make it out before Lucas and Addison were gobbled up by the cougars at the bar and before the truth came out and they discovered Pedraum wasn't actually named Tom.

We woke up the next day and did a few more jeep trails and then took the scenic and very rural route to Mormon Lake. We rode through the woods and passed by a few cows on our way. It was scenic, beautiful, and serene. In conclusion, always take the scenic route. We made it to Mormon Lake and the super homey cabin of another one of Addison's classmates, Austin, around 4 in the afternoon. We experienced about a 20 degree drop in temperature by going a few hours north and it was perfect. It was almost heart-breaking when we made it back to Mesa and were greeted by the sunny 98 degree weather. I got to sport my Walter Anderson sweatshirts (I packed two for our two night trip) and couldn't possibly have been happier. That night we grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and enjoyed the company of some of the sweetest, coolest, and funniest future dentists and people we know while playing games, chatting around the fire, and eating s'mores. It was fun and relaxing and a great way to kick off Addison's week of relaxation. We got tons of great pictures that makes us so happy! We've decided to try and document as much of our lives as we can. We have a lot of pictures of us during undergrad and I swear the pictures take me back to that second and makes me smile. Excuse that almost Nickelback quote, yuck. Lucas got ahold of Addison's camera and got some great candid pictures of everyone so I'm sure he'll shoot the cover of Vogue soon.

We came back to Mesa on Monday because I, unfortunately, was not on fall break and had class on Tuesday. Addison spent the rest of his week going shooting, sleeping in, and doing some mild studying. Addison's fall break ended with us checking out the Scottsdale scene and it was fantastic! Scottsdale has some huge dance clubs and bars and you can spend your whole night bee- bopping around the club and break out some of those dance moves you've been working on in your car when T-Swift comes on...or maybe that's just me....

Anyways, I know I haven't caught y'all up on much, but I don't want this to go on for too long and bore you guys! I'll add more and get ya up to speed soon :)

We miss you guys so much and love y'all to pieces!!!

xoxo

Start of Something New

Feel free to play this on repeat while you read through this post. I did while writing it :)

Hello!!

The past few weeks have been pretty eventful for us because I FINALLY started school! My first day was on August 26th. The week before classes started I thought I would be proactive and get my first root canal (scary) done and out of the way. So, I wouldn't say I'm afraid of the dentist or anything, but I'm definitely afraid of any procedure...no matter how "routine" it may be. I did lots of googling and consulting with my future dentist and was able to calm my nerves before I went in. Everything went well until the last 15 minutes of the whole procedure. My dentist broke a file in one of the canals of my tooth and I had to go to an Endodontist for "emergency surgery" to try and remove the little stinkers. Long story short, I go back in in a week to (fingers crossed) finish my root canal. I've become a regular at Jamba Juice and may have done irreparable damage to my liver by consuming half a bottle of Ibuprofen in like 3 days...oops.

My first week of school has come to an end and I only have 63 weeks left, which doesn't sound so bad, right? I'm about to get reeeeaalll sappy here for a bit so feel free to scroll down if you're not in the mood for feelings because ready or not, here they come. As most of you know, I started off at Ole Miss freshmen year with the plan to go to med school. I made it through Bio 160 (still thanking baby Jesus for that) and finished out freshmen year still thinking I was on track to be Dr. Vera. Sophomore year I decided to show the world what a genius I was by taking organic chem, physics, and cal 2 AT THE SAME TIME. Needless to say, that was a failure, literally, I failed cal 2. I began to realize that I didn't like what route I was on and began doing some soul searching. I changed my major 5 times (or...6?) and went from med school to law school to grad school to nursing. I will admit, that once I began questioning what I wanted to do Addison mentioned nursing.....and I laughed and said no. I think a recurring theme in my life is that my family suggests I do something, I don't do it, I bump my head on the wall a lot, and then decide that what they suggested made a lot of sense. Whatever. So maybe I could of figured this out earlier, finished school, and be saving lives 24/7, but better late than never, right? I can 1389% say I wouldn't be where I am without the UNCONDITIONAL love and support I have from my friends and family. Every time I changed my mind about what I was doing with my life Addison made up a spread sheet of what I needed to do to get into school and what schools I should apply to. My parents would get me the books I needed to study for the LSAT and the GRE and be just as supportive as ever. Addison's parents would encourage me and never judged their driven son's indecisive girlfriend. They would all tell me that I would make a great doctor/lawyer/psychiatrist/psychologist. My friends dealt with the never-ending, "Maybe I'll move to Africa and work with elephants.", "Would you still be friends with me if I'm homeless?", Maybe I'll somehow get famous...". Seriously, thank y'all. I'll hook you up with free flu shots one day. I feel so great about the place I'm at today because I'm finally doing what I really think I'm meant to do. As cheesy as that sounds. I'm so excited for this next chapter of my life and will still need my incredible support system. You guys are awesome and incredible and phenomenal and every other positive word in the dictionary and as I'm writing this my heart is filling up with more and more love for each of y'all. Thank you so much, again.

