Tuesday, December 23, 2008

35 Random facts about yours truly

I have been inspired by Carissa to list things about myself. I also have a few hours to kill before leaving for the holidays and there's not much else to do here!

1. I have the best fiance in the WORLD. He is the coolest kid I've ever met.
2. I REALLY want another tattoo - on my wrist, but that REALLY can't happen anytime soon because a) I'm broke. b)the wrist is NOT the best place for a pastor's wife to have a tattoo... c)I'm pretty sure my mom would hate it
3. I want the conch of my right ear pierced and I ALMOST did it this summer in Gatlinburg, but the first place we looked at said they would only do it with a hoop...and the second place said it would be an hour wait and $20 more than the first place, so I said NO WAY. Then when I moved to Louisville, I realized how broke I was and haven't had the extra cash around yet to do it.
4. I'm trying to figure out if I've outgrown the piercing phase of my life
5. I love cookie dough. I don't care how bad it is for you.
6. I am going to have cholesterol problems when I get older because of my daily cheese intake.
7. I am much smarter than I let myself think. Even after amazing grades in Seminary, I still just think I'm "good at school"
8. Bryan wants to kill me for those thoughts
9. I am SUPER organized
10. I LOVE wedding planning
11. Registering for gifts is not my favorite thing because I hate asking people to spend that much money on stuff. Granted I know we "need" it or whatever, but it's just a lot.
12. I have the most fun family on the planet. It makes me sad to hear that others don't have such a good relationship with their families because I've been blessed with a fantastic one.
13. My little brother is the most fun little brother I could ever ask for.
14. I wish he called me more often though
15. I love that I get my knack for nicknames from my daddy.
16. My mom is super woman.
17. I mean it.
18. I really like living in Louisville, I just wish I had more good friends here.
19. Not that I'm complaining about my friends here, but I really don't have many I can call and go to Denny's with.
20. And one of the girls on that list *the top of it actually* just moved away...
21. My granddad is really sick and in the hospital.
22. I don't want him to die, but I know he's been ready for awhile and it's really hard to watch him suffer and not really know what's going on.
23. I love JESUS!!!!!!!
24. I am constantly amazed at how faithful God is even when I have been unfaithful to Him.
25. I LOVE CHRISTMAS! Mainly because I get to spend time with my family. The Bartlows know how to have a good time!
26. My least favorite "holiday" used to be New Years Eve because I have only really had 1 fun New Years eve, but NOW I LOVE IT because the 1st is Bryan's birthday! So we'll be able to have birthday parties for him instead of New Years parties and birthday parties are MUCH more fun!
27. I'll be 24 on March 18!
28. I didn't realize how much I loved softball until playing slow-pitch in Morgantown for 2 summers and then this summer in Man.
29. Short stop is my new favorite position.
30. I'm really good at it!
31. I have not bought a SINGLE Christmas present...which sucks cause the fiance wants books for his birthday too...and those books come from Amazon.
32. Shaun *lil brudder* and I will go Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve as we have since I got my license and was allowed to drive in Cincinnati by myself.
33. That is one brother/sister tradition that will probably always stay in place.
34. This year, he has to buy all of our parents presents because I have exactly $130 for Christmas...
35. Yeah, I'm finding a new job after the new year. For REAL this time ya'll!

Ok! 35 is enough!
Carissa - I have NO idea how you did 101!

I 'spose it's time to pack and get clean for the start of CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Seminary grades

My first semester of Seminary has been over since December 5th. I had a crazy week of finals and I honestly thought I was not going to do so hot in a few of my classes. Well...my grades have spoken otherwise!!!!

French Vocal Literature: A- (I was the youngest by 9 years in this class)
Voice Jury: A (They grade harder on these than WVU even THOUGHT about grading, so it actually IS a big deal that I got an A)
Intro to Music Ministry: unknown at this point, but I'm assuming I got an A since I got an A- on the paper, turned in all of my assignments, and the test was open note...
Here's the kicker...
Biblical Theology of Worship: A-!!!!!!!! HOLY COW! This was the crazy class I thought I was going to fail. I looked at my test today and I got every single question right on the final! I ended up with a 92 on it *a B+* because I didn't elaborate enough on the two essays, but everything else was right!!! EVEN THE TRICK QUESTIONS!!! It was crazy!!!
I'm still waiting on Piano. I got an A- on the Jury, so I pass to level III, but I KNOW this one won't be an A. I definitely did not have the practice hours to get an A.

BUT
HOLY COW! I got almost straight As in my first semester of Seminary!
It's STILL a crazy notion!


:D


CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

I said, "YES!"

Hello cyber land!
To those of you who actually read this and don't know, I'm ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY!
He really surprised me which was great AND he picked out a fantastic ring!
*the stories and picture to follow at some point*

We've decided on the end of June which gives us about 7 months to plan it. It can totally be done AND has been done in WAY less time. HOWEVER, I LOVE to plan! Like, give me a vision, and I'll get you there. That's the kind of girl I am. It's been 3 days...and I've already contacted my bridesmaids, told them about their dresses/shoes, signed up for a knot page, entered some information into our wedding website, AND started working on the guest list. I had all morning this morning with no cable and no good movies to watch...why not right!? I'm not really micro-managing anything, for example, I told my girls to buy whatever black dress they wanted. There were a few stipulations *i.e. tea length*, but nothing too much and Bryan's guys are picking out their own tuxes. Since the girls won't look the same, the guys shouldn't be stuck uncomfortable either. So I'm not being that crazy about stuff, but I just really LOVE the teeny details, and it's really hard for me not to be excited about everything. I'm not stressed out, but with the guest list, I'm trying to figure out how to keep it under control...that involves thinking and re-thinking about it - which I'm totally cool with.
I haven't really talked to many people about anything because I don't want to bug them about it, so when I talk to Bryan (my FIANCE! :D) I kind of shove him in front of a bus by bombarding him with all the details...plus the fact that I repeat everything multiple times to help myself process through it all...
Poor guy.
and yes, he does realize it WILL be like this for the rest of our lives.
haha
I already told him that I'm going to try really hard not to nag him. In doing this, I told him what my definition of "soon" was...which is much sooner than his definition...and I told him that I would try to give him specific times instead of just vague sayings like "when you get around to it." Because for ME, that means really soon because it's really important so I'll do it now, but for him it really means, when he gets around to it! SO if I say statements without clarification...I realize that I WILL nag him about it and that's the LAST thing I want to do.

I have also realized that I need to give people a cushion as far as time frame goes. Like not everyone has the time (or cares enough about it haha) to do something exactly when I ask them to do it *like respond to an email or look over music* this fact frustrates me. Partly because I think they should just do it (which is my own flaw, not theirs) and partly because I really love planning, so the more stuff I get done now, the more stuff I get to do later! haha

Oh well!
SO please pray for us all.
Not only for God to work in my and Bryan's relationship, that it would be a light to everyone around us, but also that God would help keep my ridiculous urge to plan and organize under control. I think it can be a great trait, but it can also be a bad one, and there's a delicate balance when doing a wedding. Please pray that I can find that balance without making everyone in my life miserable first!

:D
Thanks loved ones!