Life Post-Wedding.

As Travis and I settle in to life as Mr. and Mrs., we are slowly learning what it is like to live with one another... how we load the dishwasher, our laundry habits, the organized way I like to keep our pantry, cleaning habits... you name it. As we approach our first month of marriage, I feel like it has been spent getting used to the other person, celebrating our similarities and appreciating our differences, with lots of unpacking thrown in the mix.

As our wedding pictures have come in and our video is about to be in my amateur editing hands, I keep thinking back to our big day and what God taught us in the process. I have drafted this post in my head several times and then wrestled with whether or not to actually post it... I don't want it to come of as a complaint or a soapbox, but rather just a lesson learned... and a way to hold myself accountable when I try to regain control. So for those of you who read this post, let's get real for a minute...

Throughout the planning process, I mentioned several times that God has been teaching me I am never in control... that His plan is bigger and better than mine could ever be. I never could have imagined how true and loud those words would ring in my ears on June 23rd. Leading up to our wedding weekend, everything was going perfectly. Other than a few minor issues, like flowers not being in season any more or putting the same names over and over again on our seating chart or writing and re-writing and then re-writing again the place cards, everything was being dealt with or adjusted. Flowers, typos and re-dos were nothing compared to what was coming.

My mom and I headed up to Athens on Wednesday and spent some time wandering around Athens and just enjoying some quiet. Thursday was spent at Starbucks in disbelief that in less than 48 hours I was getting married, at Pauley's and Transmet with Travis, our families and closest friends, and at Bourbon Street having a dance party. Friday came way too quickly and the entire day I just felt like I was in a daze. After having so many of my closest friends get married in the last two years, I felt like I was attending someone else's luncheon. But when you find yourself being the only one in white, carrying a bow-bouquet as you practice walking down the aisle... reality sets in. It's your turn. The rehearsal was flawless... Emily and Carl House were so reassuring that everything would be perfect. And then the rehearsal dinner at Beta brought Travis and I back to how we met, where we spent most of our college days, and some of the bestest friends and relationships imaginable. 

THE BIG DAY!! I can't even begin to communicate the excitement/nervous feeling that I woke up with Saturday morning. It was killing me not to talk to or see Travis... knowing that he was only a few floors below me. 6:30 pm could not come soon enough! Being able to spend Saturday morning in my pjs, surrounded by my closest friends, eating yummy snacks and drinking yummy mimosas was such a reassurance that this life is beyond blessed. After roaming around downtown Athens for some pictures, it was time to head to Carl House. 

A few more pictures, chatting and rationalizing with Tessa and Eli, enjoying the last moments as a MISS... 6:00 pm came quickly... but where were our guests? To make a long story short - we had transportation issues. LARGE issues... in the form of two coach buses that were supposed to transport our guests from Athens to Carl House. Our ceremony was supposed to start at 6:30 pm... and as I watched our wedding planner poke her head in and out of the bridal room... Cara go in and out of the bridal room... I knew something was wrong. Our guests eventually got there. Our ceremony eventually started... around 7:15 pm. Insert God telling Travis and I... "You are not in control. I got this." If our ceremony would have started on time, a train engine would have sounded around 6:35 pm. Our guests would have been in direct sunlight... and in already hot, southern temperatures, it was nice to have some relief. And according to my Nanny, 

the sky was a God-send. 

As our family pictures were getting started, we had another surprise. "Oh what's that on my shoulder? A rain drop? Seriously?!" I wasn't seeing the humor is this quite yet... so as we hurried to finish our family pictures - Travis and I were faced with the decision, hurry inside because it might rain... or head out to the field and finish our pictures as husband and wife. With one look at each other, we decided why not. If anything, it would be a great story. If you can guess where this is going... it didn't rain. Of course, it didn't. How foolish were we to think that we could take control of that situation. When I look back on this moment and this decision, it carries across life. How often are we in situations when the rain clouds start to roll in and cloud our view... and how often do we try to run inside? If we would just give that control over to God, we would end up in amazing places with even more amazing lessons learned... and in our case, pictures that scream to both of us that we are not in control of this life and giving it over to God allows us to fully experience His majesty.

The rest of the night was everything we could have wanted and more... we got to celebrate a new adventure in our lives with our closest friends and family members. People who have seen our relationship from the very beginning - from an 18 year old girl and a 19 year old boy who had no idea what God had in store for their lives... to now husband and wife. We had fabulous people behind the scenes who went above and beyond their job descriptions, just to make sure that we were enjoying every moment. 

 

All throughout this process, I have said that flowers die... food goes bad... but what is lasting is what your marriage is built upon. Your wedding might start late...  you might have musical mis-haps during your ceremony... you might feel some rain drops... but here again, what is lasting is the commitment made.

Lessons learned... Life is not perfect. Imperfectly perfect is beautiful. I am not in control - the more control I give over to God, the more I experience Him working in my life. Storms and rain will come - in life, in friendships, in marriage- instead of running for shelter, I need to stand firm and confident in the One who has saved me. 

Life catch-up.

I can't believe how fast the last two months have gone by... it's refreshing to know that life will be slowing down just a little for this last month of summer vacation. With a new name, some new bling and a HUSBAND (all that coming soon!!), here is a brief recap of the months leading up to becoming a MRS.

In May, Kam and Bridgette hosted a couples shower thrown by our fabulous bridal party... complete with yummy food, no broken bows and the shoe game, it was so much fun to watch Travis "oooo" and "ahhh" over kitchen utensils, dishes, and monogrammed bags.

Next up, Robyn's surprise birthday party... one of the best parts about getting married is the immediate increase in your family size. Growing up with a brother, I am more than excited to finally call Bridgette my sister!! Since Kam and Bridgette started dating, Travis and I have gotten to know her precious family and could not have been more thrilled to help celebrate Robyn's 50th. 

