HALFaYEARsary!

Happy first Monday of February. For me its hard to believe that it's already the second month of the year & for Adam, he thought February would never get here! Either way, February means 2 things (1) we are getting another month closer to warmer weather and (2) as of yesterday, Adam & I have been married for 6 months [insert happy dance here]. *Health update, Adam seems to have finally gotten rid of his cough and we are back to normal health around here, praise God!

I realize most all of you do not likely have February 2nd marked down as an important day on your calendars but for us newlyweds, 6 months is fun to celebrate! Plus I am a fan of opportunities to reflect back and dream forward. It is still basketball season here, so this past weekend was primarily spent at basketball games but Saturday night was free for once so we jumped on the chance to have a date-night out. Bonus that the Duke/Syracuse game was on and we had front seats at the bar.

In honor of our halfayearsary + my love of making lists, enjoy 6 moments from our marriage so far!

6 {Number of family budget meetings we have had} 

This past fall we took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class together and have diligently been working together to manage our family's money wisely. The first couple of budgets we did together took a long time, it has just been in the last month or so that we feel like we are getting the hang of working our budget together. I honestly look forward to our budget meetings mainly because we get to intentionally be on the same page about money which takes a lot of stress out of purchasing decisions each month. I am thankful for a husband who motivates me to want to be invested in our finances!

Free download: Budgeting guide

5 {Number of seasons in Breaking Bad we have watched together} 

After hearing from many people that we needed to watch Breaking Bad, we finally started + finished watching it on Netflix last fall. One of the best shows we have seen, it lived up to all the hype and more. (Minus several scenes where I just closed my eyes, I don't really do blood well) Especially after our year of living 10 hours apart, I am thankful for simple things we get to do together - like enjoy the same TV show in the same room.

4 {Number of special occasions we have celebrated together as husband + wife}

Since getting married we have now celebrated Adam's Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & rang in the New Year. Even dating, we never celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas together - so it was extra special this year to spend those holidays together. Also, we had a lot of fun figuring out what types of traditions we wanted to try as our family now! One thing we forget to discuss pre-holiday was our Christmas stockings. Adam comes from a family where they open their stockings at the end of presents + I come from a family were we opened our stockings at the beginning of presents. We were both surprised on Christmas day when we started opening gifts and Adam went to grab a present from under the tree + I went to grab our stockings. We had a nice laugh about it :) We were blessed to get to see some part of our families for Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years too.

From our holiday road trip!

3 {Number of times we have rearranged our apartment since moving in}

I love figuring out new ways to decorate, rearrange furniture and re-hang pictures. Maybe a little too much, but Adam has very mostly patiently & willingly helped me rearrange our living room space & our bedroom on several occasions. We continue to love our apartment! Two of my favorite aspects of our apartment are the tall ceilings in our main living space + that we get a lot of natural light in our apartment. Adam loves our garage, since that keeps him from having to dig the car out every time it snows. Guests are always welcome by the way - we love entertaining + having visitors anytime :)

You can check out this post from last fall if you want to see pictures of the last set-up.

2 {Number of jobs we have, also the number of time we brush our teeth together each day if you were wondering}

When I first moved up to Wisconsin right before our wedding, and for the better part of the last 6 months, there were not any job opportunities outside of the home for me. We have always known that both of us being employed in youth ministry would be a unique thing. As we are constantly reminded in new and different ways each day - God is good and takes care of us. For me to start working for a church this January was/is a blessing.

*Concerning our teeth brushing habits, I promised transparency this year with blog posts, so I didn't want to leave that detail out, you're welcome. I prefer Crest toothpaste if you were wondering, Adam prefers whatever is on sale but compromises to Crest for my sake.

{1 amazing wedding to start it all :: August 2nd, 2013}

Getting married to each other was the best thing ever + we were so loved by all our family and friends in the process. Looking back at our wedding week + day there were many incredible and priceless memories made. It is amazing to experience God's love working through other people and our wedding was no exception. Everyday Adam + I pray together that we would love each other more as God loves us + continue to grow closer to each other as we grow closer to God. 6 months down and a lifetime to go!

{Groomsmen} 

{Bridesmaids}

{All of our grandparents together}

{All of our parents together}

{Almost all of our siblings together}

{Maid of Honor}

{Best Man} 

{Father of the Bride}

Wedding photos credit: Modern Image Studios | Brian Powers Photography

Day 17

Day #17: A favorite photo of yourself & why

Whew, so today has officially marked the beginning of me packing up my apartment. Bleh. But since my packing in going towards a good cause [moving, getting married...] I suppose I will survive. Blogging tonight is my temporary oasis from working & packing, so brace yourself for a novel. Just kidding!

