Okay, I'm really gonna blog this time....

As many of you already know, Matt just recently left for his first deployment and will be gone for the next 4 months. We were so thoroughly enjoying the first few months we got to live together as husband and wife and doing the stuff normal married couples do that the time just flew by before he had to leave...but we know these are the joys of military life. I am so proud of Matt and all his hard work and training. He is probably one of the most patriotic people I have ever met and I know that he truly is proud to serve his country. I ask that you continue to keep him in your prayers that he will be safe and be able to endure that ridiculously hot, 120 degree weather. Here are a few pictures we took the day Matt left:

The Stewart family (complete with Kona)

Matt and his mom, Sherilyn

I know these next few months will suck, but I am determined to try to keep myself as busy as possible and to successfully maintain our house. I have already come up with a huge list of house projects to accomplish while Matt is gone and plan on chronicling these through this blog. Just in case you were curious here is my list of goals for this summer (so far):

1) Be master of the yard, which includes the following:

-Mow our ridiculously large yard regularly (even though I just broke our lawnmower :)

-Edge the lawn with the new edger Matt bought me as a present before he left (I love it)

-Try not to kill our new landscaping

-Plant some more flowers and maybe some vegetables

2) Finally get around to decorating the house (I have yet to hang a single picture)

3) Transform our crazy messy extra room into an actual office

4) Stain our fence

5) Knock out a few more Master's classes

6) And lose some weight and get fit (this one might be a bit optimistic)

Anyways, I'll let you know how these goals are progressing from time to time, as well as any updates from Matt. I would absolutely love to have some visitors this summer (I have plenty of room since it is just me and Kona) and would love to get together with whoever is interested.

Thanks again for your prayers!

-Julie

Happy Birthday Nocona!

Well, our sweet baby girl, Kona, turned 1 on January 20th. I can't believe she is already a year old. So, I thought it would be a good reason to update the blog. She is currently staying with Matt's dad in Fort Worth and getting very spoiled. He is so amazing with her and even installed a doggie door just for her to stay with him. And as much as we would love to take credit for training her, he has pretty much done all of it. He taught her to shake, sit up on her butt, crawl, roll over, and play dead. His newest trick is for Kona to go outside and fetch the newspaper. I hate to brag, but she really is an awesome dog. I miss her so much and can't wait to get her back when we move to Abilene. Here are a few pictures from her first year....

The first day I brought her home

Giving kisses

Snuggling with Aunt Trisha

Sleeping in the bed...not an unusual occurrence

Cuddling up with her cousin, Major

That's the face that melts my heart :)

I always put clothes on her for fun

Sleeping in the car

Her and daddy

Playing dress up w/ her Uncle Marc (Stewart)

Updates (finally)

So, I guess it is about time to update our blog since our wedding was over 3 months ago. The wedding turned out wonderfully and it was so nice to have our friends and family in Fort Worth to celebrate with us.

Here are a few pictures from the big day...

Matt and me in the historic stockyards

Outside the chapel at TCU

The love of my life

The sisters and Grandma

Well, I guess the biggest update in our lives is that after almost 3 years of long distance and 1 year of being married, Matt and I are finally getting stationed in the same place and will be living together as a married couple...YAY!!! We will be stationed at Dyess AFB in Abilene, Texas...which is only 2.5 hours from the DFW area and family. Matt will be finishing up with the last of his training in the next couple of weeks and I will be moving in the middle of February. In an answer to prayer, we found a house in Abilene and will be closing on January 23rd. It seems like we have been waiting forever for this day to come and now we are so excited for it to actually be here. We welcome any visitors to our soon-to-be new home in Abilene :)

October 4th, 2008- The Big Day

We are going to attempt to use this blog as place to post all the useful information about our big day. Matt and I were engaged on September 7th, 2007 and as many of you probably know, were officially married in Peachtree City, GA on December 27th, 2007. We had a very small wedding with only our parents present in order to start the process of getting stationed together. Matt and I want to share our special day with all of our close friends and family and so we are very excited to be having "another" wedding this October. We are getting married on the TCU Campus where we first met and fell in love. The reception will be held in the Historic Stockyards. We can't wait to see everyone on October 4th, 2008 in Fort Worth, Texas. 

The Ceremony: 

6:00 pm 

TCU Robert Carr Chapel

2855 University Drive

Fort Worth, TX

The Reception:

7:30

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame

128 E. Exchange Avenue

Fort Worth, TX

---Hotel Information---

We have blocked rooms at the La Quinta Fort Worth North (817-222-2888) under vantwout/stewart wedding group rate (link #206). The wedding rate is a double room for $103 plus tax and you must reserve the room by Sept. 3rd. 

The Hyatt Place at the Stockyards Station (817-378-1702) is located next door to the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, but they do not offer a discounted group rate.

---Registries---

Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Macy's

Williams-Sonoma

Note: When searching the registries you may need to look under "Julie Vant Wout" without an apostrophe, or it may be even easier to search under "Matthew Stewart." Once again, this would be another reason why I am very happy to now have Stewart as my last name :)