Wedding Plans Update

My wedding is 87 days away. Wait, what?! 87 DAYS!!!! Ben & I have been together for such a long time (6 1/2 years) & we have dreamed of this day for so long. Now that it is extremely close (DOUBLE DIGITS!) we find ourselves pinching ourselves. We can't believe it & are SO incredibly excited for the day to arrive! :) (Above you can enjoy a photo flashback... this happens to be from my birthday in 2006. It is one of my favorite pictures of us... we are so little!)

Lately, we have been busy wedding planning (which is hard when you are both working) & it's crazy how no matter how much you do... there is still so much left to do. Lots of little details & finalizing. I am just trying to cherish each moment but I am so ready to be married!

In the past 3 months or so, we have been able to check some things off of our ever large "to-do" list.

- We taste-tested food from ABC Catering for our reception. So many delicious options but I think we've got it narrowed down. :)
- We also got to see the final product of what the tables at our reception will look like. We are in LOVE with the final look! :)
- Rehearsal dinner venue booked
- Wedding hair trial completed. My stylist Traci got the look PERFECTLY & I am SO SO excited wear it on my wedding day. I still need to go back for my make-up trial which I am pretty excited about. :)
- Flower girl dresses arrived. Ben's nieces are SO excited about those dresses! They want to wear them now so badly! :) They will be absolutely adorable on our wedding day! Love them!

This month, we have also been pretty busy. Ben & I started marriage counseling two weeks ago with our pastor. So far it has been very insightful & I am excited to continue to discuss & learn so much. :)

I have also been working on designing/finalizing my wedding invitation wording/font. We are having them printed by my Aunt's printing company. I am SO thankful that she is willing to let us use her company's printers versus ours... hers are of MUCH MUCH higher quality! :)

In the middle of writing this blog, guess what just arrived?!? MY WEDDING GUESTBOOK! :) I spent so many hours working on getting this guestbook just right... and it has TOTALLY paid off! I am so excited for you to see it! :)

Ben & I also signed the lease on our apartment last week. We are SO excited to have our "first home" in place. Finding an apartment was a big worry for me so I am glad that God provided just the right one for us to move into after we get married. :) It makes it so much easier to pick out decorations & furniture when you can picture where you will be living. :)

Finally, Ben & I booked our honeymoon. We will be jetting off to Punta Cana for some sun & relaxation. We are SO incredibly excited! :)

Well, it's off to work I go. Sorry this blog was written so randomly & is semi-spazzy, but I thought I'd write a little catch up blog since it has been so long! Until next time! :)

Running

Well, here I sit. Out of high school. Out of sports. Out of college. To be honest, I have been feeling kind of crummy athletically for the past few years. I miss being in my athletic high school shape. Back then, I always wished I was in better shape too, but looking back... I was in good shape! (Our coaches sure knew how to whip us into shape for volleyball!) It seems like that's how it always is. At the time, we are not satisfied or happy with ourselves/lives, but when we look back, we see it in another light. Sure, we probably look through rose-colored glasses at the past, but that's not all bad. Anyways, I guess I am feeling nostalgic about my former athletic condition and am regretting my current one. Especially when I have a certain absolutely beautiful white dress to fit into (and hopefully take in) in 266 days! :)

To help me get back into a healthier version of myself, I am turning to running, as well as other cardio exercises along with strength training. My goal is to get back up to running 3-3.5 miles and if I am feeling great there, push myself to 4-5 miles. Two summers ago, I was running 3 miles a day in about 25-30 minutes, which is not the best but for not training for a marathon or anything, it was enough to make me happy. :) Running and I have had an off and on again relationship. As a young child/early teenager, that was ALL I wanted to do. Run, run, run. For some reason, after freshman year of high school hit, I didn't love it so much. Maybe it was all of the running we did in volleyball, but I just was burnt out by it. It was not my favorite. It still isn't my absolute favorite, but I know that it is a great way to work out my entire body and get a great workout! So I am setting out on this journey to rediscover the joy of running. Wish me luck! :)

P.S. I am thinking of investing in a good pair of Nikes. Any suggestions on which women's style is best? There are SOOOOO many to choose from! Right now, I am looking at these two shoes:

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/shoes?hf=10001^12001^4294967132&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Running%20Shoes#?ll=en_US&ct=US&pid=401982&cid=101101&pgid=401983&p=PDP

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/shoes?hf=10001^12001^4294967132&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Running%20Shoes#?ll=en_US&ct=US&pid=400880&cid=101101&pgid=384342&p=PDP

You're Faithful, Forever...

