Well, it has been B-U-S-Y around here lately. Obviously.. I mean, I haven’t blogged in over a three months. How ridiculous is that?! Like I said, busy. So, I’ll just dive in play catch up! Pardon me for the long post, but these past three months around here have been equivalent to about six or eight months in normal life, and I think you deserve to know all the juicy details. Alrighty… one, two, three, let’s go!
The initiation to the busy lifetime schedule was the April 27th tornadoes that hit and stirred up chaos all over the state of Alabama. Chuck’s house in Tuscaloosa was hit, while he was inside, which was a huge scare for me and especially for him. His house was about 50 yards from the eye of the storm, but to hear his detailed explanation of what happened, he was pretty much as close as you can get without being in the direct path of the worst core of the tornado. Chuck, Josh (Chuck’s cousin and roommate), and a friend were all over at the house when the storms hit. To sum up the very long, scary story in a short synopsis, Chuck was watching the weather on TV and realized the tornado was heading straight for them. Chuck yelled for Josh and their other friend to watch the weather on the television as he went and looked out the window of their house. When he looked outside, he says he could see one side of the tornado spinning towards them (but couldn’t see the whole twister since it was over a half mile wide). They all ran into the bathroom of the house, crouched down in the bathtub, and rode it out. Chuck says the most memorable part of the whole experience is how silent it was right before it hit. Apparently, they were all sitting in silence for about five or ten seconds, and then Chuck noticed they all were popping their ears. It was then that Chuck knew it was on top of them and within seconds they heard loud crashing and things being thrown around outside. And then the silence returned. They exited the bathroom to find the very large oak tree that previously stood in their front yard in their den. The bathroom is located on the right side of the house and the tree fell on the left side of the house. They are all three very blessed, humbled, grateful individuals that realize that if the storm had been just a few slight degrees off when it started, the three of them could very easily have had a drastically different outcome. I, of course, was scheduled to work that night and was heading out the door to beat the storm to the hospital when I heard on the radio (due to no power that day in our house) that the “massive, violent tornado” had hit University Blvd and was passing by DCH towards Alberta City. I immediately knew that is exactly where Chuck’s house was located and I had a complete meltdown. I desperately tried calling Chuck and Josh but had no luck. Gratefully, though, Chuck’s mom was able to get through within five or ten minutes and immediately called to let me know that they were safe but that the house had been hit. So, on Thursday the 28th, Kyle (Chuck’s brother) and I drove down to Tuscaloosa to retrieve the boys from their home and bring home their belongings. We went back again that Saturday to retrieve the large pieces from within the house and bring them home for good. Those three days are such a blur and I still look back and think about how incredibly blessed we all are for still having them in our lives. God had His mighty hand around them that day. I know without a doubt that they were being protected by something bigger than their dinky, old, rickety house. God was looking out for them, and I pray that those families that lost their loved ones that day are comforted in knowing that there is someone out there bigger than that storm and bigger than the pain they have endured. Our state was literally torn apart that day, but we have been nothing but brought together since April 27th, and it is refreshing to see our state come together and help one another.
Here is a picture of their house after the storm.
So, after the tornado mess occurred, my good friend (and coworker!) Kayla and her lovely boy, Nate, got hitched! Their wedding was beautiful, as was she, and it was a blast having so much of our nursing class back together for a little reunion for their wedding.
Then, on May 1st, I moved into our new town home! I’m LOVING it here, but it’s taking me a while to get things decorated, hung on the walls, and organized the way I like. Plus, I don’t have all the essentials that I need (like trash cans) because I don’t want to purchase them when I’m registered for them. However, I did receive many necessary things at my bridal tea back in May that have come in very handy. We are still missing several things but the wedding is less than a week away and I’m so preoccupied with a million other things that I could care less right now that my trash is still being piled into Walmart bags. And that I don’t have a bedspread.
So, the tornadoes. Then the wedding. Then moving in. Then, the following weekend, I took a girls weekend trip to the beach with some friends from high school. It was SO NICE going to the beach and relaxing with old friends. I love hanging out with all of those ladies. We are all so different now that we have grown up, graduated college, and matured, yet we still have so much fun together! We spent all of the weekend being lazy, getting tan, and catching up.
Then, on May 13th, I turned 23! Twenty three doesn’t feel much different than twenty two, but I’m excited about all the new things that are going to happen in my twenty third year. I’m going to become Mrs. Abbey, my little sister will become a college student, my older sister will become Mrs. Boggs, Chuck will graduate from college, and I’m sure there are many more things in store that I don’t even know about yet! Who could ask for a better, more exciting year ahead? I cannot wait.
Whew. Like I said, B-U-S-Y. I didn’t lie, did I? The weekend of June 3rd, Chuck and Zach had a triathlon in Fairhope that they both excelled at!! Chuck came in 3rd in his age group, and I am SO, SO proud of him. He did awesome!
With his winners mug!
So, then Sunday after their race, I had my bridal tea. It was a huge hit and so many sweet ladies came. Chuck and I are so blessed and got so many great things we will definitely use in our house!
I had my lingerie shower in June which was a BLAST! I haven't put those pictures on my computer yet, so I can't put them up on here. We had the get together here at my house, thrown by my two lovely sisters and MOHs. And then we went out afterwards for some Jacksons and karaoke at Stir Crazy. We definitely (yes, really) karaoked to "Jesus take the Wheel." It was... awkward and terrible... but tremendous fun!
The wedding is a week from tomorrow! Well, technically today, considering it's 3:30am. This time next week I BETTER be sleeping because I'll be having to get up for my WEDDING DAY! I have to get up in the morning at 7am to drive to Chattanooga with Chuck and Zach and his, as of recent, fiance! Yep, another engaged fella in the group. How many weddings can we throw into a one year time span?? Let's see. Kayla and Nate, me and Chuck, Greg's sister, Amy and Greg, Christina and Matt, and now Zach is engaged! Ca-razy.
I am overly thrilled to be marrying Chuck. I know I say it in almost (if not every) blog, but it's because I can't say it enough. It has been eight years since we started dating. We have gone through so much and have remained in love the whole time. We have talked about this moment for years now and I can't believe it's actually here! It's going to be so surreal, and I probably won't remember half of it because it will all go by in such a blur. At least that's what everyone tells me. But, I want to remember as many details as I can, which is why I hired the best of the best when it comes to photographers and videographers.
Brandon and Stacey Gresham from Simple-Color.
Check out their awesome new website! Totally new and hip, just like them! I can't wait to have them documenting our wedding. They are the sweetest people ever and their photographs are amazing!
Mark Hendren from Mark Five Productions. I cannot wait to have an amazing video of our wedding day! I'm sure there will be many tears to capture on video the day of... I tear up watching OTHER people's videos!
Alright. Must go to bed. It's 4am... I have to rise and shine in three hours! So much for beauty sleep!
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