Honeymoon

Michael and I stayed at the Galt House the first two nights after our wedding. The room we had was great! It had a living space with a couch, coffee table, TV and sink. Then there was a hallway which had a large mirror and space to get ready and was also conveniently located near the bathroom and shower. The bedroom had two queen size beds and another TV cabinet. VERY nice!

On Sunday, we ate brunch and dinner at Cafe Magnolia. It was delicious! Michael chose an option for dinner where you design your own hamburger and they have several different options for you to choose from!

EARLY Monday morning, we drove to the airport (losing more of the Just Married window clings to the wind)! We flew from Louisville, KY to St. Paul, MN and then to Cancun, Mexico.

Upon our arrival, we were attaked by sharks! Not the typical sharks that you know of swimming in the ocean, but men and women trying to "sell" you the best deal on attractions you may want to visit or time shares you may want to invest in. Don't worry though! We survived without any scars!!

While in Mexico, they refer to minutes and "Mexican Minutes," which are a little longer! I am not sure how long it took our driver to get us to the hotel, but it seemed to take a long time and yet not long enough to drive those 13 miles! We made it safely though and that is the most important thing!

The Riu Cancun is an all-inclusive resort, so we just hung out there all week! They have four restaurants, four elevators, three swimming pools, two gazebos, a bar/ theatre, a danceclub, a spa and much, much more! We did go for a couple of walks and purchased a few pieces of pottery to take home as souvenirs, but that was about the extent of our travels.

Breakfast was served beginning at 7:00 and we were usually there then or shortly there after. Three or four mornings, we went straight to the beach after breakfast, enjoyed the cool wind blowing off the ocean and hoped for a little bit of sunshine before it was time to go back inside.

We spent a lot of time in our room where there was a stocked refrigerator, a dual sink restroom, a television with a couple English channels and a king size bed (which made us very grateful to come home and sleep in our comfortable new bed at home). Don't get me wrong! The bed wasn't terrible, but Mexican standards aren't the same as American!

All in all, it was a great time for us to reflect upon what the Lord has done for us, enjoy His creation and get to know each other better!

You can view our pictures on Picasa Web Albums! (See link in top right hand corner of blog!)

We're Married!

Girls Night Out

Rebekah, Rebecca, Liz, Monica, Karen, Nicole and I had dinner at the RIVUE- Galt House. The food was delicious and the fellowship was great! The girls took turns sharing words of wisdom and encouragement about marriage as well as blessed me with some beautiful gifts for our honeymoon and beyond! Thanks friends! You all are great!

Bridal Shower #4

I had fun Monday afternoon going back to CAI to visit with the teachers. They blessed me with many nice gifts and I can't wait to get to Columbus and put them away in our house!

They got us a comforter set for our bed, several brown bath towels (which means they can go in the blue bathroom or the green one!), more Pyrex glassware, a couple of gift cards, a candy dish and Mrs. Owen made a beautiful, personalized cross stitch for us.

Myra, Monica, Karen, Liz and everyone else who helped- Thank you sooo much!

I love you girls!

One Month to Go!!

It's hard to believe that we only have one month until our wedding!

There are still sooo many things to do!

I am so thankful to God that He has given me so many talented people who are willing to help!

Thanks to all who are helping to make this day possible!

Communication

Three bridal showers in the past week and I have learned a lot! One thing that I learned about is the importance of communication. One special person gave me two gifts to help me remember that! A mirror and a bar of soap. This is not a picture of the mirror she gave me, but it is the one where I left Michael's first soapy message!

Bridal Shower #3

East Columbus Christian Church members blessed us beyond what we imagined on Sunday, October 4. They "showered" us with gifts of all shapes and sizes... an ironing board, a noodle maker, ceramic pie plates, fine china napkin rings, tools, knives, glasses, folding chairs, towels, note cards, gift cards and much more!

I feel blessed to be a new part of such a giving church!

Check out our Picasa Web Album to view pictures from the shower!

Bridal Shower #2

Thank you so much to Janie Dowell and her family for hosting a beautiful shower for me!

