Post Wedding!

Update to come...




sneak peak: I LOVE being married to Jonathan!


L

ONE WEEK and The Olympics!

Okay, so this time in one week I will be getting my hair and makeup done and getting ready for my wedding. I'm going to be SO giddy. Everything seems unreal right now. I can't believe that Jonathan will be my husband. My life will be completely different very soon. I can't wait to begin my new life.

Are you ever completely overcome with thankfulness, excitement, joy that you can't even express it? I'm frozen with joy!
Thank you God for your grace. Thank you for providing me with a man who wants to serve you. Thank you for a man who wants our marriage to be based in your Word.

I just CAN'T wait.

Rachel is going to be here on Monday!!! I'm really excited about that too. I'm going to really love having her by my side the week before my wedding and on the day.
I remember promising each other that we will be each other's maid of honors. Well it's here!

The Olympics started yesterday. I love the Olympics. I'm not even that into sports but I always enjoy the olympics. These athletes are incredible. Seriously. How do they move that fast?? Swimming is by far my favorite. The olympics is the only time you get to watch swimming...at least I think, I don't really know what I'm talking about. But, it's the only time I watch it. I'm watching the loooong bike race right now-and that's just incredible.
I'm kind of disappointed that the Olympics are right in the midst of my wedding/honeymoon. I won't get to watch it as much as I like to. But, it will keep me company while I finish last minute wedding details!

What is your favorite summer olympic sport??

-L

p.s. did you watch the olympics opening ceremony?? WHOA!

Post-Move Post

The move is done! It felt like that week prior to moving and the day of the move were never going to end. You know that feeling? It was stressful...but only because I made it that way. My wonderful Jonathan was a rock the entire time...even when the truck had a flat tire. I pray and hope that his calmness and perspective on things will slowly rub off on me. He is such a blessing.

So I'm on the other side of the move which means the ONLY thing on my agenda right now is the WEDDING! Which I think will be a full time job till the last minute. I'm asking God each day to keep my perspective in check. The color of my roses, the music played and the flow of the evening have NO effect on our marriage or ANY eternal significance.

The shower this last weekend was lovely. It really was. All of the hostesses did a wonderful job. There was live music and great food! It's overwhelming how generous people are. I have a lot of thank-you cards to get working on!

My mom and I went to dinner tonight at a new family-owned restaurnt on Spring Cypress and Champion Forest called Schilleci's. I love it! It was my second time to go and even better than the first. We both got pot roast, potatoes, green beans and bread. It hit the spot. The owner is really friendly and all the food has that home-cooked feel. Jonathan said he went to school with their son...so they've been in the area for a while. Go there!

Here is their website: http://www.schilleciscafeandcatering.com/

Alright, I need to go attempt to make our wedding programs. Wish me luck!

-L

midnight

I move in the morning. It's midnight. I should have been asleep a lot earlier. Oh goodness. I hope I don't die of exhaustion tomorrow.
I'll be back when it's all over.

-L

p.s. I hope my nails recover before the wedding in THREE WEEKS!

Surprise!

Today I was given a little surprise by my sweet roommate, Liz. She told me we were meeting a couple of friends for lunch at Vivo's but when we arrived there were more than just the "couple of friends". Emily, Michelle, Brady and Abigail were there. Liz's sister, Rita was there too (even though she worked at the hospital the whole night before). I was thrilled! It was mini-bachelorette party for some of my Austin people. It was great because a lot of them won't be able to make it to my real bachelorette party.
Vivo's was an ironically, funny, perfect location for a bachelorette party. Basically, don't go there with your family or any guys. We were in a little party room with interesting pictures on the walls...Liz wasn't even aware of this...it just worked out that way. The food was great AND they gave us roses at the end. Not just little dinky roses but big, full, deep red roses. I like to think this was a special treat for us midday party girls but apparently you always get a rose when you go there. I wish I had pictures to share. I kind of dropped the ball on picture taking. I might come back and add some when I get them from other people.

