49 Days

...until I marry this man. Isn't he so handsome? :)

I can't wait to be able to say "good night" as I drift off to sleep. Rather than "good bye" as he drives away.

I Could Not Have Known

My sweet friend, Allison, wrote a post with this same title. A post that made me cry for a good ten minutes because it's just so sweet and true for me, as well.

And because imitation is the best form of flattery (and because I've been a tad busy with wedding stuff over the past few weeks to think of anything original to post), I decided that I'd copy her idea. Here goes...

I could not have known that in 2001 I would meet a group of people that would forever be tangled in my heartstrings. This group is like none other. It wasn't my first time to serve in ministry with a large group of people. But something clicked. I know, I know that the Lord brought these people into my life for more than just a season. And that makes me so incredibly joyful.

I could not have known that this summer of orphan ministry would affect me like none of the others had. The knowing that when "our" babies and kids would wake the morning after we'd left for the States, they might suffer the sense of abandonment all over again as they lay in their cribs. A feeling no child should know, but a feeling they know all too well. And though we'd spent countless hours playing with them, feeding them, praying over them, loving them, and laughing with them, the worry that we'd perhaps done some kind of harm by leaving them is still overwhelming.

I could not have known that when plans changed and ministry this summer for Livada was held in Gypsy villages, I would scan pictures for kids 10 years or older, looking for familiar faces. The faces I knew in 2001. After all, kids in Romanian orphanages were sent home, no matter the conditions of the home or family, in an attempt to rid Romania of its orphan "problem" so that membership in the E.U. could be attained.

I could not have known that one of the babies in the "Baby Mansion" would now be a nine year old who now knows the Lord. Or that I'd be able to share her adoption or decorate her birthday cake last year or plan help plan details of every birthday party from age 4-7 with her mom. I could not have known that her mom, Marieke, and I would be such good friends that we'd need to talk on the phone multiple times each week. And I don't even like to talk on the phone!

I could not have known that I would have so many happy memories with Patti, and now, Brent. I couldn't have known that I would save her emails so that I could re-read them and laugh out loud. Every. Single. Time. And she could not have known that I'd be an awesome friend and drive with her to see her hubby-to-be in Denver. That's no small feat, my friends. That's love. Especially when you have to drive through Kansas. Both ways.

I could not have known that this guy, the one person I knew on our team before we left, would be the person whose life is a testament to trusting the Lord. Like, really trusting. I could not have known that he'd marry this girl who is kind and wise and joyful.

I could not have known that I would take pictures of every crafty idea of Michelle's, just so I can recreate it. Again, imitation is the best form of flattery. Right?

I could not have known that my heart would be so happy when Candace's name appears on my caller ID. Though we don't talk nearly enough, we seem to pick-up where we left-off.

I could not have known that just last night I decided that our entire TM team would have our next reunion in New Haven, Connecticut. We'll have a blast with Allison & Matt and Kim & Jason + baby. (Jeremy agreed, but said my trips to Wisconsin might have to be cut back. It's so hard to have someone around who's financially responsible. Who cares if we have to eat oatmeal and Vienna sausage for a couple of weeks? It's a trip to New England. Which, by the way, he requested a fall trip.)

Nope, there is no way that I could have known that these people would remain an important part of my life, eight years later. Challenging me, making me laugh, loving me and recalling stories of how we would escape with babies from the orphanage, guerrila style.

I heart my TM team.

The Results

For lack of not having the time to come up with a clever blog post, I decided to post a link to our engagement pictures. Enjoy! (Well, only if you want. Don't feel obligated to spend your time looking a pictures of me & Jeremy.)

P.S. Our wonderful photographer agreed to do a reshoot so that we'd have a few more pictures to choose from where my hair isn't wet. Woo hoo!

A Bit of Joy

On a day where I have to think to breathe, I love coming home to my sweet, little Crickett.

Ready for a New Season

Oh, I love when phrase is a play on words without any effort. And I doubly love it when it works as a blog title. It makes me sound clever. And I love that! Now, let's get to those new seasons.

I am so over summer. I want it to be fall. I want it to be fall now. I'm super tired of sweating. I'm tired of my make-up melting off. I'm tired of wearing my hair in a ponytail so that it won't touch the back of my neck, which makes me even hotter. Yesterday, we took engagement pictures. It was awful; it was 90 degrees and about 95% humidity. I'm afraid I'll look like a drowned rat that was professionally photographed. A drowned rat without make-up.

Last winter, I proclaimed that I would not complain about summer temperatures. I was tired of cold weather. But I'd gladly welcome colder weather to look and feel like a real girl again.

(Let's be real honest, come February, I'll post something about needing to feel heat radiating out of my car on a summer day. But I won't be sweating as I write it, so it won't be as heartfelt.)

(Let's be real honest again. I know that we don't really have fall in Texas. I'd gladly welcome cold-in-the-morning, warm-in-the-afternoon weather. I mean it.)

Enough complaining. Who likes a complainer, anyway? The other new season I've waited for since March is Psych. The season premier is tomorrow on USA.Psych just might be my favorite show of all time. Talk about a play on words: it's about these two pictured above, Shawn and Gus, who have a psychic detective agency. Only neither one of them is psychic, just really perceptive. And since I grew up when using the phrase, "Psych!" fourteen times an hours was perfectly acceptable, it makes me love it a little more.

A bit of Psych trivia: a pineapple appears on-screen in every episode. In honor of that tidbit (Oops. Another play on words. You know, pineapple tidbits.), Jeremy and I are having pineapple tomorrow night for dinner, while watching Psych. I'm thinking curry with pineapple or pineapple margaritas. Maybe both. And we'll be in the air conditioning, avoiding the relentless heat. It'll be a great night.

It's Alright

There are few things that make me as giddy as the EZ Grader. This morning was a joyful start to the day: hair appointment and People magazine. My stylist did a quick trim, then applied Bleach 04 highlights. (I only know that because I heard her say it.) After all the foil sheets and cotton pieces were used, she guided me to the dryer chair and handed me a magazine. It was the one she'd been reading, so it was folded over in the middle. But I knew that it was People. As I folded it the correct way, I saw these two, plus friends:

Well, it was these two, plus three friends. It does mention that the cast has not remained close to Screech. Maybe it has something to do with his choice of movie making.

There are few things that make me as giddy as the EZ Grader: hair appointments, People magazine, and Saved by the Bell. And I just found out that Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style is on DVD. I feel an Amazon order later happening later today.