That Thing Called Life

So......

life is a crazy thing isn't it?

Boy have the past several days been crazy!

• I accidentally deleted every photo I've ever taken in the past eight years. $100 and three days later, I have most of my photos back to sort through and organize. 
• We had to officially send our kitten, Marley (story and photos to come!), to her temporary home until October. And yes, I did ball my eyes out. 
• I had a stomach bug all Monday--which, if you know me, you know I'm a major wimp about stomach aches and vomiting. 
• We had to go to Charlottesville and get my military ID card and continue to sort out all of that business (military people know what a pain Deers and Tricare can be!).
• And the most delightful event: Wednesday morning our transmission in our only car pretty much kicked the bucket. We got it looked at on Thursday, and the only options were to either replace the transmission (which would cost more than the actual car), or get a whole new car. After spending nine hours at the dealership and lots of bargaining and number crunching, we were able to replace our car for a great, low price, and get a good protection plan that will help me if something happens when Joey is deployed. We're so glad it worked out so well, but boy it was a long day!

Obviously, there are worse things in life, but it was definitely an eventful and stressful week for us. But we did have some pretty great realizations too.
First, life is so much easier when you have an emergency fund. We have been saving as much as we can for emergencies, and without it, we wouldn't have been able to take care of the car issue. Sure, we didn't buy some new things that we would've liked to, and budgeting and only getting what you can afford is a humbling experience, but nothing feels better than having an unexpected expense and knowing that you have a way to cover it.
Second, its amazing how much better tough, stressful things are with a spouse. We don't think either of us could've managed the whole car situation without the other person. We help each other keep things in perspective and work through tough events without totally succumbing to the emotional stress. We're able to remind each other of the things that are most important and all of the things that are going right in life. It sure is so much better than facing things alone, and we're incredibly grateful for that blessing. All of this just made us love each other even more.

On another note--we got out digital wedding photos from our awesome photographers last week! We are loving them and can't wait to see the film photos as well.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's one of our faves from the wedding!

Have a fun and exciting weekend!

iPhonography: Mini Honeymoon Weekend

Since Joey started work the Tuesday after we got married, an official honeymoon was postponed. But we did get to spend a wonderful weekend together in Washington DC, exploring some of the gems of the city that we hadn't seen in a while. 

Some of the things we did:

• Walking the National Mall and visit the monuments
• Shopping at Pentagon City
• Dinner at the Melting Pot
• Dining outside (one of my favorite things to do!)
• Visiting the National Zoo (I love seeing the jellies)
• The Museum of American History
• Pastries at Au Bon Pain
• Enjoying the marina at National Harbor

Have a great week!

Super Week: The Wedding

WE GOT HITCHED!

On 17 May 2012, Joey and I were sealed in the Washington DC LDS Temple. We waited a long time for this day, and it couldn't have been more wonderful. The ceremony was beautiful and it meant so much to us to be with our close friends and family. But nothing is as incredible as being married to your best friend forever.

The reception went so well, and Erin, Steven, Laura, Burke & Nicole, Rachelle (of Northwest Fresh Catering), and everyone else who helped did such a wonderful job and we really appreciate all that they did! The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the venue looked beautiful, and it was so nice to just relax and be with friends and family. Its true--everything does fly by so fast! Joey and I even realized that we never had any of our own wedding cake except for the bites we fed each other. Luckily, Erin and Steven saved as a big piece, and we decided to eat it on our one week anniversary (I'm wary of year old, freezer burned cake). So Erin and Steven--It was delish!!

We had some great photos taken by Seth and Dave of The Wedding Format, and can't wait to share some of those with you when they're ready. But for now, here are a few Instagrams from the best day of our lives!

PS: see that fabulous dress?! Yup, that is the same dress that started out like this. Thanks so much to my mom for helping me do some of the major alterations and Jessica for helping me solve the last minute crisis. Personally redesigning, reconstructing, and hand sewing my wedding dress makes it even more special to me!

