We Got MARRIED!!

One of the last photos outside for the evening.  LOVE.

     The day was AMAZING!  It was everything I hoped it would be and everything I didn't know it could be.  Everyone looked stunning and the weather...seriously God...it was the best!  80* in October!  I can't begin to tell you all the things that were completed within the last 2 days before the wedding.  I honestly don't think my mom slept for days.  She was able to function well at the wedding though.  

           It was an outdoor ceremony in Northville, MI, where friends of ours have a horse ranch.  We then made our way up to the beautiful white tent for dinner, which was amazing, and then to the barn for dancing and fun!!  It flowed like water and was just perfect!  God gave us such a beautiful backdrop for our day!  Blue skies and trees that came in EVERY color!  I arrived to the ceremony by horse and buggy...yup. :)  





Kristin Robertson ( www.kristinrobertsonphotography.com) was our photographer, and she was so easy to work with and so calming.  I appreciate her eye and would recommend her a million times over to anyone wanting to capture a moment.  Hair and make-up was a group effort, but mine specifically was perfectly executed by Angela Pileggi on make-up and Courtney Selvig on hair.  Jessica Wicks and Whitney Hopper also helped with my beautiful bridesmaids.  I was completely surrounded by love that whole day!!



My man looked so great and his smile was priceless.  I wish I could say I remembered every part of that day, but I can't.  Like any great day, some parts will only be remembered in your soul.   I do know that I was happy.  Dan was happy.  We are starting this journey.  As difficult as it may be right now.  Dan just started his new job.  Mortgage Banking at Quicken Loans in Detroit.  AMAZING job and I'm so thankful, but I'd like to talk to the owner of QL and tell him that I miss my hubby and would like him to be home from work a bit earlier.  I don't think I will have much luck, but I can try!!


Needless to say...I'm back.  I can't promise how often, but I am ready to start taking some time to relax and share with you all.  

::Fulfilled Prayers::

I had the wonderful pleasure of watching my cousin Kelly (the leader of the cousin Wolfpack) beam this weekend at her wedding shower!  It is SO her turn and I loved seeing her so wonderfully happy!!  We all sat out in the shade, as the sun tried to abuse us with it's rays, and we listened as a letter from my Aunt (Kelly's mom) was read.  My Aunt Kath would have read it herself, but my family has a problem with reading sentimental letters and crying.  I think it's more common than we think.  I was doing a great job of holding back the tears myself, until one specific sentence was read.  I may not quite get the words perfect, but it went something like this:

"My prayers have finally been fulfilled.  I asked that all my children would love and be loved.  And it has finally happened."

 At that point I lost it.  Tears welled up in my eyes and I could no longer see the happy bride.  The sun changed to a hue of orange/red and I immediately began to worry that my eye makeup would start to run.  It's a bummer being a girl.   That sentence touched me...because I knew it was true.  I knew it was genuine.  The true prayer of a mothers heart; her children would love and be loved.  True, pure, Godly love.  It makes me smile now as I type.

I love that she shared that.  I love that she honored the Lord in what He had done in her life.  What are your prayers?  Do you tell people when they have been fulfilled?  I don't.  I don't always think to tell people.  I usually underestimate the power behind sharing what the Lord has done in my life.  But in those times that others share, I am reminded of that power.  I love it!  I love the joy that floods into my heart when I hear of the things that God is doing.  So just remember to share...and I will also!  Lets remember the power that our words have...in good ways and bad.

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him."    -Luke 8:39

I guess that's what I'm saying today..."Tell how much God has done for you"... It's a pretty good idea!!

::Just go STRAIGHT::

I am great at following directions...most of the time.

Dan and I were driving the other week, and as he is still semi-new to the area, I was quick (unfortunately) to give him specific directions.  Now, believe me, in the beginning that was helpful to him, but after a while he needed to learn his way around and I still wanted be specific...oops!  I learned my lesson and decided that I would no longer give directions immediately, but instead I would ask if he knew his way, and if he did then I would just ride along.  So, on our way back from...somewhere.  I honestly can't remember.  I could make something up and say we were on our way back from the store or something, but that's not true, so I'll spare you the lie.  On our way back from...somewhere...I was about to open my "gapper" and start giving him "specific" directions when I realized I didn't need to.  I told him, "just go straight".  Simple directions that any of us could easily follow...right? 

NO!!

Every road...street...highway exit we passed would raise the question in Dan..."is this it"?  And even after I said, "No, Just go straight" he would begin to slow at roads or sway towards the exit as we approached.  Don't get me wrong; Dan is an AMAZING driver, but we all do this.  We all second guess the directions given to us.  Whether is be from a friend getting us to a location, or from God who is directing our feet.  (The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Psalms 37:23)  

Sometimes the exit sign seems to direct us towards what we think we want...

But most of the time it's leading us down a path of destruction...

When God tells us to "Just go STRAIGHT", He means it.  And even though we pass plenty of opportunities to exit towards, we don't know what lies at the end of that road.  And if it's not what God has for us, then I can guarantee you that it's not the best...maybe not even worth the thought.

Needless to say, often while driving down the highway, I am reminded of this illustration.  It charges me to make good decisions.  It charges me to "JUST GO STRAIGHT'.

::Writing on the Wall::

I LOVE writing on the walls!!  
That's the child coming out in me, but it's true!  It's like breaking all the rules and it catches attention, because you shouldn't be allowed to do it.  Dan and I have started this new thing at his apartment, where we write encouraging things on the wall.  Ok, Ok...not just the wall.  I took a huge old picture frame and with leaving the glass in and taking the back off, it made a sweet dry-erase board.  So we write on the glass of the frame...and the small dry-erase board by the door...and the mirrors...and the fridge.  Let's just say that we've found the impact of writing on surfaces to be great.  Which brings me to the whole reason of writing on the wall...

Truth.

There is something so powerful about speaking/writing truth to each other.  After speaking with two great friends one night about sustaining and growing our relationships with our husbands (or fiancée in my case) I challenged one of the girls to start encouraging her husband by speaking truth into his life.  Intentionally saying things that are true (via. the Word of God) about her hubby.  Instead of reminding him of the areas he screws up in, she would be reminding him of the man of God he IS!!  The idea came out before I could really think about it...and then it hit me; GREAT IDEA, Dre!!  So I promptly went to Dan's apt. and implemented this idea.  Right there on the mirror:

 "...And you will be called by a new name Which the mouth of the LORD will designate."--You have been given a new name and you have been redeemed.  Thank you for continuing to become the man of God that He's molding you to be.

Simple.  It took a few minutes and it was easy to do...but the impact...the impact of those few minutes and the words on that mirror was immeasurable.  Needless to say, He loved it and to my surprise, he started writing back.  Well, now we have multiple surfaces in his apartment that speak truth about each of us and who we are in the eyes of our Lord!!  Can you imagine how powerful it would be to be surrounded by relationships that are focused on speaking truth to one another?  So...Beautiful.  So refreshing.

::"I Do" to blogging::

Over the past year, I've read so many different blogs and all the while I've been so ridiculously envious of how great these people are. They run families with small children (b/c they are young. All of my friends have not randomly had small (stature) children), work amazing jobs, run to and from work everyday and still manage to document their lives. I will admit...I do have a lazy string that runs through my body, but as the saying goes "we make time for what we think is important".

My time has come. I will blog for the next 3 months. That is my commitment. After that, I will see if this blogging "relationship" is meant to last.