Short Hair and Middle School

Once upon a time I dreamed about growing my hair out. I knew it probably wouldn't happen for me, but I wanted to try nonetheless. After 5 years of saying, "I'm growing my hair out" I finally let it grow to the longest it's ever been.

Then, last week, in a moment of weakness and fed up-ness, I did it. I made an appointment.

Mrs. Patsy asked if I was going to get a trim or do something major. I responded. MAJOR.

I liked my hair longer. It was easy to make it look like I didn't just roll out of the bed even if I did. I could wear it up or down. I could curl it or straighten it. I liked the versatility. But something inside of me just screamed for a change.

So yesterday, I sat down in the chair, watched inches of my hair come off, and marveled at how light my head felt. However, I knew that I would have an interesting day ahead.

When I got home I told Wesley, it'd be one thing if I had a job where I either saw different people everyday or only saw a few people. It'd be one thing if I had a job where I saw adults all day. However, I have a job where adolescents are constantly watching everything I do, say, wear, and eat. Around 120 students sit in my classroom everyday. They know what my hair usually looks like. They will notice a change.

And they did. The question "Did you get your hair cut?" when someone gets a drastic change always kills me. I answered "no" to about 7 kids that asked me that today. I also had some students mourn over the loss of my "beautiful locks"as they called them and said "you got your hair cut...but why??" I wanted to say "Why do you wear 15 silly bands on your arm?" but I didn't. I just smiled. I also took comments (from 7th grade boys) like "You look so serious" followed by "No, she looks sophisticated." I'll take it :) One student asked, "Did you mean to get it cut like that?", while another ran up to me and hugged me because she's thought I should get it cut short for a long time.

But I survived it. I made it through a day of middle school with a drastic change and all the comments that come with it. I thought I was done when I left 8th grade, but as long as I work in this environment I suppose I'll be living in middle school world.

Christmas festivities in a (chest)nut shell...

Well Merry (day after) Christmas! I received a lovely camera for Christmas and thus, this post is packed full of pictures.  If you're anything like me, it's easier to read a blog when it has pictures...or maybe you do like me sometimes and just look at the pictures. It's like reading a picture book...takes you back to your childhood, doesn't require as much brain activity...sounds like a win/win to me! 

When we looked at the house we're living in, the first thing that caught me eye was the chalkboard wall. I decorated it for Thanksgiving, and decided I wouldn't erase it and until I took a picture of it. Thirty days  and another holiday later...I took a picture of it. But the good thing about Thanksgiving and Christmas is that you can celebrate all year right?! Right. 

Say hello to our tree. 

Wells family Christmas

Katie Jo's exciting Christmas gift! War Eagle! (That's for all the Wells family ;))

Christmas Morning at church

Hooray for getting a Keurig for Christmas! Easy cleanup and delicious flavors! Thanks, WW!

I got WW tickets to see Needtobreathe and he is excited :)

Not sure what's going on in this picture, but I really got a kick out of the facial expressions.

Wesley tested out the new camera....

...while Mom made delicious cinnamon roll pancakes...

Holy Cow.  

My happy baking mother...

Dad reading some systematic theology...

Wesley (whichever number he prefers)...waiting his turn patiently...

Can't wait to try this one out!

Our Christmas was a little different that we had planned. Typically Wesley's family gets together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. However, this year Christmas came a bit early for the Wells family. Our niece was born 2 days before Christmas. What a wonderful (and cute) Christmas present, right? Since we weren't able to join all the baby fun in Louisiana, we skyped with the family on Christmas night. 

Christmas dinner...Low Country Boil...yummy!

We had a wonderful first Christmas as married people. We are blessed with loving and generous families, as well as families that love the Lord and remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas. Wesley and I both agreed that one of our favorite things this Christmas was the Christmas Eve service at church. It was such a moving service and centered around the song "God and Man at Table are Sat Down". Our pastor painted a beautiful picture of creation and perfect communion, the fall of man, and the baby that made it possible for God and Man to commune together once more. It was a wonderful time of reflection during what can be a crazy and self absorbing time of the year. 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and (now) a Happy New Year!

