Life As Lindsay May

Fall Inspiration Board

2011-08-29T15:39:00.001-05:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. Not only is it my birthday and my husband's birthday (that's a lot of cake!), I love the weather, the smell of the air, and that back-to-school anticipation. Crazy how I've been out of college for five years and I still get excited about school. Yes, I am in grad school, so this MAY be my very last official "back to school" time!

I love fall so much, I decided to share some of my favorite fall things with you! Enjoy some eye candy and sip a latte!

Two Year Anniversary

2011-06-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

Climbing rocks together at Bluefin Bay

Split Rock Lighthouse

Two Years

Bluefin Beach

Relaxing in our room with a warm fire

Skipping Rocks

Love.

My Life in 2010

2010-12-31T10:18:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe how fast 2010 has come and gone. This year has been a great one, presenting lots of challenges as well as opportunities for me. It was a great year of love, learning, and growth, but I always look forward to what will be coming my way next.

Here are some of the things that happened this past year:

Transitioned from my job at Dr. Pederson's office
Started working for LifeTime Fitness(LOVE it!)
Spent lots of time with my best friend, Dustin
Celebrated our one year anniversary
Tore off wallpaper and painted in my craft room (LOTS of work...)
Became an auntie again! (welcome, little Bennett!)
Helped my mom through her breast cancer ordeal (praise God for how smoothly everything went!)
Started graduate school (obtaining my masters degree in organizational leadership)
Did LOTS of homework
Painted our family room
Got some furniture and new TV for the family room
Started many new traditions with our family

Some of the things I want to accomplish in 2011:

Go on a road trip
Determine a topic for my thesis and complete most of the work
Begin our kitchen transformation
Put up wall decorations
Learn more design skills
Become more compassionate
Go on a REAL camping trip... (aka more than one night...)
Make a difference in someone's life

I'm so thankful for all the blessings God has given me. I look forward to all the great things to come in 2011.

What Are You Waiting For?

2010-12-27T13:21:00.000-06:00

This is the most motivating video I have seen. Your health should be a priority... is it? So many people say that they don't have time to exercise and get fit. I say that you don't have time and can't afford NOT to invest in your body. You can either pay for it now, or pay for it when you are older.

So... what are you waiting for?

Merry Christmas from the Mays

2010-12-23T11:36:00.000-06:00

Christmas Inspirations

2010-11-26T11:36:00.000-06:00

I've seen SO many cute things out and about this Christmas season. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas inspirations this year:

Loving these tags! Found them on Etsy. Totally perfect for a Christmas tablescape or finishing touch on a perfectly-wrapped present!

Another one...

How cute is this? This Etsy seller makes them all by hand... by wrapping strips of paper around a pin! Talk about patience!

Totally inspiring me to be crafty now... we will see what happens!

To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required

2010-11-25T20:55:00.000-06:00

First, I would like to say that since I'm supposed to be doing homework right now, I seem to be finding every excuse not to do it this Thanksgiving night. That is why I am blogging :-)

Seriously, I have SO much to be thankful for this year. A few weeks ago I wrote about my mom's breast cancer surgery. Here we are just a little over one month later, and my mom is 100% cancer free! I truly think it was a miracle that everything was caught so early and taken care of smoothly. Not to say that things are easy-peasy now, mom still has difficult days, both physical and emotional. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

I am so thankful for my wonderful family. First, for my wonderful husband, Dustin. He has been such a godsend to me. Every day I fall more and more in love with him. I get giddy thinking that I get to spend the rest of my life waking up next to him, going on all kinds of adventures together, and helping each other through life's challenging moments.

Next, I am so thankful for my parents, brother, and in-laws. I could not have asked God for a better family to be part of. I feel so loved and supported by everyone. They have been such a solid rock throughout my whole life- constantly praying for me and for Dustin. What a great heritage.

I am also very thankful for my job. I LOVE that I love my job. It has its challenging moments, but I have such wonderful co-workers that feel a bit more like family more and more. My work is challenging me and causing me to grow in personal and professional ways.

I am also thankful for our house- sometimes I feel blown away by how lucky we are to even have our own home. I've been to many places in the world where all families have is a tiny mud hut or a tin-roofed shack on the side of a street. I live in a very cozy home where I have four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two family rooms, TONS of storage space, and even a house for our cars for crying out loud! We have more than enough food to eat, safe modes of transportation, and plenty of clean water.

I'm thankful for my education. Both Dustin and I have our undergraduate degrees, and now I have the opportunity to pursue my master's degree in a field that I am so passionate about!

I also know that to whom much is given, much is required. I am thinking about how my brother-in-law picked up a homeless man last night while he was plowing the streets. He brought the man to a safe place to sleep, take a long shower, and even bought him winter boots, warm clothes, and some Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy. THAT is inspiring to me.

Right now I'm thinking about ways that I can bless others with all the resources God has given to me. What are you thankful for? Are you being responsible with your resources?

What A Day

2010-10-18T19:42:00.000-05:00

Today feels like one of the longest days of the year for me. I am tired on so many levels, yet I feel strong at the same time.

Today my mom had her breast cancer surgery. Last night I hardly slept at all and today when I came to the hospital I can't say that I was emotionally stable. Thank God for Cindy Peters and my wonderful family who was there with us through the entire day!

I am happy to say that my mom is doing well. She is really tired and is staying on top of the pain medicine. Overall she is doing great though! I am so glad this day is over and that we can move on with the recovery process.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying, please continue to do so for a quick recovery. Its amazing how you can feel prayer holding you up and giving you peace during such a scary time. I don't know what we'd do without the Lord.

Rediscovering The Hand Talk: how to determine if you are in a good relationship

2010-09-05T20:30:00.001-05:00

Even after being married for over a year, I am STILL not completely moved out of my parents house. This is either because I have way too much "stuff" or I have attachment issues. I am pretty confident that its the first issue because I haven't missed any of the stuff left behind at all.

This afternoon we had lunch with my mom and dad at their house. My parents are so wonderful to always invite us over (or out to eat) just about every Sunday. They go the extra mile to make sure we always feel welcome to stop over every time. They also encourage me to take things to my own house after every visit.

This time, I took a bunch of my college textbooks, school supplies, pieces of art I have made, binders, and even a few bags of clothes that were still hanging in my closet. I LOVE going through bags and boxes that have been hiding for a long time. I love to rediscover my old treasures that were important enough to store away rather than throw out.

One of the things I discovered tucked away in a big leather planner (before the days of my cell phone calendar!) was a small, laminated card that Ryan Skoog handed out in youth group when I was a youth leader.

What is this "hand talk" card? Its a pledge for purity. The card states:

I will prepare for the right person. For my God, my marriage, my kids, and myself I promise not to awaken love until it is time (Song of Solomon 2:7).

I will avoid any action, situation, or person that could awaken love before it's time. I pray that you understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives (Philippians 1:10).

The hand talk principal describes how to determine if the person you are interested in is fit to be a possible spouse one day.

Your thumb represents a priority of faith. Your thumb can touch every other finger on your hand, it is the most important aspect of your relationship.

Your pointer finger represents direction. Are you both headed down the same path? Are you both headed towards the same goal or destination or are you moving apart from one another.

Your middle finger represents communication. Is it effective and uplifting? Can you be yourself and really connect?

Your ring finger represents core values. Do they line up with one another? Is the other person's values consistent with yours?

And also very important, your pinky finger represents chemistry. You can't have a relationship without being physically and emotionally attracted to each other :-)

For those of you who may still be looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, hopefully this guide is a helpful standard for you. No one is perfect, but you need to set healthy standards to have a great relationship.

Although this was meant to be geared for romantic relationships, this could even be a good way to help you pick friendships or determine which ones are healthy(perhaps minus the chemistry).

How did you determine who your Mr./Mrs. Right was? How are you currently choosing your friendships?

Here's to Dustin, the man I saved everything for and the man whose hand fits perfectly to mine.

Cheers (toasting with my pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks),

Welcome To My Craftroom

2010-09-02T23:54:00.000-05:00

I apologize if you get dizzy from watching this. It is late at night and I need to go to bed. However, I took the day off of work tomorrow and I feel the freedom to stay up as late as I want... so I am :-)
If you have any fun decorating ideas, send them my way! I'd love your suggestions!

Also, I don't have black eyes. Its just the lighting and my tiredness.

Blurry-Eyed Blinks

2010-08-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I posted a tweet about a big change in plans coming up. Many wondered if I was pregnant. I started wondering if I gained weight because of that... but NO. No mini Mays are due in 9, 8, or even 7 months as Dustin likes to tease.

I have decided to do a total change in my educational focus. For years I wanted to get an MBA. It was just a matter of time before Dustin and I started Hamline's program. I was so set on it, but kept putting it off. It's so funny how one little event can make such a huge change in life.

It all started about a month ago when Dustin struck up a conversation with a stranger in a Caribou. In a nut shell, this stranger (a professor from a school out west) caused Dustin to question if he/we should really be pursuing an MBA or if another route would be better. Dustin came home that night and told me about his conversation.

I must be honest, I got really upset. How could a total stranger question our life plan?? Who is he to tell us what we should or should not do?? He has no idea who we are!! What is trying to stop us from our DESTINY?? I was a little defensive to say the least (Dustin- I am so sorry!!).

This really caused me to start thinking about if this was going to be realistic and started seriously considering where my true strengths and passions lie. I just knew I was still supposed to start school somewhere! Even if its without Dustin. Even if it means exploring other paths. Through the help of a very dear friend and mentor, I realized that I want to pursue the study of leadership and continue to develop my gifts in that area.

This makes so much more sense to me! I heard a friend say that the future of business is headed to information and change management rather than calculating statistics and formulas. My current work really supports this statement and I agree with it. The future of business will go to those who can effectively lead- especially in these times of change. Creating commitment and engagement within an organization is a huge challenge- one that totally inspires me!

SO, although I haven't been officially accepted yet, I will be starting Bethel's M.A. in Organizational Leadership program next month. September 28 to be exact so long as all my references come through and I get accepted. I feel so great about this decision! I can hardly wait to start and apply the knowledge to my current work.

I am so thankful for a wonderful husband who listens to the little prompts God speaks to us. Once I put my own agenda aside, I could really admit and contemplate where my gifts lie and the direction God has for my life. I feel like this is only a morning's blurry-eyed blink into a beautiful vision for tomorrow.

The Dog Debate

2010-08-15T08:28:00.000-05:00

Dustin & I are dog sitting for his parents this weekend. No more than five minutes after arriving to our house, little Sadi started producing "dingleberries" as she ran in circles in our kitchen. I don't even know how that is possible... they just started appearing all over the floor, one after another. Eww.

I am all for dogs (NOT cats). Dustin and I both grew up with pets in our homes and I always thought I would have a dog. In fact, lately I have been thinking that maybe we should just go ahead and get a dog now because "it would be so much FUN!" I even narrowed down my choices and compromises to determine that we should get a French Bulldog and name him Pirate.

Despite all the possible fun to be had with Pirate, I think it is best to stick to our original plan. I learned that I do NOT in fact want to pick up poop or have to worry about getting a dog smell on our couches... or listen to barking while trying to fall asleep. (NOTE: Dustin did all the work taking care of her... he picked up poop like a champion!).

I am told that taking care of a dog is a lot like having a kid, you don't care about the poop as much when its your own. In case you are curious, here is our tentative plan:

1. Get some sort of masters degree (another current debate)
2. Have a kid in about two more years (depending on school)
3. Wait until our kids are old enough to understand what a dog is and until they want one so bad that they will do anything to get one (make them do all sorts of projects and chores)
4. Reward all their hard work with a puppy (Pirate) and then Dustin & I will look like the best parents in the world to them for getting them a dog.

Happy Sunday!

P.S. We are watching Sadi one more night tonight... perhaps i'll take a picture. She really is a cutie pie.

My New Inspiration

2010-07-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

I ran my first 5k this past week! To most people that not a huge deal, but for me it is! I used to run in track while I was in middle school and then in 9th grade. However, because i'm not a huge fan of sports competition, I decided to pursue other things.

I was so reluctant to run in this year's Torchlight 5k, but it is put on by my company, Life Time Fitness, and I was *slightly* pressured by my coworkers to join in on the fun. I just figured I would take it for the team, and I could always walk if I really wanted to. I haven't ran a mile straight... probably since the 9th grade in High School (I am now 26 years old). Don't get me wrong, I'm in pretty great shape because I enjoy working out, but that usually consists of an elliptical and free weights.

