favors

Danny and I have really been struggling...what to give our guests for wedding favors? We've gone through the whole list...a candy bar (more expensive than you would think), popcorn boxes (delicious, but I am weird about smells and I don't really want to associate popcorn with my wedding day), candles (just small enough for one two-hour use), mini cookie jars (just another thing to clutter your counter), chocolates (July, people...it's going to be hot!), etc...

Well, I am happy to say we finally got our favors today! Hip hip :) If you know me, you know I like birds. (If you don't know me, you probably have caught on by now) Even my salt and pepper shakers are little birdies just waiting to pour out delicious seasonings. My shower curtain is birds, too. And so is an art piece in my office at church. Even our wedding invitations have little birds on them! So, we went with it. I am thrilled with these feeders to place on that tree in your backyard or on that little hook on your porch that no one knows how it got there. (and I found them on Etsy...not much greater than that!) Happy bird-feeding!

Tags to read:
Danny & Kaylyn
July 31, 2009
Thanks for celebrating with us lovebirds...

(ya...a little cheesy, but weddings are one of the major allowances for that.)

i'm so excited

and i just can't hide it.

My love was really sick this weekend. (a 2-day temp we couldn't break and what we believe to be strep throat)  'Tis the season for throat infections, I suppose.  Anyhow, that doesn't excite me at all, but what really gets me going is that today he is fully back and in action.  Plus, that whole you-sit-on-that-couch and I'll-sit-on-this-couch thing really paid off because I am feeling great.  Which is a good thing because...

This week is going to be fantastic.  Tonight Danny and I have our 2nd premarital counseling appointment.  More on that later- it's going really well and it's fun to learn new about each other and do little exercises.  Wednesday we have our end of the year summer bash at youth group!  (think BBQ, a short teaching, games involving water balloons, outdoor worship, etc.)   Then, Thursday Danny and I are going to have a cleaning sesh at our townhouse and then I am going to get manicure/pedicure, courtesy of my soon-to-be father-in-law (a Valentine's Day gift I've been saving up- cute, I know!)  And then comes Friday...

My sweet friend Kaylyn (same name, same spelling) from North Carolina is coming out for my bridal shower!  If you know me, you've heard me talk about her.  If you're just an anonymous reader, remember here and here and here and here.  Yes- we met over blogger (still a crazy story!) and became quick friends!  God is so good for introducing us and it is really fun to have a friend on the other side of the country.  She was so hospitable to me this summer and now I can't wait to host her! 

Then Saturday- the day of all days!  My bridal shower :)  

And on Sunday, we'll be going (we as in myself, Kaylyn, and Danny) to brunch at our wedding venue with my parents.  My mom and Kevin haven't gotten to see it yet because of the chemo-therapy, so we are really excited to show them (don't worry- we'll take pictures and show you too!) the beautiful setting for our big day. (which is 66 days away, thank you very much!)

That is all.  Hope you have as much to look forward to in your week as I do in mine.  And if not, here are a few things you can look forward to on this blog:

marriage counseling

urban plunge part 4

adventures in seminary

a sneak peek of our wedding venue

and memories I make this weekend that I don't ever want to forget

p.s.  The Diet D.P. is in the fridge and the Peanut M&M's are in the cabinet and clean sheets are on your bed.  Kaylyn- come quick!  

I think you all should know that I just almost peed my pants.

I am sitting here on the couch, in the townhouse that Danny and I will live in as husband and wife, trying to do my homework, looking at Apartment Therapy instead, wishing it was next week so I can get a pedicure, listening to Kate Nash, braiding strands of hair, thinking about driving to Trader Joe's to get pizza dough for tonight's homemade pizzas, watching a video online, laughing out loud by myself, and feeling the wind of the fan tickle my neck.  

And then I almost peed my pants.

We are getting married in 71 days!  My bridal shower is in 9 days!  And people are actually coming!  (I don't know why, but I am really surprised with that and just sort of blown away.  It makes me want to cry a little bit.)  I am going shopping with my mom for a new shower dress in 2 days!  And I'm getting my wedding dress fitted this weekend!  And I can't wait to put it on!  And the guys just picked out their suits and they look smokin'!   And our rehearsal dinner is planned!  And we put a call through to the piano player!  And I looked again at our honeymoon hotel!  And we think we figured out what favors to give!  And I get to make love with the LOVE OF MY LIFE in 71 days (we've waited our whole lives for each other)!  And I am going to have a sleep-over with my best friend for the rest of my life!  And I'll get to clean up his whiskers in the sink!  And we'll get to ride our bikes whenever we want because they'll always be together in the garage!  And we get to drive everywhere together!  And he doesn't have to go home at night!  And, and, and, and!