Actually, today's prompt caused me to happily scroll through lots and lots of pictures that I have. Thank goodness the challenge is to pick a favorite picture and not THE #1 favorite picture of yourself, I'm too indecisive for that!

The picture I chose is a favorite simply because to me it just has joy spilling out of the picture. I look at it and love that this quick snap of a camera lens captured one of my favorite things to do, smile & laugh, with Adam, my favorite person in the world. This picture reminds me how Adam has the ability to remind me to smile when I am upset, to diligently work to make me laugh if I am too stressed about something, and to laugh with me - although, let's be real, he also has no problem laughing at me. But I love him so much for all of that. Is it August 2nd yet?! :)

Day 10

Day #10: Issue a public apology

Wow. What a day this has been. 9+ hours of solid work accomplished for the wedding [53 days away] +  6 hours of work at my actual non-bride job [intern]. I say this to give brief introduction and context to the following public apology...

I would like to first publicly apologize to my body. Today was not a stellar day for how I treated you. Cinnamon Hazelnut brew to start the day, a breakfast sandwich, grapes galore, a hazelnut frappuccino, and chips with salsa does not equal a balanced nutritious food/drink combination for the day. Tomorrow, we shall do better.

Second, I apologize for the way that bride brain works to my very patient friend [and bridesmaid] Jordan. Today was fantastic and scatterbrained and organized all at once. You did not complain once as we hunted diligently for wedding accessories or counted tables for 4 vs. tables for 8. We persevered on grapes and our frappuccinos as if we were on some crazy wedding planning survival show.

Side bar apology to my also patient friend [and best man] Kevin for the large amount of glitter you were exposed to this evening. Hopefully it has not put your health at too high a risk.

Third, I would like to publicly apology to my formally clean apartment. The amount of wedding related items that have been pulled out of all manner of storage locations today is quite out of control. I promise to return things to order in the [hopefully] near future. Glitter clean-up included, I know, it's everywhere.

Fourth, I would like to continue this public apology by apologizing to my very patient [see a theme?] husband-to-be Adam. I apologize for being more excited than the internet connection between Missouri and Wisconsin could truly handle. Also, for the large amount of details I attempted to download to you this evening beyond what any one man should ever need to absorb before he goes to sleep at night. Tomorrow - more pictures of what I meant, less endless explaining :)

Finally, for anyone or thing or space left that should received an apology this evening...well - sorry! And I mean that in the most sincere way - not like the way that you say "sorry" as a kid sometimes where afterwards your parents make you re-do the sorry once you actually mean it - but instead the genuine way. Or at least in as serious a way as a public apology via a blog post will ever be. ..

This public apology is being officially issued on Monday June 10th 2013 - at 11:17pm - CST.

Gratitude.

Hello long lost blog world. :)

Usually when I have not blogged for a while several things happen [1] I keep telling myself I should blog [2] I write a long post, filled with pictures in an effort to catch up and [3] I go through a period of life where I notice I am less grateful for what is happening in it every day and how God is working. End result [4] sometimes, I get cranky because I have procrastinated, I don't know where to blog to even start to 'catch up' and have forgotten things I wanted to remember and reflect on. AGH.

So today, no 'catch up' post. Know that since I last blogged I have been blessed to be alive each and every day in between then and now, and sit here humbled and thankful for that realization. 

What I want to share though, is a deep deep amount of gratitude. In this past week I have ben blessed to share life with so many dear friends, family and even my fiancé. They have all blessed me beyond what they know. This past weekend involved: 

• The company of 7 out of town guests in my 1 room apartment [ultimate girls sleepover]
• Shopping with my Mom
• The Color Run in downtown St. Louis [in the rain]
• Trying on my wedding dress for the first time [talk about overwhelming!]
• Seeing my girl's bridesmaid dresses, which just came in [awesome]
• A wonderful and thoughtfully planned Bridal Shower
• A surprise visit from Adam [WOW]
• Worshipping with everyone in from out of town
• Brewery visits
• Lots of trips back forth to the airport
• Getting ear piercings with some of my bridesmaids [spontaneous]
• Amazing weather
• A trip to the zoo [I got to pet 3 sharks, so that was sweet]
• Running and biking in the park with Adam [The best!]
• Surprise dinner night with Adam [homemade by him too]
• Wedding planning time [DJ & limo booked, invitations designed]
• So so many meals shared with dear friends
• Many many tears shed [Both tears of joy and sad tears as the goodbyes began]

Most of the first half of that list, happened on Saturday alone, whew! But each and every second of the memories on that list, are filled with moments of life shared that are irreplaceable and to an extent can not be fully described here. As I reflect on them now, I am filled with deep gratitude for friends and family who are examples to me of God's great love.

