Wedding in 2 days...

In 2 days my beautiful sister Kaitlin will be getting married!!!

August 28, 2010

Kaitlin Ferguson & Brad Godfrey

I love you both and could not be more excited!!

a VERY VERY long post...

So in the past 6 weeks there are several new things that happened in the Ferguson & Snowden households.  There was a return to Afghanistan, a change in orders, resignation from a beloved job, Visa process started for an international move, a proposal, and the anticipation of some upcoming nuptials!!  To say July was a busy month is to put it lightly!!

 First, as I had written in my last post Joey returned to Afghanistan :( which is never any fun.  I actually can say that putting him on a plane this time was 100 million times worse than the first time.  After he left my bestie Ashleigh and her sweet hubby Brad took me in for the weekend of July 4th.  I knew it was going to be a hard holiday for me this year because Joey and I got engaged last year on July 4th and he was without internet or telephone at his new location.  It turned out to be a great and relaxing weekend filled with good food, good company, pool time, and the chance to hang out with one of my favorites: Emmylou!!  And just when I thought I would not get to hear from my sweet husband...he called.  He got permission from his Lt. Colonel to call me through Redstone Arsenal.  What a great surprise :) When I returned to Birmingham I had some really great nights in the next week.  I had a fun dinner with Tori at Cocina on a Wednesday and then a girls' night with Elise, Melissa, Christine, and Meghan on Friday at....you guessed it Cocina again!! Ha I love that place. 

After I got home I got word from Joey and his rear detachment in Italy that his orders to stay in Italy had been extended to January 2012 and that his Battallion would be coming home (to Vicenza) sooner than originally thought.  Once all the details were explained I realized I needed to be getting to Italy around mid-October so I could unpack, clean our apartment (which has been closed up since early December--yay I can't wait to see what is waiting for me), get my Italian driver's license, and finish the paperwork allowing me to live there.  Naturally finding out all of this information without having my husband to talk me through it step-by-step led to an amazing come-apart on my end and extensive phone calls with my friend Gretchen who lives in Vicenza already.  (Thank you Gretch for your patience and helpful nature!) 

I ended up having to resign from the job I love so much since I would be leaving in October.  This move made me so very sad.  I was so blessed to be part of such an amazing school and team of educators.  I just thank the good Lord I was given the opportunity to learn so much from them while I was there.  I will forever miss Brookwood Forest Elementary!!! 

After tying up loose ends at my job, buying my ONE WAY plane ticket to Italy, and figuring out what I was spposed to be doing to get ready I headed to Fort Knox to stay with my in-laws for 4 days.  Vickie and Mike were so helpful!!  They set up appointments for me to start my no-fee passport and Visa process which had been a foreign concept to me and almost impossible to get accomplished away from a military post.  They also introduced me to an amazing woman who just returned from leaving in Vicenza for 4 years.  Her wealth of knowledge has given me so much to look forward to as well as given me a better understanding of the culture. 

When I returned from Ft. Knox, Tori (my sister in-law) called me to say Michael (my brother-in-law) was gonna propose the next day in Atlanta and to be ready by 9am the next day because we were gonna help and surprise.  Well since I love surprises I was totally down!!   So Saturday, July 31, the whole Snowden clan (minus my hubs) was in Roswell setting up a proposal and then celebrating afterwards with cake and champagne!! 

Since the proposal Nicole has been hard at work on wedding details, Michael has been finishing up some training, Joey's base got internet and phone lines, Tori got Ella Grace to take a bottle, I have been figuring out moving details, and my family is getting ready for my sister's wedding that is in 10 DAYS!!!! I can't wait!!

Busy busy busy month!!!

All the Snowdens together...

I had mentioned that the weekend we returned from Costa Rica we met up with the Snowdens in Atlanta.  The reason it was such a monumental occasion was because this dinner and breakfast the following day was the first time Michael and Joey had been together in OVER a year and a half.  It was also the first time the whole Snowden family and significant others had all been in one place together.  I didn't take any pictures with my camera because it was still in my luggage from the honeymoon and we met them arriving straight from the airport.  Michael's girlfriend, Nicole, was kind enough to send me the pictures so I could post them. 

