Here at the end of 2008 I thought I would take a look back at all the major events of this past year in our lives:

January 2008 - Steven returns to Army boot camp in Oklahoma.

February 2008 - Steven graduates from boot camp  |  Courtney and the Volker's fly to Oklahoma to visit him for a few days

March 2008 - Steven starts AIT training in Maryland

April 2008 - Courtney turns 21!

May 2008 - Courtney graduates with a B.S. in Visual Communication Arts  |  Steven comes home from training!!  |  May 31: Steven proposes to Courtney in VA and she says YES!!

June 2008 - Courtney gets her first "real" job as a Communications Manager

September 2008 - Courtney and Steven find their first apartment

October 2008 - Courtney moves into the new place

November 2008 - Steven gets a new job with Brinks Inc  |  Nov 22: Steven and Courtney tie the knot!! 

December 2008 - our first Christmas together as a married couple

Whew! It has been quite an eventful year that I will never forget! We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to share these events with in our lives and we thank God for them each and every day. Thank you to everyone who has been with us through this year and helped us celebrate every step of the way! We would not be here without you!

Steven and I had a wonderful first Christmas together. I think the highlight of the season was the television that I bought him as a gift. He could not wait to set it up! We went to several parties and spent some time with the Volkers. It was a very different Christmas for me but an enjoyable one none the less. 

The only day Steven had off from work was Christmas day but I had Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas off from work as well. So I spent those days cleaning and organizing the apartment and finished writing thank you cards for all the wedding gifts. I had a productive yet relaxing and fun vacation from work! 

Due to my efforts the apartment is almost finished! I hung 90% of the frames I had collected for my collage over the couch. One requires a bit of work and a power drill so it's Steven's job to hang! The living room looks so much more like home with pictures all over the wall! I hope to get my artwork from my parent's house soon so that I can hang some of it in our bedroom. We have an artwork poster for over the table that Steven has to hang as well, it's too big for me to handle. 

We "finished" our Target and Crate and Barrel registries this weekend. And by finished I mean we went through what hadn't been bought and then we purchased only what we thought we needed. We are going to wait a little while on the things that were just on the registry for fun. We also bought some of the things off the Belk registry. But the salesman informed us of a bridal completion sale at the end of January where everything on our registry will be 20% off. It was a no brainer to wait on most of that stuff. So he's got a list of what we still need and he is going to have it all gathered in the store, reserved just for us, for that particular sale. Awesome! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVEN!! 

Steven is 22 today! We've been celebrating since Saturday. I surprised him with an outing with all of his friends on Saturday night. Then last night we celebrated with my family. Tonight we are celebrating with his family and then tomorrow we're going on a date to celebrate by ourselves. I love birthdays! 

I love Christmas too and I am soo excited that it's just a few days away! Still kind of bummed that I don't get to go to GA with my family but I know that we are going to have an awesome first Christmas together anyway. 

We are still waiting for our niece/nephew. Due to arrive on Christmas day, it should be any day now that we get to meet him/her. I can't wait! I want to buy cute little outfits and spoil the child rotten! I'm the super cool aunt, so I'm allowed to! 

We took our concealed carry license class yesterday. And I have to brag ... so first of all I have never shot a gun in my life before yesterday. Steven is like super expert marksman, Army man. I got all 30 rounds in the center circle of the target ... ALL 30!! First time shooting EVER and I got ALL 30 in the center circle! AWESOME!! Steven missed (and by missed I mean he was like two inches from the center) like 3 rounds. HAHAHAHA!! The first timer beat the experienced shooter! Granted I was shooting a smaller and lighter gun but still... I totally won! 

Well we almost have all of our Christmas shopping done. So far I've been able to find some awesome deals/sales which is great because we wouldn't be able to afford gifts otherwise. 

This weekend we have two Christmas parties at the same time so it looks like we will have to hop between them. But even if we can only spend an hour or so at each one we'll still have loads of fun!

My parents 25th anniversary is tomorrow! Wow! Such an accomplishment in today's world, I am so proud! They are on a trip right now but when they get back we are going to celebrate with them. My siblings and I have a few things up our sleeves! 

Still organizing the apartment! 

Family day at Bragg was fun. I got to meet a lot of his friends and he took me around the base a little bit. We also got a chance to go shopping ... most of the stuff in the stores on base is CRAZY cheap! Next time he goes to drill, I am sending him with a grocery list and a list of other misc items! No joke!

It's Friday!! We have a busy weekend coming up but it's going to be fun! Tonight we are going to my parents to have dinner, after which we have to do some shopping (fun!). Then tomorrow my sister and I are going shopping which will be a blast, I can't wait! Steven has to leave early Saturday morning for his weekend drill but I have two parties to attend while he's gone. One right after the other. Then on Sunday, I actually have to go to Fort Bragg for family day. Which is basically just a really really big party for Christmas that lasts all day long. I have been to the base in Oklahoma but this will be my very first visit to Bragg so I am super excited! Then after we get back from Bragg Sunday night we're going to the Providence Christmas cantata. Whew! I am going to be super tired when this weekend is all over!

