20 Days Later...

It was seriously the most perfect, most wonderful day of my life! That's not to say that everything went perfectly. I found the slideshow DVD in my DVD player when we got home from the honeymoon which means that it didn't leave my house to go to the wedding. The veil was no where to be found about 20 minutes before the ceremony, but luckily we found it. The music skipped during the duet and the music wasn't really played correctly. When it came time to throw the bouquet, I couldn't find my throwing bouquet. Even though there were some imperfections, the wedding was absolutely beautiful, if I can say that. It was so me and John Hoyt and I think that is why I was so in love with it! We had a fairytale kiss (available for viewing on YouTube thanks to JH's sister, April), a yummy cake, an amazing wedding party, and just a great day all around. I don't know if it would have been as perfect without my bridesmaids. They were absolutely wonderful to me and so helpful and sweet. They took care of everything and didn't let me worry about a single thing. From cooking me breakfast to waiting on me hand and foot, they were wonderful! Katelyn even took my phone away from me so that I wouldn't be stressed by the texts and calls. It was a day full of laughing a lot, crying some, and just having a great time with our friends and family. We took so many pictures (hopefully they'll be on Facebook soon) and I really love them! The kids in the wedding did such an amazing job too! We had so much help with everything! We couldn't have asked for a better wedding and I am so grateful!

3 Days...

I haven't been able to update this like I want to because 1) it has obviously been a very busy time for me and 2) we haven't gotten internet at the new house, but they are coming to install it tomorrow...yay!!!!! Mom got here on Sunday night and we have been running all over and working really hard at the house to get the house in order for all of my friends to come and getting all of the last minute details done. I am also in the process of laundry and starting to pack for our HONEYMOON!!! John Hoyt has been painting our bedroom for the last few days, and hopefully he will finish tonight. This morning, Aunt Donna got here to help us out and she has been amazing. I've been able to get internet here and there by going to John Hoyt's parent's house. We have gotten so much done in the last few days, but we only have tomorrow until 7 to finish everything up because that is when the girls get here! I am beyond excited about this weekend. I am so excited to see all of our friends and family and to FINALLY marry John Hoyt. It's been a long time coming :) We have been so blessed and I am so excited to start my life with him. Although it has been stressful at times, it has been a blast spending time with Mom, Aunt Donna, Jackie, Tori and all of the other people that have been here to help me! Tomorrow is the Bachelorette Party and the fun just continues after that with my family and friends coming into town!

6 Days...

I can't believe we're now less than a week away. It really doesn't seem real. John Hoyt and I talked the other day and we agreed that we've been in wait mode for so long that it doesn't seem like it's really here. My mom is on her way here as I type this an we're going to be working really hard this week to finish everything up before Thursday. I had my bridal shoot last Wednesday and had an amazing time! I can't wait to see the pictures!!! This is going to be a crazy week, but it's going to be so much fun!

18 Days...

We're at about 2 and a half weeks away from our big day! This is finals week and luckily, I'm blessed enough to not have any finals so I can focus on packing, moving, and spending time with friends. I have been working some too. Packing is so bittersweet. My room is extremely empty and it's really sad, but I'm excited to see all that stuff moved to my new house!

I got an e-mail about the assistantship I wanted and I got it!! It also might lead to a summer job, so I'm meeting with someone else next week about that! Next week I also have my bridal shoot which I am of course thrilled about! We did a practice run on my hair Saturday night and I loved it! I'm really excited about seeing how everything turns out! I also got the schedule for the wedding day from my photographer! That made everything so real. It's going to be a busy couple of days and I'm excited about spending time with my family and friends.

I talked to my dad last night and we came up with a plan for this weekend which is GRADUATION!!! They are going to be spending the night at my house for 2 nights so I'm going up Thursday to get things in order. With all of the moving, there are boxes everywhere. John Hoyt got me a surprise move-in present! While I was getting my hair done, he went to the store and then when we both got back to the house, he made me close my eyes and he took me outside to see a tomato plant that he planted for me! Tomatoes are my favorite food so it was soooo sweet and I've been telling him that I wanted to plant one for so long! This Friday is our 5-year anniversary! To celebrate, we are going to breakfast and then going to get our marriage license!!! With everything else going on, we don't really have time to do anything major, but I think that getting our marriage license will be the perfect way to celebrate!

