a random update

so here's a little random update on everything (well, most things...maybe not EVERY thing) that is going on in my life at the moment.

the wedding: it's going well. seriously, planning is moving right along and while i occasionally feel super overwhelmed when i still remember the list of things i have to do, for the most part, i think we are either ahead of the game or right on time with most everything. i'm trying hard to really enjoy this time and soak it all in but it really does feel like quite the whirlwind. this saturday kicks off the wedding shower extravaganza we have going on. we're having 7 showers and i am super excited and thankful for every one of them. basically, i just love being with people that i love and i can't wait to spend time with all the people that will attend the showers. i think, honestly, it is one of the neatest things ever to get to celebrate this time in our lives with our family and friends. joel and i are incredibly excited to get to walk through this journey right now. i'm thankful for the opportunities the Lord has given us to grow closer and learn more about each other through this engagement period. i have said it many times but i am constantly reminded of how blessed i am to have this man in my life and overwhelmed by the way the Lord has answered 28 yrs of prayers for a husband. praise Him...He is truly a God who is concerned about the details of our lives!

work: is going well...we are just moving right along. the new children's minister starts next week and i'm excited to work with him. i'm excited to see what the Lord does through him in our ministry.

so, that's a random little update. hope all is well in your world.

oohh...those of you who read the blog...here's a little interactive question for you (meaning: please leave me a comment). any ideas about wedding favors with a Christmas theme? i have some ideas but i haven't nailed it down, yet.

a few of my favorites

we had such a blast in asheville with our engagement picture extravaganza weekend. we enjoyed every minute with each other and really loved spending time with joel's parents. here are just a few of my favorites from the weekend. (my apologies...blogger was being goofy and messed up the order of my pictures...i wanted them to be in the order in which they were taken but oh well...i'm not going to stress about it. ;)

say cheese!!

we're off today to the asheville area for engagement pictures. yay! we've spent weeks picking out outfits (poor joel...he has been quite the trooper enduring multiple shopping trips just for his clothes :) and thinking through shots we would like to have etc. i'm excited (not about having my picture taken...i'm not really a fan of that) about getting away and spending time with joel and his parents.

unfortunately, we (j and i) both have colds so as long as we're hyped up on sudafed we will be just fine. :) i'm sure drug induced pictures will be much better, anyway ;).

have a happy weekend!

oh, oh, oooh....the right stuff

oh yeah...i'm going and i'm so excited!!!

i bought my tickets today to the reunion concert and when i go home tonight i'm going to dig through some boxes to find my big nkotb and jordan buttons (remember those? i also had luke perry AND 90210 buttons...i have no shame at all...no shame. i can't believe i admitted that) AND my splatter paint jordan t-shirt (this shirt was a work of art, for real. it was a white t-shirt with fake splatter paint and jordan's face on the front...good times. i still remember wearing it with a pair of acid washed denim jean shorts and multi-colored hoop earrings. ick. )obviously, since i wore it in the 6th grade, it isn't going to fit me anymore but perhaps i can find a way to work it in the outfit ;). i suppose admitting to loving new kids (remember back in the day when they tried to make the switch to just being nkotb? that was such a mistake) isn't nearly as bad as admitting to the fact that i knew (and still know) the dances for "the right stuff" and for "hangin tough." so who knows...when the lights go down and the music starts, i just might bust a move or two.

a list about a whole lot of....nothing

i can't seem to form coherent thoughts this morning but felt compelled to update the blog (since i haven't written in 2 weeks) so i'm going to resort to the list format. i'm a fan of lists and they're much easier to write instead of long paragraphs that should, hopefully, flow together to form a beautifully composed inspiring post (one can always dream :).

so here we go:

• i've mentioned this before but due to an incident i had driving to work this morning, it bears repeating: i hate car issues and car troubles; i have also grown to enormously dislike the little orange check engine light. ugh. it appeared in my car this morning again on my drive to work. thankfully, this time it was a simple solution but not before many tears were shed and phone calls were made.
• i love my job. seriously, i do. i know that i have days where i feel discouraged and think that i should just quit and go work at target (my favorite store, btw) but those are usually days when my focus is off and my perspective is skewed. last night the Lord reminded me about how much i truly love my job and what an absolute blessing it is to get to witness preschoolers begin to understand foundational, biblical concepts that will shape their future walk with Christ.
• i love, absolutely love the music we have picked out for our wedding ceremony. in fact, i love it so much that it is almost always on repeat in my office. i told someone the other day that i am absolutely SO EXCITED about the wedding ceremony not just because it will be beautiful but i believe it will truly exemplify the holiness of the moment when a man and woman committ to love and serve each other for the rest of their lives before the Lord.
• our crazy busy wedding schedule is about to kick off in a week or two with appointments for pictures, showers, etc. i'm so excited about everything and truly look forward to spending lots of time over the next 92 days with friends and family that i love so much.
• in keeping with the "crazy busy wedding schedule" thought that i just mentioned, i have to confess that i am a bit worried about my hair. over the summer i made the dreadful decision to allow my hair girl (whom i love) to give me highlights. any other time in my life, i would think, "no big deal" and just let them grow out but i don't want crazy roots or streaks in my hair in all these pictures and things. she did an all over color last time but i'm not sure that will do the trick. ugh. here's hoping. i'm sure hearing about my hair woes really thrilled your heart, enlightening and inspiring your day ;).
• with the wedding dress deadline fast approaching (the whole, wedding dress arriving, fittings, etc.) i have really made an effort to be diligent in working out in the mornings. i'm not always successful but i am trying. now, many people who know me and all my roommates and family will testify to the fact that i'm not a morning person. i prefer to not talk and allow myself to wake up and just have some "alone time" in the mornings. well, my morning workout time falls into my "alone time" category. i like to make my way into the Y unnoticed, get my iPod going and just enjoy my time on the treadmill....alone. i intentionally pick the treadmill that is farthest away from anyone. now, the last several times i have been in the mornings, it never fails that someone always picks a treadmill right beside me even though there are about 20 treadmills that are completely empty all around us and this person loves to chat. now, if i hop on a treadmill and the girl next to me is seriously working hard and listening to music and her face is red and i can tell she is probably just barely making it, i don't talk to her. i leave the poor red-faced girl alone. cause, can i just tell you something? this poor, red-faced girl is not coordinated and when you start asking her questions and she has to remove her iPod ear buds, she almost flies off the treadmill because it takes her concentration off her primary objective: not flying off the treadmill. so, the next time you see me in the Y, just wave and know that i'll talk to you after 9 am. :)

alright peeps, i feel as though i've rambled enough. nothing new or fabulous is really going on...just normal run of the mill, beginning of fall stuff. any suggestions you may have, though, on hair care/hair styling techniques to make the picture experiences fabulous are welcome.