snow day

I know, it's true...I am a terrible slacker! Here's the update:

I've been married 4 months and Ryan has turned out to be more wonderful every day. I am truly grateful for all that he is to me, in the ways he challenges me and makes me smile. You can see some wedding pictures at Chris & Sarah's Blog. They did a fantastic job!

Our honeymoon to St. Lucia was fantastic! You can see photos on facebook. We enjoyed scuba diving, snorkling, sailing, mountain biking, learning about the island, dolphin watching, relaxing on the beach, having free drinks, and trying new fruits.

We are also expecting a little baby! Baby is due May 29th and we are super excited! Unfortunately, I have been feeling extremely nauseated the whole time. :( Sadly I no longer have "cake dreams" because the idea of eating cake makes me feel very sick. It has been starting to get better for the past week, off and on, so hopefully the good times are coming soon! You can also follow baby pictures and belly pictures on facebook!

Other than that, not much has changed. We got our Christmas tree up. Actually by we I mean my sister and me, with considerable assist from Ryan. Each time I yelled "Ryan, can you come spot me?" he ran from the other room to make sure his pregnant wife did not become impaled on a 7.5' fir.

We had our first big snow of the year. It's snowed a couple of other times but hadn't really stuck yet. In the past two or three days, it's snowed 17" and last night the 40mph winds created 4-5' snowdrifts! Poor Ryan has been very good about shoveling, a task at which I am fairly useless. I tried to help, but he laughed at me so much that he decided he should just do it all himself. Apparently the 3' that I got in the 5 minutes of trying wasn't very fast.

Hope you all are having happy and safe Christmas preparations!

in sickness

It has been a while since the creepers...and a lot has happened. Ryan and I have gotten married, gone on our honeymoon, and begun our life together as husband and wife! :)

Today is our first "monthiversary" since our wedding and guess how we spent it...

That's right! I cut my finger open while chopping onions...right down to the bone! (I knew I didn't like onions for a reason!)

I will definitely need stitches, but MyNurse said that I can wait until an urgent care clinic opens...which I'm going to do. I am not going to the ER to get 4 stitches in my finger!

Other than some throbbing from a very tight bandaid, I feel ok...and Ryan finished chopping the onion.

What a good husband I have!

creepers

I am excited to live with someone again...more specifically to live with a boy. Living by myself has been ok, but it gets really lonely and I get freaked out easily...especially since I know Kim and Andrew no longer live across the hall. I never felt unsafe living with Kim, Meggan, and Chelle, but I do now because this world is full of creepers, and unfortunately, they all seem to congregate around the places I frequent...

1. Yesterday I was leaving Staples and heard someone whistle in the parking lot. When I looked up, a middle-aged man was taking my picture with his camera phone. When I looked at him, he rushed over to his car and drove off. Creepy.

Then there's my creeper neighbors...

2. The first time I met my neighbor to the right, I was leaving for work and he pops out of his apartment, asks my name and then asks, "So are you single or what?" To which I replied that I was practically engaged. And he left.

Then a couple weeks ago, I hear someone knocking on my door at 1am and am totally freaked out. So I peer through the peephole and it's my neighbor to the right. He talks to me for a while, asking if I like to party, to which I reply that I don't. Then he sees my ring, asks if I'm engaged, and when I say yes, he left quickly.

3. Now for creepy neighbor #2. He lives to the left of me. The first time I met him, I was walking to the gym and he introduced himself and asked me to come to the bar he owns sometime. Seemed normal enough. I've seen him a couple times and he's always been very friendly to me.

Then last night I saw him at the gas station at midnight as I was buying milk after work. He was very drunk and very insistent that if I heard loud music from his place that I should come over and party with him. He kept trying to get me to walk home with him. Luckily I was driving. So I drove home as quickly as possible, but he was there practically at the same time as me. He remembered my name wrong and I could hear him yelling "Hi Kristen!" as he approached the apartment. I rushed inside and ran to my apartment, locking myself in.

