Asia and Chocolate

Hiatus

The wedding planning and home renovations are keeping me away from blogging, obviously.

I'll be back after the honeymoon - sometime in June.

You can always follow me on Twitter.

just thought I'd share ...

 

In case you didn't notice - it says, 100 Days until your wedding. That's 2400 hours. Or 14.29 weeks. Woohoo!

And while that sounds like a lot of time, it's going to fly by - I just know it!

Last night I came home and was exhausted. It's mostly from overthinking the wedding and how it's all going to work out. The to-do list is a mile long and I live in fear that I'll forget something or overlook a very important detail. It's overwhleming and it should be enjoyable, right?

So tonight I'm going to Bible study, and then going home and deleting about four shows on my DVR. I'm going to refocus on the important things in my life: Jesus, Josh, friends and family and getting to work on time. :-) The wedding is NOT the most important thing in my life. And while it marks the beginning of my covenant relationship with my future husband (something I've been waiting for for a long time), it does not matter whether we have balloons or paper lanterns, whether the confetti goes with the theme or not, or whether I have an aisle runner. It matters than we show up and make a lifetime commitment, that our friends and family are there to enjoy the day with us and that God is honored. The details don't matter - and no one else will know their wrong except for me.

Therefore, today I deciding to rejoin the land of the calm, relaxed and rested. Because at the end of the day who gives a care if you have a cute cake topper?

No matter the time of year...

Or how cold or hot it may be, there is nothing like a cup of hot
chocolate loaded with fluffy marshmallows. Yum!

I need to pack and go to bed...

... but all I can think about is ...

What is that?

Why it's a floorplan of my reception venue. That's what I did this
evening...

Wedding day

Why is it that the thought of putting on a party for hundreds of my closest friends leaves me feeling almost paralyzed? And the thought of making a covenant commitment in front of them all nearly makes me break put in a sweat? I have to seriously give myself a pep talk every day, telling myself that if so-and-so can do it then so can I. What is wrong with me? Some aspects of planning are fun, but mostly I just want to get this over with. Is that terrible?

can I ask for a re-do on my week?

In the past week I have ...

1. Had my debit card number stolen and had a fradulent charge made on my checking account. Therefore I had to cancel my debit card and am waiting for a replacement.

2. Later that day I got a large bill from the hospital from my 12-hour stay when I had surgery. Do you know how much the WHOLE bill was?? $13,000!!! I had no idea hospitals were so expensive. Thank God I have insurance and don't have to pay the whole thing. But I still have to pay a lot.

3. I got scammed in Craig's List. I thought I had sold my car, but then the transaction started sounding fishy and I research CL scams and it was exactly what was happening to me. So no sold car. The price of the car would have covered the hospital bill.

These three things have compounded an already busy week. Wedding planning is insane! It's like have an extra job.

Some things I was thankful for this week:

1. I met with the caterer on Thursday and I've all but booked him. So excited to have that out of the way.

2. I started a Beth Moore Bible study on Thursday nights that I am super excited about. I've never done a Beth Moore study before and I know I'm going to love diving into the Word with these women and Beth.

3. My wonderful fiance is always a bright spot in my life. He's wonderful, caring, and always listens when I have a bad. We got to have dinner at my favorite restaurant in Huntsville last night. It was such a good evening of conversation and relaxation. We have the best time together! (Good thing since we'll be together for the rest of our lives ... :) )

4. God loves me, pursues me, comforts me and is faithful to me even when I'm being a butt and can't see the forest for all the stinkin' trees in my way.

I know there are many more things I am thankful for (oh yeah, sleeping in this morning was wonderful ... and a three day weekend is great too!) ... but that's all I have time to write. Off to David's Bridal for flower girl dress fitting. Love the wedding planning (most of the time).

Goal-setting 2009

I know I'm a few days late with my goals for the new year, but I needed a few days for the new year feelings to ruminate inside me. I wanted to see what desires came to the surface of my heart and mind for this year, and these are the top 10 goals I have set for myself in 2009.

1. Attend Financial Peace University with Josh. - I believe that as newlyweds being on the same page financially is HUGE. We talk a lot about finances as it is and we set goals together and discuss how we want to spend our money once we get married, BUT I think going the extra step and attending the 13-week session will bring up issues we haven't even thought about and really get us on the same page.

2. Get MARRIED! And move to Huntsville. - This is a no-brainer and will definitely happen. That's kind of why I wanted it on my list, so that at the  end of the year I'll be able to look back and say I at least accomplished ONE thing on my list. Sneaky, aren't I? :)

3. Stay ahead of wedding preparation. - This means staying on top of my to-do list, getting things done in advance when I can. (I'm almost done with my wedding invitations because I don't want them to sneak up on me at the last minute.) I have almost 5 months left to plan this thing, so I have plenty of time. I must use it wisely.

4. Meditate on one Bible verse a month. - Some people, like my little brother who does Bible Bowl, are probably laughing at this goal, but I haven't been very disciplined about meditating on Scripture this past year. I want to get back to it, with a bite-sized goal.

5. Make it a priority to have everything laid out the night before for the following day. - My life is so much less stressed when that happens. All I have to do it get myself up and get ready, grab a couple of things and walk out the door. When I have to remember to pack something for lunch or put something in my gym bag, I inevitably forget something. When everything is set out the night before I don't forget anything and my mornings are much less stressed. This leads me to my next goal:

6. Make a schedule for myself each week. I have set up an excel spreadsheet for every hour of my day. I have then filled in all the regular activities like sleeping, working, church, etc. Then I take a look at the rest of my time. It gives me a sense of purpose for my week and lets me see the big picture, instead of just taking it one hour at a time.

