One Month

Today marks the one month anniversary of Aaron and I being married.  We had a beautiful wedding surrounded by people who love us.  There were some major catastrophes: forgot to pay the caterer the day before the wedding and had to make my dad run out there that morning, minor catastrophes: who knew sparkling cider didn't always  have twist off caps, and some not so pleasant conversations with family members that day.  All of that said, it was a WONDERFUL DAY!!! I had the best matron of honor, mother in law and mom taking care of everything for me.  The weather was PERFECT!!!! It was overcast (great for pictures), sprinkled here and there, and sunny when we drove home as Mr.and Mrs. Wood.  The food was great, everyone pitched in to help clean up and best of all, everyone gave us compliments on the most important part: the wedding ceremony (especially the vows).

Now that we've been married one month I thought I should finally bring myself to blogging about our wedding and marriage thus far. 

We have had a few disagreements so far (where to put the dish towel, whether or not to kill the ants who keep rudely invading our apartment and freaking me out, and when to get up/go to bed).  All of these things are just little things that will be resolved in time.  We also have decided Thursdays are "our" night.  We have bible study Monday, Aaron has men's study Tuesday, Wednesday we hang out with the McKenneys, and the weekends are full of hanging out and church events so Thursdays are dedicated to US. 

We have also had many joys this month: getting a TV Tuner card for the PC to turn it into the TV so we take the big bulky TV out of our living room and put it in the game room, spending lots of time with friends, getting to spend much more time with Brandon, and getting our car inspected for free and it passing (after gettting a new windshield washer pump). 

We have been enjoying being married and all of the joys, challenges, and everyday stuff it brings. 

I plan on writing more later but right now it's back to work for me.

Long time

No post.

I realize I haven't posted anything in a long time.  The main reason for that is: I'm planning a wedding! YAY!  I can't believe it.  The wedding is 2.5 months away! Amazing!  Aaron and I seem to be getting most of the things done that we need done.  I still need to call back about the cake and tell them what we want on it. 

We have our first bridal shower 1 week from today!  I'm so excited.  I can't believe it's here already!  I don't really know much about it either.  I just know that I am very excited to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time.  :)  

Aaron and I are working very hard to get everything to come together.  He's working very hard at school and work right now.  He's taking 3 online graduate level classes and working 4 days a week thus leaving him with little time for wedding planning but he still tries so hard to make it work. 

We have started our premarital counseling and that is AWESOME!  We love it.  Our pastor and his wife are just amazing.  We love them so much.  They were so much fun to talk to during our 1st session that we can't wait for me.  We are going through a book called "Before You Say 'I Do.'"  It is taking a long time to go through it but that is quite alright.  It asks a lot of good questions.  Although to be honest, so far Aaron and I have talked about most of these topics.  As we get further into the book I'm sure that will change. 

Sally, my friend and MOH (matron of honor), has been helping me with the flowers.  We have almost all of the bridesmaid flowers done, we have the corsages put together we just need to put ribbon on them.  I need to buy one more flower for a bridesmaid because I apparently can't count.  I still need to wrap my bouquet in ribbon, but it's at least assembled.  I also need to buy the flowers for the boutonnieres (hardest word for me to spell, never get it right btw).  I'm having a hard time finding the flowers that I want, which is slightly frustrating but I also don't get to go to the store much so we'll see when I actually get out there what I find.  So far no luck.

Hopefully in the next month or so I will be having a favor making party and inviting some friends to help us make the favors.  Many of my bridesmaids aren't in Erie so I might be relying on a few friends for this area. 

I also still need to make the centerpieces, I just haven't quite figured out how to do it yet. *bites nails*  I'm sure it will come together and Aaron gets done with classes March 20 (ish) which will also help.

March 20, is also the date of my second bridal shower (the Pittsburgh/my side of the family/people who live in Pittsburgh one).  I'm also excited about that.  Apparently mom, Aunt Susan, my sisters, my aunt Marie and Aunt Shirley have been working pretty hard on it.  It's nice to hear my family is working together on this.

Also because of wedding planning, mom and I get to talk more.  I think that she really likes that.  So that is a good thing.  I know she feels bad because she's not in Erie to help out more but, it's ok.  We really want to do as much as we can on our own anyway. :) It's tricky trying to find a balance of showing you're responsible and paying for your own wedding, and letting your parents feel like they are helping you on the last shabang or whatever.  I guess some parents feel like it's the last thing they'll really be able to help their daughter with so they are very glad to help.  But I also don't want my parents to take out a loan to pay for my wedding (BAD IDEA).