Then I immediately started packing boxes. I'm getting out of here ASAP! At 4am, I had to mail a letter and figured it would be safe to venture out of my apartment. I find a note on my door with his name and phone number and a request that I text him if he's too loud. Don't think so!

4. And I don't know which is more disconcerting: that people follow me around being creepers, or that my fiance always laughs, tells me to take all of this as a compliment, and cannot fathom why it would freak me out.

return to me

Last night I went to a youth Mass. Granted, I had no idea that's what it would be until I was there, but I'm glad that I accidentally stumbled upon it. It's always nice seeing "young people" participating and taking leading roles in music, reading, etc. (Saying that made me feel a little bit old.) I'm just glad we didn't have to do hand motions...never liked that, even when I was "young."

During communion, we sang "Sweet Redeemer" by Steve Angrisano and Sarah Hart. The refrain...

Sweet Redeemer, I surrender
All I am to You.

As I struggled to pay attention during Mass, that song jumped out at me and made me reflect on the past. It reminded me of the good old days when I was totally head over heels in love with Jesus. ...And of course I got a little sad.

Back in the day, Jesus was all I could think about. I was freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully in love with Him. I have many memories of high school marching band and calculus where I'd pray the rosary rather than pay attention to what I was supposed to be learning. I would go to daily Mass and daily Adoration, weekly confession, and Jesus was all that my mind cared to ponder.

I loved Him. I wanted to marry Him. I thought I would...

But it was so easy back then. It felt good and I had so much consolation in prayer. My life was so free and I had no responsibilities beyond caring for my soul and nurturing my relationship with God.

After NET, things got harder. I began school, working, dating. Life was more complicated and there was so much more to think about besides Jesus. I had no consolation in prayer and struggled with complacency of heart. But I still try to be faithful, and honestly I kind of suck at it.

But I try...hopefully that's worth something. I was told once that faithfulness in dryness is worth more than when it's easy. And I pray it's true! I just want to love Jesus and be faithful to Him!

I often think of this song (I think it's by Jim Cowan but I'm not sure) when I get in these moods.
Return to me that first love That I had when I gave my life to You

diving

I have some irrational fears. One of them is that I'll drop my keys into the dumpster when I'm throwing my trash bags into it. Now this has never happened to me. And it actually hasn't even come close to happening. Still, I'm petrified of it.

Today I was daydreaming, trying to fall back to sleep after waking up early, and I imagined that it happened. I couldn't get back into my locked entrance apartment and my phone was inside, otherwise I would have called my dad.

So I had to buzz the only other person I've met in the apartment, my neighbor who tries a little too hard to talk to me. (One of the first things he ever asked me was if I was single.) But together we climbed into that dumpster and retrieved my keys. Then I baked him cookies and made a thank you card.

Crazy irrational fears! At least now I have a backup plan!

& guest

My poor dad. He wanted to look over the guest list before I start making wedding invitations and just about had a heart attack. Originally, the wedding guest list I had comprised of 825 people. Ridiculous.

But after 4 months of painstaking, heartbreaking slashing, I've gotten the "number invited" down to 538 people. The reception hall doesn't really hold more than 375 comfortably, and I'm pretty sure fire code allows 400. So hopefully not everyone comes. (That's kind of an awful thing to say!)

But everyone involved has gone through the list and said who they think will and will not show up. The "number expected" currently sits at 380 people. So still iffy. I know some of those people won't be able to make it either.

If worse comes to worse, I hope we can do banquet seating or something. I don't know what we'll do if all 538 people decide that August 8th is a nice day to go to a wedding. :)

So needless to say, as my dad is reacting to the list I showed him (which was 559 at the time), I was glad I had never showed him the list of 825 people.

The way I was able to cut 21 people off of the list? I cut out a lot of & Guests. Every time my dad saw one of those he exclaimed "What are you trying to say by adding '& Guest'?! This person is single and it's insulting to put that on there. They'll probably feel pressured to go out and get a hooker as their date!"

