The Planning Has Begun!

Well, here I am. It has been 2 weeks since I got engaged. I found my wedding dress this week as well as a photographer. I also found where I am going to get my bridesmaid dresses and tuxes from.
I am so excited! There are only 267 days to go before I get married! That is 9 more months. Only 8 more months and 25 days to be exact!!!! I have already reserved the day at the country club and my pastor has the day saved on his calander! The wedding is going to be the 26th of May 2007 at 11am and the reception is going to be at following right after at the country club. The reception is an invitation only thing. That way anyone can come to the ceremony, but the reception will be quieter and more intimate with just family and real close friends. It'll be nice!!! I just wish time would go by faster!!! lol!

A Water Fall and a Surprise!

Well, I just got home from my 2 week vacation! I spent a week in Alabama where I had a lovely time with Drew and his family. I got to spend alot of time with Drew and grew to love him even more! We went to Six Flags, I got to go horse-back riding, we rode on his dad's motorcyle and roadster, helped out with his church's youth ralley, and got to hang out and talk alot! It was a blast!!!

This past week I was at the Wilds and Drew and his family were there too. We had a great time! The highlight came on Wednesday. We went on the hike to 4th Falls. It is the biggest and hardest hike on the property. Going down was the easy part. It was almost straight down. Coming back was the hard part because it was straight back up! lol! Well, when we got to the falls it was breath-taking! I had never been down there before and so I saw the falls for the first time unlike Drew who had seen them several times.

Well, Drews whole family came on the hike along with my dad. I was nasty hot and sweaty by the time we got down there and couldn't wait to get in the water. Drew began acting funny and said he just wanted to go stand on top of the big rock that looked over the huge water hole for a little bit and cool off. I found this rather odd since the water is ice cold! Well, we got on top of the big rock and everyone who is there can see us. Drew was real quiet for a couple minutes and then he says, "Isn't this place so romantic?" By now I am thinking he has really lost it. Drew never makes comments like that. Usually that is what I usually say! So, I just shrugged it off thinking the heat was getting to himand replied with a very truthful "Yes, it definitely is." A few more seconds go by and then Drew says, "What would you think if I proposed to you here next summer?" I look up at him with a start and say "No! I don't want to wait another year!" By now I am really thinking he has gone cookoo! He then replies, "Ok, well, then how about I propose to you right now?!" It then dawns on me that my boyfriend is a total stinker and that he is very serious because he then proceeds to kneel before me and presents the most beautiful ring to me and asks me to be his wife!!!!!!!!!!! Like I think I lost all functions for a few seconds. I think part of me was in shock and couldn't believe he was proposing while the other part of me was trying to register everything. I remember saying yes and I remember him taking me into his strong arms and hugging me and people cheering and clapping, but that is about it! I was instantly transformed into a giddy giggly mess!!!

The rest of the week flew by too quickly. I think just about everyone at the camp congratulated us and the head program guy announced to the whole camp that night at dinner that we had gotten engaged. I had little girls come up to me asking if I was the girl who got engaged at the waterfall and if they could see my ring. The speaker asked me to hold up my hand during one of the services and show everyone my ring as one of his sermon examples. I honestly felt a bit like a celebrity! lol! I even had some ladies come up to me asking to see my ring because they had seen me around camp and had glanced at my hand and they were all saying how big and pretty it is!

I can't believe I am engaged!!

The ring is a 3/4 karat solitaire with a wrap of rudy begets and channel set diamonds! Put together it is absolutely stunning!

I have alot of planning to do now and research and stuff! It is going to be a busy next 9 months! We are planning on getting married on May 26th 2007! It'll be here before we know it! Yay!!!! I am so happy! I still can hardly believe it!

Today is the day.....

....I get to finally leave for Alabama! At 8pm my train leaves and is scheduled to arrive in Alabama tomorrow a little before 12pm. Hopefully everything will be running on time!!! Tomorrow I will finally get to see the love of my life!!!!!! YAY!! Just a few more hours!!!!

If you don't count today.....

....there are only 2 days left before I see Drew again!!!!! I am just slightly excited. Yeah, only slightly.....YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just 2 more days!!!!!

Another poem....

This poem was sent to me by my friend Renee.

The Wait Poem

by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...

and the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.

"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?

By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate

hangs in the balance and you tell me to Wait?

I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.

Or even a 'no', to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:

I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate

as my Master replied again, "Wait."

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,

and grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting...for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...

and he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.

I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.

You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.

You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;

You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.

You'd not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love

When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.

You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,

But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask

From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.

Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,

But oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.

And though oft My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer of all is still WAIT".

Only one week left!!!!!

Only one more week and I will be in Alabama!!! It is the trip that I have been looking forward to for about 2 years!!! I can't believe it is almost here!!! Yay!!! I am really nervous, though! I have no clue what it will be like down there!! I am super excited though! ONE MORE WEEK!!!!!!!!

One month passed.....

It is incredibly hard to believe, but one month ago today my mom passed away. In some ways it still feels like she is here and just on vacation and coming back soon, but in other ways the reality that she is gone and never coming back is all too real. One thing that is for sure is that God has just pulled me ever closer to His side in the last month and in ways I feel like a different person. I see things so much differently now than I did a month ago. I pray differently, make my choices differently, and think differently. I guess I am not as afraid to die in some ways too. I miss being able to go to mom and get a hug whenever I needed one. I can't wait to get another hug from her one day. I also think about heaven alot more. I try to think about what it is like and what mom is doing and experiencing. Of course, none of my thoughts even come close to how awesome it is in heaven. I also find myself more concerned for the souls of those around me. Death is a real thing and it can come quicker than any of us would ever want it to. We need to get others prepared for what waits after death. We need to tell others of the saving grace that God has given us.
Something neat that someone shared with me concerning mom was how when she was here on earth she loved teaching her first grade class. She mentioned that her favorite part of teaching was the opportunity to give those children the Gospel and then watch as those children gave their hearts to Jesus. When I was mentioning how I long to work with children and teenagers and have the same opportunities someone who was very close friends with mom told me that I am in a way carrying on my mom's work. I am following in her footsteps. That thought meant so very much to me! I can't wait to do the Lords work, but then to think that I am following in my mom's footsteps just makes it even more special. My mom was a very very special lady! I miss her so very very much!