Moving

Well, I've decided that since I am getting married next weekend, that I would end this blog and move my posts to a blog for Jeff and I--the new Pond Family. Please continue to follow me at http://jkpondfamily.blogspot.com/

Preparations

Here I sit, just one short week away from what I'm sure will be the happiest day of my life. How could it not be? That day I will be sealed for time and all eternity to the man who I have grown to love with all my heart over the past 5 months. In fact, it was five months ago today that we decided that we wanted to see where things would go with us. And in those five months, I have fallen madly in love with and decided that there is no one other than Jeff that I want to spend eternity with.

Sure, things have gone quickly with us--I mean, we were engaged just 6 weeks after our first date. How could you not say that things moved fast? But it has all felt so right. We are perfect for each other. We make each other happier than we've ever been before. I can't speak for Jeff, but having him come into my life couldn't be better.

It's been a crazy 5 months. I met an amazing man who has inspired me to be so much better. I fell in love with him. I got engaged. I completed my student teaching--and survived! I graduated from BYU-Idaho. I pretty much planned a wedding in a week. I got an internship at a charter school, where I have now been hired full-time to teach 3rd grade (meaning I was hired for my first real job). I've made lots of trips to IF for dress fittings and other wedding-related activities. I moved into my first home--a teeny, tiny apartment in Taylorsville (and don't yet have internet, hence the lack of posts lately). It's been a crazy, whirlwind year for me. But it's been good.

And now, here I am. Back home in Idaho Falls, just one week away from my wedding day. We're busily getting everything finished up for the wedding. And missing Jeff like no other because he is still in Utah for work and class. I saw him for a couple minutes on Wednesday before I left to come home, but the last time I really spent with him was Tuesday--an entire week before I'll see him again. (Since we started dating, this is the longest we've been apart).

There isn't a ton of stuff left to do, mostly just putting the finishing touches on the details for the wedding. It is nice being able to spend some time with my family before I get married though. And tomorrow is my birthday--I'll be 24. Granted, the one thing I want most is the one thing I'm not going to get. That's because I want to spend it with Jeff, and he's down in Utah because he's got class, and I told him it was ridiculous to drive up here for a day, just to turn around and go back home and come back 2 days later. And being a teacher I sure as heck won't suggest that he skip class. But, just one more week and I'll have the rest of eternity to be able to spend with him.

Well, now I'm off to work on more wedding-related stuff, but keep an eye out for a new blog coming in the near future, highlighting Our Happily Ever After. :)

Changes :)

Well, lots of things have been happening in the past month. I know that I've got a job working at the charter school I'm currently at for summer school, and I'll be signing a contract with them for fall this week. I have moved into the apartment Jeff and I will be living in and pretty much have things unpacked. I love my little home (pictures to come after I take some). I have one month until I get married. Until then, I am just anxiously waiting for that day to get here. I'll probably be starting a blog for Jeff and I sometime after we get an internet connection at the apartment, which won't be until after the wedding, we've decided. But until then, know that I'm alive and well and happy :)

Catchup :)

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. I've just been enjoying the super nice weather we've been having and spending every spare minute with my wonderful fiance. 

Jeff's Birthday

General Conference--we went to the Sunday Afternoon session

One of my mission trainers came up to Utah for Conference, and was sitting in the same section we were! It was fun to be able to see her again :)

I finished my student teaching and graduated from BYU-Idaho. 8 wonderful semesters on campus, and one student teaching. I was ready to be done. I felt very much like it was time. I'm ready for the next step. I started my new job at American Preparatory Academy, a charter school in West Valley, as a Teacher in Training. I was assigned to a 3rd grade homeroom, but also have a small group class of 2nd graders that my teacher teaches, and also a small group of 1st graders for math that I teach on my own. I totally love this job! Right now, it's basically an internship to see if I can catch onto the teaching method (they use Direct Instruction for anyone who knows what that is. For those who don't, it's basically scripted of what I have to  do and say.) When I interviewed for this job and they were explaining it to me, I didn't think I'd like it. It is way different from anything I've been used to doing on campus. But my first day in the classroom as I saw it working, I could see benefits. I started teaching lessons on my second day in the classroom, I it felt super natural. Plus, I don't have lesson plans to write, because everything is scripted. All I have to do is review the script and I'm ready to go for the lessons. I mean, as an actual teacher at the school, I'd have more to do in terms of preparation, but it is a nice break from what I was doing during student teaching. I'm a lot more relaxed and not stressed out at all. (Just ask my neck. The muscles haven't been this loose in months!) I find myself hoping and praying that it will work out and that they'll hire me on full-time for the fall. I really think they will, but I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch. I do know that I would be happy teaching at that school. And the commute isn't too bad, only about 20 minutes when there's traffic. And it will be less after I get into our apartment. 

Coloring Easter Eggs

We've also been taking advantage of the beautiful weather. This last Saturday it was over 80*, so we took a picnic to the park. Then we walked around the park. And went downtown and looked around the Capital, then barbecued hot dogs at Jeff's house before we curled up to watch a movie. We've been taking a lot of walks together, taking advantage of that time to continue to get to know each other better. He is truly the most amazing man I know and I am so grateful that I will be able to spend all Eternity with him. The longer I know him, the more I see that he will do everything in his power to take care of me and treat me like a Queen.

