Understated, Overlooked, Everyday Blessings

Our weekends have been crazy!

Breaking in Brad's new board [literally, apparently] on Father's Day weekend.

After spending Father's Day at the lake, and every other weekend since we've been married doing something other than staying put, we finally stayed in our new city for the weekend. It was nice to just sleep in and relax.

It's no secret to Byron that our current location isn't my favorite place in the world, but in the past week I decided that I would stop being such a Debbie Downer about it all, and actually try to enjoy it.  And whatta you know?  It's been great!  I hate it when I single-handedly ruin things for myself, simply because I'm unhappy about where God's placed me.

Always be joyful.  Be thankful in all circumstances, 

for this is God's will for you who belong to Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16 & 18  

Am I ever going to realize that He has it under control and there is a reason for where I am?  Because He does and His plans for me are better and much more interesting than my plans for myself.

In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9     

Understated, Overlooked, Everyday Blessings:
- Saturday brunch dates.
- Walks in the river with the pups.  Mook killed a bird and Bridget actually swam --and LOVED it!
- Monday night home-cooked dinners with my husband.

Hawaiian pork chops with brown rice & sugar snap peas, Mmmm!

- Meeting for lunch with college friends.
- Shopping with our wedding gift certificates.

Did you buy this new pillow just for me?! 

- Late night cooking!

- Runs along the river.

- Delicious summer desserts breakfasts.

Fresh Fruit Parfaits, Yummy!

- Mid-week trips home to spend time with my family and friends.

Rachel's 1st time climbing the Mountain of Stone!

Byron and I are headed to North Carolina this weekend [to see my brother, Stephen!!!], so I decided to come into Lilburn early to spend some time with my sweet family.  I am blessed to have such a wonderful family and I absolutely love them.

Bride to Bride: Wedding Planning Advice

When Byron and I were a newly engaged couple, a friend told me, 'If you can survive planning a wedding together, you can get through anything.'  I laughed and thought, She can't be serious.  The truth is, though, wedding planning is fun, but it's also hard work and stressful.  So for all of you brides-to-be, I thought I'd offer what little wedding planning wisdom I have with a list of what I think are helpful tips in keeping your wedding planning adventure as fun and stress-free as possible:

Have a Short Engagement: Our engagement was only 8 months, and I felt like it was too long!  You said yes when he asked you to marry him, right?  You know you want to be together, and the longer you're engaged the more times you can change your mind about wedding details.  During our 8 month engagement I planned 2 weddings.  In all honesty, it doesn't take that long to plan a wedding.
Top 5 Must-Haves: Before you do any planning, both you and your fiance should make individual lists for the top five things you want at your wedding and reception.  Byron and I did this from the beginning and it was a huge help [especially with all of my indecision].  We knew what was most important, so anything else was just icing on the cake.  When you're planning a wedding, it's easy to go overboard, so I felt like it kept things in perspective. [We also did this when planning the honeymoon!]
Time Without Wedding Talk: You want your hubby-to-be to still love you when you're walking down the aisle, so make sure that your engagement isn't one continuous wedding planning session.  Take time to just enjoy each other.  Byron and I established a code word [Apple Bottom], and if either of us was disinterested in wedding talk, we said the word and there was no more discussion on the topic.
Small Wedding Party: Everything gets more difficult with more people; the same goes for weddings.  We had 8 people [not including us] in our wedding party, and although we felt like we had friends we would have loved to include in that, 8 was plenty big!  Your closest friends and family will support, encourage, and join you in the wedding planning and festivities, regardless of their 'position' in the wedding.
Make a Budget & Stick to It: There's only so much money for the day, so you have to know how you're spending it.  I recommend lots of spreadsheets!
Involve Your Groom: It's his day, too!  Let him help make decisions and give him things to do!  Obviously most men don't care about flowers, but let him have a voice in the colors, venue, food, etc.  Byron actually picked out the invitations, decided on our venue, took care of the legal stuff, and planned our entire honeymoon!
Keep your Parents Informed (Especially your Dad): If they are paying for the wedding, this is a must!  I feel like most moms are pretty involved in the planning, so they know what's going on, but dads are lost in the land of wedding.  I know my dad didn't have a clue and I wish I'd kept him more up to date with the plans and details.
Let People Help You: As the wedding gets closer, people WILL ask what they can do to help -- tell them what they can do [and be specific about how you want things done]!  Setting tables, picking up flowers, cleaning up afterward, etc. -- you will need lots of assistance if you want everything to go smoothly, so gladly accept their offers.
Double Check Your Dress: Before you purchase your wedding gown, take it to alterations and make sure it can be altered to fit correctly!  I didn't do this, and had to frantically purchase a new dress a month before the wedding.  I've never heard of it happening to anyone else, but better to be safe!
Remember What the Wedding is REALLY About: It's very easy to get caught up in the reception, decorations, food, music, venue, etc., but remember that the day is about the commitment and covenant of marriage.  That's the reason you are celebrating.  At the end of the day you will be married, and that's all that matters.

married for a month!!

