Sorry so slow

I am so sorry I have really been slacking on the blogging lately. Matt and I have been super busy with moving, Christmas shopping, birthdays galore, and trying to set up the house! Not to mention we have yet to set up the internet at the house so the only time I have on the computer is a few mins here and there at work....needless to say it will probably not be till after Christmas when I can get back on the blogging train. I promise to post pictures of the house later though if you can bare with me and my boring blog. Merry Christmas!

Yeah it's alright!

Sorry for the gap of time in my posts, but Matt and I have been rather busy. So to catch you up just a bit...we got a townhouse!! Slow down now, we didn't buy it just rented it but let me tell you...that 1000 sq ft. 2 bedrooms 1.5 baths seems like a mansion to us and we can't wait to move in. It is perfect for us and we are counting down the hours till the first of December, Merry Christmas to us!

Let's just say if I had a theme song that played everytime I walked into a room this would be my theme song right now:

"Cause I've got a roof over my head, the woman (MAN) I love laying in my bed And it's alright, alright I've got shoes under my feet Forever in her eyes staring back at me And it's alright, alright And I've got all I need And it's alright by me It's alright by me, yeah yeah When I lay down at night I thank the Lord above For giving me everything I ever could dream of"

Yes we have started out the first 6 months of our marriage with very humble begininngs but it has not only brought us incredibly close, but we now also know for future reference we CAN survive 6 months of living with my mom...which Lord willing is not a fact that will ever come in handy again!

On a different note...how is it almost Thanksgiving already? This is the time of the year that I always wish we could just slow down. It doesn't matter if you are 5 or 65 Christmas can't ever get here fast enough and always goes by way to fast.

Some of my favorite things about this time of year:

Hot apple cider

Any and all Christmas music

Fall colors

Shopping

Oversized sweaters

The Christmas tree smell

Pumpkin spice latte's

Casseroles

Cheesy Christmas movies on ABC Family

A fire in the fireplace

Christmas lights

Family fun

Traditions

And there are about a million more! So bring it on Holidays...just please don't go too fast!

Fall weekends, LOVE them!

The Mr. and I had such a wonderful fall weekend! Friday night we went out to eat and to see the new movie "The Invention of Lying" (really cute movie) then Sat morning we went to my brother in laws tennis match which he won! After that we spent a lazy afternoon around the house until around 3:30 when we were off to the North Georgia State Fair to meet up with some friends. It was so much fun! We saw the tiger show, elephant show, high dive show, rode rides that make you wanna puke, ate funnel cake, boiled peanuts, and caught some of the Chuck Wicks concert. So fun I LOVE the fair! Sunday we had a very relaxing day (skipped church because of getting home so late from the fair) went grocery shopping and then to the park to run a couple miles and throw the football. This weekend was like the definition of a fall weekend and I loved every second of it, fall is by FAR my favorite season and I can't wait for many more weekends just like this past one with the Mr. hope everyone else had amazing weekends as well and I will post pictures soon!

Sew fun!

For a while now I have really had this desire to learn to sew. I have sewn before as well as used a sewing machine but I don't have a sewing machine so I never had the chance to really try different things. Well although I did not get a sewing machine (yet) my grandma has a portable one that she has loaned me for the time being. Now as I have mentioned I am not the most patient person when I have an idea in my head so naturally I rushed out to the fabric store bought some fabric and started sewing. Please keep in mind I barley know how to work the darn machine much less anything about garment construction but I did it! I decided to make a little girls dress, I love little girls clothing and I figured it couldn't be that hard because it's not that much fabric and the structure doesn't really have to be great. So anyways I made TWO dresses yesterday and I am so hooked! Career change? I love being creative and watching that creation go from a yard of fabric to an outfit. I didn't use a pattern just winged the whole thing so I really have no idea how they would look on but I am very proud of the final products! Anyways I think they are about a size 2T so if you know anyone who would want to possibly purchase them let me know

Dress 1:

The decision

So thanks to all the wonderful people who commented about my hair dilemma you really helped sway me to my decision. I am going to do it! Not sure when, I called and my hairdresser is not in today or tomorrow :( But I promise to take pictures and post them right after I get it done! Hopefully I will have a fun new fall do!!

Hair do...or don't?

