Time flies....

I'm not exactly sure how it is the middle of July already, but it's been way too long since I've been posting regularly!  Time has been flying by.  Just trying to catch my breath, do our laundry, keep up with work, take care of our house and have some fun on the side. 

I'll bring you up to speed and give you the Cliff Notes version of the last couple of months or so....

• I've been traveling A TON.  I've been to Minneapolis at least 3 times since the end of April, Orlando, multiple trips to San Antonio, Houston & Corpus.  And that's just all for work! 
• I had a chance to see one of my best friends at work tie the knot on a perfect Arizona day.  She was a beautiful bride!
• While I was there, I also got to see God's goodness as the ultimate healer. We nearly lost my grandma and He is healing and restoring her.  Praise Him for that! 
• Blake and I took a much needed vacation to beautiful St. Lucia to celebrate our one year anniversary (again).  It was so wonderful and so relaxing.  I'll post some pics soon of our travels!
• My sister and her boyfriend (our friend Tommy) visited us in Austin since they were here in town for a wedding.  Great time together! 
• Bonus!  We got to have lunch with my parents on Sunday since they were here for a marriage conference.  So nice to all be together. 
• Blake headed to UMARMY with the church we grew up in.  He had a wonderful week serving. 
• We headed to East TX for our annual trip to Lake Quitman for the 4th of July with Blake's family
• We just got back from a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest.  We got to tack on a few days of vacation to a work trip.  We had some awesome time with Blake's family there and even got to explore Vancouver BC. 

I can't wait to share pictures and more stories about our summer adventures.  There has been so much going on!

Happy Birthday Dad!

...an oldie but a goodie :)

So so happy to be able to celebrate with you this weekend.  I can't wait for a weekend full of BBQ, wildflowers and most importantly great family time with all 5 of us together!  I know that means so much to you and it does to me too! 

I love sharing my half birthday with you too :)

Hoping your day is great and you feel so loved and special.  We love you so much!

Happy Birthday Paul (Bunky)!

Paul and Ruth w/ my parents!

Happy Birthday to my Father-In-Law!

Like I mentioned at Ruth's birthday, I've been incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful in-law family!  I've been so blessed by the way our dads have become very close friends in a short period of time.  It's been so special to see that friendship form as you two share so many fun things together from Mustangs to house DIY projects.  You are such a caring person and always make me laugh.  I love your constant energy and enthusiasm! 

Hoping today feels special and you are doing something fun to celebrate.  So glad we got to be with you last weekend and looking forward to seeing you later this month! :)

Have a happy happy day!

Happy Birthday Mom!

You are an amazing woman.  Still to this day, I look up to you and admire you.  You are my dearest friend and I'm so grateful for our special relationship.  You are incredibly beautiful inside and out - eventhough you don't always believe us when we tell you that.  You're smart, talented, caring and incredibly hardworking.  You are a woman of God.

I am so happy to be able to be with you today.  Hoping you feel loved, celebrated and so special today! 

Happy Birthday Mom!  I love you!

Can you believe all these birthdays in one week!? 

Happy Birthday Ruth!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law!  I'm so so so blessed with amazing in-laws. 

You have made me feel so loved and welcomed as I joined your family.  Thank you for loving me and caring for me so well.  I admire your creativity, your compassion for others and the way you are such a servant.  You are an incredible woman and raised a wonderful son.  I am thankful for you!

I hope your day is fabulous.  So happy to get to celebrate you in person this year! 

Have a happy happy day! Love you!

Happy Birthday McKenna!

Clockwise from upper left:  M&K with our Goddaughter Emerson, Vacay in Cabo, Transiberian holiday family outing, Mac's graduation weekend in Norman

Today is my sister, McKenna's, birthday!  Mac, I hope you feel loved and celebrated today.  We are thinking about you from Austin!  I'm grateful to have you in my life and now have the chance to see a lot more of you in Texas!  Hoping your day is filled with joy and you feel blessed by those around you.  You are a beautiful, smart, tenacious, witty, Christ-seeking woman.  I am proud to call you my sister and my friend!  We love you.   Happy Birthday!

