Life :D

Wow! My life is changing so quickly! I can't believe that everything is already here! I graduated on May 5th with a B.A. in English and cum laude honors. I have to say I feel extremely good to be done! My college career was quite the roller coaster! Shortly after graduating (the same weekend!!) I moved to Northglenn with my fiancee and his family. I loved living in Denver during my freshman year of college so I was super excited to be back. The hardest part has been being away from my mom. For years she has been my pillar of strength and my best friend and being away from her for an extended period of time has truly helped me to appreciate her even more. Over the last few days I have gotten to spend some time in Pueblo with her while her boyfriend Nick went to Sturgis. I have loved this time with my mom and visits remind me of just how important our time together is to me.

On June 2nd I got married to the love of my life and became Mrs. Aric Jones. The morning of the wedding was one of the biggest health challenges that I have faced in my life. I had spent a few days prior to the wedding unable to eat and unable to keep down anything that I tried to eat. Unfortunately this meant that I could barely stand without help. I am so fortunate to have medical specialists in the family. My brother was able to get an IV kit and my dad started two bags of fluid (one with glucose). After the IV, I started to feel better. It was still difficult but the more things came together, the less my mind was on the difficulties and exhaustion that my body was feeling. Once I had my dress on, my hair and make-up done, and arrived at the church, I could feel the illness losing its battle. The moment I saw my husband to be at the end of the aisle, all of my worries faded and I knew that the struggle to get there was worth it. After that, everything was perfect. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was a blast!

On July 21st, my brother and his wife had a beautiful baby girl and I became an auntie (for the first time by blood). Molly Elizabeth Mendoza is absolutely perfect. She has captured my heart and I spend as much time with her as possible. It is amazing watching her grow and develop. I am so fortunate to have her as my niece. My husband and I have decided that we have the four most amazing and adorable nieces in existence. I love all four of them to pieces! I love that each of them is in a different stage of life and the opportunity to experience the growing process with them has helped me to appreciate life even more!
I cannot wait to be a mother myself. (Don't worry mom, not just yet). Being a part of my nieces lives has made that desire even stronger. I cannot wait to have a baby of my own and pray that one day it will happen. To know that this small child is a part of me and my husband and that we can influence his or her life excites me. One day I hope I will make a wonderful mommy.

As for the future? I plan on working in retail for the next year. I take my LSAT in October and depending on how well I score, will determine if I can get in to law school. I am very nervous but I am hoping that I will be prepared and will perform well. I have been thinking a lot about other things that I would enjoy just in case, not because I don't think I won't make it or don't have confidence, but because I don't want to be without a back up plan. One option is to return to school for a while and get my elementary education license. I originally wanted to teach middle school and while I loved watching middle school students learn new things, I lost the passion for it. I love small children so much that I don't think I could ever get tired of working with them. I am excited to see where the future takes me!
"To my niece(s), 
You are a joy to my heart and a delight to my eyes.
You are a precious gift to our family and a wonderful addition to our lives."
-Janie Anthony