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Week In Review: May 6

This week has been a great one! For others' updates on their weeks, visit Filled With Praise.

LOW

This week, I'd have to say my Low was getting food poisoning last night. It was a really fun time (I finished my first mini tour at Old Chicago - which is so not a big deal except that it took me about a year to accumulate 10 beers, and so finishing a mini tour in the time limit of the mini tour is a fun accomplishment). The nearest Old Chicago is 60 miles away and so a friend and I drove the trek over the pass to have dinner and so I could get my last drink on the tour and come away with a tee-shirt.

Chris actually drove up and surprised us while at dinner (much more than 60 miles!!!) and I felt like the most loved girl in the world... until my dinner started to settle and I've been pretty sick ever since. This is my first experience with food poisoning and I've got to say, I'm not a fan.

HIGH

Chris and I went to St. Louis last weekend for a Bridal Shower with Chris' family and my mom flew down from Michigan to enjoy the fun as well. We had a BLAST! Below are some pictures form the weekend:

Mom and Chris at Ted Drew's Frozen Custard Stand -- If ever you're in St. Louis, Ted Drew's is a must!

The theme of the bridal shower was THE HONEYMOON (which no one told me until we got there) so all of the food had a tag from either Italy, Greece or Turkey... Have I mentioned that we are taking a Mediterranean Cruise for our honeymoon? We are SOOO excited!

Chris' siblings organized a hilarious TO-BE-WED Game (a spoof of the Newly Wed Game) where each of them asked Chris and me 10 questions separately and then they asked the other of us the questions in front of the group. Of the 20 questions, we answered 17 correctly (as in, when asked in public, I gave the same answer Chris had answered in private... does that make sense?)

It was a LOT of fun and his siblings agreed that we knew each other well enough to get married.

There was a beautiful cake there...
So Chris and I practiced cutting the cake together and feeding each other...

We received some wonderful presents...

For this gift, his aunt specifically told Chris to open it... she said she saw some tools on our registry, so this was a gift for Chris to open...
There were NOT tools in the gift bag, rather female lingerie!
It was really funny, and a tad embarrassing.

Chris' parents gave us BEAUTIFUL luggage for our trip

A fun sun hat from Chris' sister and brother-in-law for lounging on the cruise deck!

... and some more lingerie.
I will say, it does make us pretty excited for the honeymoon!

Here is my mom with the favor she got to take home from the shower:
"Love Grows Here"

Only 50 days until we get married... we are SOOOO excited!

LESSON
This week's lesson for me came from a sentence in my book-on-tape about staying grateful:
"One step at a time, and be grateful."

I am remembering these wise words in all areas of my life -- wedding preparations, teaching, end-of-the-year issues, packing my apartment to move everything into a storage unit, encouraging Chris in his last week of grad school, personal changes I'm feeling led to make...

One Step at a Time, and Be Grateful.

Staying Grateful

I heard a quote today on my book-on-tape of the moment:

"One step at a time and stay grateful."

This is my mantra from now until September... one step at a time and stay grateful. At first I thought this would be a good mantra until the wedding, but the truth is, Chris and I have a lot of things to do and a lot of transition from now until September -- and probably beyond.

My to-do list is longer than I've ever seen it before, and I'm chipping away at it one day at a time, but its hard to not be a little overwhelmed with all that needs to be done in the next 31 days (when I should leave for Michigan).

As of now, there is no end in sight...


*~ One Step at a Time and Stay Grateful. ~ *

Pictures from here.

Week In Review: April 29

My week has been full of highs and lows:

LOW

Chris had a kidney stone this week. Enough said for those of you who have experienced one, or whose loved one has experienced one... We found ourselves in the Emergency Room at 2:00am Tuesday morning and our next 48 hours were full of water, medicine and Chris fast asleep (finally not writhing in pain). Thankfully, I happened to be at his house when it hit him, which is completely God's grace because I can count on 3 fingers the number of days I've spent at his place this month.

Praise God he is now feeling back to normal, but it was our first real experience with the "In Sickness and Health" part of our upcoming marriage commitment.

HIGHS

I seem to sort of count Friday-Friday as my week, which means my highs occurred last weekend. I went to Michigan to see my parents, celebrate Easter with them and have my first bridal shower.

The highs include the following:

Seeing and visiting with wonderful friends and family I do not often see The wonderful food and beautiful decorations that made it such a special event
The game -- The Ugliest Bridesmaid Contest (I won... and I'm not sure how I feel about it...)Each present was accompanied with a recipe from that woman and a prayer for Chris and my marriage -- I am excited about the recipes and will treasure the words of wisdom and love from these woman for many years

I feel like I should stop there because otherwise I would write about the bridal shower forever. I have to confess, another HIGH of my week was the royal wedding this morning. Or rather, the excitement of my roommates and me last night regarding this morning's royal wedding.


We had heard that the wedding was on St. Catherine's day, which is the day when all single girls pray to St. Catherine for a husband. We learned that there is one prayer for woman under 25 ("Lord, give me a well-situated husband. Let him be gentle, rich, generous, and pleasant!"), another prayer for woman under 35 ("Lord, one who's bearable, or who can at least pass as bearable in the world!"), and finally a prayer for woman 35 and older ("Send whatever you want, Lord, I'll take it"). We were having SO much fun learning about unmarried woman called Catherinettes who even baked special "Catty Cakes" on St. Catherine's Day.


I think it is really cool that my parents were married a few months before Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and Prince William and Princess Kate are getting married a few months before I do. The crown prince only gets married once in each generation and it was really special for me to enjoy the hoopla just two months before my own wedding.


I feel as though I've been living out of a suitcase for a few weeks, and this weekend is no exception as Chris and I are headed to St. Louis for a bridal shower with all the woman in his family tomorrow. My mom is coming to be a part of it, which has me SO excited. She has not met Chris' family yet, and so it will be a great time.

Please keep my Daddy in your prayers as he is manning the fort by himself while mom is in St. Louis.

I hope you had a wonderful week! Check out Amy's blog to read about the weeks of others.

Source for St. Catherine's Day information. Source for pictures of Princess Kate 1, 2&3.

Wedding Countdown: 2 Months

TWO MONTHS
until Chris and I get married!

source

This is our engagement announcement that appeared in my hometown paper recently:

• 6 weeks until I'm done with work
• 4 weeks until Chris is done with work
• 2 weeks until Chris is done with grad school
• 27 RSVPs received so far
• 61 days until our marriage begins
  

He Is Risen!

"Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
HIS RISEN! He is not here..."
Mark 16:6

Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them,

"Why do you seek the living among the dead?
"HIS NOT HERE, but is Risen!"
Luke 24:5-6

I have a favorite Easter Hymn, which I love to sing every year. If you do not know the tune, check out this website, but either way, enjoy the poetry and power of these words that tell of our Amazing Jesus and God who was victorious over the grave and opens the door of eternal life for all his followers:

302. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788
Music: Lyra Davidica, 1708
Tune: EASTER HYMN, Meter: 77.77 D

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Good Friday!