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Awe.

That is the feeling that has been coursing through my thoughts constantly over the past month. I am in awe of our Creator. Our Sustainer. Our Provider.

In one of my recent blog entries, I wrote about change. How it scares me. How it has been shaping me into the woman that God has created me to be. Now, based on the verse I posted above, some of you may think that I have a full time job. I still do not.

BUT! I am in awe and so incredibly thankful for God's provision in my life. As I have been telling those around me, in the past month, God has been teaching me to rely on him daily. To trust him with my seemingly obscure and insignificant daily needs. But let me tell you that He has been so faithful. So good. At the beginning of the school year, I was scheduled to work about 8 hours a week guaranteed. In the past almost month of working, I have literally been called in for a job everyday except for two days (averaging about 20-30 hours a week).Is that not incredible? I think it is!!!!

Despite my worries about the future, God has been so faithful in meeting my daily needs. Completely. 100%. What an amazing God we serve! :)

Bittersweet & Change

Hello friends! As many of you know, I am a major bookworm. Sadly, ever since I started attending college in 2007 & working full time every summer, I have not had much time to read as many books as I used to. :( Lately though, I have been trying fit in reading time before bed and in any down time I can scrounge up. One of the books that I have been wanting to read for a very long time now is Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist. I had heard WONDERFUL things about this novel & finally purchased it a couple of weeks ago. I am only on chapter 11 out of 35 or so, but this book has already been such an incredible blessing to me. I have found myself underlining quotes more often than I usually do in other books. It is simply the story of an average American woman who has had trials like the rest of us, some more challenging than others, some not. But her honest opinions, thoughts, and wisdom are such a blessing to read. :) Anyway, I just wanted to share my favorite piece of the prologue with you which sets the book up. I found Shauna's take on the word/idea of "bittersweet" to be utterly refreshing. I hope that you do too. :)

"Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful. Bittersweet is the practice of believing that we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. Bittersweet is courageous, gusty, earthy..."

"This is what I've come to believe about change: it's good in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good and failure is good. By that I mean that it's incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God's hand, which is where you wanted to be all along... when life is sweet, say thank you & celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow."

I hope that these quotes have been either encouraging to you or have made you stop and think. I have never looked at bittersweetness and change as a good thing. Change is not my favorite thing in the world to experience, as I said in my previous blog. :) However, I am learning to look at bittersweet things and change as opportunities to grow and to become a better person. I hope that you do too. :)

Change

These past few weeks have been a time of transition and adjustments for me. Unfortunately, I have still not found a full time teaching position yet, which would have been ideal and what I was hoping for... especially with school loans to be paid off looming in the distance as well as getting married next summer.

However, God has been teaching me SO much! One of the biggest things He has taught me is to trust Him. Completely. With everything in me. As those of you who know me really well know... I am just about the biggest worrier and perfectionist there is... at least in my city. :) I LOVE schedules and to-do lists. I love being able to plan ahead. In other words, change is not my favorite. With school in session and me not having a job, it has been a BIG change. Life so far has not been what I had expected. After graduation, I "planned" on being able to have my own classroom, gain experience as a teacher, and make some money to put towards school loans and to save up for married expenses. It has not gone even remotely the way that I pictured it would.

However, I also know that Isaiah 55:9 says, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." God obviously has a different plan in mind for this season of my life than I had for myself. It is both scary and comforting. Scary because the human side of me screams, "How will I pay bills? How will I ever find a job? What if I don't make "enough" money? Is there something WRONG with me?" Oh, how I wish my flesh wasn't so weak sometimes. But in the chaos going on inside my head, the Lord has been whispering His own words into my heart. "You are good enough. I am using this season to mold you, shape you, and prepare you for something greater in the future. You need only to let go and trust me."

I am constantly reminded of one of my favorite passages of Scripture... which of course is on worry. :) Matthew 26:6-7 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" What a breath of fresh air. If God meets the birds needs, why wouldn't He, as my Heavenly Father, meet mine? God doesn't always give us what we "want", but instead gives us what we NEED.

So... in this season of life, I choose to trust. To be patient. To be thankful. To wait on the Lord. He is faithful forever. And I know that when the time is right, He will provide.