So I celebrated.  Alone.  Just me and a spoonful of cookie dough.  And no, I didn't actually pee my pants, but let me tell you- it was a close call.  

Ahhh...Life is sweet and love is grand!  Come home soon, fiance, so we can be excited together!

Urban Plunge - Part 3...aka come on people can't you take a little suspense?

The cop pulled up and asked us what we were doing. Another leader approached the side of his car and shared with him what we were all about. I overheard the officer tell him that he thought we were homeless kids wandering around. I'm sure we looked like it at this point (a big bunch of ragamuffins). Anyhow, we told him where we were going and why. He smiled. And let us go.

Another mile down the road we saw a homeless woman sitting on the edge of a sidewalk with her shopping card and ragged blanket around her. Her hair was stringy and streaked with gray; her baseball cap torn and stained. We asked her if she knew about the Baptist church down the street that serves breakfast on Saturday mornings. She nodded. "Hope to see you there." She looked straight through us, avoiding any kind of eye contact. That was all.

We got to the rescue mission and for the first time I felt unsafe. I was like a momma hen with our students- especially the girls. It was an environment I had never been in. People were pulling up in their cars (with dogs in the back, along with the stench of urine) or on their bikes (piled high with their only belongings), hungry and anticipating breakfast and a warm shower. We met them, shook hands, smiled, and prayed with them. Some of them were very drunk. And some very, very high. I confess I was scared- there was an element of fear in not knowing what some of them would do next. But God's truth kept ringing in my ear.

After that we made our way into the kitchen. On the menu? Breakfast burritos. Tortillas, cheese, beans, corn, eggs, and jalapenos, topped off with coffee and orange juice. We were still fasting at this point, so we prepared all of the food with growling tummies. I was incredibly impressed with our students- they are such servants. They never complained, never rolled their eyes, and were so willing to serve in any way possible. It was a sweet moment for me to step back and watch them be the hands of Christ.

A line of our morning friends went through and packed their tortillas full of food. They came back 2, 3, 4 times and when it slowed down we went out to fellowship with them. (At the last minute they told us we could eat [in humble portions]. We didn't want to offend the others by telling them we were doing a homeless simulation.) We all sat at different tables, hearing the stories of these grown up children of God. It was a beautiful time.

We cleaned, stacked chairs, and started the walk back to our original meeting place. At this point the sun was blaring and we got sweaty and smelly. (Unfortunately, no one picked deodorant as one of their three items!) When we got back we had a "scavenger hunt" to do for the next few hours. It was hands down absolutely the most eye-opening and difficult thing that I have ever done.

new position

Well...it's official. Today was my first day as "Director of Student Ministry". I am both incredibly excited and humbled to be taking on the challenge. We love this church and the community we belong to. Our dreams are to invest in student after student, plant our roots deep down, grow and develop our faith, equip leaders, make mistakes, learn from them, walk in the steps of Christ (literally...a trip to Israel is prayerfully to come), build relationships with other couples, and hopefully one day even raise our children here. But we'll see, won't we? God's plans for us can be so different than those we make for ourselves.

When I quit my job in November I had no idea what was next. I just knew I had to be obedient to the call I felt on my heart. It was a leap of faith, to say the least, and looking back I can hardly believe I took the jump. (Being unemployed for 3 months without a job in sight is just not like me. It makes me anxious just thinking about it. Strange that I never felt that anxiety in the midst of it.) But here I am, safely standing on the other side. I have a job I couldn't have dreamt up, belong to a welcoming, broken, humble, and loving church body, and serve weekly alongside my husband-to-be. It couldn't be a better fit for us. Seriously.

As to how we got here? Well, that's another story I'll have to share sometime. Let's just say God is sovereign and has provided abundently for Danny and I. There's just something about knowing you are in the midst of God's will. It is sometimes terrifying, but safe. Sometimes ugly, but beautiful. Sometimes hard, but simple. Sometimes heartbreaking, but joyful. It's just...well, it's altogether wonderful and it's just where I want to be.

Wow, God...you are so good. Sometimes thank you seems so inadequate. But here it is anyway.

Thank you.

PS You like the new last name?  :)  

Urban Plunge - Part 2

I had just fallen asleep and I woke up to him yelling at us.  Scratch that.  Screaming at us. 