If you know me, then you know I am the type of person who when I want to do something I want it to be done the very second I think of it, some might call that being impatient, however I like to use the word "spontaneous". Like I can't just sit and think about things for weeks before deciding to do them...if I get an idea I'm like in the car 3 min. later on my way to do it. While I can see how in some situations this fiery motivated side of me can be a very good thing, it can also lead to a very not-so-smart thing. One of the things that usually suffers from this personality trait of mine is my hair! Don't know why but it's like the second I get the itch to do something different with it I just do it and unfortunately it has turned out not so great on a few occasions. So yesterday I got the itch...I want something new for my hair want to change it up a bit BUT this time I am going to make sure and think about it first, not make any rash decisions, maybe ask the Mr. and anyone who actually reads this what they think (even though my first instinct is to pick up the phone and make a hair appointment today) I will try to with hold! Well here's my thought.....bangs. Bangs and I haven't had the greatest relationship in the past but I think I can get over it and try once again. So this is what I am thinking:

just a soft bang that I can either wear straight or push to the side for the side sweep.

Now here is a picture of me from about 2 years ago (one of my bad hair experiences) however after they grew out from the 2 cm. long bangs the stupid woman cut me I think they looked kinda cute but I was too traumatized to get them trimmed again thinking that I would end up with the Chinese short bangs again!

Not the greatest picture of me but this is seriously the only time I wore them down because the rest of the time they were still so short, not to mention crooked....thanks 60 year old hair dresser!

Anyways please feel free to comment...give me your opinion should I take the plunge or just get my hair trimmed and stay safe?

Sunshine...finally

Well if you live anywhere in the Atlanta or metro Atlanta area you are well aware of all the rain and flooding we have had! It is so crazy I mean at one point I-20, I-285, I-75, and I-575 were all closed not to mention the hundreds of back roads! I think the death toll is up to 9 people now and so many have lost their houses, cars, and businesses! And to think a year ago we were in the biggest drought in history and now we are in the biggest flood in Atlanta's history. Makes you wonder what God is trying to teach us...are we not appreciating the small things enough? Are we all too caught up in materialistic belongings? Deep, I know, but events like these make you really think about the bigger picture and if there is something that we are missing. All I really know is that Matt and I are so blessed to have our health, a (dry) roof over our heads, food for our bellies, and a Father that takes care of us!

"Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

Habakkuk 1:5

A gas station right down the road from us

Those 4 words that changed my life!

It is so hard to believe but a year ago today my wonderful (now) husband asked me to be his wife. It is crazy how fast time goes by...since the Mr. popped the question we have BOTH graduated from college, added another nephew, gotten married, seen friends get married, and so much more! This past year has been the most amazing year of my life. I am so blessed and can't wait to see where the next year will take me and the Mr.! Here are some pictures from a year ago:

Right after he popped the question...I wish I could go back to that night, what an amazing feeling!

Showing off my new bling! He couldn't have done better picking it out (he only had a couple of subtle hints)!

The set up! So surprised to see him in the dressing room at a bridal salon I had no idea what was going on!

Coming out to a room full of loved ones...I was so glad that we got to share that moment with some of our family, it just made it even more special!

Fun weekends!

So for some reason it wouldn't let me move the pictures around, so they are not in the right order...sorry!
The UWG Football Stadium

Beth's Bachlorette Party

Out to eat for Beth's Bachlorette party

The brand new Alpha Gamma Delta house

Nate and his Daugher Addison for her first UGA game

Matt and I have had two amazing weekends in a row! We have been feeling a little bit like recluses lately because we normally don't do much on the weekends for whatever reason it may be. But these past two weekends have been so fun!

The weekend before last we went to Carrollton on Friday and I helped out with Alpha Gams recruitment, it was also my first time seeing the brand new Alpha Gam house which is beautiful! It was so fun to see all the girls and feel like I was back in college (but it was also so great not to have to actually rush!) I spent the night with my best friends that night and Matt had a guys night with his old roommates!

The next day we went to visit some of our good friends Nate and Bekah Conner who just welcomed the most precious baby girl (Addison Makayla Conner). She is so adorable and we were so glad to have the chance to get to see her!

After that Matt and I and a bunch of friends went to the first West Georgia football game in the new stadium! For those of you who don't know West Georgia just now decided to step it up (after over 100 years), and they finally built a greek village, football stadium, and coliseum! Anyways that was such a neat experience to be a part of that and spend even more time with friends. The rest of the weekend we spent recouping!

This past weekend on Friday we went to eat at my best friend and her husbands house (Jessica & Jacob) it was so much fun talking, eating, and even playing some games! Then Saturday I went to a bachlorette party for my good friend Beth in Atlanta...it was a great time. We got a room at the Palomar hotel in Atl. then went to Marlow's Tavern for dinner and went out to Cosmolava after that. It was such a blast...I love all these girls and had the most fun!

The next day Matt, Christine and the boys, Matt's mom, and Kyle went to a family reunion for Matt's mom's side of the family which was a rather interesting day but fun none the less. Needless to say we were exhausted by the time 8:00pm rolled around on Sunday night and we are looking forward to having a rather lazy weekend this weekend!