26 Days...

What a crazy, productive weekend!! I got to go up on Thursday afternoon. I met with a woman in Athens about an assistantship position and then drove up to our house (I like the sound of that) to start the cleaning! I ended up getting a lot done before John Hoyt got off work. We met for dinner and went to buy blinds for the house! Friday I didn't get to even go to the house because we were so busy all day. I did get to meet with our wedding photographer and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am about the pictures! She had some great ideas and I am really looking forward to working with her! We decided to do a bridal shoot before the wedding so that I could get some of the ones of me out of the way so she could do a lot of him on the day of the wedding. Sometimes, I think the guys get left out and I wanted to make sure I had a lot of good ones of him too. We're hoping to do the bridal session in a couple of weeks! We got to spend Friday night with our youth group for a cookout which was awesome! It was so good to spend some time relaxing with everyone.

Saturday we got up really early and went over to the house to start working again. John Hoyt's mom and two of his sisters came to help us and they were so great! We got almost completely finished with the whole house! The only thing I have left to do is clean the really high cabinets because I couldn't reach them and I didn't have anything to stand on. John Hoyt started hanging blinds. We got done around 4:30 and went back to his parent's to get ready for Easter choir rehearsal. After rehearsal we went to eat and then went back to the house to start unloading my car (I brought some things from Milledgeville) and to finish up hanging the blinds downstairs. Easter was great and we got to spend some time with his family. After all of the Easter festivities, we went over to the Butlers (the place I've been staying at when I visit him since I moved to college) and started getting all of our shower gifts and my stuff that we had stored there. It took 2 trips in 2 cars to get everything to the house. Right now it's all downstairs in the middle of the floor waiting to be organized. I ended up having to stay up there because I didn't feel well after we got done and drove back down to Millly this morning. We got so much done! Next weekend is going to be crazy too with moving furniture and more stuff and trying to knock a bunch of wedding stuff out!

31 Days...

The past few weeks have been so amazing and so productive! Katelyn threw a DIY night and so many girls showed up to help with the programs and favors! We knocked about half of them out that night and then several girls came the next week to help finish them. We got them done very quickly! That is such a huge load off of me and I am so grateful to those that came for all of their help! I'm actually glad that my original plan for the programs didn't work out, because I love the new design so much better! I've been able to get a few of the other small details done. I took my dress to have it altered about a week and a half ago, so I'm just waiting to hear back from the alterations lady to pick it up. The most exciting thing that has happened recently is that we closed on our house on Monday!!! We're officially homeowners!!! John Hoyt has been working so hard the past few days before and after work to get it ready for me to come clean and start moving in. After we got the keys, the first thing he wanted to do was mow the grass. It had gotten pretty tall and so he went out the next morning before work and mowed it. He also went to Lowe's and got new locks for the doors and installed them last night. He and two of his sisters (April & Jackie) and his brother-in-law were able to get the washer and dryer in! Jackie and April cleaned the laundry room and Jon and John Hoyt got the machines up the stairs. Everything is slowly coming together! I will be driving up to Athens for an interview for an assistantship tomorrow afternoon and then will be heading up to the house to start cleaning! I packed a bunch of stuff last night at my apartment. I got a lot of my little decorations all packed up and some of my picture frames in boxes as well as a bunch of my t-shirts and winter clothes. I'm planning on loading all of it into my car tonight so I can drive it up to the house this weekend. Next week I'll be doing a lot of packing and moving. This weekend I'm planning on doing most of the cleaning so that I'll feel comfortable moving all of my stuff in there and eventually moving in. I can't believe I have a little more than 2 weeks of school left! I'm getting excited about seeing everyone and about graduation! It's very bittersweet though because I'm really going to miss a lot of my friends that I've made here and my apartment that I've lived in for 3 years. It's been an emotional rollercoaster because one minute I can't wait and the next I'm sad. I am just so thankful for all of the blessings God has given us and I am really looking forward to our wedding! Oh, and for those that are interested, our wedding website is www.mywedding.com/evinjohnhoyt!