You know you're becoming an adult when...

As I'm typing this, I'm currently locked in the bedroom while Wesley is working diligently on wrapping my present. I'm not allowed to come out until he permits, so here I sit contemplating and reflecting on life and such.  I've gone through some major changes the last few months, including the name change. All of these changes have helped to catapult me into adulthood. I've noticed the fruits of these changes lately, some of them have been strange, some humorous.

1. I get really excited when I realize that almost all the things that I was going to buy at the grocery store are on sale. 

2. I caught myself saying that tables, lamps, and rugs are "pretty". First of all, I never used to say pretty. Second of all, I never used to say home decor was pretty. 

3. My conversations with friends now consist of laundry tips, recipes, insurance, rent, and electricity bills. 

4. I shop at Belk... all the time. 

5. I always want my bed to be made. 

6. I search for coupons and use spirit cards. 

7. I now know that 75% of the things I bake will be set at 350 degrees. 

8. I can touch raw meat without squirming. 

9. I was late to a lunch date because I had washing machine issues. 

10. I got really excited when I bought myself a vacuum cleaner. 

Those might not seem strange to you, but they are very strange to me. I'm still getting used to this whole being an adult thing. It's happening whether I like it or not, so I might as well embrace it. Well, I'm off to bed... before 10. Thank you adulthood. 

Saying Yes to the Dress

(I didn't want to give away too much on my blog before the wedding, so I saved the fun details for after. Just as a warning...this is a long read, but the end is well worth it :))

As you may remember, we got engaged on Black Friday.  It was an exciting day indeed! I had already been planning and thinking of what I wanted for our wedding before the proposal, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of my own taste. WRONG. I also thought I'd love jumping right into wedding planning and getting stuff done ASAP. WRONG AGAIN.

I wanted to savor being engaged. I wanted to put off the planning/decision making process as long as I could. Why? I didn't know what I wanted! I didn't know what I was looking for! I just knew I wanted to marry WW. I had made that decision and didn't think I needed to make anymore anytime soon. I just wanted to take it slow. 

Two weeks after we got engaged and one week before I moved out of the dorm forever, I went home to move my big items. My sweet friend, Emily came with me for the short overnight road trip. She was getting married the following weekend, so I had originally planned to have a mega girl day filled with massages, antique shopping, and a girly restaurant.  However, my plan failed. Every spa I called was having a spa party the day that we were going home, and wouldn't you know Mildred's Tea Room was closed that day as well. Of course. 

I tried to think of something else to do, and I couldn't think of anything. Crafting would have to do. Mom, Emily, and I crafted that night, and started talking about what I wanted for a wedding. Then the question of the dress came up. I had originally thought about re creating Mom's dress into one, but I hadn't made any definite decisions  (shocker). Mom said she was off the next day if we wanted to go look at dresses. After all the episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" that I've seen, you'd think I'd know what I want and be ready to look. The opposite was true. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities. I told Mom I'd pray about it. 

The next day we went to lunch and a couple stores, and then Mom asked again if I wanted to go dress shopping. Yes. No. Maybe. Not really. Kind of. ...those were my thoughts. I finally said yes, and I picked a bridal store that I'd gotten a bridesmaid dress from a few years ago. I remembered they'd been nice, and I didn't have an overwhelming amount of options there. Perfect place to start.

Even though the store was quaint, they weren't lacking in options. I didn't know what I wanted, but I knew what I didn't want...story of my life. I didn't want halter, princess gown, tight mermaid, spaghetti straps, or too much bling. Good start, right? Ha. I still had tons of options. I went through the racks looking at dress, having a reason why I didn't like most of them. I picked out a few to start off with, but I didn't love any of them on the rack.