Happy B-Day Charley!

Well it's actually a little late...better late than never though huh? Our little Charley is 1 year old! Who is Charley you might ask? He is our sweet, trouble making, annoying little Cavachon pup! We got Charley almost a year ago now and I really can't believe just how much he has grown... it's crazy! We have had a great time with him though...we have cleaned up lots of messes, given him an uncountable number of baths (next time we will not get a white dog), had plenty of laughs at him (he has no space awareness so he falls off things a lot) , had many snuggle moments, frustrating moments, and lots and lots of kisses! It is funny how dogs can put a smile on your face no matter what mood you are in, and Charley has certainly brought a few more smiles to our lives! We love you little Char Char Happy Birthday.
Really soon after we got him...he's so little The Aycock's at Christmas 08...Char open your eyes! "I promise I didn't do it!"Stuck! This is after his first haircut that I gave him, must say I am pretty proud of my grooming skills!

Ode to my wonderful husband

Can I just tell you how great I think Mr. Aycock is? There is nothing that he did particularly that sparked this post I was just sitting and thinking about all the things that I do or say that he puts up with! Like lately I have been having a bit of an "early life crisis" lets call it, and he is just so wonderful making me laugh when I am crying or stressed, laughing at me when I am being totally over the top, and he is always on my team! Yes he is a great husband and sometimes I think I could just eat him up I love him that much. So here are just a few of the reasons I can't get enough of that Mr. Aycock:

1. He works so hard and gives 110% to everything in his life (being a husband, teacher, brother, and son)

2. He is very humble (except in sports haha) and I am learning so much about humility from his example

3. He gives the best hugs in the world...it's true

4. He always knows how to put a smile on my face no matter what the situation is

5. I love talking (dreaming) about our future

6. I know he will be the best father ever

7. He will go along with most of my crazy and spontaneous ideas

8. He keeps me grounded

9. He can't seem to stay on his "side" of the bed when he is sleeping (but I secretly love being able to know that he is right next to me)

10. I love how we can still drive in the car for hours without ever turning on the radio because we are talking the whole time.

What a sweet boy!

Ok I admit it...

Well I was browsing through the library the other day (don't know why because I am in a bit of a reading rut right now and I am still mid book and have about 2 more on the shelf at home to ready to read) anyways back to browsing the library...looking through the racks and racks of books I noticed something about myself, I judge books by their covers. It's true I can't help it. I am a bit of what they call a "chick lit" lover and I must admit if the cover isn't super cute I am not really inclined to read it! Horrible I know but it is the truth, please tell me I'm not the only one who would prefer reading this book:

Over this book:Which by the way Chasing Harry Winston IS as cute as it's cover!

Thought I would be a better blogger

When I started this blog I really thought I would be a much better blogger so I must apologize to anyone out there who actually reads this. When I started I had the best of intentions...I thought I would be funny and have great stories to tell, I also thought I would do it like everyday and give great ideas and advice....hummm didn't really turn out that way! But don't you worry I am not going anywhere I will still try my hardest lol! Ok so to catch everyone up on my life...because I know you are dying to know! One of my best friends went away to law school all the way in Ft. Lauderdale, FL I will miss her dearly but we did send her away in style with a surprise going away party which was so fun! Last weekend I went to a fiesta wedding shower for one of my great friends Beth. It was so much fun and I even ended up spending the night and getting to have a fun girls night with some of my great friends! Matt has had his second full week of work and he comes home with fun stories every night I love hearing them so much! I however am still in the grueling process of finding, applying, and interviewing for every position possible! Uhhh what a pain in the butt I am so ready to find something already! Charley is doing great...he is a little wild child at times but we love him non the less and I even brought him home a toy the other day and let me tell you...if you have a dog and they don't have a KONG toy you need to go get them one ASAP. I got Charley one on Monday of this week and he has yet to put it down! It goes outside with him when he goes to the bathroom, and the second he gets out of his crate in the morning he is desperately searching for it, and if you even remotely look like you might try and take it away from him he will get up and move away from you! This is also the only toy he has that he hasn't been able to tear up and eat the little pieces of it and then make mommy clean up his regurgitated remains so I am loving just as much as Charley! Well that is my sad attempt at getting "caught up" but now I have to do some laundry, cleaning and go for a run! I promise I will try and get better!

