Jordan Hohm, my soon-to-be husband :)

Once upon a time, I met this guy, back when I was a tiny baby freshman in college. He was handsome, outgoing, and had a smile that made my stomach do flips. He was one of my first crushes at GC, but I honestly thought he would only remain a crush, and become a friend, maybe, if I was lucky. But now, we've graduated from college, and I'm going to marry him in 10 days.

We may still be tiny babies in some ways, but I'm glad we've at least gotten a little more attractive since these days:

And it seems like we just took these pictures:

But so soon I get to wear a white dress for tons more pictures :)


Jordan, I love you and I can't wait to marry you...

I'm an introvert...

I've known this for quite a while. But I was just reminded again this weekend. Don't get me wrong, there would be one or two e's on that test that told me I'm an INFJ, because I love times to be social with people. I would go crazy if I didn't get enough friend time in my life. But I would also go crazy if I didn't get enough hammock time in my life. Kinda like I am right now. The wedding weekend of Michael and Kelly Baker-Trapp this past weekend was SUPER wonderful for getting in some much-needed socializing with people I love. But now, I'm right back into working at work and then working on wedding things forever and I never quit going and doing. 


But, some night last week, I went out on the porch swing and just sat in stillness and silence for maybe 10 minutes. And I was the calmest I've been in a long time. I just listened to the wind and the nighttime bugs and just breathed. I love that. Why don't I make time for that more often? I'll never know. But I do know that I wish introversion was a thing more valued by the world.


Speaking of that wedding this last weekend, how beautiful is this bride? So happy for you Michael & Kelly, hope you're enjoying your first few days of married life :)

Also, I'm getting married in 18 days :)  :)  :)  :)

PUMPED.

And my aunt is here to help us with wedding things which has been wonderful because she is so much more focused than I. 

But, I did at least accomplish some wedding things that I wanted to last week. Like sending out these bridesmaid cards. That had been on my to-do list for far too long.

On another note, I've got this friend. And her name is Megs. I just love her a lot and appreciate that she is so good at loving and listening. We chatted for a bit tonight, but I'm pumped to skype with her on Thursday and among many other things discuss a name for that new computer of hers. I take for granted time spent with her when we live in the same room or next door. And then in the summer, I just realize how incredibly much I miss her. And how glad I am that I can see her in like 15 days. And how glad I am that we will have a coffe shop together someday. Because life is too short to pass up the things that you really want to do. She just made our wedding guest book for us, because she is awesome and crafty like that. And I already can't wait to see it, and look at the pictures and read the words that aren't even in it yet. 

Can't wait to see you in a couple weeks my luf!

Also, I miss this. Ice cream in Borders.

God is good, in Octobers and fires.

If you don't get the reference in the title, it is probably because you need to read this:


http://amundsons.blogspot.com/2012/05/god-is-good-even-in-october.html


I loved Lisa's baccalaureate speech, but I didn't realize a mini October would come so soon after graduation.
I've been reflecting quite a bit about the fire in my house last Thursday and its after-effects, but first I should just recount what happened, because all things considered, we are so incredibly fortunate that the extent of the damage was relatively minor. 


I pulled up from work to my house to find my sister and mom out in the front yard, Maria balling, and Mom on the phone, clearly distraught. They told me there was a fire and I looked over at the house I've been in since kindergarten and expected to see flames at any moment. A couple guys in their own trucks and then a couple fire trucks pulled up and the brave yellow suited men made their way into my home. It was so surreal that I just sat and stared, but then was silently given permission to cry when Jordan pulled up. 


Long story short, a fire had started in the dryer in the laundry room which Mom and Maria tried to put out, but then were told by the 911 lady to get out of the house. Praise the Lord, no one was hurt, and structurally, our house is fine. It demolished everything in the laundry room and got hot enough to send thick smoke throughout the entire top two levels of the house, so there is now a layer of soot covering everything in my house. 


So, I'm so glad, for so many reasons, that I am marrying someone with Positivity as a top strength, because in processing this whole experience, I'm realizing that there truly are at least as many pros to the aftereffects of this than cons. 


Sure, cleaning out a house and being covered in soot were not the plans I had in mind for the weekend. And the wedding is in 33 days, so its going to take a ton of work to do the cleaning besides the planning. And we lost some clothes and stuff, but it could have been so much worse, if we were away or if it happened overnight...
Man...


I've always like old-fashioned things, so sometimes I like to think of certain events of my life in the context of historical times, like if my family had been in a fire in the prairie days. Of course I have no idea what that would have been like, but I picture it having been so much more difficult to put out, first of all, with buckets of water as the main resource and then I think of the neighbors coming over to take our clothes down to the river to clean them, and the process being a bit simpler overall because they had a lot less stuff back then...
But enough of that, thanks for entertaining my daydreams...