Guess what, I RAN THE WHOLE THING! My feet were pretty sore but when I think about it, it really wasn't that hard! I would TOTALLY do it all again today! That race was a huge confidence booster for me. Now I really feel confident that I could train successfully for a triathlon in the nearer future. Below is a photo of most of my team right before we ran. I'm on the far right :-)

Thank God

2010-07-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

I thank God for such a great husband. I don't know what I would do without him, honestly. He is just perfect for me.

We watched our wedding video again this weekend because my grandparents are in town from Tennessee and they hadn't seen it. The song that was sung during our wedding is called "When God Made You" and it is just so fitting for us. The song goes like this:

(Guys)
Its always been a mystery to me,
How two hearts can come together,
And love can last forever.
But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.
So gone are all my questions about why,
And i've never been so sure of anything in my life
~chorus~
Oh I wonder what God was thinking,when he created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because he made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.
(Girls)
Ooo ooo,I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,
With all my heart I'll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I'll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.
(guy):So gone are all my questions about why (girl echoes):about why

Duet:Oh I wonder what God was thinking when he created you,
I wonder if He knew everythin I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you He must've been thinking about me.

He made the sun He made the moon,
To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can't do without the other they just have to be together.
And that is how I know its true,
Your for me and i'm for you and my world
Just cant be right without you in my life

(guy) He must have heard every prayer I've been praying (girl echo)
I've been praying (both)He must've knew everything I would need
When God made you, He must've been thinking about me.

Thats the song. Its not our "song" (that is Diamond Rio's Beautiful Mess), but it sure is fitting!! A little over a year into our marriage, this song fits even more than it did when I first picked it out. Watching our video again reminded me of that.

Dustin- Thank you for being so good to me. I love you with all my heart!

Hello! It's Me Again!

2010-07-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

Pain in the Head

2010-06-28T20:53:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been having the worst headaches. Not horrible in the sense of terrible pain, but really annoying in the sense that I don't feel normal and can't really do things the way I want. For example, tonight I desperately need to go to the gym and work out.

What am I doing instead? Sitting at my computer with my eyes feeling like they are going to jump out of my face because of all the pressure behind them. I hate this. I'm not a good sick person (although I don't think I'm sick). I just feel miserable tonight.

I LOVE...

2010-05-31T19:18:00.000-05:00

ANTIQUE SHOPPING! I always thought of antiques as something for my grandma... but now i'm slightly obsessed with it.

You see, it all started when Dustin and I went out with our friends Darren & Allison Lee. They introduced us to the art of making old new! This afternoon Dustin & I went to the Elko Trader's Market with my parents. It was AMAZING. Its $4 to get in, but you have access to over 300 vendors!

The Trader's Market is literally a huge field and multiple barns full of the stuff that Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware use in their magazines.... but for 1/2 the price (usually)! I didn't get anything this afternoon, but yesterday when we went garagesale-ing (also a new favorite activity) I found a really great old huge frame that I am going to re-finish and use in some sort of crafty-wall fashion! We also found a really cute side table that I will refinish for use in my craft room. How much did it cost? Four bucks!

These images are from the Pottery Barn website for around $100. Go antique treasure shopping and get them for about $10 each! Looking forward to more!!

Its been a while...

2010-04-10T17:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been a while since i've posted. Please forgive me! I have been very busy with my new job (which I LOVE!) but when I get home at the end of the day, it is difficult for me to want to get back to my computer. I just want to be with my husband and get fresh air!

I hope to find a rhythm again one of these days. But for now, its a beautiful evening and i'm about to go for a walk with my handsome hubs.

Proud To Present...

2010-03-08T21:24:00.003-06:00

Bridging The Gap! Some of you have been wondering what i've been talking about. This site is what i've spent a lot of my free time working on! I encourage you to take a look and let me know your feedback! We are always looking for ways to improve!

Blessings,

Longing

2010-03-08T21:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight I find myself longing for more. Not more things. More LIFE in every sense of the word. Stuff will never fulfill any want or need in my life. I know I am meant for more. There is a light that leads me on as i'm guided through this life.

I'm hungry, but not for food. In my weakness is when I find my true strength. I'm just holding on! Did you know we are meant for more? It is such a relief to know there is already a plan for my life. Do you know what yours is? Am I walking mine each day? Are you?

Transitions

2010-03-03T20:21:00.001-06:00

Preview a video that will be posted on the soon-to-launch, "Bridging The Gap" website later this week! Stay tuned! (please ignore the awkward face I make in the opening screen)

Workout Boost: Cadence Revolution

2010-02-27T08:33:00.001-06:00

Hi friends, sorry its been over a week since i've blogged. I've been trying to get ready for my new job (I start on Monday) and get stuff done around the house since i'm abandoning my working part-time lifestyle. Anyways, here is something cool I found while reading my SELF fitness magazine...

If you are anything like me, you need some good tunes to workout to and keep the blood pumping. Sometimes I get sick of the music in my iTunes library. Instead of spending money and going to buy new music, just check out this website! Its called Cadence Revolution.

This site produces free podcasts of workout music varying in 30, 60, or 90 minutes in length. All you have to do is subscribe to these podcasts (you can have them go right to your iTunes podcast library!) and WHALA, you have some fresh, new, and sometimes *interesting* music to listen to! You just have to get past a little intro talking, and then enjoy.

The site also features free workouts for you to try on your own. Check it out, hope you enjoy!

Dinner & A Blog...& My Big Change!!!

2010-02-17T18:08:00.001-06:00

Tonight is my evening at home without Dustin. He is at church leading a class on mentoring. I just made a lovely little dish called, "Asparagus-and-Ham Casserole" from CookingLight.com.

The only change I made was using skim milk rather than whole milk.

I think it turned out pretty good. I think next time I would put a little bacon in it to give it a richer flavor, and maybe use whole milk to thicken up the mixture. Overall, it is good for being a fairly low-cal meal!

*Total Subject Change.....NOW!*

As some of you have been wondering from my previous post, "What is the big change, Lindsay?" Well.... I GOT A NEW JOB!! I must say that I am QUITE excited about this great opportunity! I was not originally looking for anything because I totally love my boss, underground parking spot, and vacation whenever the Dr. takes a vacation. However, a friend of mine suggested that I should check out an internal communications position at her company that would report to her; I could not resist checking it out.

Sure enough, the job sounded awesome! I sent in my application and about four interviews later, I received the job offer! D & I are so thrilled! I know it is going to be a challenge, but one that I am SO ready for. My head is spinning with ideas already. My first day will be March 1st. As a rule, I don't usually blog about work-related things because you never know who is reading..... :-) BUT I couldn't help but write about this!!!

SO, that is my big news. Back to the corporate world!

Big Change Coming.....

2010-02-14T21:10:00.000-06:00

I am SO excited!! But more on that later :-) And no, i'm not prego!

Blog Award & 10 Year Plans

2010-02-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

I have not updated my blog in a while, I can't believe how fast this week has gone by... its already Wednesday?! I've been so busy shoveling snow and trying to take care of my not-so-well-feeling hubby. It seems some flu-like plague is lurking around these parts lately. I think he is on the mend though!

We enjoyed a night of LOST and 24 last night! SO many questions are being answered (on LOST)! I am seriously concerned that I may cry a little bit when the show is over this season. LOST has been my show-of-shows, if you will.

Also, I got an award! Yay! Mateya, of "Our Journey From Iraq to The Alter" gave me the Bogart Award! Thanks Mateya!

"This award means you're really going places, Baby. You'll still be blogging about your great adventures 10 years from now, and I'll still be reading them."

{THE RULES}

Post where you would like to be in 10 years
Pass it on to 10 other special Bloggers!

Lets see, in 10 years I will be 36......Eeeek! I will have been married for 10 years, and will hopefully have about 2 or 3 young kids in our house. I hope to have a leadership role in my church and in the marketplace. Possibly have my own company of sorts. Although I don't know how my ambition of being a stay-at-home mom fits into that. We will have to see. I hope that my husband and I will be able to help others around us, and be a blessing to those in need.

And now I would like to pass this Blog award to the following 10 wonderful ladies (not in any particular order!)

Alanna @ Alanna In Suburbia
Jamie @ Always On My Mind
Christa Ann@ The Future Mrs. Walsh
Christina @ Another Year in Sweden
The Startup Wife (sorry, I realized I don't know your first name!)
Ashley @ Get Reale.
Tiffany @ Dreams Do Come True
Lauren @ Tales of the Addicted Scrapper
Shan @ Design Gal & Her Handyman
Erin @ beauty:design:life

I hope you enjoy checking out these 10 blogs! Happy Wednesday!

What's Your Decorating Style?

2010-02-03T16:26:00.000-06:00

This post is dedicated to my friend Amy and her blog, Modern Chemistry. Amy and her husband are remodeling their home and are inspiring me. A lot. In her most recent post, Amy features a website, Sproost, that allows you to determine your decorating style.

I went to Sproost to determine my own style. I am a sucker for personal quizzes! My specific style combines three more general styles:

55% Cottage Chic

27% Traditional Country

18% Rustic Revival

{Cottage Chic}

{Traditional Country}

{Rustic Revival}

I could sum up these results with a few stores: Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. The Sproost site even lets you create a room layout relating to your style if you just enter your e-mail address! Such a fun site!

**OK, so I totally just did the quiz and got a different set of answers/photos. The second time through, this was my result:

40% Rustic Revival

40% Nantucket Style

20% French Eclectic

Apparently I am a total "rustic revival" person, and I agree with the Nantucket, but I am not 100% sold on the French Eclectic. There are parts of it I like, and parts I don't.

****OK, so I took the quiz a 3rd time :-) I think this is the best fit for my personal taste:

43% Rustic Revival

29% Nantucket Style

28% Cottage Chic

{I LOVE the feel of this room!}

Take the test and let me know what your results are!!

...This Is The Moment I've Been Waiting For....

2010-02-02T07:22:00.000-06:00

The LOST premier is tonight!!! :-) What are your predictions? This is the final season after all....

Happy watching to all the LOST fans out there!

Design

2010-01-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

One thing that some of you may not know is that I am ~~slightly~~ obsessed with design. Graphic, web and interior design, I enjoy all things aesthetically pleasing. I love playing around with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver.

Some of you may also know that I have been working on completing my "craft room" in our house. I am proud to say that I have finished scraping all of the glue off the walls, and even skim-coated the walls. All the trim has been sanded. Next, I need to sand the walls and then turn myself into a human sponge and wipe away all the dust. **Random picture in my head: me, wearing a big, wet & bubbly sweatsuit walking with my back pressed along each of the walls......maybe not the best idea.....

ANYWAYS, the point is this: my craft room is almost complete! We will soon be ready to prime and paint the walls! After that, we can roll away the blue carpet and my feet can tread on the long-time buried wood floor! Oh what a day that will be!

I recently re-discovered a fun site (www.polyvore.com) that allows visitors to create designs with clothes and other accessories. I was playing around with the site this morning, and this is what I designed:

craft room inspiration

Although my craft room will not contain any of my clothes, this is how I want to feel IN my craft room :-) I LOVE yellow and gray. And pink. And teals. I haven't found a color swatch of the exact color of the walls yet, but I know it will be a yellow. I love the vintage feel of the floral pattern in this design as well. Perhaps I can incorporate that with accessories later. I'll continue to keep you posted on my progress!

Date Nights

2010-01-21T13:39:00.000-06:00

Friday night is quickly approaching (thank God!) and I am very much looking forward to spending time with my best friend! I've been brainstorming all day to plan a fun date.... I havent really "planned" a date in a while. Planned dates always seem so much more fun because one of us has to put time into it. I always appreciate when D plans something out... like his big Valentines Day weekend surprise that I don't really know what it is.

ANYWAYS, here is what i'm thinking for tomorrow night:
- dinner at home (were on a budget)
- go to the early Comedy Sportz performance for a few laughs (we get a discount for being Lifetime Fitness members)
- come back home for a fire in our fireplace and some fondu dessert!!
- maybe watch some Man vs. Wild online or play a game by the fire! :-* (our kissy face symbol)

Here is a trip down memory lane... photos from our first date!

Here is Dustin on October 20, 2007... I thought he looked so incredibly handsome on his horse! Especially with the sunset in the background!

Here are the two of us after our "moonlight ride"! It was his idea to get a photo of us together on our horses... my kind of man! Right after this we sat by the fire, had a cookout, and then he took me on a walk asking me to be his girlfriend! I pretty much knew he was the one right away!