Nugget of Truth

For those of you who don't know Matt and I have really been struggling with finding jobs. Matt currently has a summer job but that is about to be over and we still have nothing lined up so needless to say we are getting very nervous. This week has also been especially difficult because we have had two slaps in the face when it comes to jobs and it is just getting harder and harder to stay positive and hopeful when you have things that are constantly getting your hopes up and then being let down! So anyways with that little bit of background I just wanted to share a bit of what the Lord shared with me this morning...I came across this verse and it really struck a cord with me:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

Isa. 43:1-3

My interpretation of this verse is that He doesn't say IF we go through hard times and struggles He says WHEN we go through hard times He WILL be there and we will not be overwhelmed nor will we be burned because He is with us. I think it is so normal in hard times to feel like He is not hearing your cries; but I think God is slowly revealing to me that He is right next to me to catch me if I fall but He knows it will make me so much stronger if I go through the fire.

"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isa. 40:31

It's sort of like kids learning to ride a bike, as a parent you want to hold on to the bike so they don't fall...but the only way they will learn and become strong bike riders is to let go and maybe watch them struggle and even fall a time or two but you are there to comfort, encourage, and occasionally nurse some boo-boos! So this might make no sense to anyone but me, but I just thought I would share...and ask that you please pray for us right now during this mini fire...that the Lord will reveal his plan for our lives and that He would continue to open doors and show us where He wants us and also that we would continue to trust fully in Him that He will provide for all of our needs! Thanks guys and please let us know what we can pray for you about!

Box O' Fun

Ok so if you haven't used the "Redbox" you are way missing out. It is a movie vending machine and you can rent movies for $1 a day! It is practically located in every Wal Mart and now even some Wallgreens are starting to have them. If you aren't sure where to find one you can go to www.redbox.com and click on locator. I mean who really needs a 5 day rental from Blockbuster anyways...you only watch the movie once why do you need 5 days to do that? However, Matt and I have ended up paying $5 for a movie because we just kept forgetting to turn it back in so be careful! Also one of our friends ended up paying $23 (the movie is now his) but still! I am writing about the Redbox because I wanted to let everyone know some fun things I recently found out about the box...every Monday they have free movie monday, you can go and there will be a promo code on the redbox and you type in the promo code and get a free movie! Also one of our friends just told us if you go to check out a movie and click on "enter promo code" and enter "breakroom" you get a free movie...it does only work once per debit/credit card...BUT if you have more than one card you can use it on every different card! Fun huh? So grab your sweetie tonight and go and get a free movie!

Learning to be wifely!

So now that I actually am a wife I figure it's probably time to learn how to be a good one. Well I have been rather proud of myself lately...I have made dinner like 5 nights in a row and for those of you who know my husband (the pickiest eater EVER) he actually has loved all of them! I also go the book "The Power of a Praying Wife" which is so good, it is really geared more towards those who are going through a hard time in their marriage but it is still great to learn how to pray for your husband BEFORE you get to a rough place! I am really learning a lot about him and the Lord is showing me just how much he hears my prayers for my husband so if you are a wife and haven't read this book I highly recommend it! Well just thought I would share my feelings on being a wife so far! Now it's off to fulfill some more wifely duties!!

Best friends wedding and bundles of joy

So this weekend was very exciting for me, not only did one of my best friends in the entire world get married to an amazing man...but Matt and I welcomed our second nephew...8lbs 2oz Luke Daniel Barnes to the family!

June 27th, 2009- Bethany Ruth Harwell was married to Matthew Thomas Sauers! Matt and I were so thrilled to be a part of this amazing wedding. Matt and Bethany are such a great couple who have touched so many lives. The theme of the whole weekend seemed to be not about the Bride and Groom but about the Lord and His love for us. It is so great to see a couple so in love with the Lord! I really was honored to be a part of their wedding and I know that they will do amazing things for God's kingdom.

Bethany and I have been friends for almost five years now, but it seems like so much longer. I first met Bethany through our sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. We became instant friends and began to grow an amazing bond. I have watched Bethany's life be transformed by the Lord throughout the years. I have shared tears, long and hard conversations, big belly laughs, clothes, toothbrushes, hopes, and many many prayers with Bethany. She is such an amazing woman and an even better friend...I am so happy for her and Matt and know that they will have a great marriage. (This is a picture with Bethany and all of the Alpha Gams that were in her wedding)

Me and Bethany and our "MATT'S" Can't believe we are BOTH married now!


Matt and I also had the wonderful experience of meeting Luke Barnes this weekend. He is the most precious little one ever. Christine and Dan (Luke's parents) are thrilled to finally have two healthy boys in their family! I already love him so much and I am so excited to be able to watch and be a part of him and Jake growing up. Happy Birthday Luke!

Grown ups?

