This is For Real

I had to pinch myself when we walked into David's Bridal a couple of weeks ago. Could this really be happening? I had never tried on wedding dresses before and it seemed surreal to be doing so at this stage of life. I think Lis' and Kenj were feeling somewhat the same as they tried on bridesmaid dresses.

Miss M caught me talking in this picture but I love the fact that you can see my beautiful engagement ring. I had picked up my newly sized ring from the jeweler that afternoon. It felt so good to have it back on my finger!

Katelynn was a tremendous help. She brought out dress after dress for us to try on and when I did find the dress she helped all of my girls and my friends find the perfect bridesmaid dresses.

Lis' knew right away that the dress I had on was the one. She told me that she could tell by the look on my face.

Kenj was thinking the same.

My girls goofin' off!

I'm only going to give you a glimpse of the dress at this time. You will have to wait to see the rest of the dress after the wedding. I know, I know...it seems like a long time to wait but I want to surprise my man!

Miss M took some sweet pictures that night. But, she got so involved in trying on dresses that she forgot to take a picture of the bridesmaid dress that we chose. Oh well...
She did get this beautiful picture of my engagement ring with a small glimpse of the dress.

I was thinking about how I would wear my hair with this particular veil. I was probably also thinking about how not-so-tan I will be in December.

So....usually the most expensive item in the store is what would catch my eye. And, that is exactly what happened. The dress that I loved ended up being a designer dress. My mind braced for the horrible news in the few miliseconds between her telling me that it was a desinger dress and the price of said dress.
To my delight the first words out of her mouth were "This dress has been discontinued". I now was cautiously optomistic. When she finally spilled the amount I was shocked! It was almost sixty percent lower than the amount I had budgeted! I ended up buying my dress and three bridesmaid dresses (for my three girls) for less than what I was thinking my dress would cost.
What a sweet blessing!

What is the purpose of marriage? Marriage is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the Church. Marriage is also a way that God uses to sanctify us...to make us more like Him.
As I learn to respect, honor, and help Phil I am learning to die to self and live for Christ. This is a beautiful thing. As Phil learns to love me he will also put away selfish ambitions and be a reflection of his Savior who loved His own and paid the ultimate sacrifice for their redemption.
Of course, I know that both Phil and I will not always succeed at this high calling.
But, we hope and pray diligently that the Lord would bless us with a marriage that would reflect His forgiveness, grace, and love.

It is good for a young widow to be married.
It is good for children to have a father.
It is good for there to be male leadership in the home.
It is a blessing to be with someone who believes the same, fun to talk to, someone whom you are attracted to, and someone to love.
I count my blessings daily and continually stand in awe at the
goodness that the Lord has shown us.
~Heather