the holidays

so it's about time for the holidays...so happy we have a break! :) I spent last weekend in Amarillo for my sister's college graduation...not only is she a graduate, but she is already employed! I am so proud of her working so hard to get where she is! so yay for that! on another note : I am so stinking tired of school it's pretty ridiculous...but the good news is that we do have some time off and in January we FINALLY start teaching methods! we are going to be taking our classes on-site at an elementary school and we are getting to teach some in addition to our block being Bilingual! It is so exciting to finally be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Speaking of school, both Steven and I got a 3.5 or higher this semester! YAY!!! :)

Christmas is almost here! We have procrastinated shopping way more than I usually do, but we still found some pretty great gifts and I am in the process of wrapping them today before we leave for our parents' tomorrow. We are so excited to spend our first Christmas together as a married couple and with both of our families! We will be on the road quite a bit this holiday so pray for us as we are traveling. :)

Hope you all have a great holiday season, eat lots of great food and get some sweet gifts!

Feliz Navidad!

Los Morgans

Food Inc.

Just got finished watching Food Inc. and I definitely know why people eat organicall y. The things that people do to what we eat just for a profit is pretty gross. I watched it instantly on our netflix account, so if you have one and want a little insight, I would recommend it.

On this note, eat locally and organically when possible and thank your parents for making you keep up with the garden when you were growing up. Healthy food may not always be the cheapest, but sometimes it's just worth it.

a small romantic thing

Just thought I'd share a heartwarming thought for today...a super lovely cold front came into town last night, bringing with it a TON of rain. Well, ok not a ton really, but enough for me to think it's a lot in Las Cruces. I absolutely love cold weather and one of my favorite things during cold weather is to have soup. My mom always made soup or chili when the weather outside was super cold. I always think it warms you in more than one way.

Today, I got home from work a few minutes before Steven did and was on the phone with my mom when he pulled up. He didn't get out of the car, instead he told me to get my stuff and get in. I did, and asked where we were going and he said McAllister's. I LOVE that place. He said he remembered that I like soup on cold days and wanted to take me to get some. This may not be a huge deal, but I seriously melted (no pun intended). This is why God made this guy for me :) Just wanted to share.

updates are swell!

Apologies for not updating nearly as often as I'd like to, but nonetheless here goes nothing!

Earlier this semester, Steven and I were both accepted to the TEP! Praise God! We have a Welcome Meeting tomorrow morning and are both anxious to get Methods started in January!

This Saturday we are celebrating our 3 month anniversary! Although this might be a small accomplishment when you see how long our parents have been married (lol) we are excited! We are always learning about each other and our love continues to grow. God did such an amazing job putting us together!

We are gearing up for the holidays! This is our first group of holidays as married! Although Steven and I have spent holidays with each other's families, this is the first year we are "required" in a sense, so organizing things is going crazy! We will be great, probably just a little tired of driving, but it will be so great seeing our families for longer than 24 hours twice in a semester. :)

and Lastly, I am sad to say I have traded in TX residency for NM. :( This has benefitted me greatly in so many ways, it's just not the same having a yellow and orange license plate on my Bessie. I am learning to like this state, but will always be a TEXAN at heart!

too blessed to be stressed

Is there any way we can have an extra long weekend say, oh tomorrow?

Sickness and the chaos of school are starting to take a small toll. Although everything is super, and I have no reason to truly complain, the routine of school and work is wearing me out. I am in the middle of an 18 hour semester! I am taking mostly freshman level classes (transferring...ugh) and even though it is ridiculously simple compared to past semesters, I don't feel like the bulk of this really applies to my major. I am SO ready to be back in schools and learning about teaching! It is getting increasingly harder to stay motivated for classes that don't hold my attention because they are teaching me nothing about teaching. That being said, I really am WAY too blessed to be stressed. :) We have great, mostly flexible jobs and schedules that for the most part, really work with each other! School is mostly simple and grades are up. We are loving every minute of being married and are loving each other more with every day. God is so good to us!

oh new mexico...

So it finally happened. I am officially a NM resident...not quite to sure to feel about that, but regardless of what my driver's license says, I will ALWAYS be a Texas girl! After a long, picky process I was finally able to get a NM license and not only that, but also get a VERY nice discount on tuition now that I am considered a resident. I never really realized how much process comes with getting and changing things like a SS card and driver's license! I have so many things that still have Cruz on them and with our TEP portfolio being due on Friday, our apartment/my car are pretty full of paperwork! Regardless of the craziness, I love the married life and wouldn't change a thing!

