Wedding #1: Julie and Sam

I just realized today that I NEVER BLOGGED ABOUT THE WEDDINGS. 

It was such a busy and somewhat stressful summer, and then I took a trip to Seaside, and then I quickly got ready for another homeschool year, and then we took Clay to college 12 hours away in Florida, and then cross country season, and then and then a trip to Utah, and then on and on, and you know I have been such a terrible blogger.

So. Here is a recap of Wedding #1:  Julie and Sam (Remember, Wedding #2:  Olivia and Brian was 7 weeks later.)

Julie's wedding was held a a venue called Blue August in Baldwyn, Mississippi. We rented it for the weekend and had the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding, and wedding reception all in the same room! The picture below is from the rehearsal dinner. We used the same arrangements plus more for the wedding reception tables. 

We set up 200 or so chairs for the wedding ceremony, and then we had to flip the space for the reception. How that was done (and the master minds behind it--Lynn and Leanna) is a story for another blog post! 

 rehearsal dinner

Honestly, the wedding day is a blur. Julie and Big Sam began their day (along with Jimmy, Big Sam's father and brother and a couple of other groomsmen) by running a 5K race!  I just tried not to think about it! 

My sweet sisters-in-law, Mary Margaret, Amanda, and Megan hosted a beautiful bridesmaids' breakfast in Mary Margaret's home. The groomsmen enjoyed their breakfast hosted by two of my dear friends, Karen and Sheila.

Following the race and the breakfasts, we all met at Blue August to begin dressing and preparing for pictures. 

 I was overcome for a moment.

 sweet Julie getting ready

 Olivia helping her with her veil

A side note. I can't remember if I shared this or not, but Julie, with lots of help from my mother, Mims, lovingly made her wedding dress and veil. She trimmed both the dress and veil with lace that she painstakingly removed from my wedding dress.

 Sweet Big Sam 

 Sweet Sisters!

Another side note:  Jimmy lovingly spent hours building the wooden arch! And Lynn and Leanna spent at least an hour (or more!) draping the fabric perfectly!

 Julie with her bridesmaids

 Sam with his groomsmen

 the entire wedding party

 Brian and Olivia, Julie and Big Sam

 the children

 precious!

 the bride and groom with Jimmy, me, and my parents, Mims and Pops

 Julie with my grandmother, Momo

 Sam's parents, Dan and Tami

 Paul, Dan, Tami, Julie, Big Sam, and Abe

 All the Peters--Paul and Alayna, Dan and Tami, Julie and Big Sam, Grace and Abe

 Sam with his brothers

 So Sweet!

the big moment! 

The wedding cakes were made by Julie's friend, Elle. They tasted absolutely delicious! I ate leftover wedding cake for breakfast for several day after the wedding. I may or may not have hidden the leftovers from the rest of my family!

 A happy bride and groom on their way to begin their new life together!

The saying on the napkins pretty much sums it all up!

Let Me Tell You How I'm Doing

Everyone I see asks me, "How are you doing?" (meaning how are you doing considering your second wedding in 7 weeks is just 3 days away! Even the teller at my bank knows about my summer of the weddings, and she is concerned for me too! My mechanic asked me if I was crazy yet when I went by to pay him for an oil change.

So, let me just tell you.
I am fine.

I am a little stressed, but overall, I am fine. There are at least one hundred things running through my mind, and I write down one more thing I cannot forget to do all. day. long.

Small Sam (my youngest child--not to be confused with Big Sam, my new son-in-law of almost 7 weeks) is sick. So sick that after 4 days of continuous fever, coughing, headache, sore throat, and goopy eyes, I finally took him to see Dr. Marcus today. He tested negative for strep and mono, but his blood count indicated some sort of bacterial infection, and his throat and eyes look terrible. Dr. Marcus prescribed an oral antibiotic and eye drops. He has not felt like doing much of anything but lying around since Sunday. I am hoping that after 48 hours of medication he will feel up to enjoying Olivia and Brian's rehearsal and dinner.

The men in my family all picked up their wedding suits today. They are gray, and I know they will all look so handsome in them!  I have been running errands every day and also cleaning my house. Oh. and the laundry. I washed, dried, folded, and carefully hung the last tablecloth for the wedding today. I think I have prepared 50 tablecloths! It has taken me the entire time since Julie's wedding to get those tablecloths washed. With 8 people living here (and I am so happy they all live here!), I am doing laundry all the time, and it has been difficult to squeeze in the washing of the tablecloths. But, yay! They are all done!

Tomorrow Olivia, and I are getting a pedicure in the morning, and I have a hair appointment after lunch. In between those two things I have a list of other errands. Brian arrived yesterday, and 5 college kids will be getting here after lunch tomorrow. Fun times!

One last thing on tomorrow's agenda:  Julie, Big Sam, and Clay are going on a 44 mile run/bike ride early tomorrow morning. Big Sam is running all 44 miles, Clay is riding all 44 miles, and Julie is running 26.2 miles and then bike riding the rest. Doesn't that sound like fun? My part in this fun activity is to follow them to the ending point (30 minutes away), then drive them and Julie's bike to the 26 mile point on the trail, and then take all three of them to the starting point of the trail (about an hour from our house). Then I will come home while they run and bike! And we are leaving at 4:00 AM for this excitement.