If You Need Motivation...

2010-01-18T09:23:00.000-06:00

I've got some free 7 day passes to Lifetime Fitness in Lakeville, Minnesota! Seriously, I have a ton of them. So if you want one (or two, or three) let me know! I gave them away to everyone at SHE last night because I had to give away one of my favorite things... sorta Oprah style if you will :-)

ANYWAYS, D & I had a great weekend! Busy, but fun. Friday night we decided to go get a coffee at Barnes & Noble and "study" as Dustin calls it. I had to work on some stuff for Bridging The Gap, and Dustin wanted to study his finance theorists. So we sit at one of those cute tables and work/read and talk a little about interesting things we are finding throughout the night. Some ppl may find that odd, but we really enjoy it. THEN we came back home and watched CAST AWAY (which is probably my motivation for changing my blog background!)

Saturday night we went ice skating at Centennial Lakes, that was fun! Although I had real issues finding the right skates. I had to rent them and I don't think I will do that again. I kept getting grossed out because the skates were cold and wet...and I kept worrying that the wetness was from sweaty feet rather than snow that melted.... I was grossed out. I am so thankful to have a sweet and PATIENT husband who pressed on until I found skates I could deal with :-)

And of course..... the 2 hour premier of 24 was on last night..... :-) That always makes me smile...and my heart jump out of my body! ha. Happy Monday!

Behind The Scene Wedding Memories!

2010-01-15T08:15:00.000-06:00

Me... trying to keep my veil from flying out of my hair or getting stuck on a pebble on the ground :-)

My girls...waiting for photos under the shade of the bridge... man that was a HOT day!

Meeting the people in the tent behind us at Centennial Lakes, they told us, "you are the best thing that happened to us today!" as we walked past! ha.

Going over my lines with our Pastor before the ceremony!! Talk about nervous!!

Conversation with my mother-in-law:

Pam: "How are you doing, Lindsay?"
Lindsay: "Good...... although I do have to pee a little"
Pam: "Oh my goodness girl, go to the bathroom then!"
Lindsay: "I don't want to because I will have to take my whole dress off!"
Pam sneaks off..... and comes back with three of my bridesmaids to pull me to the bathroom. Thank goodness she did, I WOULD HAVE gone to the bathroom right down the aisle! Ha!

Top Things I Remember From My Wedding Day:

Brent drove me to the church and dropped me off....then he went to pick up the communion bread
I hardly ate anything all morning for fear of getting sick. I think I had a banana and water, maybe part of a bagel
Everyone was wonderful! None of my bridesmaids would tell me what time it was :-)
I almost sobbed right before I went to see Dustin for the first time
ALL of my worries went away after Dustin & I saw eachother
I loved my hair and makeup
I only wore my really expensive blue shoes for an hour... sorry mom! ha.
I'd never seen our sanctuary look better than it did that day :-)
I wish I hugged my dad after he gave me away :-( After watching the video, I realized I didn't. I'm really bummed about that
BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! I could not stop smiling!!!

My 100th Post!

2010-01-12T10:12:00.001-06:00

I just noticed on my dashboard that this is my 100th blog post! I am big on celebrating the little things. I like milestones a lot. I like to talk about the past, too. Not in the sense that I can't escape it or am not happy where I am now, that is not the case at all. I just like to think of all our happy moments.

Like last night, D & I were hanging out on the couch after dinner just smiling and laughing at eachother (yes, we are still in our glowing honeymoon stage, i'm sure you are thinking that). I told D, "remember when we first started dating and we just used to put our faces really close and just gaze into eachother's eyes?" Dustin remembered. Then I went on, "well, I always thought you had such beautiful eyes... like a deer!" (actually... Babmi, but Bambi was a girl so I couldn't tell him that, ha). Dustin was like, "ohhh.... well you have eyes like..... a turtle!...turtles are cute!". hhaha. I just started laughing so hard.

I LOVE those little moments in life. Where you just can laugh and say stupid things to eachother that anyone else would look at you like you're crazy.

Resolutions

2010-01-05T15:39:00.000-06:00

Please see the following definition of the word "resolution" below (taken off the dictionary application on my Mac)

resolution |ˌrezəˈloō sh ən|
noun

1 a firm decision to do or not to do something : she kept her resolution not to see Anne any more | a New Year's resolution.
• a formal expression of opinion or intention agreed on by a legislative body, committee, or other formal meeting, typically after taking a vote : the conference passed two resolutions.
• the quality of being determined or resolute : he handled the last French actions of the war with resolution.
See note at courage .
2 the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter : the peaceful resolution of all disputes | a successful resolution to the problem.
• Music the passing of a discord into a concord during the course of changing harmony.
• Medicine the disappearance of inflammation, or of any other symptom or condition.
3 chiefly Chemistry the process of reducing or separating something into its components.
• Physics the replacing of a single force or other vector quantity by two or more jointly equivalent to it.
• the conversion of something abstract into another form.
• Prosody the substitution of two short syllables for one long one.
4 the smallest interval measurable by a scientific (esp. optical) instrument; the resolving power.
• the degree of detail visible in a photographic or television image.
ORIGIN late Middle English : from Latin resolutio(n-), from resolvere ‘loosen, release’ (see resolve ).

Several people have asked me if I have any new years resolutions this year. Certainly there are things that I want to be better at or things about myself I strive to change, but I don't have any "firm decisions to do or not to do something." I do, however, have a set of unofficial goals for myself.

When looking at the definitions above, I really liked the second one. I don't tend to view resolutions in this sense. Resolutions have always been a list of "thou shall nots" in my mind. This second description (highlighted in red) speaks more to me about freedom of bonds and strongholds from the past year. I want to think of 2010 as a fresh year with a whole new set of experiences about to shape my life.

Not that I really have any public disputes, but more about internal things. This year I can be free from negative images, fears of failure or disappointing people. This year I am free to do what God has called me, and to discover the steps that I am to climb and leap onto with faith. Every day God extends his love and grace to me. Every morning. I want to embrace that grace this year.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES! (its a VLOG!)

2009-12-11T16:20:00.000-06:00

this is video take 2... you don't want to see my first one... ha

Filling Our House!

2009-12-06T08:14:00.000-06:00

We decided this year for Christmas, we would buy some furniture as our gifts to each other instead of buying clothes, etc. The hub and I went to look for some furniture for our family room again yesterday. It was kindof a random decision, but I am so glad we did! Here is our routine:

1st Stop: HOM Furniture...we check out the clearance section, grab some cookies from their refreshment area (I really wanted to eat a cookie yesterday but didn't have time to make any! hehe)

2nd Stop: Slumberland Outlet in St. Louis Park... wasn't really expecting to find anything, BUT WE DID! I regret to say we did not take any photos of it, But we found a sofa and love-seat in our price range, AND in the style we both liked!! We are getting a fantabulous deal on them!

3rd Stop: Odds and Ends in St. Louis Park. Can I just say AMAZING STORE??? We didnt find anything we liked better as far as couches, but they had some super deals! I found a desk I fell in love with, but as Dustin would say, "we aren't here for desks"...so I had to move on. I will totally go back to that store in the future

4th Stop: Designer Marketplace. Dumb. Sounded cool, but really, its just $5,000 furniture that is marked down to $3,000. WWAAYYY out of our price range. They did have some cool stuff, but why would you spend that much on something? I'd be afraid to SIT on it for fear dye from my jeans would stick to it!

We are very excited about our couch discovery!! I'll post photos whenever I can get a photo of them. Merry Christmas to Dustin & Lindsay!!

Home

2009-12-03T09:03:00.000-06:00

Today I woke up coughing and struggling to breathe due to the excessive amount of... well... "nasal drainage." I'm Lindsay, and I'm sick. I crawled out of our comfy bed this morning, found my slippers, robe, and new box of Puffs Plus Plus Lotion tissues, and moseyed down the hall and down the short flight of stairs to our beautiful first floor decorated for Christmas. I peeked through part of the open curtain to find that it had SNOWED! Better yet, the snow is still falling!!

I should mention that it is Thursday, my day off of work. A day all to myself! Suddenly, after seeing the snow gently falling and realizing that I was truly warm inside MY house, I felt better... almost peaceful. I am feeling so much peace, I thought i'd blog about it.

We have had this house for almost 6 full months now. Half a year goes by FAST! I recently read a blog post by my friend Maggie in Nigeria that made me think about my own "home." You should read her blog, its really interesting.

Where is my home? I feel that I have had a few "home" moments in life. I lived at Bethel University for 4 wonderful, insanely fun years. Driving back to campus every now and then brings back so many unforgettable memories... like the time I got chased down by security all the way to my dorm.... or the dead squirrel hanging from my doorknob from the boys below us. Another "home" moment was when I was in China for the second time. The team was back in Beijing, and I actually knew how to get places without our team leader!! It felt good to be in a familiar place.

But is that truly home? Not to me. For 25 years, my permanent home was in one location. On a secluded wooded lot in Apple Valley. Decorated so beautifully at Christmas it was almost like a window display. Home was sitting next to our wood burning fireplace late at night with the curtains open so I could see the snow falling. Home was curling up in familiar chairs sipping hot cocoa and reading The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia at Christmas time. That home was VERY warm :-) (I had control of the thermostat downstairs where my room was... hehe)

That home is still home to me. Whenever I go to visit my parents, or pick up some clothes (my old closet is still full!) all those comforting feelings and smells come right back. But now I live in a different place. I've asked Dustin many times if this place felt like home to him. His response was, "yes, its felt like home since about the first week we moved in". Its funny how men and women are different in that way. This new HOME didnt quite feel that way for at least a few months. If home is more about the people and memories than the location, no wonder this place didnt feel quite like home for a while. All the people I lived with for 25 years live in a different house. Now, I live with a guy (who is wonderful!). We've been able to make a lot of memories already in our house. It feels like home more and more every day.

This morning when I got up and came down to have my orange juice and oatmeal for breakfast, this house has never felt more like home! Perhaps because of the Christmas decorations and the snow, but it just felt so comforting to me. I am feeling sick, and I am home. That was reassuring to me somehow. This place is my new familiar. Although my parents house will always be "home" in some respects, this is where I am going to make all kinds of new memories with my own family. I think that feelings of home will just continue to grow through each stage of life. I love my home!

2009-11-28T11:21:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I'm In The Mood....

2009-11-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

...for Christmas that is :-) Today our wreath that we ordered arrived! A cute little boyscout came to our door a few months ago with his dad, and we couldn't resist. All this to say... its got me in the mood to decorate!

Last weekend was the Holiday Tea at church. I decorated my table with Christmas ornaments and colorful beads. I basically used what I had on hand at home. I think it turned out pretty good for a first time hosting a tea table!

My plan now is to decorate my house this weekend! We don't have a ton of holiday decor this year, so i've been thinking about what I could find for incredibly cheap, or make myself. I came across the article, DIY Christmas Decorations and thought that the pine cone with ribbon was ADORABLE!

There are plenty of wooded areas around my house where I want to hunt for a bunch of these guys! Just find a 12-inch-long ribbon , form it into a loop, and hot glue to the pine cone's base. Tie another 12-inch-long ribbon into a bow, and hot glue over the ends of the first ribbon. How hard can it be?

You could experiment with the color of the ribbon, or even the color of the pine cones! I bet it would be pretty cool if they were spray painted white, or even silver... depending on the look you are going for I guess!

Craft Room Tour :-)

2009-11-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

Get a glimpse of my craft room project!

House Projects

2009-11-15T14:23:00.000-06:00

Clean out the chimney... check!
Paint light fixtures... check!
Home Depot trip.... almost check!
Clean out craft room... in progress....

To My Best Friend

2009-11-12T22:12:00.000-06:00

To my best friend (you know who you are!):

Thank you for being such a big help tonight, thank you for being so sweet! You are so much fun to be around and you always know how to make me laugh. I am so thankful for you, you add so much to my life; so much joy! I love making memories with you and figuring out life together. You are always by my side, you have no idea how much I love you! Thanks for helping me to grow (but not necessarily for making me kill my own spiders). That is all for now because I am about to go to bed to warm up my cold toes :-)

:-*

Love,

My First Vlog! (blog+video=vlog)

2009-11-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

Just me.... rambling on about my day. Watching myself speak makes me overly aware of how much I bob my head around and make wierd noises with my mouth between sentences. I'll work on that :-)

jail BIRD!