One positive thing is that I hope to come out of this experience with a lot less stuff. This weekend I gathered up a bunch of boxes of things from my closet to get rid of, and I have been needing to do this for years anyway, so the fire just put me on a timetable to do that, which as a procrastinator, is a great thing for me.


Also, since they are taking all the clothes and things out of our house to professionally clean them, I will probably get some things back in a couple months cleaner than they were before the fire...


But, the best part of this whole thing is we're living at Grandpa & Grandma's for now. And I know I should see them a lot already since we're neighbors, but in the busyness of a school year I don't really, so having their help and hanging out with them has been such a blessing. 
And although I do sometimes wish I lived in a time where people still believed in front porches, its been wonderful to feel the love of so many family and friends ready to help us with whatever we need.
God is good.

I'm pretty much spoiled...

Today I walked into work after our walk-through for graduation and guess what I found:

Cupcakes and an amazing gift...candles and soap and good smelling things for our house and a gift card to Maurice's. Now I can buy work clothes like a real live adult. Man, the people in my office are just too good to me.

I'm probably going to post a sob-filled something about graduation sometime soon. But I can't yet. I need more time to process things...

Well...I missed April

Lately, with the busyness of life, I've been trying to blog once a month. I missed April. Both in the blog world, and in the sense that I feel like April just started. Yet here we are. May 1st. But I'm definitely ok with it being May 1st. First of all, because the 1st is always one of my favorite days of the month. Little fresh start 12 times a year. Also, because the fact that its May 1st means my wedding is in 67 days. Can't. wait.


Every other Tuesday morning, I have no obligations until work at 1:30 in the afternoon. Today is one of those Tuesdays. And its beautiful. I've enjoyed a nice relaxing morning of a bowl of oatmeal, listening to this awesome CD my fiancé (I only get to use that word for 67 more days, so Imma take advantage of it :) made for me:

being excited about finally getting our invitations out:

getting some things checked off my to do list:

reminiscing about my great weekend, with a wedding shower and having family around, which means, among other things, movie night [we watched {actually attempted to watch} Hugo {Dad's the only one who made it through awake}]:

and it means delicious food at home, like this breakfast with cini-minis:

And to bring this blog to a close, I just wanted to share with the world that I am beyond excited to give this lady the world's largest big bear hug in, what is it now, 9 days?!?!

The End

It's A Beautiful Day

So, I haven't seen my broski in a long time. I actually can't even figure out how long its been because its too late at night to be able to count or think cohesive thoughts. 
Basically, it's been long enough that I'm beyond excited to see him this weekend. At this time tomorrow night I will still be near the beginning of our long trek into the desert. Good thing I have lots of knitting and journalling and sleeping to do. And lots of homework to avoid. 
I should probably get to packing soon....


Ah, but before that happens I need to blog about some other reasons that tomorrow is such a wonderful day:


For one thing, it is my Megs' birthday. And she is pretty much really great. I'm just really thankful for her because we have such great talks at coffee shops. And such fun advising the judges of the Voice. And a little pet bird who has gotten more exercise than is even comprehensible. And she knows if we happen to see each other at work in the morning its because I needed to check my mail or I needed to say hi to my tree. So, thanks for being my friend. Love you lots Megs. Hope your birthday is fantastic :)


Guess. what. else. March 1st 2012 means that Jordan and I have been engaged for 5 months. AND its our 3 year anniversary. I can't believe it. Best three years ever. Its just hard to explain in words how much he means to me. But like in one of the most recent Up All Night episodes, we got each others backs. And I haven't even left for Texas yet, but I already miss him. And I'm crazy proud of what an awesome teacher he is/will be. And I'm so glad I have the rest of forever to hang out with him because I never get tired of it. And I feel only ever so slightly bad about making many girls of the world jealous that I have such a ridiculously handsome fiancé. But whatcha gonna do?

{One of the engagement pics from Joel Johnson...he is amazing}

Sorry for the super sappy blog post. Sometimes you just gotta be a little sentimental, ya know?

Lead me Lord

Sermon prepping. Made possible by Jordan, Barbara Brown Taylor inspiration, a frosted cranberry candle, Keana, Special K Red Berries, my parental units, Grandpa & Grandma, and Grandma's cookies. 

I love that I can't come over to Grandma & Grandpa's without being fed a meal and at least two cookies. Regardless of the time of day.

I also wish that Grandpa or Barbara Brown Taylor could take over for me this week. These lectionary texts are stumping me. 

But, since that not possible, my real wish is that I'll get to meet Barbara Brown Taylor someday. She is simply brilliant and it would be incredible to hang out with her for an afternoon.  

Alright, back to the books.