T minus one month

Daniel and I currently are one month (thirty days) away from the most exciting day of our relationship... a day that will change our lives and the lives of many others forever. The day when Miss Rebecca Mary Griggs becomes Mrs. Rebecca Mary Jackson, bride of Mr. Walter Daniel Jackson. July 14, 2012: The newest best day ever. :)

You know, many people told us not to have a long engagement, because from their experiences the engagement seemed to pass slowly. I, however, have not had nearly the same experience as these advice givers. D and I will have a nine month engagement, and every single minute has been so enjoyable and has gone by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday that I couldn't take my eyes off that pretty ring (oh wait... that was yesterday!). But seriously, this time has flown by, and I still have so much to do over the next 30 days!! I'd like to think that two weeks out from the wedding I'll have everything done and be able to rest, pack, and prepare for the craziness to come, but in the back of my mind I know that's wishful thinking. Here's a little snippet of my list of things to do, which seems to keep growing:

- mail out CD's to musicians

- get dress alterations  

- decide on dress jewelry

- find a job 

- stop biting my fingernails

- make a list for the photographer

- get marriage license

- whiten teeth

- thank you cards galore

... etc.

But having such a long to-do list has never been so fun! I can't wait to hear what the musicians think of the music... SO ready to see the dress on!, and I'm looking forward to hearing back from principals (which has already started, praise the Lord). Yeah, yeah... I need to stop biting my fingernails... but that's been on my to-do list for life. And as for the marriage license, we have to take a ferry to pick it up at the clerk of court. A FERRY! I'm *almost* more excited about the ferry ride than the marriage license. So, I'll keep you folks posted (if I can squeeze in time) on my to-do list progress.

Hoping some of you got your wedding invitations in the mail this week! I smile every day when I open the mail box and see more response cards waiting for me... it's like Christmas every day at 4:30 pm! Please enjoy those invitations and keep them forever... because they took WAY more time and work than I expected. 

Seriously. Don't thrown them away. You should probably scrapbook them or something... yes, even you, friend of a friend of the family. ;)

I know I can speak for Daniel on this one: WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR JULY 14!!! :)

Also, don't forget to check out our wedding website!

grace & peace

that's two!

Thanks to my lovely sister Meghan Elizabeth, I've become a HUGE fan of the two cutie pies at the end of this video: 

Ask anyone: my roommates, Daniel, my students... my newest and most often-quoted phrase is "that's TWO!" Then of course you have to add to that phrase by saying, "two plus two... equals FIVE!" SO STINKING CUTE! Although I feel *slightly* bad for these poor children, the last two really bring a smile to my face. You sneaky little mom! 

But speaking of two, today my lovely wedding countdown told me that there are two months, two weeks, and two days left until the (greatest) day ever, July 14, 2012. That's TWO! :) 

And on this same subject of "two," Daniel will become an NOBTS graduate in only TWO short weeks, followed by his birthday the very next day. We will be celebrating TWO events on that weekend, and TWO people on his birthday... our moms! Can't believe he's already graduating. Sorry for the mushy sentiments, but it seriously seems like only yesterday he was moving into the dorm on campus to start his first semester as a graduate student. I'm so proud of how far he's made it in school, and I am thankful to see his example of hard work and dedication to both his education and his spiritual life. This challenges and encourages me, and I am greatly looking forward to supporting him throughout his next and (almost) final phase of his education... although I know he'll never stop learning! :)

Speaking of graduating, I am a soon-to-be alumni of Louisiana State University, officially holding a Bachelor's of Art in Spanish on Friday, May 18th at 4:30PM. I'm super excited! (well, not so much for the ceremony... but for the finished-with-school-for-now part). LSU has been good to me, and my time as a student here has been some of the best years of my life. However, I am joyously anticipating this next phase in life with my hubby-to-be as we begin our great adventure! (Still looking for a Spanish teaching job in Baltimore -- prayers welcomed and appreciated.)

Hope this post wasn't too boring... If so, just watch the video again! :) 

grace and peace

the countdown continues

Photo by Claire Elyse Photography

100 more days! 

