Wedding Process Update!

Because I know all of you are just on the edge of your seats to see where we are on the process...

We have hired a photographer, took some engagement pictures, and took some more engagement pictures...

This is one of the pictures from our first session. We had a friend take them (we asked her before we had an "official" photographer.) But now we do and she is making our save the dates with these super cute pictures that we took...

She also threw in a free engagement session with our wedding package so we took those pictures at Shelby Farms this past weekend. I will post those as soon as they are ready!

Next, my MOH came up and we pucked out bridesmaid dresses! We had the best time picking them out and I had to keep pinching myself the whole time. Every girl always dreams of her wedding day and I was actually shopping for the dresses for the ladies who will stand beside me on mine. It was surreal and I couldn't image anyone better to pick them out with. I have the best MOH.

So here is what we found... this dress is for my maid and matron of honor. Our color is marine... and this dress is for my other 3 ladies. I love them and I think that its going to be beautiful!

So there you have it. Thats the latest! See ya next time.

Submission

Submission to God and submission to my husband.

Why is that such a hard comcept to learn for a Christian girl? Especially one who is engaged to be married in a little more than 6 months.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am totally and 100% type A. I like to be in charge at all times. I make the decisions I want to make. I take the roads I want to take. And I say the things I want to say.

I have mentioned this funk that I have been going through several times before and now that I am seeing the top of the mountain that led me out of that valley I can honestly say that the biggest thing the Lord taught me was submission.

I have learned before and have always known that I need to submit my life to the Lord and His will for it. But what I hadn't learned, and did not want to learn, was submission to my groom. The man who is going to make the decisions for me and my family for the rest of my life.

I have heard that word so many times before but until it directly applied to me and my life I wrote it off as something I would learn later on down the road. Well now the time has come and after much prayer. anger. emotions. resilence. bargaining. I lost the battle. I happily laid down my guard of being in control and gave it to N. And suprisingly after the fight was all over and done with I have come to realize I was hungry to give that to someone. There is no better feeling than putting your trust in the one you love to take care of you and your family (one day.)

Submission to my Lord and submission to my groom. my love. my spiritual leader. my husband.

And at the end of the day, knowing that the two men who love me the most are in control I can rest in peace. Try to let go today. Its worth every minute of not being in control.

I've Got That Joy Joy Joy Joy

Down in my heart. Where?

Down in my heart!

And I do. It has been a long time coming but I think I am finally out of that mini depression that I was going through. I mean after all I have so much to be grateful for. Can I share some of them with you. Ok great!

This is the Best. The MOH. The future kiddos aunt. And we are living together again! I forgot what a roomate who talks to me is like! And its wonderful!

Football season and tailgating is about to start up again! I am so ready to sit in the stands, wave my cowbell, and act like I have half a clue about whats going on.

I get to work with this little fellow. C is one of the most precious things in my life. When we see each other a small smile creeps to each of our faces.

I got to meet this super cool lady. Her name is Candace Cameron and if that doesn't do it for you do DJ Tanner ring a bell? She came to our church and spoke and was awesome. If I could be half the person that she is...

And finally, this is the marquee at the theatre in Tupelo and we are using it to make our save the date announcements. So save that date. I will post the pictures after they are all done and cutesy!

So until next time.

Unredeemed

I have been going through some rough spots. I feel like my prayers bounce off the clouds more than pass through them. Its getting hard to keep my head up. Guilt weighs heavy on my heart. Ministry, more often than not these days, seems to be more like misery. I am not made for this. Nor do I feel like I am going to conform to it. I don't have the energy to act like its all going to be ok.

But when I don't know of anything else to cling to, I have the fact I all these things and all these doubts, and all my sins will not go unredeemed.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26


Prepare to cry. We are redeemed. All of our fears, all of our worries, all of our pain.

They will not go UNREDEEMED.

May I...

Introduce you to my neice?

This is precious little Lydia Grace.

She was born on Aug. 11, 2009 and we couldn't be more excited. This is the first grandbaby on both sides of the family (this is N's sister's baby). And also the first neice for any of us. And may I say that she has us wrapped around her little firgers already.

This is Dawn. Not only is she going to be the matron of honor in my wedding but we are going to be best friends until we die. I absoutly love Dawn...especially since she gave me this cute thing!

Lydia was 5 lbs. 13 oz. and 17 inches long. And get this-she never cries. She is the most perfect baby.

And this is Gammy. Or MIL as I like to call her (mother-in-law). She is just smitten with LG.

Here is the proud papa. Dawn said he cried when she was born-he denies it. But he is prepared already for LG to be a Daddy's Girl. And Lydia, when you read this (in like 10 years of course) HE SO CRIED!

Ok so this picture confirms the fact that I have man hands. But oh she was so tiny! I can't get enough of her and she smells beautiful. She is totally rocking that baby smell.

And last but not least...the best picture of them all. Uncle Nate will never be the same. And seeing him with her makes me so excited for the day that we will have a baby of our own. I guess she figured out that she had a tongue because she kept sticking it out (but I think that she knew what she was doing the whole time...she is preparing herself for wacky Uncle Nate.)

Our First Step To A Good Marriage.

So last night me and N had our first heart to heart as an engaged couple. We don't have many of those period because we really are just a happy couple. But when we do its because we have held in our feelings about something for too long and we both explode with emotions, frustration, hurtful words, and exhaustion.

Last nights topic: ministry.

This is a hard thing to talk about because we are both so passionate about it but also so stubborn. Ok so maybe its just me thats stubborn but whatever. We talked about how we have to be conscious about how we talk to each other. We have to encourage each other everyday. We have to love each other in the ministry.

These seem like they are so easy to do because thats what we do as christians, right? Well I have never been through something so difficult. Its hard to have my own idea about something and then keep my mouth shut because its his ministry and he can do it the way he wants. Its challenging when he wants to spend more time with his kids then with me. Its frustrating because we live an hour away and I never hear whats going on in the ministry of the church itself until after all the big things are decided, prayed for, or finalized.

So that being said, we are working on this marriage in the ministry thing. Its a hard calling people. Don't doubt it.