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 :)

Encouragement.

Hello February! WHAT?!

I am not quite sure how we are already 44 days in this year, but here we are. January was a busy month of traveling for me, which brought many blessings and opportunities for ministry (High School Ski Retreat & 8th Grade Retreat) and to see people I love (NADCE + Mid-year meetings for DCE Interns back at college). Because of being out of town so much though, I feel like February is coming out of no where and its kinda knocking me back a bit.

I don't know if any of you ever feel stressed or discouraged, but I would be willing to bet that I cannot alone in these feelings. Partly I know that for me, the extra stress I have been feeling as of late has to do with being out of routine - physically and spiritually. Yay for being human. One day out of routine and it just becomes that much harder to jump back into it. Thankfully, I have a forgiving fiancé when I am way too cranky at the end of day and dear friends who challenge me to not settle for stress when God's word is at my fingertips.

So today, I am thankful. Simply put its great encouragement to me all the various ways God finds to show me His love daily. This does not mean all stress in my life right now has just vanished or anything, but it does mean that I can be thankful I do not face any day alone. 

I hope that if any of you reading this are experiencing stress or discouragement or whatever really, that you can be in some way encouraged today. Jump into God's word, spend time talking to a good friend over coffee, take a walk outside, breath deeply and be thankful for another day...you get the idea - know you are not alone in how you feel :)

Love,
Kyla

Coming tomorrow: A Valentine, a wedding planning update & some pictures from end of January & beginning of February adventures!

#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.