2009-11-06T23:20:00.000-06:00

Its been a long while since i've blogged. My PowerBook G4 passed away two weeks (may she rest in peace...) after a long life. A very long and FULL life! Now i've got a new baby! I am the proud owner of a MacBook Pro! I am just learning about all the cool new things this thing can do.

So what am I doing this nice Friday night? Well i'm sitting on our couch curled up next to my wonderful husband, watching the second season of LOST that I bought in China. So far the discs are working pretty good. Oh, well, I am also blogging :-) I am fighting the urge to just go to bed, I am so tired.

I've been thinking about how our first year of marriage is so important and how we are making all kinds of fun memories together. I am going to try to write them all down so that we can look back at all the crazy things we went through. I'm sure you've heard of our exploding toilet story... well now we have a chimney story!

Yesterday I heard a loud commotion coming from somewhere in the house that sounded like a pair of jeans clanking around in a clothes dryer. I followed the sound to our lower level... and thats when I noticed that our chimney pipes were shaking and soot was coming lose and getting everywhere! There were lots of SCRATCHING noises coming from in the pipe!! I was so freaked out it would be a squirrel ( I hate squirrels and am slightly freaked out by them... but thats a different story)

I stayed long enough to watch to see what would happen... sure enough, I watched as the movement in the pipes came closer and closer to the actual stove fireplace. "Thump!" I heard a soft thud, and a cloud of smoke leak out from the crevices in the stove. It had reached the bottom! Thank God the door was shut and locked. I peered through the smudgy, sooty glass and I saw a bird!! It was sticking its little beak right up next to my face at the window!

I waited until Dustin got home so he could get it out, it kept trying to fly around in the little stove. The mysterious part is that by the time we figured out a strategy to get it out, the bird was nowhere to be found! I just cant figure out how a bird that had so much trouble getting INTO the dark fireplace would suddenly be able to get up and fly out.... hummm... verrryyy interesting if you ask me.

Hopefully the next time we have a fire in the stove we won't have a roasted bird :-)

Its OFFICIAL!

2009-10-17T10:16:00.000-05:00

We are OFFICIALLY homeowners! Ya, I know we have been living in the house for almost 4 months now, but as of October 16 it is officially ours! The delay was account of us having to wait a period of 3 months before my dad could "sell" the house to us. Its FINALLY ours though!!

I didnt think it would be exciting at the closing yesterday, but it WAS! (Dustin didnt think it was exciting though). We had the best home-buying team possible! Kevin Norwood, paired up with Ted Sirianni made our home buying experience as easy and comfortable as you could imagine! Granted, our experience is probably a lot different than most home buyers (hopefully!) but Kevin and Ted worked SO hard for us, there is no other team I would recommend.

How To Be a Good Wife

2009-10-05T18:11:00.000-05:00

I came across this and laughed a bit.... taken from a 1950s home economics text book. My how the times have changed... THANK GOD I am not expected to cook a fancy meal in advance each night! Dustin loves when I cook, I just cant imagine being this on top of things!

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.
Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax
The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

I like most of the overall principles! Some seem a bit extreme... I think the last bullet point in the picture is funny... if you can read it anyways.

VID 00000.3GP

2009-10-02T20:50:00.001-05:00

New sarah groves song! Clip from bridging the gap conference.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Funny

2009-10-02T06:07:00.001-05:00

Last night dustin told me that I accused him of biting me in the nose while I was sleeping. Ha! Poor guy has to put up with my crazy out loud dreaming. He still loves me tho :-)

Random

2009-10-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

I can't stop eating the salt water taffy mom got me for my birthday. Yummo

Prayer

2009-09-24T08:35:00.000-05:00

We have officially been married for 96 days now... I cant believe we are almost to the triple digits! In all of our marriage counseling, they have urged us to understand that the habits that we start in our first year of marriage will carry through to the rest of our lives together. Habits are hard to break. Therefore, i've been trying to get into some good habits, ones that will benefit us for years to come.

"The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie Omartian was recommended to us in our counseling (as well as "The Power of a Praying Husband"). I've been going through the prayers in the book as often as I can to pray for Dustin in specific ways. A few days ago, a woman came into the clinic that I work at and described how this book literally saved her marriage.

Well... prayer saved her marriage, not the book... but the prayers in the book really helped! She proceeded to tell me that her husband had an affair and she really wished she had been praying for her husband urgently from the beginning of their marriage and that she thought the affair could have been avoided if she had truly been praying for him. She really encouraged me and challenged me to be diligent in my prayers for Dustin and for our marriage to prevent anything from getting between us down the line.

I want to make sure that I am the wife that God called me to be... putting the Lord first and trusting in him to be the center of our lives. I just wanted to recommend this book to my readers... maybe even if you aren't married yet. I think it would even be good to pray these prayers for whoever might still come into your life :-)

Birthday Season!

2009-09-09T20:22:00.001-05:00

Today is Dustin's birthday and i'm waiting for him to get home right now. We didnt get to really celebrate today since he is at a work dinner right now (at a really nice steak house!) so we are going to celebrate on Saturday.

This morning I got up when his alarm went off (at 5:30am) and got him his usual morning cup of coffee, then I made him scrambled eggs with onions for breakfast. When I got off work at 12:30, I stopped by his office over his lunch our to spend a little time together. Right now i'm just waiting for him to get home. He really doesn't think birthdays are a big deal at all, so he thinks I blow things way out of proportion with expectations for birthdays. I love to celebrate other people's birthdays and try to make them feel extra special and show my appreciation.

SOO, on Saturday i'll be cooking him a big birthday dinner! Probably scallops and garlic mashed potatoes; some of his most favorite food! I am excited for that. I know he will love it! Its going to be a good weekend. Friday we are helping with a lifegroup event for some Jr. High students, Saturday were celebrating, and on Sunday we are celebrating with my parents and then hangin out with the Skoogs at an orchard! I can't wait!

Life is so good!

Stalling Again...

2009-09-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

Why is it that when I should just go to bed and get some good rest for the day ahead of me I find every possible excuse to keep myself busy and distracted with meaningless tasks?? I just looked at about every photo album posted on facebook within the last few days, caught myself daydreaming, and THINKING about how I should have finished up the laundry and ironing today.

Another thing thats been on my mind is that I need a good goal. A fitness one that is. Before the wedding, I had no problem working out 5 times per week to get in the best shape of my life. Now, my pants are feeling a little tighter each day (AAAHHHHHH!!) and I am panicking because I gave away all my larger pant sizes to my new sis-in-laws who recently had babies. Its time for me to kick it back into high gear and get into a routine again.

To help me get motivated again, I told Dustin that all I want for my birthday this year is new workout clothes. Somehow its much easier to work out and sweat a lot when you feel cute doing it. We decided we could pick out our own gifts this year.... after Dustin researched for weeks on a BOSCH power drill he found on eBay. It is now sitting in our garage and he wants me to wrap it up for him to open on his birthday (Sept 9th).

Back to the workout thing.... I did manage to get in some good exercise on our road trip to South Dakota this weekend! We hiked in Custer State Park, and also in the Black Hills. It was a blast! Here is a link to the photos on my facebook page (along with a few other random events from the summer).

Setting up House

2009-08-06T20:51:00.003-05:00

Life has been feeling so crazy for the past month, I havent even blogged about anything. I miss it. Dustin and I have finally started to settle down into our house! We have some furniture arranged, and I am now setting up our china cabinet with all oru china pieces we got for our wedding!

Its been fun to make this OUR house. I really need to post some pictures on here, but I lost my camera charger and the one Dustin ordered for me has not arrived yet. SO, no pictures for you to see. I'll get on that soon. Basically, I really like married life so far. It has its challenges from all the new adjustments we both have to make, but I am learning to grow closer to God through all of this! I like that! I like getting to live with my best friend!

THIS WEEKEND!

2009-06-17T23:22:00.000-05:00

OK, Sorry I havent posted in a while... i've been feeling guilty when ever I thought I had time to blog because I should be working on wedding stuff. Here are my updates:

Did hair trial, LOVE IT!
Made the Just Married sign for the back of the Model-T and its so cute!
ALMOST done packing for the honeymoon
We closed on our house today, that was actually really fun!
I got a part time job that is AWESOME, I start when I get back from the honeymoon... still working out the details
FINALLY printed off all the table numbers
Almost done with the programs... I am going to send it to Cornerstone Copy Center to take care of the printing details
Sent out very detailed schedules for the bridal party and wedding coordinators
Found Christina to decorate the car on Saturday morning!! Thank you!!
Found 2 books to bring with for beach/airplane reading on the honeymoon
Picked up the 600 candles for the sanctuary

Basically, i've been crazy busy!! Wow. I promise I will do a recap when I return and after I get moved... maybe i'll even include some photos again! Actually, facebook is probably better for that. I can't wait to marry my best friend on Saturday!

20 Days!

2009-05-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since i've posted... i've been pretty busy actually. Here are some little things i've done for the big day:

put together the day of wedding timeline (its crazy!) I'll be getting there at 8am!
found gel shoe inserts so my feet don't slip around in my slightly too big shoes
got a new swimsuit to wear to my bachelorette party (although I just looked at the weather and it looks chilly)
got the bridesmaid dress situation figured out!
got semi tall white flip flops to wear when i don't want to wear my heels at the wedding
found a unity candle
got our marriage license

OK, so it felt like I did a lot more than 7 things.... but here are the things I STILL need to do:

finish thank-you notes for the random gifts i've been getting here and there
put the gel inserts IN my shoes...
make individual task lists for my wedding day helpers!
update Richfield Flowers with the extra piece of fabric we need to rent
find shoes for my rehearsal dinner dress
get wedding day makeup
do trial run for hair w/veil
get an oil change
make table numbers
design programs
put favors together.....

I better get a move on all this!

Shower Pictures

2009-05-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

As mentioned earlier, I had an awesome shower at my church! There were just under 100 people there!!! Wow!! Here are some photos from the event... we had so much fun!! Here is a link to all the photos if you would like to see them!

House Update!!

2009-05-13T23:16:00.000-05:00

OK, so here is the situation!! The day we got the bad news about the inspection results from the original house we wanted, our AMAZING realtor, Kevin Norwood, informed us that he knew of a house that would be for sale that could be awesome for us.... the more he described it, the more I wanted to see it!

He said it wasnt even foreclosed, and that we actually know the owners.... I was so curious! We couldn't get into the house to see it that day, but Kevin made arrangements for us to see the house on Monday night, the sellers had no idea who we were at this point. It turns out that it is Mr. and Mrs. Vagle's house!!! (Justin Vagle's parents house). Dustin & I fell in love with it when we first walked in, we could totally see ourselves living there.

We wrote up an offer last night, which Kevin presented to them a few hours later. This morning I woke up to Dustin telling me that they accepted our offer and are excited that we are buying their house!! It technically wasnt even on the market! I just think its so crazy how this worked out, must be God's perfect timing!! Maybe we waited on the other house for so long just so this house would be ready for us to make an offer on!

We are so excited to have a house for when we get back from our honeymoon! We can't wait to decorate and make it feel like our own home!!! I just can't get over how great this all seems to be working out!! Dustin's parents are super excited too, they are good friends with the Vagles.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us and the big events going on with my needing a job, finding a house, and our upcoming wedding. We really appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Hope In Sight

2009-05-12T06:51:00.000-05:00

Well, we looked at a house yesterday, it was better than anything we have seen so far! Pray it works out... there are a few things that have to happen before we can make an offer, but we LOVE the house!!!

More details to come later...

Another House Update...... :-(

2009-05-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

Well, today we had the inspection. I was so excited for it originally, but it did not end up so good. It turns out there is a LOT of hidden things wrong with the house, including water problems, a wall that is bulging outwards (actually 2 of them...), electrical issues, and a lot more small things that total up to about $30,000 extra.

I left the inspection wanting to cry basically. Not gunna lie, I did a little when I got home. We have been waiting on this house since February, and now we are pretty sure we are going to walk away from it all because the problems just outweigh the resources and time that we don't have. I feel like we just wasted so much valuable time. I have no idea where we are going to live now... I REALLY don't want to have to rent an apartment and then possibly move a month later because we found a house and then move all over again.

I know there is a reason for all of this that I will see down the road one day, but until then, all I can see is our wedding day quickly approaching and no place to live yet(other than one of our parents which is NOT NOT NOT going to happen even though they both keep offering!)

I feel like God is trying to teach me quite a lot this year... I am a bit tired of learning to be honest, I am thinking I would really like a recess brake right now! Please pray for something good to come through!! Please!!

