Pumpkin Carving

With Brett traveling for interviews and trying to finish his thesis, I've been spending my time outside of work house/dog sitting and getting together with my girls. Last night we had a chili and pumpkin carving party! It turned out to be a really great night. Sadly, most of the pictures of the decor were on my camera that is now not working, but I was able to use an old camera to snag a few pics of the night :)

Whitney picked up some spooky decorations that gave our house a bit of haunted house vibe. We also had a bonus guest: Lincoln got to join us for the night!

Whitney and I made veggie chili comprised of sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, bell pepper, and other goodies. Whitney also made the best spiced apple cider-it was delicious!

                                  

I must say: I have the most amazing group of friends. It is so refreshing to get to spend time with them. Even though we are all so different from one another, some how it is the perfect combination. Though this time we definitely felt the absence of our little "Hessica"  (miss you!). When we are all together, it is a guarantee that there will be a lot of laughter and some pretty serious conversations! 



Lincoln after his costume change

 





family photo

After dinner, we watched Bridesmaids and carved pumpkins. It probably would have been more festive to watch a scary movie, but none of us wanted to try to sleep after watching a horror flick!

Finished pumpkins: Cat(mine), Spider (Ches), Zombie (Kate), Ghoul (Whit)

Now I am looking forward to the weekend: Brandon and Ashley's wedding! YAY! Brett's brother, Brandon, Cat, and Sean are all making the drive from Pleasant Plains and I can't wait to seem them. We all love Brandon and Ashley and are ready to celebrate with them! I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween Weekend.

Waiting.

Well, at this moment, Brett is asleep in his hotel room in Hanover, PA. After a delayed flight, mix-up with the rental car agency, and an hour cab ride, he finally made it. He has his first "grown-up" interview tomorrow. I know I am going to have to resist the urge to call/text every 30 minutes tomorrow to see how everything is going. It is definitely strange being so far away from a situation that will play a large role in my life as well. So for now, I am just waiting. Waiting to hear if he likes the company, people, job description, salary, town, etc. Waiting to find out if Hanover will be my home for the next few years. Waiting to see if I should start my own job search in the Hanover/Baltimore/Washington area.

I've been doing a lot of research on the area we may be calling home- just to ease my mind a bit. And, I must say, I think I would be excited to move to Hanover (I know, it is shocking to me too). It is a small town with a lot of character and history. But I'm not getting my hopes up one way or another. We are letting God show us what His plan is for us. Why is that always easier said than done??

But while I waiting, I am also planning because today marks 5 months until the wedding!! Yes, 5 months, and no, I haven't sent out save the dates, rented anything (except the location), picked out a cake, or narrowed down my inspiration photos. I have a LOT to do. AH!

via

Regardless of where we end up, I know for sure that five months from today I'll be walking into this barn to marry the man meant for me!

What I'm listening to

Not that this is anything new for me, but lately I've been listening to a random mix of music. The following is a condensed list of the songs that have been on repeat around here:


1. "Fire Water" - Edward Sharpe. Love this version.

2. NWA. Random. I know.

3. The Smart Brothers. They've been my favorite band for the past few months and I can't listen to them enough.



4. Gungor- Beautiful Things. I posted this video on fb a while back, but I can't express how much I love this song. It definitely speaks my heart.

5. And last, but certainly not least. Bethany Dillon. Anything by Bethany Dillon really. I remember telling Brett when we first met that if he really wanted to know my heart (or least what I strive for it to be) he should listen to a Bethany Dillon album.

Jessica and Evan's Wedding Weekend

I just returned from the BEST weekend! I went to be a part of Jessica's wedding which was in her hubby's hometown of Laguna Beach, CA. After a bit of panic due to a cancelled flight Friday night, we all made it to LA by lunchtime on Saturday. We took a shuttle from LA to Laguna and as we neared Laguna the views became so beautiful. We stayed in the Holiday Inn right across the street from the beach. I love Laguna! Everything was walking distance and we spent a lot of time on the beach.

The hotel!

As soon as we got settled into the hotel, we all got ready headed over to Meleah's condo. We finished getting ready with Jess and then walked to the beach to take pictures. Jessica looked unbelievably gorgeous!! I cannot wait to see how all the pictures turn out! I sadly didn't have a camera, but I stole a few of Sarah's pictures (Thanks, Sar!).

Jessica, Katelyn, Christy, and I.



Jessica and Evan had their first look and pictures taken on the beach where they got engaged. We all ran back to the hotel for a quick rest before driving to the ceremony location. The wedding was held at the Tivoli Terrace. This is a picture I found online of the location (Jess's decor was different!)

We had a little room to hang out, drink champagne, and wait until the ceremony began. We got to pray with Jess and have a few more laughs before everything started.



The ceremony was beautiful and so sweet! We then had a sit down dinner (the food was amazing!) and dancing. I think the best part of the whole weekend was getting to dance and sing with all my best girlfriends. Definitely something I will remember forever.