It was such a special time for my sweet husband.  He has really ached to be around his family especially his brother, so I hope you enjoy the pictures :)

Goodbyes are Always Hard

Well yesterday was one of the hardest days I have experienced in a long time, maybe ever.  It was the day Joey's leave ended and I had to drive him to Atlanta to send him back to his guys.  I know this means deployment is over half way finished, but hugging and kissing the love of your life "goodbye" after 2 of the most incredible weeks in the history of weeks is almost unbearable.  My only assurance is that God is good and faithful and that Joey is serving a greater purpose.  I am so proud of my husband and all the men and women who sacrifice their family, friends, and sometimes lives to give us freedom.

We are almost there...

I love you Captain Joseph Benjamin Snowden.

A Night with Old Friends & Good Times

Upon our return from Costa Rica, my parents threw a bbq to celebrate Joey's service and time home.  (It was also an awesome day because instead of just recognizing Joey's service we got to recognize Edwin's service as well due to his recent tour in Iraq ending and permitting him to attend!)  Many of you know that Edwin is the reason Joey and met up that January night a year and a half ago, and that he is one of our best friends.  It also was a special occasion not only that almost all our friends and family got to be there for the bbq, but also that this was the first time Joey, Edwin, and I had been all together since "the night" in January 2009.  It seems that when you are in the military, you have to miss out (sometimes) on momentous occasions in your friends and families lives because of being stationed on opposite sides of the world or deployments during war time.  So to have Edwin, Michael B, my girlfriends (Annelise, Elise, and Shelby), and our families present was such a gift. 

**side note: i am sad to report i have no pictures of this event due to the fact we were all busy slip'n'sliding in the backyard or chillin' in a baby pool haha**

However, the following day was Michael B's 27th birthday so of course a celebratory dinner was in order.  There was a group of about 11 people and we all went to DoDiYo's @ SoHo in Homewood for dinner.  It was such an awesome dinner with drinks to follow at Jackson's.  the night was filled with laughter and memories.  It was so incredible to have such a great group of old friends together to celebrate a birthday, a friend returning on R&R, and a farewell to a friend before his move to Sicily. 

Here are a few pics....

Honeymoonin' in COSTA RICA!!

When Joey and I decided we wanted to do our honeymoon over mid-tour leave we knew we wanted somewhere with a slow pace, quiet, and with nothing to do except relax (unless we felt the need to go on adventures).  I looked around and did my research, but I kept coming back to the same idea and place...Costa Rica.  Our wedding planner (and special friend), Beverly, had told me about these private villas owned by investors in the Atlanta area.  The provide a chef, bartender/butler, and maid for 12 hours a day with all expenses included (food, drink, airport & excursion transportation, and cleaning services).  So thinking it was too good to be true I went to their website http://www.costaricavillas.com/.  Sure enough Beverly was right (as always)!! There are 6 different villas to choose from and one is smaller in size and specifically for saller groups INCLUDING HONEYMOONS.  The one selected for us was Villa Mariposa with 3 bedrooms, 3 and 1/2 bathrooms, fully-stocked kitchen/bar, a private figure 8 pool with waterfall, private hot tub, and the most gorgeous view of the Papagayo Bay, Pacific Ocean, and rain forest.  Needless to say Joey and I are in love with this villa and this area of Costa Rica.  We have already suggested to our friends and families how much fun it would be to go back as a larger group and stay in a larger villa for another vacation.  Here are some pictures of our trip including some excursions, beach time, relaxing on porch, and just all around enjoying eachother.

I can't wait to get to travel again like this with my incredible husband! I love you Joey!

Fun time with Family in Atlanta

On Day 2 of Joey's return we had visitors in Atlanta to welcome Joey home.  My parents, brother, and Memaw, as well as Tori (Joey's sister), Ella Grace & Olivia (Tori's daughters and our nieces), Vickie (Joey's mom), and Mike (Joey's Dad).  We got to visit with them in the lobby of the hotel and then walked to a Brewery/Pub down on Peachtree for lunch. My parents, brother, and Memaw had to get back to Birmingham after lunch; but we did get to eat dinner with the Snowdens that night.  Seeing his family made Joey so happy, and knowing that the following weekend he would be reunited with his brother Michael for the first time in over a year in a half made his WHOLE leave worthwhile.  I love seeing my boy happy and filled with joy! 

This was Joey's first time to meet our new niece Ella Grace.  To say he fell in love with her instantaneously is an understatement, but then again how could he not? I mean look at that sweet face!!

The next picture is of Joey and I at Livingston again having dinner the night before we left for Costa Rica.  This restaurant is the one in our hotel that we could not get enough of...incredible!!