Easter

I'm so thankful for Easter!

I have been sitting in this chair for at least an hour listening to my iTunes playlist labled "God songs" and typing...

I have typed out two really long, really detailed blogs both of which I deleted. Ha! I love Easter and in wanting to share my excitement I probably was on the verge of talking too much. Now I'm probably going to be a little less focused... sorry!

I will shorten it down greatly to say that I am humbled by God's love and forgiveness of our sins.

A friend of mine once said on her facebook status "Even Jesus was betrayed, why should I assume I wouldn't be?"

God is betrayed constantly by our disobedience and sin. Think of the worst things we do! Think of the things on the news! Think of all those things that we hear about in the day and say "I just can't imagine how someone would do that"... then think about the fact that they, we, have already been forgiven for it.

It's already done!

It took me years to forgive the people I felt truely betrayed by and I can't even imagine if I ever had to fogive them again. I don't know that I could... and yet... I've asked God to forgive me of my sins. And then the next day, I had to ask him again. And every time I've asked, he's said okay.

I'm humbled. God is so much greater than my understanding and his forgiveness so much greater than my deserving.

I was privildged to get to explain to someone the other day "what the big deal is with Jesus dying on the cross". It had never been explained to them the relationship with sacrifices and all the legalism of the old testiment. I hope I was able to explain it in a way that they understood... I guess at least I got to plant the seeds.

Another quote I found a few years ago, "Being a luke warm Christian is like saying 'yes, I believe in God, I'm just unimpressed by his work'".

Easter is a good time to really remember what was so impressive about it!! You try forgiving those who betrayed you and saying and believing "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do" as you pay the cost of their sin, its not as easy as Jesus makes it look!

No naked wedding for this couple.

Today I got the call I've waited MONTHS for. My dress is in! The closer I get to the wedding the more frequent my dreams become of forgetting one thing or another. Be it veil or marriage license, I'm only destraught in those dreams for a second before we devise a plan to overcome the situation. At least now I won't have the dream where my dress doesn't come in on time... because its here! I am just sad that my mom is out of town because the one person I wanted to call the most today to celebrate with I couldn't. Fortunately I was with Gavin and he cheered with me in the car and I had plenty of friends to text and brag to.

The invites are now half addressed. I only do a few a night to try to keep my handwriting top notch and I still have more than a month before I mail them out. Next months starts the "finalization" stage of planning. I need to meet with the DJ, florist, and baker to finalize those details. I will start the fittings of my dress and I will reserve the guys tuxes. I'm getting so close!!!


Tonight is my last night in the triple digit count down... tomorrow will be double digits. Time has flown! I hope it continues to fly because I am so ready!!

"The Marriage"

I really am having a good time planning this wedding. I feel like I probably don't share it with my friends as much as I always imagined I would, but its because I worry about boring them to death with details. This blog has helped me have some place to talk about it without feeling as obnoxious, although I do recognize some may be rolling their eyes or even worse, purposfully avoiding my page.

In the midst of all this planning, though, I haven't forgotten the most important thing I'm planning which is a family. It feels funny to think of a family as just two people, but that is what we will be... a family of two. Its funny to think of all the little decisions that go into making this family.

Recently I was talking with a friend about what all we still call our moms about- how to get out stains, cook certain foods, fix household problems, solve social crisis...what would I do without my mom? In addition to this, I was watching Teen Mom (I know, I just outted myself on this, sorry, but the side of me that enjoyed psychology classes also enjoys watching these kids) and the teen dad says something to teen mom along the lines of "You're the mom, you have to be strong" and it got me thinking. I'm almost the wife of the family. The alpha female. Weird.

My mom has been training me since I was a child on how to be a godly wife. Her and my dad have been a great example to me for what love should look like. On the other hand, Gavin's parents did the same for him and were his example. What a blessing this will be for marriage.


Life isn't perfect and as much as I like to think Gavin and me are, we probably aren't always going to be. I am so thankful of this year that I've had to plan a wedding that will celebrate the years of mine and my families lives that have been put into planning a marriage.

Checkity, check, check, check!

Well I am basically dominating my wedding to do list. Gavin says after the wedding maybe I should open up some kind of wedding business because I'm so good at this- see why I'm merging him?! Anyway, here are some checks off my list...

- Menu planned!!
Only the best for our friends and family and by best I mean our favorites. Ha! We have a chicken, a beef, and a vegetarian. Oh and we have cake, but that's old news.

- Figured out the layout of the room
Thank God I'm merging a math man because x amount of tables holding y amount of people and blah blah blah was over my head. We got to see the site with no people there and it really helped me visualize it all. Cake table here, gift table there, and here... Here's where I dance with my husband for the first time. Excited!

- Programs and menus
Okay I only get a half check for this, but I began designing both of these. I will not be using the expensive paper shop this time I'm breaking out on my own. I'm confident no one will be able to tell!

- Unity candle and card box
Finished decorating them! Wish I knew how to put up pictures

-Scripture and songs
I have picked these for the ceremony!I need to take with the praise band and clear these choices to finalize them so maybe it's a 3/4 check.

-Rehersal And Bridal luncheon sites picked
I don't get credit for either of these. My fabulous mother in law and mom get the credit. Exciting for me non the less!!!

- Signed up for dance lessons!!!
Gavin, me, our parents, and his sister and fiancé all are taking a month long course in April. This is high high high on my list of things I'm most looking forward to.


I'm really enjoying the wedding planning. Online sites and wedding magazines keep telling me how to get rid of my wedding stress... But I really don't have any! The only thing that frustrates me is the waiting for the day. It just isn't coming fast enough!! Gavin let's me talk about all the girly frilly details and acts excited and tells me how fabulous it all is. He is my best friend.