The wedding website seems to be going over well.  We've had quite a few people respond via the website and that's AWESOME!  It makes me very happy.  I was very happy to put so much of Aaron and I into our wedding.  I got to design our invitations, Andrew helped us to design the wedding website, but it's really still very much us.

The only thing that is making me sad right now is that I'm having some issues with my grandparents about whether or not they will be coming to the wedding.  If you could be praying about that I'd appreciate it.  I really want them there but the reason they give for not wanting to come is rather silly and childish and makes me upset.  I don't want to cave to their wishes (because we can't afford it) but, I also want them at my wedding.  So please be praying about that. 

I think that is probably all for now.  Hopefully I'll be better at keeping you updated in the future.

Hairstyles

More help with wedding planning.  I want an updo for my wedding, (I sweat too much not to).  I don't know what to do.  I want to be able to wear a veil, possibly a tiara, and hopefully a blusher (the part that goes over your face).  I don't find a lot of hairstyles that I like though.  I don't want just a french twist, it's my wedding, I've wearing french twists FOREVER.  Don't want a bun, I danced for 10 years.  I want something that will still look pretty after (if) I take the veil off.  I don't know.  Any ideas?  Please email them to me if you have any ideas as I don't want Aaron to see them obviously. Thanks.

PS. I hope I'm not turning into Bridezilla.

Holly's Challenge Day 3

Sorry I didn't get to post these yesterday but here are the photos for day 3 of the challenge. 

Included are MY Hat (don't listen to Aaron it's totally mine), the puppies, and the boys talking outside of church. 

I used Picasa 3 to create the collage.  It makes it really easy for me. Also the picture I used for the background is my car's inspection sticker.

Aaron and I are ENGAGED!!!!!

Praise God, Aaron asked me to marry him this past Sunday and I said "Yes yes yes, please put the ring on!" Well there is more to it than that but that seems to be everyone's favorite part of the story. :)

I kinda knew something was up because he always gives me details about everything so when he said he did "errands online," I thought "ring???" Then he also asked about 5 times if this past weekend was open for Panama Rocks.  But then he tried to trick me by saying he'd email InterVarsity to see if they wanted to go.  And then he said why don't we ask Brandon.  But anyway so he had me going both ways for a while.  But regardless of whether or  not it was a total surprise isn't important.  IT WAS PERFECT!!!. . . and even better than that I get to marry the love of my life in about 6 months! AMAZINGNESS!!!

Anyway, we went to Panama Rocks in Panama, NY after church this past Sunday and we got there and I was taking pictures (it's what I do) and walking and talking to each other during the walk through the scenery.  I was thoroughly enjoying just walking and holding his hand and having him lead me as I was a little bit unsure about it because the wet leaves made things a bit slippery.  (Oh, side note: Praise God we got to go because the day before they closed due to 5 inches of snow!!!) But we had fun climbing on the rocks and taking photos and Aaron decided to ask me to climb down one rock that scared me and I was like no no no no no and so on.  So I went around the other way and met him.  Then we walked on a little farther and he asked to sit down since he was out of breath. (He had been sick and later told me he wouldn't have come if he hadn't been proposing.) Then, he said something to the affect (I don't exactly remember because I heard "lots of loving things, *don't cry don't cry, crap I'm crying*, saw him get on one knee, and open the ring box, with a gorgeous ring inside and asked me to marry him") But he said: Amanda, I love you very much and I always enjoy all of the adventures that we have together, and I know there will be many obstacles but that if we keep loving and serving God He will help us to conquer them.  And I know we've been looking at all of these pretty rocks, but I'd like to show you the prettiest one I've found (as he gets on one knee). Will you marry me?" To which I reply "Yes yes yes, please put the ring on.  I love you so much." And almost pulled him up off the ground to hug him as we both hugged and laughed and cried and greatness! The people behind us probably thought we were crazy and guess what, they wouldn't be wrong to think that. 

We finished walking through the area and had fun taking pictures and hugging and holding hands.  Then on the way back we got lost (see that whole adventure thing already kicking in.)  But we figured it out and then we went and called our family and friends for about 2 hours to let them know before someone else did. 

We are so thrilled and not really very far into planning yet, but it will come.  I'm just so happy that I will be able to spend the rest of my life with Aaron, he is my best friend, my comforter, the one God has provided for me, my partner in ministry, my comedic relief (often), personal heater, confidant, and everything else good and great and wonderful.  I love him so much.  I'm so happy that I will be able to join in his family as well as I love them very much also.  And I pray that my family will take him in as a son and love him too.