47 Days...

My stress level is pretty high this week. I'll be graduating with my bachelors in less than 5 weeks but before that I have 5 major projects due; one every week. My amazing friend/roomie, Katelyn is throwing a DIY night on Thursday and a lot of my friends are coming over to help do some DIY projects like the favors and programs. I'm trying to get all of that stuff together. We had an idea for the programs, but that isn't going to work anymore, so I'm scrambling to get something else together. I've got some ideas, but I need to run them by John Hoyt before I can change the design. It's just going to be a pretty crazy week with my project due this week and of course my weekly paper on the wonderful B.F. Skinner :). We should be closing on the house next week (hopefully)! We were supposed to close this past Wednesday but we had some problems with the water company. All of that is straightened out but it delayed the closing slightly. I'm disappointed but I'm also a little grateful because it's given me a chance to focus on the wedding a little more. I just can't believe we have less than 7 weeks to go! I am getting so excited about our wedding and FINALLY being married! John Hoyt and I had a really chill weekend and it was so nice to just spend time together. He took me on a shopping/minigolf/dinner date and we just relaxed and had a great time! The next 7 weeks are going to be slightly crazy so it was nice to take a breather. My MOH threw me a bridal shower on Sunday which was so much fun! A lot of my friends got to be there and I was so grateful for them! Please continue to pray for me and for us as we close on the house, finalize all the wedding details, and try to graduate!

54 Days...

So much has happened during the past few weeks. I was on Spring Break last week and I had such a great time with my friends, Amanda and Tori! On Friday, John Hoyt and I drove over to Alabama to attend my grandparents' 50th Anniversary party! I was so amazing to see that after 50 years they are still so in love and so happy! It was so inspiring! After the party, we drove back to Georgia to celebrate John Hoyt's dad's birthday with his family. Sunday, we had our church shower that John Hoyt's family threw for us! It was so much fun and we got a lot of beautiful things! On Monday morning, Tori, Amanda, and I left to drive to Pennsylvania! We got there Monday night and then got up early the next morning to drive to Niagara Falls! It was such a fun day! We got to see the Falls on the American side and then we drove over to Canada to see that side too! We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, and then went to the Skylar Tower (a spinning resturant) for dessert! It was so much fun! On the way back, we had a terrifying trip though. What would normally take about 4 hours ended up taking 8 because we got trapped in a huge snow storm in the mountains. I was driving and it was awful. We got pushed off the road by an 18-wheeler and almost hit the guard rail. It was only by God that we didn't hit it because I lost control of the car and we were sliding on ice and couldn't stop. When we finally got about 10 mintues from home, we got stuck on a hill. My big truck couldn't make it and a Pennsylvania DOT angel saved us! He somehow got my car turned around and we were able to take the long way home. It was truly a miracle because we were stuck in the middle of the road with no way to get up the hill or even move to the side of the road. It was an adventure to say the least. We got home at around 5:15 the next morning. Wednesday and Thursday we stayed at home. On Thursday night we had a "wedding celebration" with some ladies from our church in Pennsylvania and some of our neighbors and friends. Since the wedding is in Georgia, we knew that most people wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding, so they all came to celebrate with me while I was there. We played our slideshow and some music from the wedding, had some great finger foods and got some beautiful gifts! It was SO much fun! We are less than 8 weeks away from the wedding now! I really only have to finish up some details which can be time consuming, so I'm trying to work on stuff a little at a time. We are just so excited! There has been a slight delay in the closing on our house because of a problem with the water company, but it might be good because it gives me a little bit more time to focus on the wedding. I am so thankful for that 2 weeks between graduation and the wedding to finish up and organize everything!

