Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be the "seven months until" day. I love that it just happens to fall on the 25th this year! Exactly one month until Christmas which will set me just 6 months out from the wedding!! WOO HOO!!

The dress is ordered!

It's funny because back in August I found a dress that I loved and was all ready to buy but my mom wanted me to "sleep on it" a little while and make sure that's what I really wanted. So I did and in the mean time I spent a small fortune on bridal magazines where I looked at a million and a half dresses (yeah there are half dresses, they only come to the knee...) and was pretty sure that I wouldn't love any other dress as much as that one. My only fear was that I didn't think Gavin would love the dress if he saw it in a magazine. Lucky for me I rest assured he would love whatever I wore but I just didn't think that he would expect me to be in that dress. But I talked myself out of all anxiety and on Friday I went back to the store to buy the dress. The only thing is, THE dress was a different dress than the dress I just told you about.

Moments before going back into the dressing room with the dress I thought was the one and a couple others I was trying on "just to be sure" I saw a dress that had me take a back step... I asked my mom what she thought and she loved it. And I was sold. My dress, my dream dress, had just recently come into the store. Turns out my two month wait was the best decision!! I think Gavin will love this dress, too. It is seriously more than a dress that I love, it is the dress of my dreams that I think if I was six years old and in the store I would still pick that one. I promise, it's still a grown up dress though. It's just perfect.

Now that I have the dress I've moved on to looking for bible verses. Right now I'm leaning towards Ephesians 5: 22-33 or Philippians 2:1-5ish. I also love some of the stuff in Song of Solomon. And I really like where Ruth shows her level of commitment (where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay...) but my mom thinks that gets a little too intense so I don't know.

In other news, I'm really excited about the hope of this preschool for next year. I have so many ideas and plans already, and the idea of being able to really put my faith into what I do...ahh, I just love it.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year!! It will also be my first year to host Thanksgiving for my family and Gavin's family. They will all be over at my castle! I hope it all turns out alright, but I know that if it doesn't that it will be alright too. So many blessings to count this year!! God has been so good (and faithful!).

2 For 1

This is the second blog I've done this week! I'm on a roll!!

Todays' blog is mainly becasue I'm bored. gavin is grading papers and I'm trying to look busy so he won't make me help (I'm thinking this won't work for much longer).

To kill time I've also been looking online at wedding shoes. I'd prefer to spend the entire night barefoot, but my mother has said no. She also said no flip flops and I'm assuming that probably has something to do with her telling me a million times when I was younger to not drag my feet when I was wearing them. Or maybe she is afraid of me falling down the stairs at the reception site. Either way, I got the thumbs up for ballet slippers so now I'm on the hunt for some cute ones.

In other wedding news that is annoying and cutesy... I'm still staring at my ring all the time. One of my favorite things to do in the morning before work is clean my ring. I really only do it once a week, but it's my favorite. And at least once a week the kids want to talk about it. It is probably my most prized possession.

I know how important it was to Gavin to pick out the perfect ring. He loves to tell me that he got me more than I would have ever let him buy if I had been there. It isn't about the money to me, its about the importance to him. Every step of the way- from the first time he asked me what I thought about him buying me a ring some day, to him asking my father for my hand in marriage, to shopping for the rings, to him picking the perfect time and place to propose- there was a thoughtfulness like no one else has ever had towards me.

My mom told me one day that Gavin loves me the way a guy is supposed to love a girl. The way she always used to tell me I would someday be loved. I'm so glad my mom was right!!

And now, with suffient time wasted, I'm off to go stare at my ring some more! And maybe I'll even go grade a few papers for Gavin! The guy who has made me so stinkin' mushy!!!

Outing Myself a Little

Well, I guess it won't be secret too much longer any way so I can go ahead and tell whomever stumbles across this about my little secret...

Its not so secret that about a year ago I felt God was calling me to leave the school I was working at. I felt that little whisper on my heart and when I would acknowledge the whisper it felt like it got confirmed by others so when my contract came around to sign, I confidently turned it away knowing that I had a new path this year.

Then this fall no job came. I was very confused because I still had the confident "this is for a reason" feeling, but I had no "Reason" in sight.

I did, however, continue to pray. I opened my heart up to the possibility that God was working bigger than just a "new job" and started really tunning into the possibility that the whisper wasn't going to guide me to another school district- and it'd didn't.

You see my long term goals were to someday work in prechool. I absolutely adored my time working in the preschool. I love the kids, I love the singing, I love the type of learning that goes on in the school... I just always felt this was something I would wait until I had kids to do. But why?

I will spare the details of how God pulled on my heart on Sundays in sermons or meetings that mentioned the need for outreach and church growth and how He nudged me a little when I would talk about my long term goals as if there was no way they would work at this time.

