Hi everyone I'm back!! And i'm picking back up at the best part! I finished up my last semester ever at college, graduated, and within this past week and the next two I have been massively wedding planning! And after the Wedding comes more blog posts of the pictures and honeymoon details (swimming with the dolphins, parasailing, deep sea fishing, and eating at yummy restaurants; I had to specify because.....you know ;)). But anyways, expect a lot of exciting things to happen and stay tuned for their posts!
So after my last post back in March, Hannah my cousin on her LDS mission came home! We were so excited to see each other and catch up! 18 months is waaaaay too long! Also Easter was the next weekend after spring break and we had a blast! Gigi is so sweet to put together our annual Easter dinner, egg hunt and prize wall. The weekend after that Cody and I went on a date day to the Knoxville Zoo! If anyone didn't know, the zoo is one of my favorite places! The weekend following that was my first dress fitting and guess what!?! I fit into a NEW size down! I am so proud of myself! I have been working very hard!! At the store I tried on a very worn size 10 wedding dress and my un-stretched size 8 wedding dress fit like a glove! Wahoo!! Also Cody and the groomsmen got fitted for their tuxes! The week after that, my classes were winding down and final exams started. This semester of final exams were especially tough because all 6 of my exams were squeezed into 2 days. I probably averaged 4 hours of sleep a night for the last week and a half. But as you see below it was my final night and I had until midnight to turn it in and I had the most trouble with the paper and made a web of lies. Cody suggested I make a web to help my thoughts flow better and the whole goal of the paper was to create a 'fake' NIH (national institution of health) proposal on how to cure or treat a disease through cell and tissue interactions. That was for my tissue engineering class. I finished 13 minutes before midnight! Talk about burning the candle at both ends!
After midnight, I spent 3 1/2 hours packing my dorm up like crazy because mom and Cody were going to be there bright and early the next morning to move me out. To say I was tired was an understatement. The next morning with the three of us it took 5.5 hours to completely move me out! Impressive! We finished 3 minutes before checkout time! I managed to snap a quick picture of the last time I would ever wake up to this exquisite view above! I mean wow! God's beauty is breathtaking!! I am so glad to be officially out of dorm/on-campus apartment life! After that we moved all of my things to my grandmothers house and Cody and I's apartment in Chattanooga. The next morning I woke up and took a day trip to Chattanooga and spent 7 hours straight with no food organizing our apartment so Cody could move in that night and live comfortably in it. I got back to Knoxville at 1:30am and man, on Tuesday I crashed big time!
On a side note, this is what happens when I comb my curls out. I can never comb my hair after it has dried from the shower but this day I wanted to. About a minute after this picture my hair grew 3 sizes out ha.
This is living proof I took the getting healthy thing serious and ate my vegetables. I cut out all junk food, sweets, and packaged foods. (I do really like Brussels sprouts though)! Plus I had an incentive, FITTING INTO MY WEDDING DRESS!! Mega important!
This was the moment after I turned in my last final. I ran down the hall on snapchat celebrating.
After everything had died down, (as much as it can with my life) I took time at my other grandmothers house, Nana, to watch the recorded Kentucky Derby! The horse I "bet on" didn't win :( luckily I was only betting with myself lol! I watched the entire 3 total hours of the pre and post show of the Derby! Horses are one of my passions! I used to ride for 3 years!!
Look at this beautiful arrangement grown over my Gigi's mailbox!!
Once I settled into Gigi's house I realized I was going to have to move back and forth between 5 different houses a bunch of times within the next 4 weeks. And that's just what is happening. It is very stressful but it is worth not living together before marriage and obey the Lord's covenant to us. I do not believe in moving in or living together before marriage.
As you know, I have trouble fixing these type of pictures. Yes I know it is probably easy but I am working on my old computer because my new one broke before spring break and it is a nightmare working on this computer. Also I hope you all enjoy this and the next blog post because it has taken me 3 days to make due to EVERY SINGLE DIFFICULTY you could imagine. I was NOT a happy camper. But the pic above and below is what I walked into when I came 'home'. It was such a sweet refreshing surprise. My mom is the best you guys!!
My mom was able to take a day off of work the first full week I was back home to help me with wedding planning, God bless her, and we were out from 9:15am to 7:30pm. We probably accomplished 1/4 left of what we have to do. Mom is awesome and means business! One thing that was not on the list but I needed desperately was a new phone case. My old one was broken and over a year old and I needed a new one because I drop my phone a lot and needed protection around it. Isn't it beautiful!! It is a Kate Spade phone case!!
So real quick I want to show you the progress I made on our apartment! I am so proud of myself!! This is our office! Cody put together the tables, I was so impressed!!! His desk is on the right and mine is on the left. I am so glad I can show you guys the finished products. The only thing not done is the master bedroom, that will come soon.
This is our cozy living room. What do you think? I am the most excited about this room !
This is my little reading nook! I am so glad to finally have this back from high school! I now feel like I can pick my life back up where I left off! I want to read, hike, bake, cook, shop, go on date nights, attend family events/celebrations, watch a movie, not be stressed, spend time with Cody, and go to sleep reallllly late and wake up reallllly late. College took a lot out of me and changed my personality a little bit. I have to say I was more pleasant before college. I'm not going to lie, college made me slightly bitter. It was so hard for me and I truly believe college is not for me at all but of course I would never stop or quit. It's against everything in me and all I have been taught. I will NEVER give up.