Updates Galore

So... if you could not tell already, I am absolutely HORRIBLE about updating my blog! Sorry about that! Life has just been so crazy lately! Between wedding planning, applying for teaching jobs, and working full time at V.E., I have just been so swamped. I come home exhausted everyday but I would not change it for the world! :)

As far as wedding planning, I have the church and reception venues booked. I have the caterer, photographer, and florist booked as well. The last "big" thing to do, I suppose, would be to book the DJ. I just want someone who I can give a list of songs to and they will play them. Music is SO incredibly important to me, so it is important that I find a good DJ who will play the music that I want. This is one area I will not budge.

June 16, 2012 seems so far away. I am just SO ready to be married to Ben! I can't believe that this September will be 6 YEARS of dating! I feel like we have been together forever and yet it has flown by at the same time! I am so thankful that God brought us together. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us in the years to come! Hurry up June 16! :)

My fourth summer at Camp Vertical Extreme began June 1. I have about 30 campers registered to my & Bryan's group. We average about 19 campers per day. It often fluctuates between 18 and 22. They are definitely a rowdy group of campers (one of the rowdiest I have seen) but I love them. They teach me something about myself and God every single day. Being a counselor at Camp V.E. is such a blessing & I am so thankful to have the job that I do. :)

Earlier today, my friend Kourtni & I went garage saling. I cannot believe that a year has already gone by since the last time I got to go garage saling! Life is flying by faster than I ever remember! Anyways, I bought thirteen books for $5.50 to add to my classroom collection. The topics varied in nature from seasons to planets to having a good attitude to the first day of school. Quite a wide variety of topics but hey, what choice do you have when you don't know what/if you will be teaching in the fall? :)

I also got to see Kung Fu Panda 2 this evening. It was pretty good. Not a waste of money but not a movie I'd probably watch again. Confusing, I know. :)

Anyways, I better wrap this up. I have been running at a million miles per hour the past month and am contemplating heading to bed early. Until next time! :)

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Days like today make me wish that I was back home so that I had a fireplace to snuggle underneath a blanket by. :) Nevertheless, I am enjoying staying inside while the blizzard rages on outside. The weather reports are projecting 13-21 inches of snow in the next day or two. If we actually get that much, it will be crazy!!!! How have I spent my evening so far? Well, my school that I am student teaching at dismissed students early today at 2:15 so that the kids could be bused home safely. It has been REALLY really nice to relax with my roommates (crossing my fingers for a snow day tomorrow... will know for sure in a little over an hour.) We ordered Papa John's for dinner (delicious!!!!) and now I am watching Season 5 of Boy Meets World. Life is good, my friends. Life is good. :)

**Note: Just got final word from my teacher and the district that my school is officially CLOSED for tomorrow! YAY YAY YAY!!!!! :)

The Power of a Persistent Prayer

Have you ever prayed & wondered if God had even heard your prayer? I know most of us wouldn't mind an instant response from God when we pray. As human beings, we are extremely impatient. But an instant response is not always how God works. At least, it doesn't always seem instant from our point of view. A chapel speaker came to my school a couple of weeks ago & spoke on a passage from the book of Daniel. (Now, I have read through the entire Bible before, but I don't remember this passage ever sticking out to me. That's just one more reason why I love God's Word. Something new ALWAYS jumps out at you that didn't before. God enlightens us at the right moment in time for us to hear His message.) Anyways, the message was on the following passage:

"In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, "Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you." And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

 Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come." (Daniel 10:1-14)

Now, according to verse 2, Daniel had been praying and fasting for three weeks. THREE WEEKS!  Finally, on the 21st day, an angel appears to Daniel in a vision. He tells Daniel in verse 12, "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard." God heard Daniel's prayer on that very first day. It didn't take until the second, the tenth, or the twentieth day for God to hear his prayer. His prayer was immediately heard. How often we quickly forget or fall into disbelief of that!!!! The same verse also tells us that an angelic being was sent in response that first day to answer Daniel's prayer. However, we are told that in verse 13 that the prince of the Persian kingdom (supposedly a high ranking demon) resisted the angelic messenger for twenty-one days... the same length of time as Daniel's prayer. Finally, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help the angelic messenger in the fight so that he could deliver God's response to Daniel.