How crazy is it that Byron and I have been married for a month already!?!  Whoa.  The wedding and honeymoon seem so long ago, though.  It's been a crazy, but great, month: moving, lots of unpacking, Byron's promotion, weekends at the lake, a 10K, and camp.  Marriage is wonderful -- I absolutely love my husband.

We un-boxed our last wedding gift this week!

With the uncertainty of my job for next year, paying for new tires for my truck and repairs on Byron's, and the frustrations that accompany moving, as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, we were  slapped in the face with the reality that marriage doesn't make our problems disappear.  It does, however, promise that no matter what's going on in my life, I don't have to do it alone.  A shoulder to cry on, and friend to laugh with, and heck, someone who understands the ridiculous amount of dog hair in our apartment, Byron is always here for me.  What a blessing!

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:7 [ESV]

After only a month, it's hard to believe we spent a year in different cities, only seeing each other on the weekends.  I've become quite accustomed to Byron coming home to [the dogs and] me after work each night.  I couldn't ask for a better husband.

Bridget and Mook are even happier, too!
[as long as neither of them crosses the imaginary line that divides the couch in two.]

Rescue is Coming

Waiting for Canteen on the first night.

I love camp.  Even as an adult I get excited about it.  What’s not to love about sleeping in bunk beds, playing outside all day, making new friends, and worshiping the Lord each night?  Last week I had the privilege to go to Woodland Christian Camp with Northridge [the church I attended when I was in college].  

How staff feels about camp.

I spent the week in a cabin with one other adult and 11 middle school girls.  Each morning we had the opportunity to spend time in the Word as a cabin.  We talked about how God was working in their lives, clarified questions, and prayed together.  I feel incredibly blessed to have had such a great group of girls.  I really enjoyed the week with them.

The theme for the week was ‘Rescue is Coming.’  Each day focused on a different aspect of rescue.  For some reason, I’m always surprised that God speaks to me when I'm a leader on youth trips . . . it’s like I think He’ll put me on hold for the week, when in reality, He’s speaking directly to me. 

I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer.

So -- answer!  bend your ear!  listen sharp!

Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;

take in your frightened children who

Are running from the neighborhood bullies

straight to you.

Psalm 17: 6-7 [MSG]

Sometimes, you have to be rescued from yourself – I have to be rescued from myself.  I tell myself lies that anchor themselves so deeply in my heart that I can’t believe anything else.  In my heart I know God is powerful, but doubt that He will do anything.  I forget about grace and that my Heavenly Father loves me, regardless of the sinful things I’ve done and the lies I repeatedly tell myself.  I serve a loving, forgiving God who is mighty to save -- now, only to remember that!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- 

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. 

Ephesians 2: 8-9 

 The campers wrote the names of people in their lives who don't know Christ --
the people they are focused on sharing Christ with. 

It was a powerful week for the campers and the staff.  The adults I served with were awesome.  It was such a joy to spend the week with such Spirit-filled men and women -- laughing, dancing, playing sports, and becoming closer friends.  Why isn’t there a summer camp for adults?  

Incredible lady-folk staff.

 

salsa, snorkeling, & sinking

Byron and I kayaked to De Palm Island on our first day in Aruba.  I have never seen such stunningly blue water.  It was incredible.  The trip to the island wasn’t too challenging and we both enjoyed it a lot.  Our guide, named Coco, led us out of the lagoon, along the southern coast, then back in the direction of our starting point towards the island.  They say on a clear day you can see Venezuela from De Palm Island [it’s only 14 miles away]. 

Once on the island, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach, snorkeling [Byron was bit by a fish!], riding banana boats, playing basketball with some locals, taking salsa dance lessons [so much fun!], and enjoying the food and drinks.

Love him.