I had my first panic attack on day 2 of classes. This is definitely an intensive program and it's going to take a little more effort than I thought to whip me into nursing student shape, but I'll make it. Addison is ALMOST done with one of the toughest classes he's had to take and is doing really well. I'm so proud of my precious husband. If anything makes me want to excel in nursing school it's being his other half. I mean, he can't be an awesome dentist with a mediocre wife. Sassy is living the life and by that I mean sleeping through life. She's figured out how to manipulate us both into giving her wet cat food all the time. You'd think not much goes through that little cat brain of hers other than where she's going to nap next, but home girl knows what's up. I think she's managed to get three bowls of it in one day....more times than I'd like to admit.

We've managed to get to know our area pretty well thanks to some of Addison's classmates planning some pretty awesome study breaks. We went to a driving range in Scottsdale a few weeks ago and had so much fun. Last night we went to Tempe and went out on Mill Ave where ASU is. It was so much fun I (FOR A SECOND) thought about how much fun it would of been to have gone to ASU for undergrad. I then repeated the hotty toddy chant 35 times for my transgressions so all is well. Speaking of Ole Miss, how about them rebels? A win is always the best way to start off a season. We've been missing Oxford and Ole Miss a lot lately. I can't promise I won't sob when I watch our first home game from 1,465 miles away. Here's to many more W's for the Rebs!

Sassy being so sweet and helping me study!! 

My first day of class!!! 

We miss y'all all so much and love you dearly!!!!! Hope y'all's Labor Day is filled with relaxation and yummy food! 

xoxo

Summer Loving

Hello everyone!

It's been awhile since I last posted (seems to be a theme around here, huh?). I guess I haven't because the Dents haven't been up to much other than studying! Our summer ended mid-July when Addison started dental school. He's been at it for about a month and it seems like each week is more challenging than the last. Dr. Dent spends most of his days in class or at his desk studying about all sorts of things like how your teeth develop and which bone you may have broken when you fall out of a tree. Lets just say Sassy and I are not envious at all, but we are trying to be his number one cheerleaders.

I don't start school for a few more weeks so technically I'm still on vacation. Although it doesn't totally feel like that since I spend most of my days doing housework. How can two people and a cat make such a mess? I'm enjoying being just a housewife for now though. Once August 26th rolls around I'll get to take on the role of nursing student and sorta-housewife. I've become a bit braver in the kitchen and have been cooking for us close to every night. It didn't take too long to turn this easy-mac lover into a bonafide cook! I made us baked salmon and asparagus tonight, which I will say was pretty delicious.

I've gotten a chance to meet some of Addison's classmates and everyone is so incredibly nice! I'm so thrilled for him to spend 4 years with these people!! I'm going to brag about the wonderful man that is my husband for a few minutes here. Addison and his classmates make up the class of 2018 that is 76 people big. Their school- ASDOH- had the most applicants out of any dental school this past year. These bright future dentists were chosen out of a pool of 3,200 applicants. Doesn't that blow your mind and fill your heart up with pride? What I'm telling you is that Addison is in the 2% that made it. So. Many. Chills. I got to tour the dental school's facilities and had to scrape my jaw off of the floor. I, for a second, forgot that I think mouths are pretty gross and wanted to start drilling into teeth when I walked into the simulation lab. They have what looks like a state-of-the-art clinic to practice their skills on patients within. I'm so incredibly proud of the man who told me over 6 years ago on our first date that he really wanted to be a dentist and is now getting to live the dream. Well, live the nightmare that happens before the super awesome dream.

Addison on his very first day!

Addison and I at his white coat ceremony.

We miss all of y'all so much and have been missing Mississippi a lot lately. I miss a good thunderstorm with lots and lots of rain more than you know. I see all the tweets/facebook statuses about the seemingly endless rain on the coast and in Oxford and turn into a little green monster filled with jealousy. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I do miss a lot of rain. Speaking of green, we miss seeing GREEN. There's not too much greenery around here. I know it probably sounds like I don't love it here, but I do. I'm getting used to the heat and can't explain how much I love seeing the mountains when I drive around town doing my errands. We do miss our family and friends though. I love getting to go new places, but wish we could bring all of y'all with us. We've got all sorts of plans for when each of y'all come visit us! ;)

Anyways, here's to hoping I have more to post soon! Send some love and good vibes to our favorite dentist because he's in the middle of a tough class and needs as much positivity as he can get :) love you each so much!