So Matt and I ran some errands yesterday...we opened our first joint bank account and went grocery shopping and it really made me feel grown up and married! So then I got to thinking, when are you considered a "grown up" you know like get to sit a the grown up table at holidays, kind of grown up. I mean you always say "when I grow up I wanna be a..." well when are you considered grown up. Is it when you graduate high school, turn 18, or when you have your first heartbreak, how bout when you turn 21, go off to college, graduate from college..or is it not until you get married, or have kids? I mean am I a grown up now, will I never be referred to as a kid or get to go outside and play hide and seek after Thanksgiving dinner instead of sitting at the table for hours talking? It really is a bitter sweet thing to think about I mean growing up and going through milestones in life is so great, but it is a little sad to be the grown up instead of the kid! Anyways the whole point of this post is just to say that I think I have realized I have crossed over to the grown up side, but if you know me you know I will never fully act like I'm on the grown up side! I'd like to hear everyone elses realizing you are a "grown up" moments...was it your wedding day, college graduation, moving away?

Wedding Pics!

Yeay we got our professional wedding pictures in and they are so wonderful...I might be a little bias but I think they are so great and I can't wait to get them in frames and put them EVERYWHERE haha! Go check them out here...www.pictage.com/649373 and let me know what you think! Also let me know if you want the photographers information!

The best day of my life...extended version!

Well I guess I will just start with Friday, the start of the crazy weekend! Well I went to pick up Lindsay Friday morning and we drove to Carrollton to get me a spray tan...so if you think I look tan in my wedding pictures it is all thanks to Indulge Spa! After the spray tan Lindsay and I headed to Chick-Fil-A for some breakfast and well ended up being about an hour stop because we got to talking about everything, had a few tears, laughs, and everything in between it was def. a great sister time! After that we were headed to Matt's mom's house to do some wedding stuff. Well when we got back in the car (where I had left my cell phone) I have like 4 missed calls from Matt. He knew we were headed that way so I thought he just got paranoid that we had gotten in a wreck or something (he is a little bit of a worry wort) so I call back and no answer...no big deal because he was doing yard work at his moms. Well I call back a little later and his mom answers and tells me Matt is in the hospital! Yes 2 days before our wedding and my husband to be is in the hospital! Well I went through some flipping out moments but by the time Lindsay and I made it in to Tyrone Matt was feeling much better and they were headed home. So thank the Lord that they think it was a kidney stone and that he passed it without much pain. With that crisis over with Lindsay and I started tying ribbons on programs and Matt got back to the yard work (an hour after being in the hospital...what a trooper my hubs is!) Later that day we went to eat with my gramps and gran who came in from NC for the wedding. We just love them so much and after all their years of being together they still hold hands and flirt with eachother....I can't wait for Matt and I to be their age and still so in love!

Well Saturday morning came so fast and all the girls met at Phyllis' house to have some drinks before heading to the bridal luncheon. It was so amazing to finally be surrounded by all of my best friends and sisters and this is when it really started to feel real that I was getting married this weekend!The bridal luncheon was so much fun it was at this adorable place in Fayetteville called City Cafe, the food looked like something off the Food Network Channel and the best part was just getting to hang out with all my girls! This is also when I gave the girls their present from me and to my surprise they also had one for me...all the bridesmaids put together a scrapbook each page was of me and a different bridesmaid, it was such a sweet present and made me actually start crying (which if you know me is not a very common thing, although it happens more often these days...darn birth control!) It really is a beautiful present and something that I will cherish forever!

After the luncheon is was off to be pampered! We got our toes and nails done and just got to relax for a bit which was wonderful!

After being pampered we went back to the house to get ready for the rehearsal. Well it was raining all day so we weren't even sure we would be able to have the rehearsal at all! Thank goodness it stopped raining just in time for us to be able to run through the wedding a time or two! Everything went so smoothly...well except for some reason the guys in wedding parties never listen haha but we love them anyways!

From the rehearsal straight to the rehearsal dinner! The food was good the friends and family were so much fun and we had a blast! After eating we watched a slide show that Matt's wonderful mom made. It was so stinking good and I think had almost everyone in the room teary eyed! Then some toasts from the fathers and one from my sister, Lindsay which was so sweet and filled with even more tears!

The girls all went back to Matt's mom's house and all the boys went to Matt's grandparents house to spend the night! We had so much fun and watched Bride Wars and finished the centerpieces and all the last min. details. I had to take a sleeping pill that night to get any sleep because I was so anxious! Lindsay and JP asked if they could pray for me that night and we laid in the bed and my best friend and sister prayed the sweetest things over mine and Matt's marriage...this one just one of the many sweet moments that I had with my closest friends that weekend and is one that I will not forget!

THE BIG DAY!