70 Days...

So much has happened since I posted last time! We finally found our house!!! The weekend after my last post, we looked and looked and still couldn't find anything. I left Sunday night feeling very discouraged and upset and wondering what we were going to do. It seemed that we had exhausted all of our options. While I was on my way home, John Hoyt called me and said that he had been looking online at houses in Pendergrass, a town really close to Braselton, where we had been looking. He said that he found two houses that were really beautiful from the pictures and that were definitely in our price range. When I got home that night, I looked at them and fell in love with one in particular. John Hoyt called the real estate agent and set up a time to look at it on Monday night. He loved it and thought I should see it in person, so I drove up that Wednesday night to look at it myself. I fell in love immediately and knew that this was the house for us. We had to put in a bid on it, and so we decided to go ahead and do it that night. We were supposed to hear back to see if we won the bid on Thursday because the bidding ended on Wednesday night, but we didn't hear anything all day. We were so anxious and nervous to hear if we got the house or not. Luckily for me, I was at UGA for my new student visitation and so I was a little distracted. We didn't hear anything all day Thursday. Friday, I was still at UGA and John Hoyt text me and told me that he needed to talk to me about the weekend. When I got a break, I called him and he started telling me about something for that weekend so I thought he hadn't heard anything yet. Then he said, "So, when do you want me to dig up that bush in front of OUR house?". There is a bush that I hate right in the front of the house, so I knew that we had won the bid!!! We were so excited!!!! Saturday, we met with our real estate agent to sign the contract. We should be closing sometime around the end of March!! We are so blessed and we can't wait to start cleaning the house and painting to make it our home. Right now there are 2 hot pink rooms that need to be painted. I just can't wait to get in there and put my touch into it! The house is in the perfect location between his work and UGA. It's also pretty close to his family and our church!

Now that the house is pretty much settled, besides all the paperwork, I can start thinking about the wedding again. John Hoyt and I got some minor shopping done for the ceremony last night. Last weekend we went to Alabama to do our premarital counseling with Pop, since he is performing the ceremony. While we were there, we finalized the details of the ceremony so now I can finish up the program and start working on that. We bought our vases for the sand ceremony and the sand and wax to seal it. Last weekend, I also bought the rest of the napkins for the reception. We've been working on music for the reception and all of that too. Time is ticking away, so I'm trying to stay focused and get everything done. Once we get to close on the house it will be a balancing act trying to get the house ready, move, finish up school, and work on the wedding, but I'm excited. My new obsession is HGTV.com. I can look at rooms that have been decorated on there and so I've been having a blast doing that. John Hoyt and I looked through the pictures I saved and picked out some colors for some of the rooms. We also were blessed with a phone call from a friend who works at Lowe's who found us a brand new, in the box, washing machine for VERY cheap! We went and picked it up Thursday night and we're storing it at John Hoyt's work until we close on the house. Our friend is in the process of looking for a dryer and a fridge for us as well. We are so blessed to have so many things going for us right now!

89 Days...

Only 3 more months to go! It's amazing how fast time is flying by but we're so excited! We did some more house hunting this weekend. So far we haven't had any luck in finding something. There is one we really like, but we're trying to decide if we want to put in an offer or keep looking and see what else we can find. It's been an emotional rollercoaster but we know that God is going to lead us to where we need to be. We've been praying so hard and so much! Sunday, I went shopping with Christa and Jackie to pick out plates for the reception. We got that taken care of so that's one less thing I have to take care of! John Hoyt and I had plans to go to Starbucks and just sit together and make all of the minor decisions about the wedding that we haven't made, but Starbucks closes earlier than it says on their website :( It's hard for us to focus sometimes when we're not by ourselves and it's very rare that we have quiet time on weekends to make decisions. It's good that we have some time :) Our last shower was planned and we're really excited about it! Our church is throwing us a couple's shower!! I can't wait!

