NEW BLOG ADDRESS!

Well, after I failed miserably in updating the last 2 months of my engagement....Keith and I now have a "family" blog....please update your blogrolls/follow lists :) We want to keep up with all of you!!!!!!

http://keithandnatalie.blogspot.com

Oh, Blog.

I just don't know where to begin. Let's just say....i'm behind. About 7 showers behind. I promise I'll update, but let's 'save the date' (pun intended) for next week, when i'll be sitting, bored proctoring an exam or two before school is out.

Deal?

thought so!

Just know we've had so many nice showers, lots of fun parties, and have generally been having a blast. Hope that's true for you too!

pictures of the lovely flowers

from my OBC shower :)

NASA

Natalie, Abigail, Sara, Allison- NASA

No, nothing space related. We were just pretty juvenile at acronyms.

Yes, when we were in 6th grade, we thought it would be a good idea to form a club. This club didn't really do anything, sometimes we met and talked about boys, wrote down things about what people wore, and there was a time where I collected dues that I kept in a blue jean purse in my closet (sorry, no refunds). We were great friends- living with in 5 houses of each other. I am so thankful for the time we had together growing up, and the memories we've shared. the NASA reunion at my monogram shower was magnificent...thanks for being there, ladies :)

What's a girl to do

wedding planning.

working full time at a junior high/high school

graduate school

what in the world was I thinking?????????????????????????????


oh, yeah.

It's all about getting to marry the love of my life. Phew. 

I think the hardest thing about being engaged is learning how to enjoy just being engaged! Anyone with me?

Engagement pictures

This is one of my favorite engagement shots! There are several I will be sharing soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Thanks to www.tdarleyphotography.com for the stellar pictures-- hooray!

OBC Shower

My family have been members of Ozark Baptist Church for over 50 years. I grew up spending a lot of time in those hallways and rooms- my Mom taught preschool there when I was younger, my Dad sang in the church choir for years, and my Mom was the church Pianist for a few years, as well. I am grateful for parents and grandparents who put going to church and knowing Christ as a priority in their lives- it truly influenced mine!

I was so happy to hear that Keith and I were to have a miscellaneous shower @ OBC. Here are some highlights!

Here we have my lovely Aunt Lori, my wedding director and family friend, Connie DeLoney and my Grammy chatting before the shower begins. 

Keith's sister and Mom were able to make the trip down, too. I loved the brown and green table decorations--my colors look good in that fellowship hall :)

 This is what I got to spend my morning doing--we were very blessed by the outpouring of gifts and love! And I'm sure Lorilyn felt blessed to write all the names and gifts down for us, too.

We were being silly, but I was really excited about that soap pump!

The gift table, punch table and sweet ladies and friends before the shower started

Here's a very awkward picture of me greetig some of the hostesses when I first arrived. I hate that I don't have a picture of the large flower arrangement behind Mrs. Q's head- the florals for this shower were amazing.

Mom and Lori in the thick of things

After the OBC shower, we had all the family over to our house for lunch. I love this picture, minus the plates and such. My Dad, my Aunt Lynn, Mimi and Keith's Mom Donna

This was the haul after we got the gifts back to Birmingham. From crystal to carpet cleaners, we really were thankful for the generosity and time with friends and family :)

Monogram Shower

    

My very first shower was amazing :) I have always been known in my group of friends as "the one without a middle name", so getting married meant finally getting that elusive third initial! Following this theme, several of my high school friends threw a Monogram shower for me on April 3. This shower was like a mini high school reunion.....and I loved every minute of it :)

Especially this gourmet cake made by my talented friend, Rebecca! Of course, there was lots of great food- it's a shower after all!

                             

Candid Camera!

My sweet flower girl, Emmi was there- and I was so happy to see her. Notice the beautiful arrangement behind me that her momma (and my friend!) Windy made :)

 My sweet Mother and Grammy came, too :)

Keith's mom Donna and his sister Amy vistited Ozark for the shower- It's not a short trip so I was really glad that they were able to be there!

