Only in Arizona...

I hate to sterotype, but being that I live in Tucson, I can't help but point out a commonality here in this city. Since we are close to Mexico, we see this scene quite frequently:

Now, at first glance, this looks like someone pulling a trailer with one of those little already assembled sheds one can purchase at Home Depot. Oh no, please do not let the strapped-on ladder fool you. What you see is a small Chevy pickup truck stacked 12 feet off the ground with various home furnishings. There is a mattress set upright in the foreground, with the bedframe up against it, strapped to the rest of the load. You can see at the top of the pile is a large couch sitting upright, with another couch (probably a loveseat) flipped upside down on top. What you may not be able to see, is that there is an additional full-sized couch seated just behind the first, also piled high with other items.

Greg and I were stuck in traffic yesterday afternoon, and couldn't help but laugh at this "thing." What is even more funny, is that this isn't so uncommon! It's as if these people have competitions to see how many items they can pile into the back of a small pickup. It really is quite humerous. We could only imagine what else was a part of this massive load....

But don't worry, we were able to catch a small glimpse as the truck made a turn (though we were afraid it would topple):

Oh yes, the load continues up and above the cab of the truck.

WOW.

All we could do was laugh.

TLC's

Back in November, I wrote about how we began attending Foothills Community Church here in Tucson. Around Christmastime, we were still attending regularly, though not quite getting plugged in yet. It was almost as though we were waiting for an opportunity to be placed in our laps. Well around this time of year, Pastor John began preaching about the importance of small groups meeting outside of the church. This perked up our ears, as this is something we'd been looking for in the churches we had been visiting. We were mainly excited because as we looked around, we saw many other couples around our age with whom we could create a small group.

Just after New Year's, Pastor John asked for volunteers to lead what he would call "Tiny Little Churches," or "TLC's." Had Greg and I been members of this church already, we would have volunteered. However, since we were new to the church, we decided instead to find a group to be a part of, then lead a group in the future. We would look for a group of couples or individuals around our age.

The following Sunday, sign ups were available, and people were encouraged to sign up for a group. The same kind lady that greeted us our first Sunday was sitting next to us that morning, and she strongly encouraged us to sign up for her group, meeting Sunday evenings. Without putting much thought into it, we agreed and put our names on the list. Neither one of us was quite sure what we were signing up for, but we were certainly open to it!

Turns out we are a part of an amazing group. We are comprised of young couples, most which are new to Foothills. About half of the couples are married with children; the other half not married and without children (including us!). From the very first evening, we have been open with and encouraging of one another. Our discussions have been amazing as we work our way through the book Case for Faith, written by Lee Strobel. We are creating relationships with the couples, and I'm very excited about where these will be lead. Greg and I have been praying for Christian friendships here in Tucson, and we think that this may just be the church where these relationships will develop.

Weekend of Showers

I'm not talking rain showers, but wedding showers!!!

Last weekend I flew back to the Midwest in order to attend three events hosted in my honor. The time just flew by, and I felt that I hardly was able to speak with anyone at length. But I was able to see a lot of folks I hadn't seen in a while, and show off my ring! It struck me as I was leaving Tucson that most of my friends (and future family members) still hadn't seen the ring Greg gave me only 3 months ago.

My flight out of Tucson was delayed a day, due to a snow storm in Dallas, go figure! But I made it safe and sound, with plenty of time to get ready for my first shower in Collinsville, IL. The shower was hosted at Copper Creek, the church family with which Greg spent many years of his life. This was the church that I was a member of during my time in St Louis. I too think of this as my church family, as so many of the members prayed for and supported me during my time in grad school and my life before Tucson. My friends and future sisters-in-law prepared a wonderful gathering and spread of food for all the attendees.

Check out the gift table!!




I have to admit, I hated being the center of attention that night. Opening all those gifts in front of everyone was not as enjoyable as I'd hoped. But I did receive some wonderful things!! I felt so blessed after opening the gifts. Greg and are certainly loved by the people of Copper Creek. We are so fortunate....

My friends Liz and Christie, who organized the main event. Thank you ladies!!!

Saturday morning, we set off for Wisconsin. It was a beautiful day for a drive, as we took two cars to head up to Oshkosh. That evening was the bacchelorette party! My mom, Greg's mom, her friend, my sisters and my girlfriends had a night out on the town. We had a nice dinner to start, followed by yummy gourmet cupcakes and fun drinks. It was a great way to celebrate! Here is a picture of all the ladies who celebrated with me:

Sunday afternoon held the shower at the church in which I grew up. College friends, chuch friends, high school friends and family were all in attendance. Just as I was about to sit down with my food, I was surprised by a group of older men wearing white jackets. Someone had ordered me a singing valentine!! This barbershop quartet sang a few songs to me, making me blush more than once. It was certainly a treat, and I know everyone enjoyed it!

A picture of the ladies in my immediate family. Clockwise from top left, my sister Sarah, my mom (Ruth), my other sister Rachel, my Grandmother (dad's mom), my niece Asha and myself.