She had the corner room fixed up very nicely and had quite a spread of food and drinks!

(I hope we can make it look as good or better for the reception after the wedding!)

The shower was a lot of fun!

Christian made a video of some of our engagement photos and put it to music. We played a version of the game BINGO. I read several statements describing Michael and I. If the guests were able to guess who I was describing correctly, they could cover the corresponding number on their cards!!

See if you can guess who I am describing in the following statements:
* Likes to get into a warm car in the winter
* Prefers contacts to glasses
* Carries two cell phones
* Likes to eat corn ON the cob
* Drinks coffee
* Uses sunscreen
* Likes to use GPS Navigation
* Is seven months older
* Prefers pants to shorts in any weather
* Favorite cake- carrot
* Doesn't like stickers
* Was born in the morning
* Likes to drive fast
* Graduated from college with a double major (two degrees)
* Was born in 1982
* Has been to only two continents
* Has 20/400 vision
* Likes to get up early and go to bed early
* Is allergic to bee stings
* Prefers a desktop computer to a laptop
* Favorite foods are fruits and vegetables
* Likes wide margins in Bible
* Wore a red shirt the first time we met
* Favorite scripture is Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

My mom and Linda also had some questions for me to answer. I got some of the answers right, but not all of them! Here are some samples...

Questions from my mom:
* Where did your parents meet? Mount Saint Francis
* What did your dad promise your mom when they got married? Six kids, a new house and a trip to Hawaii
* How old were your parents when they got married? Dad- 25 Mom- 22
* What was your dad's first wife's name? Dottie- his only wife!!
* Which of your aunt's has been married the longest? Carol- 34 years!
* What is you and your dad's song? Butterfly Kisses- Bob Carlisle

Questions from Michael's mom:
* What is the one vegetable that Michael dislikes? Zucchini
* What does Linda have hanging over her fireplace? African Animals
* What was Michael's favorite professor in college? Dr. Dixon
* What is Jim's (Michael's Dad) favorite meal? Biscuits and Tomato Gravy
* Who is Michael's favorite movie actor? Bruce Campbell
* When did Michael preach his first sermon? Easter Morning 2009
* How far did Michael go in Boy Scouts? Eagle Scout- at age 12!!
* Can Michael carry a tune? No
* What musical instrument did Michael play in school? Trombone

Not only did we have fun playing games, I was blessed to have many family and friends present and received many useful gifts!

Thanks everyone!

Only 54 More Days to Go

Aunt Carol and Uncle Bill know that since I was two years old and we were building our house, my favorite number has been 54! They have been counting down the days until our wedding and surprised us on Tuesday with a banner surrounded by frogs and hearts in the front yard!

Only 54 more days to go! (I better stop blogging and get busy!)

Bridal Shower #1

The ladies of the Clark Family know how to sit back, relax, enjoy each other's company and some great food! My first bridal shower (of five- I think) was held at The Butterfly Garden on Bardstown Road in Louisville, KY. The food there was excellent, especially the white chocolate raspberry cake! I was so blessed by all of the wonderful gifts that I received. There were things to make me feel good, things to make me smell good and things to make me and my home look good. There were things to help me cook, things to help me save time and things to help me help others!

Sadie and I had a lot of fun opening the gifts! I was glad she was there to help! When I tried not to open the box from my mom until I got home, Sadie told me that I needed to open it now. She picked it up from behind my chair where I had tried to hide it and helped me examine the contents. She took each piece out, held them up and then layed them on the floor to fold them back up again and put the back in the box! I love that girl!

Invitations Mailed!!

Whoo hoo! I am so glad that all of the invitations have now been mailed! I stayed up all night assembling and stuffing them. It was fun, but I am relieved to have it completed! Each one was different. Some needed hotel information and directions, some just needed directions. Some needed extra cards and some didn't!

I tried to get the Postmaster to let me mail them all out for the same price it had cost the printer to send them to me, but he said mailing 220 invitations would cost me more than $21.95! At 61 cents each, it was about $150! That's ok though! Knowing that so many people will have the opportunity to be there with us on that special day to celebrate is really exciting!