I challenge anyone reading this to cherish each part of their days - good, bad, awesome, terrible or otherwise, and rest in a place of gratitude for all that you do have.

All of the love.

As promised yesterday, lots of picture updates on what I was up to the end of last month + so far this month! Lots of pictures of course, so enjoy sharing life with me :)

Since today is Valentine's Day, I also couldn't help but share this adorable video!

Love,

Kyla

Picture + Update Time

 End of January = Youth trips like crazy! Took high schoolers on a Ski Trip up to Wisconsin - SO COLD - see picture below. Also got to take 8th Graders on a retreat to talk about our sexuality, great kids, AWESOME weekend!

Sr. Youth Ski Trip

After the 8th Grade Retreat, I drove straight up to Chicago for our Mid-Year Intern Gathering! This meant getting to see Adam again (3 times in one month was just amazing.). Bummer is that he came down with the flu the first day were there...He has since recovered, but it was a rough end of January for him!

Our date to Urgent Care

After Mid-Year was over, there was some down time, Adam was feeling a little better, so we spent time with one of our close friends - Ryan, who is also an intern. My last Thursday of January started with the two of them making me breakfast and only went up from there! Went on a Brewery tour and a Distillery tour. Fun stuff!

Brewery Tour

Distillery Tour

Very end of January into the beginning of February

WEDDING ADVENTURES!!!!!!! 

*If you're a guy reading this, I won't be offended if you skip reading this part

While up in Chicago, I worked to make the most of being back in a city I love + where almost all of our wedding vendors are located. Visited our caterer, interviewed a handful of DJs, stopped by our reception site to go over a few decorating details in person, went to the hotel for our guests to talk through details again in person not over the phone which was so nice, finalized our ceremony location, and met with a florist. (I also got to spend quality time at 2 favorite coffee places - Caribou & Blue Max!). WHEW. Spent Wednesday afternoon/evening, all of Friday, and Saturday morning on Wedding related everything, I LOVED IT. 

Seriously. Being a bride is so much fun and planning big party for all our family & friends to celebrate Adam & I getting married is just exciting beyond words. :)

I. love. wedding. planning.

Back to the real world.

After being gone and out of town for most of January, it is nice to settle back into some normal routine and not have to live out of a suitcase for a while! January did bring about the death of my last fish AND a plant I got last fall, so that was a little rough...but life goes on!

February living.

February St. Louis Adventures...so far

Found a fun Mexican place downtown that serves delicious Margaritas! Had a lovely girl's night last week that was MUCH needed - it seemed like I hadn't seen any St. Louis friends in forever!

Most recently, last weekend Kevin, Jordan, and I spent the better part of Saturday at St. Louis Mardi Gras. We did lots of walking, watched some of the parade, and even managed to run into some of our other friends who were downtown too! Fun day! I am thankful that I have great friends to explore with :)

Newest life event coming up - another Half Marathon!

I signed up for this race at the end of last year, but with everything going since Christmas, it has kinda been on the back of my radar. But needless to say, I am REALLY excited to run another Half Marathon. I had such a great time running my first one in October. This time, Kevin is going to run too, so I am excited to get to run with him for his first half!!! April 7th is the official race date, so if you are around St. Louis that day, I appreciate fans :)

#CONNECT

Once upon a time, I updated my blog consistently. Ha. 

To catch up on life, I added a bunch of pictures to the end of this post that are in chronological order from the last time I blogged through today :)

Over the past couple of weeks, I have sat in many an airport and on many a plane which has provided wonderful time for reflection. Most recently, as in this past week, I was out in California for a NADCE Conference. NADCE (National Associate of Director's of Christian Education) is the professional organization that supports DCEs & church workers who are serving children, youth, adults...etc in a variety of ministry settings. The conference was a great time - if you're a DCE & weren't there, you honestly missed out! 

However, travels in general + the end of one year and the start of another + the theme of this past week's conference (#CONNECT, John 15:15-17), have all lead to the following reflection:

What a joy it is, in my life, to realize the many different people, different ways, and different places God has connected me to this past year - and how much I look forward to the different ways, people, and places He will connect me to this upcoming year. 