Blessed Beyond Belief!!

2009-05-05T22:57:00.000-05:00

I just got back from my second bridal shower and I am SO overwhelmed with everyone's generosity! This shower was put on my dear friends, Cindy Peters and Amber Linz. Right from the moment I walked in, it took my breath away. I have never seen such a wonderful shower, let a lone one planned just for me!

The room was packed, I think there were close to 100 ladies there, no joke! I cannot believe how many people came to support me and Dustin! I cannot say enough how blessed that I truly feel! It was so wonderful to see EVERYONE from several groups together all at once! I wish I had more time to speak to everyone who came. All I can say is that I have a LOT of thank-you notes to write!

AND... what a treat it was to get a gift from Christina Strot who couldn't even be at the shower!! To Christina: that was so sweet and thoughtful of you! I can't believe you had that planned since August! I can't wait to use it :)

I will be posting some photos of the shower in a bit... stay tuned! Love you ALL!

NEXT MONTH!

2009-05-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I am officially getting married next month.... I realize its only May 1st, but still! Next month is June, and I am getting married on the 20th! Mom and I had our final meeting with David at Richfield Floral and Events.... I LOVE David! Everything is going to be so beautiful because of him and his team... he is a creative genius!

I'm TRYING to put the table numbers together, but my printer is being such a pain. First it was like nothing was working right with the paper size, then it seemed the printer wouldnt talk to my computer, and NOW, its out of colored ink. Hopefully I can get something figured out tomorrow.

I am also working on wedding day timelines and responsibilities for people so we all can be prepared and organized that day. AND, my second shower is coming up on Tuesday!!! I cannot wait, I am so excited! I have finally talked Dustin into coming to the shower towards the very end.... he has been practicing his excited face. I think he is scared to be the only male in a group of over 60 women... its going to be crazy!

AND my suitcase for the honeymoon is getting more and more full... I found some swimsuits, flip flops, tank tops, and shorts to pack! I am very excited if you cannot tell... ;) Well, time for bed.

Good Night!

53 Days Away

2009-04-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that the wedding is only 53 days away... it is going by so fast right now! I've started to go tanning for the wedding at a tanning salon near my house. I didnt think it was working so well on my back, so the genius that I am decided to lay outside on my deck this afternoon for an hour without sunscreen. As a result of my wonderful plan, I now am the proud owner of a red blotchy monster smothered across my back. Wonderful. Lucky for me, I tend to turn tan after a burn fairly quickly. Better to get this out of the way now though! No honeymoon sunburns for me, thank you!

I also baked yummy chocolate chip banana bread for Dustin tonight too. Normally I prefer my banana bread without the chocolate chips, but I know its his favorite. I also prefer my chocolate chip cookies to be without chocolate chips too though. Anyways, it turned out really good and he loved it. I like cooking for him. I like when we get to cook things together too! Man, I can't wait to marry the guy!

After watching an intense episode of 24 (I officially hate Tony, AND Olivia!), it suddenly hit me that we are getting married big time. I saw myself walking down the aisle with my dad and I started to get emotional. I guess I need to prepare myself a bit more! Dustin doesn't think he will cry or anything on the wedding day. I am about 90% sure that I will be a basket case at some point. Hopefully not in the middle of the ceremony! Oh well, can't control that sort of thing.

Night!

GOOD House Update!

2009-04-26T21:56:00.000-05:00

For those who havent heard, we have some good news on the house we are in the process of buying! We FINALLY heard back from the house's bank!! It turns out that their office was moving across the country and there were like 9 other houses waiting on paperwork before ours.... but ya think they could have told us all that rather than keep us in the dark!

Basically, the bank got OUR bank and realtor the papers so we can go ahead and get the inspection... which will happen between Monday and Wednesday of this week. I cannot wait to get in the house again and look around! I really hope there isnt anything majorly wrong with the house... like mold or a foundation issue. That would be a bummer. BUT, i'm just hoping for the best!

I also want to bring a tape measure to measure the room dimensions for carpet, paint supplies, and appliances so we can plan ahead for some major work to be done after we close (which is scheduled for May 25 as long as all goes well).

Aisle Runner is Here!

2009-04-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

OK, I realize this is my second post today... BUT my aisle runner arrived!!! I have been pretty good about not posting pictures up that will ruin the fun and give away all the details for the wedding, but this is one thing I just really want to post a picture of it!! BUT I just can't do it til after the wedding :) ha.

I hired someone off of Etsy.com to create this for me... its hand painted and she custom sewed satin edging along the length of the runner. I can't wait to walk down this thing in 61 days! I just have to iron it a bit first... :-) Big thank you to Heather from CertainlyChic for being fabulous!

A New Love for Aprons

2009-04-20T12:06:00.001-05:00

Well, I had my first bridal shower yesterday afternoon! It was put on for me by my wonderful family on my dad's side. It was PERFECT! I had so much fun seeing my cousins, aunts, great-aunts, friends, grandma, and moms :) It was truly a blessing.
The theme was "aprons" and it was just perfect! I officially have 4 aprons now, two of them are from my grandma! How cool. Grandma read a reading about the history of aprons and what they really mean....

I don't think some kids know what an apron is. The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath. Because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

it was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched egs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in the apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walkd out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that old-time apron that served so many purposes.

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron! I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron, but love!!

The shower was just so great! Thanks to everyone who put all of your hard work into it just for me!! I love you lots!

Fun Days... Making Progress...

2009-04-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, i'm starting to pack for the honeymoon :-) Actually, its just that I left my suitcase in my room from my January trip to Cancun and just haven't put it away. SO, I started going through my summery clothes and started picking ones out and putting them inside the suitcase so I know generally what I will be bringing and what I need to buy still.

I've gotten a few new things, like some cute tops and shorts my mom bought for me (love her!), and I got a new swimsuit and tan shorter skirt to wear when walking around town or wherever were going. I also picked out a lotion/shower gel/body splash set from Bath and Body Works and have that in there as well. There are still a few more things i'd like to get... like some cute sundresses and maybe another suit and some new flip flops (the real good squishy ones from J.Crew!)

I just had some breakfast on this lovely Saturday morning and i'm about to meet Dustin at the gym for a workout. Then I might go tanning again... then mom and I are getting mani-pedi's... she scheduled it on her own for the two of us for my first shower this coming Sunday!! I can't wait for tomorrow! Although i've got to admit that opening presents in front of people is not my favorite thing; im always worried they will think i'm not excited enough or something. I am really just excited to see my family again and celebrate with them.

First Shower Next Week!

2009-04-12T20:56:00.001-05:00

We are getting closer and closer to the wedding! I can't believe I have my first shower next week already. My wonderful aunts and cousins are throwing me a family shower for my dad's side. It will be so good to see everyone before the wedding and catch up with people. Mom and I need to go shower outfit shopping again....

I found a pink dress from J.Crew and a gray one from the same place... I'm thinking the pink dress might be for the church shower in May, and the gray dress might just be for the rehearsal. The pink one poofs out a teeny bit, so I was worried that Dustin might think its weird, but I tried it on for him and he liked it a lot! Good to go! Now I just need to find shoes and jewelry to match for both! Let me know if you have any ideas. Here is a picture of one of the dresses... although the one that I got is a lighter pink than this... the color didn't show up online, it must be sold out. Send me jewelry and shoe ideas!!! I can't find a picture of the gray dress. Maybe it will show up later.

I also got the wedding picture of Dustin's parents and grandparents to go on our heritage table...just something fun for people to look at and help keep people entertained during the punch time. I think it will be really cute!

I need to stop eating my Easter candy (yes, i still get an Easter basket every year from my parents... it will stop once Dustin & I have kids... after a few years anyways). I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 7:00AM... ewww.

Good Night!

Weekend Update

2009-04-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we still are waiting to get an inspection on the house... a little frustrating that its taking so long, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is what happens when its foreclosed. Dustin and I also had our second counseling session with Ryan Skoog on Friday night, that was so great! I am so excited that Ryan is going to marry us. We really enjoyed our time with him and Rach this weekend, they are always so refreshing! Great mentor and role models for us!

Dustin also decided to put his Mustang up for sale this weekend. He says he wants a more practical car and one that is less expensive. SO.... anyone know of anyone who wants a great looking 2007 sports car? I am a little sad that he is selling it actually. I told him he can get another one down the road if he wants, he keeps saying this is the responsible thing to do. His insurance each month is ridiculous.

I am still looking for a job... sending out my resume EVERYWHERE and trying to network with as many people as possible. It is frustrating because I keep hearing of more and more people that are laid off just like me. I am just believing that something will come together one of these days!

AND, Amber and Greg finally let the word out that they are expecting a baby!! I am so excited for them, they will be such great parents. Baby is due end of October, beginning of November I believe.

Waiting

2009-03-30T15:56:00.000-05:00

This is a wating period in my life. I am waiting for a job, waiting on God. I am really trying to figure out and see what it is I am supposed to do, and trusting in the mean time. IN that time, i've been pursuing a hobby that I love, graphic design. I created another blog to put my creations in, so this one still stays focused on becoming Lindsay May and wedding planning.

We are still waiting to find out about the inspection and when that will take place, as of today, it seems it will be Friday. I am looking forward to it becuase we will get to go inside the house again, and then hopefully we can take measurements of rooms, etc.

Dustin and I got appliances yesterday at Sears... he wanted to open a card because they were having a deal where you can get 30% off, and it was the only day we could get an awesome deal on good stuff for the house. We can still cancel it (delivery date is set to the first week in June) if we end up deciding against buying the house depending on the inspection outcome. Anyways, it was fun to do (not to mention expensive!) But its stuff we need! We also looked at paint samples! Exciting times.

More House Information... Good News!

2009-03-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

I havent posted in a while, part of me was actually sick of it, too crazy in my world right now. Anyways, yesterday we got really good news. The bank actually accepted our offer on the house!! It was structured a lot differently than we ever expected to place an offer though.

Lets just say that my mom and dad are SO AMAZING, WONDERFUL, HELPFUL, and GENEROUS! Because I don't have a job right now, we werent qualified to buy the house ourselves anymore. We worked out an arrangement with my dad that we would take over everything once I get a job again, and we will "rent" from him in the mean time.

I really believe that this house is supposed to be ours because the bank could have easily chosen a different offer that was $6,000 more than ours was! This will be confirmed once we hear back about the inspection on the house. Everything is contingent upon that at the moment. If there is something wrong with the house, we don't have to follow through with the purchase if we don't want to.

The house DOES need a bunch of cosmetic work, but Dustin and I have a great vision for it! We are so excited to do lots of the projects together and make it OUR house!

I really needed this good news, everything seems to be so discouraging to me lately. I am trying so hard to see all the positive, but this gloomy weather doesn't help one bit! The bright side is this: I am getting married to the man of my dreams in 85 days, and it looks like we have a place to live! YaY!

More Illustrator

2009-03-23T00:35:00.000-05:00

I realize this has nothing to do with wedding stuff, but maybe it does. I've been trying to get more familiar with Adobe Illustrator in hopes I can get super creative and design something possibly cool for the wedding... possibly. Such as something for the programs or something. I learned how to make cool flowers this time... :) I like this stuff!

What I Did Today

2009-03-21T01:54:00.001-05:00

I played with Adobe Illustrator. I always say that I want to learn more about the cool programs that I have and get more experience with them... well, thats what I did! I really enjoy playing around with everything. One day I want to take some graphic design classes. Everything that I do know is because I taught myself.

I should probably go to bed, my eyes are hurting. Night!

House UPdate

2009-03-19T15:58:00.000-05:00

So sorry that I havent written in a while... I have been overwhelmed with sending out resumes and job searching every minute I am on the internet. Please pray that something comes together soon (and that God's timing is soon ;-) I havent heard anything back from any employers at this point and it is pretty discouraging right now.

BUT, I wanted to share that the house that Dustin and I want was listed on the market today and we submitted an offer... please pray that the bank accepts our offer and that the turnaround time is quick! Its all a little scary but still exciting. I know that God will work it all out for us, I am having to 100% trust God that its all in his control.

I just read the book The Shack and it spoke directly to my heart for this time in my life. I would highly recommend it to ANYONE! Christina- thanks for recommending it to me!

Oh, and I keep checking our wedding registry, someone bought us a waffle maker!!! I am so excited about that!!! I love waffles!

Invitations are In...