It made me realize that I'm going to miss the people in Austin. And the great food! Tomorrow I'm going to another Austin restaurant to meet my old roommate and her fiancé. I'm looking forward to that because I haven't seen them since they got engaged. We were also going to see the new Batman movie at the IMAX but they're already sold out! I want to see that...but not if I have to fight to get a ticket!

Other than the impromptu lunch party today I've been packing, packing, packing. I have a lot of stuff. More than I thought. I hope Jonathan is prepared to more than double what he has. Every time I feel like I've made a dent I look up and there is still stuff all around me.
Honestly, I don't hate packing too bad. I actually might enjoy it just a little bit. I don't know why...maybe because it's just not stressful. It's a good way to keep busy this last week in Austin. I would MUCH rather be doing this than studying for a test or writing a paper.

Well, it's almost 10 but I think I have some more packing in me...thanks for reading!


-L

Time for a post...

I think it's time for a post. If I'm serious about this blog thing then I need to be consistent!

It's saturday morning and both of my parents are gone for most of the day. And when they get home they're leaving again for a pool party?? I don't know why they're going to a pool party-that's just weird. Not like them at all. Anyways...so it's just me and the pups.

I can't wait till Saturdays are full of being lazy OR productive with my HUSBAND! 4 weeks from this Saturday I'll be getting married. I just have 3 more saturdays as a single woman. Should I be really stressed out right now with wedding planning? I am a little but not too much...it almost makes me nervous. Is there something big I'm forgetting to do? I still have a lot of things to find/purchase. I need earrings! But I'm consistently getting things done this week...slowly but surely.

My favorite thing to do since I've been in Houston this week is to go to the mailbox to gather up all the RSVP's that have arrived! We get at least a few every day. I'm such a dork but I look forward to it every day. A lot of people have RSVP'd but we still are waiting for a lot. I hope they send them in this week b/c I don't want to be guessing...

This week I go back to Austin and begin packing up all of my stuff. I'm not really looking forward to it but in a way I am. I'm excited about bringing all of my stuff to Midland. But packing isn't my favorite thing...and I hate moving. I should start praying now that it goes smoothly. For some reason moving always becomes traumatic/emotional for me. Nerves run high in my family and I guess I get pretty sensitive.

Alright...I have things on a list that I need to do today! I hope everyone has a good, relaxing weekend. :)

L

Texas Alum

That's right! I'm no longer a student at the University of Texas!

What a great feeling. I was smiling as I bubbled in my last answer on my test. I wanted to yell out "I'm done" when I walked out the door. I think people would have just thought I'm crazy...I don't ever see people do that so it's probably not the norm.

So...now what?

Wedding planning every day!! Finally, my time is not pulled in two directions. I also have to move some stuff back to Houston this weekend. And then most of my stuff all the way to Midland! After this summer I'm vowing to never move during the summer ever again. Students always end up doing that because that's when leases are up...but not anymore! I would like to freeze my butt off next time I pack up.

I am going to miss my apartment...especially my cute little room. One of my walls is painted "persimmon"...which is kind of pink. Never again can my bedroom walls be any version of pink. But I'm willing to trade pink for Jonathan :) Way more than willing!
The sad part is that I have to paint it back for next tenants :( I don't want to paint over my beautiful color. How depressing.

Ahhh! I never have to spend another weekend researching and writing papers. I LOVE THAT! Sundays will now be RESTFUL like they are suppose to be. Oh I'm looking forward to that SO SO much. Alright, enough for now...BYE

-L

soon to be Tyner and college graduate!

I have 8 days left of college. 8 days.

I can't even believe that. But it's the truth. Today, I'm finishing up my last paper. I have had a love/hate relationship with papers. I pretty much hate writing them. Ask anyone who knows me well...I complain through the whole process. At the same time I look back at what I've done and I appreciate what I learned through the process. I really have loved my major and everything I've studied. My last 3 major research papers were on Hyde Park (Austin), frozen vegetables & the 50's and Charlotte's Web. What other major gives you the opportunity to write about such random things...and in a scholarly manner. I think my favorite was frozen vegetables--because it was the most abstract and unique of the three. It was also the most painful or at least the one that required the most work.

