{Tying the Knot} Ben & Lindsay

Mike's sister Lindsay got married a couple weeks ago, and we were both in the wedding. I took Thursday and Friday off work and my parents came into town; so things have been busy!

Wednesday night, we gathered to make bouquets, wrap 320 mini bundt cakes, and add monogrammed stickers to cups. It was fun to work with the other bridesmaids and help Lindsay get things crossed off her to-do list :)

Thursday morning we gathered at Mimi's Cafe for a sweet bridesmaid brunch. That afternoon we headed over to the reception site to get everything set up for the big day. My oh-so-talented mother-in-law designed the centerpieces, and everything looked gorgeous.

This was a super fun feature of the wedding! They had a root beer float stand :)

Thursday evening we headed over to the church for rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. With 9 bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen, 3 flower girls, and 2 ring bearers, it was certainly no small feat to organize everyone! But it made me think back to our rehearsal and how we were surrounded by all of our friends and family, and what a sweet blessing it was to have everyone there with us.

Friday I met Lindsay and a couple other bridesmaids at the Dry Bar salon in Plano. I just have to say- I LOVED the concept of this salon. No cuts or colors; just washes, blow outs, and styles. I really enjoy getting my hair done at a salon; it's definitely therapeutic.

Wedding Hair!

After hair, it was time to get dressed and ready for pictures. She had decided to have pictures in downtown Plano, which was cool and artsy, including a bridge, a farmer's market, and a furniture store. I can't wait to see how the professional photos turn out!

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, and we were so honored to be a part of the wedding. Lindsay was gorgeous.

I finally got to meet this lovely lady (Morgan Judge), and she just so happens to be a fabulous photographer- check her out!

Mr. & Mrs. Cheng!

Congrats to Ben and Lindsay!!

Draw Near

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you..." ~James 4:8a

I know I highlight this verse a lot. It quite possibly could be my favorite verse. Every time I read it, I am reminded of such simple yet profound truths. The truth that I serve a God that is approachable. The truth that He desires to be in relationship with me. The truth that there is action required on my part to develop and nurture that relationship.

For the summer, I have chosen to walk through a study on the Sermon on the Mount. I listened to the intro podcast this morning and was reminded of what a privilege it is for us to even be able to draw near to our God. I lose sight of that too often. I neglect it. I take it for granted. I forget what an incredible gift it is for me to approach and be in relationship with such a holy God.

Reading Jesus' longest recorded message, we see that the crowds were drawn to Him. Though it was mostly a selfish and superficial draw (Jesus had begun healing people), the people nonetheless could approach the Son of God without fear. This is significant because the last time God spoke from a mountain (Moses on Mount Sinai to receive the Law), the experience was marked by thunder, lightening, fear, and trembling. While it is healthy and holy to maintain a similar sense of reverence before the God of the universe, Matthew highlights the incredible reality of an approachable God. This experience is marked instead by a still, small voice. A voice with just as much authority and power over our lives, but a voice that draws in those who believe and desire to walk with Him.

Jesus allows us open access to God; He alone has allowed us the privilege of being able to "draw near to God." What a difference the coming of Messiah makes for us to draw near to a holy God.

{Photo-A-Day} :: May

Several friends have participated in varying Photo-A-Day challenges. I’ve thought about doing one several times, but I just get overwhelmed with having to snap a [specific] photo every day. My Type A, slightly OCD brain can’t handle it. But I also seem to struggle with remembering to take photos in general. So I decided to try this Photo-A-Day challenge; I just tweaked the rules a bit to fit me better :)

I did my best to take a photo every day that matched the prompt given. It didn’t always happen in order; many times I snapped a photo of a different prompt from another day of the month. And I didn’t quite get all 31 photos. But overall, I snapped more photos, which was the goal. I also thought this was a good way for me to do my {iPhone rewind} for May…

Love this verse in John 16. I struggle sometimes reading the news; it’s important to know what’s going on in the world, but frankly, it’s just depressing. So verses like these remind me that Jesus has overcome all of the ugliness, the hate, the sickness, the pain, the sin. Peace comes from Him alone.