I will tell you though that one I day I asked him if this could all be related. If He was maybe telling me that my goal to have a preschool and His goal to grow my church could somehow be tied together... I heard a yes. I have heard a lot more yeses over the past several weeks as I've researched and began working up my formal proposal to my church. A big yes was when my mom got on board with me (she's always worked with preschool age children, is an early childhood specialist, and oh yeah, opened a church preschool 25 years ago that was very successful), when Gavin got on board with me (this decision ultimately is his, too, seeing as we are turning into one here in a few months), and when Gavin's parents got on board (their support is also important to me).

So today is a meeting with a committee at church that works on the church visioning. I've got statistics and testimonys from other churches and cute little packet all put together... and more than anything, I've got teh confident that this is not just MY plan, this not just MY vision, this is the biggest thing that I've ever been a part of. I'm a littler nervous, but I'm mostly excited!!! I can't wait to see what God has for this new adventure for my church and all the kids that will be involved!!

Okay Who is Next?

I am surprised at how many people have gotten engaged in the last few months! I know that next year there will be a wedding the week before mine, three months after mine, and four months after mine. I'm guessing there will be more thrown in there, maybe even some before mine. I can't help but get excited when I think of going to weddings as a WIFE. To go to weddings and think back to my own and how amazing and special it was.

The other day I was talking weddings with my sister-in-law to be (who is the September wedding) and someone asked us when are weddings were and when I said mine she goes "Oh not to long now"...

Best words ever... not to long... It seems like forever.


I!
Can't!
Wait!

Cheese!

I just looked through my engagement pictures and I think that my all time favorite one is one that you can't see our faces in. Its just our arms and they are tangled up together and when I look at I get all butterfly-ish.

I think I like it so much because it feels less like a pose to me. In the serious face pictures Gavin was being cheesey (in real life, he doesn't necessarily look cheesey in the pictures) and I felt awkward. But the picture of our arms is how it really is on any given day at any given time when we are watching TV or playing WII monopoly or anything else as mindless and perfect.

I also like the one where we are pretending to be getting blown away but I think that I like that one because it is SO POSED that it feels more like us. Weird, huh? But, we are cheesey and dorky and this pictured showed it in the right way.

I can't wait to show off the pictures to every one- after I go through and pick out the ones where we look the skinniest and/or most in love.

Off and Running

I guess I'm in full blown planning mode these days. I'm really not sure when the switch occured but it seems as though Septemeber is stuffed full of wedding stuff.

This past weekend Gavin and I registered!The best part about having registered is that we have already recieved our first registry gift!! My mom bought us a place setting of our everyday china. She also bought us our roaster although that some how did not show up on the list of our registry. Either way, I'm thrilled to have this all feel so real!

Next on the agenda is our engagement pictures next weekend. That same day we also have a meeting with our DJ to discuss how that lay out is going to be.

My cake topper is safely sitting in a box here in my office, waiting patiently to sit on our cake. I am getting anxious to start looking for bridesmaids dresses, but I know I have plenty of time.

Our website is up and running, I will make sure to put the address to our site on our save the dates which should be going out at the beginning of October.

Hmmm... what else is there???

So far I am not stressed. It all seems to just go as it needs to go and work out as I would like for it to work out. My mom and I are taking workout classes at the rec center so I guess even that (that being my weight) is being handled.

I really am excited to be Gavin's wife! Only 9.5 months to go!!

My Last Fall as a McCall

Life seems to be trucking right along.

I'm in the rutine of working 8-3:40 and coming home, picking up, starting dinner and waiting to hang out with my love. I actually get to stay up until past ten this year since I can sleep until almost 7! I absolutely love it!!

Things are falling right into place, too. We are getting our engagement pictures taken this month and then we will send out the save the dates so that everyone will for sure remember!

I have a website on theknot.com if you search for us there. I'm excited to closer and closer to the date, but I'm kind of strangely looking forward to all these "last time as a Mccalls". My last time at the statefair as a McCall, my last thanksgiving as a McCall, my last Christmas... as the year goes through it is like I am walking through this rite of passage and I love it!!

I'm enjoying all there is so far in my last fall as a McCall...

A Castle and a Cake, too

Wow.

I am typing this on my last day of summer. I remember when all my friend's summer started before mine I joked that maybe mine would last longer because I could just not land a job. I didn't think that was true... but it was. No job this year for me. Somehow, though, it is all working out anyways. And as it turns out, I think my summer ended up being almost exactly the length of my friends if longer than only by 4 days!