Now you know--I am fine!  :)

It's Happening Again

Just like about seven weeks ago, as I sit here beginning my day with reading a Psalm, it hits me.
Olivia is leaving home for good.
In 6 short days she will marry Brian, and they will leave to begin their new life together--far away from us.
Olivia is such a ray of sunshine! I will miss her terribly.

The tears come again.

Where has the time gone? How in the the blink of an eye have my older girls gone from playing dolls and stuffed animals for hours and days on end to getting married and moving away?

"How precious is your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings."

Psalm 37:7

Under the shadow of the Lord's wings; that's the only place I can live right now. I can draw comfort from knowing that Olivia is in His hands. As she begins her new life with Brian, I know they have committed to keeping serving Jesus at the center of their marriage. 

My anxiety level is high. I have a million things to do in order to pull off wedding #2 smoothly.  My emotions are all over the place. Jimmy's beloved grandmother, Munu, passed away Friday night, and we are all mourning. She was such a godly lady and is leaving behind a wonderful legacy. Julie and Big Sam are leaving for Romania in 8 days. Clay begins college in about a month. The Lord knew that I would need two more children after my older three left home.....I am so glad I have Leah and Sam. I have said that a hundred times these last few months.  Having more children to mother full time is such a blessing to me.

Those who know me well know that I rarely cry.  But recently the tears come often and in unexpected places. Change is hard for me, and that is what I struggle with most. I am praying for wisdom as I begin a new chapter of my life--I have a new role now (mother-in-law), and the great thing about that is now I have more children! 

Like I wrote about earlier in this post the day before Julie was married,  I am purposing to choose joy. I love Jimmy with all my heart, and I want all my children to experience the same joy in their adult lives. Thanksgiving produces joy. I have said that over and over again, but it is true. When I feel overwhelmed I remind myself of my blessings, and the joy soon follows. Yes, it requires discipline to not give into the selfishness of "my children are all growing up and leaving me!", but being thankful that our God and Father has them in the palm of His hand brings me immeasurable comfort.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

Words and Thoughts

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord my strength and my redeemer."

Psalm 19:14

In my Psalms reading this morning, this particular verse stood out. What a tall order--for my words and the meditation of my heart (my thoughts) to be acceptable in God's sight.  Lately my thoughts are anxious, so my words are sometimes less than acceptable in God's sight. I am working on this. The second part of the verse gives the solution...."O Lord my strength and my redeemer". On my own, I will fail every time. With God's help and with my willingness to submit my selfish desires to Him, I can hope to succeed in making my words and thoughts acceptable to Him. 

What's been going on:

• Julie and Big Sam are married! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and perfect in every way. As soon as the photographer gets the pictures to me, I will share some. He texted me a few.....here is one of them.
• 
• The kids and I attended Rustic Youth Camp last week. My team of teachers (of the 3rd and 4th grade class) graciously allowed me to just be a helper for the week of camp since I am in the middle of two weddings! It was such a blessing to not have to spend hours preparing lessons and crafts and then packing and taking the whole house to camp! Thank you so much Beverly, Desiree', Chrystal, and Heather!
• I am still washing tablecloths from Julie's wedding!  They must be washed and dried one at a time in order to get the wrinkles out. The wash cycle is 35 minutes, and the drying time is 20 minutes. I have to get them out of the dryer the second the dryer cuts off. Then I hurriedly lay the tablecloth on my bed and fold it carefully before hanging it on a hanger. I think I have washed, dried, folded, and hung 23 so far. We used about 40 at Julie's wedding, so I still have many left. I also have some additional tablecloths that are new that we will also need for Olivia's wedding. They must be washed and dried before using them because they have hard wrinkles in them from the packaging. I think I have about 50 tablecloths to prepare in all for Olivia's rehearsal dinner and wedding reception.
• I'm slowing increasing my running miles. I have really let myself get out of shape with the traveling and wedding planning. I also starting rowing yesterday. I plan to row 3 days a week to hopefully strengthen my shoulder (that I injured doing CrossFit). I hope to go back to CrossFit class in July. 

Today Olivia and I have a long to-do list for her wedding.

Fun!

I Choose Joy

"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

Psalm 9: 1-2

Today I choose joy. 

My precious Julie will be married tomorrow. 

Today I have one thousand things on my to-do list, the bulk of which will take place beginning at 8:00 this morning at the wedding venue. I am meeting my BFFs, my wedding planners extraordinaire, Lynn and Leanna, there for us to work our magic! I have packed my SUV like a game of Tetris, and I have many more items to load into the back of Jimmy's truck, including an arbor he built (absolutely beautiful), four ferns, and a keyboard and bench. 

I slept poorly last night, thinking of all I had to do today. I am also a little nervous to let my child go. And the tears fall.

So I get out my Bible to try to begin my day in the right frame of mind. I turn to the Psalms where I read from each morning to get my mind on God, praising Him, petitioning Him, reminding myself that He is in control. Psalm 9 begins with the psalmist praising God with his whole heart. That's how I can choose joy today in spite of my personal feelings of being overwhelmed by the tasks before me. In spite of the fact that I am entering into a new and unfamiliar stage of life. My whole heart must be focused on praising God and His goodness. I will be glad and rejoice in Him. 