This is a view from my offices. My photo-taking leaves much to be desired, so it’s hard to see the actual skyline. But I like the McKinney water tower in the background.

My red shoes. I really like them. I bought them at Payless a couple of years ago and they are just a fun accessory.

Love Birds, that is. Isn’t this adorable?!? For Ben and Lindsay’s couples shower, I found this address stamp for them on etsy. The sweet Rains had given me and Mike an address stamp for our wedding, and I loved the idea. So I just had to steal it ;)

Hello. I’m Erin :)

Mmmm…Burberry. I fell in love with this scent when I was in high school. It doesn’t smell quite the same on me as it does on other people (darn that unique body chemistry). But I adore the scent nonetheless.

Go to the post office. One of my new responsibilities at work is to check the mail everyday. I actually don’t mind this errand most of the time, as it is a good way to get me out of the office.

“Grace.” Undeserved favor. Receiving kindness you don’t deserve. As a daughter of the King (and as the title of this blog speaks so well), grace covers me.

It’s not super fancy, but I like our little kitchen. Drawer space may be limited and the cabinet doors may not close properly…but it’s still fun :) For the record: If I can help it, I always want a double oven.

My Spurs make me happy! :) I love the heart and loyalty of both players and fans. I love that they have had a 20-game winning streak and are on their way to winning a 5th championship. They are just such a good, solid, wholesome team. And I like that. In the grand scheme of eternity, I know basketball doesn't matter. But if I am going to cheer on a team during my lifetime here, I am proud that it is the Spurs!

Unfortunately, I did not get to see my mom on Mother’s Day this year. I didn’t even get to talk with her (how sad is that??) because she was out of the country. She’s such a little travel bug now! ;) So today’s photo is just one of my favorites from my wedding day.

We have a MASSIVE back yard, with LOTS of grass. Well, there’s not much (living) grass left. After the scorching summer of 2011 and the continued watering restrictions, there really was never much hope for a beautiful green lawn. Instead, we have mostly weeds and some dead grass now. But close enough :)

Love is most definitely an action. And my sweet husband knows how to love me well. I shared in an earlier post about how he sat with me several nights in a row to help me finish paper flowers for Matt and Daisy’s wedding. Most definitely love ;)

Mike and I actually bought 2 copies of Piper’s book so we could read it together. I really admire and appreciate Piper’s teaching and commitment to the Word, so it has been interesting to read his thoughts on this particular subject. I’ll let you know what I think when I’m done!

Goldfish. A common go-to snack for me. I love the fishes! ;)

Lunch on the patio. The salad was leftover from a dinner with our pastor and his wife, and the rice from our crockpot roast meal the night before.

My contacts/glasses. Technically, I could continue breathing and therefore live without them; but I probably wouldn’t last very long. Seriously. I am blind. As. A. Bat. The only comfort I have is that my prescription hasn’t changed in the past 6 years, so perhaps there is some hope I won’t be completely blind any time soon.

Pretty pink roses for Daisy’s bridal bouquet. They smelled so lovely!

I finally made the leap. My husband has converted me to all things Apple, so I am now a mac. It still remains to be seen if my penny-conscious brain can fully embrace the value of the mac. But so far, I have definitely loved having a new computer in general. My old laptop was far past its expiration date, so it’s nice to work on a fast computer!

I was actually waiting in the ER with my brother (so I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures). He’s ok; he had fractured his wrist and because of the holiday weekend, we thought the ER could help. FYI#1: unless your bone is sticking out of your skin and/or you require immediate surgery (which has been the case for the last 8 bones my brother has broken) neither CareNow nor the ER will cast it for you; you have to make an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. FYI#2: orthopedic surgeons only work like 2 days a week. Go figure.

Ben & Jerry’s. I had a craving for ice cream, so we grabbed some Ben & Jerry’s and enjoyed our sweet treats outside. I can’t keep ice cream in the house, because I would seriously eat it every day.

I actually snapped this photo on the 30^th. Every day this month has been sunny and HOT. This was the one day that we had rain and cooler weather!

319. The number of days we have been married :)

{Tying the Knot} Matt & Daisy

This past weekend, I was the coordinator for the wedding of some friends from the 20s group. It was a lot of work, but I was blessed to serve these two and help them pull off their special day.

