New Blog

So, it's too difficult keeping up two blogs, so check our our "new" one at

www.barstoolsforsale.blogspot.com

See ya!

Two Days and Counting

There I was, two days before my wedding and hardly stressed. My mom had come the day before to help Wes and I finalize buying the things left for the big day. There wasn't much left, thank goodness. But we did need to pick up one of my great friends and bridesmaids, Rebekah, from the St. Louis airport. So the three of us headed for a five hour round trip to the Arch City. When we got back, my dear friend and Matron of Honour, Sarah, had arrived and the fun was just beginning. Not too long after, Wes' parents and nephew Christian pulled up to the house. Chaos continued. This was the first time my mom had met any of Wes' family, and they all embraced one another with warmth, just as family should. My mom, Sarah, Rebekah and I proceeded to make some delicious spaghetti, spinach dip, and garlic bread. We all ate, enjoyed the company, and opened some of the presents my future parents-in-law brought. They gave us this amazing Tiffany lamp that is now in our bedroom. Super cool and very "Gilmore Girls, Dragon Fly Inn." By 9pm, we were all beat. Wes went back to the hotel with his parents, my mom took our spare bedroom, Sarah our specious master bedroom, and Rebekah and I slept on our two couches. It was like a slumber party. Just one last full day before I became Mrs. Wesley Wilson! I couldn't wait...nor could I sleep.

The day I said "I Do"

First, I must apologize. I have had some problems with blogger. Nothing personal really...just with my username and password. I believe I have it figured out though, so I'm ready to get blogging again.

As you know, I am no longer a single woman. I can choose "married" on forms, say "husband" and mean it, and I get to grocery shop for two. I got to marry the man of my dreams and I want to share that special day with you. But it's too much for one post, so I have decided to break it into five parts. They will be as follows:

Post 1--Two days before the wedding, Thursday the 21st
Post 2--Wedding Eve, Friday the 22nd
Post 3--Wedding Day, Morning, Saturday the 23rd
Post 4--Wedding Day, Afternoon, Saturday the 23rd
Post 5--Wedding Day, Evening; Morning After, Sunday the 24th
Post 6--Mini Honeymoon, Sunday the 24 through Tuesday the 26th

It's important to know the course of the days leading up to the wedding, as well as the few days following. It was lovely and I can't wait to share it all with you.

So shall we?

Too Long to just say Hello

I know...I know. You're saying to yourself, "Amanda, what the? Where the heck have you been?" I've been busy...that's where I've been.

May 1st represented the first day I was officially living in IL. Wes and I moved me over here over the course of April and let me tell you, that was the most stressful four weeks of my life. I was planning a wedding, preparing for the close on my house, moving, and dealing with the emotions that come with leaving the place with which you're most familiar and starting a new life in a new place. We had to get the water turned on, the cable and Internet connected, the electricity switched to our names. We had to deal with the most frustrating media company ever (to which I owe them a big "thank you" to the few gray hairs I have found recently).

But as I sit and type all of the stress that we encountered, I am reminded that it's all over now. I was stressed for four weeks, and now I'm fine. I'm enjoying our new place, a new change of scenery, growing closer to Wes and preparing to be his wife, learning to love in new and exciting ways. I am so very blessed...and so very thankful.

And now we only have two weeks and four days until the wedding. I've been thinking recently about how I'm about to be a bride, a wife, and it feels weird in a really good way, you know? I mean, I've never been those things before, so it's a little hard to wrap my mind around. But I love it.

And after June 23rd, I'll be posting more and probably only a few will revolve around the wedding (for those of you who just sighed relief, you're welcome).

I'm looking forward to sharing with you blogging peeps in the upcoming months. It will be way cool.

~Countdown~
3 Months, 8 Days, 9 Hours, 25 Minutes until I marry the most amazing man in the entire world!

Worship

This past weekend, Wes and I took some Junior High students to a youth conference in St. Louis. It was loud and music-driven, passionate and fun. Three great messages were given by a guy named Marco (Polo) who has worked with Jr. High students for like 25 years or something. There were skits that challenged you, moments of reflection that hopefully helped kids grow in their faith, and there was, by far, more worship through song than I've ever experienced.