So here is where summer brought me:

At the end of the school year I was unemployed. I am now a tutor for the school district in which I live. The pay is, I believe, less than 1/3 of what I was making in my district, but the commute is also 1/3 of what I used to drive. This is not the job I pictured in my head, but God was faithful and as usual, He is giving me what He has seen for me and not what I had seen for myself. I believe with all my heart that He is working on me through this experience and I am excited to see the results! Also, I'm just excited to have students again!

At the end of the school year I had only picked the church which I was going to get married in- which was really decided the moment I laid eyes on my groom. How can you meet in a church and yet not get married there?! Any ways, now we have the church, the reception location (Which includes catering), the cake, the florist, the photographer (oops, I had that one before school was out too) the DJ, and the dress is picked out and waiting on my check. I also have my ceremony musicians who are my very talented friends! So basically, I have all the big stuff reserved and can now focus on work and my house and take on little projects here and there (registering, picking bridesmaids dresses, save the dates/invites). All and all, I would say I had a very productive summer!

At the end of the school year I had just walked away from a house I was only days away from buying. I went through a summer of waiting and finally found the house I wanted, then it flooded and I had to have it redone on the inside. Now I am typing to you from my office which is light and airy and homey and perfect.

And as far as operation ripped and famished goes... well, nothing really changed there. It is still on my "to list".

God blessed me and Gavin this summer in a multitude of ways. Our relationship was strengthened by the trials life threw at us! I noticed something though, we take turns being the stressed out one and the calm one. I am finally understanding what people mean when they talk about couples that "balance" each other. I hope we can maintain this balance as we continue our adventure towards the aisle and eventually walk down it next summer! I can't wait to see where God has taken me by then!!

Lets Try This Again...

So life has been crazy. After the flood at the castle we had to have the castle put back together and decided to get premission from the owners of the castle for G and me to paint whole interior while it was carpet free. He said yes and we were dumb. I mean, excited. We set apart a Friday afternoon and a full Saturday to paint a living room, hall way, and three bedrooms. We finished sometime late Monday evening- apparently, painting an entire house is no small task. Luckily, it looks amazing!

Now there are new carpets and new tile, we have the tile guys on hold to come back out and complete the house on Monday with the rooms insurance did not cover (kitchen and enterance way). We did a pre-completed, unofficial walk through, just Gavin and I, earlier this week and it was an amazing feeling. My bare toes sunk into this carpet and I could imagine a castle filled years down the road with our stuff and kids and friends and family! A house overflowing with warmth and happiness and possibility! Tonight is the official, all work is done walk through- wonder what my mind will picture this time!

I'm aware how cheesy that sounds but its how I feel. 310 days from today that house will go from being my home to "The Krueger's Place" (I'll work around with titles, maybe Krueger's Palace? Krueger's Castle? Mission de la Krueger?). God is blessing me big time with this one! Closing on the castles is in 23 hours and 8 minutes...

And then life happens

Well God is really working on me right now. I wish I could give a more definative answer for what lesson I am learning in particular but for now I am content and at peace with the knowledge that I am learning something. I guess I hope I learn it soon so that things will calm down a little but, whatever.

So my castle I spoke of previously, flooded.

I know what you're thinking, it's August. This is Texas. There must be some mistake, but I assure you. It DID flood. Apparently something broke on the toilet and since it is a vacant house it took the neighbors noticing the water running out the front door for us to know there was something wrong. Three days before closing, as I was driving to a bridal shop to try on wedding gowns with my mom, we got the call that closing was delayed pending the repairs of this house... $12, 400+ in repairs.

Some of it is good- there will be new carpet, some of it is bad- the new carpet will be ugly and low grade, but in the long run it is what it is. Another uncontrollable life moment that comes and goes and is much easier to laugh at in the future than the present. I assure you, I have cried more in the last week over the stress of this, but I do know with an overwhelming amount of certainty that this will be funny one day.

So, as I type this from my mothers computer- my new home for the next three weeks as repairs take place- I do have more on my mind then just the state of my castle and that is the progress of the wedding.

We have put the deposit down on the reception site- which includes the caterer, picked out the dress, picked out the florist and the main flowers for the day (delphiniums), solidified the color pallet (dark blue, light blue, and white), picked the location, tasted a million cakes (deposit is not down on the one I want, but I am pretty sure I know who it will be), come up with a design for my lovely cake, picked the photographer, bought one of the outfits for engagement pictures, the ceremony site knows of my wedding but I haven't signed the contract (luckily I have the total in on the church so I'm not filling rushed)... its all coming together. I am so ready for this wedding to come together. I can't wait for it to actually happen!

So there is where I am... planning life with life happening all around me ignoring my plans. I'm still excited though because I still know its all going to be good and I think Gavin and me are doing really well at learning how to handle what life throws at us!