Sunday morning, Katherine and I woke up insanely early after such a long night and day. We were out of bed by 6. And went to the beach to watch the surfers. We then got food at the Orange Inn- a great breakfast/smoothie/coffee place across from the hotel. Because Jessica and Evan would be leaving for Japan, they planned to see everyone the day after the wedding. We had brunch with them at White House ( I think that was the name of the restaurant). Jessica and Evan went to say bye to Jessica's family so the rest of us shopped and layed on the beach for most of the afternoon. It was wondeful.

Katherine, me, and Chesna.

Before we headed back to LA, we met up on the beach with Jessica and Evan one last time. We girls laughed and huddled together on the beach trying to prolong having to say goodbye. Jessica and I tried to hug and say goodbye, but ended up belting out "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic and running around on the beach. It was all we could do to keep from crying haha! 

Whitney, Christy, Katherine, and I left to go back to Christy's house in LA and to meet up with Sarah. It was really great to see where Christy lives and finally meet the people I've heard about, but never had a chance to hang out with!

Overall, it was just a really special weekend. I feel like we all needed that time together and it was so perfect. I was honored and thrilled to be able to be a part of Jessica and Evan's big day! By now Jess and Ev will have made it back to Japan and are about to leave for their honeymoon (the Maldives, I think-so jealous!). Jessica has been in my life longer than any of my other friends. She is such a huge part of my life, and I'm sad I won't be able to see her whenever I want, but I'm so excited for them as they start their life together! ...Now to start saving for my plane ticket to Japan :)

Reality.

To keep my language PG, I will just refer to the statement people make about “things” getting real. Well it definitely got real this week. Brett had his second phone interview with a company and they are flying him out next week- to Pennsylvania. Yes, Pennsylvania, a town of 15,000 people in Pennsylvania. I pretty much had a breakdown one night. But, honestly, it was more than just the thought of moving that had me rattled. It finally hit me that things are changing. BIG things are happening in my life and the lives of the ones I love. One of my closest friends will become a wife this weekend then move across the world. My tight-knit group of friends will be slowly separated (geographically) over the next year. I am getting MARRIED in a matter of no time.

            Needless to say, Pennsylvania did not go over too well with me. At first. I am slowing warming up to the idea. I’m praying a lot for peace and for guidance for Brett as he leads are family. We’re praying that a job opportunity will present itself for me wherever we end up, and that we continue to let God show us His plan. I am learning to trust Brett even when I want to make the decisions because his decisions now directly affect my life. But, God always presents Himself faithful. Even though these are all big changes, they are exciting changes and I am ready to see what is planned for us!

I'm leaving for Jessica's wedding today, and I can't wait to reunited with my friends and to celebrate.

Jessica and I in our school picture way back when. So excited for California and her wedding this weekend. Evan is a wonderful man and I'm so happy for both of them!

Jess and I all grown up :)

Getting Engaged...

Every girl dreams about the day her man, the man made for her, her one true love, will drop down on one knee and ask the resounding question of “Will you marry me?” Not only does she dream of hearing that question, but also the circumstances surrounding it. Will it be in a gazebo with the rain falling hard as he serenades her with a song? Maybe even under the stars on a blanket? Or in a crowded room of all her friends and family?

As soon as I met Brett I dreamed of the day he would propose. I had visions of grandeur for that day- looking beautiful and being swept off my feet by love (no pressure, Brett). I knew Brett was my match, and that he would know the correct timing of events and how to lead our relationship. Little did I know, as I was telling friends it would be six months or a year before we took that step, he was making payments on a ring. The week before my birthday, Brett was definitely acting a bit strange, but I assumed it was because he would be missing my birthday. He had also been upset that we had to cancel a camping trip we had planned for the weekend. I tried for weeks to get hints about my present to no avail. The day before he left, he planned on giving me my “birthday present”. When I opened the door, I noticed no gift in his hand. I was initially confused and my mind jumped to the thought of “Oh! A puppy?!”. We walked into my room where we sat down on my bed. Next thing I know he is explaining how he had other plans of how to do this and how every thing had fallen through, {cue confusion} but he realized that it was not about how he says asks, but what he is saying. {cue the tears} With that he proceeded to tell me many sweet things and asked me: Will you marry me? After about 2 minutes of “Are you serious?” and “Is this happening?”, I said YES! Then there were many excited phone calls to friends (who were shocked) and family. Next we headed to Backyard Burger (yes, you read that correctly!). Brett was so nervous the whole day that he had barely eaten anything! We still laugh about going there on such a momentous night. I kept his coke cup as a keepsake...  

Looking back on the moment it definitely did not happen how I expected it (I didn’t picture myself wearing yoga pants and no make-up). But, I realize that in that moment my vision was still fulfilled. I may not have been serenaded then, but he sings to me whenever I ask. We may not have been on a blanket under the stars, but for years to come we will hike and camp and play. In that moment, realized I get to have those things every day. Forever.

After a few initial pictures, I changed out of PJ's and we went to celebrate with friends.