I could not be happier for sweet Julie and the life she will begin with her beloved Sam tomorrow. They are both mature; Christ and serving Him is the center of their lives. They are both smiling continually, and their joy is contagious! 

People ask me how am I coping with "losing two daughters at once". First of all, I am not losing them! I am gaining two more children when they marry. Sure, I could be selfish and focus on myself, my feelings, my "loss", but would that be right? Instead, I choose joy. What more can a mother ask than for her children to marry godly spouses? Men who will love her daughters and take care of them. Men who love the Lord and will strive to keep Christ at the center of their lives.

But mostly I comfort myself with this thought......I am so happy in my life. I love my husband. I love my children. Jimmy and I have had such a full life so far. Of course we have had bumps along the way, but overall, I am living my dream of being a full-time wife, homemaker and mother. I get to homeschool my children. I get to spend my days serving my family....And that is what I want for my children. 

If I don't let them grow up and leave our nest, then they will never experience the joy of marriage and parenting that Jimmy and I have delighted in. They must leave to have their own families and lives and to one day face their own children growing up and leaving home. 

So today, I chose joy. Joy in the future that awaits Julie and Big Sam. Joy in the fact that the Lord will comfort me as I experience many emotions over the next couple of days. Joy in the fact that God loves Julie infinitely more than I do, and she is in His care and protection.

One Week From Today

Well. Wedding #1 is one week from today. Julie and Sam's wedding. I am not quite ready!

Here's what's been going on since I last blogged on May 2:

• We hosted several of Olivia and Julie's college friends for a weekend while they all came to run the Coke 10K race. We bought new bunk beds for Sam's room for this occasion which sleep 5! The beds are two double beds bunked with a twin trundle bed. I only put 3 college boys on these beds, but I am thinking that 5 future grandchildren can sleep there just fine.
• Our family also ran the Gumtree 10K the following week.
• Clay graduated, and we had a huge party to celebrate the occasion at our home. It was supposed to be an outdoor BBQ, but it rained and rained, so I had to host 94 people inside my house! I was able to seat 42 people in tables and chairs on my porches. Still, it was fun and crowded!
• Our family of seven took a short vacation to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Except we did not do much hiking in the mountains.....it snowed. Three feet of snow in 24 hours! We have never experienced snow like that before! We stayed in a cabin in Estes Park. The first day, before the snowstorm hit, we were able to do three hikes. The next two days we played in the snow and even tried to drive into the park to explore (unsuccessfully!). The last day we drove to Boulder, Colorado, where we were able to drive up to the summit of Flagstaff Mountain. We took a few picture there in the snow before heading down to explore the Pearl Street Mall.
• This last week I have done wedding stuff every single day. This included counting and sorting tablecloths, vases, lanterns, and candles, shopping for ribbon, fabric to drape over the arbor and various other items, taking the program to the printer, picking up Olivia's invitation envelopes (the outer and inner envelopes were printed), and much more.
• Last night Leanna and I spray painted 38 clear vases gold and silver speckled. 
• I've had my final meetings with the caterer and florist. 
• Lynn and Leanna have been diligently working to plan the flow and flip of the ceremony and reception. I am so thankful for both of them, and there is no way I could pull off these weddings without their help. 
• Julie finished her wedding dress and veil, and they are both beautiful!
• Olivia's dress is hemmed and ready as well. Both gowns and dresses along with bridesmaids dresses are all hanging in the closet.

I actually have so much to say about our fun and busy month of May, and I have lots of pictures to share. I really hope I can find time to do that! 

Big Sam will fly in Tuesday! He will stay with us until the night before the wedding. I am sending all guests to a hotel for Friday and Saturday nights. :) After that, the Johnson Hotel will reopen for business. Julie and Sam have not seen each other since the beginning of January, so they are both super excited! Their plan is to come back here after their honeymoon and some other traveling they need to do (Sam will be giving reports to the churches that have supported him the last year). They will stay with us until after Olivia's wedding on July 22. Then they will fly to their new home in Romania. 

Happy Saturday!

I'm Still Here

It doesn't seem possible that it's been a month since I last blogged. I am still here--still wedding planning, homeschooling, traveling, cooking, cleaning, hosting, etc.,

I just set my timer for 15 minutes, and I will end this post when the time is up. I figured 15 minutes is better than nothing. I keep waiting for that perfect big block of time to catch up on my blogging, and since it never comes I thought I would try this strategy.

Today is Olivia's birthday! As I have done for the four years she has been in college, (has she been in college that long?) I mailed her a "birthday in a box". This is basically a box of wrapped birthday gifts. One year we decorated the mailing box, but this year I did good to actually get the package in the mail on time!

