Recent (Or Not So Recent) Happenings

Quick Note: For those of you who access my blog through social media, I did not post a link to my last four posts. I did a mini series back in April and May, prior to our anniversary. If you have any interest, you can scroll down or click HERE (Engagement Reflections 1), HERE (Engagement Reflections 2), HERE (Engagement Reflections 3), and HERE (2 Years). 

You know those Sundays when you get up a little bit earlier than normal, due to overnight guests or company coming later in the day, and then you wind up with extra time before leaving for church. We are usually rushing around trying to get to church before the singing starts most Sundays, but Mother's Day morning was very relaxed. I was hosting my family. Things were set in order and my husband and I even had time for a morning photo.

Mother's Day was extra special this year due to the fact that it was also my Dad and niece Aubri's birthdays. They make great birthday buddies. I went for six candles vs. fifty-nine.

The $7.00 cupcake pinata was not the best idea on my part. It was a bit too cheap to even withstand more than three hits with a cushioned baseball bat. At least I know for next time.

Red Rover was never my favorite game as a child. Skinny arms seemed to be somewhat of a detriment to my team, and usually a good target for the opposing team. This crowd I could handle though.

Grandpa and Grandma with their fifteen grandchildren.

Mom and us girls.

The Wednesday after Mother's Day, Nate and I headed up to Indianapolis for a couple nights. We brought our bikes along and biked along the Cultural trail, around downtown Indy.

We really enjoyed the trail, for it was unlike any bike trail we have ever been on. It involved a decent amount of starting and stopping, but that is usually fine by me.

Here Nate is acting as the "I" in Indy. Quite clever!

One evening during the following week, our friends Arthur and Wendy came over for supper. Afterwards we did a mini photo shoot. They just celebrated their first anniversary the day before we celebrated our second, and Wendy wanted an updated picture.

We had fun tromping through the wooded trails snapping pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.

Every time I am with Arthur and Wendy, I realize more and more how perfect they are for each other. We appreciate their friendship, and hopefully we will always remember one another's anniversaries.

Last week was Latty's Vacation Bible School. I was able to teach for the first time this year. It was a fun week. There were not many dull moments with this clan of four-year-olds, but that is to be expected. What a blessed week!

Nate and I like to have Saturday projects that we can do together. A couple Saturdays ago, we declared it to be "mulching day." We beat the heat and got it done during some cloudy morning hours, and were pleased with the fresh look it gave to our landscaping.

This past Saturday, we tackled our kitchen. Remember the lovely blue-painted walls, with red accents. Well, it did not take me long to grow out of that, a year to be exact. We wanted more of a modern feel.

I decided to bid farewell to the blue.

It was just too much blue.

I went with Agreeable Gray from Sherwin Williams for the wall color.

So.Much.Better.

While I painted, Nate spent most of his day working on a back splash that we had chosen.

We are not quite finished with our kitchen update, but we are liking what we see. We love the back splash, do not miss the overwhelming blue, and are enjoying each other's company as we work together on this project.

I will post a picture once we are completely done.

Thanks for stopping by!

2 Years Already, How Can It Be?

Two years ago, to this day, the Bluffton country church was filled to the brim. Nate and I were humbled and speechless when we saw the overwhelming amount of support that had come to witness our wedding.

After the first service, my bridesmaids and I had a nice lunch at the fellowship hall. My appetite did not seem to show up, which is probably common for most brides, even bridesmaids.

We put our dresses on and still had plenty of time to spare. I enjoyed those pre-wedding moments with my girls.

We sang around the piano, and I remember feeling so happy and blessed. We sang the words to the song "Amazing Grace." I thought about the amazing grace that God so freely gives, the grace that led Nate and I together. Now here we were on our wedding day, prayers being lifted up on our behalf, and we truly felt them.

Soon the time had come to head over to the church. I was anxious to see Mr. Zollinger and to steal his last name. 

It all happened so fast, and soon a beautiful wedding ceremony was complete.

We made it official, and the rest is a blur.

I am constantly amazed by the man of God who permanently came into my life that day. He makes me happier than I could have ever imagined. I really do not know where the two years have gone. It has definitely been a learning and growing experience, but isn't that just life in general?

We love our stage of life right now, just the two of us. We know that God may call us to leave our comfortable phase one day, and we pray that we will be willing.

Whatever is in the future, we want to face it together, all while having our marriage firmly built on the foundation of Christ.

I will tell you one thing, we will not miss the bird seed shower that we had to experience that day.

And then we were off, at least we thought.

What are they all waiting for?

They look as if they expect something else to happen.

Maybe the return of the maid-of-honor is what they were anticipating.

 

All in all, we are thankful for a wonderful two years. Today is special and set apart, but we pray that we can show sacrificial love to each other each and every day.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Engagement Reflections Part 3

There are many events in life that we are never quite prepared enough for, marriage in this case, but God prepared me as much as He thought I needed to be.

The days leading up to our wedding were more fun than stressful. All of the planning was out of the way, everything was set in place to happen on its assigned day, and I just focused on the fun, small details.

My mom was hoping that the lilac trees would be blossoming by our wedding weekend. Not only for pictures, but also to incorporate some sprigs into the table decorations. Although Spring came late that year, we were pleasantly surprised to see a few buds make an entrance.

The Friday before our wedding we went to the fellowship hall to set up. Korinn and Jenae were kind enough to assist. This was also the evening that Nate made his drive to Indiana, and this time he would not be leaving me behind. This was the point in time where I realized how close and real our wedding was becoming.

Saturday morning brought much hustle and bustle. Flowers were being delivered, our photographer arrived, we all were getting ready, and I was ready to start the day.

I am convinced that we took our wedding pictures on one of the ugliest days of the month, but I tried not to let the coldness or wind dampen my spirit. I was excited to start our future together, as man and wife. Nothing could take away the joy I had in my heart.

God placed a peace in my heart, during our wedding weekend, that I probably took for granted at the time. As I reflect back, I realize how thankful I am for the calm spirit He so gently instilled into my soul.

It was a relief to get pictures out of the way. The wedding party and family came back to my parent's house for lunch, and a few short hours later we were off to rehearsal at the church, followed by the rehearsal supper.The rehearsal supper was set up beautifully.

Great service and delicious food.

It was a neat time of sharing. Several from our wedding party and family talked briefly, expounding on memories they had with us, along with other thoughts. We felt privilege to be surrounded by such a loving and supportive group of loved ones.

Soon we were off to the singing. I remember being exhausted by the time we got there, but God gave us the energy to get through another social event.

Before I knew it, the day had come to a close. I was about to spend the last night, as a single girl, in the bedroom that had once held my crib. With tears starting to flow, I grabbed a blank card and scribbled down some words. There was no way that I would be able to express my thanks and appreciation to my parents in a few short sentences, but I wanted to leave them with some small token. I thought about all the hours that they had spent on their knees, praying for me and praying for my future husband. They prayed that a Godly man would come into my life, and now he was here ready to love and provide for their daughter. Nate was an answer to their prayers, as he was to mine.