"On your feet- NOW!  Single file line on the sidewalk."

So Danny and I and two other leaders and 20 high school students shimmied sleepily out of our box homes and did as he asked.  

Meanwhile, he went storming through our little box town.  He tore some apart, stepped on others, and threw the rest across the courtyard.   I bit my tongue as I saw him trying to rip my home apart.  Then he came back and stood across from us.

"Someone down the street just got jumped and he said he saw the person run this way.  Let me see your knuckles."

We turned our hands over and showed him that we were clean and bloodless, innocent sleepers just trying to stay warm.

"What the hell are you even doing here?"

"Well, we're doing something called Urban Plunge to open these students' eyes to the injustices and reality of homelessness."

"Why in the world would you do that?  Are you high? Drunk? Strung out?"

"No."

"Who gives you the right to sleep on this city's grass?"

At this one of the high school girls said, "This is God's grass!"

At that he started to grin, but turned around before I was able to see it form into a full smile.  That's when I knew he wasn't legit.  I breathed out a breath of relief- air I wasn't even aware I had been holding in.  He told us that we had better be out of there before sunrise or we would be kicked out of the city.  Without a word, we all had to get back in our homes.  My heart was still beating fast with adrenaline, but I fell asleep within minutes.  I'd say it was the best two hours of  curled up in a box, stomach growling, freezing cold wind howling, wet feet, and nose running sleep I've ever had.

They woke us up again 3 hours later.  5 am, to be exact.  We had 10 minutes to fold up and throw away our homes, wash our hands, go to the bathroom, and look somewhat presentable.  We had to hustle, considering we had a 3 mile walk to make in the dark to a place none of us had ever been.  I made the best of it, smiling and saying good morning to the sleepy and grumpy students around me, but let's face it.  I was pretty miserable.

We started the walk across town- a long line of us.  2 leaders in the front, Danny and I in the back.  My stomach growled as we passed by a donut/pastry shop baking goods to sell for the day.  My mind started running.  Mmm...donuts...sprinkles...birthday cake...Danny's birthday is coming up...I love Danny...I love donuts...mmm...rainbow sprinkles...rainbows...rain storms...lightning....electricity...I can't believe it's still dark outside...what time is it?  Then I got distracted.  

A car with sirens blaring pulled up behind us, and this time the cop was real.

26!

To the love of my life,

Happy 26th! This year I promise to:

-put the movies you want to watch at the top of our netflix queue

-strive to be a better woman, wife, companion, best friend, etc.

-always make sure I have a carton of plain soy milk in the fridge

-go on lots of dates with you

-have homemade cookie dough in the freezer and keep looking for our favorite recipe

-not glare at you when you smack your gum (or at least I'll try.)

-cut your sandwiches sideways the way you like it

-kiss you good night every single night
-kiss you good morning every single morning

-buy your favorite shower cleaner

-ride bikes with you

-hold your hand at church

-let you sleep, even when I want to make pancakes in the middle of the night (maybe.)

-jump on the bed with you

-make the green enchiladas you love
-wear dresses and let you twirl me around

-share americanos with you

-tell you when you have eye boogs

-buy you the good granola bars, even if they're more expensive

I love you madly.
Kay

PS We're off to Disneyland for the day!

Urban Plunge - Part 1

A few weeks ago Danny and I got to take a group of students to an event we called "Urban Plunge". The point of the trip was to open up students' eyes to the injustices of homelessness, to give them a glimpse into what it's like to live on the streets, and to teach them what we are called to as followers of Christ.

The majority of the trip was a surprise, even to Danny and I. We just knew that we were able to bring minimal items and that we would be sleeping outside Friday night and feeding the homeless on Saturday morning. We packed one back pack with our toothbrushes, sweatshirts, clothes to change into, face wash...you know, the normal overnighter stuff

When we got there the first thing we had to do was to choose 3 items to keep. Our shoes counted as an item, so did our socks, so did our sweatshirt, so did our Bible, so did everything else besides our jeans and t-shirts and chonies. I kept my shoes, my sweatshirt, and a scarf. Danny kept his shoes, his sweatshirt, and his Bible. That was that.

Then we had to make our homes for the night. Keep in mind that at this point it was sprinkling, so I was fairly certain that we would be rained on all night. We each got 3 cardboard boxes. If you're like me, you imagine a large, solid cardboard box. Oh no...they were thin, 2 x 3 boxes. The facilitator brought out a big pack of tape, but said someone had to trade one of their items for it. Danny traded in his Bible, and we all got to share the tape. I made my house into a tunnel of sorts, even though I am claustrophobic. I knew it would be freezing and my plan was to curl up in a little ball.