Wedding planning--here's an update:

• After trying on many, many dresses in many, many stores I finally ordered a dress online from JJs House. I ordered it in navy blue. I decided on that color at the last minute to match a tie that Jimmy will wear in the wedding. His tie has shades of purple and blue and will look nice with both my dress and the purple bridesmaids dresses.
• Last month Lynn, Leanna, and I spent 8 hours at both girls' wedding venues making our decorating and logistical plans. I dreamed that night of vases, chairs, flowers, and counting in multiples of 7. (We counted and recounted chairs and tables and tried to keep it all straight).
• I ordered Olivia's wedding invitations last night.
• I mailed Julie's wedding invitations last week. The replies have begun trickling in. I am keeping track of the responses in three places:  on a spreadsheet on my laptop, on a printout of the spreadsheet, and in a notes document on my phone. 
• Lynn, Leanna, and I met with the caterer last night one (almost) final time to discuss and plan Julie's reception.
• I met with the florist to discuss both girls' weddings. He was very helpful, and I think all is well in the floral department.
• Lynn, Leanna, and I took inventory of the wedding items I borrowed from a friend and I bought the remaining vases I will need.
• I placed a huge order for white tablecloths, tulle, ribbon, round mirrors, and table runners (things I need for both girls' receptions). It was cheaper for me to buy tablecloths than to rent them. The two websites I used for this are efavormart.com and smartyhadaparty.com

Well, my 15 minutes is up!

I hope to post again soon.

A Blog Post

So every day I put blog on my to-do list, and every day I never get to check it off.

Here goes......Last Thursday we went camping in our tiny house camper. The weather was perfect, and we had such a great time! We hiked many miles and cooked yummy food over the campfire. I am not through sewing curtains for the camper, but when I get them finished I plan to share pictures of our cute tiny house pop-up camper! So far I have only recovered the dinette cushions and bought color coordinated bedding, pillows, baskets, etc. I am using navy and turquoise (no pink because the boys said, "please, no pink!)

Wedding Update: not much

• ordered wedding memory books for both girls
• ordering hostess gifts for their showers today
• pondering when and where to buy a dress for me for both weddings
• planned an all day wedding planning extravaganza for tomorrow--Lynn, Leann, and I are meeting at 8:30 AM to get a lot of stuff done.
• most of the items we ordered during Spring Break have arrived

I am almost through reading A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I really like this book. It's my third time to read it, and I enjoy it more every time. We are reading this book in my senior English class. I am not sure they appreciate it as much as I do!  They are happy that I am not making them write a paper about it. We are doing business writing (business letters, resumes, and job applications) instead. And they have an 1800 word research paper due next week. 

We had our first track meet last Tuesday. It was Leah's first one, and she ran well. She and Clay both ran the 1 mile and the 800m, and Leah also ran the 4 x 800 relay. We got home around 11:00 PM. Fun.

I have gradually begun running again. (My CrossFit injury from many weeks ago has really slowed me down.) This week I have run 2 times!  2.5 miles on Monday and yesterday a long run with Leanna of 4 miles! Baby steps. I know that if I jump in too fast with too many miles I will get a running related injury in my knee or IT band. So, I am easing into the miles. I am running the Coke 10K on May 6, so my goal is to do that in under an hour. 

That's about all.

Oh. I haven't forgotten about Better Than Before. Keep reading! I'll blog about it soon.

Our Spring Break

My college girls have come and gone! What a week it was!

They landed in Memphis last Saturday morning at 9:05 AM, and our whole family was so, so happy when they arrived home. Sadly, we left at 7:15 AM this morning to drive them to the Birmingham airport. They have safely arrived back in Tampa.

Our week was full of wedding planning (lots accomplished) and visiting grandparents. Plus they had schoolwork. Yuk! I felt so sorry for them having to do school during their break. Jimmy had to work every single day they were home, and that was super sad too. All five children spent most of one day helping out with Jimmy's momma, and I spent most of my week at the Tupelo hospital with my sick mama. (She went home yesterday and is doing so much better). Even though I was pulled in several different directions, it was all good. I got to spend time with my parents (although not under the best circumstances), and I had lots of time with Olivia and Julie too.

Here is what we accomplished regarding the weddings:

• took both wedding dresses to the alterations lady to be marked for hemming and bustling.
• ordered personalized napkins for each girls' wedding cake table
• ordered personalized thank you notes for each girl
• ordered Love stamps for the wedding invitations
• reserved 17 men's suit rentals for both weddings (17 in all for both)
• Julie's wedding invitations came in, but the outer and inner envelopes were printed in the wrong font. It's all ok though. I contacted the company, and they reprinted them, and they have already shipped.
• Julie's bridesmaid dresses for Leah and Olivia arrived. They both fit perfectly and need no alterations.
• Both girls registered at Belk, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Walmart, and Kohl's for wedding gifts.
• Both girls finalized their choices for bride's and bridesmaids' bouquets, boutonnieres for the men, flower girl hair pieces, and all other flowers as well. I will meet with the florist very soon.

I think that's all!

Do Everything At Once

That's how I am feeling lately. I alternate between being stress paralyzed and doing five things all at once. I keep reminding myself how to eat an elephant.....one bite at a time.