This is the dresser and jewelry box in our bedroom. Look how gorgeous it is! (And yes that wedding picture is not us. It came in the frame as a place holder for when we get the pictures back.)
This is my bathroom, yes you heard right, we have separate bathrooms. It works for Cody and I, the counter space is smaller, Cody likes the roomier shower in the other bathroom better and for the first few months he will be working and I won't be so our wake up times are completely different and I am an EXTREMELY light sleeper.
One nice thing about being home with family is I know this is my last time with them before I am married so we are soaking in every last second we can together as the three Dyar girls. (I will not be keeping my maiden name; I have surprisingly been asked that often). Almost every weekend we will go on a walk. All three of us have bad allergies so we sneeze together:).
The Wednesday before graduation was graduation practice for the engineers (only college of engineers graduated Saturday). They proceeded to tell us for 15 minutes the importance of wearing clothes under our graduation robes due to last years events. Odd. Friday was the MSE banquet where parents got to meet the professors! I loved showing mom and dad my teachers and dad showing me around campus of what used to be where! It was a day I will never forget!
Now on to graduation!!!! On the morning of graduation, I got all dressed and ready and couldn't believe it was finally here! I had to grab a quick selfie!! (Thank you Gigi for letting me borrow the beautiful necklace!!)
Me, Morgan, Mom, Gigi, and Granddad drove to campus at 11:00am to take pictures for 2 hours in my favorite spots. This spot above is my absolute favorite spot on the entire campus. It overlooks downtown and the sunsphere, my favorite!!
A closer up on my cap and gown! The lovely seal!
And sewn into my robe!!
Best sign on campus. If i'm not mistaken there are three of these.
The new walking bridge! This was here my freshmen year but was torn down the next three years and built the last year. They really outdid themselves, it is beautiful!! If you look very closely you can see me up there!!
I of course had to get a picture in front of Neyland Stadium. This is one of my favorite spots on campus since I was a little girl and was brought to UT games. GO VOLS! I can't wait to attend the games as an ALUMNI!!!! WAHOO!! P.S. I already have an Alumni key chain and licence plate!
This is where every single class of the last 2.5 years of college was at. Ferris Hall. One of the oldest buildings. So many memories in this building.
Wa-bam!
Selfie!
The magnificent iconic Ayers Hall behind me. I had every math class in this building. Stunning building!
This picture is very special to me. Every Tuesday and Thursday Morgan and I would have lunch together here and it was the most special thing. I think we became even closer than we already were! There is nothing like having a sister! Thanks mom and dad!! :)
Back at the house on the scenic porch! As you can tell, we are excited. I don't know if mom is more excited than me!
Granddad and Gigi!
The actual graduation arena. It was packed!!!
The graduating class of 2016 Materials Science and Engineering. We had a small class! Which proves you can have that small campus feel in a mega school! I only had 15 people per class! (junior and senior year) 500 per class freshmen year. Yeah I know. Left to right: Sam, me, Connor, Willie, Austin, Andre, Duncan, Jack, Nick, and Courtney (not pictured Brianna and Robert).
Mom and Dad were the first to run and greet me after the ceremony! Do I favor my mom more or dad? I've heard both ways.
Of course, after graduation photo shoot! lol! This is the Dyar clan, Uncle Wade, Aunt Jody, Dad, Tonya his girlfriend, me, Cody, Morgan, Edgar her boyfriend, Nana, and Nathan!
The Raborn clan! Cody's mom's mom, Nana, Tyler my bro-in-law, Miles Cody's dad, me, Cody, Jamie Cody's mom, and Papa Jamies dad.
This picture is so special because it is all of the UT graduates in my family, my mom's family, my dad's family, and Cody's family. You wonder why I chose UT? My late grandfather also went here!
I'm not sure why this pic is so wonky and placed over there but here is mi familia! I do love them!!
My Becker family, Granddad, Morgan, Me, Cody, Mom, and Gigi.
After the picture session we went to Lakeside Tavern the placed Cody proposed to me and we ate dinner with the Becker side and Cody's family! It was so special!
When we got home my Becker cousins, aunt, and uncle painted the back of my van! I liked this!!
The actual dress I wore to Graduation!
They also decorated the mailbox!! I felt very special that day! I am the first grandchild on both sides and the first grandchild to graduate college so far!!! Morgan isn't too far behind!! ;)
Sweet Ada was so excited about this! She along with my other two cousins Jacob and Charlie and aunt Stephanie, and uncle Paul, made me cards!! I will keep them forever!!
For the rest of the weekend into the next week, Morgan and I stayed at our Nana's house with our Dad, Nana, and our Dad's girlfriend to spend time together since dad lives in Texas. Also the other Dyar's stayed the weekend and each night was an absolute blast! We stayed up until 3:00am talking and playing apples to apples! It got a little crazy! Also I was celebrated at my church for graduating. They had a special ceremony for us and a small gift! Once the other Dyar's went home it was my dad's birthday on the 16th so we celebrated him by playing tennis, going to the bookstore and playing mini golf all together!
The next post will fill you in on any and all wedding planning that has been made since May 7th my last day of school!
And that's all folks!
Love,
Kayla Dyar (Raborn)
5-19-16
16 more days!!! I can't believe it!!
