My Favorite Time of Year

       Fall is my favorite season. Along with the weather- Josh and I are experiencing some changes during this

 season of our life. Josh is enduring his last year of college. He will be graduating in May and right now he is 

experiencing the worst case of senioritis. It doesn't help that he isn't particularly enjoying his classes this semester but he's working through it all with a little push from his ever-supportive wife :) I am right in the middle of my second semester of nursing school. I have also taken on another job! I am now a PCA (patient care assistant) at Cox Hospital. My first day was on Monday (Oct. 8). I actually really enjoyed it...basically all I did for 8 hours was take the patient's vitals but I was also able to witness some nursing skills such as NG tubes and a catheter being inserted. I am very excited to gain experience in the health care setting. I am working on 9-west which is a Med-Surge unit. The floor is just full of all sorts of random diagnoses which gives me even more things to learn about! 

        I am quickly beginning to realize that my teachers were correct when they told us not to start anything new when you're in the middle of the semester. I will be working 23 hrs/week at Cox and then 12 hrs/week at my old job as well as being a full time student and wife! I have been informed by Josh and others that I am a stress monger. Basically if I don't have stress in my life, then I create it in one form or another. I think that subconsciously I knew that starting this new job in the middle of the semester was going to be the death of me, but to be honest, I love it! Maybe that's a good sign that I'll love nursing :)

        I just wanted to fill you all in on what was happening in our lives. Between work, school, birthdays, weddings, and such, there just isn't enough of me to go around! If you would all just keep me and Josh in your prayers through this busy time in our life it would be much appreciated. Hope you have a fantastic rest of the week! 

We Did It!!!!

Well we did it! In case any of you haven't heard, I am now Mrs. CAMPBELL (okay it's not official  until I get my name changed but I'm working on that). Josh and I have been married for one week and three days and I am LOVING marriage. I think I have the best husband in the world- although I may just be a tad biased :)


 It has been one crazy and busy week since we've gotten home from our honeymoon. It almost makes me want to turn around and hike back up into the mountains with no cell phone reception. Of course that's not really an option but a girl can dream! Since we've been  home we have finally cleaned up our messy apartment and have put everything into place- it's such a good feeling coming home to a clean apartment. My mom also fell in the garage on Monday and landed herself in the hospital. She is doing fine now but she gave us all quite the scare. 

I'm going to give you all a small look into how our honeymoon went. Joshua and I decided to take a road trip since he likes to drive and I hate airplanes. We decided on Tennessee. Probably not the ideal place for a July vacation but we dealt with the heat and humidity and had a great time anyways! Most of the places we went to eat were featured on either the Food Network or Travel Channel. It was fun getting to try new and unique restaurants.

 Day 1: Joshua woke up at 3 am and could not go back to sleep so......he woke me up and we started our road trip to Tennessee! First we hit up Memphis. Our first place to eat ( and my favorite of the entire trip ) was Gus's Chicken.

After eating at Gus's we went to the Memphis Zoo- this was my choice of activity. I loved the zoo so much. It has been so long since I've been to one and it really reminded me of how amazing God is- to make so many unique creatures!

The zoo made us very hot and sweaty from walking around in the heat so we went back to the hotel room to get cleaned up. Then we went down to Beale street and ate at Blues City Cafe for some Memphis BBQ! After eating we walked around Beale street and took some pictures. 

Day 2: We headed out of Memphis and went straight to Nashville. Since Memphis and Nashville are only a few hours away from each other, we decided to skip the highways and take the more scenic route. This was perfect. It allowed us to see the smaller towns and beautiful country that Tennessee has to offer. In Nashville we ran into this cute little cafe that used to be a motel but changed the rooms into shops. The food was super delicious! 

After sitting in the car for a few hours, we decided to head to one of Nashville's major parks. It was called Centennial Park and had a life size replica of the Parthenon. We didn't do too much in Nashville because we were still so wiped out from all the traveling. That night we ate at a Greek restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually really enjoyed the food! After dinner we went downtown and walked around. 

Day 3: We finally headed to Gatlinburg! This was the destination that we had been most looking forward to. On our first night there we took  it easy and just walked around downtown and went into all the tourist shops. We checked into our bed and breakfast which was the most quaint little place ever- but it was a tad fancy for Joshua's and my taste.    :) 

Day 4: Our first adventure was white water rafting in the Smoky Mountains. We had a blast and will never forget our trip down the Pigeon Forge River! That night we went to eat at Dick's Last Resort. The place is known for their bad customer service. Basically the waiters/waitresses are rude and sarcastic on purpose. Well after the long day of rafting that we had, Josh and I weren't really in the mood for sarcasm. It wasn't the best experience but at least now we can say that we did it.   :) At Dick's Last Resort, they make you wear dunce hats and this was ours.......