The fish were such vibrant colors!

After a few hours, it was time to kayak back to Aruba.  Going against the wind, we knew it would be more difficult than the trip over.  Byron, who’d had a lot more to drinks than I, was zooming ahead of me.  Not to sound all high and mighty, but I’m a more experienced kayaker than him, and couldn’t help but thinking, How is this so much easier for him? 

No doubt that the wind and current had picked up quite a bit, but I felt like I wasn’t moving forward at all.  I looked to buildings on the island to gauge my movement and discovered, in fact, my ferocious paddling wasn’t getting me anywhere!  All the while Byron paddled ahead, stopped, and let the wind drift him back to me [twice].

Hands, arms, and back burning in pain, I paddled even harder and finally reached Byron at the point leading into the lagoon.  The water was shallow and he suggested we take a rest.  I agreed, and as I went to slide out of my kayak it dumped me into the water and flipped upside-down.  Even standing in the water it was quite difficult to turn it right side up.  After a minute we decided to head to the dock.  I jumped in my kayak, only to be thrown off the other side.  Another attempted resulted in the same. 

Seeing my frustration, Byron asked to switch kayaks.  I hopped on his without a problem and was ready to go.  His first attempt getting situated in mine left him back in the water.  He briefly sat in the kayak on his second try . . . then the kayak sank!!! Literally.

I had been paddling for over an hour in a kayak that was taking in water the entire time!  No wonder it was such a struggle.  Thankfully another guide saw what was happening and towed us another kayak so we could make it to the dock.  It was quite the excursion and work out.  My hands have never been so sore and I am so thankful I did not fall out of my kayak any sooner!

balashi and a constant breeze

Instead of flying out on Sunday, Byron scheduled our flights to Aruba for Monday morning.  I am so thankful he planned it that way; we were able to spend Sunday relaxing, playing in the pool, and eating all the delicious food [3 meals worth!] TBM packed for us.  It was wonderful to enjoy our first day together as husband and wife without the commotion of the Atlanta airport.  We woke up before the sun on Monday, though, to travel to Aruba for our honeymoon!  Byron had planned our entire trip without telling me a single detail -- everything was a surprise!     

Aruba is awesome.  The weather was perfect the entire time we were there: temperatures in the 90’s, not a cloud in the sky, and a breeze without cease.  I was expecting waves similar to that of the Gulf of Mexico, but there was hardly a tide at all on the sandy beaches!  The first person we met in Aruba was a nice islander that drove us to our hotel, giving us 2 pieces of advice along the way:

           1. “Dehydration is a fact.  Drink lots of fluid.”

           2. "Do you have sun block?  Good.  Use it.  If you don’t you will look like overcooked bacon.”

We stayed in a locally owned hotel.  It was awesome.  I really enjoyed experiencing the little touches of local hospitality (example: whenever we left the room, we came back and it had been straightened, the dirty towels were replaced, and there were treats for us, like apples, oranges, and chocolate!). 

For breakfast we walked to the outdoor cafe downstairs to sit by the street and sip on our morning coffee and fresh orange juice.

All of the food and drinks were incredible.  We began the week at a café enjoying a variety of tapas and Sangria, and returned later in the week for more Sangria and dessert.  

We had the freshest mojitos, with so many mint leaves it was almost hard to drink!  

For lunch on the beach we ate at little restaurants established at the ends of piers.  One night we drank German beers and wine while dining at a Bavarian restaurant.   

The local beer in Aruba is Balashi.  It’s a pilsner and very good -- Byron really enjoyed it, and I tried new mixed drinks [some were tasty and others were not].  Almost every restaurant has happy hour in the afternoon, so it was fun to stop at the pier restaurants to take a break from the sun and cool down [it was also a prime time to people watch].

happy @ happy hour

We took an incredible kayaking trip to a small island [more on that in a later post]. 

Another day we rode horses through cactus forests and along the north shore of the island to a small chapel.  The north shore has incredibly rough water.  We galloped along the water’s edge watching the waves crash into the rocky cliffs.  My 14 year-old horse’s name was Pinto, and he had the temperament of Bridget.  Byron’s horse, Ali Baba, was 10 and much more spunky.

Byron learned to windsurf one afternoon!  Because the wind is so strong, but the water is so calm, it's a perfect place for windsurfing.   