The day of the wedding all the girls woke up fairly early (I was up at 6am even with a sleeping pill in me) we had an amazing breakfast spread, thanks to Phyllis which I couldn't eat any of, thanks to a nervous stomach! Then Cristal came to do my hair and all 11 of us girls were spraying hair, putting on makeup, brushing teeth, showering, and everything else that it takes to get ready so it was a mad house needless to say.

Ready to go...we where loaded up and headed to Dunaway Gardens, I couldn't believe it was actually here! We got to the sweet little cottage at Dunaway and I put the dress, accesories and all the little details on I think this is when it hit me that I am the bride and about to marry my best friend! We managed to get outside and get some pictures (in the rain) and then back to the cottage to wait for the ceremony to start! I was so calm and excited all day and the rain hadn't phased me....UNTIL the manager from Dunaway said he had checked the weather and it didn't look good so they were moving all the chairs under the tent, so I lost it...just a little bit! I kinda snapped at my mom and told her bluntly that I was NOT getting married in a tent. After the wedding I heard that Matt and all the groomsmen were running around wiping chairs down and moving them and putting plastic on the aisle to do anything so that we could have the wedding outside (what sweet boys) So after snapping I had a few tears over it but then I just had to not think about it! My bridesmaids (during my meltdown) were being so amazing and since I didn't have my "something blue" they found some blue thread and each bridesmaid sewed one stitch to make up a blue "A" in the hem of my wedding dress. So precious! And Matt's present to me arrived just in time...he sent two of his groomsmen (Nate and Chris) to deliever a dozen roses to and they sang "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it's cold outside I've got the month of May" SO stinkin cute! The card on the flowers also said "rain or shine I can't wait for you to be mine" then the tears came again!

It was so sweet and really made me realized that no matter if we are getting married in the pouring rain at the end of the day he was still going to be my husband and that is all that is important! It was almost show time and because the Lord is good, it stopped raining, and we were off!! I got to my dad, and we actually had a bird's eye view of the whole wedding which was amazing because I got to actually see Matt walk in without him really being able to see me. When I saw him it literally took my breath away and I looked at my dad and said "I just love him so much" this did my dad in, he was a goner at that point but got it together before walking down the aisle! Well all the bridesmaids and groomsmen made it down the muddy steps and then it was our turn...I finally made it to my husband and I felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest! I was so good the whole ceremony and then during my vows I started crying...like the ugly crying like where my voice was high and cracking and I know my face was not looking very cute but some how I managed to stumble through them! Then before I knew it we were being announced as husband and wife!! Yeay I couldn't believe it was over! We took pictures, for what seemed like hours and then finally (after my mom, JP, and Christine wrestled with the bustle forever) we made it to the reception, which was so fun! Everyone was dancing and having a blast and I even got Matt out there once or twice! The whole day was perfect (rain and all) it was everything I ever could have asked for and more! I tried my hardest to soak it all in and remember every detail, and I know that I will never forget the way I felt, how amazing the people around me where, and how much fun I had the entire day!

Special THANKS:

To everyone that was at the wedding-thank you for sharing our special day with us. To all my bridesmaids-thank you for being AMAZING friends and helping me through the weekend and giving me wonderful memories to keep forever! Bo & Lindsay- Thank you for singing in the wedding it was so beautiful! Lindsay & JP- Thank you for reminding me every second "Annie, this is your bridal luncheon...Annie you are getting your hair done for your wedding, Annie you are eating your last breakfast as a single woman" haha To the moms- Thank you for everything you did for the wedding!! Carrie Jo & Mandi- Thank you for wonderful pictures and for keeping me calm! The groomsmen- Thank you for being on TIME and for all the sweet things that I didn't even know till after the wedding that you did!!!

I told you this was the extended version...but thank you for reading every detail of my wedding and I hope if you weren't able to make it maybe this will be a glimpse for you!

The best day of my life...the short version

So I don't have much time to blog today because Matt and I have tons of errands to run one of them being getting my hair cut (YEAY) I have been growing it out for a year for the wedding and I can't wait to get it all chopped off!!!

