oh, right. THIS is what school feels like

Graduate student workshops from 8:30am until 5:00pm. Yum. School is back.

Carolina is comfortable. It's like a mix between the demanding academic environment of Furman and the big-school culture of Vandy. I can do this. I have done this.

TA training is good, but it's been a huge transition from camp. As I sit in my still-not-clean apartment, I'm pretty disappointed with my seeming inability to maintain the thrice-a-day cleaning regimen I spent my summer enforcing. Dust really bothers me, but I'm so tired from the early mornings, day-long chit-chat, and too-late nights to do much about it. Exercise is on my to-do list, too. Today, I checked of exercise as walking -- in my pajamas -- to the mailboxes.

Hey, it's a start.

I'm getting super excited about Cory and my engagement pictures... so I really should somehow mentally tack exercising to those. We're getting them done on labor day, on his family's farm in Greer. For some of them, I'm wearing a pleated white cotton sundress, and he's wearing something blue and adorable (er, manly).. and we're going to gallavant on the tractors and in the fields. Our photographer is Stephen Blackmon, and he's awesome. Really young and fresh, so I think the pictures will be really vibrant and "us." Maybe Jake will even behave for a few ;)

I'm always excited about marrying Cory, but some days I feel *extra* excited for no special reason -- and today is one of those days. It's the most important, life-changing, beautiful, sacred day of our lives. When I think about our two beings coming together, I'm in awe. Our lives were pretty crazy before we met each other.

Granted, our lives are probably crazier now... but in a fulfilled, meaningful way. :)

I just hope -- and pray -- that we continue to be inspired by each other forever. Cory is my hero. The way he interacts with people, loves people, invests in people - it's incredible. He can put a room at ease, but never in a superficial way. His personality just lends itself to humbly inspiring other people.

I'm a lucky girl.

Yes, our kids (a looong way down the line - no fears) will be strange. We'll probably need to hire a lawyer by the time the first one reaches kindergarten. But we'll have a happy, quirky, loving family. We'll laugh a lot. We'll probably end up adopting a pudgy red-headed toddler with autism. Our kids will be able to identify the Carolina fight song before typical children recognize their ABCs. It'll be an adventure.

::sigh::

THIS is why I do not watch movies like the Notebook. I become a pile of sleep-deprived, love-struck mush.

I'm going to bed :) More graduate workshops to rest up for in the morning!