Blessings in the Waiting: 228

Inspired by my sweet friend Jordan and her fabulous blog, I'm going to make note of the small, yet daily blessings that I encounter as I wait to be Mrs. Parrish. Jordan has "Grace in the Small Things" as her title of this section of her blog. I somehow imagine turning this blog into something for the two of us once we are married, but in the meantime, I will countdown to zero and count my Blessings in the Waiting....

1. Mid day doodeling
2. The transformational power of prayer
3. Pebble Ice
4. G chat from Puerto Rico and words that speak to my heart
5. A Mother's call of concern: no matter how old I get, I'm still her daugher and she gets me

Details for THE Day....

I'd like to think that we're making a ton of progress on the wedding now and are getting to the details of our big day. You probably are starting to realize what a perfectionist I am and how I want everything to come together, down to the last little detail! From artistic reply cards to a ring bearer pillow - I want it to all scream my vision! The problem is, I'm not exactly sure what my vision looks like in total. I have this Anthropolgie look in my head full of unique and interesting accents but not overly casual, "indie" or even too vintage set in our beautiful outdoor setting. Maybe the best vision is Anthropologie meets J Crew. I am a very very visual person so it's been challenging to not pull every image together in my mind and see how it all ties together.

Regardless of what we pick and choose, I'm so excited about the setting we are having it in. Both our ceremony and reception will be held at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. www.wildflower.org I fell in love with the site as soon as we saw it! It is really very "Austiny" feeling and also has just beautiful scenery on the property. Blake and I even wedding crashed on our own and peeked into a wedding being held there while we were making our decision. My parents waited for us as our get away car! I'm starting to pray for nice weather that day already. Feel free to join me in praying for this- one less thing to stress about on the day of!

I have loved hunting through Etsy or Blogs for fun ideas, concepts or even things to buy....Check out these fun ring bearer pillows. I wish I could sew so I could make one myself. (I plan to register for a sewing machine so I can learn!) Anyone out there want to make something similar for me for less?

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5496608

True Sisterhood - Part II

Last night we had our first night of Bible study since we took a "Summer Break" back in May. After stepping off the plane after a full day of working with my boss and meetings with my customer I was wiped out. I nearly didn't go, but I made myself walk inside. The minute I saw Kathy, I just burst into tears. I was feeling just so overwhelmed by life and simply exhausted. It felt so safe, it was such a good place to let it out. Sweet friends, sweet blessings.

Despite my resistance to going, it was so good to be back with all of the girls, in one room, and sharing and catching up on all that had happened in the past couple months. 1 marriage, 2 engagements, several foreign countries, leading multiple YL kids to Christ, 2 marriage ceremonies given, a summer full of camps, new learnings, new love, difficult challenges, visiting families at home, obedience and blessings. God is doing so much in all of our lives. Just hearing a simple highlight of the summer shows me how he is so active, so living and so engaged in the details of his children.

After sharing, Kathy let us in on what we were going to be studying for the next "semester." We are going to be doing an in-depth study on Philippians with a focus on Community. Understanding God's love, understanding how to love ourselves and love each other. As soon as she started sharing what God had lead her to, I had this funny smile on my face. Ahhh God is so in control! If you read back a couple of posts you can see my thoughts on our group of friends and the community we live in. I have been feeling like God is going to do something huge with our friends (all of which attend this study) and it is so amazing that we are going to study how to live in God-intended community with each other in the process. I'm praying for Satan to stay out of this growth and time of learning for all of us. I feel like we are going to be attacked during this journey - let's be ready with the Armor of God...

Ephesians 6
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Take A Picture, It Will Last Longer

There appears to be an age old tradition of the bride and groom exchanging gifts on their wedding day. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this tradition yet. It feels like there is a ton of pressure behind it - I can just hear it now, "what did you get Blake?" and feeling like nothing would be good enough. There I go again, worrying about what what others think so much. To avoid this pressure and not conform to the traditional norms of wedding expectations, Blake and I have decided to get eachother one big gift - together.

We both have an interest in developing our photography skills. We have thought about taking a class or two. I feel like becoming a decent photographer at least requires decent to nice equipment. Therefore, we are going to buy ourselves a nice camera to take on all of our adventures of becoming a newly married couple!