Happy "Birthday" Dad!

Praising God for what He has done in my dad's life during these last 4 years. 
So proud of you Dad!  I love you!

2010 In Review

2010 has been one incredible year for me.  Just thinking through some of the highlights of my year, I'm blown away by God's goodness and rich blessings!  Hope you enjoy reading through this recap as much as I did reflecting on the year that's now behind us......

I started my 2010 as an engaged woman.  I kissed B on new years knowing that next new years I would be kissing him as his wife! Though we had a little longer of an engagement than we both would have liked, our pre-marriage counseling experience was most definitely one of my highlights of the year. We had the opportunity to sit in the home of Heath and Lisa Taylor and do life with them for weeks on end. We loved watching them parents their kids, talk through potential road blocks with us and pour truth and God's love into our minds and hearts.  We felt so loved and encouraged by the entire body of Old Town Bible during our engagement season. We grew so much as a couple during this time and I think this opportunity got us off to the best start possible in our new marriage.

Bittersweet, since we had to leave them, but definitely a highlight, were the friends and community that we had in Arizona.  From Old Town Bible to the large circle of friends we were blessed to call our own - God was overwhelmingly gracious to us in providing solid, meaningful relationships in our lives. We were honored that so many of our friends would travel to Austin for our wedding to celebrate us in April. I have so many great memories of potluck dinner parties, FBR golf weekends, hikes or even road trips to Cali.  I also had the sweet blessing to be near all of my grandparents, several cousins and aunts and uncles in Arizona.  I cherish that time we had while we lived there.    

In April we tied the knot.  Marrying the love of my life was by far the best highlight of 2010.  Our wedding day was everything I dreamed of, even with the rain, a day I will never forget.  I have been amazed by how much I've learned this year as we have started into our first months of marriage - about the Lord, about myself, about B and about us as a couple.  God's goodness has shown up in so many ways through this sweet and intimate blessing.  Marriage has been richer and deeper than I could have imagined.  I'm so blessed to be married to my very best friend for the rest of our lives. This takes the #1 spot for 2010, hands down. 

After our wedding day we took a wonderful honeymoon in Costa Rica.  We loved our stay there and felt like we only experienced the tip of the iceberg of all that you can do and see.  We had the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure with days spent by the pool enjoying our all-inclusive drinks in the cabana or taking surf lessons, snorkeling, kayaking, zip lining or exploring the volcanic mud-baths.  We wished it wouldn't end!  We are already planning our next beach trip to celebrate our one year anniversary!

Having the opportunity to move back to Texas this summer has been an unexpected and incredible blessing for the year.  We landed in a wonderful location in Central Austin on a fabulous street, with fantastic neighbors and have loved exploring this city once again as "adults".  We've had numerous visits by family and it has been so special to be able to go back and forth to see them and not have to hop on a plane to get there for a visit.  We've had the chance to travel to Blake's grandparent's house on Lake Quitman and have been able to venture home for other celebrations too!  This has been such a blessing and one that we did not expect to have happen in the way it all fell in place. 

Within a few weeks of coming back to Texas, God led us to Providence Church.  We felt like we had clear direction to be a part of the church as it was in the core team phase, looking to launch in early fall.  We were so blessed by the community that quickly loved and embraced us.  It felt like we were almost immediately surrounded by friends we felt we had known for a long, long time.  Providence is such a perfect name and so pertinent to what we have experienced by God's grace this year.  He's provided in so many ways for us and in ways we don't deserve. We are so excited about what God has in store for Providence!

This winter we spent our first holiday season as a married couple.  The biggest blessing is the way our families have blended so well together.  Our dads are nearly inseparable and love spending time together working on projects, racing their mustangs or just being "dudes."  I love that our moms are so similar, yet so uniquely different.  They also have enjoyed shopping and lunching together.  They knew each other through Bible study before Blake and I even considered dating!  The holidays were a wonderful time and each family made it so easy on us to be a part of all of the celebrations and really "share us" well.  After all of the horror stories you hear - we really have it easy.  So happy to be able to have both families under the same roof on many occasions as well. We couldn't have asked for a better situation.