Sassy sends her love too!

xoxo

Reunited And It Feels So Good.

Hey y'all!!

Happy belated 4th of July! I hope y'all's holidays were filled with everything red, white, and blue, USA chants, and yummy holiday foods! I've been told holiday calories don't count so I hope y'all indulged as much as I did :)

So I'm going to finish telling y'all about the rest of our California trip!! We stayed in Anaheim for our first two nights. Our last night we stayed in Newport Beach at The Island Hotel, which was gorgeous. The night we got there was the hotel restaurant's grand opening and Newport's elite came out to play. We pulled up in my Elantra and were greeted by some Rolls Royces, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis. We looked a little out of place, to say the least, but it definitely looked like a good time.

Jennifer, my sweet friend, and her awesome sister Lauren picked us up for dinner and a much needed game of catch up. We drove around the Newport Beach area and then took a ferry over to Balboa Island where we had dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was great and the restaurant was super cool! It was made to look like an old train station and they even had a caboose inside that you could eat in. Very cool. After dinner we walked around town and down the beach. I can't tell you how much I miss the ocean. I don't think I realized it until we were smelling the ocean smells and feeling that sweet sea breeze. There are some precious beach houses along the beach. Our new plan is to make enough/save enough to spend the rest of our days in a cozy beach house on Newport beach. I'm sure that dream will change after we discover another cool place. When I went skiing with Addison's family in Vancouver a few years ago Addison started talking about how living in Canada would be nice. We're hopeless...

We finished our visit with frozen bananas and ice cream from a local ice cream shop that were just perfect. It's so special when you can catch up with an old friend from when you were like 6 years old and find your friendship is still there....right where you left it. Jennifer and Lauren were the best hostesses and we had the best time hanging out with them. Now that we reside on the same coast (kindof..right?) I hope we'll get to see a lot more of them.

With Addison starting dental school right around the corner, big kid life feels like it's finally about to get rolling. I've been trying pretty hard to cook my husband meals that don't consist of PB&J or mac&cheese because he says that's not a real meal. Weird, huh. So far this week I made us enchiladas and meatball sandwiches, which were pretty delicious if I do say so myself! Looks like I may not starve this husband of mine after all!!

We miss everyone a lot and hope summer is treating everyone as well as it's been treating us. Today we got the first rain since we've moved out here (!!!!!) Kind of a huge deal for us. We were pretty stinking excited. Love y'all!!!

xoxo

The Happiest Place on Earth

Hello!!

We just got back from a wonderful trip to California as a small vacation before we start school and will have our noses stuck in a book until graduation. (I'm hoping that's an exaggeration.) Before I start off here's some quick background information to make this post make a little more sense. My family and I lived in Irvine, California when I was in 1st and part of 2nd grade. After we moved away we came back for the next two summers while my dad worked with his old company. California holds such a special place in my heart because our time there was so much fun. Talk to my family for about 10 minutes and we'll probably start telling you a California story or bring up how great a place to live it is (minus the fact that it literally costs an arm and a leg to live there...and it's one giant earthquake away from falling into the ocean, but still great). Anyways, I have some beautiful memories from our time there. I mean, between spending nearly every weekend at Disneyland or on the beach or exploring all the great cities Cali (Do people still call it that?) has to offer it's hard to beat our time there.

We haven't been back since our last summer there, maybe, 14 years ago? So I was super excited when Addison suggested we go!! We're only 6 and a half hours from L.A. so it might actually be considered a crime not to go visit every so often.

We got to L.A. around 4:00 in the afternoon. The drive in was so pretty, but that's really not a surprise. We went through desert, Palm Springs, desert, and Coachella valley! I drove us all the way to Hollywood and it was terrifying. L.A. traffic is no joke. There is no drill to prepare you for these drivers. I can not hang, but we made it there alive! We walked around Hollywood, checked out the Chinese theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame (aka celeb's stars), and had to literally pick our jaws up off the floor after driving through Beverly Hills. I mean, a nurse's salary can buy you one of those houses...wait, mansions....right?

We ate at a Cuban restaurant called Versailles in Hollywood. There's a restaurant in Miami called Versailles that's amazing. My mouth is actually watering right now thinking about it. The Cali Versailles wasn't the same and wasn't as good, but it definitely satisfied our craving for cuban food. That night Jennifer, my precious friend from our California residency days, and her sister Lauren met up with us and gave us an absolutely awesome wedding gift! They gave us Disney Dollars that we could use the next day at Disneyland and some delicious champagne!!! I'm not kidding when I say I am so blessed to have such amazing people to call friends.