I am enjoying having this blog to brag to. I don't have to feel guilty for going on and on about the wedding because I'm not forcing anyone to read it. Ha! To those who read it anyways- thanks!!! I owe you a long, boring read :)

Life

Well... life is funny isn't it? My life is just trucking along just fine but one of my friends has a broken heart and it makes me blue. I'm listening to a 50/50 mix of broken heart songs and worship songs. I guess it's my way of having a pity party and still remembering that this is a little thing in the scheme of things. Having had a broken heart before, I sure do hate to see my friends walk through it.

I had today off work and no one else in the universe did so I had a lot of peace and quiet to work on wedding stuff. I've painted a box for people to put cards in at the wedding and it will make it easy for us to store it later. I have a few more coats of paint to do, it was originally brown and I'm making it white. I will probably add some ribbon as well. I like it.

I also am working on a unity candle set. It turns out to buy a unity candle that is listed as such is about $10-20 more than to buy and decorate one. And the stands are much more expensive if they hold all three candles together. I think mine will still look good.

I like when these spurts of craftiness come! My card box is $30 less than the one I saw at Mardels that I would have bought if I didn't have the urge to make it.

I'm glad time is going so fast. I can not wait to be Gavin's wife! I can not wait to blog about the little things going on at our house and about the excitement of home improvement projects (which I assume will be what I will work on when I no longer have stuff to make for the wedding). All these depressing songs and talk of wedding has me missing Gavin (who is in the other room playing video games) so I'm going to jump off the computer. Can't wait to see what excitment I have to post about next time... something that is undoubtedly only really exciting to me :)

Just Another Day in Paradise

Well when you are in a relationship you share everything- that includes stomach bugs. Last week I caught a bug and this week I shared it with Gavin. We took turns being the ones to bring the sprite, soup, and fever reducer and it worked out pretty well (all things considering). Gavin returned to work so hopefully that pesky bug has found another couple to entertain.

In the midst of the sickness wedding planning continued. I picked out and ordered some ear rings for the day of (my ears aren't pierced but I'm hopeful these clip ons will look nice). I also gave the final okay of the invitation design so they are being printed and assembled as we speak. And we set our appointment with the caterer to make menu choices in a week and some days. Just over five months to go! Oh and Gavins parents have been disussing the rehearsal dinner, too. So it's all coming together nicely!

The preschool proposal is being brought to two committees this month which makes me nervous and excited all at the same time! I'm just still praying God's will on this and looking forward to what he has in store!

So that's where I am and what I'm up to. This year in particular is such an exciting blessing! My own little paradise!

Pineapple, Invitations, Veils oh my!

So my title is a bit of a stretch but today was all about those three things as they apply to my wedding.

Last things first- veils. Today I went to visit my dress shop and try on head pieces and veils. I found a veil that matched my dress to near perfection! It is so surreal staring at myself all decked out in bridal ware. Somehow I have spent 26 years thinking of the some day when I would be a bride, and then now five months and four weeks to go and it doesn't seem real yet!

And from there I can tell you about the invitations. I went with my mom to the paper store today and we picked out a general shape, the papers, the monogram, and the wording. I love that our invites were designed by my mom and me and are exactly what I wanted. I hope that people look at them for at least a few minutes before throwing them away. They won't be done until mid February and won't go out until April. Still, an exciting check off my list.

And my final check- pineapple. I'm currently waiting to leave hanging out with my huneys family to go get pineapple because I'm craving something sweet. I'm making healthy eating choices. I had a sandwich for lunch and a salad and sandwich for dinner. My body isn't used to this so I'm pretty much starving, but I'm confident that with less than 6 months to go I finally have the motivation I need to get into wedding shape.

So now I just need people to stop inviting me out to dinner- it feels like afterwards I'm in eaters regret wishing I'd had all the other real foods on the menu.

Bring on the smaller sizes :)

Recap 2010

Wow, December 26th already?

Today as I was getting healthy groceries at the grocery store (yuck) I was thinking about how fast the last year has gone and how much it has brought with it.

Most notably and excitable, this year brought my engagement to Gavin. We were at the talking about the future without explicitly saying terms like "marriage" at the end of 2009. We both knew it was going to happen, but it wasn't until the beginning of 2010 that we admitted that it was what we were both wanting. And once it was talked about, it was put into motion. April of this year he proposed. Best day of my life thus far, without a doubt.

A few months later I left my job in Itasca. A hard desision to make, but one sought out in prayer and discussion with those I love and trust. I made my heart open for God to make new movements in my life, and it was one of the best decisions I have made in my adult life.

I bought a house!! I left off most of the torture that was house buying in this blog. It was nothing like they show on HGTV and quite possibly one of the most stressful things in my life. We almost bought 3 houses, and finally landed at "the one" which flooded right before closing. Still, we got it and love it and are enjoying the process of making it ours. I don't see us leaving anytime in the next 10 years though after how stressful it was to get here.

I began the ball rolling on opening a preschool. God has been a big factor in this, far bigger than my own desire, but it has been a blessing in my life as well. To have my family and Gavin's family, and most notably Gavin, standing beside me through this whole process I have learned more about all of them and about myself. I look forward to where this goes in the coming years.

The next six months are going to be crazy... working on the finishing touches of our wedding, continue to make this house a home, beginning the licensing aspect of a preschool.... so much to do! I feel incredibly blessed to know that it's going to be another great year. I had struggles in 2010, as I'm sure I will in 2011, but God's grace and mercy in my life has yet to cause more than I can handle.

I am thankful for so many friends and family that we apart of this past year and look forward to their presence and love in the year to come!

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!!!