As for the wedding plans, because everyone is asking, we've got most of the big stuff taken care of. Dress purchased. Tux reserved. Temple reserved. Church reserved for the reception. Photographer booked. Engagements taken. Videographer booked. Decorator booked. Cake ordered. Flowers ordered. Refreshments figured out (I think.) We're counting down until the day when we will be able to start our eternal family. But until that time, we're working at preparing  for that time. And spending every possible minute together, even if he's working on homework and I'm sitting here doing such things as blogging, reading, or sleeping. Yes, I've done all 3. Poor guy. But his semester ends next week and he'll have a few days off before he jumps back into school for the summer semester. He's so great and working hard to get done. I'm proud of him :)

Basically, Life is great :D

I Found THE One!!!

Today was another day full of wedding-related activities. We got a lot done, but my favorite part was finding my dress. Oh my goodness it made me so happy to find it!! It was the first one I tried on today, and as soon as I put it on, i knew that would be the one I would get. I tried on several others, but none made me feel as beautiful or smile as much as this one did. It is simple, yet so elegant. There is beautiful beadwork on the bodice, and the skirt has a beautiful beaded design on the sheer overlay as well. It flatters my shape more perfectly than I could have hoped. But I think my favorite part is the train. It is SO beautiful! I don't know that I've ever felt more beautiful than I felt while I was wearing that dress. Lose about 5 pounds and it will be even more perfect! I can't wait for Jeff to be able to see me in it on our wedding day!!

Missing Him...

Since I'm done with my student teaching and have a week before starting my job, I'm home in Idaho Falls. I came back up with my family after Conference yesterday. The whole way up I felt sad because I was leaving Jeff in Utah until Thursday. We haven't gone more than a day, maybe 2 since we started dating that we haven't seen each other. Today, we've just talked on the phone. Which, I suppose is better than nothing. But it is so not the same as sitting with him and talking to him.

Today we started looking for wedding dresses. That was fun. I found a couple dresses that I liked. We're going to another place tomorrow to look at others. I have waited for what has felt like an eternity to be able to put on a wedding dress. It made me so happy to be able to see myself in those dresses. I can't wait for Jeff to see me in my wedding dress. That will be a wonderful day :) We've got a million more things to do this week. And we really only have this week because I start my job on Monday. Yikes!

I graduate on Friday. It is hard to believe that it is really here! Finally. After 9 long semesters! I'm done! I can't wait. And even better, the man I love will be here for graduation. We're also having our engagements done this weekend. Oh goody!! Time with Jeff...what could be better than that?

And now for the next step: Planning a Wedding

Well, to start off, I'm going to do a little celebrating... I SURVIVED STUDENT TEACHING!!! With my class, that was no small feat :P But really, I did enjoy it. I learned a lot. And I made a life-long friend in my co-operating teacher (who just so happened to go through the temple for the first time last weekend, so Jeff and I were able to join her and her husband for that.) Student teaching was the cause of a lot of stress and tears for me, but the second I finished my portfolio review, it felt as though a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Seriously. All I really had to go through after that was parent-teacher conferences (also a headache, but that's another story for another day.)

But, because of parent teacher conferences there was no school on Friday. Which was a good thing because I was so utterly and completely exhausted. I came home from Jeff's Thursday night and basically collapsed into bed. I told him I'd text him in the morning to let him know i was up. Well, 8:30 rolls around and he still hadn't heard from me, but just knew that I was already up. Not so. He woke me up. He felt bad, but I say it was okay. I had things that I could get done while still sitting in bed and didn't get out of bed until 10:00.

I got my kitchen and bathroom completely clean. (All I have left to do this week is clean my bedroom, do another load of laundry, and vacuum the floor). I washed and vacuumed my car. And I went with Jeff's sisters Amy and Alison to look for wedding flowers. I found EXACTLY what I want. I just have to head back down to get a sample tomorrow so I can take them up to Idaho this weekend to show the florist and lady who's making my cake what I found so we know what we need to get. I had a blast with them! I love having big sisters! And I'll be getting some pretty cute nieces and nephews to boot!

That night, Jeff and I drove down to Provo to go to the temple there. We also went to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was pretty yummy.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early. Jeff and I had a full day planned: We were going to go apartment hunting!! Yep. We went searching for OUR first home. That was pretty exciting. We knocked out 9 of the 15 places on our list, and by mid-afternoon, we had narrowed it down to 2 places. We looked up the ratings of the complexes online, as well as the crime-rates in both areas and have decided where we want to live. Now we just have to pray that they'll have the apartment we want available for us when we need it. Which will be sometime the first part of June so I don't have to live in a cardboard box. (Not that the people I live with would kick me out, because they wouldn't. But their daughter is getting home from her mission and I don't want to intrude on their family time, because I know how it is. So I plan to move out before she gets home.)

After the search for apartments, Jeff introduced me to his favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Moochies, where i had the BEST Philly Cheesesteak sandwich I've ever tasted. Oh, it was mouth-watering good! Then we hit up the new City Creek Center downtown. It was crazy packed. Like worse-than-Disneyland packed. (Okay...probably not...but it was packed!) We wandered a bit. Then headed over to the Gateway. You see, I'm on the hunt for a graduation/Easter/wedding luncheon dress. And still haven't found one I like. *sigh* I guess I have one I can wear if I can't find one I like in the next little bit...but honestly! I'm not THAT picky! I'm also on the hunt for a bridesmaid dress for Kesha for the wedding.

So basically...that's what's up with me. I've got a week left here in Utah, then I'll be home for a week working on wedding plans and such getting ready for graduation. Then it will be back down here to start my temporary job and continue hunting for a job for the fall. Wish me luck in my endeavors!!