Also, a little prayer request...like I mentioned earlier, our TEP is due on Friday. We have been working pretty hard getting recommendations, writing papers and putting everything together for them. We absolutely need to do a great job on these, or basically we delay graduation by a semester...so pray for us as we tie up the loose ends of out portfolios and turn them, hoping for acceptance into the program. And speaking of...I better get back to working... :)

Update as of Lately...

So Steven and I came to our blog page today...and well I haven't really updated in almost 2 months, which isn't nearly as often as I had hoped to. And since I have a bit of free time...FINALLY, I figured I would update. If no one reads this, then at least I can feel like I told the story to someone :)

Well, the summer came to a close for us a couple weeks earlier than for everyone else I guess. We took two weeks off of work and went home to finish up final wedding plans. I went and made decisions on flowers and final decorations, did a little shopping and got as much rest as possible (since everyone told me to). Then came rehearsal day...we were at the church SUPER early, which didn't really bother me too much. My sister was there already mixing ridiculous amounts of icing and cake batter which smelled delicious, but after knowing what goes into cake icing makes me not want to eat it too much lol. We did a ton of decorating, which I didnt think was going take so long, but it did and after help from some genius decorators in the congregation, the church looked BEAUTIFUL :) I was so happy with it!

Later on, Steven and his family got to town and we did the wedding rehearsal. It was pretty smooth and we fixed some music kinks and went on to the food time! We had a baseball-themed rehearsal and had tons of hot dogs, nachos and cracker jacks for the night :) We finished decorating the fellowship hall where the reception was going to be and finally got to go home after like 15 hours. *sigh*

The next day, after about 4 hours (maybe) of sleep, we woke up and had a Spa party with my mom and the bridal party. We got to sit around in robes and be pampered all morning! It was one of the best relaxers before everything got started :) We came home, ate lunch and went off to my hair appointment...came back to the church, watched tv/checked FB ( yes we did ) and started to get ready! The hours seemed to go by quickly, yet the clock seemed to literally stop around 6:00. Not to mention I couldn't go anywhere to talk for fear of "being seen." Well it was close to wedding time, we were ready and it was time for the "first look." Steven came to where I was getting ready and we got to see each other for the first time before the wedding. I am SO glad I chose to do this; not only did it get rid of the jitters, but it made the walk down the aisle much less nerveracking. The wedding/reception seemed to go perfectly! Pictures were wearing on me quckly, but all in all it was a good day! But something had to be memorable...

Steven's phone got lost sometime between the reception start and before we left. So we spent more than an hour looking for it after our "getaway." It was stressful, and it did get found later...but not for a couple days. We finally got to leave and had the most amazing honeymoon. We stayed the greatest Bed&Breakfast, got to watch 2 Red Sox games and had a great time relaxing and worrying about nothing. Married life is great :)

We got back Tuesday, started class Thursday and just like that we start falling back into the same routine as before, just married! but despite the stress and craziness of it all, we wouldn't change a thing. God has truly blessed us with wonderful friends and family that made/make our lives so great as we start our new adventure!

a whole lot of busy...

A little bit of time has gone by, and things have quickly progressed! Last week, Steven and I went to Lubbock to get some wedding stuff done. We took our engagement pictures (which I am going CRAZY waiting for) and I bought a wedding dress!!! I would love to show pictures because I LOVE it, but you're going to have to trust me, basically because Steven doesn't want to see it till our wedding day...which is ok with me, plus I think it's totally sweet :) We have registered for our showers and it was SO much fun, minus our walmart experience of registring completely online...it was quite the fun suck. but all in all getting to tell people what presents to buy you...how could we honestly complain?! Aside from that there are tons of things ordered and on their way to my parents' house and there really isn't much else that I can think of that needs to be done till closer to the big day! We are so excited about starting our lives together! Pray that God blesses the next couple months so things can easily fall into place.