Lots to do this week! 

Work is busy trying to get the magazine out on time. No doubt in for a long week here. Steven went to work at 6 this morning and he starts working at Brinks at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. So excited! So that will certainly through a new twist in our schedule.

I am going to the Social Security office this afternoon to change my name. Hopefully that will go smoothly and I won't have any problems. I am going to get my driver's license changed later this week. 

We got our tree this weekend! It's tiny, barely five feet tall, but it's perfect! We decorated it yesterday and I set up the nativity and hung the stockings. Our apartment just looks like Christmas and it makes me happy! I took pictures so I'll upload them soon. 

Still cleaning and organizing the apartment. I finally got the living room to look semi-decent. That's my biggest project this week. Hopefully I'll get most of it done. 

Feeling a little better, although not much. At least the searing pain in my ear is gone! 

Steven starts working at Brinks on Wednesday, he seems excited about that. He did slice his finger open this morning while trying to cut up a grapefruit for breakfast. That was fun. Luckily it wasn't anything severe and we were able to just wrap some gauze around it. 

Still haven't gotten our Christmas tree. Hopefully we'll have time to go tonight. If not, then I don't know when it's going to happen! 

Tomorrow night we are going to my brother's Christmas concert with the band, which should be fun. It's always my favorite concert. Then Saturday night is the office Christmas party, which let's just say should be entertaining.

Meanwhile we are just unpacking presents and trying to get our apartment clean/organized. All the while, loving being married! 

We're home!! 

We had such a wonderful time at our wedding! It was beautiful and everything that I wanted, I just wish it didn't have to fly by so quickly! It was really fun getting to see everyone. I teared up during the ceremony but thanks to Pastor Horner who planned ahead and had a tissue in hand ready for me! I can't believe that we didn't run into any major problems, it all went so smoothly. The wedding pictures arn't finished yet but I got to see some of the pictures that friends took. I will post some pics whenever I get them from the photographer! Pa, Steven's grandfather, taped the whole thing so hopefully he will send us a copy so that we can watch everything. I am so glad that he brought his video camera! 

Our honeymoon was amazing! We flew down to Disney World and had a wonderful time (as if it is actually possible to have a bad time at Disney World!) Here are a few highlights from our trip:

• We received "Just Married" buttons upon arrival. We wore them all week which got us noticed by quite a few people and we received a lot of attention, and many congratulations. But more specifically it got us noticed by a staff member in the Magic Kingdom who asked us to be the Grand Marshals of that afternoon's parade! That was sooo much fun! We got to ride in the coolest car and have our names announced over the loud speakers as we drove by. Way super cool!! 
• We went to go see Cirque du Soleil one night. Words cannot describe how amazing that show actually is. Yes, it's expensive, but way worth the money. If anyone ever gets a chance to see it ... GO! Even though it is called a Circus, it is so much more than that ... I would even venture to call it art ... it was that good!
• This could go on forever, the whole week was just wonderful!

I did get sick though, but it was the last night and on the way home. It wasn't a fun way to end it but at least it held off until the end and didn't ruin our trip. Poor Steven has had to take of me but he's doing a great job. I woke up in the middle of Saturday night throwing up ... which he had to clean up but he was a good sport about it and even helped me brush my teeth and carried me back to bed. Sunday I felt better but on the flight home as we were landing my ear started hurting extremely bad. I couldn't get my ear to pop but eventually it did and the pain went away so I thought nothing of it. But after we went to bed that night the pain came back worse and wouldn't go away. I was in tears it hurt so bad. He packed me up in the car and off the emergency room we went. We spent three hours there but they never called anyone back so we decided to leave and he took me to my regular doctor yesterday. Turns out I had an ear infection the whole time, so now I have medicine and hopefully I will feel better tomorrow. 

As soon as I get the pictures from our trip off of my camera and onto my computer I will post a few.

We are going to get our first Christmas tree tonight after work! Thanks to my parents we actually have ornaments to decorate it with! They bought us quite a few and they also got us a nativity which I was really happy about. Hopefully we can find a small tree and a stand tonight so that we can decorate for Christmas! I'm so excited, I love Christmas!! 

Steven got the job at Brinks!!! We are so excited about this new opportunity! He starts training right after we get back from the honeymoon. It is such a blessing that he was able to find a second job in this economy, and before our wedding. God is so good!!