I'm going to miss American Studies. I'm going to miss learning about history every day. I'm going to miss living in a historic neighborhood. I'm going to miss the Battle Hall library on campus (so old!). I'm going to miss walking across UT's huge campus. I'm going to miss all the great big trees. I'm going to miss reading history books/novels I would never finish on my own.

I'm not going to miss being surrounded by people who are lost. I'm not going to miss studying the sin of America's past. I'm not going to miss my classmates and professors discussing these sins as if they are virtues. I'm not going to miss feeling so different than almost everyone I sit next to. I'm not going to miss reading about feminism. I'm not going to miss reading about LSD experiments and hippies.

I'm going to miss my cute apartment. But I'm more thrilled about living with my best friend in 2 months! I'm excited about setting up house and cooking for my husband.

I had my first wedding shower last weekend and the wedding invitations went out this week. Things are starting to happen! It's unreal but at the same time it's time. Some people say to me they can't believe I'm getting married. But I can. I've been waiting to marry Jonathan for so long (not just the 14 months we've been engaged) that by now it just seems time. Although some moments it does blow me away. Lots of moments actually. I go back and forth I guess. When I put myself back into the mind of my 16/17 year old self it seems absolutely UNREAL. I had the hugest crush on Jonathan. And now he will be my HUSBAND. Ha!

Hopefully I will keep this blog up more when I'm done with school...but probably not till after the wedding! For now...I need to finish that one last paper. It's not going to finish itself...

-L

ponderings...

I'm posting! I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I've been bad...I just have nothing to say when I sit down at my computer...but when I'm on the bus or when I'm in class I have a million things. The "d" key on my computer is broken off, Jonathan thinks my keyboard is ghetto, he wants to take it to the apple store to get a new one. He's such a hater on my computer, but hey so am I.

It's my birthday weekend and my Jonathan is here, taking a nap on my bed...he's cute. Mia was so excited to see him, she just loves him. She's always laying next to him and she hates it when we leave her out. What would I do if she hated him? I couldn't do anything I guess.

I think I've decided to stop watching Grey's Anatomy. Those characters are depraved and it gets to me. They lead selfish and empty lives and they wonder why their lives are so lonely and messed up. Sometimes I really start to believe that these people are real...and it breaks my heart that they are so lost.
I had an Office premeire "gathering" last night at my place...it was good. We watched Grey's Anatomy afterwards and Marianne really kick started my thinking about the values of that show, she's skeptical and didn't really watch it last season for basically those reasons. Plus the show is just sad, I mean it's set in a hospital for heavens sake! I just can't take the emotions it provokes!

Liz ordered her bridesmaid dress, the colors have been officially set! I feel like I'm doing everything so early, but it's relieving a lot of future stress when I have less room to make decisions. I'm excited about the dresses and the colors...really excited!
I'm going home next weekend and I'll see Heather and Michaela...and Ashley being presented as homecoming queen nominee, I love those girls! I can't wait to see everyone.

Okay...till next time...

L

JAT

Can I just say that I feel like the luckiest woman alive to be marrying my Jonathan. He is incredible. He is my favorite. One day I will make a list of all the reasons I'm honored to be his fiance (and I know the list will grow once I'm his WIFE!)
He's such a good listener, and he always gives me sound advice. I love how he learns and soaks up knowledge and retains it so well! I love listening to him tell me about what he has learned, he's great at articulating it. I tell him that I hope after being married to him some of that skill will rub off on me.
He makes me feel like the most important and beautiful woman in the world. He's so incredibly good at it too! I glow when he encourages me.

Most importantly he loves the Lord, and he wants to serve the Lord, and he has incredible faith in the Lord. I will never stop being thankful for that.