What I find so profound is the mention of this spiritual battle while Daniel is praying. We often have NO idea what is going on in the spiritual realm around us. Sure, God could have immediately won & ended the battle. He had and has the power to do that. But it seems that the battle was allowed to continue so that Daniel would be turned into a man of persistant prayer. Prayer is necessary to train us. The victory of the angels happens on the 21st day... the end of Daniel's three weeks of prayer. It makes me wonder what may have happened had he just given up? Would there have been a victory? I don't know. This passage is just something that I have been pondering over the past few weeks. So the next time you are praying and wondering why it seems like God is not hearing you, remember Daniel & this passage. God hears us but we often have no idea what battles are being fought over us and our prayers in the spiritual realm. Do not give up... 

Remember the power of persistent prayer and keep praying!!!!

Fall is HERE!

Fall has finally arrived... although on some days it feels like it is verging on winter. I suppose that is normal in the wonderful state of Illinois that I have grown up in. :) Anyway, SO much has happened since I last wrote in this blog! I have officially begun my senior year of college. SENIOR! Where has the time gone? This semester has been the busiest one yet and is my last semester of classes before I start student teaching in January. Right now, I am just trying to savor this season of life before it is gone all too soon. Two weeks ago, I went home for Fall Break. Saturday morning, bright and early, we headed to Edward's Apple Orchard.

 Here is Oliver ("Ollie") the golden retriever getting a belly rub from my grandma. He is the owner's dog.

My family always arrives before opening. Crowds just ruin the experience. Of course, we were first in line for the famous fresh out of the oven donuts.

Simply mouthwatering.

Not only is their cider delicious, it is also wise. :)

Here is a shot of Ben & I on their picture bench.

Corey & I.

On Monday night, I hung out with Kourtni & Stephanie. We ordered dinner from Chef Chen. It was SOOOOOO delicious! We had a great time! I miss those girls SO much when I am away at school. :( I will leave you with this ADORABLE image of Kourtni's daughter Shannon in her Halloween costume. :)

Busy busy weekend!

WOW! This weekend has been super busy but it has DEFINITELY been amazing!!!! On Friday I went over to Kourtni's to spend some time with her & Stephanie & to scrapbook together. Later that evening, a big storm swept through the area & Kourtni & I rushed to the window after hearing some people had seen a funnel cloud. 

At first, we thought this was a giant funnel cloud ready to wipe out a quarter of Rockford but it turned out to just be a giant circular cloud. Ha!

About 45 minutes later, I headed to Dan & Kelly's (our college group leaders') apartment. We grilled some hot dogs & played a TON of games! Celebrity, Spades, Dutch Blitz, & SCUM.

 Here we see Tyler acting out the part of Fonzi during Celebrity charades.

We stayed there until almost 1 in the morning! Good times were definitely had by all! :)
The next morning, my family headed out to Lambeau Field to watch the Packers play a pre-season game against the Cleveland Browns.

Here is a group shot of us outside of Lambeau Field.

Here is a shot of Ben & I in front of Lambeau Field.

Inside the stadium, we were DEFINITELY getting excited for the game to start!

Here is a shot of Ben & I with Lambeau Field & the Packers warming up in the background.

Sadly, the game ended with the Cleveland Browns scoring a field goal in the last few seconds of the game, beating the Packers 27-24. It was still awesome to see the Packers play though! :)

Earlier this afternoon, I went to a baby shower for one of my friends, Sarah Hernandez. 

One of the games was to guess how big her belly was using ribbon & then actually wrapping it around her to see who could be the closest. Her best friend ended up matching it perfectly! Figures! :P

Here is a close-up of the winning ribbon!

Sarah got a TON of great gifts! Baby Hernandez is sure blessed! :)

Here is a shot of the glowing mother-to-be & myself. Love her! :)

Tomorrow I am headed to a lake with Ben's family for a day of fun in the sun! This weekend continues to be amazing. :)

Finding the "Healthy" Me

Today begins a new journey for me. I am usually very skeptical of diet programs because it just doesn't seem healthy to cut out an entire food group from your diet or to eat an unhealthily low amount of calories. However, Weight Watchers has always interested me & after hearing many success stories from people around me, I have decided to give it a go. My goal is to lose at least 25 pounds. Weight Watchers uses a Point® system to help calculate how much food you should eat in a day to lose weight. They also give you an allotted amount of "Weekly Allowance Points" where you can "cheat" or go over your daily allowance. I am very excited about this big step in my life & I am ready for the healthiest version of me to become a reality. :)

Vacation Time!