Then we went back inside and heard 2 homeless testimonies. They shared their story of how drugs and alcohol led them into a downward spiral of debt and sleeping on the streets. This couple spent $260,000 in drugs and alcohol over a 6 month period. (I can't even fathom that.) They sat before us transformed people because of the work of Christ, but they were humiliated to share the tragedy that came from their decisions. Their story was...well, it was incredible.

Afterward, and without eating dinner, we all went back outside (it was still sprinkling) and had to go to sleep. If we talked, they were going to rip apart our home and make us move. It was pretty intense.

So there I was. Curled up in the fetal position. Cold, wet, hungry, miserable. I would fall asleep only to wake up 20 minutes later uncomfortable and needing to change positions (which was a challenge for my 5'8" body). I know it sounds pathetic, but I sort of wanted to cry. It became very real to me that millions of people sleep just like this, and with no hope of sleeping at home in a bed the next night.

Finally I fell asleep around 1 pm, only to be woken an hour later by a policeman...

i am my mother's daughter

I've never been one of those people who dreaded becoming anything like her mom.  In fact, there are many things about me that are just like my momma, and I couldn't be happier about them.

 

the way I scratch my nose.  the way I write encouraging notes to those who need them.  the way I do sweet things for my (soon to be) husband.  the way I love a good bean and cheese burrito...hers with salsa, mine without.  the way I always have a tube of Mentholatum in my medicine cabinet.  the way I top my salads and mix it all together.  the way I get back into my pajamas after my shower while I blow dry my hair and put on makeup (the way I really don't know how to do either).  the way I like to have well groomed toes and fingernails...she likes red/maroon colors and I like peach/orangey colors.  the way my lip pouts when I cry.  the way I like my back to be scratched...hard.  the way I like picking out gifts for people early and stashing them away in my closet.  the way I sometimes forget they're there and give them away 6 months later just because.  the way I always use my blinker.  the way I love the seasoning salt at Red Robin and shake it a perfect three times over a basket of fries.  the way I fold Danny's shirts.  the way I fold my shirts.  the way I taste test the food when I'm cooking.  the way a good TLC show is never a waste of time, especially if it involves 8 kids, a budget wedding, or some medical mystery.  the way I like to dance with babies...around and around and around she goes.  the way I love to read a good book...mom- Danielle Steel...me- not Danielle Steel...but still.  the way I crack an egg and take out the trash can to throw away the shell.  the way I don't like having unnecessary appliances on the counters.  the way we get kind of quiet when our feelings get hurt.  the way I love writing/receiving a good email.  the way I can't stand any fishy food.  the sound of my voice when I answer the phone..."Laurie?  Krystyn?  Kaylyn?  Who am I speaking to?"...we'd just giggle and hand mom the phone.  when I enjoy good grammar and nice manners.  when I iron in front of the television.  when I write my name I see her handwriting...tall and narrow and neat.  the way I always check the sale racks first.  the way a tub of ice cream can make it far but a box of cookies can't.  the way I put my arm over Danny's chest when we stop abruptly.  

I could go on and on.  

I am my mother's daughter.  And I love it.  

Happy Mother's Day, momma.  Thank you for being mine.  I love you dearly.

last week of school. (until next week.)

This week is my last week of my first year of seminary. Remember the day I started? I know, crazy...it feels like just yesterday.

Anyway, that being said, I'm a little preoccupied with life right now. Finishing projects and reports, spending time with friends, catching up on cleaning (yes, Steph..it's neverending), doing some sewing, and a bit of pleasure reading before I start school again next Monday. (that's right...I get a 3 day summer. Better than having finals on my wedding day, eh? That was my only alternative.)

So with that please excuse my little break from blogging. I'll be back soon. Real soon. With stories of living homeless for 24 hours, a new perspective on forgiveness, a promotion, my thoughts on seminary as of yet, and how much I love my mom. Until then, I leave you with a few more favorites.

61 a roll of ritz crackers in that oh-so-familiar brown packaging

62 down comforters

63 discovering new music

64 homemade orange juice popsicles

65 twirling in a dress

66 my job

67 moisturizing hand lotion

68 wrapping my hair around a curling iron

69 flip flops

70 a bowl of crunchy green grapes

Shalom!