There are so many other highlights that have made 2010 wonderful.  To name a few...but I know there are so many more....Visits from Loren or Jen to Austin; weekly date nights to musicals, the ballet, concerts or trying out new restaurants; a getaway weekend in San Diego before we moved; weekends filled with hikes and being in the great outdoors; seeing almost all of my family this year between 2 family weddings; standing up for my cousin Jessie at her wedding in Chicago; traveling to some amazing hotels and sites this year for work including the Trump Tower; having a stable job and the opportunity to start a brand new role and build it from the ground up; having a fantastic bachelorette party in Austin - a weekend not to forget!; and a second 80's themed party in Scottsdale; throwing showers and attending weddings for several dear friends; the list goes on!

So, so, so blessed by 2010.  Can't wait to see what's in store for 2011.

Our First (Married) Christmas

Blake and I have spent quite a few other Christmases together as a dating couple, but this year was our first time to have our first official married Christmas together! It was a really special holiday season celebrating the birth of Christ. One of my favorite traditions that we experienced this year was Advent at church. It was such a great time reflecting on anticipation and hope of God sending His son to earth in the form of a man. It truly prepared my heart for the season and what it is truly about.

 We have had a tradition during the last couple of years to have a "Holidate" together. This year, my sweet husband, took me to see the Nutcracker after a nice dinner at La Condessa, a restaurant we have been wanting to try. Blake had never been to the Nutcracker before. My favorite post ballet comment was, "Those guys have an easy job; how hard is it to life a 90 pound girl? The hardest thing those guys have to do is wear those tights!" He's a funny one. I enjoyed the show and it certainly got me in the spirit of the holidays. La Condessa was delish! If you go - I highly recommend their ceviche.

We also enjoyed a few holiday parties, including a progressive dinner block party, a white elephant gift exchange with our Gospel Community Group and each had a company party to enjoy. No wonder December flew by! We also had fun decorating our home together. It was fun to combine some of the decorations that we have each been passed down from our families. One of our generous neighbors loaned us their Christmas tree and with some help from my mom we pulled together some decorations for a woodland inspired tree. I'm still enjoying how it turned out and how festive it looks around here. B also did a wonderful job decorating the outside of the house with luminarias and big bulb white lights. Watching Elf while we decorated makes any task more fun!

We headed home to our parents' a few days before Christmas with wrapped presents and several batches of cookies in tow. It was a relaxing few days spent taking walks, prepping for the holiday meals, heading to the movies, playing with cousins and wrapping a few more gifts. Our families bless us in such a big way since they make it so easy on us to get from one house to another during the holidays without missing out on too much.

For Christmas eve we had dinner with my aunt and uncle and Tommy joined our family too. We had fabulous BBQ Shrimp. I hope this becomes our new tradition! Afterwards, the Parrish, Moseley and Erwin families came over for desserts, coffee and Brandy Alexanders. YUM! It was so nice to have everyone together. We made it all the way to 11pm (after a few cups of coffee) for church at KUMC, then headed to bed with Sugar Plums dancing in our heads!

Christmas morning might have been one of my favorite memories of our trip home. Dad woke us up with the traditional Winter Wonderland medley. He handed us each a spoon and we danced around the house. Blake was a bit overwhelmed, but he caught on fast :). We dug into our stockings and had traditional breakfast casserole and Blake's family's Cream Cheese Bread as we unwrapped gifts.

We quickly cleaned up and then headed to the Parrish's. We were excited to not miss Paul and Whit before they had to leave and we all opened our gifts together. It was so sweet of them to wait so I could enjoy watching them open their gifts (that's my favorite part!). Another treat was the fact that the Brown family joined us for Christmas Dinner. I've never had the chance to celebrate with a friend before and it was so great to catch up! We had an incredible meal and spent a relaxing afternoon sitting around the table chatting.