With the house hunting kind of being our first priority, we haven't really gotten a chance to work on wedding stuff. I've been very busy with school too, so wedding is just kind of taking a back seat for the next few days. We're hoping we can get something settled with a house really soon. John Hoyt is going to scout out some houses this week with the real estate agent and see if there are any that I should look at when I get to go up there next time. I feel like a grown-up and I'm not sure I like it :) I am really looking forward to having OUR place and having all of my belongings in one place. My plan is as soon as we close to start moving all of my stuff and have one room designated WEDDING and just putting all of the wedding stuff in that room! That will be one very full room, but I'm exicted that it's getting here so soon! Now we just have to find the house for us and we'll be good to go!!

94 Days...

Well our stress levels just moved to an 11! It's a good 11 though because the reason is really exciting :) We got pre-approved for a loan on a house this past weekend! We spent most of the afternoon on Sunday looking at houses and we found out that in order to be able to move in when we want to, we have 2 weeks to find a house and make an offer. That's a little nerve-racking, but we are also really excited. I will be going up there this weekend again to look at houses and hopefully make a decision to put an offer on one. We are really excited but really nervous at the same time. Just please be in prayer for us as we make this huge decision for our lives. We didn't get a lot of wedding stuff done this weekend because we were so focused on the house. We were also able to celebrate Valentine's Day! He took me to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta as a surprise which was so much fun! We both love art and we were so excited to be there! We also went shopping and had dinner at O'Charley's (my favorite). We were waiting for a table and his aunt and uncle that I don't know very well walked in. When we got a table, we asked them if they wanted to sit with us. It was so great to get to know some of his extended family that I don't know very well! On Valentine's Day we met for dinner in Madison since both of us had to work and I had some school on Monday during the day. We ate at the Chophouse and then he took me grocery shopping which is really romantic because I hate shopping by myself. We have been looking online at houses this week and will hopefully be able to make a good decision this weekend or next week. We can't believe it's all happening so fast! The wedding is a little more than 3 months away, so we're getting to crunch time. But that's ok :) We're so ready to be husband and wife. All the stress is worth it! Your prayers during the next few weeks would be very appreciated as we make some big decisions! Thanks!

101 Days...

We're almost in double digits! We had such a great weekend with our friends and family this weekend! We had a shower on Saturday in Moody, AL for our family and friends there. John Hoyt's family was able to drive over from Georgia and my family came from Pennsylvania to be there. It was so great to have so many close family and friends all there to celebrate with us! We got some wonderful gifts for our home and tools for John Hoyt :) We moved all of that to the Butler's to store there until we find a place to live. On Sunday, I got to celebrate with more family and friends at a lingerie shower thrown by Ms. Kim, Ms. Wanda, and Ms. Doris, our neighbors in Dacula! My mom, grandmother, and aunt got to come as well as so many of my friends! It was slightly embarassing but it was so much fun! I got a lot of really pretty stuff and some other fun stuff :). I got to meet my best friend/MOH's boyfriend afterwards when we all went out to El Centinela. Overall, it was such a fun weekend and I am so thankful for all my friends and family who sacrificed to be there! I am so thankful to you!

This week is going to be very busy. I have a lot of school work to do and the wedding is closing in, so I'm trying to get some of the details done. I've been assigning jobs to close friends and family for day-of tasks and everyone has been so willing to help! I have the BEST family and friends a girl could ask for! Since we're not getting the location to decorate until about 2 hours before the ceremony starts we have asked several people for their help and they have been SO wonderful!

This weekend, John Hoyt and I will start the process of finding a place to live. We are going to get preapproved for a mortgage on Saturday and will hopefully start looking at houses on Sunday. I'm going to be going up there the next few weekends so hopefully we'll be able to make a decision pretty soon on a house. Just pray for us that we'll make the right decisions and that God will lead us to where we are supposed to be. We are also doing some minor wedding details this weekend like choosing the music for the reception, etc. Since it's Valentine's Day weekend, we are trying to spend some much-needed time together. We had such a great weekend last weekend, but in all the hussle we didn't really get to spend any time together. It will just be so nice to get some things done as a couple this weekend. :)