2009-03-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

And I still have not picked them up yet. This afternoon I spent my time formatting the guest list one last time, I had to add Mr. and Mrs.... etc in front of all the names... quite time consuming, really!

I havent actually had much time to blog about wedding stuff though... i've been looking for jobs and sending out my resume a ton... hopefully I will hear back on something positive soon! Please pray for me that something will work out as soon as possible!

God's Plan Must Be Bigger Than Mine...

2009-03-03T16:29:00.000-06:00

Today has been an extremely difficult day for me. I was laid off from my job, totally unexpectedly. I knew the company had to make some cuts from the economic situation, but I just wasnt expecting it to happen to me. I will come out and say that I really did not like my job, in fact there were days that I hated it, but I still stuck through it for the money.

I wonder what adventure God is going to bring my way next... although I still have that knot in my stomach that is twisting from todays events. Something GREAT is going to come out of all this, I can tell. I think this was God's way of kicking me into high gear for his plan because He knew I wouldnt leave any other way.

If you hear of any open positions, please let me know. lindsaybauman@gmail.com

So Busy!

2009-03-02T11:29:00.000-06:00

I just got a call from Epitome Papers, my invitations are in!! Now, I just have to send them the guest list with how all the names have to be spelled and stuff... too bad i havent even started that yet :-( Maybe i'll be working on that tonight. I can't wait to see them! Liz from the store said they are BEAUTIFUL!

Tonight I have my first gown fitting...I am so excited to try on my dress again, with my SHOES this time!! After my fitting, i'm having coffee with the beautiful Stacie Nielsen! I am really looking forward to catching up with her. THEN, I have to get my bible study talk all set for Thursday, we are studying Esther this time, and I am leading the chapter 3 discussion.

Busy Busy Busy, back to work I go.

113 Days

2009-02-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

Well, still no word on the house yet, it is still not listed. I don't know if this is a test or what, but I am just trying to be patient. We are going out to look at more houses on Sunday in case this one doesn't work out (because they won't list the dumb thing!).

Tomorrow morning i'm going with my aunt and cousin Larissa to the mall to get fitted for Larissa's dress! That will be good to get ordered. Now I just have to make sure something gets ordered for little Gavin, our ring bearor. He is too small for a tux! ha.

AND, I have my first dress fitting on Monday night! I am so excited!! AND my veil came in... I just have to find a time to go pick it up! Its all coming together... and I can't wait til my aisle runner is done!!

I don't feel very well at all right now though. I feel like I could just curl up and fall asleep this very second. I hope i'm not fighting anything... I just don't want to get sick. We are almost down to the double digits!!

Aisle Runner

2009-02-25T10:49:00.000-06:00

Well, I officially gave up with my good intentions on the aisle runner. I know I could have done it myself, but it feels so much better to put the pressure on someone else! Etsy is my new favorite shop! Check it out!

I hired a lady in Washington to do it for me! We've been conversing back and forth ab0ut the design and the material.... I am so excited! Its definately going to be a different type of aisle runner and I love that! Just one less thing for me to think about now, which makes my brain smile. Now I can do less big DIY projects (unless I go back on that site and hire other people too! haha)

I don't really want to post any pictures of what it will all look like because I want you all to be surprised at how it all turns out now! Only 115 more days!

117 days

2009-02-23T10:15:00.000-06:00

I bought Dustin's wedding band this weekend, picked up the bridesmaid dresses from Rush's, started registering at Bed Bath & Beyond, picked out the bridesmaid's shoes, and worked more on the wedding video with Dustin. It was an accomplishing weekend.

Amber tried on her dress and it is so cute! Its just a teensy bit long... ha. Amber, Alanna, and Sondra have their dresses. Now I just have to make sure that I give Brie her dress tonight, and make sure Kelsey and Rach get theirs soon as well. Jennifer's dress is getting shipped to her since she is in Tennessee.

I need to do the DIY projects I talked about a while back, I havent STARTED any of those at all:

Programs
Table Numbers
Card Box
Aisle runner monogram
Unity candle stuff
Organize the guest list so its ready to be sent to the printing store (Mr. & Mrs. So and So... etc)
Initials display
Memory table

I guess we'll see what I get to. If I don't do some of these things, my life will still be complete and I won't freak out. This is just what I WANT to do. I need to do it soon though before all the house stuff comes together because then I think my priority will be more on the house stuff and getting stuff moved and organized.

30 Day Shred

2009-02-19T09:22:00.000-06:00

OK, so last night after church I opened my 30 Day Shred DVD that I ordered. I am in fairly good shape right now so I didnt think it would be very hard at level one, but I was wrong! The 20 minute workout incoprorates 3 circutes of strength training, cardio, and ab excercises, and they were actually challenging for me on the first level!

I actually relly like this DVD! It has a girl in the background doing a modified version of all the exercises for those who are beginners, and another girl demonstrating the more challenging version of the moves too. It was great! I was in my basement alone and my arms and lets were screaming at me after doing some of the combined bicep and squat moves. I can definately feel it today!! My plan is to do the DVD on my days off from the gym.

If you are looking for a workout DVD, I would highly suggest this one! I am so excited to work my way up to level 2! I need to be super fit for my dress fittings so that I can be how I want to look in my dress at the wedding! If only I could stop eating the puppy chow I made.... oops!

PS. if you can't tell, my new excitement is putting YouTube videos in my blogs!

Emotion

2009-02-18T09:51:00.000-06:00

I got a call from Rush's Briday last night... the bridesmaid dresses are in!!! Woohoo! I think i'm going to pick them up this Saturday morning and then Amber & I are going to go shoe and jewelry shopping next Saturday the 28th. Let the alterations begin!

Its getting closer and closer, only 122 days! In preperation for the big day, I've been visualizing myself walking down the aisle (thanks for the correct spelling Jamie!) every time I work out. Its so crazy how every time I think about it I get teary eyed already! This could spell disaster for June 20th. Maybe I can picture it so much that I won't have horrid scrunchie faced pictures to look back on. PPLLEEAASSEE!!

Last Saturday morning I was working out at Lifetime Fitness. I had been on the stair climber for about 20 minutes already, out of breath and sweaty. The song "When God Made You" by Newsong and Natalie Grant came on my iPod and I could feel the emotions racing in. (This song is going to be sung by my uncle Greg and cousin Jen at my wedding) OH NO... i was already so out of breath, but now I couldn't even get ANY air into my lungs... my face was turning bright red and I was fightin back tears. I don't have asthma, but I am pretty sure I know what it feels like to have an asthma attack after that event. I was literally sucking air into my lungs every few gasps, trying not to burst out in explosive emotion!! I am sure the people around me thought I was psycho.

I HAVE to listen to these songs over and over again so I can get all the emotion out before June 20. I refuse to have black streaks of mascara stain my face in all my pictures. I do have a theory about myself though... I will either SOB or get the giggles during the ceremony. I have a horrible feeling I will giggle... thats what I do whenever I am in the most inappropriate circumstances unfortunately. During museum tours, Dustin & I get the giggles. During family prayers, I get the giggles. Pray I don't get the giggles!!

Valentines Day

2009-02-16T13:46:00.000-06:00

I havent really thought about wedding stuff in a week... part of me feels bad about that. I've been so wrapped up into the house stuff. I think thats ok though, because finding a place to live after we get married is part of becoming Lindsay May, so I can blog about it as much as I want :)

Today has been a challenging day for me. We still havent heard anything from our realtor about the house. I keep checking Edina Realty to see if the house has been listed, and it is not yet, so that is a good thing I guess. I am mostly wondering what their listing price will be. We wrote an offer for what the rumored price would be, but we can't count on it being official until its actually official! I am desprately trying to be patient (if being desprate and patient at the same time is even a possibility). We were hoping to know what it would be listed as last Friday... and now its almost end of business day Monday.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines day! Mine was spectacular! I slept in, worked out, got dressed up and made my hair curly for Dustin (my hair is not naturally curly, so its a big accomplishment for me!! ha). Dustin loves when I make my hair curly for him, he says its a present. Sorry, we didnt take ANY pictures :( I've gotten into a horrible habit of not taking photos of us lately.... I need to improve! He arrived at my house with a dozen red roses for me, BEAUTIFUL!!

Here is what we did for V-day:

Dustin picked me up and took me to the conservatory at the Como Zoo (it was PACKED with people so bad that it smelled like B.O. so we didnt stay there super long). It was great just to walk around with him and hold his hand looking at all the pretty plants

We picked up a quick snack of Sushi to tide us over til dinner at Biaggi's at the Eden Prairie Mall

Decided to walk around at the mall until it was time for our reservations at 6:30pm (which he made over a month ago!! Way to plan ahead!!). We ended up walking around in Sears to look at appliances. Dustin wanted to look at the tool section, and I ended up seeing a huge miter saw (I don't know if thats really what it is...) for only $36... normally they are at least $180. Dustin was going crazy about it so I bought it for him for part of his Valentines gift, he was so giddy! I loved it :)

Dinner was so GREAT! Dustin knows my favorite food is Itallian (its not his) so this was a treat for me since we don't have it a ton. I had the best stuffed chicken, and he got his favortie sea scallops and shrimp :) Yummy in our tummies.

After dinner he took me back to his house where he set up a "tent" made of blankets downstairs in his room. SO cute! He had set up an area where we could play games by candle light (he had some tea lights on a plate!!). He even had the "Instant Fireplace DVD" playing on his TV so its like there was a fire going. haha. It was so cute.

What did he get me????? I know you are curious :) Well, it was actually several things. First, he handed me some fire starters (for when he takes me camping for the first time this summer). Then he handed me a book, "The Power of a Praying Wife"(he got himself the husband version), then he handed me a t-shirt swimsuit cover up with a hood that he said is for our honeymoon, THEN, he handed me a little box with a ring in it... NOT a real one, but its one that I can wear for mission trips and when we travel out of the country. THEN he handed me a game, "Torpedo Battleship" where you actually blast the ships off of the game board with actual water... haha. THEN he gave me my last gift.... INDIANA JONES MONOPOLY, COLLECTORS EDDITION!!! I LOVE it. He knows me so well :)

What did I get him? Well, kinda lame compared to his gifts actually. I got him some nice under armour he wanted to wear for his workouts and for the triathalon he wants to do with my family in July. I think he definately was just thrilled to get the power tool earlier that it didnt matter WHAT I got him, ha. I know he likes it and will use it, so thats good.

Clarification

2009-02-16T08:21:00.000-06:00

Oops, I should explain one thing about the house. We did sign purchase agreement papers, but thats just the first step of what you have to do before you submit it to the bank. We are waiting to see if they accept our offer, but we are ready to move forward with the inspection if they DO accept it. Right now its just a big waiting game.

Thanks for all your excitement!!! If this house isnt meant for us, then there will be another one!

Another House Update...

2009-02-13T15:15:00.001-06:00

I just signed the purchase agreement papers... were ready to move forward with getting the house as long as the inspection turns out ok!!! woo-hoo! I'm excited.... Estimated closing day is April 15.... i'll keep you posted as I learn more...

House Search Update

2009-02-12T15:32:00.000-06:00

Well, Dustin & I looked at more houses on Tuesday evening. We weren't really expecting to see anything we liked.... until the last one we saw. It doesn't look super spectacular on the outside... it was dark out and it has cedar siding that needs a really good staining job, but when we walked in the front door, I instantly had a good feeling.

I will try to describe it.

Level when you walk in the front door: pretty open foyer with vaulted ceilings, straight ahead are two staircases, one going up, one going down. To the left is a closet, a hallway leading to the den/office, and the laundry/mud room that goes into the garage. The garage is extra deep and has a work bench area and cabinets for tools and manly things. Standing at the front door you can see up into the kitchen, living room, and also through the railings down into the basement.

Downstairs: Going down the stairs to the basement/family room. Its really open and you can see up into the foyer area. The basement is a walk out, has a wood burning fireplace, a garden-view window facing the front yard. The utility room is also downstairs offering a little bit of storage. there is also the pipes and such needed to put in a 1/2 bath if we wanted to in the future.

Going upstairs from the foyer: The staircase is an open staircase (which i am not a fan of really) and we would need to enclose it. The house was built in 1974 if you want to get a mental picture. At the top of the stairs, the kitchen is straight ahead, staircase leading to the 3rd level is immediately to the left. To the right is the living room with windows facing the front yard. In the kitchen, all the appliances are gone, but its a descent size, and the cabinets and everything need updating. To the right of the kitchen is the dining room, and the deck.