What's even better about this is that my work generously gave me a large gift card to Best Buy from a contest my region won. This will really help us pay for our gift to ourselves- yay! I'm not sure if the kind of camera we want is found at Best Buy - but we will find out! Does anyone have any suggestions? We are thinking in the realm of an DSLR. Any thoughts or reccomendations are welcomed!

Welcome home, Blake!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I always thought this was a silly phrase - in our relationship the more time we spent together the closer and closer I felt to Blake. I finally understand that phrase after this week.

Blake spent several days on the East Coast this past week. He left on Wednesday morning and just returned yesterday night. It was crazy how much I missed him! That almost sounds strange to me since we spent so much time during our relationship doing the long distance thing. I guess we've become really spoiled lately. We are so blessed to live just 15 or so minutes a part, spend most nights cooking dinner together and enjoying each other's company on the weekends.

It was so great being back together yesterday. I went and had lunch with Blake during my lunch hour. It was so refreshing to just talk in person and connect. I feel like we have a really hard time running out of things to say when we are in person. We had so much to catch up on! I came home and we made a yummy dinner at my apartment- baked citrus salmon, sauteed veggies and sweet potato and then went for a walk and a night swim to cool down from the heat. I'm simply so thankful for him. He truly is my best friend. I'm so glad he is back home....The bad news is that I left this AM for a business trip. Life of a working girl at it's best!

Amen Y'all

I really miss Texas. I was having one of those days last night where all I wanted to do was go home and hang around in my PJs at my parents house, help my mom make dinner and watch TV on the couch with my dad while he eats Popsicles and popcorn. Ohhh I miss those days and really took the opportunity to have my parents nearby for granted. I miss girl talk on my mom's bed, I miss my dad's willingness to fix anything and offer his help in any way possible, I even miss sharing a bathroom with my sister and catching up in our Jack and Jill mirrors.

Shey asked me over for dinner last night to go to her mom's house. Meredith (her mom) truly has the gift of hospitality. Every time I go over to her house for dinner or an event she has a perfectly themed spread with decorations and has thought of every detail. She has such a layed back home and makes everyone feel welcome and special. Last night Meredith cooked a Southern meal! It was perfect timing for my slight bout of homesickness. She made pulled BBQ pork, little corn cake/tortillas (from scratch), coleslaw, corn salad and even had fried pickles and homemade BBQ sauce! Such a treat!!!

The best part of the evening was when Meredith asked Shey to say a blessing - instead of going for it, Shey deferred to me - asking me to say it in my most Texan accent complete with Y'alls, Fixins and a thick drawl. I nearly started crying from laughing so hard during my prayer. I'm sure God got a good kick out of it. Good thing He has a sense of humor. God Bless Texas!

True Sisterhood.

I love authenticity. I think it's really one of the most attractive things about people. I love when people can just be them. Be real about what is going on in their lives, without over dramatizing it, making it something it's not or even just telling me what I want to hear.

I had a great weekend filled with some awesome conversation and really intentional time with girlfriends. It was so great really connecting with my sweet friends and having time to hear the hurts, pains, concerns, joys, anxieties and excitement going on in their lives. Ohhh so much going on. I felt like my prayer list was extremely long last night in reflecting on all of our conversations this weekend. But even in those hurts and concerns it's so good to know that we can open up, be vulnerable with each other and see the mess in each other's lives yet really love and draw near to each other. So sweet.

I feel like this is going to be a big year for our girl friends. I told the girls this last night. We are going on our third year of close friendship (for most of us). We are over the getting-to-know-you stuff and getting into the deep and meaty material. There really isn't a "what's up?" or "what's new" anymore it's more like - "how are you really" or "I see something is digging at you, what's really going on." I feel like God is going to do something big. There is absolutely no coincidence why we are all living in such close proximity to one another. It could be really messy, it could be uncomfortable - but I feel some major life change coming on. I have no idea what it looks like - in all honesty it's kind of petrifying. In the same breath i'm so excited. I'm excited for continued walls to be broken down, for each of us to let each other into the junk of our lives. To bring things to light and GROW. Growing pains can really hurt....oh but they bring such incredible outcomes and results.

I'm shaking a little just thinking about all of this....but I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. Get ready....