Joshua's said, "Rogaine sucks" and mine said, "I failed my IQ test"

Day 5: Joshua and I went hiking in the Smoky Mountains. It was raining and a cool 70 degrees- PERFECT for hiking. We enjoyed our time so much in the mountains. Thankfully we didn't run into any bears like I feared we would, but we did get to enjoy some of God's awesome scenery!

This was taken on top of the Smoky Mountain's highest point!

After hiking in the Smokies, we went to Ripley's Believe It or Not Aquarium. It was a fantastic way to end our stay in Gatlinburg. There was an underwater tunnel that Joshua and I went through more than once....it was that amazing! I got to touch a sting ray for the first time and a horseshoe crab. 

We got to swim with the sharks! Okay not really....

We got to swim with the sharks! Okay not really.......

Jellyfish are my favorite underwater animal. I could sit and watch them all day long!

Day 6: We began our trip home. For some reason, my motion sickness medicine decided that it should dilate my pupils so large that no retina (green color) in my eyes could be seen. Joshua and I believe that it was either a withdrawal symptom from the medicine or the medicine had just built up in my system and was causing some crazy things to happen. Thankfully my pupils dilated on the last day of our honeymoon. Unfortunately, because I couldn't see, Joshua had to drive the entire eleven hours home. The guy didn't even complain once....what a trooper! 

 Well that is just a glimpse into our honeymoon. I still can't believe that  I am lucky enough to be married to the love of my life and my best friend. I'm still running to catch up with reality! Thank you to all who made the wedding such an awesome day for us! We love you all!

Humbling Process

I am loving this summer weather- but mostly I'm enjoying the fact that I do not have to think about anything school related for at least another 2 months! The pool has officially opened at our apartment complex so I've been outside trying to catch some rays. I am officially done with my first semester as a nursing student, and I am happy to say that I passed all my classes! There were times when I wasn't sure I would be able to make it, but God was so good, and so was Joshua- always encouraging and pushing me to study and do my best.

Joshua has been staying busy while I've been busy planning the wedding. He has set up a dark room in our apartment and loves printing his photos. He is a very talented fella and enjoys doing this kind of work. I think it's going to take a while before I get used to the smell of his printing chemicals :)

Since school has been out, I've really been able to kick the wedding planning into high gear. The bridesmaid's outfits are halfway completed. It has been a struggle to find something that fits both of my bridesmaids since they have COMPLETELY different body types....but we're figuring it all out :) I have made a list of all the things I need to get accomplished and I feel like it's a mile long, but slowly but surely things are getting marked off- which always makes me feel good. I am having multiple colors in my wedding. They are all springy colors such as: coral, turquoise, yellow, orange, etc. I thought that having multiple colors would make everything easier since it would give us more options, but instead, I think it's making everything harder because there are SO many options! I am a very one aspect- detail oriented person, so when it comes to seeing the big picture, such as the wedding, my mind goes a little bit hazy. This makes me a tad nervous since I'm scared that the wedding won't come together or match at all. All I have to do is trust that everything will turn out!

God has really been teaching me a lot through this whole wedding planning process. This experience is so much more emotional for girls since we're the ones who grew up dreaming about getting married. I thought I knew what I wanted in my wedding- until the process actually got started- and now everything has changed. I have compromised or changed on almost every single aspect of my wedding. I was starting to get super irritated and of course Josh just didn't understand what I was going through. But God understood and He moved me in a very real way. God showed me that the wedding isn't everything. It's just one day, and things are going to go wrong. I just have to accept that. It has been a very humbling experience and when I get wrapped up in wedding planning, I just have to take a step back and ask myself what is really important and then reevaluate my priorities. It's a struggle but I know that God is shining a spotlight on an area of my life that needs to be purified. Everyone always says that your wedding is the happiest day of your life- well I hope that mine isn't. I would like MANY more happy days to come AFTER the wedding is over. Life doesn't end after the wedding is done- it's just beginning!

Crazy Week!