Wedding Planning Update:

• I am entering the names and addresses online into a database for the outer and inner envelopes to be printed for Julie's wedding invitations. This is way more involved than I anticipated. I have done 15 so far. I have about 200 to go! I have already typed the guest list in a spreadsheet document with tabs for several different categories of guests. My columns include name, address, RSVP, and estimate. The estimate column is where I guessed how many, if any people from each family would attend the wedding. This is the number I used to determine how much food to order from the caterer. As I get RSVPs (and I really, really hope people will respond--I am including an email address and number to text for responses), I will adjust my estimate for a hopefully final accurate headcount for the caterer.  I thought I could use this same document and just email or upload it to the invitation website, but of course it has not been that simple. I have to type each entry on the invitation's website, one at a time! AND....it will not save them to use again for Olivia's invitations!  So I am going to price having them printed locally, if I can just give them my spreadsheet or upload it somehow, and if it is not too expensive.
• I printed out the wedding ideas photos. 
• I met with the caterer for Olivia's wedding and planned her reception.
• I decided I may want a different dress to wear for Olivia's wedding.
• I scheduled the alterations of Olivia's wedding dress while she is home for spring break.
• I researched and compiled options for Olivia's rehearsal dinner and sent them to Joy. (Believe it or not, this took almost four hours.)
• Julie's finance', Big Sam, has gotten all but one of the groomsmen/usher's measurements for the suit rentals. Yay Big Sam!  :)

My back/shoulder/neck is still bothering me. I tried to do some housework yesterday, and I simply could not. My house is getting really dirty! The kids are helping me clean, and I am so thankful for that. I am really hoping that by next Monday I will be as good as new and can spend the week catching up on housework. 

Camper Update:  I have bought all kinds of cute dishes, towels, bedding, and such for our tiny little camper. I also have bought pretty fabric to make curtains and cover the dinette cushions. However, I have not found the time to do any sewing. The kids are anxious for me to make our camper cute....maybe I can sew some today. 

Happy Thursday to you!

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about Better Than Before. I had to finish Huckleberry Finn for my English class, and I haven't made time to read the next chapter in Better Than Before.  I will this weekend. 

Saturday's Progress

I have had such a productive day!  Yay!

I left for Sam's and Kroger to buy my weekly groceries at 7:10AM, and I was home by 9:00AM. Then after unloading and putting away the groceries, I began my computer work. I completed our paperwork for our taxes, and I will submit them to the accountant on Monday. What a load off my mind! Next, I completely prepared for my English class for this Wednesday. That is another load off my mind. I have some extra appointments this week (a doctor checkup and a hair appointment), so I really wanted to have all my school prep done before the new week began. After that I did some wedding work!

Here is what I have checked off my wedding planning list:

• Ordered bridesmaids dresses for Olivia's wedding for Leah and Julie
• Uploaded the pictures of wedding ideas to the memory stick. I will print those out Monday when I am in town.
• Finalized Julie's wedding guest list, double checked the names and addresses, and gathered a few lacking addresses. 
• Researched, pondered, texted Leanna a hundred times, and finally decided on the wording for Julie's wedding invitations! I also included "the favor of your reply' cards. Leanna and I researched and pondered the spelling for favor vs. favour. We went with favor.  I have not actually submitted the order for the invitations yet because I am awaiting a promo code from my "Wedding Invitation Specialist" via text or email. :) This lady was assigned to me after I ordered several invitation samples. 

A little side story:

I have injured myself, again doing Crossfit. I have battled this same shoulder/neck/upper back/only on the right side pain on and off since last April. It improved over the summer, but I re-injured myself back in the fall. I modified my workouts to eliminate the exercises I felt were contributing to the pain, but until I took off 6 six weeks in December and January, I was not completely pain free. 

So I began going back to Crossfit about 3 weeks ago. I attended 4 classes and was doing just fine. Then this past Monday....well, during the workout, I felt just fine. But by Tuesday, I knew something was wrong, and by Thursday I was in much pain. So much so that I could not run. Or walk, or brush my teeth, or use my right arm in any way without pain. 

I actually went to my family doctor Thursday to see if I had any major injury that I should do something about more than rest. He tactfully suggested that I may need avoid the weightlifting that I knew was causing the injury! He never came out and said I was too old for Crossfit, but encouraged me to stay active in non-pain causing forms of exercise! :) I am taking a lot of Motrin and Tylenol and one 20mg steroid yesterday and one today. That has helped me so much! The dr. told me to completely rest from exercising until I was pain free. I plan to run as soon as doing so doesn't hurt my shoulder.

I also plan to go back to Crossfit class later next week. I will avoid all presses/weightlifting/snatches, etc. that aggravate my shoulder. I guess I will just be doing box jumps and burpees! Fun! It doesn't seem like pull-ups or rowing hurt my shoulder. I know you are thinking, "Why don't you just quit doing Crossfit?" Well. I really like my class. I would go to socialize with my friends even if we didn't do the workouts!

How was your Saturday?

How's The Wedding Planning Going?

I'm pretty sure I get asked that question every single day. Except maybe on the days I don't leave my house. I really don't mind the question, but the answer is, "It's going okay."

Here's the deal. I have great aspirations every morning as I write out my to do list. Almost every day I put a little box to check off right beside the words, "wedding planning". And almost every day that little box goes unchecked. Again.