Next we headed to Don and Jill's house for my family's dinner. The kids were going crazy over their new toys and loving playing with their cousins. Too cute. I missed my cousins and it was great to have a chance to chat and hear what's been going on with them. The Parrishes came over (grandparents too!) afterwards to taste test our cookies and watch some football while some of the boys sat by the fire.

We were exhausted by the time 9pm rolled around and headed home to relax and go to bed. It was such a nice day overall. I will cherish our very first Christmas together!

Wedding Rewind: Rehearsal Dinner

We hopped in cars from the Wildflower Center and headed over to Mercury Hall. I’ve never seen a downpour quite like the one we were driving in. We literally couldn’t see the car in front of us. It was coming down in sheets, no, more like waves. My handsome beau dropped us off at the front with an umbrella and I headed to the restroom to touch up some curls before greeting all of our friends and family that had come so far to be with us and celebrate us. All of my AZ girlfriends popped into the bathroom with me. It was so good to see them. It made things feel more normal and calm. It was time to celebrate.


My family and friends begin to flood into the beautifully decorated room. The Parrish family did an incredible job setting up the venue and transforming it into something even more beautiful. Mercury Hall was an old Baptist Church that was relocated to South Austin. It had beautiful white wood, and a fabulous lawn. Ruth and company (with the creative assistance of Shannon Jex) created amazing touches to make our Texas Affair come to life. Ruth beaded small mason jars that lined the stained glass windows, Shannon wrote our names in rope on an old wooden fence that welcomed our guests, there were painted boots, personalized with all of our favorites and yummy goodies and beer to snack on before the BBQ was served. It was perfect. They did an incredible job. All the hard work paid off. I can’t believe they put in so many hours of prep for us. So special. Honored.

How cute are all those amazing details that the Parrish family put together?


Family by family – people trickled in, trying to avoid the rain. For most, it was the first time I had seen most of them since they arrived in Texas. It was a sweet blessing to be surrounded by so many loved ones. Some made me tear up when I saw them for the first time, others brought huge smiles to my face. It was a good day. Joy.

Paul and Ruth kicked off the evening welcoming all of our guests from near and far. They laid down some of the “ground rules” of the venue and toasted us. Paul’s sweet words telling me that I am, “As smart and I am beautiful” made me feel loved, welcomed and happy to be a (almost) part of their family. I was taken back by gratefulness. Ruth had a special gift for Blake as well. She had boxed up and wrapped her cut apron strings that she was ready to hand over. She had done the same thing for Paul Jr. when he went off to college. Blake’s came a bit later :). Touched.

Then we ate. It was delish. Texas BBQ is simply the best. And Rudy’s no less. I tried to stomach as many bites of brisket and sausage as I possibly could – but the nerves were brewing in my tummy. I forced a few more bites of beans. Mac said I had done a good job (good enough anyway) and I was allowed to push my plate aside. Butterflies.

We jumped into the pile of gifts we were set to give out to our family and wedding party. It was fun to honor and recognize them. The girls looked perfect in their pretty pearl necklaces and the boys were all set in their sweet sunglasses. They had their party faces on. We had a blast shopping for the flower girls and ring bearer’s gifts. It’s so fun to buy for kiddos. Their huge bag of goodies was hopefully enough to keep them entertained for most of the weekend. They were so cute and gracious. Our sweet friends and family then toasted us. We were humbled by the kind and thoughtful words people communicated to us. Blessed.

There were gifts and toasts and hugs and tears....


And then we danced......


And we danced some more....

Oh boy did we dance!

The square dance callers were hilarious. They got everyone up and out of their seats (my definition of a good party!). The kids loved it. I think the biggest fans were Natalie and Kate Taylor. They never left the dance floor. It was such a fun way to mix and mingle our friends and families together and have everyone celebrate a day before the big day together. Most of the boys congregated on the back patio to smoke some cigars and drink a few beers in their new sunglasses. Grandparents and tired aunts and uncles watched from the peanut gallery that was forming around the dance floor. Sweaty and tired from being in our boots all night the evening came to a close. Content.