Going to the 3rd floor: up the stairs to the right is a REALLY outdated full bath. I'm talking teal counter top and grandma's bathtub. Past the bathroom is a large linnen closet and the master bedroom on the right. There is a SLIGHT slope in the floor which we need to get checked out, but the room is a decent size and has a 3/4 bath and a smaller walk in closet... Dustin may get to use one of the other room's closets ;-) After the master bedroom, there are two other bedrooms on the 3rd level. Not super tiny rooms either, so thats good.

Basically, we would have a lot of work to do, but we can incorporate some extra money into our loan to get a lot of the fix up stuff done. Its a foreclosed home, but its actually not trashed at all. Just needs some updating! Financial Security Bank pre-approved us to buy this house, so i'm praying it all comes together!! It has a neat floor plan, and has a ton of potential. I love the vaulted ceilings that make it seem more open! Its also a great location, in Burnsville, near Cliff road, 35E and Cedar, and very close to Burnsville Parkway as well. I hope this one works out!

5 Followers!

2009-02-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

I may be a little nerdy, but I always get so excited when I have a new follower of my blog :) Ashley Collins, thank you for making me push my cyber geek glasses further up the ridge of my nose (I hope you all visualized that correctly). Ashley, get a good tan for me, I need to start tanning NOW for my wedding since tanning booths don't seem to have much of an affect on me (other than that I occasionally burn).

Well well well, I have once again crossed a few days closer to the biggest day of my life by putting a few check marks on the ol' college rule spiral notebook paper that attaches itself to my purse everywhere I go... it literally does not leave me alone. What exactly did I accomplish?

walked around in my blue satin beauties (my shoes) and confirmed that I WILL in fact need foot inserts. I am wondering when the nightmares will start of me tripping down the isle (sp? that does not look right) and me ripping my dress only to expose my something blue underthings

Organized my guest list... only to realize that I still need to organize more

I got my invitation proof by email today, yay!

Ordered the silver coin customized chocolate pieces yesterday

Sent Amber my MOH a list of all the girls in the wedding party

Addressed another save the date card

Found a beautiful dress for my non-flower girl ring bearor attendant, Larissa

Mailed in a check to renew my license plate tabs

Unfortunately I have a lot to add to my list, but its getting down to the details now! Only 130 more days! Dustin & I are looking at two more houses tonight after work, i'll let you know what we think of them tomorrow. These ones are located in Lakeville and Savage and I believe are both bank owned.

I Too, Am Trusting God

2009-02-09T13:53:00.000-06:00

I just read Christa's blog about trusting God, and had a recent convorsation with Christina about the same topic. I have realized that no matter WHAT stage of life I am/will be in, I will never have to stop trusting God. For the past 23 years of my life I felt like I was always having to trust God that I wouldn't end up by myself... that I would find someone to spend the rest of my life with.

Now that God has given Dustin & I to eachother, i've realized that I am still worrying/trusting God about things... this time its with our house search. We went out again yesterday looking for a house. We didnt see anything we would consider buying. At all. It is just a little discouraging after we found a house that we both LOVED. I feel like nothing compares to that house. 131 days to go, and we don't know where we are going to live.

So here I am... still trusting. Trying to trust and not worry. God knows which house we are supposed to live in, and he knows the perfect timing. All we can do is just wait. I am still learning a lot about patience :-)

Oh, my J.Crew shoes came in, they are a tiny bit big, but I am going to get gel foot things to make it fit better. The shoes are very gorgeous! I think my feet have shrunk, seriously. Also, we didnt end up registering at REI, instead we went to Macy's and had fun with the scanner!!

Did you know that at Macys you can get TONS OF FREE stuff if you just put certain dollar amounts of certain brands on your registry?? Dustin is having fun figuring out what all we can get :) ha. AND is staying busy looking everything up on Consumer Reports so we register for the best products. He surprisingly decided against registering at REI, because he said he would rather get tools if he gets to register for anything. He was so cute and googley-eyed walking down the tool and lawn-mower isles at Sears yesterday.

I get to marry Dustin :)

KTIS

2009-02-05T08:17:00.000-06:00

Last night I confessed my love for Dustin on the radio... KTIS that is. Hehe. I always listen to that station on the way home from work because I think the new DJ Jake Sommers is so funny. Anyways, he said on the radio that he was frustrated because people were sending him mean emails about how they didnt like him or his style.

That got me frustrated, so I called into the station (I have the number memorized...651-631-5050... just ask my Bethel roomies) and talked to Jake on the phone. I told him I thought he was the best thing to happen to KTIS. I really do... he is so real and tells things likey really are. So we got to chatting and he asked me where I was going... so I told him I was on my way to church for pre-marital counsoling. Then he asked me who my fiance is, so I said "Dustin May" and he said, "So are you going to be Lindsay May? Oh... I got the chills! LINDSAY MAY." haha. Then he told me he would be my DJ at my wedding. Too bad we can't have a dance!

Heather Fox and Gina Gilunthsburgen texted me right after they played that clip on the air... turns out they were listening to KTIS too! ha. I didnt know he would be playing our convorsation on the air, but I don't care. I laughed, and it actually made my day.

135 more days to go! Were looking at houses again on Sunday at 2:30pm. I told dustin he can register for man things on Friday night if he wants... like camping equipment at REI. He liked that idea, we will see what happens. On Saturday I am ordering our wedding invitations! That will be a big check off my list! And at 1:30 we are volunteering with the Kids Roundup at church...were working a game together :)

House Hunting

2009-02-03T10:10:00.000-06:00

I thought i'd fill you all in with this. We actually found a house we really LOVED last Saturday. It was foreclosed, but only needed cosmetic improvements like carpet, appliances, and paint. The floorplan was perfect.

I just found out today that someone else put an offer on the house and the bank accepted it. I feel pretty bummed right now. I was already picturing us living in that house and thinking about colors... I got way ahead of myself. SO, now we are back to looking again and its making me realize that as soon as we find one that is just as good or better, we need to be fast with the offer!

My fear is that my brain and emotions are going to be stubborn and refuse to like anything else that I see. That is how I am feeling right now anyways. I know that the house was just not meant for us I guess... otherwise it wouldnt have been taken off the market. I know God has something out there for us. I guess I just need to trust and be patient (something I ALWAYS seem to be working on!). Only 137 more days!

PS. I picked up my dress and it fits really well!!! AND I ordered a new veil that I love!! AND I ordered those J.Crew blue satin peep toe shoes I fell in love with!! I tracked them down across the united states :-) Where there is a will, there is a way!

TOMORROW

2009-01-29T15:46:00.000-06:00

I am taking the day off to pick up my wedding dress!! I can't wait to try on MY dress! I am also going to look at veils while i'm there. Here are some things I hope to accomplish at some point tomorrow...its ambitious:

Pick up my dress from Rush's Bridal
Find a veil and order it
Look for and purchase shoes to wear with my wedding dress
Work out
Talk with Chris Rausch about the video
Visit my local Archivers store and experiment with making table numbers for the reception
Pick out and start scanning 50 of my baby pics for our wedding video that Dustin is making
Call the alterations lady and make my first appointment for my dress fitting
See my new baby cousin Grady!
Call Susan Anderson from church to make sure she emails me the table details so I can send them to our linnen rental company!

I also updated our Wedding Web Page and keep checking to see if anyone new has signed the guest book since I sent out the save the dates, but no one has yet :-( Oh well. At least the site looks good in my opinion!!

My Dress Is In!!

2009-01-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

I am thrilled, my bridal dress came in earlier than expected! Unfortunately, I feel like I gained 5 lbs between Christmas and Mexico, and now I am desprately trying to look and feel my best before my dress fittings start! Once I start those, there is not much room for change!

A bunch of the brides on theknot.com suggest the "30 Day Shred" workout DVD, so I ordered it today. NOT because I want to loose weight per say, but because I want to look the most toned and fit bride that ever walked this planet :) hehe. I just want to feel that way in my head anyways! I have a feeling I will like it for those days that I don't have time to visit the gym, and I can just do it before I go to bed or wake up early. Thats how I wore out my "8 minute abs" video a bunch of years ago!

NOW its starting to feel more real! I also got pretty much all of the save the dates in the mail yesterday, and did another handful this afternoon over lunch. No turning back now! Not like I would in the first place.

AND, I would like to announce that I have a new baby second cousin! Alanna Isaacs gave birth to baby Grady Lane Isaacs last night at 11:06pm weighing in at 6lbs 8 oz, 19 inches tall :) I've included a photo for your enjoyment!

Alanna is definately the coolest pregnant lady I have ever met... we were texting back and forth while she was in labor last night and she sounded like she was having a great time.... I hope I will be like that some day. I have a feeling that my expression will look more like the one on Grady's face in the photo though.....
Its a good thing that day will be a LONG ways off for me and Dustin!

Excitement!

2009-01-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

Thank you to my wonderful friend Kate Granlund, I am about 98% done with the save-the-date cards! Over my lunch break today I think I am going to go over the list one more time, make last minute changes, and then put them in a mail box!! That will feel amazing to have them out of my hands.

Kate and I had a fun girls night eating ice cream, watching our Frankie and Annette beach party DVDs, and addressing save the dates! It felt like back when we were at Bethel staying up late doing homework and watching FRIENDS together... oh the great college memories!

I am also super excited about a new young adult LifeGroup that Dustin and I are helping to start! We will be co-leading with Greg & Amber Linz at their house... we are meeting with them tonight to talk about it. Names, structure, events, etc. This will be a branch off of U30 because we grew too big! How fun!

Weekend Update: Dates & Houses

2009-01-26T08:25:00.000-06:00

I just want you all to know I had an amazing weekend. No super particular weekend, but it was just awesome! Friday after work I met Dustin at Lifetime Fitness and we worked out (my jeans are officially tighter after my trip to an all inclusive resort earlier this month... boo.) Then we ate lots of Chinese food (so much for working out...) and watched Survivor Man. That is one of our favorite DVR shows to watch together.

Saturday... I slept til 10 AM!! Then I had a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats (my favorite!) and got all of Dustin's side of the guest list done as far as save-the-dates. I havent even touched mine yet :-( Turns out it takes longer than I thought because I found myself checking and re-checking to make sure I spelled things right. At least I got 1/2 of them done though!

Dustin took me out on a date that afternoon too... we went to the Minnesota History Museum in Minneapolis, right by the Art Museum. I had never been there and I thought it was really cool! They had an exhibit about shoes! That one was my favorite :-) (Christina, I thought of you!)

THEN, we picked up a new game for us to play called "Family Business". It was really fun... its a card game where you pick out your own "mob family" and try to eliminate your opponents mobsters. I am quite skilled in this game :)

Sunday after church we did our marriage class homework at Chipoltle and then met our realtor (Kevin Norwood) at his office in Lakeville. He took us around and we looked at 5 different houses to give us an idea for many different types of layouts and architectural style. We don't want to buy any of the ones we saw, but it helps to narrow down our selection to more of what we are looking for when we go out again next Saturday.

How To Tie A Pretty Bow

2009-01-22T13:57:00.000-06:00

I am sure this will come in handy! (Don't worry bridesmaids... not on you!) Here is a link to the video tutorial if you're interested!

DIY Projects, 4 Months & 30 Days To Go!

2009-01-21T11:11:00.000-06:00

Well I am back and am beginning to feel more wedding pressure! As of today, I have 4 months and 30 days to complete all of my wedding tasks... and then I will officially be Mrs. May! That day is officially 150 days away. Next Saturday it will be 140 days away... for some reason that seems like a lot smaller number than 150.

Anyways, I thought i'd fill you in on what my mind has been absorbed with lately:

1. I want to make a "present" card box. I've seen many d-i-y tutorials where you buy three boxes, paint or decorate how you want them, stack them, cut them so they line up, and make an insert at the top where people can drop their cards. I have some ideas for it, so I just need time to get the supplies and start being crafty

2. Make table numbers... right now my vision is to have wooden numbers that i will paint that can "stand up" on the table... I need to do more investigating

3. Buy an aisle runner and hand paint a custom monogram on it... i'm just thinking something simple with our names and the date. I made one for my cousin's wedding a couple years ago, so i'm ready to try it again

4. Order LOTS of candles from candles4less.com. They have AMAZING deals on candles there... my plan is to have a ton of them in the background for the ceremony. I think it will create a romantic glow

5. Find our initials in wooden letters to put on the doors to the sanctuary somehow... sort of like the picture I posted at the beginning of this blog

6. Find shoes to wear before my first fitting (my dress still is not in yet... but its scheduled to arrive in March). I am sorta in love with this j.crew shoe... I really don't want to wear white shoes and I am in love with this blue color! They are more $$ than I would like to spend though, but we'll see!