The wedding is in three days and things are crazy! But it's all coming together ... slowly but surely we're getting everything done. The biggest thing hanging over me right now is the programs which I still have not had a chance to take over to Kinko's. If I can swing it then I'm going to take them tonight right before closing and have my mom pick them up tomorrow while I'm at work. It seems like the easiest solution to me. 

Saturday was so much fun, the girls and I had a blast! I love dressing up and hardly get to do it anymore so it was exciting to do so. 

This week is going to be crazy ... actually, I think it already is! I am working till Thursday (taking Friday off) and Steven's working all week long. In addition to work we have to:

• Last night we went to have dinner with my parents and we're going back over for dinner on Thursday. 
• Tonight we have dance lessons. 
• Steven's grandparents are coming into town today (last I heard) so I can only imagine that we'll have to do something with them Wednesday night. 
• Friday I am spending a few hours at the spa for (what will be) a much needed massage, manicure and pedicure. 
• Then I'm going to the church to help my mom and Mrs. Volker get everything set up for the wedding, reception, and rehearsal dinner. 
• The rehearsal is Friday night and dinner is right after that. 
  
• Saturday is the wedding and that requires a whole different list!

Sometime in the midst of all of that we have to find time to:

• Practice our dance for the wedding.
  
• Get the programs printed and cut.
  
• Clean the apartment because I can not stand to leave my house dirty when I go on a trip.
  
• Pack for the honeymoon.
  
• Make sure that all the travel arrangements are in order.
  
• Write out some more thank you cards for the gifts we've received thus far.
  
• Make out a schedule for the day of the wedding.
  
• Pay the bills.
  
• Get my ring polished. 
  

I'll tell you what ... that is a heck of a lot of stuff and not a lot of time! I am just going to pray that God puts some extra time into my day cause that's the only way everything is going to get finished! 

My piano came yesterday! I played around with it for like an hour before having to go and run errands. I love it! Steven likes it too, it teaches him to play ... sort of. It fits perfectly under the ledge between the kitchen and living room. The apartment is really starting to feel more like a home every day. 

Only ten days left until the wedding! I am to the point now where I just want it to get here! I am so excited about getting to see all of my friends and family and marrying the best man in the whole world!

Steven's Bachelor party is tonight (I think...) and then my party is Saturday with all the girls! Good times!

BIG weekend!! 

Saturday was spent running errands while Steven was at work and then all my begging and pleading finally paid off! Steven called after work and said "let's go piano shopping." I was super stoked and couldn't believe that he was willing to go look at pianos. We got to the store and turns out they were having a sale, lucky me! Since we live in an apartment we have to have a keyboard ... and anyone who knows me knows that I am a purist when it comes to pianos and genuinely loath keyboards ... which basically means that I have to have a very expensive, as close as you can get to looking, feeling, and sounding like a real piano ... digital piano (notice the term was not "keyboard"). Anyway, so I played on the basic digital pianos and just wasn't to happy with them so we moved up to the base model of the top of the line digital pianos. LOVED it! It was no real piano, but it was the best digital sound that I've heard. AND it has hundreds of songs on it that Steven can play along with, so we BOTH can use it! AMAZING! I totally wasn't expecting Steven to let me get anything but he did!! It's coming tomorrow and I totally can't wait! It's the first piano that's ever belonged to me personally!! I'm so excited that he could get me nothing for Christmas and I wouldn't care! 

As if that wasn't enough for my weekend, my bridal portraits were on Sunday. I went to have my hair done and the girl did a wonderful job but oddly the curl fell out of my hair after about an hour. I don't know why it happened but it did. But my sister saved the day, she re-curled it and put some of her products in it and it managed to stay in through the portraits. Yay for sisters!! We took my portraits in both downtown Wake Forest and at the Seminary. It was soo much fun! I can't wait to look at them!  

My dress is finally finished!!!! I'm supposed to have it tomorrow!!! I'm so excited and can't wait to see it! My photographer called today and had an opening for this Sunday to do my bridal portraits, so ... once again ... I changed the date. Sunday is supposed to be gorgeous and the leaves are just amazing right now. Funny how God works things out in the strangest of ways sometimes.

What a crazy month it has been! Seventeen days until the wedding and we are more excited than ever. My dress still isn't here but everything else has come together quite nicely. No other problems thus far so that's great! 

Steven got a new job on Monday. He'll be working part time for Brinks (the armored truck company, not the home security company). He has to do this 90 day probation period and then after that we'll see if he gets a raise or gets to go full time. This whole thing is only temporary anyway until the Army allows him to switch to active duty. But it helps us out right now financially so we're pretty excited. He's planning on working at Shell still on the days that he isn't at Brinks, hopefully we like this new arrangement. He's also pretty stoked about getting to drive the trucks...of course! 

