Monday, July 30, 2012

If Only We Can Make it 11 More Days...

The only excuse I have for not blogging in weeks is that I'm getting married in 11 days... (11 days!!!!!!!!!!!) and real life has swallowed me up. Thankfully, I am blessed to be one of those super-organized types, and to be honest, the wedding stuff is moving right along, and most of my work is finished.  My Bachelorette party is this weekend and after that, I'm home free....

We can't wait to be married.  It's literally k i l l i n g us.  We have been so good and patient, trying not to fixate on the fun day [and lifetime!] that awaits us, but now every time we hang out, 99% of each conversation is some variation of "I can't wait to be married/Only 11 more days!/I wish we just lived together already!/I am so excited/Are you excited?/OH MY GOSH We're getting MARRIED!"... you get the idea.. Impatience is setting in, along with frustration!


Well in the meantime, we have been extremely busy, or should I say I have been extremely busy?  (Don't get me wrong..James is one of the hardest working people I know, working 40 hours a week but also choosing to do Bible study with me three nights a week, and relentlessly hack away at our wedding todo list.... but he doesn't have to put up with the daily stuff I do!  Can you say, David's Bridal? sakfj$%*&^%*as^&*^%kfjasdfh!)

Three weeks ago my parents renewed their wedding vows in our backyard, while celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary.  It was a wonderful time to be home and it was also a very wonderful thing to watch.
Dad reciting a vow-poem he wrote for my mom.
I guess this year my family chose to be all-about weddings?

(love being HOME)

We also snuck in a Padre's game while we were home.... I couldn't resist! I love my baseball, and not having cable has been SO sad this season! (Not to mention, they aren't on cable at home anyways! Grrr!)


Thennn it was my Birthday!  James and I started the morning off at the old OC courthouse, getting our marriage license all taken care of (halfway there!!!).  We had a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (what is a wedding diet?) and then broke in the pool at my new apartment, followed by a good movie and spending the evening playing games with friends and eating cake.

Oh, I love him,

Did I mention I got a new job?  Well, I got a new job.  Now I work as a waitress at Stacked, which--if you haven't been--is this awesome new restaurant in Cerritos started by the previous owners of BJ's.  They use iPads and the whole concept is very new and hip.  If you ever want to come in and visit, come when I'm working and ask to be seated in my section! I get paid to talk to you people all day :]

We've been blessed so much recently... I can't really even put it into words.  God continues to show and reveal more and more to us each day, and pursuing Him alongside my best friend has been something very cool to watch as it unfolds.  We've also had the opportunity to build so many new friendships with some of the people in our Bible study and it has been nothing short of a-ma-zing to see the way God is working today.  We live in such a precious time! I can't even explain it!! I hope we are knitted and held together by truth all the days of our lives.  


So... I guess we're in the home stretch now!  I have boxes overflowing in my living room, full of things necessary for the day-of, and/or the honeymoon, which reminds me I might want to start thinking about packing.. We got [some of] our engagement shoot photos from our photographer and all I can say is that I am so excited to see photos from the wedding day, because these shots made me grin from ear to ear!  Man, so much literal blood, sweat, and tears have gone into the planning and preparation for this day... I'll be darned if it's not one of the best days of my life....


Thursday, July 12, 2012

22

Today is my 22nd birthday, and for some reason I feel like I've been waiting for this birthday all my life.  After the excitement of turning 21 fades, most people don't care too much about 22, but I feel like I have always looked forward to today... little did I know how much was in store for this year :]


Falling in love, getting engaged to my best friend, growing more deeply in God's word than ever before, watching my little sister get married and my parents renew their wedding vows, moving into my first apartment and making my own home has made for quite the 21st year. 22, show me what you've got!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Endless Summer

I feel like every day there is something new happening and something to be terribly excited about! My birthday is only 5 days away, and our wedding is only a month out! Not to mention all the other little excitements happening in my friends' lives, like Kacie and Todd's new little Gemma, or Kasey and Sam's recent wedding, or Andy and Lauren's engagement, and I can't forget that Deb and Rachel (and many of my other close friends) are leaving today to CHINA!  Tomorrow is my Parents' 30th wedding anniversary (WOW) and I also get to go to my first Padre's game of the season (late.. I know..but better late than never)!  I hope it doesn't end here :]

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Can't Be a Queen Bee Without a Bee Throne

I can honestly say I hardly ever crack open my actual computer anymore; more often than not I just do all of my internet stuffs via my beloved iPhone (which excludes blogging, since Blogger doesn't have an app!).  But tonight I get a night off(?) from most busyness and I thought I'd write a little....

It's been exactly one month since I moved into my new apartment and my fondness of it has only grown.  Sure, it's a long drive to work, but aside from that it is wonnnderful.  I just got a fridge yesterday, so 4 hours and 8 magic erasers later my new-to-me fridge is looking brand new, and I am finally able to buy real food again!  Don't get me wrong, I love pasta, but pasta every other night (along with pop-tarts, bread, and top ramen) is getting old.  Yesterday was an unbearably hot day to be moving a fridge from Long Beach to Anaheim, so we most definitely got to try out our pool for the first time.  Tonight while I was vacuuming James stopped me to say, "Amanda, I love our little place."  And we surveyed it together, from our fridge and new tea station, to the living room that's still coming along and constantly changing arrangements, to our little Ikea table and chairs... It's really an awesome little first home and we can't wait to finally live in it together.



Last weekend was my bridal shower and it was perfect.  I felt like time flew by, but I suppose that's good compared to other showers I've been to that drag on.  My maids of honor, Deb and Kayla, did an amazing job with not only the decorations but also with the events and the whole atmosphere of the afternoon.  I was impressed with how many people were actually able to come, and with how many wonderful gifts we got!  I finally have silverware! And cups! Ahhh!! I wish I had some more pictures for you from the shower, but unfortunately I didn't get to snag any as I was pretty busy.



On a side note, can I just add that I have the best moms?  Both my own mom and my future mother-in-law have been such a huge help to us this past month I don't know what I would do without them.  I guess our wedding countdown is truly winding down (40 days!), but with all of the last minute surprises and stress that's cropped up this month, they've been there for me and helped me through.  I got my wedding dress fitted and sent it in for alterations and seeing the dress on me got me very excited for our day.... that, and all these people getting married and engaged! August just needs to be here already!


[our new coffee/station... PTL for Starbucks benefits]

I've got two big interviews this week but before I jinx it and talk all about them, I'll just say God is good and more than surpasses what I ever feel I "need."

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
-Matthew 6:31-33

Treasure Hidden in a Field

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."  --Matthew 13:44

What is this treasure? It's true understanding of God's word. In 1 Kings we see that God was well pleased with Solomon when he prayed asking for a discerning heart, and for wisdom.  When Solomon prayed these things God not only answered the prayer, but did so tenfold.  I have made it my goal to try and pray this prayer every day, and without sounding too cliche, it worked/it is working.  In the past 15 months I have learned so much more about the wisdom of God and about his Word--it really blows me away to see how much I had previously "breezed over," and to see how much grace he has bestowed on me during this journey.  Praise the Lord.

 
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