7. Last but not least I NEED to order wedding invitations! I should have listed that first probably... This weekend Dustin & I are going to address all of our save the date post cards and get them mailed out! We finally have all the addresses (I think...) Actually, now that I think about it I KNOW I have several to confirm :-( You may be getting a call from me on Friday night!

I Want a Different Veil...

2009-01-16T07:54:00.000-06:00

OK, so i've been thinking a lot about my veil..... the one I ordered is very pretty, however I am realizing that the end of it will hit at the prettiest part of my dress and will create two focal points in pretty much the same area... thats not good.

SO, I emailed my parents (I am still in Mexico) and explained my thoughts, and they are super ok with how I feel.... so that means I have to go back to the bridal shop and try on more veils. I am thinking that I either want a french veil (very short) or else a chapel/cathedral length veil which would extend past the train of my dress. That is my latest thought. If anyone wants to come with me, youre welcome to try on veils with me :)

ALSO, Dustin said he has most of the addresses typed up, so that means I will get the task of writing addresses on the save the date post cards soon! I will feel so much better once they are out in the mail I think.

I am looking forward to getting home tonight at 7:30pm. Hopefully my engagement ring will be waiting for me... it got resized while I was out of the country. I miss all that bling on my finger! I wish I had it sometimes down here.... I could have flashed it at all the guys here who hung around a bit longer than the rest. ha. OH I can't wait to see Dustin again!

I'm in Mexico!

2009-01-12T22:19:00.000-06:00

I'm here at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, MX. Its so beautiful here! I havent been outside much at all because I am here for work. However, I see a lot of honeymooners enjoying the beach through my windows and it makes me jealous!

Everything is going well so far... my room is so cool! It has a jacuzzi in it, right by the sliding door to the balcony with a hammock. It really makes me miss Dustin though. I got to talk to him a bit tonight, I get free calls to the USA from my hotel room, so we talked about an hour... we had to do our "Before You Say I DO" assignment about our expectations over the phone. It was good to talk. Its hard being in a location geared towards couples when the one I love isnt here with me!

Last night my roommate Casey and I fell asleep to the sound of ocean waves... well, the recording of waves anyways :) I have a CD on my iPod that has all kinds of nature sounds. Our hotel room has an iHome on our nightstand, so I just plugged my iPod in and let the ocean lull me to sleep!

Speaking of sleep... i'm tired. I've been running around all day and my feet are killing me! Its hot, humid, and very green. Such a nice change from Minnesota winters! I'm ready for bed. Good night!

Exciting Week!

2009-01-07T08:33:00.000-06:00

This has been a great week so far, and the rest will be good too! Here is what I have done and what i'm doing..

Monday: Worked out and had dinner with a friend, packed for my Mexico trip, then I went home and read and went to bed early!

Tuesday: Date night with Dustin... met at Pei Wei in Eden Prairie for dinner and then he took me to see Australia (where he also bought me sour patch kids, sprite, and also popcorn!). The movie was great too! Earlier in the day we each talked to Financial Security Bank about house financing :-)

Wednesday (tonight): 6:00pm we have our first marriage class at Cedar Valley called, "Before You Say I DO" and we are both looking forward to it!

Thursday: Only working a 1/2 day of work. Dustin is coming to my area to have lunch and then we are meeting Ted from the bank at 2:00pm to talk details about buying a house. THEN were going to U30 that evening

Friday: Hopefully work out after work, go home and pack, relax with Dustin for a bit. I have to give him my engagement ring so that it can get re-sized while I am gone... in the past week it has fallen off of my finger twice!

Saturday: Be at the airport by 4:45am for my 7:00am flight to Cancun. Arrive in Cancun and relax for an hour or two and then I begin my crazy non-stop schedule for a week.

Interview on an Airplane

2009-01-04T22:11:00.000-06:00

The article posted below is from a few years back... I had just returned from my first real missions trip to Uganda, Africa. I was digging through old files on my computer and came across this paper I wrote. It was refreshing to look back on the past since i've been so wrapped up in my future lately. Happy reading!

My eight-hour interview began before I even realized it. I had just entered the British Airway airplane and was trying to make my way down the tiny isle without knocking anyone unconscious with my overstuffed backpack and Bethel Nalgene water bottle strapped to it. I was exhausted and tired. All I could think of was finding my seat next to my travel companions and drifting off to dream land thanks to a wonderful Unisom sleeping pill. I glanced at my ticket and then at the coming rows ahead of me. I soon realized that I was not sitting next to any of my mission trip buddies, but instead I was sitting next to a small, silver streaked old woman.

My first thoughts were not as mature as 22 year olds should be. Instead of whining to my friends, I quietly sat down into my business class seat and extracted some “airplane necessities” from my lavender bag: iPod, African chocolate bars, and class textbook. The lady next to me looked up and asked if I could wait a minute before I sat down so she could organize her own bag. Her think Swiss accent was difficult to understand as spit flew out of her mouth and onto my arm as she spoke, but I was not about to roll my eyes at a sweet old lady. When I was finally able to settle down into my seat again, she quickly made sure that I knew she was excited to be on this airplane.

She smiled at me occasionally, not knowing if it would be appropriate to have a conversation just yet. I finally decided that I would be polite and ask her where her final destination would be. She proceeded to explain to me that she is a Christian woman who just came from working at a mission’s hospital in northern Uganda. I was intrigued immediately because white people have been warned to stay out of the north due to recent white tourist attacks and murders. She was on her way home to Switzerland after two months of helping the doctors as a nurse’s assistant. I asked her if she ran into any trouble with the rebel forces or if she was scared. She proceeded to tell me that she traveled by public bus all alone from northern Uganda to Entebbe to catch this flight. She seemed to be quite confident that she was safe; although I am sure I would have felt otherwise.

This lady suddenly spoke in such a soft and yet commanding voice when she explained how God had protected her the previous week. She was headed down a country road with two other missionary friends when their driver suddenly felt compelled to stop the car and turn around in the other direction. She explained that she had also felt uneasiness in her heart and agreed with the driver. As they continued to travel, the next day she discovered that a British man was driving along that very same road and had been murdered. Her eyes were huge as she thanked God for protecting her in the seat next to mine. I am amazed at how open she was and I had not yet even discovered her name.
As our flight continued, we spoke of many different things, but mostly God. About three hours into our flight, I realized that I was hearing her heart and was learning all about how she lived. I formally introduced myself to her and she said that her name was Annemarie Eggimann from Switzerland. I guessed that she was in her late 50s, but I was too scared to ask the question directly. I began to ask about her life and what she was involved in. She currently lives in a small mountain community in Bisiberg where she enjoys taking long walks through the forest and knows everybody who lives in the mountain area. Annemarie believes that a good and successful life occurs when you are content with what you have and when you know yourself. A good life does not include being envious of neighbors. All we really need in life is to know that we have salvation and our health. It is best to take each day as it comes and let God take care of our problems.

Because Annemarie spends so much time with herself in the forest, she has found pleasure in the simple things of life. She took out some photos of her family and home. “Look at how beautiful my garden is!” she commented. To have a garden like the one she showed me takes a lot of time and effort to create. Often she will just gaze at God’s creation when she is out walking. This revealed to me that she has a lot of patience and can appreciate the natural beauty that God has given us. When she is not walking through the mountain’s forest, she works as a nurse in a hospital near her house. She seemed sad when she told me that she is very slow compared to her coworkers, and that they often are frustrated with her. She commented that she likes to take the time and treat her patents with love and respect rather than rush off to the next thing. Her manager once approached her and told her that he was displeased because she never speaks about anybody behind his or her back and that as a result, no one knows where he or she stands with her.

Her life truly is centered on Christ and his biblical commandments. She seemed so quiet and small, yet powerful at the same time. She is the kind of lady I hope to resemble one day. Each day she relies on God to provide for her. She comes from a poor community and is a vegetarian because she cannot afford to buy meat at the market. She kept saying that her life is nothing special because it is so simple. I quickly disagreed with her. She then began to tell me of the time she lived in Africa for 22 years during the Rwanda genocide. She said that as a child she would read books about Africa and dreamed of going there one day herself. At the age of 25, she traveled there working to help elderly nuns. During the genocide in Rwanda, she set up refugee camps all over for to help all of the people in trouble.

As she set up the camps, the most difficult part was seeing people walk away empty handed at the end of the day. She started work before seven AM and then worked until 6 PM but admitted that it was very satisfying but hard mental work. Her hardest moment was when she and her team had just set up a camp only to find out two days later hat the rebels had discovered where it was and murdered everybody in the camp showing no mercy. This shows me that she is dedicated and has a passion for people. I could see the aching in her heart as she told me this story. She told me that she blames herself for the deaths because the reason they died was because she was helping them. Still, she stuck with her calling.

To do this kind of work you must be at peace with yourself. To know that any moment your life could end in a brutal way takes mental discipline that I have never experienced in my life (and I don’t know that I want to). To her, the good life is letting God hold you in his hand each and every day, knowing that he is more powerful than any evil force in this world. God has truly given us all that we need and even much extra. If Annemarie can be completely thrilled to have warm, running water and electricity, I have a lot of prioritizing to do. She lives minute by minute; I spend my time dreaming of the future. While we were talking she said that wealthy people in her family are very jealous of her even though she is very poor according to their standards. They simply cannot understand where her joy comes from and how she can be so content with so little.

As I headed into my mission trip, I half expected it to be the way some of the stories were. I was never held at gunpoint forced to deny my faith in Jesus or die. I never felt the wrath of the government or rebels, and I have to say that in some ways I am slightly disappointed. I long for some opportunity to put my entire life into God’s hands and rely on him for a form of miraculous protection the way Annemarie has done. Although she sees herself as nothing special, I know that she is an angel sent from heaven to many people around the world. Her entire life is a witness to God’s grace and goodness.

As our eight-hour conversation came to a close, she glanced out the window and was so giddy with joy at the sight of some of the Swiss mountains off in the distance. Although I looked and could not see anything as I leaned over to peer out of the window, I can’t help but think it is because I truly just do not “see” them and know them the way she does. She sees people the way God does, and she does everything she can to give her life away in service to those who need help. Even though she was so excited to go home at the beginning of our flight, she looked straight at me and told me that although she lives in Europe, her heart is left behind in Africa.

Annemarie Eggimann is an inspiration to me and has touched my life in a great way although we have only talked for a short amount of time. She is a living example of a good and Christ-centered life. Now that I am home in Minnesota and have been shoved into the race against time during finals, I have tried to slow down and notice small details of life. I feel that now I can appreciate the uniqueness of each snowflake that falls to the ground and it reminds me of God’s blessings in my life. I think that Annemarie hears God’s voice so clearly because she takes the time to notice the small details of life. Although I never thought that such a quiet old woman could do so much for God and see things that most cannot, I often think about this mysterious lady. I look forward to the day when I will be able to meet her once again and tell her how blessed I was through her life. I just wish that I had thought to take a picture with her to add to my memories until the opportunity to meet her presents itself again!

Thoughts for the New Year

2008-12-31T10:04:00.000-06:00

2008 was a very interesting year for me. In 2007 I would never have guessed that in one year my life could change so much. Here are some random thoughts floating around inside my head that I need to get out so I can think about other things....

1. I get to say that I am getting married THIS year!

2. In January of 2007 I would have never guessed it would be to Dustin

3. In less than 6 months, we will have an actual house of our own (God willing!)

4. I have AMAZING parents, I am so grateful for the spiritual heritage they have passed on to me

5. My priorities have shifted a lot... in 2008 I did not re-commit to working with the youth group (I miss the students a lot though) & shifted my focus to helping with other ministries at my church

6. My favorite priority is Dustin :)

7. Its OK to let go of people... there are reasons we go through seasons in life...and seasons have a funny way of coming around again!

8. I have a lot to learn still... in every area of my life.... but who doesnt? I don't think you EVER truly become an expert... it would be boring to not need to learn anymore!

9. I wonder how much more my life will have changed this time next year???? WOW!

10. I want to read more books.... feel like I hardly read anything in 2008

Fun New Toy... Inspiration

2008-12-30T10:26:00.001-06:00

I found this awesome site where you can create your "Wedding Inspiration Canvas." Here is mine....

You can create one too... its free! http://www.bridalcanvas.com/ Show me your canvas!