the wedding weekend

Well, we're married, and we're back from our honeymoon. 

The wedding weekend of craziness started on Friday.  Nathan and I took some of our wedding pictures at Luthy Botanical Gardens in Peoria.  I think they turned out really well and they go with my garden-y theme. :)

:) yay for conservatories

Friday evening we went over to the fellowship hall to eat pizza and start setting up.  The family showed up in full force- Ed and Peggy even came. :)

 Saturday morning, early the entire wedding party headed over to Glen Oak park for pictures. Here are some of the snap shots from my camera:

despite the fact that eyes aren't open, some aren't looking at the camera, 

and strange facial expressions...I kinda like this picture. :)

little miss and her adorable pink dress :)

the bridesmaids  :) 

love.this.picture.

hanging around

the guys hanging around

groomsmen 

sisters...dare I say friends.

almost done :)

So, after pictures we had a few hours to kill. I went over to the fellowship hall again and helped put flowers around. 

I had so much fun. 

Eee. I love flowers :)

bell jars

lanterns :)

:)

pictures of parents and grandparents

and for the record- I had this idea before pinterest

Eee :)

Later that afternoon we went to the rehearsal. I barely made it down the aisle the first time, I was laughing so hard.  But, I managed to hold it together and we were able to do it successfully the second time. 

And then we headed off to the rehearsal dinner.  There was great food, great people, and really sweet things said. 

core-4 once again :)

...and spouses 

And then, the big day. 
Sunday, we got married. :)

Sunday morning, at church, I realized that I had locked my dress in a room at the condos, I had left the keys to that room at home, and we had locked our house.  Thankfully, Paul was willing to drive to our house, break in, and bring the keys back.  I didn't hear much of the morning service at all until I had those keys in my hand. 
The relief I got when I had them, lasted me the rest of the day, and I never really did get nervous about the wedding.  While we were changing at the condos, my bridesmaids were the ones getting nervous. :)

I walked down the aisle without laughing, listened to the service, stood and kneeled at the proper times, and walked out of church...married. 

Everyone always asks how it feels to be married. It doesn't. There was no great change, no emotional happening, no burst of colors...suddenly we were married.  Oh, I'm happy. :) But, I haven't changed. I've just taken another step in life, and my brain is still adjusting to the fact that I'm married. Weird.  That's how it feels to be married. :)

Surprisingly, I was able to enjoy my reception nearly all the way til the end. :) 

friends :)

I loved being able to see everyone who came. But, I got tired of smiling, of hearing the same stock phrases, having people constantly taking my picture, and standing.  By the end I wanted to eat and leave...sigh. I tried to remain pleasant and patient but there are only so many nice ways to say "we're leaving" before you actually say "we're leaving."
tehe. anyway...

Jenny snuck me a water gun because one of my cousins had brought his.  So when we walked out the door I was prepared :)

Thank you Jenny :) tehe

look familiar? 

it should: 

It must be a Wyss thing or something :)

Well, once again thanks to Jenny, my car was decorated beautifully. But, we did leave a trail of sticky notes all the way back to Eureka. 

So, we are now officially wed. :)

And, we feel incredibly blessed by the number of friends and family who came. God has given us an amazing support system. :)

In Christ

~Michelle

the last week

This is/has been the last week of my single life.  Crazy!
And, it has been crazy.  

We got our apartment Sunday afternoon.  :) 

Monday, Kandace, Carli, Cliff, my mom and I cleaned the apartment. Monday, afternoon I started moving in. That evening Troy, Trent, and Clayton came over and helped us move the big stuff.

Kendra came that night and helped wash and put away all of our kitchen stuff. 

Tuesday and Wednesday was more of the same. Cleaning, packing, packing for the honeymoon, shopping, wedding planning, and moving. 

Today, I rode with Nathan down to Champaign in his work truck and drove his car home. Jenny came over after lunch and we went through my room and moved my entire closet over to the apartment. Cecily joined in on the packing too.

looking hilarious in heels and a VS bag...tehe she's such a girl :)

  Jenny helped me finish making my veil and did other wedding-y type stuff while I mowed the yard. 

And...for a bit of humor... I locked my keys in my car.  I have a spare set of keys, thank goodness,  which are at my apartment. But, my apartment keys are on the key chain that is locked in my car. sigh. :) So, I'm waiting on Nathan to get back from Champaign with his keys.

Three more days. yikes. :)

You probably won't be hearing from me until after the wedding.

In Christ
~Michelle

pictures from the other weekend

I have no idea which weekend this was, but it was a few weekends ago, somewhere in the mess of all of our plans. 

Nathan and I took a full farm tour. 

We climbed the grain leg :)

it's a long way down

view of the round bales

we watched the sun set :)

It was incredible :)

So, the next night we thought we'd try being in the wheat field :)

And, I've discovered that there is a wannabe photographer inside me. 

wow :)

\

Hehe. I like sunsets, if you can't tell. :)
And, a picture just can't seem to completely capture them. 