I gave my love on last kiss for the evening and he walked me out to make sure I got my beauty sleep for the next day. The next day! The next day! Our wedding day! My parents generously got my sister and I a room to ourselves for the night before. I wanted to badly to stay up with all of our guests and party in my parent's hospitality suite with the best of them. Being a good MOH like she was, Mac gave me 10 minutes and then scooted me off to bed. Cared for.
 

I was getting married tomorrow.

To be continued.....

If you want to catch up you can start by reading about

....the week before

....and the rehearsal.

Featured on Wedding Chicks!

I'm so excited and simply honored to share our wedding day feature on the Wedding Chicks blog today! It's so fun to see the outcome through photos of all of our planning, prepping, sewing, creating, painting, crafting, adorning for so many months. So many long distance phone calls were filled with the details of our plans. I'm overwhelmed with how they actually did come together into something so beautiful. Despite rain, gloomy skies and an almost-indoor-only plan it all turned out. So much credit goes to the skillful hands of my parents (both mom and dad!). I am also so grateful for (almost) all of our wonderful vendors that brought our vision to life. Another hug goes out to my fabulous girlfriends and family who pitched in when my wedding coordinator was MIA to get it all set up in time. SO. GRATEFUL. Enjoy the feature!

http://www.weddingchicks.com/wedding-chicks/featured-weddings-events/48679/yellow-blue-texas-wedding/

Wedding Rewind: The Rehearsal

McKenna and I walked back to the hotel on Congress. A few of the bridesmaids continued to call and text and update me on their status of arrival. The butterflies were starting to flutter in my stomach. Again, it was like my tummy knew what was going on but my head was totally not tracking. We headed upstairs to our hospitality suite where the dads had made a giant CostCo run to make sure we had enough food, drink and adult beverages to last us for months (yet we were only going to be there for 3 days)! Not only was the suite beautiful, overlooking the Austin downtown skyline, the suite was full of people. I was a bit overwhelmed. But maybe overwhelmed in a good way. I made my way around the room. I was so excited to see all these faces of the family I love so very much and hug them and catch up. My aunts were helping my mom stuff goodie bags and the dads were organizing the bar (really the bathtub full of multiple varieties of beer and liquor). I then realized I had about 1 hour to get ready for the rehearsal - so I headed off to my room. Hustle.

After I got out of the shower I peeked out the window and saw that it was now pouring down rain outside. My heart sank - thinking about how we were going to pull our outdoor garden wedding off in the rain. Mac helped me pull myself together (no tears) and I continued getting ready to make sure we could leave on time to meet our coordinator and pastor a bit early. Mac did a fabulous job on my make up (she really could quit her job and become a make-up artist if she wanted to) and I put on my new Anthro dress, chunky necklace and wedges. I'm not gonna lie - I felt pretty fab in my new outfit. Even in the Texas humidity and downpour, some how my curly waves turned out. (I think it was the anti-humidity hair spray Mac was packin). My boots were loaded up for dancing later in the evening. I was ready to go. Let's do this.

I walked downstairs to head toward the car and finally got to see B. I hadn't seen him since we left Houston separately. After all the hustle and bustle since we have been in town - just being with him gave me an overwhelming sense of peace. He is the reason all these things were happening. He is the reason I said yes, I would marry him. He is the reason I planned a wedding. Oh how good perspective feels. We all hopped into the car and drove to the Wildflower Center. We were going to our rehearsal?! Really? I could barely believe it! I hopped in the front seat and the girls piled in the back with B at the wheel. I held his hand the whole way there. I didn't want him to leave my side. He really has that calming effect on me. The rain kept pouring...but it wasn't going to rain on our parade. Peace.
We met our coordinator and our pastor along with all of our other bridesmaids, groomsman and ushers under the awnings of the WFC. It was so exciting to hug those girls who I hadn't seen in such a long time since we all live far apart. It was so special to see each person of our wedding party walk up to us. So special that they all made the trip for us. So special that they love us they way they do. So special that they were all there - huddled together out of the rain. Honored.