The next day we went to Disneyland!!! Get ready for LOTS OF EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!! It was everything I remember it being.... which is incredible. First off, let me remind you that we live in Arizona where today we ALMOST got some rain for the first time in 4 months (emphasis on ALMOST). It's also over 100 degrees everyday with no clouds in the sky. So when we crossed over into California where it's a pleasant 75- 80 degrees and your nights dip down into the 60's I think I may have cried tears of pure joy. It was the most perfect day in the world to be out at a theme park....I'm sure the Disney magic has something to do with this. When we lived in California my dad didn't work on fridays so my parents and brother would come pick me up from school and we would head to Disneyland for the rest of the day. Needless to say, it was absolutely the best thing ever. Addison didn't even throw me off the roller coasters after hearing "When we used to come here...." 7230832180 times. What a good man. I'm sure you guys are about ready to X out of here thanks to my very long trip down memory lane. I promise I won't go overboard.

We hit up the crowd favorites at Disneyland. We got soaked on Splash Mountain after I gave up our spot at the back of the log (without consulting Addison..oops) to an older couple for the front 2 spots. Addison rode our family favorite- the Indiana Jones ride- and loved it too! It really is a fabulous ride. We had lunch in the New Orleans square because we were missing home and tempted by beignets. While at the restaurant one of the waitresses dropped a jar of jelly and somehow it ended up on my leg at the same time as our waitress was handing me my hot plate of food. She was flustered because she had just told me how hot my plate was and I was grabbing it. Addison was confused about what was happening. I was confused about why something was all over my leg. Addison was asking me questions and didn't get why it looked like globs of blood were all over my leg. I was confused and frustrated about why some unknown substance was on my leg, why Addison didn't get that it wasn't blood, and that SOMETHING WAS ON MY LEG. The manager walked by at this point and misunderstood my confusion as anger and presented us with a fast pass for any ride because of the inconvenience. It really wasn't one, but whatever I'll take what I can get!!!

We got a two park pass and were able to go to Disneyland and California Adventure, Disney's newer park right across the street. My family and I went to California Adventure the summer that it opened. I didn't remember much about the park other than their massive roller coaster that loop-de-loops and took a toll on pops's back when we rode. Addison and I rode it twice and it was just as crazy as we were hoping. We ended up using our free fast pass for Disney's version of the tower of terror. It was horrible and terrifying all at the same time. I guess it's called the Hollywood Hotel of terror or something like that...I think I may have just combined two different rides' names, BUT the point is it's HORRIFYING. It drops you like 10 stories and it's the worst. We rode, we screamed, and it took me 3 days to get my voice back.

Please note the most photogenic roller coaster rider ever next to me. 

We're in the front row. I'm on the verge of tears and squeezing the life out of Addison's hand. Addison looks like someone told him an amusing joke.

I have a ton of favorite memories at Disneyland. Some of them include watching the fireworks and shows Disney puts on once the sun goes down. We watched a phenomenal firework show that evening as well as the same show my family and I used to watch, Fantasmic. It was just as awesome as I remembered. Seriously, Disney parks are the absolute best. Sure, you'll drop $4 on a stinking bottle of water, wait in line for 45 minutes to scream your face off for 3,  endure hearing SO MANY children crying that you consider getting your tubes tied ON THE SPOT, and your legs will be sore for a good two days, but it's worth it. I'm telling you...that Disney magic or pixie dust or whatever it is is something serious.

xoxo

The Wild West

Well, We've been residents of the great state of Arizona for about 3 weeks now. Our house is finally unpacked and decorated. It's perfect and I love it. We have pictures of our family and friends everywhere, an ungodly amount of Walter Anderson pieces (but can you really ever have too much?), and small bits of Oxford everywhere. Putting our house together has been a process, but it's been so much fun. Re-opening all of our wedding gifts was such a treat because we got to think about each sweet family member or friend that gave us each gift. I've loved going through all of the pictures we have together and figuring out which ones are worthy of my gorgeous Kada frames courtesy of The Lily Pad.

Addison and I are a few days short of our 6 year dating anniversary and we've been blessed to make so many memories together in so many different places. I love looking at the pictures from when we first started dating. Two babies look back at me, but I recognize the look of love in those babies eyes. Okay, that was way too poeticly romantic. No more mushiness. Promise.