What is happening you ask? Well, my days are already so full of my normal routines which include Bible study, laundry, exercise, cooking multiple meals, cleaning the kitchen over and over again, more laundry, homeschooling, running errands, making phone calls, paying bills, doing online work, checking schoolwork, housework, after school activities, and on and on. Just the same things most of you are doing every day. So, at the end of the day I never had any time to open up the wedding binders and do some work. I have no margin in my days.

A few weeks ago I thought I could block out two hours each Thursday afternoon to do wedding work. I did that one Thursday! I accomplished a lot, but I have not had that block of time again. Last week I was out of town, and yesterday I cooked and delivered a meal to a friend who had broken her ankle. (Which was very enjoyable!) I plan to work on the weddings tomorrow. I do! (After I do our taxes.) (If I still have time or brain cells left after that fun task.)

In the spirit of being positive, let me share what I have done so far in the wedding planning department!

• Julie's dress is finished except for hemming and steaming (Thanks to my wonderful, hard-working mother.)
• Olivia's dress is bought. (It will be marked for hemming during her Spring Break).
• I have a dress for Olivia's wedding. (It needs altering.)
• I have shoes for Julie's wedding.
• Julie has wedding shoes.
• I have reserved the venues, florist, photographers, pianist, cake maker, and caterer for both weddings.
• I have the final menu planned and ordered for Julie's wedding.
• Julie's bridesmaids dresses for Olivia and Leah are ordered.
• Addresses for Julie's wedding and our family's invitees for Olivia's wedding have been typed into a spreadsheet. 
• Julie and Sam have obtained their marriage license. (He's not coming back to the States until four days before the wedding....both Jimmy and I have to be present for them to get the marriage license (because Julie is not 21), and Jimmy will not be off work any of those days between May 31 and June 2 in order to go the courthouse, so we all four went to the courthouse in January before Big Sam went back to Romania.) We took lots of pictures! Their marriage license is in our lock box. :)

That leaves a long, long list of things left to do! Here are my goals for this weekend:

• Order Julie's wedding invitations (I'm having the company address the inner and outer envelopes as well as the return address, so I have to have all my addresses ready to go before ordering. That has taken some time.)
• Order Olivia's bridesmaids dresses for Julie and Leah. (She has just made her final decision on what she wants.
• Look online for a dress for Julie's wedding and shoes for Olivia's wedding (for me).
• Upload all the pictures of our wedding ideas (flowers, decorations, etc.) on a memory stick and take them to Walmart to be printed. Then I will have photos to show the florist, cake maker, Leanna, and Lynn. This will assist us all in our planning and execution of the big days.

Then there are all the numerous tiny details. Things like the guest registry, seating signs, collect reception decorations, what to throw at the bride and groom as they leave, stamps for the invitations, order tablecloths, wedding programs, gifts, welcome baskets, hotel reservations, music lists, shoes, men's suits, and many more.

I am enjoying the wedding planning very much! I am going to get better at working on it on a more regular basis. Maybe I should carve out 15-20 minutes each day instead of waiting for that big block of time. 

Bookclub and Wedding Dress Update

First of all, THANK YOU! to all of you who responded to me via Facebook, Facebook Messenger, by commenting on my blog, or texting me. I appreciate your help so much!

And the result is:  Olivia found the perfect wedding dress!  We bought it Saturday!  A friend of ours who read my blog post kindly went to a bridal store in her town (about 80 miles from here) and asked if they had a dress in the style we were looking for. They did! And since we had been at my parents house (to spend the night so Jimmy, Julie, and Big Sam could run a marathon and Clay a half, but the race was cancelled due to ice and freezing cold temperatures---another story) and would be passing through Starkville on our way home, Olivia, Leah, Sam, and I stopped by. The dress was beautiful! It fits her perfectly, and only needs hemming.

So now on to our bookclub!  Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, chapter 2 (the chapters are not numbered, but this chapter is titled, "Different Solutions for Different People:  Distinctions".
What a fun chapter! As I read through the descriptions of each set of pairs, I frequently would say to myself, "It depends....". While for some of the choices I definitely am one or the other, but for some of them it really depends on the area in my life.

Here is the rundown of the distinctions and in which one I chose to categorize myself. (Depending on the habit I was considering.)

