Stressed...

Well I guess the only explanation is stress...or maybe excitement. I'm not sure how to tell the 2 apart sometimes- because sometimes I think my excitement tends to lead to stress. I've woken up the past several mornings WIDE awake at like 5 am. It's not fun when normally my alarm doesn't go off until 6:40. I've got so much on my mind...today is the big moving day...less than 2 months til the wedding..setting up cable, phone, internet...RSVPing to parties...taking care of bills and shutting off apt utilities..there's lots going on right now! After I get off work at 5:00, I'll be making a quick trip to the apt to load the car. Then we're off to UHaul to rent a truck so I can move all my big things. Then we'll spend the remainder of the night(hopfully not too late) shuffling the rest of the small things. I'm so glad the new house is only about 3 miles away or this would be much more painful! I'm very lucky. I guess the most important things are the 40 + wedding presents I brought back from Starkville last weekend- I absolutely am SO excited about getting all my things out and putting them in their new places. I just keep picturing all the cute decorated rooms in my head.

To some outsiders, they would probably laugh hysterically at how clueless Brad and I are about ANY kind of home-related things my parents are passing off as "common house knowledge". Like yesterday, for example, I'm walking through our yard and say "What do you do about all these tiny sticks when you get ready to mow the yard- don't they tear up a lawnmower?" to which my aunt replied with a laugh, "You pick them all up before you mow!" Oh my gosh...I hope we survive and don't break too many things in the process...Also, like painting rooms- we don't have a clue what you need or where you start...Disconnecting a washer and dryer to move them- not a clue..Keeping hardwood floors clean- not a clue...Hanging big mirrors and pictures-nope...I feel like we're little babies learning to walk-seriously. Anyway- it will be cool to look back and realize how much we've learned and then we'll be able to pass down to our kids all this information that we're clueless about right now! We're growing up!!! and it's FUN!

The New House!!!

Well here are some pictures of the new house on Bendel Circle. It has really pretty hardwood floors all through it- 3 bedrooms/2 baths. It's going to be just perfect for us!

The story begins...

Well I've heard about these new (or maybe not-so-new but just new to me) things called BLOGS. Pretty much what I had heard about them was that they get people in trouble at work for talking trash about their workplace, co-workers, etc. But that's not why I'm here!!!
On the more positive, I learned that it's a great way to keep those you love updated about life. And what better way to do that than through our very own website! So cool :)

I have good intentions for beginning this thing, and I hope that I can stay dedicated to keeping it filled with fun, random, exciting things going on in life. My intentions are to be able to look back on all these cool things 5 years..10 years from now and see how far we've come!

Brad has no idea YET...but we'll see if he ever contributes...doubtful. He'd rather be playing Homerun Derby on SportsIllustrated.com or trying to defend his title of #1 World Champion in Tennis on Play Station3. (No WAY his skills would compare to the oh so lovely Andy Roddick in real life, but I'll just let him keep playing in his fantasy world if that makes him happy.) [I love you Bradford! It's your cute little boyish ways that make me smile]

Brad and I will be getting married in 2 months! I really can't believe it...the engagement has FLOWN by. I am ready to be Mrs. Amanda Jones. I'm a little worried about putting a different signature on papers though- it just doesn't seem right that I'm acting like someone new. :)
Anyway---Brad is the love of my life, and I am so thankful that God chose him a LONNNNNG time ago to be my one and only. We have had fun dating the last almost 2 years, and I am so excited about going through all the new chapters of life with him.
We are living in Memphis, TN right now, and have become adjusted since leaving college and Starkville as best we know how. It was tough at first, but I think overall we've made the transition well! Brad is a Credit Manager at Wells Fargo Financial, and I am the Sales Manager for BlackLine (an executive transportation company). We are in the process of buying our first home together- YAYY! and we're on schedule to close next Monday the 23rd. [pictures will come later] It's a quaint little adorable house in a great location in East Memphis, and we are excited it will really be OURS' soon!

The rest of the fam...mom and dad Kraker are still in Starkville holding down the family business. Slade works for my dad doing real estate, and his wife Julia works on campus. They are great, and I'm glad they're nearby and didn't decide to stay in Arizona where they first went! Danielle is in Atlanta working at CB Richard Ellis (commercial real estate company). She loves the change of a big city, but just like me, we both miss sweet little Starkville alot. She has a nice boyfriend, Kevin, who I hope will stay around. :)