Emily came over to me and said, "Lindsey, you've got to see this rack! But don't look at the prices...just look at how beautiful the dresses are!" That's never a good sign. I went over there to see what she was so excited about, and at the first dress I knew what she meant. The whole rack was full of beautiful lace dresses...expensive, beautiful lace dresses.

I have seen almost every episode of "Say Yes to the Dress", and I know that the girls always try on dresses that are out of the budget to see what it's like, fall in love, and then try to figure out which kidney to sell in order to pay for the dress. While I knew that was a "no-no" in dress shopping, I turned into one of those girls...I put them in my pile to try on anyways. Yes, I am ashamed.

I went to the dressing room to try on the 4 dresses we picked out. First I tried on an A-line silk taffeta dress with a brooch on the side. Being petite and having a short waist, the dress was clearly meant for a tall person, and I didn't like where the brooch hit on my waist. It was a no. The second dress was satin and mermaid with a big bow thing on the back...it accentuated my rear...no good. The 3rd dress  more of a princess gown...not my thing. NEXT DRESS PLEASE! The 4th (and last one) was lace and organza, and it was a relaxed mermaid fit. I really liked it...of course I did. It was off the "don't look at the price" rack!

When I was walking back to the fitting room from the terrible mirror room, my mom was looking through the clearance samples. She came across a lace dress that was a champagne color with white lace overlay, and it looked really dark. It was REALLY heavy in the bag, and we joked how if I wore that dress, I'd have to explain to people why my dress wasn't white! I told Mom I was done with the dresses we pulled, so I'd try that one on just to see what the color looked like off the rack. I took it in my fitting room and looked at the tag...the clearance price was over half off of the original price. Hello, that'd be a deal for someone!

I went in the hall between the fitting rooms, and the sales associate tied me up in the back. My mom said she was surprised that it didn't look as dark on, but it just added contrast to the white lace. Emily loved it, and I could tell Mom was starting to really like it as well. When I was all tied up, I went to the mirror room. I loved it! I had always wanted a lace dress, but I had ruled it out of my mind because I knew that it would be expensive. BUT this dress was over 50% off. It was perfect! The only thing that has to be altered is the hem, and since it was a sample I could take it home with me that day.

That was the first wedding thing that was obviously a provision of God. I'd wanted a lace dress, but didn't expect it because I knew it'd be out of the budget. The night before we went to look at dresses, I'd asked my mom about the budget and how much would be reasonable for a dress. She said about $500 would be reasonable...I didn't complain, but I did wonder what I would find for around $500. The awesome part is that not only was my dress over 50% off, but the clearance price was $499. Not only was my dream dress on sale, but it was $1 UNDER what we'd set for a budget. What a beautiful picture of God's provision. When we least expect it, he shows is sovereignty and provides in great ways.

This was my wedding dress from heaven. Ignore my serious look, glistening face, and half straight hair...the bridal portrait day is another story for another day. It was a fun day, but it was H.O.T.

Picture this...

Picture this.

A classroom. 25 yellow chairs. 15 music stands. 35 guitars lining the back wall. The bell rings. Here they come. The infamous 6th period class. They trickle in a few at a time, put their book bags down, and head for the guitars. You hear 13 year old chatter of cheating boyfriends, crazy teachers, and whose team is "going down" at P.E. They begin tuning their guitars and playing songs they learned over the weekend. All of them. Each student. All 20 students playing a different song. You feel your hair turning gray as they warm up. You know if you can get through the next 50 minutes without losing your mind, your day will have been successful. 

The timer sounds. You gave up on trying to begin class with a discussion on the second week of school so you announce the warm up song. You count off with the obnoxious steady beat of a metronome, and they begin playing. It's rough at first. You tell them to repeat. They finish the warm up and move onto barre chords. They gripe and complain with every barre chord because "it's too hard" or "it hurts" or "it's dumb". You require them to muscle through barre chords for 15 minutes claiming it will make them better musicians and that eventually barre chords will make playing the guitar easier...secretly knowing you thought the same things when you attempted barre chords yesterday. 

