one week.

As I wake up on this day, I am ecstatic that in one single week, I will be marrying the woman of my dreams!

Groggy, and winded from being up till 2am with the guys that are most important to me, I still can hardly contain my joy that in one week I will have the privilege of calling Skyler MY WIFE, waking up next to her, coming home to her, saying goodnight and good morning to her in person, keeping her safe and warm, protecting her, leading her, not saying bye to her at night, having coffee with her early in the morning, wearing the ring that symbolizes our commitment to each other, and of course being her husband!!!

I am so very blessed, seriously. It's hard to imagine that on March 2nd, it will have been 366 days since I asked her to marry me, and every single day The Lord has has made us stronger and more united as a couple. God has been so gracious and generous through so many people in our lives and we are so so SO grateful! I am so glad to finally be able to see the culmination of all of Skyler and I's hard work and toil, and even more importantly, I can't wait for all of our loved ones to have the opportunity to hear the gospel and hopefully commit their lives to Jesus on our special day. The reason Skyler and I are getting married is because we have been called to it and we see it as our mission field to each other to love and respect one another in a way that best reflects Christ's love for His church, because that is what the bible says marriage is. It's a unity between 1 man and 1 woman in the presence of GOD and man, it is a bond that NO PERSON can break, and it is NOT to be taken lightly. We pray that our marriage blesses The Lord because it is by His grace that it even exists.

1 week, that's it... Just one! Ahhh!! What's so strange about engagement is that from the day that I decided to ask Skyler to marry me I was already committed to her and this wait has been very long and drawn out, but I know in my heart that God was using this special time to mold us, break us, and reshape us into people that were prepared to be bonded together for the rest of our lives!


And now, we're ready.

(:

grateful.

As I think back upon how much the Lord has done over the past 2 years of my life and how much He has totally redeemed me and changed everything about my life for the better, I can't even express the absolute and total gratefulness I feel for all that He has done for me.

Because of His love my debt is paid and because of His love my sins are all washed away.

Today, is Sunday, and I have been working at my AWESOME new job for a total of 3 weeks now! I've been blessed to be given a task (by the Vice President of the company) that truly gives me the opportunity to be an important part of my very early employment at Battery Systems. I also have been able to have about 3 weeks to settle into my (I say my, but I am excited to say "our" (; ) apartment and I totally and completely adore it! It's been a major relief to have come out of the home of my family and finally, at 25 years of age, have a place where I can call home. A place that I proudly and happily call home and a place where I am constantly reminded of God and of my beautiful, creative and incredible (almost) wifey! #34daystillwegetmarried

I love my life so much and I am eternally grateful for God's sacrifice of His son for me and for His constant, perfect provision of everything I need and more! I'm also beyond grateful for Skyler, who always blesses me with all that she is and with her unending Godly love, grace, passion & admonition for me. I can't wait to marry her and to come home to her as my wife and to love her with everything I am and to protect and provide for her the way God has allowed me to do so (:

I'm just purely...

GRATEFUL!

(:

30 days of gratitude: days 23 & 24.

November 23rd

Today was a day of relaxation, family, and more food, all of which I am so grateful for! Aaron and I visited his family, where we played some old school Super Mario Bros. and ate some leftover turkey on sourdough. Then, we met some friends at BJ's to watch the Laker game and did some Black Friday shopping. But today, what I am most grateful for, is the ability to do all these things. God has blessed me with provision beyond what I need, and I am so thankful to Him and Him alone for that.

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November 24th

Today, I am grateful for fun. Just plain and simple f-u-n. We went to Knott's Berry Farm with my sister, uncle, aunt and cousins for my cousin's birthday. It was a blast! I love love looooove rollercoasters, but I've noticed that as I get older, going on Xcelerator or screaming my heart out on Supreme Scream aren't the only things I classify as "fun". I had a blast just talking, laughing and spending time with family. The simple things are the things that mean the most.

30 days of gratitude: days 21 & 22.

November 21st

Today I had the privilege of spending time with my best friend and my maid of honor, my sister. I just love her sweet laughter and overflowing joy! I sure will miss living with her and having her right next door!

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November 22nd

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, I'm simply thankful for my life. I was able to relax all day, cook, and start reading for fun again!

30 days of gratitude: days 15-20 {yeah, I've been slackin'...}

November 15th

Today, I am thankful for the ability to get an education. While at times, I definitely complain about school more than embrace the ability to learn, I really am grateful that I have the ability to choose what path I want my education and career to follow.

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November 16th

Today, I had the privilege of getting my hair cut and colored. I never realized how much of a luxury this was until I did not have the money to do so. While this is by no means a necessity, I so enjoy looking and feeling my best. After a relaxing time at the salon, I was extremely blessed to hang out with Aaron, Kyra and Zach and score some free pizzas from Pieology at the Irvine Spectrum!

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November 17th

Today was so extremely fun! Aaron and I attended a wedding! Eeee I just love everything love and wedding!!! It was so sweet to see Christian and Regan Fambrough get married and to see their love for each other displayed. It also made me EXTREMELY excited for our own upcoming wedding!!!