That's my dad...the classic over-reactor.

So I'm sorry in advance if you either aren't invited, or there is no "& guest" on your invitation. Apparently both Ryan and I have huge families.

duplex

Ryan and I have been doing some planning this week. It feels like we haven't done anything for quite a while! But this week we bought our wedding rings, put a deposit down on a duplex, are working on getting all of the addresses we need for the guest list, and bought all of the paper to make the invitations!

I'm pretty excited about the duplex. There is a strawberry patch, herb garden, and vegetable garden growing along the side of the house! Also there's a duck nest in the strawberries and a bunny nest in one of the flower beds! Yay nature!

This Sunday Joyce is throwing me a bridal shower and I'm super excited! Apparently there will be games...I know one is a questionnaire type game with consequences if I get the answer wrong...so hopefully I've got enough Ryan trivia stored away. I was trying to ask him questions on our way to Virginia last week for my cousin's wedding...but he found me out right away!

C'est la vie!

furry friends

It's been 3 months since Heidi died. It's funny how I miss her in ways I never imagined. Every time I eat steak, I think about saving the "grizzle" for her. I am still careful not to kick her water bowl over when I run into the kitchen. When I go to my parents' house, I'm surprised not to see her running up to the door to greet me and wonder if she's shut up in the basement or office.

My dad adopted a new little friend. It's a squinty (Des Moines terms for a chipmunk) that has been living in our front yard. Everyday my dad leaves a little stash of peanuts right by his front door. One day my dad was moving the lawn as I came over for dinner. He stopped mowing and proudly showed me the front and back door of the little squinty home and told me not to get into his peanuts.

Last night Ryan and I rented "Marley and Me." I had read the book about a year ago and I loved every minute of it! The book is so hillarious! I was laughing out loud every other paragraph at work! The movie isn't quite as good, but still worth seeing. Of course I knew the ending and thought I would be ok, but I broke into hysterical sobbing by the end of the movie. Poor Ryan just held me as I cried myself to sleep.

...I still miss my poor little puppy.

eighty-six

Again, laziness (or busyness) is the way with me. Sorry to anyone who has been frantically checking for updates! Your patience has paid off.

So what's new with life? There are 86 days left until Ryan and I get married. I have a wedding checklist, courtesy of theknot.com that says I have 86 items complted. (And only 184 more to do.) By my own calculations, I have nine or so...

1. Finalize food/alcohol plans
2. Find a place to live after August 8
3. Make and send invitations
4. Decide on accessories for bridal party
5. Decide on decorations for the wedding
6. Plan the wedding ceremony
7. Buy gifts for everyone involved
8. Figure out banking/insurance/etc. for marriage
9. Make the cake

I am probably underestimating how long this will take.

Recently Sarah and Chris took our engagement pictures! I love them and look at them several times a day! Here's a sneak preview...

Other than that, I've been trying to work on invitations. I'll post some sample pictures when I have a clearer idea of what's going on.

So this is really random. I need to get on the computer more often.

cupcakes!

Christina's bridal shower is this Sunday and I am going to bring cupcakes. So, I decided to break into Ryan's dowry a little early so I could use the wonderful cupcake carrier that Joyce gave to us!

So Chrissy wanted champagne cake and Andrew gave me a bunch of awesome chocolate frosting that Kim had left over (hope that was ok with Kim!). Sadly, I only have enough chocolate frosting for 12 cupcakes so the others got white and blue frosting and had to go in the round cake carrier.

Joyce has the same carrier and so does Kim, so to avoid confusion, I decided to write my name on it. I was about to put "K. Balch" when it occured to me that in 3.5 months, that will no longer be my name! So I wrote "K. Babbitt" instead!

