Confession

I have been very selfish as of late, worrying about the future and the "what if's?"... While I don't believe that I take most things for granted, I have not taken the time to tell everyone who's in my "support system" how much they mean to me. I have put the world on my own shoulders, taking your blessings and confidence in my talents in vain. I am so sorry.

To my family, especially my future husband Tony, thank you for doing your best to keep me from losing my mind. I don't even want to think about where I may be today if it weren't for you! And, I want to say that I'm sorry for not always being grateful for today and how wonderful life is at this very moment; I have been trying so hard to stop worrying for the future, that there are greater powers who have wonderful plans for me (my friendship/relationship with Tony is undeniable proof of this!). I am going to put my worries out there and let the universe take care of them; God knows I have done my part, as have all of you, to get here, to this very point in time. I am finally taking that leap of faith and entrusting my troubles to the Powers That Be. And this (truly, finally) gives me great peace and an overwhelming feeling of the love I have from you all. I hope you feel it coming right back to you, today and every day!

Happy Easter, everyone :)

Thoughts of the Day

You have had the pleasure of reading some wonderful and sweet writing from Nicole so I figured it was time to add something myself. First off, you will have to excuse the writing style as Nicole is much more eloquent than me. I have been thinking for the past couple days what I wanted to write about and I have decided to take this opportunity to brag about my future wife.

I believe with all my heart that my future wife is the most amazing, kind, beautiful, and intelligent person (that’s person, not just woman) in the world. I have thought these things for a long time but she seems to constantly do things to remind me of how wonderful she is.

The months of November and December are fairly busy for the both of us because our birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas all occur in that span. We are poor medical and graduate students so we have taken to the tradition of a “birthaversmas” gift- yep that’s exactly what you think it is, a combination of birthday, anniversary, and Christmas- the name was her idea by the way. So for birthaversmas a year and a half ago, Nicole got me a homebrewing kit. Now for a beer loving chemical engineer, there isn’t a better gift on this planet. To this day one of my favorite things to do is to brew a batch of beer with my future wife.

I can continue to write things she does every day to make me a happy man but I would be writing for a long time and I have a thesis to work on eventually. I do, however, have one more quick story to share, a story about a seagull. Nicole and I took a trip to Islamorada, Florida and Old San Juan, Puerto Rico to check out a couple of potential spots for our wedding. We were about to leave Islamorada to head to Puerto Rico but wanted to make a quick stop at the place we had eaten the night before to see it in the daytime. We were walking by the water when we noticed some splashing right off the shore. Nicole saw what appeared to be an injured seagull and instantly was taking off her shoes and wading into cold water to save this bird. Now let me add this, Nicole does not like seagulls at all and definitely is not a fan of cold water but she instantly disregarded whatever hesitations she had for a single seagull. Some of you may have had a moment in life that verifies every decision you have made in the past, well this was that type of moment for me. If this woman is willing to do this for a random seagull, I can’t even imagine what she would do for me. By the way, we were able to remove a fishing hook from the seagull’s wing and it flew away just fine.

Needless to say, I cannot believe how lucky I am to have found such an amazing woman. I mean, wouldn’t you marry the woman I described above because that is who she is every day. Besides, she is all mine so you have to go find your own.

Tony

Some Big News!!

After months of silence, we have a couple big announcements to make... First, though, we apologize that it has been SO long since our last post (Christmas!). While there is no valid excuse, Tony and I have been pretty busy in school! He's hoping to finish his thesis by the end of summer... I know he will :) After his thesis is written and he's officially done with the Environmental Engineering Dept. at CU, he'll be moving to Greenville to finish his last year of grad school: MBA! I'm sorry for rambling so much, I'm just so proud...!

So, onto our announcements... First, we have decided to get married in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico!! We fell in LOVE with the city in the mere two days we were there, and after spending a couple days we found it: "Our Spot". It is a lovely overlook along Old San Juan's La Muralla (City Wall), and what a beautiful view it is! We absolutely can't wait to stand up there on The Big Day, just the two of us and our witnesses...

Which leads me to our next big announcement: We are eloping! (But not in the "Vegas fashion"!) Our ceremony will be as meticulously planned out as any other; the main difference being that our wonderful photographers, Craig & Lindsey Mahaffey of Sposa Bella Photography, will be our only two witnesses. Add in the officiant, and there will be five of us total... Oh, but let's not forget the guards who will ensure our privacy at this historic location. You get the idea. It is going to be perfect, because it is just us!

Don't get me wrong - Tony and I love our families sososo much, and we can't wait to celebrate with everyone when we get home! We'll be having two receptions - one in Greenville, SC and the other in OH (where Tony's family now resides); these will be held in the weeks after our honeymoon.

I think most happy, closer-than close couples would understand our reasons completely after walking around this beautifully-preserved, romantic city. As we spent more time in Old San Juan and met more people both in our hotel and along the streets, we knew this was where we were getting married. It was such an amazing experience (and in less than two days!), we could only dream of how special and intimate our experience of a lifetime would be if it were just us. And so that's what we're doing! Starting our married life as just the two of us... So happy and new, as getting married should be.