Sorority Lane.

Recently the 9200 block on Redfield Road has turned into the coolest place in Scottsdale to be. Not only have 3 wonderful friends moved into my complex and into my building, my sweet friend Alexis has decided to become my short-term roomie until the wedding! It's actually kind of amazing that 6 of my closest friends (Jen and Tracy live down the street) live all within walking distance to me! Talk about living in community! It actually feels quite a bit like living in the sorority house back in the good ole days of DG land. I love that we can all just pop over to eachother's condos and say hello, go for late night walks or grab dinner together at the spur of the moment. There is really no need to do anything alone if you don't want to!

Who's up for a pool party at the Allison?

Domestic Godess.

Today I went to Target after work in search of a few household items including paper towels, TP, new sponges and Press and Seal. While on the cleaning supplies aisle, I stumbled onto a great sale on a Swiffer Wet Jet! A complete starter kit for only $19. I've been thinking about getting one for a while. I really dislike mopping and love the idea of being able to throw away the yucky stuff you pick up off your floor. As some of you know that may have been in my kitchen before during a meal, I am not a clean and tidy cook. I love to make it good and make it fast which usually turns into quite a large mess to clean up.

It seems a little strange to me how excited I am about this new "appliance". Why is it that all of the sudden domestic gifts or things around the house seem fun and exciting? Maybe it's the wife- to-be instinct kicking in. Who knows. Watch out Blake, i'm going to be a cooking and cleaning machine. As long as I have his help to do the dishes (which he always does so diligently), handle the yard (if we have things), fix things that are broken and keep me organized, we are set! Wow that was a long list for Blake!

Needless to say that hilarious comerical, "Baby Come Back" has been runing through my mind all day. Not sure when my old mop will put a trail of rose petals and be waiting for me in the hot tub, but I'm not going to wait for it. I'm hooked on the Swiffer! It smells so good in here!

Oops! I'm late for dinner! Have a good Friday!

Our firstborn...

I've been dog sitting this week for a family from our church. I'm watching this awesome dog named Wrigley. He's a lab/golden mix, about 100 pounds and just a lover. I'm obsessed. He loves to play fetch and is so good about dropping the ball/rope for you so you don't have to pry it out of his mouth, he waits for you to tell him to eat before he starts and really listens well. I realize not all dogs are like this - but he's great. He's so well trained. I'm loving having him around.

Naturally when you get married you should get a dog, a house, then kids....in that order, right? Certainly seems like that's the expectation anyway. I thought that I would want to hold off for a while on all 3 but I feel like I'm changing my mind after this week. Woah now... don't go thinking that I want a baby! I'm talking about a dog here.

Blake and I have both agreed that we want to wait a little while before we add an addition to our new family (I love the sound of that word!), but it's just so tempting to want to go find a dog right now! Blake would like to adopt one from the pound or SPCA - I'm a little bit more picky about what I want. My family used to have a great Golden named Barkley. He had the best personality ever. I've got my eyes set on a Labradoodle, Goldendoodle or maybe a lab/golden mix like Wrigley even! For some crazy reason, I really just want a dog to match our golden type hair, haha. They say dogs tend to look like their owners, maybe this is why! We even already have a name picked out already: Fitz, short for Fitzgerald. Blake wanted to name one of our future children that name - I told him the closest he was going to get was naming our first dog that name.

The wedding is still less than 8 months away and I don't think we will be running out to find a puppy right away. In the mean time, I guess I will just keep dog sitting to get my kicks.

Ouch II

Migrane again.....boo. I think I need to go home from work.

Good Pizza, Good Talk

Last night we went to LGO - one of my favorite spots in Arcadia - for some yummy pizza and wonderful company! We met our friends Dave and Brittani for dinner. We have been trying to set this double date up for the longest time. But between their international travels with FH to our crazy schedules of racing, HEB and wedding planning it's been quite difficult. Thanks to our sweet boys, we set something up for Monday night.

I was so blessed by our time together. They are really a special couple. Met through their jobs, work closely together and really are just awesome together. They are both so wise spiritually, care about others in a huge way and have an amazing view of God's plan for the world and are doing his work daily! We had an awesome conversation during the night while sipping on some delish White Sangria and watching Dave try fennel for the first time.