Well, Matt and I are offcially married now and back from our amazing 11 day honeymoon!! It is so bittersweet that the wedding is over because on one hand I am so thankful to not have any more planning to do and stressing but on the other hand that 8months of hard work and anticipation is over now and we don't ever get to do it again :( so it is quite sad but I cannot explain to you (well those of you who are married know) how amazing it is to have Matt as my husband. People have told me time and time again that after the wedding you instantly have so much more love in your heart for your new spouse...I never really believed this but it is so true, I love him WAY more, which I didn't even think possible and I can't wait to continue growing our love together as a family!
-The wedding was the most amazing day of my life! Yes it rained but I was determined to have that darn wedding outside so by golly Matt and I said our vows in the rain and my dress is now brown (but I'll never wear it again so oh well) The rain actually added a very romatic touch and I'm sure no one will ever forget our wedding because of it haha! The wedding party was so much fun...the girls looked stunning and the boys looked more handsome than ever! I could never have asked for better friends and sisters to be around me on the biggest day of my life...those girls kept me sane when the rain just kept coming down! They really are the best friends any person could ever have (I will tell you more about it when I have some more time)
Well I told you this was going to be the short version...but don't worry the long version is coming soon!!!
-Annie Aycock (Yay)

Our Life in a Nutshell

So I think I might not be so great at this blogging thing because everytime I actually do sit down to blog there is so much that I have to catch up on that I either 1. Just decide not to blog or 2. Have a really long and possibly boring blog so today I went with the long and possibly boring one! So anyways I will try and just go with a short update and then start fresh from what is going on in my (our) lives today
Update:
-Easter was so much fun we went to some of Matt's families Easter and got to watch our sweet flowergirls among other adorable cousins hunt Easter eggs and get high off of all the candy!
-I have had 4, yes FOUR wedding showers which all were amazing and we got so many great things that we just can't wait to unpack and start using! I am so thankful for all of our family and friends who were a part of the wedding showers!
-One of my best friends just got engaged, Bethany Harwell to Matt Sauers. They are an amazing couple who love the Lord and Matt and I are so excited for them. Their wedding will be on June 27th 2009 and we can't wait to be a part of it (and all the things leading up to it)
-We are less than a month away from our wedding and the stress is on!! I am so excited to marry my best friend in the whole world but I will tell you I can't wait for this planning process to be over haha!
-I ended up having to quit my job with Gold's Gym and Matt and I are currently seeking the Lord about what to do when it comes to jobs and our future which brings me to the present...

So after months of looking for jobs I sort of hit the rock bottom and had a little bit of a break down yes the crying and laughing at the same time crazy sort of break down! After this breakdown I finally realized that Matt and I had not been seeking the Lord like we should when it came to this area of our lives. I really had a long hard talk with the Lord about this and just begged Him to give me the hard core gut wrenching trust in Him to provide for us and guide us in what to do next, where to go with our lives. So it was a really hard realization I must admit to get slapped in the face with the fact that I was just plain not trusting in Him to provide. So the next day I stumbled across a ministries website and really felt like this is it...this is why we don't have jobs yet, this is what we should be doing. So I talked to Matt about it and got him to look up the website and he felt the same way about it. Well that night we e-mailed someone on staff because we really just wanted more information and wanted to make sure it was something we would be interested in, well the staff member ended up calling Matt and they spoke on the phone for about 45mins about the ministry and what all it entails. Matt called me the second they got off the phone and was so excited about it! So here is the deal...the ministry is called Athletes in Action and the understanding that Matt and I have is that if this is something that the Lord has is store for us that we would undergo a 5 week long training, come back and raise support, and then be place at a division 1 school somewhere throughout the Southeast and we would be on staff at that campus and go and build relationships with college athletes and share the gospel with them and in turn teach them how to use their platform as a way to share the gospel with others. Matt and I have been praying non stop to see if this is something that is right for us, and at the moment we feel like the Lord has just continued to open the doors for us so we have decided that it is something we are going to pursue farther. We are in the process of filling out the applications and speaking with some other AIA staff members to see where this all leads. So the reason for me saying all of this is just to say that Matt and I are so excited about the possibility of going on staff with this ministry and we would love for everyone to pray for our journey and that if this is something that God has in store for us that we would be able to raise support quickly and that he would begin to prepare our hearts now so we would be able to mentor these college athletes and share His word with them!

Shane & Shane

Matt, myself and some of our close friends went to a Shane and Shane concert at West Georgia last night. The CCF at West Georgia put on the whole concert and it was amazing. Shane and Shane literally sound identical to their CD's that they put out. It was also just so refreshing to see two people who love the Lord so much up there singing their hearts out to Him. If you ever need some songs to sing as loud as you can in your car alone with the windows down and the music as loud as it can go then I highly recommed a Shane and Shane song! Go Here for more about Shane and Shane.

It's been so long!

I am so sorry I haven't posted in like forever but things have been so crazy lately. Just an update...A few weekends ago some of our good friends got married in a precious chapel in Gatlinburg so we got to go on a mini road trip and had so much fun. We got incredibly lost on the way (but aren't you supposed to get lost on road trips? I mean it is half the fun!) It was actually quite funny to see the boys fighting and the Garmin "recalculating" every 5 seconds! The day after the wedding was Matt's birthday so he got to be in Gatlinburg for his birthday which was fun! We decided to go horseback riding up there because Matt has never been on a horse in his life (crazy I know!) so we found this barn/farm that was so random with the animals that it had (miniature pony, rabbits, emus, goats, peacocks, chickens, horses, and a llama!) but it was so fun! The trail ride was so scenic and peaceful and we had a lot of fun with the crazy animals!!