It's hot as heck here. Is anyone surprised? It's literally 108 degrees. Not joking. I can barely stand to be outside for more than 5 minutes, but Sassy begs to go outside. She sits under the super cool fire pit my cousin got us and eats grass. Only to come in and throw up said grass. It's awesome.

I will now mention that I found out I got into nursing school this week!!!! I couldn't possibly be more thrilled. I spent close to a year working as a nurse's aid at Baptist in Oxford. Let's just say I was at the bottom of the totem pole doing very bottom of the totem pole work. However, it helped me realize that nursing is exactly what I want to be doing.  I sent in my application in December. Most schools let me know that I was in in February so waiting until June was killer. I was expecting to hear back today so when I checked my emails on Wednesday my heart literally stopped when I saw the email from Grand Canyon. I'll be on the same campus Addison's dental school is on so we get to go to school together! I mean, how many people get to say they got to do that? I'm so excited. I'll get my RN in 15 months so we won't be in school together for too long, but it'll definitely be a good time.

I indulged in some slight shopping once I found out. As everyone knows I live for nail polish...specifically Essie polish. I got myself a lovely bright blue called "strut your stuff" because I mean I'm allowed to prance around now that I know I'm in, right? I also got some new shower gel from the bath and body works sale. Have y'all smelled Bali Mango and Moonlight path? If not you need to get to your local store and pick yourself up 3 of each. They are both AWESOME and are currently both in my shower because I couldn't pick one over the other. I also decided to get myself my 26th bathing suit because it's CURRENTLY 108 DEGREES HERE.

So Addison starts school in early July and I start at the end of August. That's literally a month and a half of hanging out alone all day. I don't think I've actually had a summer break where I didn't take a class or work or have some kind of travel plans in years... like years. It's going to be weird for sure. I'll probably blog a lot. About what color my nails are. And where Sassy decided to sleep that day. And how hot it is. So get ready because we're in for one fun summer together :).

We love y'all and miss y'all! Here's some pictures of Queen Sassy for ya.

She really likes our couch. A lot.

xoxo

Going To The Chapel

I've been dying to write this post! I thought about doing so before getting our pictures I was THAT excited, but I'm glad I didn't. I was so eager to see our wedding photos. I ran all the way back to the house when I opened the mailbox and saw they had finally come in!!

Okay, so here's my bird's eye view of our wedding-

I didn't sleep the night before because I was literally a bundle of nerves and excitement. Well...that's a lie. I slept for like 5 hours, but I woke up every 30 minutes to make sure I wasn't about to miss my wedding. I spent my last night as a single gal with my family. I'm really glad I did that. We didn't make a big deal about it...no tears were shed or baby albums produced- it was just a nice and peaceful night with my loving family before a very very busy day. I woke up on Saturday and it felt like a normal day, which was pretty cool. I was super nervous and excited, but it still felt like a casual saturday hanging out with some of my favorite people. My Dad's brother and his family were staying with us so our house was busy that morning. It was great and I loved having everyone buzzing around in excitement.

My bridesmaids and I got ready together at the church. I really love that we did that. When it came to my "wedding day look" I chose: simple. I wanted a wedding dress that was simple yet classy. Nothing big or elaborate. I wanted to wear the dress, not the other way around. I had the same idea with hair and make-up. I wanted to look natural and like myself on my big day. Addison complains when I have too much make up on (eye shadow and lipstick/lip gloss is WAY too much in his book) so I wanted to honor that on our wedding day. The last thing I wanted was for him to look up and think he was getting married to a clown. My bridesmaids couldn't of looked more beautiful. Not only are they spectacular friends and human beings, but they are stunning. They each radiated beauty that day. Getting ready with them is a memory I will treasure. I think doing that also helped keep me from being a nervous or emotional wreck. It just felt normal to be in a room filled with my girlz getting ready with every make-up product ever made, more curling irons and straighteners than we could count, and bee-bopping to Pharell while we beautified than doing so at some make up counter.

Addison and I chose not to see each other until we walked down the aisle. Actually, I don't know if I consulted with Addison on this little decision. I think I decided this one. I understand it might be more practical to just get all of your pictures done before the ceremony instead of splitting them up and making people wait to get the reception going because you're taking pictures, but I wouldn't have changed seeing each other for the first time walking down the aisle for anything. I think weddings sometimes lose the romance and the tenderness that are so vital in a relationship to all of the formalities and traditions we like to uphold. All morning, everyone that caught a glimpse of my stud of a soon-to-be-husband came and told me how handsome he looked. It made me that much more excited to finally get to see him. I will forever remember peeking through the glass windows of those doors and seeing the most handsome man alive, for the first time that day, standing up on the alter waiting to become my husband. Yes, I know that's cheesy and corny, but it was so special.

so handsome. 