Matt & Daisy had a lot of volunteers to help make their wedding day special. From a fun floral arranging party night to a friend DJing the reception, there was no lack of friends to pour into this couple. It made me miss the 20s group so much. For my role as coordinator, I couldn't have survived the day without the help of my sweet husband or the help of my trusty sidekick Laura. Let's just say that the day started off with a text that went something like this:

"I'll get the tacos, you get the drinks. We'll meet in the middle to get the balloons."

Gotta love adventures with Laura ;)

To say that the day was busy is an understatement, but the Lord was so gracious and allowed everything to run smoothly. Matt & Daisy enjoyed their day, and it was fun to see them enjoy their guests. As promised, here are a few pictures from the day. Sorry the quality isn't great...I took these on the run! ;)

The flowers that filled our bedroom before the wedding

In the checkout line at Whole Foods for a last minute rose purchase

The ceremony decor; it's hard to see, but the stage was lined with candles in mason jars

Paper flowers- courtesy of Laura and Mike :)

Saying "I Do"

Centerpiece #1- white balloons, mason jars with cotton balls and twine, picture frames

Centerpiece #2- galvanized pail filled with daisies and poms, candles, picture frames

Centerpiece #3- mason jars wrapped in brown paper and white yarn with baby's breath and poms, candles, picture frames

Cake Time! (Made by my beautiful sister-in-law!)

Mr. and Mrs. Hunt!

Congrats Matt & Daisy! I hope you enjoyed your special day! :)

Married Life, Day #305

10 THINGS FOR 10 MONTHS
10 months today! :) And yes, I am still blissfully married and completely and utterly head-over-heels in love with my adorable husband.

For 10 months, you get to hear 10 specific reasons why I love my husband…

1. He makes me laugh. He really is a funny one. I love being able to joke around and laugh with him. He helps me not take myself so seriously, and he has a way of lightening the mood in almost any situation.

2. He loves and supports me. I have no doubt that he is in my corner. I can rest in the security of knowing that he loves me and wants to be my cheerleader. That's not a bad feeling. Not a bad one at all.

3. He still makes my lunch for me every morning…yep. Even now when he has to get up early to go to work, I can still find my lunch waiting for me in the fridge. 

4.  …and includes a sweet note with every lunch. Most definitely one of the highlights of my day is opening up my lunch to read the note he wrote me. Of course, some of my favorites are the ones with artwork in them ;)

5. He is an example of grace and forgiveness. This past week he has put words and convictions into practice by extending grace and forgiveness to a neighborhood boy who broke into our house and stole Mike’s iPad. After some prodding, the boy confessed and returned the iPad. But more than just wanting the iPad returned, Mike wants to be a positive influence in his life. He has shared and is living out the gospel in this young boy’s life, and I am so proud of him! (Prayers for our relationship with this young boy are appreciated!)

6. He reminds me to stay focused. He is always reminding me of the mission the Lord has placed on our hearts for McKinney, and even more importantly for the gospel and God’s glory. I can get easily side-tracked with day-to-day life; but he always brings me back into focus.

7. He’s my favorite barista. I joke and jest about the benefits of his job, and I certainly enjoy the fun treats he brings me. But more than that, I feel loved just knowing he was thinking of me when he brings me drinks after his shift. And I am so proud of him for working hard to help provide for us.

8. He speaks highly of me. This one is something that has really hit home with me in recent weeks. And it is a realization that comes from witnessing other people’s relationships. In observing how other men speak of their wives, I have been reminded of how truly blessed I am to have a husband who speaks highly of me; meaning, he speaks kind and edifying words when he speaks to me and of me to others.

9. He is my constant encouragement. This is similar to #8, in that his words are always encouraging. He is always quick to compliment and edify. He always points out the best, and pushes me to seek Jesus in every situation.

10. He will sit and make paper flowers with me. You know you are a lucky girl when your husband will sit and make paper flowers with you. I had to make a ton of paper flower and poofs for a friend’s wedding this past weekend (post coming soon!) and so my sweet husband sat with me several nights in a row to help me get them done. That’s love.

:)