I would have posted more pictures of us together but when I took them off my camera I did it at Holly's so here are a few pictures of the ring instead.  BTW, it's TOTALLY me!

All taken with my point and shoot also! :) 

 

Friday's Entry: Family Bonding

We all had gathered on the couch at Holly's to watch her open her birthday gift.  And then Aaron and Court decided Holly wasn't allowed to leave so they smooshed her, then Holly called Conner for reinforcements.  Eventually she was able to break free. 

And then this happened. . .
Aaron started smooshing Court and not letting her get up.

And then this happened. . . He is blessed to have a sister who loves him.  I just really like this one for some reason.

Feelings mutual

This is a song from the movie Fireproof.  If you haven't seen it yet, it's really awesome.  I love it!  I've seen it probably 5 times already and really really enjoy it.  Anyway this song is called "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. That's how I'm feeling right now. 

"I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait"

 I love Aaron very much and would really like to be getting married like a year ago.  Not joking.  But today's sermon really helped me think about how I should be patiently waiting and serving the Lord.  I should also be praying for more specific things.  So one of the ways I am applying this is with asking the Lord for patience. This song also reminds me of that.  I've decided that while I am waiting on the Lord to allow us to get married that I'm going to be in the Scriptures daily, looking at what it means to be a couple serving the Lord together. 

I truly believe that Jesus has put Aaron and I together and that someday we will be doing full time ministry together in one way or another.  We've already done a lot of ministry together. One of our close friends said that it was through our witness that said friend came to Christ and was able to grow in Christ.  My senior year of college we'd stay up in the end lounge talking about spritual topics.  Well, to be honest I usually ended up falling asleep because I'm not very good at staying awake at night, BUT, it was awesome to be able to serve our friend TOGETHER! 

I just pray that the Lord will continue to help me to grow in patience as I wait on His timing for marriage.  I know I know, never ask for patience.  But to be honest that is what I need. James1:5-6 says " ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."  I am asking God for wisdom and patience as He shows me His will for our lives. 

Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

Pops and Mert visit

On Sunday after church, Aaron and I went to visit his Godfather and his wife. After this point, I proceeded to get sick for two days but that's another story.

This is Mert, Aaron, Pops and their dog Molly.

They love each other very much! Pops reminds me of my pap so much it's not even funny.  He loves his trains, he's always smiling, he treats his dog like pap treated ours, they have similar glasses, and when pap was younger he had that hairstyle, and they both got in trouble growing up in the Catholic Schools.

Pops loves this little dog so much. She even gets to go to Wendys sometimes, and if you said the word she knows what you mean!  Also in this picture I'm nearly certain the farm in the background is the farm that Dwayne's father used to own.

 

And then Aaron decided to torture Duncan.   Check out the name tag on the poor dog.

Campfire stories

Yesterday was a great day. Aaron called into work and found out that he had to go to work for an undetermined amount of time for his first real day on the job. While Aaron was at work I got to hang out with his mom and Courtney. We had a great day together we made some lunch together (well they made it and I washed up the dishes.) Then we looked at scrapbooking websites and some AMAZING photos that some of Holly's friends have put up on Blogger. I'm just amazed with some people's photography skills. They are always able to take the most excellent pictures. Then Holly, Court and I went to the barn. Holly has made it her goal to make me not afraid of her uberduper super spancy scary camera. It has a lens longer than my arm (ok not really but you get the idea.) I took the camera around while they fed the horses at the barn and I was getting more comfortable using it finally although I'm still a bit afraid of breaking it. I hope some of the pictures that I took turned out well. Then when it was time for Court to ride Mojo, I went to pick up Aaron and head off to hang out with my family. Being inspired by all of the wonderful artwork, here are some pictures that I was able to take on my camera that day. Let me know what you think. If you would like to see all of the pictures from this weekend I am going to attempt to put them up on Facebook soon.

Me playing around taking pictures of my eye because I thought it looked really cool that day.
Can't tell if I like the top or bottom picture better. It is the same barbed wire wreath at the barn, just taken standing in two different places.
I'm a big kittah, honest.

Dad being extra gentle with Peaches, she was hurting very badly and is going to the vet on Tuesday.
He's so handsome!
Like the look of the fire in this one. . .
but the bubbliness of the wood in this one.
Aaron and Brandon, fireside.

Aaron and ConBeast

Conner is my buddy and he likes to wake Aaron up for me. In these pictures Conner wasn't cooperating to make it look like they were snuggling.

Cutest.picture.ever!