So while we hope you are so happy for us that we've discovered exactly what we want our wedding to be, we are sorry if it does not make you happy. We've told our families and close friends, and they're absolutely thrilled... And we'd love to hear what you have to say, as long as it is respectful of our plans. Eloping is certainly not for everyone, but it is perfect for us. Thanks for reading!

Nicole & Tony

t minus 1 year, 47 days... Feel free to visit our Registries!   ;)

Merry Christmas from The Johnstons!

 This kitteh looks like my Tigg! (Except Tigg looks part-mountain lion!).

Hi there! Just wanted to write a quick note to wish everyone happy holidays, and a Happy New Year (in case we don't get a chance to update again between now and then). Tony and I have been in Columbus, Ohio since last Sunday, visiting his parents and sister, Sarah. Despite the extreme change in temperature (for me!), it has been SO much fun! As soon as we walked in the door the golden retrievers, Indi and Solomon, greeted us with wagging tails and happy whines that, when professionally interpreted, mean "Where have you been, Tony?? We're so happy you're home!!" I would love to be greeted like that every day when I come home... Someday soon :)

We've all been hanging out at the house mostly, except for a few trips out to the store and whatnot. Earlier this week, Tony took me, Sarah, and her boyfriend Sam to eat at The Cheesecake Factory - yum! Another night, Sarah and I went to see Black Swan (my treat, since I didn't have to torture Tony with watching it), and may I say that it is a GREAT movie! I want to see it again and again. The next day, everyone but Jane (Tony's mom) went to see True Grit - another good movie, especially for a remake of an old Western. Here are the movie trailers, so you can envy our cinematic pleasure!

Black Swan:

Go. See. It. Now. STAT.

True Grit:

Today we drove up to Cleveland for most of the day, after we opened presents and ate breakfast at home. We visited with Jane's side of the family, and later we went to see Tony's godmother, Janet, and her husband Lenny. It was my first time meeting them - they are so sweet! I have felt very much at home the whole week I've been here.

We drive back to SC tomorrow, so we can have a day of recuperation before our trip to visit potential wedding venues!! We'll make our first stop in Miami, driving down to Islamorada for a day; the following day, we'll visit with the wedding planner at Cheeca Lodge & Spa before flying down to Puerto Rico! We'll be in Old San Juan for two days, and will talk with the fantastic folks at Hotel El Convento before flying back home on New Year's Eve. Now you know why we may not post again before we ring in 2011! However, we'll be sure to take pictures and let you know how our tropical trip goes - we'll soon know where we'll be getting married! We can't wait :)

Registry

As our wedding website is always under construction, Tony and I thought it may be a good idea to post a link to our website, and stand-alone links to our registries. Obviously, this is primarily being set up for our families, but anyone who reads our blog is welcome to check out our wedding website! We will be going on a four-day trip at the end of the month to check out a couple venues in Islamorada, FL and Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, so be looking for updates to the website soon!

PS - We are indeed poor graduate students, and anyone is welcome to buy gift cards rather than items from our registries. Tony has mentioned that gift cards from Home Depot or Sears would be nice (to add to his manly tool collection!), but we'll take what we can get! Love you all :)

Our Future Family...

I had to share this adorable video with anyone out there who is reading. I dream of what our "family" will be someday... After we're married, I want a French Bulldog (preferably cream-colored, but they're so cute I probably won't care when the day comes!), and Tony wants a Golden Retriever. Thus, the relevancy of this post! Sir Hamilton Wesley Wigglebottom has been entertaining me for months... And Tony as well, when he is witness to my watching his videos :)

For Tony:

Annnd, last but not least, one of our favorite shots from our fantastic engagement photo shoot by Sposa Bella Photography!

So, there you have it... A preview of our future family, just for fun!

We're Getting Married!!

I was in the middle of studying for my Medical Licensing Board Exam when Tony thought it was time for a much-needed break for both of us - he is currently writing his Master's Thesis. He found out that one of our favorite bands, The Hold Steady, was playing in Savannah, GA and we decided to make a long-weekend trip out of it.

He came to see me in Charleston, SC (where I go to medical school), and the first night he was in town we went to Fleet Landing, an old favorite of ours on the Charleston Waterfront. After a delicious dinner, we went for a walk through Waterfront Park and the Charleston Battery... After we were away from the crowds, Tony whispered some sweet words in my ear, and proceeded to get down on one knee!

Needless to say, I breathlessly said yes, and don't remember much else! It was the perfect surprise... And everyone was in on it except me!

After I regained my composure, we walked through Downtown Charleston to The Griffon to celebrate, and to document the historical event - our engagement date will be forever emblazoned on their infamous tavern walls! 

It will be a night we remember forever - 5.24.10 - ∞