Then the very next weekend we had our first wedding shower which was SO fun! My two best girlfriends from highschool (Jessica and Christa) threw a couples shower for us! It was amazing how many friends and family we had there-just makes us realize once again how blessed we are! It was such a great shower...we got tons of GREAT presents and had a lot of laughs at the advice sheets that everyone filled out and the game that we played where Matt and I had to put marshmellows in our mouth for every answer about eachother that we didn't know! All and all it was such a fun weekend and was a huge success, I can't wait for the next shower!!

Way to go G

So as always the Lord pulled through, I finally have a job! I got a job in Gwinnett County at the Hamilton Mill Gold's Gym as a Fitness Consultant! I am so excited! The people there are great and it has amazing potential for moving up very fast (which is always a plus) It is also a great work environment I mean really we all know from Legally Blonde that exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy...I mean who doesn't want to work in a place where everyone is happy?! And I get to workout for free...bikini body here I come! The drive is going to stink at first because I will still be in Woodstock until Matt can find a job somewhere then we will find an apartment somewhere in between. Matt and I are so thankful for this opportunity we have been praying for jobs for quite some time now...so one down one to go! Matt is going to a Gwinnett County Teacher Job fair tomorrow though so we are really praying something will work out there and then we will officially be Gwinnett County people! So thank you to everyone who has prayed for me to find something, and please keep praying for Matt also! We are confident that the Lord will provide for him also and are so excited to see where He takes us!

Herring Foundation of Hope

I had the amazing opportunity of volunteering at the Herring Foundation of Hope Gala this past Sat. night. It is an amazing foundation that was started by my dad's fiance, Sharon Burton, after her son was diagnosed, and later died from cancer. The foundation provides people and the families of those diagnosed with cancer with information and what to do next. Because the amount of information that there is now related to cancer it is hard to know what direction to take, or where to even start, the Herring Foundation seeks to step in and answer those questions! The gala this past Sat. was amazing, the foundation had a silent auction as well as a live auction and a portion of the live auction where people could buy hope kits (the hope kits are what the Herring Foundation sends to those recently diagnosed with cancer), and each kit costs $150 to put together. Just on the Hope Kit auction alone the Foundation raised enough money to make 115 hope kits (the goal was 50)! The foundation also made an astonishing amount of money from the silent and live auction items. The Lord has really blessed this amazing foundation over the past ten years and I know that He will only continue to bless it! I am so proud of Sharon and what she has done for this foundation and for all of those who have received Hope Kits because of her hard work and dedication! Please if you know of anyone who needs a Hope Kit, or if you would like to donate money to the foundation please visit the website HERE

BOARD games or BORED games?

Well if you know me, then you know that I love playing games (I'm a bit competitive) but I still have fun and love playing them! So on Friday night my mom and two brothers were all at home and we popped some popcorn and played rummikube (sp?) it was so much fun just spending some family time with them laughing, joking around and playing a game (which I won both time might I add)!! Then last night Matt was in town so Matt, my two brothers and I decided to play a game of pictionary. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard! We had a blast trying to guess what these ridiculous pictures that each of us drew were supposed to be!
So just in case you thought that board games were so old and boring I encourage you to get one out sometime this week with some family and friends and see what happens. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Super nervous!

Well as always the Lord came through. After weeks upon weeks of Matt and I praying for something to come through job wise it finally did, well not fully but I at least have my first real job interview today and I feel like I could throw up at any point in time. I am so thankful to have this opportunity but man I HATE interviews they are so nerve racking and SO not my thing. So for most of the day today Matt and I have been going over sample interview questions and answers but I still feel incredibly nervous and unprepared so if anyone reads this today before 4:30 just pray that the Lord would calm my nerves and comfort me and that I would know if I don't get the job it is all in His plan, and that something better will come along!! Thanks so much and I will update everyone on how is goes today.....hopefully I won't totally mess it up!

Fun times with sweet friends

The other night I got together with two of my oldest friends. They are so amazing and I always seem to forget how much fun we have together. We are all in different places in our lives and it is so fun to talk about old memories and new stories! We spent the entire night without once turning on the TV, just talking and laughing! Isn't it amazing how sometimes with great friends it is like you haven't missed a beat with eachother?

The Three Muskateers years ago

And us now (well back in June for Jessica's wedding rehersal)