Day 11

Day #11: Bullet your whole day

Well. Should have looked at this at the beginning of the day tonight, instead of when I got home from work tonight. Overall, not a wonderful day or a horrible day one way or the other. Just kind of a blah day. [Disclaimer: Thankful for any day, even the blah ones.] I will do my best to remember my whole day...here we go.

• Woke up. [I am in the process of starting to pack up my apartment and last night packed away the curtains in my bedroom. This morning I remember why I had them in the first place - my blinds do NOT block out sun in any way in the morning.]
• Brushed my teeth.
• Took my vitamins.
• Cleaned up my apartment since I was too tired to take care of the wedding explosion [Also, since thanks to the sunshine I was up a little early this morning]
• Breakfast [my favorite meal of any day]
• Showered
• Got dressed [Read: Tried to pick an outfit for a while - eventually found something acceptable, closet looks like a tornado went through it]
• Sent some emails + Facetimed Adam
• Went into work
• Work. [Sat outside for most of my workday - it was way too nice to be inside + my office as no windows]
• Made wedding dress fitting appointment [YAY!]
• Came home for dinner.
• Back to work to teach a Confirmation class. [Got to talk to Mom for a few minutes on the drive in]
• Confirmation class [cue headache occurring, not because of my class - but this is when that occurred.]
• Horrible headache. Not cool.
• Wrote thank-you notes [Yes, still from my shower at the end of April, ugh.]
• Watched video from brother #3's first harp recital tonight [Hate missing things like that in real life!]
• Caught up with Jamie [bridesmaid, bestie, overdue conversation]
• Finally talked to my brother #1 [It's his birthday today!!!]
• Attempted to FaceTime Adam again. Internet was not cooperating. [Read: Pixelly & limited sound, lame.]
• More thank-you notes.
• Went through the schedule of what I have tomorrow/need to get done [ahhh.]
• Writing this blog post.

[Insert clever post title here]

Well, today is Thursday, but my brain has been operating all week like every day is a Monday. So when I titled this post [insert clever post title here] that is seriously as far as my general creativity has gotten this week. This is not all necessarily bad, mostly my repeat Monday feeling has come from the fact that I got to fly up to Wisconsin to visit Adam this past weekend [WOOHOO!]. 

Basically, the whole weekend can be summoned up with 2 words: Blessed & Excited. Blessed & excited to have a fiancé who is doing awesome work serving the church he is at. Blessed & excited to spend time together. Blessed & excited that it is getting closer to our wedding. [you get the idea]

In case any of you are truly curious as to what all a weekend in Wayside consisted of, you're in luck because of course I would love to share :) Took advantage of time together and did a little wedding planning. Adam is incredibly supportive and encouraging with wedding stuff, in the most manly way possibly of course! (Blessed & excited).

Command central for wedding planning. Wayside edition. 

Friday and Saturday night we spent time with another couple - Adam's friends Tim and Marissa. Love them! We had a lot of fun together and it was nice to get to put faces to names I have been hearing about :)

Saturday during the day we went out to a town called Two Rivers which is right on Lake Michigan - very beautiful! We borrowed bikes from congregation members and Adam's church and enjoyed the awesome weather.

Wasn't kidding, super pretty!

Biking professional. Clearly.

This was more challenging than it needed to be :)

While I was there we also had time to go running together, cook a few meals, worship together, skype some of our family and friends, and I even got to tag along to youth group with him on Sunday night! I had safe travel to and from Wisconsin (blessed). Returned home Monday night - shout out to the Thomson's for picking me up from the airport! - and Tuesday was then the start of my recurring Mondays. Seriously, this week has not been bad or anything, my brain just keeps restarting to Monday. Awesome. 

Normal intern life here is still going along smoothly. Prayers are of course always appreciated. (As is mail). Its about 5 weeks until my first 1/2 marathon - so that is kinda crazy to wrap my brain around as well!!! Other wedding update: Mom is coming to visit the end of this month so we can go shopping for my wedding dress - WOOHOO!

 >> Kyla

Normal =  Pancake breakfasts, letters and wedding invites from friends!

Meet Jack!

Realized yesterday that I have officially lived here in Kirkwood for almost 1 whole month! I moved in late on June 12th, and this upcoming Thursday the 12th will be the big month milestone. Whew! Its unbelievable how fast time can go.  Living the intern life is going well, still continue to be blessed and amazed that my 'job' is to serve others - its an awesome thing! A few snapshots of life lately:

Meet Jack: 

My new betta fish as of Sunday! I can't wait until one day I can have a puppy, so in the meantime Jack has joined the fam! Took a little while to settle on a name for the poor guy, still call him "Fish" occasionally - but its totally fun have a little fish to come home too. Kinda panicked after I got him and learned that betta fish can actually jump out of their bowls/tanks that I would come home from work and find him dead on my table or something, but so far he seems content to stick to swimming instead of jumping - crisis averted!