It's a wedding present, after all...that's kosher, isn't it?

make me babies

At Kim's baby shower, I overheard Kim and Allie discussing a website called Make Me Babies.com. You can upload photos of you and your lover and see what your children will look like. So, naturally, I wanted to see if Ryan and I would have cute little ones.

The photos I used of our faces might have had something to do with the creepiness of the babies that the computer decided to make. I think it's the full set of teeth on an infant that does it for Margaret. Donald actually doesn't look too bad, even though his little face is a bit pudgy. I knew we'd have red-heads! I specified "caucasian" for Margaret but didn't specify for Donald or the last baby! The last one I made (which happens to be the cutest) definitely got the race wrong so I named it "milkman's baby."

Little Margaret Babbitt

Little Donald Babbitt

Milkman's Baby

ryan's dowry

I love Joyce Babbitt! She is an amazing mom, a loving wife, a faithful Catholic, and an excellent role model. I hope to be like her someday because she is very thoughtful and puts others before herself.

Here's a great example...

At Christmastime Mike told me that if I ever needed Christmas lights, all I had to do was go in their basement and take some of the boxes that had been purchased over the years in after Christmas sales. Then he said something about "all of the wedding presents."

Joyce started to blush a bit as she told me this story: As a homeschooling mom, she noticed that many of the homeschoolers got married when they were 18, 19, 20 years old. So, once her boys had graduated high school, she figured they would be getting married soon too and began to buy them wedding presents when she found good deals.

Once Ryan and I got engaged, she began looking through the presents, which she affectionately referred to as "Ryan's Dowry" and said "What was I thinking?!" (I on the other hand, was pretty excited to get 10 years worth of presents in one day).

So the dowry got sent down to my apartment in 4 big boxes and Ryan and I spent a good 1-2 hours going through all of its delights! Lots of great stuff! Thanks Mike and Joyce! :)

My favorite gifts were (of course) the box full of baking goodies, the tools (I had asked my dad for tools for Christmas but he never got them), and a tupperwear with some NFP things in it including a due date predictor wheel and a little note that said "May you be blessed with many loaves in the oven!"

Again, I love Joyce Babbitt! I'm so excited for her to be my mom! (And that's not just because she gives me presents.)

wedding ideas

I have been making wedding plans lately: looking at cakes, dresses, shoes, and tuxedos trying to pick styles that would suit my wedding. Here is what I've come up with so far.

Wedding Dresses

I appreciate this dress because I come from a Navy family. It would be a good way to honor their influence in my life. I also think modesty is an important virtue. I don't want to have a dress that would show off what my husband alone is supposed to see. Therefore, my dress shouldn't show off anything above the elbows or below the neckline.



This dress is an amazing combination of modern and modest. I like the mermaid style of dresses, but worried about how it would show off my butt. Now I don't have to worry about it! I'm thinking about getting this dress but I'll probably put a dickie under it to hide my cleavage.

Bridesmaid Dresses

As I'm sure everyone knows, I love things that are pink and foo-foo. This dress is both! Look at the lovely details in the bows and frills! And the sleeves are so poofy and wonderful! The girls will love it!





Motherhood is a beautiful thing. With three of my bridesmaids having just had babies (and who knows, maybe others will be pregnant at that point!), I think my wedding should honor their choice to bring life into the world. This dress would definitely do the trick!



Have you ever seen any old musicals? When I was little I really loved the movie "The King and I." I was thinking of having the groomsmen escort the bridesmaids up the isle to the song "Shall We Dance?" or "Hello, Young Lovers." The beautiful thing about this dress is that it has the ability to hide whatever sort of junk you've packed in your trunk!


Another childhood memory was playing with my Barbie dolls. I loved the pink, frilly outfits that I used to put them in. I loved the giant butt bows and the laciness and the matching gloves. The beading was awesome and the tiaras were so fun! I was thinking I could dress each bridesmaid in a different childhood Barbie dress! (Only bigger.)