The boys are super similar in so many ways. We laughed a lot during the night at the girl's attention to remembering details of dates, etc. while the boys "just saw the big picture." I loved hearing about their adventure, the current challenges of their jobs and even all of the fun restaurants they have tried in the city (they seem to be on the same hunt we are!).

SO thankful for a fun evening. Can't wait to do it again soon!

RIP Mini

Today Blake found out that his Mini was deemed officially totaled. Such a bummer for him. It's so hard to see that happen to him when I know it's something that he loves so much! The most important thing is that he was fine. The accident shook him up a bit, but he came out without a scratch. So blessed! Blake's trying so hard to make the best decision possible as it comes to a new car. Should he buy new, used, something super cheap or maybe something more stable but more expensive. So difficult! I really admire his desire to not put his worth into this materialistic "thing" and simply just get something to get him from A to Z and to view it as just that. I can't say that I would have handled it all the same way. I found myself getting emotional just watching him process and go through the motions in his head.

I guess that's another learning for me lately -- loving someone so much that their hurts are really your hurts and their joys are your joys. I've experienced that in the past with family - but knowing that Blake and I will be partners for life and share all of it's blessings and valleys together takes it to a new level for me.

It's so hard to understand why God allows certain events to happen. Just when Blake had felt like he was getting his feet back on the ground with a new job and a new fiance (me!) boom....a kiddo comes out of no where and accidentally smashes up the mini. I'm really not sure what God wants with this situation....only time will tell. Or maybe not. I think sometimes God allows things to happen and allows us to really not understand. It's the mystery of faith. Sometimes it feels like insanity, sometimes it feels like you've got all your ducks in a row. Trusting even in confusion can be so difficult - but so stretching and so good. I pray God would strengthen Blake - even in uncertainty, confusion or in his boldness to strive toward Jesus in the situation.

Flood in your peace, Lord.

Double date at LGO tonight! Ciao!

Ouch.

Boo Migrane.

The best part of waking up....

I usually have my morning routine of making some coffee while I get ready in the morning. I take a mug to work or just sip on it a little as I get ready. My treat comes on Friday where I treat myself to coffee at a local joint called Jolta Java. My favorite thing about this place is that they know my name and say, “Hi Katelin!” the minute I walk in. They know my order by heart and have it out to me fast. It’s such a treat. Talk about customer service, it’s what keeps me coming back again and again. I honestly feel special - it makes the experience seem personal and just so much more enjoyable then standing in a mile long line at Starbucks where the traffic is so nuts that you would have to go daily to be remembered. Plus, they cold brew their iced coffee! So much better than making it hot and then letting it cool down – it really removes that bitter taste that coffee can get when it changes temps. I’m a big “local” coffee shop kind of girl. There is something just quirky, unique and fun about non-chain establishments. I highly recommend this place for all you Phoenicians.

I usually just do it on Friday, but I’ve been treating myself to my Friday indulgence quite a bit more lately. I’ve just been so tired and it’s the best thing to jumpstart my day (well, probably not the best thing…). I’m not sure why I’ve been so pooped, but I’ve really needed a quick jolt from my java in the AM! I’m getting plenty of sleep and going to bed at a good time….maybe it’s the heat….tends to make me lethargic.

I’ve also really been trying to spend time in the Word in the morning while my computer warms up and really reflect. It’s my whole challenge for introspection coming to life. I’m going through the One Year Bible again. I did it once before in college, but it’s really a great way to stay on track to stay in the Word and have something to digest each day in truth. I’m going to really push to stick with it. Blake is in on it too- so that really helps out. Even yesterday was so timely – It talked about the challenges of marriage, after our session on Tuesday it felt really well-timed and pertinent. God is so good like that.

Tomorrow is Friday….you know what that means! Coffee treat!

The Nitty Gritty!

Blake and I have started marriage counseling in the last couple weeks. We are being taught and led by the Pastor of our Church, Heath, and his wife Lisa. We had a great session last night. They were so generous to open their home up to us…spent hours on the couch talking through things, pouring our wisdom and asking the hard questions. Their sweet little girls we so good and stayed in the play room and watched a movie almost the whole time. They are adorable. Looking at them makes me so excited to have a family someday (but not toooo soon!) I love having both Heath and Lisa involved in this as Lisa can impart such awesome insight as a woman and Heath truly speaks with authority in Christ and conviction as a husband that is loving his wife well and doing it through the guidance of the Lord. They are an amazing example for us. I’m really happy to look to other wise and Godly couples, especially through OTBC, to help guide us into the unknown of marriage!