Nathan and I have been reading through Isaiah together.  And, I find that Isaiah 40 is an absolutely beautiful chapter. :) You can't capture the beauty of nature with a camera and you can't capture God.

¹² Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

¹⁸ To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

²¹ Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

²⁵ To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

²⁶ Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

²⁸ Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

²⁹ He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

      ~Isaiah 40:12,18,21,25-26,28-31

In Christ

~Michelle

quick catch up and news!

Last Saturday, Nathan and I went to his friend's wedding in Springfield.  It was a nice wedding, but a long drive so we left before the reception. 

We spent the day, Sunday, in Princeville.  Jim and Marlene had us over for supper after church. 

The rest of this week, I've been going through the piles of stuff in my room. I've managed to get rid of a lot of stuff already but, there is so much more. 
I've also spent some time recuperating by the pool.  It's so relaxing. 
I've done small bits of wedding planning and started a few projects.

This evening, was our fifth shower in Champaign. It was so great to have a formal way to thank the church for all of their support. It was amazing how welcoming they were and are to us students. 

Wedding plans are going well. Bridesmaids dresses are getting done and arriving at my house. I love my dress. It's so pretty, and lacy, and I love it. Have I mentioned that I love it? :)

Monday, I went to look at another apartment. I fell in love. 
Tuesday, Nathan and I ran the paperwork back over to the apartment.
And today, (drum roll please) the landlord let us know we got it! We have a place to live! :) woot! Let's just say I screamed and giggled a lot. 

Things do come together. :) All in God's timing. 

In Christ
~Michelle

Crazy July

Yes, I'm still alive. Awake? That's another subject.

Two weeks ago, I spent the weekend in Champaign. I got to experience their Sunday school picnic and spend some much needed time around the apartment.  That Wednesday night I went to another picnic with the Champaign church and then Nathan and I headed back to central Illinois.

Thursday, the 4th, we picnicked with the Wyss family and then went to fireworks. 
I love fireworks. 

sparkly :) 

These "weeping willow" ones are my favorite.

I love when you can see the smoke from old ones.

finale 

:)

 Friday, the 5th, I laid out in the morning, with plans to get great things accomplished in the afternoon. ha. Emily V. and Katy K. invited me to go swimming, so, after vacuuming out my car, I headed to the pool. :)

I got home, packed for the weekend, and headed off to my personal shower. :) 
It was great. Despite the fact that I was extremely tired and sun-burnt, I really had a good time.
Yes. It was awkward.  But, personal showers are awkward by their nature. :)
It was so much fun to see all my friends again. :)

all the girls :)

the core-4 from the 'good old days' :)

The party ended at 10:00 because, Michelle is crazy. :)

After the personal shower, I drove home finished packing, drove to Champaign, met up with Laura, Katie, and Ashley, and at 12:30am we were on the road headed for Athens, Alabama. :)

The U of I yg, the sane ones leaving during the day on Friday, went to Athens to visit Susan.  The late night crew arrived at 7:30am and slept through most of the morning's activities. But, it was yet another great weekend, despite exhaustion- which I am becoming quite accustomed to. 

tehe. Metropolis gas station at 4:00 in the morning. :)

sleeping arrangements

Tennessee Fellowship Center

 Before we left on Sunday, someone mentioned to me that my tire was looking flat. So, we filled it at a gas station and went on our merry way.  About two hours down the road something began sounding funny. there was a loud roar and occasionally it sounded as if something was being flung around the tire. 
We pulled over to find that my front tire was nearly shredded. 

Nathan working away :)

all the observers :)

Order of events: Tire comes off, spare tire goes on, spare tire flat, spare tire comes off, main tire is taken to walmart, waiting for walmart tire, spare tire filled, drive to walmart, shiny new tire gets put on car, drive away happily into the sunset. Actually, to Sonic where we ate supper before getting back on the road. :)

With the one and a half hour pit stop and a traffic jam our trip took three hours longer then planned and we arrived in Champaign around 11:00. 

Monday I went back to my internship.

Tuesday, I left my internship early drove home, changed clothes, and drove to Princeville for a shower. I drove back to Champaign after the shower.

Wednesday, was my last day of internship. I'm going to miss it. I loved the work I was doing.  I got back to my apartment packed up all of my things and drove back home.

I am now fully moved out of the Upper Room. And, this house is a mess. We still don't have a place to live so, everything is piled up all over the house. 

Thursday, I babysat all day long, got home around 6:15, showered, changed, and made it to the Wyss family shower by 7:00.

And, it's not over yet. Four showers down. Two to go. 

Whoever says engagement is a wonderful time, is crazy. hehe :) I think it's just plain exhausting. :)

Oh, and, thanks to BBB who will not let me forget, the countdown has begun. Three more weeks. Eek.

In Christ

~Michelle