And this whole weekend really reminded me why I'm running the race with Christ. I mean, I'm old enough to know why I believe the things I believe, and not just follow a "religion" in which my parents raised me. I have engaged in a faith that I know to be true. And what is so awesome is that, at the Jr. High age, kids are just now coming into their own faith. They are beginning to understand their beliefs and how it all fits together, and they are so unashamed of their worship. One of the 6th graders on the trip just humbled me completely. Her worhsip was so authentic and beautiful. There was no fear of what others thought, no showy intimacy. It was just her and God and it was beautiful. To see someone at her age truly engaging in the race that Hebrews mentions blows my mind. I'm beginning to love these kids and I can't wait to see their journeys unfold.

Hello, I love you won't you tell me your name...




















For those of you who were just aching to see a picture of the greatest man alive, I thought I would be nice and share it with you.

I Should Be Getting Paid For This

I love planning my wedding. I really do. It's a constant reminder that I am actually getting married and I am the happiest I have ever been. But with planning comes work, opinions, budgeting, organizing, arranging, and anyting else that ends in "-ing." Last night, I was going through the wedding planner my future mother-in-law bought for me and I was getting so excited about everything, but so overwhelmed by it all, too. I'm the kind of person who is incredibly laid back until it comes to an event where other people are involved. For example, I threw, along with two other girls, a wedding Shower for my friend Sarah and although I had such a fun time doing it, I was more stressed because it was for her and there were other people who would be experiencing that Shower with us. If it were my shower and I threw it for myself with no one else invited, well...I wouldn't make a big fuss. It would be just me and we all know how much fun I am. But other people will be coming to my wedding and so I feel a sense of duty to make it original and lovely. I mean, I want it to be original and lovely, and I love planning and seeing it all come together with Wes, but as all brides know, it can be overwhelming. But in those times I remind myself that people won't remember what the candles looked like, how the tables were arranged, how pretty the cake looked, or if our grandmas wore corsages. No...It is my hope they remember the message of our special day: God is love and He is so worthy of our praise. I will definitely be toasting to that on June 23rd, 2007.

Did I Hear You Correctly?

If someone would have said to me this time last year, "Amanda, you're getting married next June," I would have laughed in their face, all the while hoping that perhaps they knew something I didn't. I have been single for 27 years. Some were better than others, but as I look back at my early to mid twenties, I sometimes wonder how I made it. There was a lot of heartache, many tears, but I had a faith that kept me going. And as I look at my life the past two years, I am amazed to see the passion of our God towards my heart. I now see why I went through the struggles I faced and the messiness that I encountered. It sounds trite, I know. Maybe even a little too "Christianese." But man, is it ever true. You often don't see the work of God during heartache, but afterwards when you're in a place of rest and peace. The woman I am today is due, in part, to the things in life I faced the past eight years. I was obedient to Christ when I didn't understand what was happening. I was faithful, even when I felt tired of believing. I fought and when I couldn't fight anymore, I had people in my corner with gloves on, ready to face those giants with me. To that, I am eternally grateful.

And now, at age 27, I find myself in a place I had always dreamt...a place that my heart has so longed for, but deep down was quite skeptical would ever come. I am going to make a life-long convenant with the man who I have prayed for since I was a little girl. I knew I wanted to marry Wes after just the second date. We had corresponded through email, IM, and the phone before we ever met face-to-face, and I often told people he was everything I've ever wanted in a husband...on paper. He is kind and sweet, funny and spontaneous, handsome and charming, he loves God, believes in his role as the spiritual leader and is excited about that adventure with me, and he totally brings out my femininity in ways I never knew existed. And when we finally did have those first dates, I knew this was it for me. Over the course of six months, I fell in love with him and what surprised me most of all, he fell in love with me. But the surprise was not based on low self-esteem or lack of love for my own heart, but came because the message of my wound was "You aren't captivating enough for someone to love you." I've had that lie thrown at me time and time again and for a long time, I believed it. But once I started to examine my wound, and once I began to allow someone's love to penetrate my heart, I realized that I am captivating. Wes enjoys me for who I am, and I love him for that. He finds me beautiful and funny, sweet and selfless, desirable and lovely. And he wants to marry me...wow. I need to let that sink in for a second. Wes wants to marry me. It's hard to believe something that goes against what you have believed for so long. I'm someone who is desired by a man? Heck yeah I am. The truth really does set you free...