Turning A Page.

Emotion is a tricky thing. Just when I think I can handle it, emotions sneak through the back door in the form of memories and remind me of life.

What brought this on? Something called approaching wedding day. Or, in reality, marriage. I'm about to turn a new page and am completely thrilled, excited, and absolutely giddy about it:). But when I started taking down the degrees and diplomas, the frames and the decorations from off my bedroom walls, emotion hit me.

Have I really spent the last 14 years in this bedroom? With everything off the wall and piled on my bed, I sat down and just gazed around the room remembering...

~ the day I trusted Christ and floated home and into my bedroom... what a shouting day that was!

~ a sleepover with 4 other friends before two friends headed off with their family as missionaries to South Africa.

~ getting ready for high school graduation day!

~ painting my room with a friend and having such a blast.

~ countless, countless numbers of trips taken over the years. The drill was familiar and simple: always pack just before leaving on a trip! That way the adrenaline runs faster:).

~ leaving my room in anticipation of a year-long adventure in Thailand. I still remember packing the day I was leaving (of course - it's tradition!) and then the day I came home.

~ numerous phone calls took place in this room: sisters, sisters-in-law, friends, and for the last eight months, my sweetheart!

~ running to my room for a place of refuge when my heart was hurting. I cried out to the Lord so many times and He heard me. What a precious Saviour!

~ so many girlish hopes and dreams were made in this room. I moved in when I was 12 - just at the beginning of my teen years. So much has changed since that 12 year old girl first moved in.

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There is much packing to do, and I'm realistic enough to know that the majority of it is going to take place after we come home from our honeymoon ~ yet another trip!

Memories are such a good thing, but I am ready to turn that page and move from the position of single gal to wife, where all sorts of new memories will be made!

Sitting With My Sweetie By The Lake:).

We had a tremendous time at camp... more to come later!

14 Hours.

We're leaving for camp at 6 AM (in approximately 14 hours) and the following items still need to be done:

• make a cheesecake for my dad (Happy Father's Day!)
• dry wet clothes
• services tonight at church
• finish cleaning out the spare bedroom-that-turned-into-a-handy-spot-for-a-ton-of-bridal-shower-gifts
• grab items to give to a few people at church
• two phone calls
• pack for camp
• Father's Day fellowship after church (this one is optional... it depends if Dad comes or not!)
• sleep (this one is also optional:D)

But I couldn't just leave you all hanging after I apparently did leave you hanging last time:). I introduce to you the bathroom towels (*insert dramatic pause here*):

And the kitchen towels:

Kohl's is my friend:).

Ok, now it's time to cut and run! See ya all next week... and if you think of it, please pray for the summer camp this week and for the Lord to do a work!

Life In A List.

In no particular order, here are some (interesting???) recent events in the life of yours truly (um, that would be me!)

• I got my engagement ring cleaned yesterday and can't stop looking at it today! It's so shiny:).
• 25 days until we tie that knot! Ok, I realize this is a future event rather than a recent event, but the countdown is faithfully noticed each and every day:).
• Nat and I got together with my brother and his family last Thursday night and had a great time! It's so nice to be able to hang out as "couples."
• After a huge decision-making process, I've decided what towels to go with for our new bathroom and kitchen. Riveting, I know! Ya'll just about fell off the chair from fascination, didn't you?
• Amanda had a birthday today (technically she still has it since there is another hour left in this day) and I've delighted in reading the various facebook messages that have been left for her, especially ones from Nina and Rachel. My funny bone has been tickled by these two gals!
• For the first time in almost six months, I didn't have a lunch table come in to the bakery on Saturday. None. Zippo. Which was rather saddening since I like to interact with the customers so much!
• So I'm looking forward to serving at a catering party tomorrow night for 45 ladies - all members of a sewing club. Kudos to them for sewing and getting together! Perhaps their talent will rub off on me???
• Sunday night the babies in nursery decided that was the night to do some "whoopsies" which resulted in some "boomsies." Very, very technical terms.
• Nanette's little cutie had us in stitches towards the end of the night when she couldn't make up her mind to laugh or cry. Her face would scrunch up in preparation for the cry, but at the last minute would be turned into one of her super-adorable smiles, courtesy of a nursery worker making some faces:).
• My sweetie and I are joining a crew from church and heading off to summer camp next week. I'm in unofficial camp mode since we're doing the games for camp and have started planning them all out. I'm having a blast and can't wait for next week!
• I just figured out that the sound coming from the kitchen is not the shuffling of papers caused by the air coming from the fan; oh no --- it sounds like a mouse to me. Oh joy!