Work has been crazy stressful. It's one of those weeks when everybody needs something from you and all at the same time, with short deadlines... yeah. It's also partly that everyone knows I'm going to be gone for a week at the end of the month (honeymoon!!!) and so they want me to finish it all before I leave. Let's just say it's going to be a long two and a half weeks! 

We are going to the state fair today! I can't wait to get some of that good fried food that I wait all year long for. Today is military appreciation day at the fair so Steven and I don't have to pay to get in, yay!! We do have to pay for our ride tickets and food, but hey we save a little bit by going today! 

All the furniture has arrived at the apartment so now it's just a matter of getting all of our belongings moved in, and finding a place for it all to go. It's looking awesome though, more and more like a home everyday. 

We are getting so excited about the wedding, it's just around the corner. Everything seems to be falling into place. My wedding band is finished and we just ordered Steven's, it should be in next week. We have to go downtown and get a marriage license sometime in the next couple of weeks. The office closes at like 4:30 and you have to pay 50 bucks in cash which is ridiculous. But, at least we don't have to do a blood test like you do in some states which is a good thing for me! 

Going to GA today for another Bridal shower. I'm so excited! And the big news of the week is Katherine and Eric are engaged!! I am so happy for them! 

The bridal shower that I had on Saturday was awesome! I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends. Steven and I received several great, and generous, gifts. Thank you to everyone who came! 

It is official! We are signing our lease tomorrow and will be able to start moving things in after work. We are going to move everything a little at a time. Unfortunately we just do not have a full day to move it all at once. But, I think I like it better this way... way less stressful. I am so excited about being able to decorate and organize things the way I want it done! 

We are going to meet with both of our pastors this afternoon to discuss the wedding program. I have to get all my music together for the reception by next week and turn it into the Church for approval. The wedding planning is coming along quite smoothly. It will be here before we know it!

I am traveling to Georgia this weekend. My family is throwing me a shower down there so I am quite excited about that! I can't wait to see everyone again! 

We finally have ALL of our furniture!! We still have to wait for our move in date, I guess that's what we get for moving into a brand new building. But it is such a relief to know that we have all the big furniture pieces, one less thing to stress over and one less thing to take up my precious time! Money is going to be tight for a few months since we had to pay for the mattress in full but it has a warranty of 12 years so it'll be worth it. Plus, that also means that the only thing we had to finance was our couch! We have been trying very hard to keep our debt and credit cards as low as possible and so far we've succeeded! 

My sister and my mom's best friend are throwing me a bridal shower tomorrow! It is going to be awesome and I can't wait! I have such a wonderful family and amazing friends! Seriously, I could not have asked for better ones. 

Jess is coming to visit again this weekend, and I can't wait to see her! We are going to have a ton of fun. I love that girl! 

I am so lucky that I have such a talented Aunt! She is making my wedding dress, how awesome is that!?! She lives in Florida so we're having to ship it back in forth in order to do fittings. I saw it and was able to put it on for the first time last night. It was so beautiful! Even unfinished it looked amazing, I can't wait to see it finalized! My mom and I got on the web cam with my Aunt and she helped us pin it up where it didn't fit and we shipped it back today. Hopefully she'll get it finished soon because I can't wait!!

We are going on Sunday, hopefully, to sign our lease and will move in about a week or so. We have been shopping for couches and mattresses all week. It's exhausting trying to find a couch that will fit in such a small apartment but still be comfortable. I think we've found one that will work though, we have to go and look at it again tonight! 

Shopping for mattresses was certainly entertaining! Steven actually laughed after laying down on the first one. He said, "Honey if I can sleep on that piece of crap that the Army makes me sleep on then I'll be able to sleep on any mattress you choose!" haha, guess I get to pick it out then! 

Wedding Invitations went out today! We are so excited and can not wait for the day to arrive. October is going to be one crazy month, with something to do or somewhere to be on almost every day. Mostly things involving the wedding so it should be a very fun and rather interesting month. 

We have finally gotten our apartment. It only took forever! I don't think it is possible to have more trouble finding a place to live than we had, seriously. But it is now all over! We have a brand new apartment, just built, and are going to be moving everything in at the end of the month. 

We had a wonderful time last Saturday with Kim and Steven. They employed me to take their engagement photographs and it was so much fun. Here are a few of my favorites from that session.

I am currently doing freelance photography, if you are interested or would like some more information about the kind of work that I do please e-mail me at courtney.gravley@gmail.com

Hey everyone! I decided to start this blog so that friends and family would have an easy way to keep up with Steven and I as we start our life together. Especially since we will start to move around quite a bit in the coming years. 

As of today we are not married yet, so I know the title of this blog does not make much sense. But, the idea for the blog hit me today and if I did not do it now then it would never get done! I am sure yall know how that goes! 

I do not have an over abundance of time on my hands currently to post very often but I am going to do my best! Enjoy!