fab-u-lous

engagement, my fiance, summertime, my God- everything is covered in the apt title.

I'll go through the above list.

Engagement is fabulous! I know that it can be stressful and overwhelming, but my favorite part about this time is that its not just a wedding planning period. Its an awesome season that I get to pray about and prepare for becoming Alex's wife! We have such incredible loving people surrounding us giving us encouragement and advice, and its wonderful. I told Alex, if I turn out to be a lousy wife, it will be at my own accord-not by a lack of knowledge since I am surrounded by so many Godly wives! We have had two premarital counseling sessions thus far. I look forward to them so much, because I leave, scratching my head thinking "wow, I had no idea that I knew so little." I love being challenged to look at our relationship in a different way.

Alex and I had a great conversation last week about how we differ in decision making. I like to think think think on it, then make a decision asap. He likes to ignore it altogether until his decision pops back into his mind. Enter several arguments over the years where I thought he was ignoring me or getting bothered by my reminders. Ooooh! We also took at personality test last session, which was enlightening, because we're the opposite of our pastor and his wife. They had some very helpful tips. We love them. We love our church.

Advice for the future engaged: remember that this time can influence the rest of your life/marriage and doesn't have to be focused on just one day of it :)

Speaking of THAT one day- planning is also fabulous. Since I can make fairly quick decisions (in wedding life-not real life or food choices or what to wear), things are moving smoothly. We recently just booked my lovely friend, Brittney Lucia, to coordinate our wedding weekend. My goal is stress free- if the cake falls in half-someone smoosh it back together and don't tell me :) She is going to do a fabulous job and I can't wait! We also nailed down our ceremony music- Seth Park and half of his family band. We're currently brainstorming music for the folksy trio to play!

We also booked our honeymoon! I'm counting down to Sept 10, Alex is counting down to the 11th! 108 days to the aisle, 109 days to Cancun! I check the countdown frequently on this super

cheesy app I got shortly after we got engaged. Its simply a picture you upload (its one of me

bawling right after we got engaged), a song you pick from your ipod (Relient K-Getting Into You, 'Our Song'-sappy), and a countdown to your day in any unit you select (hours, minutes, days, kisses, heartbeats(it asks your heart rate and how many times you kiss a day)) Its incredibly cheesy- Alex informed me- but I love it. I'm apparently very sappy when I'm marrying my best friend!

Back to the planning- we're trying to nail down a rehearsal dinner spot this week and I want to start crafting decor soon! Save the Dates should be in tomorrow- wait til you see them- Jared Hood is a baller designer.

I got some of that wedding stuff taken care of when I took a hiatus from OK a couple of weeks ago to head to Reno with my dad! I was his date for a business conference- ie I shopped and hung out by the pool while he was in meetings, and was his snazzy

date for all dinner meals. My dad is fabulous- and it was incredible to get that spend the tim

e, just the two of us, before he marries me off. I think he'll miss me :)

overlooking Lake Tahoe with Dad!

My fiancé is also fabulous- and is currently over 5000 miles away in Bologna, Italy! God is also fabulous- and the two go hand in hand in this story. We get that people may think its odd that a fiancé is jumping ship for 6 weeks, mid short engagement. But we're so so so excited! Not for the absence, but for the opportunity Alex is getting to serve God in this awesome way!

Alex has been praying and thinking about going overseas on a mission trip this summer for a while. Shortly before we got engaged, I ensured him that I would be 100% supportive of him going, despite the lengthy absence. I think the lack of fear from my wrath of being abandoned assisted him in signing up for a Campus Crusade Summer Project. Alex and I are no strangers to distance. We spent our first 5 months in different states. We spent our first summer dating apart while I was in Thailand on a Summer project. Back to being apart at schools. The next summer I went to Africa and he went to church camps almost every week playing music. Back to being apart at schools. I graduated! Together, in the same state for a year! Back to being apart for a summer. These times, in no way, were easy. But over time, God has continued to reveal His provision in our separation and His comfort in our sadness apart. And because of this, we have both had incredible opportunities to serve Him-that we would have missed out on-if we had put our proximity to each other, first. This time is especially exciting, because Alex is finally getting to serve the Lord overseas, and it will be the last time we are separated before becoming husband and wife. My patience has grown in seeing what amazing things God has done in our relationship during these times.

So-back to where he's going, the day after we got engaged, Alex got a call from Matt (his stellar team leader who I don't know, but want to be bff's with him and his wife) saying that he had been accepted to a Summer Project in Bologna, Italy. Check out the specs here. He will be going with a team of students from several other college campuses in the Red River region and meeting and building relationships with college students in Italy, while sharing about Christ! God has continuously been breaking our hearts over the years for college ministry and I'm so glad and joyful and thankful that Alex is getting this opportunity to 'go forth to all the nations'. So we just got engaged, Alex got accepted to Italy, yay yay yay! Enter $5000+ of support to raise.

I have had the opportunity on several occasions to raise up a support team. Its an incredible humbling and trying experience, where you have to rely on God 100% to make it happen. And its a blessing to be able to have a stellar Godly team behind you! Though it has been a close call at the end of those seasons, God has always abundantly provided-without fail. Alex raised his first support team last summer for Kaleo, and was faithful God would again provide for Italy-despite the costs. Through lots of letters, phone calls, and prayers- Alex worked tirelessly to gather a team in his short time before his trip.

1 week ago he had 1/3 of his support raised. We were distraught. "God, what are you doing? Why would you call him to go and not pave the way? What will he do this summer? What about the team members that are already behind him?" I was wrestling and wrestling with God. Ultimately, we both were brought to a place of peace last Fri/Sat being comforted that God had a plan-though we couldn't see it-and He would work it out here or in Italy, either location-we had to be faithful. We had a big team of prayer warriors praying for big things. Alex called his project director Saturday morning to tell him, financially it was impossible for him to come.

Enter Matt. Matt was encouraging and assured Alex that God was faithful and would fulfill Alex's calling to go. We were at a wedding on Saturday and it was whirlwind of a day. Alex was scheduled to leave Sunday, and Matt said, "Come." $2500 dollars short, Alex hopped in the car and went. Talk about a leap of faith! (so glad I get to marry this man). He arrives to a whirlwind of incredible Cru staff working their magical Godly powers trying to make this happen. I get a call Monday morning. It was Alex telling me to put my checkbook away (I hadn't supported yet). God had faithfully raised up all the remaining amount in less than 24 hours from a team of supporters Alex didn't even know. God heard the prayers-worked in these hearts (hearts we don't even know) and Alex is in Bologna today.

Never have I had such a close call with God-never have I ever seen Him move in such a mighty, fast way. While I was raising support, I clung to 1 Thessalonians 5:24- The One who calls you is faithful. He will do it. I clung to this in the last week that Alex was raising up a team. And my God was not deceptive or late, but He was right on time. Its miracles like that, that make Christ all the more real and more important and an absolute necessity for this world.

Enter Alex-sharing that with the students of Bologna. O yes, I'll miss him like crazy-and email him 10 times a day for wedding/housing/life advice and encouragement. But I wouldn't want to marry any other man that isn't as willing to go and serve God blindly, even in an important season. I'd say this is a wonderful sign for our future to come.

my hunky fiance and I at the wedding last weekend. Lay off Italian ladies- I'm gunna marry this Godly man!

Agenda today- gym and sewing for Jenny's baby's room. Can't wait to meet that precious one!