On another note, I am on week 3 of my new job! I pretty much have the majority of things down, it just takes me a little longer than the others to get things taken care of, but I am learning a lot everyday and I am making pretty good money with tips so far! Granted, I am always first cut because I am the "new girl" but even so I still manage to take home at least $30 a day! Working in the food industry with some not so kind manangers is tough sometimes...I understand that they need to be "tough" to do their jobs, but some seem to find enjoyment in being mean...I am praying God gives me patience everyday to be able to handle it, and so far I am focused on doing my job and not sweating the small stuff.

Things are great so far! I am still waiting on NMTA scores, and desperately need to work on my TEP portfolio, but other than that it is just really busy!

Change

A few BIG changes have come about lately, and we are way excited about it! for starters, we have moved the wedding up a LOT! our new date is August 14, 2009! We had initially decided to wait until next summer to save some money and whatnot...but after a long discussion not only with each other, but with our parents, we moved the date to this year! Plus, one of the benefits is of course only paying for one apartment versus two and I can get in-state tuition, which adds to about $10,000 a school year! That being said, we have obviously had to get on a move with planning. There is SO much to do! We are at a standstill with our venue, which sucks...because we can't get invites printed until we have a set place! Other than that, we have pictures to take next weekend, and my dress to still buy! Other things are coming together pretty well :)

On a different note, I have a new job! I applied to serve at Applebee's...good thing I did, because I was let go for the summer from my other job after the Dean decided that the budget couldn't afford student worker paychecks. So I have a new job, have become certified to serve alcohol and now go in for some training and starting off stuff today!!! I hope this job is flexible with my needs, seeing I need lots of time to get planning done! Luckily, the place never opens before 11 so I always have mornings!

So there is obviously a ton of change going on around here, not to mention unending phone calls and I'm sure soon a job that is pretty demanding, but I know God won't put us through something that we aren't capable of handling :) so say a prayer for us, we will be needing it!

Life Lately

Summer is officially here for the both of us now. This past weekend we were both working an air show called Thunder on the Rio Grande. It was organized by where Steven works, so he was there and has been working on this event for MONTHS and I signed up to volunteer for some TEP recommendations, so we were there ALL weekend, but now things have settled down again! I'm sure neither of us want to talk about the air show anymore, so we'll move on to other things.

Well, I need a job. The place where I am now has been on the fence about keeping me this summer due to funding issues and to be honest, I am completely frustrated with the whole process so I am trying to find something else to move on to at least for the summer! I have tried Craigslist and a few on-campus postings, but nothing has really come up so I got some advice to try and wait tables, so I just might! I have never worked in food service, so give me some advice! :) So I am praying that something turns up soon... :(

We take our NMTA test on Saturday morning, results in a few weeks...we HAVe to post those results in our TEP portfolios to get into the program, so pray we are prepared and rested and do well :) otherwise we're here a semester longer, which sucks.

And always some wedding stuff! I have found the bridesmaid/flower girl dresses and also something GREAT for my mom to wear! We have started our guest list and found invites, favors, flowers and a few other decorations for the reception/ceremony! Things are slowly coming together, which is ok since we have till next July! :)

Anyways, just a small update on the craziness that is our life, as always! sorry if I wrote a novel today...

Sweet Sounds of Vitamin

So the hectic ridiculousness of the last 3 weeks of school is GONE! The stress was worth it though; I got a 3.6 this semester! WooHoo! We have signed up for the NMTA which is June 6, and finished getting recommendations for the TEP. We have finally gotten back to a simpler routine for the time being, which basically consists of work and relaxing, watching lots of House and finally some wedding planning for me!

A couple nights ago, I was searching for string wedding music on iTunes and stumbled upon this band called the Vitamin String Quartet. I thought they had a few wedding songs but then soon discovered they had 16 pages of covers and albums! They have done covers on everyone from Celine Dion and Shania Twain to ACDC and Barry Manilow! They have covered some really great songs and we have officially picked their music for our wedding! We seriously spent hours until about 2 in the morning looking for stuff to buy! I was really wondering how music would mesh together considering how different our taste is! But voila! VSQ. If you have a chance to use iTunes, look them up and spend some time looking through and listening. If not, you will get plenty them at our wedding :)