Heath started our rehearsal by praying for us and for our day. It truly was the perfect way to set the tone for the focus we wanted to have during our ceremony and wedding. It was our hope and our prayer that people would see our relationship with Jesus through the events of our wedding. He lead us through the flow of events and talked us through what each person's role was and what to expect. The actual rehearsal was done in two parts....part one: inside for our back up plan and part two: outside where our Plan A could potentially take place, weather allowing. To be honest, it wasn't super smooth or seamless (mostly because our wedding coordinator turned out to be a total bust)- but I knew that everything would just fall into place the next day. Trying to let go. My flower girls and ring bearer were too cute for words dressed up in their western attire. At least they would be an adorable diversion if everything fell apart! One of my favorite moments was where Liz rehearsed the song she planned to sing during our ceremony the next day. It was such a sweet moment filled with quiet time to connect with Jesus and hearing the voices of everyone I love in one room singing praises to our Father. My mom teared up. I think that was a good thing for her. Release.

Beautiful ladies with their ribbon bouquets all in place to stand by my side....
The boys striking a pose in line...
My adorable husband-to-be. Not sure what he is doing here....but probably something to make me smile or laugh!

Such a proud dad. He's held it together without any emotion this far. The whole time I was thinking, "he's totally gonna loose it tomorrow and be an emotional wreck!"

At the end of the rehearsal a moment happened where everyone happened to be crowded around us huddled under an awning after we had finished running through the ceremony. My sweet sister circled up all of our wedding party and had them pray over us - laying hands on us- and blessing our marriage and day tomorrow. She is a blessing. It was a blessing. Humbled.

Then we were off to party.....

To be continued.

If you want to catch up you can start by reading about

....the week before

 

Wedding Rewind: The Week Before

Since I took a little break from blogging during the month before and after my wedding, I wanted to take a little time and put all my thoughts on paper so I can remember every detail I possibly can to archive it all. I'm not much of a journaler these days....I think my blog is turning into my journal for the most part. I'm more of a verbal processor - so this can be my keepsake mostly for me - but also for anyone else who might be out there reading our story....

The week before the wedding B & I headed to Houston to be with our families and prepare and prep for the upcoming festivities. We actually flew home on my dad's birthday. I rarely get to spend birthdays with my family since I live so far away, but it was really special to actually be able to celebrate him in person. When we got into Hobby, Paul and Whit picked us up and we all decided to grab some lunch together and catch up. We ate some sliders and sat outside on a very cloudy and windy day. I don't' think it really hit me that I can come to Texas this time as a single girl and I would be leaving as a married woman. It had finally arrived, we had finally arrived - but it didn't seem like it was here at all. All I really could think about was the to do list in the back of my mind and the looming dooming weather forecast that I incessantly kept checking on my iphone. Anxiety.

Our dads ended up joining us for lunch after they had spent the morning racing their mustangs together. It's amazing what great friend they have become and how many similar interests and passions they have. Some people say that this is one of the biggest challenges in getting married, but for us we have been blessed to have an extremely easy merger of our two families. They have become close friends during our dating years and it's been so fun to watch. Thankful.

The next few days were spent in Kingwood. My mom and I wrapped up some last minute projects. We honestly didn't have a ton to do because of my parents incredible efforts to organize, reorganize and inventory every single piece of decor we had DIY'd together and separately. We got plucked, pedicured, waxed (torture) and spray tanned - all of those girly things a bride and her mom must do to get ready for the big day. It almost felt like we were getting ready for homecoming or a dance competition like we used to in high school. We shopped for finishing touches for our rehearsal dinner outfits and just spent some much needed girly time together. It was so nice to spend some one on one mother daughter time. I had missed my best friend - the world feels right with her by my side. That's what moms do for us. Grateful.