Once we were ready and we had taken our bridal party pictures, groom's party pictures, and family photos. Our church's wedding coordinator came and stowed me away until it was time to make my grand entrance. Those 45 minutes were literally the worst in my life. I'm actually feeling all of the nerves again just thinking about it. I was in a little closet/bathroom without a watch or my phone so I couldn't even read the same statis/tweets over and over again until it was time to come out. I kept reminding myself how to walk (I was terrified I would trip) and how to speak. I was so nervous I would just stare blankly back at Pastor Scott after he had just told me what I needed to repeat. It came time to walk out with good ole' pops and I was shaking like a leaf.

Everyone told me to just breath and take in that moment because you only live it once. If that's not the truest thing I've ever heard I don't know what is. Before I knew it the piano was playing our que to enter and everyone's eyes were on me (gulp. It was terrifyingly awesome). It took me literally .1 seconds to walk that aisle...or so it felt. I tried to take in every single person's face in that church. I just wanted to stop and hug everyone and thank them for being there. Don't get wrapped up in the little things of your big day because there are many little things you'll want to worry about. Make sure you're 100% in every moment at every moment.

I can't stress enough how flipping awesome it is that we had so many people come watch us marry one another. I'm sitting here with tears of pure happiness streaming down my face. While it was Addison and I's wedding day we couldn't have possibly gotten to that alter without so many people-mainly all the people sitting out there in those church pews. Without our precious and loving families who have taught us how absolute and unconditional love is. Without our friends who have supported us and have loved us and reminded us of how great we are together even when times get tough. Without our church families who pray for us hard enough to feel and remind us that no matter where we are we're never in this alone. I'm not kidding when I say that while I appreciate every gift everyone gave us to start our new life together...the best gifts we received were having those bodies in that church with us. (I'm still keeping these gifts we got though....  :)  )

Our ceremony went by without a hitch. It was beautiful and meaningful and I loved it. Our reception was so much fun! Everyone danced and my brother performed the best rap I've ever heard. My brother is a rapper and he is absolutely fantastic. His rap was the sweetest gift I've ever received and everyone spent the whole night raving about it. Seriously, he's awesome. If you haven't heard it or just want to hear it again. Here it is.

I think between us and our parents we were able to hug every person's neck. I wish I could of seen everyone, but unfortunately there isn't enough time. My one regret is that I didn't get pictures with every member of my family. I had family that drove over 12 hours to see us and there isn;t a single picture to show that they were there. That's my advice to other brides- Make sure you get a picture with all your family. You'll definitely regret not having it later. Our wedding was absolutely the best day of my life. It was better than I could of ever dreamt. I know I keep saying that, but I mean it 100%. It was a team effort and I can't say enough wonderful things about the people I was lucky enough to have help me.

Our photographer, Natalie Wester (here's her site ) was incredible and amazing and fabulous. She waltzed right in with vision up the wazoo and started snapping away. She was great. She didn't waste a second and she had great ideas. I've looked through these pictures a million times already since I got them this afternoon and can not believe the stunning bride staring back at me....is me. She's awesome.

Our florist, an Ocean Springs local, Alexis Williams couldn't have possibly done a more beautiful job. Not only did she create the wedding party and families' bouquets and boutonnieres, but she did the flowers we had at the church as well as all of the flowers we had at the reception. Everything looked even more beautiful than I could of dreamt. My bouquet was literally gorgeous (bonus- it smelled AMAZING). I could of cried when I saw it. Tears of literal joy over flowers. She was incredible to work with. Here's her info.

Okay, I feel like I need an entire post to dedicate to our cake. I'm not exaggerating when I say I am currently drooling thinking about it. First off, it was absolutely breath-takingly beautiful. Yes, my cake took my breath away. When I regained my ability to breath and I ate some I almost fainted. Okay, I am exaggerating, but it was delicious. Addison, my mom, and I strolled into French Kiss in downtown OS one day for a coffee break and stumbled upon GOD'S GIFT TO MANKIND. Seriously, if you want the best wedding cake ON PLANET EARTH. Call up French Kiss. You will not be disappointed.

Our reception was at The Redding House in Biloxi, MS. If you are in need of a venue on the coast USE THEM. Their chef- Chef Patrick- is literally the bomb.com. We served some typical Cuban dishes and he nailed them. They were amazing. Suzanne, their coordinator, is absolutely stupendous at her job. She made everything so easy for us! The staff was so kind and friendly. Seriously, you will love working with them!! Here's their website.

Thank you again to everyone who came and helped make our wedding day spectacular. We love y'all so very dearly and can't wait for y'all to come see us in Mesa :)

xoxo

Hawaii Five O

Hello!!