• Lark or Owl?  I am definitely a lark. I stay up later than I intend most nights getting Leah and Sam to bed, turning off the lights, setting up the coffee pot, reading for a few minutes, etc. but I function so much better and more efficiently in the early mornings. In fact, I am pretty much done mentally and physically by suppertime. My preferred wake-up time is 5:00 AM.
• Marathoner, Sprinter, or Procrastinator? Well, in the running world I am definitely a marathoner, literally at some points in my life. I am NOT fast. But in all areas of my life I prefer to work on projects, tasks, housework, and anything that requires planning with a slow and steady pace. I tend to begin working on things way before they are due, and I like to make lists and charts to plan and mark my progress along the way. Sometimes my life gets hectic, and even though I have a slow marathon plan, as the deadline approaches I sometimes have to sprint to catch up!  I do not consider myself a procrastinator at all. :)
• Underbuyer or Overbuyer? It depends. I overbuy items like toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, washing detergent, toothpaste, school supplies, etc. Anything that would be highly inconvenient to run out of. However, I underbuy clothes and shoes for myself. I usually am at Walmart or Old Navy buying some item of clothing I need for a vacation the day before we leave!
• Simplicity or Abundance Lover? I think I lean more toward simplicity. I like to have adequate amount of supplies that I need, but I do not hoard things, nor do I like a lot of clutter in my home. In fact, clutter is my enemy! :) I like an empty shelf, a half-full drawer, and I love quiet. No background music for me!
• Finisher or Opener? Both. I love to try new things! But I usually finish whatever I start. I like the satisfaction of finishing a project, of meeting a deadline, of planning an event, or of completing a running plan.  I will not knowingly open something I do not plan to finish.
• Familiarity or Novelty Lover?  Definitely familiarity. That's why we are about to take our 8th trip to DisneyWorld (the 5th trip with Kelly and Lynn) and why our other vacations are at the same beach (Seaside) or a national park. I like doing the same things in the same order every day. Too much novelty in my day stresses me.
• Promotion or Prevention Focuses?  I think I focus mostly on promotion. I get a lot of satisfaction from keeping my habits, and if my family notices and compliments me, well that's just icing on the cake!  :)
• Small Steps or Big Steps?   I like to take small steps. I set goals that I know I can achieve, then after that I raise the bar a little bit higher. Baby steps. Baby steps. 

At the end of the chapter Gretchen poses a series of questions. I wrote my answers in a notebook. Pondering the answers to these questions can help you figure out how to best motivate yourself to keep your habits and achieve your goals.

So how does this look in real life? I'll take personal Bible study for an example. Let's say that I have a goal of increasing my time spent reading, studying and meditating upon God's Word. Based on how I answered the sets of pairs above, here is how I would strive to meet my goal.

1. Since I'm a lark I will set time aside each morning for my Bible time. My goal is 45 minutes each morning. 

2. As a marathoner, I will select a reading and studying plan that stretches out the task over a set period of time. Like reading the Bible in 90 days or copying several books of the Bible in 6 months.

3. I will underbuy for this habit. All I need is my Bible, Frixion pens, and a notebook or two.

4. I want simplicity during my Bible time. Quiet. No people around. (Which is why I wake up at 5:00).

5. I will be a finisher in my Bible time. I will not "open" a different method of studying every couple of days. I will choose my method and my routine, and I will stick to that for the duration of the goal.

6. I prefer familiarity in my Bible time. I do the same things in the same order each morning.

7. Bible study can be both promotion and prevention focused. 

8. As in most areas of my life, I like to take small steps. A little each day, building slowly, but hopefully retaining what is most important. 

What about you? Did you like choosing which pair better described you and your habits? What would you like to share?

We will read Chapter 3: "We Manage What We Monitor:  Monitoring" next Monday.

Enjoy the reading!

Wedding Dress Woes

Yesterday Olivia, Leah, and I spent the day in Memphis at three different bridal stores looking for Olivia a wedding dress. Olivia has a picture of the perfect wedding dress that she found online. It is from a well-known company (Allure) and that brand is sold in most bridal stores. However, the dress was discontinued in June of 2016, and as far as we can tell, no store in our area has it. One bridal shop we visited yesterday called the Allure warehouse to see if they still had the dress in their stock, and they did not. :( Actually they did have one, but it was ivory, and Olivia wants white.

We have found a few online stores that advertise they have this dress, but I am not going to buy a wedding dress online (wedding dresses are non-returnable, and who knows what I may end up with!), plus since I know the Allure warehouse no longer has the dress, where would they get this dress??

The dress is Allure M535. If any of you who live in a reasonable distance from me happen to be in a bridal store and see this particular dress, please contact me!

So, Olivia tried on lots and lots of wedding dresses. And just like when I was looking with Julie, there are no wedding dresses that fit our tastes! Both girls want a high neckline in both the front and back (just like a regular dress), and they both want some sort of sleeve (cap, flutter, or short). Guess what? There are no wedding dresses that fit that criteria. Either they are strapless, backless, or have a plunging neckline.  And very, very few dresses had sleeves...and if they had sleeves, they had no back, etc. If we can find a dress similar to the one in the above picture, Olivia will be so happy!
And let me also say that I want to find a pretty dress "as is". I don't want a piece of fabric sewn in to cover the back and then make the dress look tacky....know what I mean? Is that too much to ask?

As you know, Julie and my mother are sewing her wedding dress, and it is beautiful!  However, I am not giving up on finding the perfect dress for Olivia!

Ringing in the New Year

Happy New Year!

I spent several hours yesterday making plans for 2017 and transferring information to my new Erin Condren planner. (Love those planners so much!). I used cute stickers and wrote all my family's birthdays, Jimmy's days off, and vacations and such for the entire year. Next, I started on my 2017 goals. I began with prayer and looking through my Bible for verses to inspire me this year. I also chose my word for the year:

JOYFUL

I jotted down verses that would help me be joyful and also to be mindful in my service to the Lord and my relationship with Him. My original list included nineteen verses, mostly from Matthew, but I chose one more to have an even number of twenty. I copied the references of the verses in the back of my planner, but I plan to also write them throughout the planner. I want to read these verses on a regular basis and also memorize them this year. Hopefully I can blog about them as well. 