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November 18th

Today, I am grateful for fellowship. We went to church, like every other Sunday and saw our church family, like every other Sunday. But there was something different today. We went around the room and heard from everybody in our church family what they are thankful for this year. It was so sweet to hear the power of God in so many different lives. Aaron led worship and at the end of service, it was so so wonderful to gather all together and take communion as a body.

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November 19th

Today, I am grateful for friends (I don't know if I've said this one yet, but I'm still thankful for it!). I met two friends from school (yes, I definitely made friends at school, which has NEVER happened my 4 years at CSUF) for appetizers. I had such a great time with Justine and Karalynn. We connect on some way different level and it's just so fun to laugh and joke with these girls!

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November 20th

Today, I am grateful for patience. I know that I sure didn't just grow patience, but I was extremely blessed to drive to LA with Aaron for a work errand (I never thought I would use blessed & LA in the same sentence!) We hit a bunch of traffic, so what should've been a 1.5 hour trip turned into 3! I was so grateful for Aaron's patience and the fun we were able to have despite some monotonous trip.

30 days of gratitude: days 13 & 14.

November 13th

I am grateful for my friend, Whitnee. After my last event with Olive Crest, I made a decision to forgo the adoption dinner I was invited to and stick to my commitment of having dinner at home because Miss Roth was coming over. And I am SO glad I did. Whitnee is one of those friends that I could talk to every few months and it seems like no time has passed. I know she has no hard feelings because life is buuuuuusy! I was so thankful to have time to sit down with her, laugh, talk about life...just like no time has passed at all.

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November 14th

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After my last visit with Olive Crest, I drove to Aaron's house for a Bible study. We're starting a weekly thing where we pray through a Psalm, read 1 chapter (we're in Ephesians right now) and then pray over each other. Little did I expect him to make a full dinner (and not from a package!)...needless to say, I was so surprised! I am grateful for these little random acts of kindness. 

30 days of gratitude: day 12.

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Today, I am thankful for fun! Sometimes, it's nice to just act like a kid, and that is exactly what Aaron and I did today. After having a great time celebrating my step-dad's 2nd birthday (meaning his 2nd anniversary of receiving a stem-cell transplant to save his life from stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma) at McCormick & Schmick's (see below for the delicious bread pudding I had!), Aaron and I spent hours walking around Disneyland, California Adventure and Downtown Disney. We ate ice cream, watched the fireworks and stood on Main Street as (bubble) snow fell all around us. Today was a day I thanked God for how he has blessed me with the time, money and resources to enjoy life.

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The yummy yummy yummy bread pudding with chocolate chips instead of raisins! So so good!

30 days of gratitude: days 9, 10 & 11.

November 9th

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I am thankful for fellowship. Friday night I went to our first women's ministry event for For His Glory Community Church. I had an absolute blast! I was so grateful to hear from other women about what God is doing in and through them. It was so nice to spend time with them. I have been praying for God to help me feel connected to the women at our church since I am the only one unmarried (not for long...) and not a mother. This night definitely helped! We made wreaths as a ministry and since I absolutely love crafting, I was definitely in my element!

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November 10th

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I am thankful for sweet friends who care. Above is the logo I designed for one of my long time dearest friends, Kandis. We scheduled coffee so we could work on her new blog, and I just had a blast with her. I was so excited to spend some time with her and she was so sweet to listen to the BIG things going on in my life. I am so grateful for sweet friends who stick around, even when life sometimes gets crazy! (Psst...check out Kandis' blog...she's an up and coming make-up artist that does an amazing job!)

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November 11th

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 First, I am extremely grateful for those who have served and are serving to protect our freedoms here in America. I know there are so many who have sacrificed and put themselves in harm's way because they believe we as a nation and as a people are worth fighting for. I am also thankful for iPad games, tossing the football around and laughs...especially with the two munchkins above. Aaron and I visited my dad, step-mom and brothers today, and we had an absolutely awesome time. I love my family so much, and I know I already said I was grateful for them, but I definitely am thankful for fun times with my two brothers!

30 days of gratitude: day 8.

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Today, I am thankful for the hope I am given in all things! I can't share why I have such an incredible amount of hope today and for the future, but hopefully I will be able to within the next two weeks! I am hoping for mountains to move, fears to be swept away and new beginnings.

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"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." 
--Hebrews 11:1

^"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." --Jeremiah 29:11

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." --Romans 12:12

30 days of gratitude: day 7.

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Today, I am simply thankful for a place to sleep. And not just any place but my place. My comfy, cozy, as hot or cold as I want it, kick all the covers off and cuddle pillows place. I've been thinking about how many do not get to call their place to sleep a "bed" or a place to relax. I think about when I went to Haiti and saw hundreds of people living in Tent City...was that their "place"? Or the kids who slept on dirt floors in the slums of India...did they have a cuddle pillows place? Remembering the people I saw and how grateful they were for a place to sleep (and it didn't have to be "their" place), I am humbled. How often do I go on vacation, stay in a hotel, eat room service in a bed, yet complain that I can't sleep well because it's not "my" bed?

We as a society definitely need a reality check. A place to sleep should be good enough, and if we're fortunate enough to have somewhere to call ours, we should feel blessed.