So I just returned from a MUCH needed vacation in Topton, North Carolina. North Carolina was absolutely breath-taking! We stayed in a cabin at the very top of a mountain which is called "El Shaddai." After driving Friday & Saturday, we arrived around 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon to the cabin. The Schmidt's (my cousins) joined us shortly after.

We spent the evening swinging on the AMAZING swings just outside the cabin & playing games in the rec room. On Sunday, we spent the day relaxing & just enjoying each other's company. Monday was our "busy" day.

We got up early so that we could go horseback riding at Lonesome Dove Stables. The trail we rode on was paved in the 1800s which was SUPER cool! (Below is a group shot of us in the clearing in the middle of our ride.)

After riding, we ate lunch at Papa's Pizza which is an all-you-can-eat buffet. The pizza was good but the bread sticks were delicious!

We then headed to Nantahala Carolina Outfitters, a white water rafting company. Our guide was Nathan. He has never been to Chicago but grew up watching the Cubs on T.V. & has been a HUGE fan ever since. Small world! He was a great guide... always smashing us into rocks & bridges to keep us on our toes. He even convinced us to climb a giant rock & to jump off of it into the 47° water. It definitely took my breath away but the jump was SO worth it! :)

After rafting, we headed back to the cabin to just relax. We were all so tired so we popped the movie Elf in and just relaxed. It was very nice! That night, we all watched the Alfred Hitchcock classic "Rear Window." Some of my cousins had not seen it so it was great to watch their reactions throughout the film!

On Tuesday we ate lunch & headed to the lake to rent a pontoon boat. Unfortunately, they had rented them out by the time we got there. Disappointed, we left. Fortunately, we had spied a cove not too far from the cabin and decided to pull over & swim there. The water temperature was absolutely perfect & it was, in my opinion, even better than going on a pontoon boat. Plus, it was FREE! :) After a couple of hours, we saw the clouds starting to darken so we packed up & headed to our cabin. It started pouring as soon as we got inside! That evening, we headed to Andrews, NC for some shopping & dinner at The Burger Basket.

 It was delicious!

Later that evening, we watched The Three Stooges, a favorite of our family, & sang & danced to some of our favorite songs. We cousins ended up staying up until 12:30 a.m. just talking & laughing. It was a great way to end our vacation.

Wednesday morning we got up bright and early, said our goodbyes, and headed out by 8 a.m. It was so heartbreaking to say goodbye (as always) but the vacation was absolutely amazing & I wouldn't have changed a thing. I am blessed with an incredible family & I thank God everyday for that.

Exciting Weekend Ahead

I can't sleep. No matter how hard I try. I just keep laying there. Why, you ask? My best friend Renée is getting married this weekend & I leave today to go and see her!!!! It has been a LONG two months & I am SO excited to be reunited with her & my other roommates Rachel & Caitlin! Tonight is the bachelorette party. We are going out to a nice dinner & then going salsa dancing. It will be a fantastic time! :) Anywho, I will hopefully be posting pictures sometime when I get back. Hope you all are having a great week! :)

Busy Bee

Oh dear. I have not written in forever. Sorry about that! I have just been CRAZY busy lately! I started work the day after Memorial Day for the 3rd summer in a row at Vertical Extreme. I am a co-counselor with my friend Stephanie for 3rd grade. It is honestly the best job that I have ever had. I love my campers & co-workers so much! Here are a few pictures from Vertical Extreme so far.

 

Here is Steph with the gecko in our science class.

 Reid with the crab.

 He was a crafty escaper!

The escaping hamster. Haha

Recently, my family went on a short vacation to St. Joseph, MI. It was great to be able to take a breather, relax, & have fun with my family. :) We mainly just spent time on the beach & went shopping.

Sister pictures. Gotta have them on every vacation :)

And yet some more.

We LOVED Kilwin's ice cream! SO delicious!

Eating it on the second night. :)

On Saturday, Ben & I attended his Uncle's wedding. It was a BEAUTIFUL day for a wedding!

Bailey & Aislynn enjoyed the moon bounce very much!

 

 The Gateway Arch was beautifully decorated!

 

The delicious cake!

 

Wedding kiss!

 

 

 

A couple of shots of Ben & I! :)

Well, it's storming like crazy so I better get this posted before the power goes out! Hope you are all doing well!