114 Days...

So, my first shower is a week from Saturday and I am getting really giddy about it! My mom keeps texting me telling me who all is coming and how excited everyone is and I just can't wait! Yesterday I went to Monograms and More and picked up our cake serving set! It is absolutely beautiful and the monogram is so exciting! The knife says "Mr. and Mrs. Richardson" which makes me smile really big :). I also went to Hallmark and picked up a journal for our gifts to be written in at each shower and I also picked up a guest book so everyone at the showers can write in it! They're both so cute! It's these kinds of things that temporarily wipe away my stress and just make me so excited! I'm trying to take deep breaths and just enjoy my time planning this amazing day instead of stressing out. All the e-mails are no fun, but I love the shopping!!!

116 Days...

If someone tells you that they're going to get married 2 weeks after their college graduation, tell them NO!!! Just kidding, but really it's going to be a crazy semester. I've been looking at my calendar and I will have 1 free weekend...the weekend before graduation. I'm trying to keep that weekend open because I'm not really sure if I'll need to study or move or...actually I have no idea what I'll need to do. We've been trying to schedule everything so that nothing gets left out, but it's been difficult. I have 8 showers...really ridiculous, but since I've lived so many different places, people in those places are offering to throw me showers, and I of course want to accept all of them! Showers are so much fun and I've been trying to spread them out so that I'm not driving myself crazy trying to be at everything. My first two showers are next weekend and I can't wait! I'm really ready for the first one to get here! I think it will be so real once we start all of that stuff. I am currently in the process of finding dresses for everything, which is so much fun but so money-consuming! I'm really glad we're getting married so soon after graduation...I don't want to wait a second longer than I have to, but I'm just working on time management and stress management. I can do this!!! :)

122 Days...

I am back in Milledgeville and have started my last semester at GCSU! Now that I am back in classes and working again I have slowed down a little on the wedding planning. I really can't afford to slow down a whole lot because the wedding is getting here VERY QUICKLY!!! I finished sending all the save-the-dates (finally) today! I had a lot to send out because I just recently got all the addresses over Christmas break and I just now got a chance to finish addressing them. This weekend John Hoyt and I got so much accomplished! We picked out a song for the pre-ceremony (to be sung by Heather Lawson and Randy Holmes) and asked both of them. We also picked out a song to walk back up the aisle which is a HUGE accomplishment because we've been searching for months.
We went and picked out the tuxes for all the guys. I also did a lot of shopping with Jackie. I got 4 dresses for showers that I can't wait to wear! Our first shower is the first weekend in February so they're coming up quickly too. I'm still searching for the perfect going-away dress. I found one that was perfect but it was SUPER expensive and I just couldn't bring myself to pay for it. Maybe if I save up enough money I will swing it, but as of right now, it's not happening. Christa met me at Wal-Mart to help me pick out fabric for the flower girl dresses. She's going to make them and they are going to be adorable! John Hoyt and I also met with the owners of the Braselton-Stover House to set some wedding details and to get some advice about some decisions we have to make. While we were there, Mary told us that there was going to be a bridal show at the house on Sunday and that we should come by for a cake tasting with one of the vendors. We went and while we were there we went by our florist's table to say hi and signed up for a drawing to win $100 off our flowers. I got a call later that night that we won the drawing!!!! We were so excited about that!! While we were shopping for fabric, Christa also told me about an amazing cake baker that she knows and showed me some pictures of her cakes. I loved them and I am currently in the process of talking to the lady to get an estimate.
Jackie and I took Savannah (the flower girl) to Claire's to choose a tiara for the wedding. She loves "princess crowns" and I thought that would be a perfect little present if she walks down the aisle. We spoiled her rotten and had a great time doing it! We bought her the crown and candy and let her ride the carousel at the mall. Then we took her to Zaxby's for lunch (where she chose). It was so much fun because she was so excited to be there! I am still searching for the perfect gift for Ethan (the ring bearer) but we will have to take him when I come up with it and spoil him rotten too ;) It's been very fun and it feels so good getting all this stuff done!