I am IN Chicago, BACK from the honeymoon, I am MARRIED to Joel and we have SOFA (ok, one of those things might not be quite as significant as the rest!).

It is WONDERFUL!! I am so very grateful to the friends who encouraged me through engagement with the hope that the state of matrimony would be better- how right they were. Joel is still working long days and weeks but I get to have breakfast with him! And see him EVERY weekend! We are very thankful.

I am praying about my next phase of employment. This afternoon I was hired at a local gym for fitness classes but for the next few weeks this is going to involve simply taking classes there and seeing how they do things. I’ve had quite a few interviews for various things and find myself just waiting to hear about decisions so that I can make my own decisions. If you know me, you know that waiting may be my number one challenge ever (!!). But in the meantime I’ve had plenty to do with setting up our apartment and exploring the neighborhood.

Much of the months before the wedding were spent in a kind of fog for me… I am now coming into the light and I feel hopeful and ready to look forward to our new life together in and for the kingdom of God. I am so thankful to be settling in.

TWO more days until I am Mrs. Joel Avila!! The reception is all set up and the flowers are ready to be arranged. I can’t believe it’s finally here!

Look at that new header!  Since I moved my stuff to Chicago two weeks ago (although it doesn’t really feel like I’ve moved myself quite yet), I figured the blog should reflect that.  We have a great apartment in a cool neighborhood and I’m so looking forward to enjoying the city.

This week the task at hand is keeping pace toward the wedding, with *2* weeks to go!  Many last minute details have been accomplished (thank goodness!) but some are still to do.  I am very proud of my crafty resourcefulness with regard to everything I was able to create myself- my hairpiece (who needs to spend $150 for a custom hairpiece when I made mine for under $5?), cake topper, programs, ‘vases’ and flower arrangements are all being created courtesy of yours truly.  I have totally enjoyed making all of it too!  I keep thinking how weird it is that I am really looking forward to getting my hands on those flowers and putting all the studying I’ve been doing on flower arrangements to practice.  [When the wedding is over, perhaps I'll post some photos on the blog to join bride bloggers all over the world in sharing the ideas I came up with.  It seems like the thing to do as a bride these days.  Seriously- how do you have time to plan the wedding AND broadcast your planning in cyberspace?  That's a feat of multi-tasking that I just haven't been interested in pushing myself toward.]

So in 13 days I will be Mrs. Joel Avila and I will have to come up with some new topics to write about besides RUF!  I am sure there are many adventures ahead.  Stay tuned…

Thanks to Katie Pensak for the photography and to Coventry House for the beautiful scenery!

Without further ado…

 

This morning Joel and I have been throwing hymn ideas around for the wedding.  I ran across these lyrics that seemed freshly relevant to my life at present, 1) because I have many sleepless nights, and 2) because I will soon be wearing a wedding dress!  From Anne Cousin’s 1857 hymn, The Sands of Time Are Sinking:

I shall sleep sound in Jesus, filled with His likeness rise,
To love and to adore Him, to see Him with these eyes:
’Tween me and resurrection but Paradise doth stand;
Then—then for glory dwelling in Immanuel’s land.

The Bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel’s land.