wedding photos!

I realize it's been almost six months since our wedding, but I still look through the pictures all the time. (Part of that is due to the fact that I haven't yet decided which ones I actually want to get printed so I can frame them...there are SO MANY and I'm such a terrible decision maker about things like this. Anyway.) They are all posted on Facebook, but I thought I would share a few of my favorites here with my lovely followers. :)

Father-daughter dance. I added the song lyrics; only part of the song would fit.

My mother-in-law found this cake topper. Since the wedding colors were Packer green and gold, it was quite fitting!

My brother being awesome.

My youngest sister.

My family.

Siblings! We all look snazzy.

My husband and his brothers. They are fancy gentlemen.

I was so thankful my pastor was willing to travel from Illinois to perform our ceremony.

Doesn't look much like December, eh?

All credit for the photos goes to my cousin's friend, Jon Kline. He is quite the photographer!

musings no.6 [wedding registries and feelings of selfishness]

One of my favorite things about the wedding planning so far has been creating wedding gift registries.
It's fun to browse the internet and add all sorts of awesome home things to a list that people will pick from.
Honestly, it feels a little selfish.
I mean, really, how much is too much?
How expensive is too expensive?
Is registering for personal items allowed?
Hard to say.
In the end, though, as long as the necessary items are on the lists, I suppose anything else is fair game.

I certainly find it amusing how the ratio of items for each room/section of our new house differs.
The room that has the most items is obviously the kitchen.
Now's the time for me to get all those random kitchen gadgets that will be tons of fun to use!
Yeah...I'm a sucker for kitchen stuff.

But really, the idea of a gift registry for new couples makes so much sense.
It would be rather insane to expect a newly married couple to buy everything they need to start a life together.
And with a registry, then they're more likely to receive items they actually like.
It's fun, and kind of addicting, even.
I only wish it didn't feel like I'm being selfish by "wanting" all these things.
My conscience needs to take a break while I'm planning my wedding.

restless

It may be the summer weather, but I am restless. Ever since school ended, I have been feeling this way. But why? Come to think of it, the feeling cannot be solely because of the summer weather; summer weather has been greatly lacking. I enjoy the cooler temps, so that certainly isn't it. I have this feeling of urgency, of somehow missing something that is to come. I never sleep well, and even when I think I do, I'm still exhausted. There are so many things that I want to accomplish, and yet they never get accomplished because I spend all my time thinking and never doing.

I suppose I have accomplished a few things this summer. I have managed to read a number of books simply for the joy of reading. I have bought the fabric and other supplies to sew my wedding dress. And there are other, smaller, things. But the feeling of restlessness remains. I don't like it, and it's upsetting me.

The sad thing is that part of me knows why I am restless. I don't want to be here. A lot of what I would like to accomplish requires being there, in Wisconsin. I am tired of Illinois, tired of the distance, and tired of the scenery, since I'm being honest. It's not that I don't want to be with my family, or my church family, or my very few friends here.

The time has come for a permanent change of scenery. I just wish December didn't feel so far away.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

I realize that Bob Dylan's song has absolutely nothing to do with the changes in my life, but the title seemed appropriate. So, what's new with my life? Well, I graduated from Concordia University Wisconsin exactly a month ago. I don't quite know how I feel about this yet. It will be so strange come August when I don't have to pack up and move back into the dorms. I have no homework left to do, at least until I begin the work for my MLS degree.

But I have not truly said goodbye to Concordia. After all, in less than six months, I will be wearing my handmade white gown and standing before the altar in the Chapel of Christ Triumphant exchanging vows with my husband-to-be. I swear, I have butterflies just imagining the moment!

Suddenly, the moment does not seem that far away.