Mom, Grammy, Me and Lorilyn

 Miranda and Lorilyn after the "make a toilet paper bridal gown" game :) Miranda won!

The AMAZING spread! I have wonderful friends!

Two of my favorite people- Marissa and Amy!

 The purse game is always fun! Windy did a great job with this game!

Sometimes candid pictures are the best. These girls are my oldest and truest friends! It was so fun to transport out of everyday for a while and visit....

All us Ozark Girls (minus Sameka, who left before we took the picture :( ) it's like a class of 2001 Bonanza! It was a beautiful shower- and I couldn't ask for anything more. Thanks again, Ladies- you are all so special to me!

I'm in love

With a Bride's Book

        If loving this is wrong, I don't want to be right.

After almost 6 weeks of waiting, my Brides Book finally came in yesterday!!! It was the one thing I desperately wanted to have--it has pages for all my shower and wedding guests, as well as keepsake pages for the invites, info about our relationship, etc. It's handstitched and gorgeous. Like I said, I'm in complete love, thanks to the folks at Weddings, Etc in Homewood!

Also in the news.......

Me and Keith's newest obsession:

A little hinderance to the ol' diet, at times.

Which makes me feel:

Happy Friday :)

Spring Break ?

pring Break has come and gone, folks- but that's okay by me. I enjoyed my time in Oz with the family, getting lots of wedding related issues handled, and taking our engagement pics with Mrs. Darley (i'll post some when I have them!) in Downtown Dothan. It was a really fast week, but isn't that how it always goes.

So pretty- downtown Dothan near where K and I had our engagement pics taken.

Lorilyn was home for most of the break, too. On Tuesday we met up with Grammy to help her shop for a grandmother of the bride dress....

The sweet lady with my gorgeous grandmother is the owner of  a "ladies shop", Leon's Ladies Fashions, in  downtown Enterprise. She and my mom were best friends in college at Montevallo, and Mrs. Linda helps Grammy pick the best outfits for every occasion. (Just fyi, Grammy is not sporting anything from Leon's in this picture....they actually do match their clothing!) It is truly a personal shopping experience for Gram when she goes to Leon's....Linda had a dressing room waiting with outfits all picked out for her to try.  Lorilyn and I even found some cute things from jewelry and accessories to tops. It was a fun afternoon by the boll weevil :)

I am on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster with the wedding stuff.....ups, downs, laughs, tears- I experience them all, every day! God knew what He was doing matching me with Keith- he is so patient!! He came down Thursday night for our pics Friday...we had such a good time hanging out together in the Wiregrass. Ozark makes me very sleepy, but it's all good.

 On Sunday after church, we met up with my cousin, Eric. He is a freshman at Troy, so we met up at Sister's.....which is not very diet friendly, but I tried! HA! Here's a little group picture (maybe one day I will learn to sit up straight....) Mom, Keith, Me, Lorilyn and Eric (Dad behind camera)

Sorry about the blink, Dad. (Dad, Eric and Lo...with some ridiculous sunglasses.)

I have 8 more weeks left of work until I'm done for the year. It has been a super fast year....I don't really know why, but it has been a good one. Can't believe I will start my 5th year of teaching in the fall, and my 4th year at Briarwood. Wow. Grad school has been frustrating this semester...one professor who makes his class much harder than necessary and one professor who is so flighty I don't think she even knows any of our names. And there are only 10 of us. I am tired of giving my Monday and Tuesday nights to Montevallo :( It will be worth it when my paycheck increases, though!

For the first time since I was 18, I will be moving home at the end of May. Yes, home to Ozark. Thankfully for everyone involved, it will just be until June 12th!! All my "stuff" will already be at Keith's, so it'll basically be like i'm on an extended vacation....in Oz. HA!

My first shower is coming up next weekend- I'm ecstatic. I can't wait to see everyone and let people know how much I appreciate their love and support for Keith and I. It's finally becoming.....real!