Unfortunately, the wedding stress seemed inevitable for all of us. We had been working so so hard on this "event" for the last 11 months and we wanted all of our hard work to come to fruition. To be honest, I think the dreadful forecast was the biggest stressor. My dad was our rock and our glue during those days. We came close to high stress-near breakdowns but he was able to put things in perspective for his two emotional ladies, calm us down and help us tackle what was left to be done. He's so constant in his emotions and so amazingly rationale and logical. I'm thankful for that in him. So many of those characteristics I can find in B too...I guess people say you marry someone like your dad. :) I ran to let my stress out. Boy did I run. I'm not usually much of a stamina runner, but it was the perfect way for me to clear my head and focus on what was truly important - Jesus and the fact that He lead me to this week where I was going to get to marry Blake. That's all that really mattered. Exhale.

Mid week B & I got to have one last date night together as an engaged couple. Our friends Jordan and Chris did this and we thought it would be a great idea to do the same. It was so great to step away - not talk about wedding details and have some quiet time together. Over a glass of wine and some fish on the lake we sat across the table, grinning from ear to ear about what was about to happen in a matter of days. Giddy.

My Uncle Don had called us and asked if we wanted to come up a day early to Austin. He thought it would be a good idea for us to have a little extra time to get all the things we had planned to do done before our guest started to arrive at the hotel. Mindy & Nathan were kind enough to open their home for us once more. We toyed with the idea and then decided to take him up on his advice. Wednesday night we packed up the car with all of the bins, boxes, bags and wagons full of decor and gifts and made the trek to the ATX. It's starting.

The drive was incredibly beautiful. I was in Austin 5 weeks prior for my bachelorette weekend and everything still looked dead and suppressed by winter. This was so different, what a contrast. My mom best described it as if, "God had taken a paint brush and placed splashes of vibrant color on a sea of green." The wildflowers were eye popping beautiful. Even if we did have a gray & rainy wedding day - we were going to have a colorful one as we were getting married at the Wildflower Center. We worshiped Him and His creation during our 3 hour drive. I know he knew we needed to see His beauty. He's so good to us. Awestruck.

We were greeted by excited cousins, aunts, uncles and God children. It gave me so much peace to be with my family as soon as we arrived. I jumped on the trampoline with my second-cousins and held my God-daughter. Not the most "bridal" thing to do - but having to redo my nail polish for wedding day was well worth the giggles and laughter and time with those sweet kiddos. We got calls from more family that had gotten into town. Excitement was building. It still didn't feel like they were all here for me and B. I felt like someone else was getting married or graduating and everyone happened to be in town for the event. Could this really be for us? Surreal.

Avery let me sleep in her bedroom so I could get a good night's sleep. Everyone knows that it is the princess room according to miss Avery. I guess being the bride gives you special treatment. Again, it just didn't feel like all this excitement, planning, travel, and fuss was supposed to be over me. Humbled.

I was up the next morning early - restless with so much running through my mind. I broke open my computer, cleared out a few work emails, checked the forecast (still not looking too promising) once again and then starting writing B the card that I had planned to give him on our wedding day before I walked down the aisle. Tears were flowing. I just couldn't wait any longer to be his wife and they day was almost here! I was so so so ready to have all of the wedding to do lists and tasks behind me and just be his wife. That's what I really wanted from day one of our engagement. It's amazing how much we had to get through and get done in order to get to this day. It does seem silly in hindsight. I calmed my stomach with some out of this world breakfast tacos (Austin's specialty) and then my mom and I jumped in the car to go drop off my dress to be pressed and then check into the hotel. On the way out the door the kids joyfully and proudly handed me some pictures they drew for me. Carter had drawn B & I at the alter on our wedding day and Caroline & Avery gave me some beautiful shapes and scribbles on pink and purple paper. Too sweet. I'm ready get this show on the road. Here we go.