Shoes

These shoes are both comfortable and economical. Everyone has some old maxi pads lying around, right? This would be a good way to save some money after my recent purchases. Of course I would put something like sparkles or silk flowers on the top of the shoes...I wouldn't want to look tacky.

I really hope these shoes come in pink! A dream of mine as a middle schooler was to be over 6' tall and now that dream can be fulfilled! This would also be a kind choice for my shorter bridesmaids to wear (i.e. Emily and Kim Taylor).

Tuxedos

Remember the 1970s and early 1980s? It was the time when most of our parents were married, so you probably don't. I think if my parents hadn't gotten married in their living room, they might have had a nice wedding and my dad might have worn something like this. I wonder if it comes in a pink to match the Barbie dresses...


Ryan and I saw this tuxedo style at the shop where we went for tux rentals. I have never been hunting, but this inspires me to go! The only thing that would make it better is having bright orange plastic flowers to go with it. That would be necessary. Ryan and the guys are going to look so good!

Mothers' Dresses

I don't want to forget my mom and Joyce on this special day! They have put a lot of hard work into raising Ryan and I and the wedding should be a day that they can sit back, relax, and look spectacular! Moms are so flexible and they bend over backwards for their children. Kind of like a Slinky...


Another thing I love about moms is that they are multi-taskers. I think this dress really emphasizes that quality. What's a better way to say "Thanks for all of your help with the wedding?" than buying them a dress that shows the many ways they've been there for you?

Cakes

Making my own cake will be really fun. I think I'm going to be pretty proud of myself in the end. I just hope it doesn't look homemade. Perhaps I should model it after this cake. Clearly someone with great talent put this thing together!



If making the cake turns out to be a bad idea and I get too far behind or too stressed, this is a wonderful alternative! Everyone loves Twinkies, right? Plus they will last for a long time. I won't even have to cover them up from the time we decorate the hall until the reception! Super convenient!

Photo Credits

www.uglydress.com
Ugly Dress is a bit crude but had me laughing at full capacity for a good two hours.
http://uglyweddingdress.wordpress.com/
Ugly Wedding Dress of the Day is also a good place to get some good laughs.
www.jimsformalwear.com
Jim's Formal Wear actually, seriously sells camo tuxes in case you're interested.

my "seacret"

Anyone who has been shopping with me (or around chocolate, ice cream, waffles, or anything else I like, for that matter) will testify that I have no self control. I used to have Dana with me anytime I went to the mall to tell me that I didn't need something (what a friend)! It was always a big argument, and she usually only succeed in getting me to buy fewer of the $2 off item...but it was a big help.

Now that I'm a grown up, I think it's safe to go to the mall by myself. Wrong.

I decided to get Ryan a new shirt to wear since Vow of Silence got chosen to play at VIESHEA with Trapt and RED. (Congrats boys! You rock!) So of course I end up buying two shirts and a hat. But it was worth it because it's for my lover.

Then I am leaving the store and the Seacret nail kiosk lady, who is conveniently situated outside of Heritage, asks me if I want to try some hand lotion. "No thanks!" Nice job, Kathleen! That was a close call!

"Are you a nurse?"

I stopped...oh no! "Yes..."

The saleswoman grabs my hand and starts polishing my left thumbnail...oh no! "I am in the medical field too! I'm in med school. We have to keep our fingernails so short and cannot wear any nailpolish..."

Don't buy anything, Kathleen! Don't buy anything!

So... of course 10 minutes and two shiny nails later I leave the kiosk with not one, but TWO nail polishing kits. Awesome. So much for the hopeful, naive, positive self talk! Dana! Where were you?!

And the worst part is I paid $60 for it all! She told me that they had been $80 for one box, so $20 off was a great deal! I had to do it! Then at work someone said that they charge whatever someone will pay for it. Their friend had gotten two boxes for $30. And the website charges only $50.

Hmmm...

She told me it would make my nails stronger, but then I realized that I was just sraping off the top layer of nails....so how does that make them stronger?