If any of you are like me, often times it feels like life/work/family/friends...etc are incredibly too busy and too crazy. Just thinking about my upcoming week, it would be easy to feel way overwhelmed. I even know that lots of my friends lives look crazy since they are currently looking to start new jobs, planning weddings, waiting to find out if they are staying at internships, finishing school, waiting to hear back about jobs or if they made it into grad schools, or living away from family for the first time, and to really list everything out like that just makes it all seem almost ridiculously stressful. But to step back from the lists and the anticipation of the what ifs - is to step into the arms of a Heavenly Father who didn't design any of us to have to go through all of the daily craziness that makes up our lives alone. He made us and chose us to be in relationship with Him and through that relationship with each other. 

The theme verse from the conference I was just at was John 15:15-17:

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."

To realize that we are part of God's plan, and chosen to LOVE people - take a minute and reflect on the different places that you know anyone from. If you write each place on a piece of paper and circle it, then start to write down names of people you know from that place, and write down ways that that place has changed you or things you have learned from that connection...very quickly your paper will become filled and messy, as you remember names and events, and you start to see that there is so much to the story of your life every day. 

I pray that as this new year, 2013, unfolds that you all may be encouraged by knowing that even if everyday our lives will probably be hectic or seem to busy or even that tomorrow may look too uncertain - that means that each of us is connected to so many people & places, that our lives are filled with that much more opportunity to love them. May you seek joy in the connections you already have, and look forward to whatever new connections this year is guaranteed to bring for all of us.

Love,
Kyla

P.S. As of today it is 201 days until Adam & I get married (AWESOME!)

December through today on picture fast-forward:

Early December - one of my best friends and Maid of Honor - Valerie came to town for a fun girls weekend! 

Got in lots of sight-seeing/STL exploring AND picked out bridesmaid dresses for my wedding!

Some of our exploring included a trip to Candy Cane Lane & Frozen Custard from Ted Drewes

Valerie, Jordan, and I checked out the Soulard Farmers Market on Saturday morning of her visit - we even got filmed for a Discovery Channel TV Show while we were there! (the upper right picture is of the set!)

Pictures from enjoying an evening out at a Dueling Piano Bar - very cool!

Maid of Honor, Bride, and Best Man - winning!

Did a mini-brew tour before Valerie left. Toured Schlafly's Bottleworks & Anheuser Busch!

Holidays & Start of a New Year = lots of me traveling.

Enjoyed a very White Christmas with my family in Maryland, including Adam who flew in late Christmas night!

Part of a photo project I made for my parents as a Christmas present this year - worked on this since the beginning of November so it was SO exciting for Christmas to finally be here!

Since we are together sporadically throughout the year, we fit in another registry adventure after Christmas. This time my Mom came with us and helped us conquer Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

Post-Christmas, it was time to celebrate friends Kate & Jon getting married! This is from the night of their Rehearsal & dinner

Kate's wedding day! Getting ready!! (My hair and bridesmaid bouquet are the two pictures on the right)

Kate & Jon's Reception :) Held at Top of the Town - a penthouse that overlooked all of Washington DC. AWESOME view!

I caught the bouquet! YESSSS.

Adam & I with the new Mr. and Mrs. Reimer!! So excited for them :)

After Christmas and Kate's wedding - Adam & I headed to Indiana to ring in the New Year with his family (including Allison and John in from Japan!!) and Kevin & Jordan! Happy 2013!!!

Being together. Couldn't ask for more!

Yup, not one but TWO registries started during this break. For our Target adventure, Andrew, Allison, and John were brave enough to accompany us :)

Back in STL for a couple of days after the New Year - Kevin's sister Stephanie was in town for a visit, so I got to spend time at City Museum playing! (Most random part of our trip was getting to roast marshmallows outside at the museum's campfire they had going!)

More flying adventures - this time to Irvine, California for the NADCE 2013 Conference. Flew over the Grand Canyon on the way out - very awesome!!!

Got to see most of my fellow DCE Interns! Our last night in CA, we throughly were tourists and sat outside for the sake of enjoying eating at a table that literally had a fire in the middle of it. AWESOME.

Taking a successful picture with the fire was slightly challenging - as these pictures prove :)

Fun night & great week all being reunited :)

Seeing Adam, my fiancé and Ryan, one of our best friends - priceless.

John 15:15-17. NADCE 2013 Conference. Worship led by Kip Fox.