After dinner each night we walked, browsing the items vendors tried to sell and discussing what exactly we should buy.  One evening we stopped for ice cream, and I kid you not, had the best strawberry ice cream I have ever had.  We went out dancing one night and met some very interesting Dutch bartenders.   

My husband planned the most perfect honeymoon for us.  We were sad to leave but excited to start living life.  I couldn’t have asked for more perfect way to begin our lives together than experiencing such a beautiful country together. I am blessed.

married in real life

Technically it was our second week as a married couple, but our first week as Mr. and Mrs. Livermore in real life.  Last Saturday we did a heck of a lotta moving: furniture, clothes, wedding gifts [THANK YOU], and more.  On Sunday we joined my brother, Brad, and some friends at the lake for some fun and fireworks.  [side note: Have a mentioned how great my brothers are and how thankful I am for them?!]  

Byron was off work on Monday for Labor Day, so we did some unpacking and relaxing before he returned to work on Tuesday.  After taking a week plus a few days for the wedding and honeymoon, Byron returned to work to find out he got a promotion!!!!!  I married a stud, what can I say!  I am so proud of him for all of his hard work.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23  

The rest of the week, while Byron worked I walked and played with the dogs, unpacked and organized our stuff, made a trip home to have lunch with my Mom and run some errands, and did some more unpacking and organizing.

In breaks from all of the unpacking, I did manage to cook our first home-cooked meal: flatbread pizza.

Mmmmm!  Pizza is always the right choice.

On Saturday morning I ran a 10K in Eatonton.  I went into the race incredibly nervous about whether or not I would even finish [My training program for this race included: drinking a glass of wine or two every night for the past two weeks water; eating a vacationer’s diet, and only running four times total in the past 3 weeks! yikes.], so I’m proud of myself for actually finishing the race and impressed with my time!  I wanted to finish in an hour and 15 minutes, but I timed myself at 1:05:59!!!

Ready to go!

FINISHED!!!!

Byron, Bridget, and Mook woke up early to cheer for me!

We spent the rest of the weekend at the lake watching movies, playing with the dogs and enjoying the weather [nothing says summertime like boiled peanuts and a cold beer on the dock!].

Lake days make for sleepy pups.

Byron, Bridget, Mook, and I are all settling in together.  Bridget and Mook have discovered the parts of the house they like best -- Mook’s is the bathroom or under your feet in the kitchen and Bridget’s is under the bed, even though she gets stuck, or the corner cushion of the couch.  As each box disappears and items are put into place, 821 begins to feel more and more like a home.  

Bridget in 'her spot' on the couch.

cake & dancing with family & friends

After the ceremony, the guys loosened their ties while the bridesmaids and I traded in our heels for glittery TOMS.  The long skirt of my wedding dress detached to reveal a short, cocktail length dress for the reception.  Ready for a good time, we all jumped in the limo and headed to Three Blind Mice [Byron’s and my favorite restaurant].  The reception blew our expectations out of the water.

First Dance to Such Great Heights by Iron and Wine 

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart . . .

Proverbs 15:30

Dancing with my Daddy.

Byron dancing with his Mom.

We were anxious to see how the restaurant would suit our guests; it was perfect!  There was just enough seating and room on the dance floor.  I loved that the atmosphere wasn’t that of a typical wedding reception, but more laidback and fun.  Our DJ chose great music for dancing.  The food was to die for and the drinks [especially the signature punch – a pomegranate-peach mixture with Prosecco and vodka . . . mmm!] were delicious.  And the cakes were incredible -- the best I’ve ever tasted. 

Byron's cake was Red Velvet with cream cheese icing.
My cake had one tier with vanilla creme cake and lemon filling and two tiers with
strawberry cake and strawberry filling, all with buttercream frosting.
The silver figure on the table is the German Wedding cup we drank
from after my brother, Brad, toasted us.

I had such a great time talking, laughing, and dancing with all of our best friends and family.  Byron and I were able to finally meet a few of each other’s old friends and extended family.  We missed the friends that weren’t able to make it, but are so grateful to have been able to share the day with those who were there. 

I was very happy to be in TOMS and a short dress.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful. . .
Proverbs 15:13

I had a smile on my face all afternoon [except for when we cut the cake – I had to concentrate on that!] celebrating with everyone.  I cannot wait to see the moments captured by my photographer [she’s the best].  The reception turned out SO much better than I’d planned and honestly could not be more satisfied.

She became his wife, and he loved her.
Genesis 24:67