So, ladies and gentlemen...learn from my mistakes! Just say no! You can do it!

more wedding party

I had wanted to create a post about the guy half of the wedding party, but was waiting for Ryan to ask one of the groomsmen. Now that it's done, I can let the big secret out!

I obviously don't know these men as well as Ryan does, but I will try to capture a bit of why we love them based on my impressions....

Adam Babbitt: Best Man
I have never had a brother before, and I don't think I could ever have asked for a better brother than Adam! He is at the same time one of the most fun and most conscientious people that I've ever met. He remembers birthdays and always has the right thing to say to cheer me up, but he is never afraid to sass me as if I've been his sister forever!

Joe Pometto
Joe is like a brother to Ryan and I'm excited to be unofficially related to him as well! He met Ryan at a Steubenville summer conference and their friendship soon grew into one of the best bands I've ever heard! Joe is a talented drummer and a great friend! I also love the (often humorous) marital advice he gives Ryan, as he and Ruth Ann have been married the longest in our group. He's such a great guy!

Tony Pometto
Tony is the newest edition to Vow of Silence. (And what a genius decision!) He is one of the funniest people I've ever met. I don't know how he comes up with some of his crazy ideas, but they are always good. Not only is Tony funny, but he is a devoted friend and a great guy by whom I always feel very honored.

Sean Stanek
Sean! I must admit I am pretty fascinated by Sean...mostly because he leads such a mysterious life. Not only is he Ryan's cousin and roommate, but he is also a thoughtful, caring, loyal man. I really enjoy talking with him and smelling the delicious food me makes! I am also especially impressed by Sean's family values in the ways he looks out for and visits his family, especially his Grandma.

Steve Shaner
Steve and Ryan met in the very beginning of their journey at Iowa State University and are now both working on PhD's in computer science. I always enjoy hanging out with Steve because he is interesting, fun, knowledgeable, and has lots of good game ideas.

Dave Niedergeses
Dave was one of Ryan's roommates until he got married to Jordan last year. Dave is a genuinely nice and caring person and I've enjoyed getting to know him. He is getting his PhD in English at Iowa State, but if that falls through I know he has a guaranteed no-fail idea for a delicious eating establishment. But I'm sworn to secrecy so please don't pry.

Nate Sanderson
Nate is another one of Ryan's former roommates and probably one of Vow of Silence's biggest fans. I love it when Nate is able to make it to shows because his enthusiasm for the band makes the crowd rock even harder! He is a really devoted friend and I am always really touched by his heart-felt comments and compliments.

Ken Hiveley
Ken has recently left Ames to go to seminary in Minnesota, but Ryan and I are left with fun memories of our time together here. Ryan and Ken enjoy spending time having deep philosophical and theological discussions. One of my favorite memories of Ken is when he introduced Ryan and me to Stephen K. Ray and "The Footprints of God Pilgrimages" videos. Priceless.

John DeWyze: Personal Attendant
Sadly, John also left the Ames crowd this year for grad school at Dayton. I can't think of anyone better to be Ryan's personal attendant! John is a really thoughtful and caring guy who has a real desire to serve others and brighten their day. I am always impressed by his sense of chivalry and compassion for others. I wish he could be my brother as well, but sadly it's not to be!

Roman Pometto: Ring Bearer
The following sentence is a lie: Roman was an addition to the wedding party because we wanted to see how many Pomettos we could have in one wedding! Now for the truth: Roman is Ryan's Godson and the smartest little boy you will ever meet! I have really loved watching him grow under the guidance of his excellent parents. He is so much fun and brings smiles and laughs to everyone around him. I see so much wonderful potential in little Ro and am praying for his extremely bright future!

_______

So there you have it! The XY side of the wedding party! These men are all amazing and I am so blessed to know each of them. I am honored to have them witness my marriage to Ryan and know that we will all be friends for many years to come!

wedding party

Our wedding party is rather large...