'Tis The Season...

... for volleyball!

I mentioned a few months ago how I was lured outside with visions of volleyballs in the air and now it is definitely official:).

We played volleyball on Sunday afternoon for several hours. And on Monday night with a impromptu pick-up game. And we played again tonight! I'm expectantly looking forward to Saturday with the potential of some more volleyball being played afterRachel's graduation:).

After living in Thailand for over a year and only playing volleyball one time during that whole year, I've been so ready to play again! A pesky little detail called winter got in the way of me playing much since I came home from Thailand, but my heart has been so blissfully happy that I've been able to play again now that spring/summer is here!

Well, that and the fact I get to marry my sweetie in only 36 days!

Countdown!

My sweetie sent me a picture of something the high school boys at our Christian school so kindly put in his office:

The countdown's getting lower every day:).

Some Results.

I did get to the doctor this morning, but before I go on I just wanted to express how truly blessed I am with the man God has given to me! He not only persevered in finding a doctor for me, but he also pretty much put his whole schedule for the morning on hold while he drove me over to the doctor's office. Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted me driving!

The doctor confirmed my suspicions of having a cornea abrasion. When he first examined my eye the pain was pretty fierce, so then he gave me what the nurse called "happy drops" which basically meant the drops numbed the pain:). He did say that most likely my eye never healed when it was injured in February 2009, and to this day I can't figure out what caused the injury back then or on Sunday. Oh well! I am thankful that I can still see (albeit things are a tad blurry!) and that the doctor did say I can still go on my trip and have a follow-up visit next Monday. Thanks for praying!!!

Would Ya'll Mind...

... praying for me? In February 2009, I had a week of fun in going back and forth to the hospital in Bangkok for what the doctors told me was a scratched cornea in my right eye. I've experienced occasional pain in my eye off and on over the last 16 months, but nothing like what I experienced today. It was like going through the whole experience in 2009, minus the hurried trip to the ER room late one Tuesday night:).

My wonderful sweetie is so full of compassion and went looking for a solution this afternoon in trying to find a doctor in the Lehigh Valley who could have a little look-see at my eye. I would really like to get an appointment tomorrow with the doctor and would appreciate any and all prayer towards that end!

I'm also supposed to be heading out on a trip on Wednesday to the mid-west to see my niece graduate from high school, but obviously plans are subject to change. I'm reminded again of the verse that says all things work together for good!

Just waitin' to see how things unfold this week.... good thing the Sunday School lesson this morning was on rejoicing!

News, news, news.

• News item #1: I'm back in good, ole' PA. Earth-shattering, I know!
• News item #2: My trip out to the mid-west was most amazing and so timely. More to come later.
• News item #3: It's amazing how seeing my handsome man smiling in a picture makes me giggle and grin, smile and sigh:).
• News item #4: I don't think #3 was as newsworthy as I think it is!

~Only 67 more days!~

Surprise!

So, I am so NOT on the road right now.... in case you haven't figured it out! But the delay was absolutely well worth it:).

"Officially" my bridesmaids threw me a surprise bridal shower on Saturday morning, but from my rather high vantage point from being on the platform, I saw so many ladies cheerfully and happily pitching in to make things come together. After being so shocked that I quickly closed the door, I was so happy to see dear family, friends, and church family all in the room! Nat and I feel very, very blessed and praise the Lord for His goodness in our lives.

I would love to share more, but there's a very special friend of mine who drove in from Tennessee and we have a 6:30 breakfast date set. Yes, I will get up early for some things! From what I understand, we're taking off on our road trip after services this morning... and if we don't, that's ok! I heard at the shower a devotional on flexibility;). Better put it to practice!

Happy Lord's Day!!!!