One Month as a Mrs...

Here are a few things that have been going on since Dusty and I got married...

1. It's been one month plus one day since Dusty and I got married! Our photographer, Kris at Meet My Camera, has been posting our wedding photos on Facebook slowly over the past few weeks giving us a peek of our photos. When I first saw them, my jaw dropped. They are beautiful and each photo she shows me gets more and more jaw dropping. I'm dying to see the entire disk of photographs from our wedding. It was such a perfect day and she has captured every special moment. Thank you Kris!

2. DUKE IS HUGE! My baby boy isn't a baby anymore. He is a Doberman. At only 4 months only (17 weeks exactly), he weighs 50 pounds! And he isn't fat or anything either. He is a healthy, muscular boy. Everyone teased me that when he got big I wouldn't be able to pick him up anymore and carry him around like when we first got him...at 50 pounds I still can! I probably won't when he reaches 90 pounds though. Wouldn't that be impressive if I could??? I need to go start lifting weights now...

3. Direct TV has been previewing DOGTV for the past couple weeks. It is a television channel devoted solely to dogs so that they are entertained while their humans are gone at work all day. I use this channel for entertainment for myself because Duke is hysterical when he watches DOGTV! (as seen in bottom right picture above) He gets so focused and really in to whatever is on the TV. It's entertaining in itself! I want to use it when I'm gone at school and Dusty is at work.

4. Speaking of school...I'm so bummed that I have to go back to Billings on August 25th. I only have 11 more days left with my boys before returning to my last semester of nursing school. Is it going to be the longest 4-1/2 hour drive to Billings that day? yes! Am I going to probably cry 99% of the way down to Billings? yes! It's totally going to suck. I love my life in Chester, my routine with Duke and being with Dusty everyday. Thank goodness it's for only one semester or I'd go insane. I love my boys so much.

5. Some of you might be wondering what my living situation might be for just being in Billings for one semester. It's a question I've been asked a lot this summer. When I'm finishing up my last semester of nursing school, I will be living in the dorms....again. Never did I think 3 years ago when I started my blog and learning to cook in my new apartment that I would return to the dorms and dorm life again. I've not overly thrilled about this predicament and sharing a bathroom with 40 women, but I would have had to found an apartment for less than $300 a month to make it cheaper than living in the dorms. I'm not willing to live in the scariest part of town in a basement apartment. I'll take the dorms over that any day! The good news is that I don't have a roommate in my dorm (for right now)! Please pray with me that it stays that way! I don't know any 18 year old freshman that would want to live with a 25 year old married nursing student. I'll be going to bed early and getting up early for clinicals...I'd be the lamest roommate ever. That's why I'm so happy it's just me!

6. Once nursing school is finished in December, you won't find me at the pinning ceremony or graduation ceremony at MSU. I'm going to be flying to Maui and enjoying my honeymoon instead! I can't wait! Is it December yet? Dusty and I booked our honeymoon last week to Maui and we are so stinkin' excited to spend 10 days just relaxing, exploring and being together after finishing all the stress of nursing school and work. It's going to be glorious! Only 3 months, 28 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes to go until paradise....I'm not counting or anything! ;)

7.  In preparation for Maui in December and the thought of wearing a bikini, I've joined Weight Watchers again. Remember when I did it 2 years ago for my trip to The Big Island and lost 27 pounds that I gained from my first bachelors degree at the UM? Well, I've gained most of it back again due to the stress of nursing school. Apparently, I deal with stress by putting delicious and bad-for-you things in my mouth. So I'm at it again and reprogramming my brain back into the healthy lifestyle I once loved about 2 years ago. So far I'm really enjoying it and seeing the hard work pay off! I just gotta keep after it and hope that living on campus and in the dorms won't ruin my hard work.

Wish me luck!

Love,
         Haley