May also brought sweet Tessa Lou's birthday... I have loved watching Stephanie and Brandon's precious little ones grow up. Tessa's birthday was filled with pink, cuppycakes, lots of "spicy chips" and all things princess.

 The end of May also brought Amy and Nate's wedding... it was so much fun catching up with college friends and watching another sister become a Mrs. Congrats Amy and Nate!!

Finally, I got to spend a long weekend with my bestest friends soaking up the sun in HHI. Our weekend was filled with yummy pizza, hanging out on the sandbar, venturing to Dafauskie, even yummier Mexican food and the reminder that I have been blessed with the most fabulous friends. 

As far as June goes, the majority of the time was spent crafting for our wedding. The whole process became a joint venture between my mom and I, often taking us in to the early hours of the morning. Pandora was constantly on in the background, with a glass of wine or two. As tiring as some of it was, I wouldn't have traded a second of those last few nights at home in my parents house as Lindsay Hamilton. 

Heading in to July, I can't believe Travis and I have been married for a week already!! Our wedding was everything we could have imagined and so much more. God definitely showed up in an amazing way... from some transportation issues to the threat of rain, we were constantly reminded that we are never in control. As soon as we let go and just have faith, God steps in and takes control. Our guests arrived. Other than a few drops, it never rained. And I got to marry my best friend. Here's to life as a MRS.

Wedding Top 10.

It's finally here... the weekend that I feel like I have spent years planning, ever since I was a little girl and was allowed to play dress up in Kay's wedding dress. The packing, organizing and planning is coming to an end. I am about to spend my last night in my parents house as Lindsay HAMILTON. Thinking back over the last 11 months, I have quickly gathered a top 10... things I would pass along to someone planning their own wedding, things I might have done differently, or things that I really liked during the whole process. In no particular order...

1) Wedding planning screams color coded, organized, labels, folders, tabs... for my OCD/planning personality, this aspect of wedding planning was PERFECT.

2) Wedding planning is hard. Yes, its fun... but its also hard. You have families to juggle. Decisions to make. Opinions to consider. Don't lose the excitement that you feel in those first few days because it will carry you and remind you of what's most important.

3) No matter how many times you check the Weather Channel app. the week of your wedding, the weather is still going to be HOT. It's June. Come on now. So save yourself the trouble and just delete the app.

4) Creating your gift registry allows your future hubby to run around the mall, scan everything in sight, throw in some James Bond moves and pretend like he understands the difference in sheet thread count. But you only get to do this once... so let him scan the ridiculous soap dispenser, make crazy sounds as he "shoots" your china pattern, and just laugh.

5) Getting your RSVP cards in the mail is like Christmas every day, times like 10 if you get a whole bunch of them in your mailbox.

6) Weddings don't just bring two families together, but also groups of friends from all stages of your life. Seeing these people hang out, get along, and build new memories has been one of my most favorite parts.

7) Choose a dress that makes you feel like a princess.

8) Enjoy the little things... like putting the stamps on your save the dates. Gathering addresses. Creating a wedding website. Calling you fiance for advice or his opinion. You get this one moment... enjoy it.

9) Remember what is important. Flowers die. Cake goes bad. Your dress will be boxed up one day. But your marriage is lasting.

10) Revel in the fact that for one year or eleven months, you get to celebrate everything you love about your fiance. You get to plan the day you have dreamed of and in the end, you get to marry your best friend. There is nothing sweeter.

Worry.

Hi blog world... it's been a while. Between showers, moving, wedding crafting, and just life, I now have about 5 posts waiting to be written... but this one just couldn't wait.

With 16 days left until our big day, the list of to-do's is constantly growing, the anxious feeling is continuing to grow and little worries are starting to creep in... is it going to be insanely hot? Will it rain? Is the cake going to taste like I remember? Will our guests have as much fun as we hope they do?

This morning when I checked my "Jesus Calling" app, the words didn't sink in until after a conversation Travis and I had this afternoon. Funny how that always happens. The words were such a profound reminder that I had to share... hoping you find comfort or assurance in God's promise.

God's presence is with us a promise... many things can block that awareness, but the major culprit is worry. We as God's children tend to accept worry as an inescapable fact of life. However, worry is a form of unbelief. Who is in charge of our life? If it is us, then we have reason to worry. But if it is God, then worry is both unnecessary and unproductive. When we start to feel anxious about something, we need to relinquish the situation to God. We need to back off and redirect our focus to Him. He will either take care of our problems or show us how to handle them. In this world, we will have problems, but we need not lose sight of Him. 

Luke 12:22-31

Moving Day.

I have a love/hate relationship with moving boxes. I LOVE moving boxes because they are sign of something new... a new address, a new home, a new adventure. I HATE moving boxes because I feel like they are never ending and they are currently haunting me from the living room in our new place. 

At the end of April, we loaded up three trucks, a trailer, my car and made the move. Group effort does not even begin to describe this weekend. My parents, Travis's parents and his brother all made this move probably the easiest yet (counting the moves in college, this made #9 for me). My dad says he is done after this one. We'll just have to see about that.

While Travis is currently calling our condo home... it is definitely starting to feel like our place. Pictures still need to be hung... curtains put in their place... boxes COMPLETELY unpacked... but the excitement around this new adventure continues to build. 

 And as my clothes are slowly starting to find their place in the closets, the reality is quickly setting in... this is almost my place too!! Travis and I can't wait to call Vinings home... explore all of the side streets and cute neighborhoods... find new favorite restaurants... spend Saturdays by the river... enjoy having some of my bestest friends within walking distance... and settle in to our first place. (cue squeal of excitement)