Here are my focus verses of Scripture for 2017:

• Matthew 5:16
• Matthew 6:21
• Matthew 6:33
• Matthew 7:21
• Matthew 11:28-29
• Matthew 16:24
• Matthew 22:37-39
• Matthew 23:11-12
• Matthew 25:40
• Matthew 26:41
• Mark 4:19
• Luke 6:45
• Luke 10:41-42
• Galatians 5:22-23
• James 1:2-5
• 1 Peter 3:4
• 1 John 5:3
• Psalm 46:10
• Isaiah 30:15

I have made my tentative Bible reading and study plans for 2017. I want to do the Bible in 90 days at some point, but not right away. I also plan to finish copying Galatians, and copy the other books of the New Testament that I have not copied yet. Another goal I just decided on today is to read all four Gospels once a month. I don't know my method for this yet, because I just made this goal about two hours ago.....may one gospel each week?

Julie and I both mapped our Happiness Project goals for each month. Here are my themes for each month:

• January:  possessions
• February:  health
• March:  books and blog
• April:  service
• May:  pleasure (hobbies, fun outings, etc.)
• June:  homemaking
• July:  homeschool
• August:  mothering
• September:  friendship
• October:  marriage
• November:  eternity
• December:  family

This all sounds great, but the reality is I will probably live the theme of WEDDINGS from April until the end of July....because guess what???  Olivia is engaged to me married too!  So I have two weddings to prepare and plan for....seven weeks apart!

June 3:  Julie and Sam

July 22:  Olivia and Brian

The last category I brainstormed ideas for is books. I haven't made my long range plan yet, but I always have a list of books that I want to read. I am reading a few books right now, but I want to create a booklist for 2017. I will share that when I complete it. 

Olivia, Julie, Sam, and Brian are all here for another week, and we are enjoying them all so much. My house is full, and of course so is my heart.

Oh. I am going to restart the book club (Better Than Before). If you are participating, continue to read the first chapter on distinctions. I will post about that chapter Monday, May 9.

Happy 2017!

Wedding Planning Fun

The wedding planning is in full swing!  I have finally assembled my Wedding Planning Binder complete with 10 tabs. I made this checklist, patterning it after multiple checklists I found online and also in a Southern Living wedding planner. None of the checklists were exactly what I needed, so I made my own!  Maybe someone else can use it too. 

Wedding Planning Checklist

12 MONTHS Set a date Determine your budget Create a wedding planner binder Decide on guest size Book ceremony site Book reception site Book officiant Book photographer Book caterer Book florist Book cake maker Create a Pinterest board Select wedding party Choose a wedding director 9 MONTHS Research wedding gowns Choose theme/colors for wedding Choose bridesmaids' dresses Choose bridesmaids' shoes 8-6 MONTHS Buy wedding dress Buy headpiece/veil Buy wedding jewelry Buy wedding shoes Create guest list Obtain addresses Create rehearsal dinner guest list/addresses Register for wedding gifts Check engagement/wedding announcement policy for Daily Journal Choose groomsmen attire Choose bridesmaids' shoes Choose bridesmaids' jewelry Choose music for ceremony Secure sound person Begin looking at wedding invitations. Meet with cake lady Meet with florist Meet with caterer

5 MONTHS Plan ceremony and reception decorations: Order wedding invitations Order thank-you notes Order rehearsal dinner invitations Arrange wedding transportation Shop for wedding rings Plan/order any ceremony accessories. 4 MONTHS Address wedding invitations Purchase cake accessories Reserve rental items Order reception accessories (guest book, seating sign, napkins, plates, etc.,) Shop for wedding party gifts Ask cake servers 3 MONTHS Assemble wedding invitations Check postage/buy stamps Finalize arrangements with all vendors (florist, caterer, sound, cake lady, photographer) Order mens' suits Book hotel rooms for out of town guests Purchase mother dress Make hair appt. for wedding day 2 MONTHS Mail invitations (April 5) Make wedding programs Use wedding list to keep track of RSVPs Final dress fitting Make seating plan for rehearsal dinner Make place cards Print wedding programs Buy all wedding party gifts Plan and practice the flip

1 MONTH Get marriage license/blood test Finalize wedding music Finalize reception music Update RSVP list Check on bridesmaids' dresses/shoes Check on men's suits/shoes Organize all wedding supplies Write thank you notes Wrap wedding party gifts Confirm duties (flower pinners, cake servers) Practice wedding day hairstyle Select/buy rehearsal dinner dress 2 WEEKS Make welcome baskets for hotel rooms Plan wedding day snacks Confirm all reservations and services Give final guest count to caterer Make out checks and envelopes for all vendors Try on wedding dress, veil, shoes, etc. 1 WEEK Get mani/pedi Pack for honeymoon Pack wedding day emergency kit Shop/assemble wedding day snacks for wedding party Type detailed plan of wedding day for the directors WEDDING DAY! Breathe Give directors timeline Bring emergency kit Enjoy the day!

My wedding planner tabs include: Attire, Budget, Calendar, Ceremony, Flowers, Guests, Important, Reception, Rehearsal, and Stationery.