You move on to Christmas music. You require each of the 4 parts to practice individually. You have to constantly remind the other 3 parts to stay quiet while the remaining part rehearses. This lasts for 20 minutes. You play from measure 21 to end with each part and then together. You turn the metronome off. You step up like you are the conductor of an orchestra. You finally get all the 13 year old nervous/excited energy channeled to a goal: playing "Carol of the Bells". You count them off quietly. Part one plays for a measure. Part 2 joins on measure 2. Part 3 joins on measure 3. Measure 4 brings part 4 in. All the students are focused. All the students are engaged. All the students are playing. You are singing the song in your head. It actually sounds...delightful. 

The gray hair is worth it. 

Welcome to my world of music education. 

P.S. I'll be coloring my hair soon.

Hello, I'm Mrs. Wells...

After 10 months of wedding planning, hours and hours of crafting and researching inspiration, and 30 minutes on a stage in front of family and friends, it's finally official.

We're married!

Yes, we've agreed that we feel like we're playing house, but we've also agreed that we don't remember what life was like before marriage. It's been a wonderful 2 and a half weeks.

Some people say they go through withdraws after they get married. They get so into the wedding planning that they actually miss it when it's all over. I am not one of those people. 

Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed myself. I tried to make the very most of every moment. Gone are the days of designing invitations, figuring out guest accommodations, house hunting, registering, etc. Here are the days of grocery shopping, attempting to convince my husband (and myself) that I'm a decent cook, maintaining a household, thank you notes, etc. I MUCH prefer my current life stage to my previous life stage. I could go on and on with mushy details of how I'm so glad to have my best friend by my side everyday and how loving, caring, and attentive he is, but I won't bore you with the details. Just know that we're loving married life thus far.

We are now floating in a sea of thank you notes to write, but I'm working on them slowly. Surprisingly, I've enjoyed writing thank you notes because it allows me to 1) sit down and write...it's always been kind of therapeutic for me...and 2) reflect on God's provisions and blessings through the last few months. Our transition into living on our own has been a smooth one, and I know that that has a great deal to do with how our friends and family graciously showered us with blessings and gifts. Because of a "fun decor shower", a furniture fund shower, several miscellaneous showers, a man shower, and a pantry shower we can't think of anything we need that we don't have. WE. ARE. SO. BLESSED.

We were able to buy groceries last week with a gift card, and we didn't have to get the bare essentials because we had already been given basic pantry items at a shower. I'm so very grateful.

Speaking of groceries, I'd better get to work on figuring out what's for dinner this week. We're off to use another grocery gift card for this week's groceries.

Until next time,

the official Lindsey Wells...(even though Wesley still calls me Lindsey Gay sometimes...)

What I do when I've got a lot to do...

It's crunch time.

The dresses are in. The suits have been altered. The ties are waiting to be tied. The cute bridesmaids shoes are ready to be worn. The lists have been made. The house has been set up. These are my last 5 days as a single woman and the countdown to my "Big Fat Southern Wedding" is ticking.

Last night I was trying to organize my thoughts nice and neatly, but I kept staring at the computer screen. I couldn't stop thinking, but I wasn't thinking about anything. Then I thought "hmm...we should probably have an arrangement of how people will stand so that the rehearsal will run smoothly and I won't have to tell people where to stand..."

I opened up Publisher, began to make a diagram of the stage, and started to put x's and o's for where people would stand. Then I thought, "Well who wants to look at a diagram with x's and o's all over it?!" So I googled, copied and pasted, arranged, and came up with my finished arrangement.

Feast your eyes on what I spend my time doing when I should be doing something else more important...

Yes, this standing arrangement didn't have to be done, but just like this blog, I need something to get my mind off of my to do list for just a few short minutes.Okay, Vera (my planner) and I are off to accomplish great things now!