Life Lately

Life's been coming at me pretty fast lately.

Memorial Weekend: We had an incredible time exploring Maine with some great friends. 
+ Ben and Sarah - not pictured :(

Beautiful Camden

To anyone that knows Andy: Doesn't this picture just put a big smile on your face?

A week later: I flew to Nashville for one of my dearest, bestest friend's wedding. I never thought I would say this, but it was so nice to be back in the southern, humid, sultry heat. It definitely helped that I got to spend time with some of my best friends and help Kayla put the finishing touches on a beautiful wedding.

Wasn't she just gorgeous?

I'm so excited that I'll get to see my sweet friend in Chatt. soon!

A few days after that: I found out that I'll be teaching 9th grade English at the school I student taught at in the fall!!! This makes me even more excited to move back knowing that I get to work along side of the teachers I learned so much from last semester.

THEN a couple days later: Patrick and I celebrated our first anniversary, and my mother and father-in-law flew in for a long weekend. We had such an amazing time roaming and hiking around Acadia, driving up the coast, and taking a long bike ride around the national park. It was an amazing Maine experience for us all. Plus, an Acadia hike was a prefect anniversary trip to celebrate an awesome year with my love!

I'm truly blessed to have these two as my in-laws!

At the first place to see the sun in the U.S. We weren't quite up for getting to the top of this mountain at 4 a.m. to experience the sunset, but he view was definitely just as impressive at 4 p.m..

Currently: I'm finishing up my last week of work, preparing for the movers, and packing for a trip to Vermont this weekend. Oh! And since it's a given that I'll be teaching Romeo and Juliet, I started reading it for THE FIRST TIME EVER. Yeah, I know every high school freshman is suppose to read it, but my teacher decided to spend the entire semester  reading The Odyssey instead. (Good job preparing the young minds of the future!) I think it's definitely works out in my favor though because I appreciate the text and comprehend it much better than I ever would as a 14-year-old.

Our time here in Bangor is quickly coming to a close and as I think back on our experience I'm filled with a sense of relief that we survived such a rough winter, joy that I found a fun, rewarding job, a bit of sadness that we're leaving at the most beautiful time of year, and a ton of incredible memories that I'll be able to share with future Hortons many years from now. South Carolina: here we come! (Hopefully to stay.) :)

Year One

We've made it. The exciting, exhilarating, yet frustrating adjustment of the first year of marriage is over. And adjustment is exactly what it has been.

It only feels likes a few weeks ago when I was putting on the final touches for the big day. I had never been more excited, anxious, and happy in my life. The hours I put into making decorations, printing invitations, and organizing the details had me worried the it would all come together in a non-tacky, storybook kind of way. My amazing friends and family worked so very hard to set everything up the day of, and when I pulled up to the gardens, I was elated. It was better than I had ever imagined. It was undoubtedly my dream wedding (husband included).

I could go on and on how perfect and beautiful of a day it was, but I will spare you of an obnoxious rant and share pictures instead because who wants to read a long, boring post when they can look at pictures, right? I'll just say that it was a wonderful kick-off to what has been one of the most life-changing, rewarding years of my life. From a move from TN to SC, then SC to ME, and soon to move from ME back to SC all in the first year of marriage has not been easy, but it's been an incredible journey so far. It's made us completely rely on each other for all of our needs, which has taught us far more about ourselves and one another than we ever could have learned otherwise. We've realized that marriage takes daily work. Whoever said you could live on love must have had a short marriage. Though the whole idea of a 'lovey dovie,' 'I get butterflies every time you walk in' kind of marriage is nice to daydream about when you're dating, it just isn't real life. There are days when I'm so frustrated that I just have to find some coupons to cut before I go off, and that's where love comes in. I'm exceptionally blessed to be living this awesome life God has given me with such a wonderful, funny, loving, crazy smart, easy-going man.

(Jessie Holloway truly is the best!)
           

    

          

Here's to many more...