Jillian's

Our friend Sara invited us to celebrate her milestone birthday with her and several other friends at Jillian's tonight! They have a special deal on purchasing an entree and a game card. Everyone in our group bought one of those specials, ate dinner, and then headed upstairs to play games!

The ladies were bummed that the air hockey tables were not working while the guys had fun with various other video games. It seemed to me that the guys were more excited about the opportunity to get out, spend time with other adults, and have fun!

Michael played several different games, but ended up choosing a favorite called Storm. On this game, you win a large amount of tickets if you can stop the light between two lines. This is the BONUS area! Michael persistently tried to accomplish this goal getting 9s and 10s, but was finally able to stop the bonus and receive 320 tickets!

This picture is us after he won!

The large group decided to give all of our tickets to Sara who bought a large pair of glasses and a disco ball for Aubrey! I'm not sure it will be the best night light, but hopefully she'll have fun with it!

One Year

One year ago today as I sat in my favorite crowded coffee shop, I met my fiance, Michael Haas.

It was not an uncommon practice for me to talk to people I had never met before or even share a table with them, but I never knew that one of those conversations would be the first one that I had with my husband!

As I sat working on my computer, I noticed that he needed a seat and invited him to sit with me. Michael had never been to Coffee Crossing before, but now enjoys going there to read, have quiet time, or study the Bible.

We Have a Date!

November 21, 2009 will be the BIG day!

We have decided to have a cake and punch reception at the church following the ceremony!

After 25 years of attending Graceland Baptist Church, that is definitely the best place for our wedding ceremony! I was baptized there, graduated from high school there, and now can celebrate the beginning of the rest of my life there!

I Got a Dress!

I want Michael to be surprised when he sees me walk down the aisle, so I can't give you the details. It is beautiful though!

Mom, Rebekah, and Aunt Marilyn went dress shopping with me. When they saw me try this one on, you could tell by the looks on their faces that they loved it! They knew it was the one! Funny thing was, I wasn't originally convinced that this was the one! I went to try on several other dresses before I came back and got this one! Now, I am so excited to wear it on that special day!

Just wondering...
Why is it that we brides only get to wear these dresses once?

A New Phase

After battling with the thoughts in my head and heart for two weeks, I gave my resignation today at Christian Academy of Indiana. I have enjoyed the past three years of teaching kindergarten, but feel that God has called me to a new phase in my life. It was a bittersweet moment, but I confidently and peacefully told my principal and fellow faculty members that I was not planning to teach in the fall and was "going to be a wife."

I am grateful for the many encouraging friends and the prayers that have been offered for us. God made it very clear to me that He has given me this wonderful husband and I need to make it a priority to help him and build our marriage on a great foundation.

We are so excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to our future together!

Orchid: a symbol of perfection- the spots on an orchid sometimes represent the blood of Christ

On Monday, after Michael and I were engaged on Saturday, I received an email from Stan Butler containing the following quote: "Michael always struck us as the type that would never settle for a rose when he knew there was an orchid to be found."

Thank you Stan and June!

"She said yes... eventually!"

On Saturday, April 25, 2009, Michael surprised me after a walk at the Falls of the Ohio with a beautiful ring and a BIG question!

As Michael and I sat on a picnic bench talking about marriage, he turned to me and said, "Will you marry me?" As he started to scoot off the bench, I tugged on him to stay up there thinking that his great sense of humor was getting out of control! He requested that I let him get down on his knee. As he did, he pulled an amazing ring out of his pocket and laid it in the palm of his hand. Thinking that this couldn't be the real thing, that actual moment that so many women wait for, I looked back and forth from the ring to his smiling face asking, "Is this a joke?" "Are you serious?" Part of me was thinking that he was joking and part of me was overwhelmed with excitement and realistic thoughts of what the future would hold. When he offered to take the ring back, I knew that it wasn't a joke and after what seemed like forever to him I said, "Yes, I'll marry you!"