NORMAL!

Hello everyone! Chip and I are finally getting backed to normal life after the whirlwind of the wedding. The envelope taste is finally leaving our mouths as we finished up thank you notes, the laundry is piling up, the bills are rolling in, and you know what? Life couldn't be better.

We are so happy to go to sleep and wake up next to each other every single night. We are happy to come home to each other at the end of the day and sit and eat dinner at the kitchen table we painted together. We still get a rush out of using our "fancy pants" coffee maker as we call it. We love to say "hey this is the first time we've used (insert wedding present), awesome!" We're newlyweds, and we are happy. And we plan on staying that way.

As life settles down and we get a routine we will blog more about the happenings in our lives, promise :) Like this past weekend, we got a puppy!!!!! Here's how it all went down...

Saturday morning I was doing some work in downtown Franklin and Chip went to go play golf with the boys and afterwards we met at the bank to consolidate our bank accounts into one account (zzzzzzzz)- it gets interesting I promise!

While we were waiting for the paperwork to finish I said "Babe, you should be so proud of me. A lady was selling mini dachunds on the side of the road in Franklin and I didn't get one. I didn't even stop and look." (I have wanted a puppy forever and kept begging Chip to get one and he kept saying no no lets wait til you get back from TFA Summer Institute).

Then Chip says, "Well, we can go look if you want" And i explained to him that puppies are like Yoda- there is no try, only do and you don't just go look at puppies and not come home with one unless you have no heart. So he says "well lets just go look - im not promising anything"

So we go back to the apartment real quick to combine cars, I run in to use the restroom, and grab Chip's checkbook and toss it in my purse ;) and then we go and drive to Franklin to see if the lady was still on the side of the road- and she was!!!!! And as soon as Chip held our pup, I knew he was sold, so, welcome sweet Lola Mae Wooten into our family :)

We're loving her oh so much (maybe would love her more if she slept all night and didn't keep having accidents) but she is so soft and so sweet and so cuddly and loves to meet people and give them kisses and play and especially take naps. She loves to play with her pup-cousin Neyland too. They even play tug-a-war with their toys. Also, she doesn't really walk. She hops like a kangaroo. And it's awesome. So Lola is officially taking visitors- she can't wait to meet you!! I will post lots of pictures of her as soon as I find my camera charger, don't you worry.

And with that, I'm going to go to sleep!

Whew

Okay team- 10 days and counting until the big day. Needless to say, I am losing my mind. I can't remember my backpack for school, lost my retainer, my medicine, etc. It's pretty annoying. I'm sure its annoying for everyone around me too!!!

Chip and I got the apartment set up this weekend (mostly) and he is now living there until the wedding. I'll post pictures when I feel it's cute enough ;)

Probably won't post again til after the wedding! So long

Busy bees

Sorry I am a bad blogger. Life is crazy busy as you can imagine. This Saturday is the big move in day at the apartment! Please pray for that to go smoothly because we all know how stressful moving is. Also, I've started the process of interviewing with schools for Teach For America for my placement in Metro... please pray that this process is swift... I'm not very good at patience... but God is teaching me. Chip is still loving work (Praise God!) and we are just so ready to be married! We can't stop thinking about how nice it will be to not have to drive home at the end of the night when we are done hanging out haha! I probably won't be any better about posting more often as the wedding is in 17 days!! But after the wedding I will do better!!!

Exhausted

In one word I am: exhausted. Monday through Friday I am working, or at school, most days both. This is from 8-5. Then I come home. Do homework, lots and lots of homework. Then I try and work on last minute wedding details (did you know there are a TRILLION?) Oh yes, then I try and find time to spend quality time with my fiance. And the only thing that repeatedly runs through my mind is "is it over yet????"

I am SO grateful to have my parents pay for the wedding, which will be utterly fabulous. I am SO thankful for our wedding party and for our sweet friends. I am SO thankful that it will all be over in 31 days. Why? Because then I can sleep. Seriously, I wake up in the morning begging for just 5 more minutes or think "what would really be so bad about just sleeping in today?" Let me tell you. I have families depending on me. I have adorable kids that I babysit for who quite frankly, I need far more than they need me. I cannot tell you how many times Charlotte has completely turned by day around just by saying "hold you Kati?" I have classes that I have to pass so I can graduate in May (and all of you know that when I say pass, I mean make an A in, because that is just how I am wired). I have a family of my own to love and to soak up every single minute with because they are my favorite people in the world. I have a bajillion things on my plate and the more I think about it the more I realize I have been taking all of them for granted.

So truly, I am grateful. So grateful. I just can't wait to sleep. And to not be engaged anymore. And to be Kati Wooten. And to drink a margarita in Mexico while snacking on some chips and salsa. I can hear the ocean waves now...

Blessed Beyond Our Means

(Lame blogger I know, life gets crazy with school, work, wedding, and having a life!)

Chip and I wanted to send y'all an update on everything that is going on with us- we have been amazed at God's provisions for us as we start our lives together and wanted to share these with y'all so that you can be reminded just how great our God is and that He will bless you beyond your wildest dreams! We have been provided for by our sweet Savior in the following ways:

-We both have jobs. In Nashville. Where we love, have all of our friends, and all of our family.
-Chip was just given a company car! That means no car payment, no paying to maintain the car, etc. because his company covers it!
-I am employed with Teach For America and have already gotten 2 phone calls from them telling me that 2 amazing charter schools in Nashville want to interview me to work for them! This is such a blessing because these schools truly have amazing philosophies on loving and nurturing their kids while pushing them to do their best.
-I have been given great hours for babysitting this semester, including a phone call today for filling in a 3 hour gap I have on Tuesdays to babysit for another family!
-In a word: furniture. Did you know how stinking expensive that stuff is?! Okay, we didn't because we've never had to buy it before!!!! But between both sets of our parents, we are set minus a few end tables which is totally not a big deal.
-Housing: we have just the cutest/greatest 2 bedroom apartment in brentwood that is so nice and perfect and lovely and I can't rave enough about it. AND we got a great deal on it!!

Needless to say, God is great. All the time. We have truly been blown away by all of His provisions for us. We both feel like we don't deserve any of this- especially when there are so many struggling right now with the down economy (so sick of that phrase but unfortunately it still exists) and all of those suffering across the globe. Our prayer is that we can use all that we have to help others be blessed in the ways that we have found ourselves blessed and that we do not take a single thing for granted.

Church Try-Outs

So Chip and I have entered into the world of trying to find a home church. So far we've only actually visited one church haha, but we really liked it! We are still going to try out a few others obviously but I'm really enjoying the process. Chip and I both grew up going to the same church for almost our entire lives so we both are seeking the same things in a church which is lovely: a very Bible based sermon, a church that offers sunday school classes (some don't these days... i think that's strange), a church with a young adult community, bible studies, and a community/staff that we can call family. So here we go!!

Dress Fitting!

Guess what?! I had my first official dress fitting today. It's the first time I put on my dress since I got it last January. and the best part?? I loved it even MORE this time!!!! It swooshes. That's very important. I was so glad to have my bestest sister in the whole world there with me and some very dear friends. I can't wait to wear it again. and again. and again. Is that ok? I think I'll wear my wedding dress about once a week after the wedding, just for good measure haha!