It's been awhile since I last checked in with y'all! We have so much to share about our past few weeks of adventure. I'm going to wait to post about our wedding. Our absolutely darling and awesome photographer is getting us our pictures sometime next week and I want to be able to share some of our favorites on here! So get ready because I am dying to talk about my favorite day EVER.

Let me start with our honeymoon! We went to Maui, Hawaii for 6 days and had a blast!!! We got there at 3 pm, but it felt like 8 for us. We thought we were going to be exhausted after a full day of traveling, but when we caught a glimpse of the beautiful beach we caught a second wind.

Addison scored us free breakfast at one of the restaurants at our resort. Let me tell you, I don't think I've ever had better breakfast...ever. It was phenomenal. I had pineapple, doughnuts, bacon, and more fruit than you could imagine EVERYDAY. I wasn't even mad I gained the weight I lost for the wedding back in a week it was that good. Okay, maybe I'm a little embarrassed that I did that, but WHATEVER. After breakfast we set off to drive The Road to Hana. You can read about it here. There is a lot on the web about it if you google it. It was raining on the side of the island where Hana is located and we weren't really prepared for that. I guess all I had been thinking about was the wedding that I packed horribly for our honeymoon. I brought 5 different running outfits, 1 dress, no rain jacket, and no socks. Everything you don't need and nothing you do....of course. We stopped at the first waterfall along the road, but the rain had made the stream so strong and heavy we couldn't get to the larger waterfall. We kept on driving towards Hana and even through the rain Hawaii was absolutely beautiful.

When we got back from our adventure we went to the pool at our resort. The pool at The Four Seasons was great! You got a stunning view of the ocean, comfy lounge chairs, and they passed out fruit and ice cream to help cool you down. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love spending time lounging in the sun. I think it's because it means I've got nothing else to do but relax. It was pretty windy that first day and the sun wasn't out, but it was nice to hang out together.

On our third day we went scuba diving....at 5:45AM! Addison got certified years ago and loves to go diving. He convinced me to get certified even though I was pretty scared to do so. Even though I get a little nervous before each dive I'm so glad I did. Our planet is 75% water and it's pretty neat to be able to not only explore on land, but to do so underwater! It was still pretty windy so our guides chose not to go to the normal spots. We did two dives that were each about 45 minutes long. We saw a bunch of sea turtles which was super cool. I've decided that they're my second favorite animal. One of the turtles we saw was at least 5 feet long and 3 feet wide. We also swam over to same caves! Our guide took us to these caves where you couldn't see a thing, but once you got in far enough you could pop your head up and you were in air bubble. I was pretty unsure about going into the cave, but after some coaxing (read: being pulled in) I went in and it was definitely cool.

After our scuba diving adventure we came back to the hotel and ate breakfast (of course) and then spent the day at the pool. I am actually almost in tears thinking about how delicious that breakfast was and how lovely that pool was.

That night we went to Lahaina- a town on the other side of the island. It was an absolutely precious town. It reminded me of Key West with a touch of Seaside. It was gorgeous! We had tickets to a magic show at Warren and Annabelle's. When we came in they asked us if we were celebrating anything and when we told them we were on our honeymoon they asked us if we would be a part of the show. Naturally, I said yes and Addison said no. After some persuading I got him to agree and we got front row seats! The show was spectacular. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Warren was hilarious and he really did blow your mind. We helped him with several of his tricks and I still CAN NOT wrap my head around them. He put a card that had been ripped up into my hand and told me to put imaginary tape in my hand...and I did..and then I opened my hand AND THE FLIPPING CARD WAS WHOLE. IT WAS IN MY OWN HAND AND HE DID MAGIC. It was awesome. If you're ever in Maui, GO.

On our way to Lahaina!

The next day we made our way back to Lahaina and went horse-back riding...after our breakfast of champions! Okay...so I think horses are awesome and beautiful and TERRIFYING. They're just so strong and there are so many ways they can hurt you. Although I was nervous I was pretty excited because I was hoping I would climb on to my super tame steed and look like a freaking warrior princess or something.  That dream came crashing down around me when I was informed I would be riding a pony. A PONY. We were riding up the side of a mountain to a reservoir. It took us about 45 minutes and the whole way we had a gorgeous view of Maui. It took about 15 minutes for me to realize that I have no future in horseback riding- I'm sorry, ponyback riding. It took about 2 days for my legs and backside to quit hurting each time I sat down after our adventure. It sounds like I'm complaining, but it definitely was cool! We had a great view the whole time and although it was a little painful it was a lot of fun!