I feel like in what I just wrote I've only covered a small aspect of why I adore him.

Okay, the end...for now...


L

Packing and Scarves

I'm moving tomorrow so I'm packing up all my stuff right now. I swear, I have twice as much stuff as I did when I moved in. I'm going to miss my room but not too bad. It's just 4 walls, my stuff is what makes it my room, and all of that is going with me. Packing always brings back memories because I discover stuff that I've forgotten about. You'd be amazed how many memories have been coming back to me as I pack up all my scarves. I'll share a few...

My pink, fluffy scarf that I NEVER use brings back the memory of when Michaela and I each bought one at the Galleria. We were in this small little store with overpriced clothes and this employee graciously demonstrated every possible way you can wear these particular scarves. He put it on like a dress, like a shaw, like a skirt, a shirt...did I mention he was obviously gay. It sounds stupid and it was, but we still bought them! Did we actually think we might wear them as anything other than a scarf? In fact, I ended up never wearing it period! I vividly rememeber that as he was doing this, little pieces of the scarf were flying in the air and were all over his clothes. I miss living in the same city with Michaela.






My blue cashmina (that's what it's called right?) reminds me of when Emily was in London and we talked back and forth on email because calling was too expensive. We had some good "conversations" through those emails. She bought me that scarf and it kept me warm during the freezing weather in January. For some reason that seems like a long time ago but it was only 9 or 10 months ago. Now she's moving to Austin with me! No more emails needed! We used to always say "I wish we could just got get coffee/dinner and just talk". Well now we can do that between clases on the great University of Texas campus!




My crocheted maroon scarf that Heather made me reminds me of Heather of course! But not just Heather, it reminds me of first becoming friends with Heather our junior year of highschool. It was an unexpected wonderful surprise to suddenly have her in my life. It almost seems like we were always friends but I know there was a while there when we were actually becoming friends. I started driving her to school everyday and that's probably when we became close friends and I realized how flippin funny she was. I remember saying "you're like the funniest person I know" (or something to that effect). I was so thankful to finally have a best friend at MY school and not Cy-fair, where everyone but me went.



I love my girls.





-L

Psalm 104

May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works,
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke!

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD!


I want my life to be one that praises the LORD in every action. Why and how could I do anything but that? He deserves my life.

Post Secret

Reading these secrets fascinates me. I don't really know why. Sometimes I hate what I read and I don't want to believe that someone really thinks that or has done that. But others make me laugh, I love that someone actually wrote it. Usually though, they break my heart, so why do I still read them? I don't know...but I'm addicted.

-L

Going to the chapel...

This is who I'm marrying...




And this is where we're getting married...


www.ashtongardens.com

It seems unreal but at the same time it seems so natural. I'm ready to be married but I'm also excited about the next year. I want to live in the present. I want to grow and enjoy my last year of college (because I might actually miss it!). I'm ready to move out of my apartment and into my new one with Liz. I'm ready for a fresh start!

I trust God with this next and final school year.

...first post...

Sometimes you just want Wendys. That's what I thought last night as I walked to my car, headed towards Wendys. It was my justification for going.
My new favorite chapstick: Blistex Gentle Sense. I just bought it at HEB. It was only 84 cents! It doesn't have lanolin in it either, I think I was told once that lanolin is bad for your skin (makes you break out). And since I have a gross ___* right on my lip I decided to take that advice whether it's right or not!
I passed up $1.29 chicken tenders today. I was proud of myself.

These are the thoughts on my mind right now. Or at least the ones I can articulate at the moment. I've had a lot of things going through my head lately. It's going to take a lot more time than I have right now to get them written out.

I'll be in Tennessee in just about 2 weeks with my wonderful Rachel and my wonderful Jonathan, at the same time! I'm determined to relax. I hate that I get such a short break before the semester starts. I'm burnt out on school...and I have so many other things I want to be doing.

love,

L



*I don't like that word, so I'm not typing it out!