Rehearsal Reminiscing

 I still feel like I am in a dream. Our rehearsal dinner was one year ago today. For our wedding we had a ‘wedding village’ cabin community that was made up of most of our family members and friends. We all stayed at Amazing Branson Cabins– I highly recommend this place! They are perfect for wedding villages, family reunions, romantic getaways, or any other reason to take a vacation! It. Was. Perfect. SO many family members and friends made the trip out to Branson, Missouri. Why Branson? My husband’s family is mostly out in Georgia and my family is mostly out in California. So we had the wedding in the middle- in the city where we met while working at Kanakuk! We were surrounded by loved ones and it was perfect.

Words cannot convey my thankfulness to all who made our wedding week so wonderful! The Lord blessed me more than I could have ever dreamed! 🙂
God. Is. Good!!!

Here are a few images from our rehearsal night and a few images of the cabins and welcome signs.

All photos by Scott Cotton Photography

  

Designed to Be

My husband and I love adventures. Earlier this year applied for something (sorry to be vague, we are still prayerfully deciding before share this information with others). If I am being honest, I completely forgot that we had applied because we applied so long ago. Well, we finally heard back. We are currently prayerfully deciding our next move. The impulsive, dreamer side of me wants to jump in and say ‘Yes! Let’s do it!’ But the Dave Ramsey, nerd side of me is thinking purely about the finances. (Anyone else out there the nerd? If you have done the Financial Peace University you know exactly what I’m talking about- if you don’t check it out here, it is well worth the time and money)

One of the things that I love most about my husband is that he is so intentional about pursuing the Lord’s Will for our lives. Yes, I want the Lord’s Will- but my husband is so good about looking to Him first. I have visions in my head of what I plan and what I expect, but this process is helping me realize how small my idea of great is in comparison to God’s idea of great! I’m learning that I have to let go of what I think my marriage and life should look like and start focusing on what He has designed them both to look like. Our marriage and life together has already surpassed every dream I could have ever imagined. It’s time to let Him continue designing and writing the script in our lives. His work is always the best. I want our lives together to be everything He designed it to be.

So Good

My husband (goodness, I still can’t help but smile when I say that) and I are officially moved into our new home in Branson! And by home I mean “Cabana” since we are living on campus at the Kanakuk Institute which takes place at K-Kaui. Words cannot express how excited I am that we are spending our first year of marriage digging into the word with 47 of our new friends! I am so excited to begin sharing the things that the Lord teaches this next year with you all! Now that we are about to start getting on a fixed schedule I should start posting again regularly- sorry for the delay!

I am blown away by how much I have learned after only one month of marriage. One of which being how incredibly selfish I am as a human and a sinner. This is something I pray the Lord will quickly help me with so that I may better serve and love my husband and serve alongside him. But what I am most blown away with is God’s goodness. While I thought that I knew how well Caleb and I were made for one another, I really had no idea. The Lord could not have made Caleb any more perfect when it comes to loving me. God so obviously uses him to tangibly show me His love, grace and forgiveness daily. I pray that every wife feels the love of the Lord through her husband the way that I do through mine. (Ladies- if you are single, look for a man who loves you this way!) No one puts a smile on my face like my man. This month has been filled with more laughter and smiles than any other month of my life. God’s timing is good, His love is good and His Word is oh-so-very-good.

Praying before the ceremony & beyond excited upon being announced Mr & Mrs!

beyond blessed

Relaxing Retreat

We are only one week into July and it is already a crazy month! After spending a couple of weeks in Manhattan I was beyond ready for a relaxing week and this week I get to have just that. My mom and I drove up to Branson yesterday to visit our boys (Caleb, my fiancé & Cameron, my little brother). We are enjoying their company and some time away from the world in a log cabin. Is there a better place than a log cabin to retreat and spend time in the Word and with our Heavenly Father? If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend staying here… Of course, I am slightly biased! Caleb and my wedding will be held at Big Cedar which is located just half a mile down the road and all of our families and wedding party will be staying in these cabins!

Visit the website here Amazing Branson Cabins

Quick Trip

After having been apart for a few weeks, guess who I get to see? My handsome man! Got home from New York yesterday, headed up to Branson today to spend some quality time with the love of my life and my favorite little brother then off to California on Thursday! Have a great day y’all!