All the gifts received were wonderful and full of thought. I couldn't wait to tell Greg all about them! Again, I felt very blessed as I opened these gifts from ladies that love me. It was very humbling and encouraging. I truly felt very fortunate to have so much support and encouragement for the marriage I am about to embark upon with Greg.

Thank you to everyone who shared their love with me that weekend!!

Happy Anniversary!

I just wanted to point out that two years ago today, Greg and I went on our official first date. We had been spending our weekends chatting on the phone since we met New Year's Eve. When he arrived at my apartment, he looked so handome and so excited to be taking me out. We had on matching outfits (which was not planned!), dressed to impress.

It was the night that Greg gave his first gift to me, a Green Bay Packer Build-a-Bear:

On the back of the jersey, Greg had my last name engraved. I was completely impressed. He took me to an amazing restaurant, where we indulged in the 3-course Valentine's Day special.

I will never forget that evening. We enjoyed eachother's company, thankful for the opportunity to finally look at eachother as we spoke. If you ask me, it was a magical evening.

I generally enjoy flying...

Except for when my flight is cancelled!!!

For the first time ever (that I recall), I had my flights cancelled. I was supposed to be flying to the midwest last night for a weekend of bridal celebrations. When I booked my tickets over a month ago, I had a few choices for layovers en route to St Louis: Denver, Chicago, Dallas. Hmm...what is the smartest choice for February? Dallas, right? Yeah, I thought so too!!!

Turns out Dallas can get snow in February. Did you know that?

When Dallas gets snow (even an inch or two), no one knows what to do. Did you know that?

If Dallas gets a few inches of snow, everything shuts down. WUSSES!!

When I first checked in at the ticket counter, I was informed that my flight out of Dallas was cancelled, but I was still able to fly in. The gal at the ticket counter was a friend of a friend whom I had previously met, so she hooked me up with the first flight out of Dallas the next morning. I'd just have to stay overnight at the Dallas airport. Joy! At least I'd be able to get to the Lou by the necessary time.

After going through security and finding a not-so-comfy seat at my gate, I learn that my flight out of Tucson had been cancelled as well. People all over are having a difficult time arranging for flights to their destinations within the next couple of days. Some are having to wait 2 days before leaving Tucson! I was nervous as I spent over an hour in line, waiting to make alternative arrangements.

When I finally got to the front of the line, I told the gal behind the counter that I had to get to St Louis by 5pm the following day, and I didn't care how, and I didn't care through which city or how many flights were required. Her simple reply was "I understand, ma'am, but I doubt that we are going to meet your request."

Great. I threw my hand to my face, thinking about all the people planning to attend these celebrations being held in my honor. I was the one coming into town for these! Visions of alternative plans began to flood my mind when suddenly I heard, "You're in luck! They've already booked you on another flight!"

WHAT?!? How did that happen?

Fortunately for me, I had an angel on my side. The gal I "knew" at the ticket counter saw that my flight had been cancelled shortly after I left to go through security. She had hopped right on it and booked me on the first flight out the next morning, on a different airline and through a different city. WOW! Obviously God wanted me back in the midwest to spend time will all my ladies.

So here I am today, on my way to St Louis for a fun-filled bridal weekend. I cannot wait to see my family and friends, and to celebrate being a bride. I have been waiting for this for so long, and I still cannot believe it is happening to me. Am I really the one to be getting married!! :)

My blog sucks at the moment

I have to apologize. I know it sucks right now. No real updates in almost 2 months.

I'm sorry.

I've been busy.

But I promise to add some new posts soon. A lot has happened, and I want to share it. :)

Stay tuned...

Wedding Day!!

After I returned from my trip home at Thanksgiving, Greg and I immediately set out to find a place for our wedding. We had to determine where we wanted to get married before we set the date...and we couldn't do much of any other planning until we had a date!!

We spent two weekends visiting various wedding venues throughout the Tucson area. Greg took the time to schedule a plethora of appointments and we drove all over town. Some places were impressive; others were quite a let-down. There were certainly things we were looking for, other things we could do without. At the top of the list was the ability to have the ceremony and reception all at the same site. Most of our guests are flying in from out of town, and we wanted to make it as easy on everyone as possible. We also wanted to find a place with great views. We thought if people were spending the money to come see us get married, we might as well give them something great to look at!!

After reviewing our budget and weighing all the pros and cons, we settled on The Oasis at Wild Horse Ranch. It is a spectacular venue that has a very unique character not seen at other places. It has a great Southwestern/Tucson feel to it, which I think the guests will really enjoy.

We knew we wanted to get married in either April or May, as the lease on my apartment ends in May. This is an ideal time of year in Tucson, as there is literally no chance of rain. Additionally, the days are quite comfortable, with evenings cooling just enough to still be enjoyable. Since it is an outdoor wedding, we thought it would be great to check out the moon calendar for that time of year. Turns out there is a full moon at the end of April. SO...based on the weather, my rent and the moon schedule, we selected Thursday, April 29th, 2010 as the big day. It's hard to believe that it's less than 5 months away...

All of this is quite exciting, and I'm looking forward to all of the upcoming planning we will be doing!!