I can hardly believe the time has passed so quickly. It feels like just yesterday THIS was happening, and now all-of-the-sudden, we have a little over three months to do a WHOLE lot of planning and preparation for marriage. I want to soak in everything special that happens in these next 100 days as we look forward to how our lives change on July 14th, when the Lord unites us as one. 

On a side note, I recently re-discovered my 5th grade social studies fair project, in which I researched the history of dentistry (typical dentist's child, I know). I particularly liked the smiley-face boarder and the "cavity monster." Such creativity at such a young age... ;) hehehe!

More life updates to come soon.

grace & peace.

planning

"If I could sum up this entire semester in one word, I would (without hesitation) choose the word PLANNING."

I think I've made this statement to about 30 people in the past week... and it's so true! Planning, planning, and more planning is what my days are full of. It's either wedding planning or lesson planning, and in both cases I'm typically behind trying to catch up. 

And I love it. :)

However, this planning period has resulted in blog negligence, which does not help my (few, if any) readers stay up-to-date on student teaching and wedding details... so let me try to fill you in. Let's start with student teaching. 

BRUSLY HIGH SCHOOL- 

My student teaching semester has been such a blessing. God blessed me with a great mentor teacher and some fun Spanish students, and I've learned so much being in the classroom all day long, 5 days a week. It's hard to believe that 10 full weeks have already been completed (333 hours, y'all), and I only lack one month until the end of this special season in my teaching career. And then... GRADUATION! It's been a really great semester.

WEDDING-

Engagement pics taken by the lovely Claire Elyse Photography can be found here, and save-the-dates go in the mail soon. Wedding website has finally been completed, too! Nine lovely ladies from CrossPoint, led by Mrs. Meagan Jenkins, threw me a beautiful bridal shower this past Sunday for which I am so thankful. And more plans are soon to be made as I go home for Easter break. :)

POST-WEDDING-

I had my first "official" job interview with a school district and am antsy to hear back from them. D and I went to visit Baltimore, MD about two weekends ago, and we are now in the process of making plans to move there, following the lead of the Spirit. We don't know all the details about this, either, but we definitely are excited for whatever God's planned for the future.

I think that's a good place to start for the "catch-up." I'll try to be back soon for pics of student teaching and wedding planning. :)

grace and peace

dearest Hayley Hollier...

Dear Hayley,

I sent you a "parcel" in the mail for your birthday. I was hoping you'd receive it by this weekend, but I guess shipping across the Atlantic has an effect on a little manila envelope. Hopefully you'll get it tomorrow all in one piece... but I can't wait anymore:

:) pretty please??

my mamita, Ruth Ann Nguyen

November 12, 2011 -- the day my mom became a Nguyen

About two years ago my mom traveled to Jerusalem with her church on a two week long pilgrimage. One of her teammates (whom she hadn't yet met) was Mr. Thai Nguyen, a professor in the local area and a fellow member of her church. To sum it all up, what happened in Jerusalem didn't stay in Jerusalem! :) My mom and Thai met... and then almost EXACTLY two years later the good Lord brought them together in marriage. 

Wedding weekend was a blessed BLAST! It was full to the brim of to-do lists and "organized" chaos. Somehow every little detail worked out perfectly and the wedding couldn't have been any more perfect. I was so thankful to see loved family members at the wedding, including my aunts, cousin, and BEAUTIFUL sister Meghan Elizabeth. My mom looked gorgeous... I mean, look how she rocks that dress! What a natural beauty she is. And I am so thankful to God for Thai. He has really been such a blessing to my mom over the past few years, and I thank God for sending her someone to lead her in a Christ-like way, following the lead of the Spirit. Praise the Lord! I pray blessings on their marriage and upcoming decisions as the Lord guides their path. Here are a few pics from the special weekend:

The wedding weekend passed by so quickly! I wish I could have video-taped the whole thing to watch over again, because I know there were so many special things I totally missed. However, as we prepare for yet another wedding in the upcoming future (date TBA), I am reminded that it's not about the little details of wedding planning. Though they are fun, they will come and go. But it's the marriage that needs preparation, wisdom from the Word, and fuel from the Spirit. I pray that God would help D and me to prepare spiritually for the upcoming life we will share together. 

But at the same time, at least we are pretty fresh when it comes to wedding planning! ;)

Congratulations Mamita and Thai! I love you guys!!