After 3 hours of homework on Sunday, Blake and I talked through a wide range of things in preparation for Tuesday night. I am so so so excited about this journey! Already it is spurring on some amazing conversation and dialog. I know it’s going to be hard, uncomfortable, maybe even painful at times but I am loving learning more about myself and about how that will shape our marriage as 2 lives begin to merge into 1. (I totally just had that Spice Girls song pop into my head – yikes!)

A few weeks back I had a big realization that I am not a very introspective person. I tend to just fly through life, from one event or task to the next. Many times, I don’t even process what is going on – from what I’m learning to what’s impacting me or shaping me. It's not that I don't like to think about myself or even get down to the hard details, it's just that I don't do it. It's a hard disciple for me. I’m not much of a journaler at all (this blog is the closest thing to it) but I really want to find ways to challenge myself to be more of a processor about myself. The funny part is, I tend to over analyze EVERYTHING about EVERYONE else! I want to make sure I’m truly stopping to see what the Lord has to teach me. I desire to look at each of life’s events as clear and intentional ways God is present in my life and molding and shaping me in the process. Most times that I am the most introspective is actually in conversation, discovering things about myself as it comes out of my mouth. Maybe I just need to be talking more? I think this whole counseling thing is really going to help me get there. Pray for my journey of some self discovery and figuring out who I am in Christ.

Off for some sushi and a bike ride with the fiancé tonight!

And I'm Back!!!!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. It’s one of those things: once you stop and lose momentum it’s really hard to get back on the horse. Well I’m making a run for it…and I’m back. I can’t commit to everyday or really even once a week. We will just take it a day at a time and see how this goes. I’m not going to lie, I was a little bit inspired to start writing again after I saw Julie and Julia. I also got a sweet note from a high school friend who enjoyed my writing. Comments are motivating!

Well since I’ve been away, life has been a bit of a whirlwind. Since getting engaged I feel like I’ve been flying at about 500 miles an hour. From pre martial counseling, lots of travel ( work and fun), wedding planning and Gen Mills I think I have a couple full time jobs! Despite a crazy schedule, wedding planning is off to a great start! We have a date set – April 16th in Austin at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. I’m so excited and wish it was tomorrow! After setting the date, I really started to enjoy wedding planning. One of my favorite things to do is look at wedding blogs. They are so inspiring and it is so fun to see all of the creative and unique ideas that people come up with to make their day one-of-a-kind. My parents have been a huge help during the whole process. I think they are truly saints! They have given up so much time and energy to help make our day as special as possible. I hope they are having fun in the process too! I also have THE DRESS!! My mom came in for the weekend to Phoenix and we explored a couple of boutiques here. We had a great time and picked after 3 days of shopping. I’m going to keep the details to myself because I really want it to be a surprise for Blake, but if any of you ladies are interested, I will send you a link! She didn’t cry the whole time (I was so proud) – I shed a couple tears thinking about Blake seeing me for the first time. Ahhh I can’t wait to be his wife!

Blake has also been a huge help. I’m so glad he’s not totally adverse to the idea of planning the wedding! He’s working on helping us choose a band as we speak. He actually has quite a few opinions about things…that’s my stylish husband-to-be for ya. We also have a couple photographers in the works and are narrowing down our catering options. I’m starting to work on invitations with my lovely friend Jordan and also have some leads on Florists. Any and all suggestions welcomed for any Austin resources! I’d like to think we are ahead – but really I don’t want to get complacent about it. I have a list about a mile long of DIY ideas that I can’t wait to start working on! Oh so fun!

I’m absolutely loving being engaged. It’s just such a wonderful season of life. So much to look forward to, to plan (I’m such a planner) and just happy to be in love and be certain that I am going to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. So so so fun!

Off to pre-marriage counseling tonight….can’t wait to learn more about each other and myself. (I’m trying this new introspective thing…more to come!)