7. Have a date night every week with my to-be-husband. - Right now this is NOT a problem because we go out at least once a week just the two of us, but I want to make it a pointed habit at this stage of the game. That way it's a habit for after we get married and for years to come.

8. Join a church in Huntsville and make friends. (Possibly even join a small group this year.) - Josh and I have been regularly attending one church in Huntsville over the past few months and I really like it. I would like to probably visit some other churches before making the final decision. And then once the decision is made, plug in to the church.

9. Tell myself "no" again. - This is less of a tangible goal and more of a renewal of a mindset. I have become lax over the holidays with telling myself no to sweets or to shopping. But it's time to let myself hear the word "no" again and exercise some self-control.

10. Make my bed every day. - I am borrowing from one of my best friend's blogs, but really it's something I've started to strive to do. Everything looks and feels better when the bed is made up. It also makes me more inclined to picking up the floor, or clearing off the desk. It sets an atmosphere of cleanliness in my room, and that's what I need this year.

What are your goals for this year?

How did I do?

Last January I posted by 10 resolutions for 2008. Let's see how I did ...

1. Run/walk the Country Music half marathon on April 26, 2008. - Done, finished in 3:06:22.
2. Stop trying to fill the void with people or food. - I think I did pretty well in this area, especially with food. I was able to go see a nutritionist this year and dropped 25 pounds and changed the way I think about food. It's still hard, but worth it.
3. Figure out how to fill the void with Jesus. - Wow ... this is a good one, and may stay on my top ten resolutions this year. I don't think I've done a very good job this go 'round.
4. Set a career goal for the next 2-5 years. - This year has brought a lot of thinking about my career and where I want it to be in the future. Because of my upcoming marriage, a few things have changed. But I plan to keep working (at least) until kids come on the scene.
5. Get a dog (probably toward the end of the year … or maybe next year. But I want to start saving for a dog.) - HAHAHAHAHA - this is too funny. I don't think I really wanted a dog after all, but I'm getting one when I get married in May.
6. Be more spontaneous. - I did a few things that were spontaneous. But not many.
   
7. Visit fun places in the States … not limiting myself to overseas travel. - didn't do this. Mostly traveled to Alabama. :)
8. Get to the gym 3-5 times a week. - Hmmm, the second half of this year hasn't been very consistent. But I've continued doing my cardio and Pilates.
9. Be intentional about going to bed and getting up on time … not hitting snooze so much. (This may include getting to the gym in the morning and not waiting until after work.) - still a problem.
10. Give more of my time to volunteer work. - I basically quit everything except for work in order to focus on getting married in a mere five months!

So, what is that? 2.5 out of 10? Things change ... and it's good to have a plan, but even better when those plans change for something better - like getting married and moving to another state. Here's to 2009 - a year full of change and new adventures!

Last January I posted by 10 resolutions for 2008. Let's see how I did ...

1. Run/walk the Country Music half marathon on April 26, 2008. - Done, finished in 3:06:22.
2. Stop trying to fill the void with people or food. - I think I did pretty well in this area, especially with food. I was able to go see a nutritionist this year and dropped 25 pounds and changed the way I think about food. It's still hard, but worth it.
3. Figure out how to fill the void with Jesus. - Wow ... this is a good one, and may stay on my top ten resolutions this year. I don't think I've done a very good job this go 'round.
4. Set a career goal for the next 2-5 years. - This year has brought a lot of thinking about my career and where I want it to be in the future. Because of my upcoming marriage, a few things have changed. But I plan to keep working (at least) until kids come on the scene.
5. Get a dog (probably toward the end of the year … or maybe next year. But I want to start saving for a dog.) - HAHAHAHAHA - this is too funny. I don't think I really wanted a dog after all, but I'm getting one when I get married in May.
6. Be more spontaneous. - I did a few things that were spontaneous. But not many.
   
7. Visit fun places in the States … not limiting myself to overseas travel. - didn't do this. Mostly traveled to Alabama. :)
8. Get to the gym 3-5 times a week. - Hmmm, the second half of this year hasn't been very consistent. But I've continued doing my cardio and Pilates.
9. Be intentional about going to bed and getting up on time … not hitting snooze so much. (This may include getting to the gym in the morning and not waiting until after work.) - still a problem.
10. Give more of my time to volunteer work. - I basically quit everything except for work in order to focus on getting married in a mere five months!

So, what is that? 2.5 out of 10? Things change ... and it's good to have a plan, but even better when those plans change for something better - like getting married and moving to another state. Here's to 2009 - a year full of change and new adventures!

Christmas in Memphis (part 4)

My parents both come from large(ish) families. My dad has four siblings and my mom has three. Sunday we spent in Memphis with my dad and his entire family (his mom, all his siblings and nieces, nephews and their spouses/significant others). All in all there were 30 of us under the same roof and can we all say CROWDED but quite a bit of fun. I don't know how long it's been since we were all together at once, especially not with the new spouses/fiances/boyfriends/girlfriends.

The whole gang ... I have 7 cousins, almost as many as I have siblings. :)
 

This is my dad's youngest sister and her family.

A little football in the cul de sac ...

Josh is showing off his moves ...

Emily, Belle and I observing the football passing.

Cousin Andrew hanging with the big boys ...