Whew this week has been a crazy one! Unfortunately Josh and I were unable to find some furniture for our apartment, so pictures will not be uploaded like I promised...so sorry for that! But I will definitely upload some as soon as we find the perfect furniture :) Finding furniture has actually been way more difficult than me or Josh ever thought it would be. It's a major purchase...and being the thrifty people that we are, we can't find any deal that is good enough! Currently we have a futon and some mismatched chairs that Josh has had for a VERY long time and he will definitely be happy to see the futon go :)

Just to update you on our lives at the moment: Josh is attending MSU and is majoring in Art and Design and minoring in recording arts. He is a junior and only has one year left (thank goodness)! I am currently going to St. Johns College of Nursing. This is my first semester and it has be quite the journey so far. This week was my first week at the hospital. I was only there for 4 hours on Tuesday so it was a good transition into the hospital setting. Not much happened, but it was fun to interact with the nurses and patients on the floor. Nursing is very challenging and a daunting task, but I know with all my heart that God has called me to this occupation and He will help me through it! My favorite saying is: If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Also on Tuesday, I went to my first wedding dress fitting! My mom and dad were able to attend and I'm pretty sure that they liked the dress :) I am in love with the show, "Say Yes to the Dress" which airs on TLC. But unlike some of the girls on that show, I do not have a real emotional connection with my dress. Sure, it's gorgeous and I love it....a lot- but it is just a dress and the most important part is the marriage that comes after the wedding :) Any time I get overwhelmed with all the wedding details, I just remind myself that nothing matters as long as it's Joshua I'm getting married to.

On Wednesday Josh and I had our engagement photo shoot. I was a tad chilly in my sundress, but overall we had the perfect weather for the outdoor photos. Matt and Heidi Giles are our photographers. They are good friends with my sister and Josh interned with them for a few months. They are amazing photographers and we had a fantastic time :) We started out in the studio and then headed downtown to a few rundown areas. Afterward, we drove Forest Hill Park which is located on North Grant. Heidi uploaded a few teaser pics to Facebook and we can't wait to see the rest of  them!

The weeks are flying by, and in 3 months I will become Mrs. Campbell! Right now I'm just trying to focus on school and push all wedding details to the back of my mind. I have come down with a major cold- most likely due to all the stress! Prayers would be much appreciated since this will be-yet again-another busy week :)

The Engagement

Instead of setting up a wedding website, I have decided instead to start blogging about my experiences as I embark on this crazy adventure of planning a wedding. This is a more intimate setting for me to express my thoughts and ideas to those who may not be able to be directly involved in the wedding extravaganza! This is my first time blogging and I'm not a great writer, but I'm going to jump in and see where this may lead.

Joshua proposed to me on Saturday February 25, 2012.  I had been working all day and was extremely tired by the end of my shift. I was planning a surprise party for Josh because he was going to be turning 21. I had set the date for February 26. I knew that after I got off work, I would have to go home and bake about 50 cupcakes....which is no easy task. So when Joshua asked if I wanted to go out for ice cream after work- I was a tad hesitant. I couldn't tell him that I had to go home to bake....because that would ruin the whole surprise. I have never been one to turn down ice cream though, so I agreed to go out but I insisted that it could only be for a few minutes. 

After work, I drove to Braums to meet Joshua. I parked right next to his brother, Bryan, but didn't think anything of it. While we were eating our ice cream, Josh was busy texting, and I was starting to get really irritated. I decided that I needed to go home (thinking in my head that I needed to get started on the cupcakes) but Joshua talked me into driving around for a bit. We ended up at Doling Park- which is where we always hung out when we first started dating. I thought I saw Josh's friend- Ty's car there, but Josh quickly replied, "Why would my friends meet us here?" Joshua then asked for the keys to my car....and by then I knew that something was up. 

We got out of the car and walked around. We came to the mouth of a cave and there were blankets and Josh's guitar sitting on the ground. There was also a whole bunch of candles, but they had been blown out by the wind. That was when I REALLY knew that something was up. The first words out of my mouth were, "Joshua...what is going on?" And then he knelt to the ground, the man of my dreams, and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! I began dancing around because I was so happy- Josh couldn't even get the ring on my finger. He had to tell me to settle down first! We laid on the blankets under the stars and Josh serenaded me with his guitar. 

Turns out that it WAS Ty's car. Ty had set up everything for us and had snuck away while we were walking around the park. Ty then drove to Braums, and drove my car back to my house. Bryan followed Ty to my house, and then drove him back into town.......it was all very complicated :)

Little did Josh know that I was planning the surprise party for him the very next day. It was an awesome party and it was even more amazing because we got to share our engagement with our closest friends and family. I only got a few hours of sleep that night because I was up making the cupcakes, but it was so worth it :) 

Since we got engaged, Joshua has moved into our new apartment. It is super close to MSU so Josh walks to school everyday. We haven't bought any furniture yet, but I will be sure to post pics of our new place when we do! I am currently at St. Johns College of Nursing and let me tell you, it is VERY difficult trying to keep your mind on your studies when there is a wedding to plan. I would rather plan a wedding any day :)

Thank you to everyone for your love and support! Have a blessed week :)