Questioning this life decision pretty hard at that moment. 

On our way back to Wailea we stopped for a few photo-ops because the sun was out and it was breath-taking! I think we went to the pool when we got back..surprise surprise :).

On our last day we hung out by the pool all day. It was perfect. We hung out under one of the cabanas and I got to catch up on my reading. I read Gone Girl and it was AWESOME. I recommend you pick it up if you haven't already! Ben Affleck is starring in the movie based on the book later this year so definitely add it to your reading list before then!

On our last night we did some exploring around Wailea and found where the locals hang out. The beaches were gorgeous! We found them a little too late, but we'll keep them in mind for the next time we go back :)

We took a red-eye back on Saturday so we were able to spend another little while by the pool on Saturday! We had spent our week there with our eyes peeled for celebs and on our last day we spotted one! We were next-door-cabana-neighbors with Brandon Jennings who plays for Detroit! We made it back safe and sound and started packing for the trek to AZ!

I'll try to be better about updating! I'll update you on the move and our house next!!

Love everyone and miss everyone so much!!!! Our extra bedroom is the first thing we set up so if anyone is up for braving the Arizona heat for the summer is welcome :)!!! I'll leave y'all with some of my favorite pictures!

xoxo

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hello again!

April started off with a beautiful shower....well a literal shower and a gorgeous bridal shower in Ocean Springs!  Addison and I went home for a few days to finalize some decisions, get my dress fitted and attend my shower thrown by Mrs. Dent's sweet friends Tori and Melanie. It was spectacular! The food was great and the decorations were absolutely precious! They let me keep some of their decorations to put up at the reception and I couldn't possibly be more thrilled.

I was able to spend time with many of Addison's precious family members, Mrs. Dent's friends, and the lovely ladies I've grown up going to church with. I think everyone truly enjoyed themselves. It was great to put faces with the names I had addressed invites to. It'll make it that much more fun to see everyone at the wedding now that I feel like I know them! My first shower definitely helped make everything feel so real. I feel like I've been planning for this event that is so far in the future, but after spending a day celebrating and talking about the wedding it started to feel like our big day is actually right around the corner. Because it is. It's in less than 4 weeks (!!!!!!!!).

I've added a few pictures from the shower that showcase some of their amazing deco! I mean look at that banner...so cute! The first is with momma V, the second with the world's most fabulous flower girl (guess what her name is...wait for it....Addison. I know. Precious), the third with my beautiful future mother-in-law, and the last with a dear family friend Mrs. Hudson.

All-in-all, it was beautiful and I loved it and I want a bridal shower every weekend because they are so much fun!!!!!!!

When I got back to Oxford I had the cutest shower awaiting me from my fantastic lily pad family!!! It was elephant themed and done so perfectly in our wedding colors!!! I loved it!!! The crew that we have working at the lily pad is literally the most fun group of people I've ever met. Each person is so funny and so kind and I'm so lucky to have met them and done something right to make them like me. This "surprise" shower meant the world to me! We had some delicious food made by these talented young people and Addison and I got some absolutely fantastic gifts. The crowd favorite was a pink elephant that I have lovingly named Ernie Taylor. Keep an eye out for him because I'm going to find a way to get him into the reception.

It was a fun night hanging out with some of my favorite people and enjoying way too much scrumptious food.

My last bridal shower was yesterday and I am still pinching myself. Two of my bridesmaids and their kind mothers gave me a bridal shower in Oxford and it was so much fun! My mom and Mrs. Dent drove up from Ocean Springs and we were able to celebrate with some of my closest friends here in Oxford. We spent the whole afternoon laughing and everyone got to know each other a little better too.

 I was really looking forward to this shower because the people who were there have played such a vital role in my college career and have been such great friends to me that I was so eager to spend an afternoon with them before it'll require lots of planning to get to spend time together. I got a very pleasant surprise when I found out Cathryn drove up from Starkville and I was able to spend the afternoon with my favorite bulldog! The food was, once again, delicious. The flowers came out of Mrs. Mauldin's garden and were beautiful. It was a gorgeous shower made so special because it was spent with so many people I truly love and care for so deeply. 

Here are some pictures for ya! The first is of the girls before Cathryn got there. The second is of the gorgeous cake(it's got Walter Anderson on it. Seriously? They're the best). The last is of all the ladies at the shower (excuse all of the sorority squatting going on)! 

So what I've gathered is that I am BEYOND blessed to have these amazing women in my life. If I haven't said it enough before I'll say it again......thank you to everyone who planned, attended, and gave us a gift. We are so lucky to have each of y'all in our lives. 

xoxo