Another St. Louis weekend:

LOVE living in an area of the country that has many people my age in general, [shameless plug my church has a young adult small group that I am really enjoying making new friends from!]. Also, this area happens to be where other friends [not so new] are located or visit often. AKA I got to see Jill and Leah this past weekend! Met these two beautiful ladies through my job as a Summer Staffer for Group. Leah is running a Week of Hope camp here in St. Louis for the summer (got to meet her awesome crew mate this weekend!), and Jill was in town for a visit! Shopping + FroYo + taking an interesting route into downtown + St. Louis Fair + free concerts + watermelon + lightening/rain + food + a deluxe tour of Leah & Sadie's camp facility = a wonderful weekend adventure. 

Daily intern life:

Got to give my first children's message over the weekend at church! Have settled into somewhat of a routine with my mornings/days in the office here which is nice and have been enjoying being a member at the local gym here in Kirkwood. Its 1 block away from my apartment building and has been such a blessing since the heat here lately has made the idea of running outside literally unbearable! Big news there, finally got my own gym pass made, kept missing the staff member who makes the cards when I would go - so I am an official official member now and can swipe in instead of explaining why I don't have a card every time - woohoo!!!

Wedding stuff:

Looking forward to being in and celebrating at the wedding of some of my best friends this upcoming weekend [also SEEING ADAM!!!].  And for our own wedding [fun to type that fyi] we are currently having fun figuring out the ins and outs of catering proposals :) 

Blog beats paper.

Please do not be too amused with my subtle rock/paper/scissors joke I am claiming as the title for this post. Its been, honestly, a long day which only heightens the fact that I find my own humor quite funny.


Real talk: the term senioritis I do not feel would be the most accurate term for my life right now. Something more along the lines of Letsnotwriteanymorepapersandjustlivearealnoncollegelife-itis would apply to how I feel right about now! However, the only real 'cure' for my little problem is to actually just finish writing the papers I have do...which is clearly why this post is being written.


Wedding planning update definitely is necessary by now I suppose. Totally LOVE planning our wedding, talking through ideas and fun things to do for the wedding/reception with Adam is the best! Mom is coming out to Chicago next week to join in the wedding planning whirlwind. We are still getting married in Chicago - the newest addition to that plan is.....(drumroll please)....

WE HAVE SET A DATE!

AUGUST 2, 2013

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY/WOOHOO!!! I do not think my enthusiasm for this can really be adequately conveyed or explain via the blog medium - however you get the idea! WE ARE GETTING MARRIED AUGUST 2nd, 2013!!!! 


Tomorrow and Thursday we are meeting with some photographers which I am really looking forward too - and next week will involve some cake tastings and another bridal show adventure (this time with Mom!). 

I say all of the above, to really say this: God is mighty, I am blessed. 

Still anxiously awaiting my move to St. Louis! Please continue to keep my new church & ministry in all of your prayers. 

Final thing (and then I really do have a paper to write): Here is a little simple healthy living encouragement for all of you, especially the Step 7. 

Love, Kyla

Ephesians 1:18-19

"...having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might" -Ephesians 1:18-19

These few short verses have grown in meaning for me personally so much over these last few weeks. I am blessed with many reminders daily of how MIGHTY God is and how much He LOVES little ol' me. On far too many days, I do not take the time to be thankful and grateful for the ways God always shows me His plans and perfect dreams He has already gifted me to carry out. As we all wind down our weekend and prepare for the week ahead, I pray that we all might rejoice in our blessings from a God who loves us more than we can imagine!


Here are my favorite blessings from this past week.

1. Engagement present/mail coming from Allison & John in Japan! Yay!!!

so creative!

2. Rock the Ring photoshoot session with the talented Dallas Boesdorfer Photography 

Click here to see more pictures from the shoot!

3. My first time at Wrigley Field for a Cubs vs. Cardinals game

Yeah fiance!!

4. Officially meeting my internship supervisor and spending time with some of my new team members in ministry (quite excited!!!)

Pastor Seidler, myself, and Billy!

God is good. 

Love, Kyla

Bride-to-be!

Exciting news: First official wedding decision has been made! We are getting married, next summer, in...

CHICAGO

With that decision made we are really focusing on getting some of the major planning decisions taken care of before we both move this summer to our internships. So far, we have been having so much fun with everything! 

Coolest name tag ever!

Yesterday was extra-exciting, because: 

#1: I found a bridal show that was being held downtown. The best part about it honestly was that as a bride-to-be my ticket was free! A fellow bride-to-be from school went with me. (Thanks again Brittany!!!!) Neither of us really knew what to expect, but totally enjoyed the free champagne & seeing some new ideas for weddings!

Kinda excited about my first bridal show

#2: We got engagement mail from Mrs. Thomson (Kevin's mom) !!!! (As college students in general, getting mail is awesome fyi)

Internship news: Both Adam & I have been able to talk to our supervising Pastors this week, which was great. We are both so encouraged by their enthusiasm. Internship Orientation is next weekend. Please keep our new churches in your prayers!