Mother/Daughter Wedding Weekend

The past two weeks have been crazy! One week was crazy due to school and this past week was crazy in a sense that we got a lot of wedding details and vendors planned! While technically Caleb and I have 11 months until our wedding, we have to have everything planned before we leave for Kamp in May due to the fact that we won’t have cell phones or internet for 3 months and finish Kamp just a of couple weeks before our wedding… We are crazy, we are aware. Luckily Kamp is in Branson!

Anyways, last weekend our wedding planner invited us to visit one of her weddings that was held in the same room that our wedding will be in. It was beautiful and the bride and groom were a stunning and so in love. It was precious. They went for a more casual feel then ours will be however. While my mother and I were in Branson we drove up to Springfield to meet with some of the vendors our planner recommended- 6 photographers, 3 florists, our DJ company (to choose our specific DJ), videographer, an invitation company and other miscellaneous things. Needless to say, we were on wedding overload. I was never the girl who grew up dreaming about her wedding, but now that I have found my prince charming I can’t help but dream about the day! 🙂

By the end of the weekend we officially figured out our photographer (which we thought we had figured out months ago- tip for brides with long engagements… don’t book anything right away, visions/styles change Ha) and are beyond excited about working with him! We also officially decided on our florist! She is even the florist who did the wedding that we got to see on Saturday. Her work is beautiful!  While meeting with all the different vendors we also kept hearing a specific DJ’s name come up over and over again, so that decision was easy to make as well- and we loved him in person, very outgoing and even went to seminary… random? One of the details that I was not to concerned about was the invitation, but my parents kept reminding me “a party begins with the invitation.” But as we began our meeting with the invitation company I quickly became excited and  even found a way to include my moms “classic invitation style” into the new modern invitations. We specially designed them and I can’t wait to see how the sample comes back!!

We also came up with many fun ideas, but I don’t want to share them before the big day!

330 days!!! 

Wedding Things I’m Loving

These are a few of so many things I’m currently loving (without giving away any details of what we have planned- of course)! What are some wedding details or things you are loving?

Is there something you wish you had done at your wedding or enjoy seeing at a wedding? I’m always looking for wedding inspiration! 8 months left of planning, then Caleb and I will be without phones and internet for 3 months while at Kamp! Then the wedding is a week and a half later!

{And yes, pinterest has become my new addiction}

Wedding & Family Celebrations

To say that this past week was amazing is an understatement. It all began when Caleb came down to attend a Mavericks Finals game with my family (the only home game we lost- of course… great game anyways though). The next morning Caleb and I made our way up to Branson where he returned to K West and I stayed at a cabin. While in Branson I was able to finish a couple of online courses, work and have great quiet time with the Lord. There is something so peaceful and relaxing about being in a cabin with a fireplace. (Check out these cabins here!)

Three Bear Lodge- the two bedroom cabin I got to stay in!

While in Branson I even was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a Kitchie (served and cleaned in the kitchen) at K West the night of the Western Party and then a full “K West Sunday.” A couple days later Caleb’s parents and grandparents and my parents and grandparents arrived in Branson.  Caleb took a 4-8 (basically a forty-eight hour break from Kamp) and hung out with all of us. (I should probably mention that our families had yet to meet! Talk about exciting!) Over the course of the weekend we were blessed with the opportunity to relax, get to know each other and enjoy each other’s company. The families toured the area and one night we barbequed on the back deck. Each night Caleb and I got to relax in a hot tub under the stars! We even got to show everyone where the wedding ceremony and reception will be at Big Cedar! It was so much fun getting to talk about wedding plans with everybody! After spending the weekend with everyone I am more excited than ever to begin my life with Caleb! Not only did the Lord bless me with a wonderful and godly fiancé, he is blessing me with a wonderful new family! I could not have asked for a better weekend! It’s true:

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
-Psalm 37:4

Which is more than likely more than you can fathom 🙂

Caleb's Parents got to visit Kamp! And Beth (in the white shirt) and her husband Ward (not in photo) are going to do our premarriage counseling! Ward will also marry us!

On the lawn at Big Cedar!

Caleb and I at Big Cedar enjoying the God's scenery and each others company 🙂

Each day I grow even more excited about our wedding and fall more in love with Caleb! So far we have the venue, the caterer and the photographer! I’ve also decided our colors 🙂 What’s next? Anyone have any suggestions? Seriously, I’d love any tips or ideas!