Super Week: Graduation

This was the day we were all waiting for--

Graduation!

We've been waiting for this day for a very long time--Joey even more so. Not only was graduating from VMI an incredible accomplishment for Joey, it also meant we could finally get married!

Though our so-soon wedding was a big part of the week and we were simply dying to tie the knot, Joey's graduation meant so much to us. He endured so much-- the Rat Line, marches and PTT, weekly parades in thick wool uniforms, early mornings, difficult engineering classes, tough professors, running on three hours of sleep every night for two semesters, working around a strict VMI schedule, and generally having a college experience like none other. Though I was only a part of it for two of his four years, I'm so glad I was able to be there for him and to support him, whether it was making him rice crispy treats, getting him toothpaste when he couldn't leave VMI himself, bringing him exam survival kits, or just being there to give him a kiss when he had a long day.  He truly worked harder than anyone I have known and has earned every good thing that's come from it.

Watch out world, Joey Fleshman is about to do great things!

And one fun photo for you all--

The weekend before the wedding, Joey and our good friend Jessica spent a few days making about 300  cookies from scratch for the dessert bar at our reception. Our freezer was literally filled with the tasty treats--and of course, some ice cream for when I felt like I was losing my mind!

Have a great Wednesday!

Super Week: Commissioning

On Tuesday, May 16th, Joey reached one of his goals and commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy.
His parents, brothers, grandparents, and a few cousins and aunts came from Virginia Beach and Missouri to join Joey and me for the special day.

First, all of the commissioning cadets sat together and each branch took their oath. I was surprised at how emotional I got during the Chaplain's invocation and the speeches from a representative of each branch. They talked about how brave and honorable the cadets were for joining the military, and I just felt so incredibly proud of my sweetheart.

Next the cadets broke off into their respective branches, where they were individually sworn in and saluted. Joey's mom and I got to pin on his new shoulder boards and give Joey his new officer cover, and his dad got to give him his first salute.

Like father, like son! It was so special to have Joey's dad with us as Joey continued a family tradition of service in the Navy. And how dapper and handsome does Joey look?! My friends love that I have my own Richard Gere (even though my officer is infinitely more attractive ;)

Gosh I'm so proud of him! 

May Update: Preparing for Super Week

Hello friends!

My oh my, time does fly!

Thing have been busier than I expected--but! I am making time to get some updates on here. First, we've got to get back to the beginning of May and the lead up to Super Week!

On April 30th I moved in to our new apartment in BV. Boy it sure has been nice! Moving both of our things in was tiring (when is moving not?), but we love our new place. We are slowly making it feel even more like home.

Our first dinner together in the new apartment

After I graduated and moved, it was all wedding all the time. Sewing, cutting, gluing, printing, planning, and just generally being frantic trying to get everything done. Luckily for me, I had some awesome friends and a wonderful fiancé that helped me get everything finished.

The biggest project for me was finishing my wedding dress. In March my mom came down to help with the alterations, but there were still some things that had to be done to make it perfect. We started with:

No back, no sleeves, no lining on the top, a little too low, far too long, and a tad too big. So the weekend before the wedding (that's 5 days before the wedding, mind you!), I was working like crazy to finish the dress and fit it perfectly.

And because the fabric was getting bulky and my poor little machine couldn't handle it, I ended up having to sew most of it by hand. Oh, and if you don't know, I absolutely detest hand sewing. Boy did my fingers hurt for those few days! And my blood, sweat, and tears literally went in to the dress!

The other major project for the days leading up to Super Week was planning out the reception decor and getting it ready for our awesome friends Erin and Steven who set up the venue the day of the wedding. Since we couldn't decorate ourselves, we did tons of little mock ups and took pictures so our friends would know exactly what we were hoping for.

Well that was some of May--next up: Tuesday morning and the official start of Super Week!