We got to our room and checked out the suite and waited for the dads to arrive with the bar supplies and snacks for our guests. Mac arrived in ATX after her drive from Houston this morning. I was greeted with a huge hug and a well stocked survival kit - what a fabulous maid of honor. It was so good to finally get to see her. We grabbed a tea and a latte and she and I walked to a nearby nail salon to fix up the mess I made the night before and get some sister time before the chaos started. The lovely ladies of my bridal party were on their way from their various cities. The texts were flying in. I was so excited to get to see them all and have so many people that I care about in one space. I was truly trying to savor every moment. It still didn't feel real - entirely. The butterflies were starting but my head and my stomach hadn't yet connected and to let me in on the fact that this was actually happening. The last of my quiet moments were wrapping up... deep breaths.

To be continued.

Rehersal Dinner on Mercury Hall's Blog!

Our rehersal dinner made the Mercury Hall Blog! How fun! Thanks again to Ruth and Shannon (as well as the whole Parrish/Ross clan) for pulling together such a fun and special night!

http://mercuryhall.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/open-house-times-for-the-week-of-april-19th-discounts/

Back from Outer Space

....or at least I feel like I am.

I think wedding world seriously put me in another world. I'm trying to come back from the planet of wedding and get a reality check. It was a wonderful, incredibly special and very surreal time. The day was more special, overwhelming, beautiful and sacred than I could have imagined. The honeymoon was the perfect combination of adventure, relaxation and genuine time to connect and catch up. I need to take the time and write down all of the thoughts that I can think of and remember so the feelings and emotions of the day, week and month won't escape me. Don't worry, I'll share the details with you too. Just give me some time to get back in the groove and get my head out of the clouds. :)

I've changed up the blog's look a bit (thoughts/suggestions?), added the few wedding photos that I've gotten my hands on so far, and have a few things in the works for future posts. I'm feeling good about being back in the game again! I'm re-energized about blogging - maybe from being inspired by other blogs that i'm hooked on. I'm excited to share a little bit about our newly wed life, my domestic ideas and projects, a little creativity in the kitchen and maybe I'll even get around to putting some pics up (don't get your hopes set too high)!

For now I'm taking a quick break from working from home to say hello. I love Thursdays. By far my most productive day of the week: free from office chit chat (though I adore my work friends), interruptions, hallway traffic, and must-show-up-but-you-don't-really-need-to-be-there meetings. Plus, I get to have my husband working side by side with me. It's really a joy. No one really believes us that we actually get a full day's work in sitting side by side. I think you would laugh at us if you watched us sit there in our office, not talking, typing away. Kind of makes me laugh just thinking about it. At least he's good eye candy when my computer screen is making my eyes go nutso.

Since Blake's day wraps up a bit before mine, he's setting up our new printer in the office. Compliments of Rob & Linda. A belated Christmas present that arrived in a mondo crate today. It was insanity. So many presents in one room. A collection of gifts and treasures that we have been generously given through showers, our wedding and even last year's Christmas, all waiting to arrive in one tremendously huge (600lbs +) shipment. Our sweet dads built the crate (complete with some hilarious graffiti on the side) and our moms packed everything up to ensure that nothing would break on the transport to Texas. Have I mentioned how amazing they are? They teach me more about generosity and service than anyone I know. We are blessed.

I can't believe that we've found a space for almost everything. Another reason why I heart our kitchen in our super-fab rental. (More to come on our casa soon!) I might be most excited about two gadgets in particular: 1. the mandoline slicer (that I happened to hug and jump up and down when I registered for) 2. my shiny, cherry red Kitchen-Aid Professional Series Mixer (I called it the Motherload when it came out of the box). I already have recipes brewing in my head to utilizes these little beauties! Blake is excited about his tools and his bike repair stand (not new, just sent from his house). Oh the little things in domestic life that make you so happy!

OK, that was a lot of randoms. At least I'm writing. Back to work for me. Must finnish up so I can have a sushi date with the Hubby tonight. Yum.