Wrapping Up

So this is the last full week of classes, with finals to follow next. Things are starting to get hectic and crazy, and for me, not slowing down at all. It seems as though professors decide to save assignments until the last week of school, not giving you summer till you earn it :) Either way, stress is running high to say the least. Also, we are signing up for the NMTA-a NM basicc skills test required for the TEP (Teacher Education Program) here at school. We are both ready to start methods in the Spring we think and so we have to have to apply in the Fall. We have to get tons of recommendations, writing educational philosophies, continue community service, and put this in a portfolio that is super professional and convincing this committee that we deserve to be in the teaching program. We are SO ready to be graduated and teaching and out of here, I think just ready to start a new chapter in general! Along with school, I am trying to figure out a summer plan. Steven is 90% sure he's staying here, hopefully I will too. One problem: finding a job. I have tons of great work experience, just not sure where to start. This town is pretty different than Lubbock or DC. I hope I find something that can support me in my stay here. Also, this is the first full summer that I haven't been home, so this is new all on its own. Say a prayer that things work out for me.

With wedding planning, I really have zero idea where to start. I thought I had some colors picked out, only to change my mind after some thought. I don't want to buy a dress yet, seeing that I'm so undecisive so I would be afraid of not liking it, but at the same time, the dress seems to set a tone for the bulk of the wedding. So, as fast as July 2010 will get here, I just don't know where to go from here! I'm sure things will begin to come to me once I can actually spend some time planning and thinking about it with full focus.



Also, finally a chance to post an Easter picture! Enjoy!

I think we've got it!

So I think we've decided on July 17, 2010 (God-willing). This would make it our 3 year anniversay, which is one of the reasons we picked it! We have been trying to decide on small wedding stuff, but there is a TON to go through, so we're praying and taking it a day at a time.

picking & planning

so...picking things and planning is HARD WORK! I have yet to come to a full decision on anything! We have talked about dates, but aren't sure yet. We have decided on small details, but have yet to think about the big picture. Steven and I are unique that way...he has taught me one thing: not to stress and worry about the small stuff, so I am doing just that. I have bought a couple bridal mags but there is so much variety! I just need to be decisive and be final about it! I am completely excited about things though! Although I am sure everything won't go completely smoothly and someone is bound to have an opinion different than ours, I am just praying for patience, seeing that I am usually a bit rude or a complete pushover. God will see us through this amazing time! If you have any cute ideas, feel free to throw them my way!

Engaged!

So I haven't blogged in a long while, but I got a suggestion now that "Life's a Changin'" to blog about our engagement and eventually wedding and teaching stuff! So here goes!

Everyone's been asking about Steven's proposal. Let me begin by saying that Steven is one sneaky guy, and I am completely oblivious, which worked to his advantage!

Well, if you don't already know, we met as counselors at MVCC - Mountain View Christian Camp in the summer of 2006. We were just counselors together, and became really great friends over the summer! But...by March or April of the next year, I had re-applied to go back for another go-round, but Steven wasn't sure, since this would make his 3rd year...well we talked online a LOT and he decided to go back too! When we got to camp, we went on our first date that night...we had a lot of late night talks, hung out constantly and finally started dating July 17 of 2007 :) He started his first year at NMSU here in Las Cruces and I was at LCU at the time...being 6 hours apart for a whole year was completely hard but totally worth the fight! We talked about getting married and me moving here to ease the stress on the relationship. Well, I transferred and the decision was totally worth it!

So apparently for a short while, Steven has been thinking about proposing and had a different proposal planned out, but I'm glad I got this one! Before I start, there are a couple things you need to know: I had my dream ring picked out this summer, I wore a True Love Waits ring on my left ring finger, and my engagement song is Would You Go With Me by Josh Turner. Well Monday, Steven went to get the ring and had to order it, almost didnt get the one I wanted! It came in yesterday and he went to get it! ( I thought he was taking a nap.) I had class at night so was getting in later, and Steven decided to start cooking so dinner would be ready when I got to his apartment. At the time, he was planning on proposing a week from yesterday...but plans changed :) So we were just watching tv, and I decided I wanted a small massage...so I was facing away from him...he stopped the movie and it was completely silent, which NEVER happens. Then he started rubbing my hands and took my ring off...well, he's rubbing my hands so it's ok, I thought ( I always told him if he took that ring off he had to replace it!) So I heard my song start to play and him fumbling with something...then he says "This works better if you turn around" well I turn around to him getting down on one knee...on goes the proposal! I said YES of course! So he put the ring on and here we are! I am SO EXCITED!!!