When people ask you who your closest friends are, it isn't usual to have 10 people to pick from, but I am blessed to be a part of such an awesome group of girls! I feel so blessed to know each of them and to have each of them witness my marriage to Ryan!

Unfortunately, Ryan could only think of 8 men to chose as groomsmen, so I had to narrow down the list. Worst decisions ever! So I now have 8 bridesmaids and 2 personal attendants. :)

And they are....

Emily Balch: Maid of Honor
Emily and I have been sisters and friends for 22 years. We are complete opposites in many ways, but that never stops us from having a great time together! Emily is going to be starting Law School next year, which is very exciting!

Dana Morris
Dana and I went to high school together. She is now a band teacher in Mount Ayr, Iowa and we sadly only see each other every once and a while, but we always pick up where we left off. In more embarrassing memories, we used to be in a "band" called the Pink Cheetos. So cool!

Kimberly Kem
Kim and I lived together for 2.5 years. We went through nursing school together (but at separate schools) and traveled to India together, where I could not save her from being bitten by a monkey. She has inspired me in many ways but especially to make my own wedding cake after I watched her make and decorate 400 cupcakes for her own wedding!

Ruth Ann Pometto
Ruth Ann is my inspiration for life (besides my Grandma). She is an amazing friend, wife, mother, and Christian. I was touched by her generous spirit and kindness to strangers when we first met. Hopefully I can be a good wife to Ryan by following her example!

Christina Fath (soon to be Weber!)
Christina is another inspiration to me. I would have made some pretty bad decisions in life without her influence. She has such a generous heart for her friends. I remember Christina told us once that she felt like she needed to be single until we were all with the person we were going to marry. And true to her word, she met Jon after we all met our future spouses and they will be married July 4, 2009!

Kimberley Taylor
Kim is the girlfriend of Ryan's brother Adam (and hopefully my future sister!). She always surprises me by her sauciness and whit, definitely a good match for Adam. Kim and I have been able to spend a lot of time together at the boys' house or at their shows and I have really treasured our friendship!

Michelle Wirth (soon to be Werner!)
Chelle came to live with Kim K and I after Meggan moved out. She works as the DRE in Elkart, Iowa and is getting married to Brian in November! Chelle is an artist and an athlete. I have fond memories of visiting her family's sheep farm and bike riding around Ames last year!

Meggan Young
Meggan lived with Kim K and I until she married James in December 2008. She was a big part of my learning to become an adult and would patiently listen to me for hours as she was trying to get ready for bed. She was very helpful as Kim and I prepared to go to India, as she had been there twice.

Monica Clinesmith: Personal Attendant
Dr. Monica is a wealth of knowledge and fun. One thing I love about her is that she loves to invite people to go on walks or go out to eat, which are some of my favorite past times. She is great at keeping us on task in Bible study and as making Roman laugh, which entertains us all! Some fond memories with Monica are the ice cream social we had when the power went out, her Jamaican birthday, and of course the many walks we've taken together.

Suzee Stone: Personal Attendant
Suzee is a kind and wonderful friend. I met her in high school and was instantly drawn to her. We used to pray together at retreats and I always looked forward to seeing her every summer. A fun fact about Suzee and I is that she married my prom date, Phil, and I am going to marry her prom date! Suzee has a long history in dance, which came in useful when I needed help trying on so many dresses!

Cecilia Smith: Flower Girl
Cecie is my Goddaughter. She will be 5 years old in October. I have been babysitting for their family since I was 11 years old and their 13-year old was an infant. Cecie is the 5th of their 6 children. I love to babysit for the Smiths, it is so much fun because they are all such good kids. Cecie's parents are also our sponsor couple for marriage prep!

________

Kim K got married last year (see old posts) with 9 bridesmaids. I love what she would say when people would question her having so many bridesmaids:

"When people only have 1 bridesmaid, no one says 'So I see you have no friends!' So why does everyone find it strange that I have so many friends!"

It's remarks like that that make me love these girls even more!