let the wedding festivities begin!

no, not mine silly. been there, done that! 

however, our sweet friend is getting married in less than TWO months! how insane is that?! i can still remember finding out her fiance, B, was going to pop the question and (im)patiently waiting for her phone call! i was so excited for her! she is marrying a wonderful man and he is probably one of the luckiest guys i know. ya know, besides stan of course...

well, last saturday the wedding festivities officially began! she had her first bridal shower. unfortunately, i had to work until 3:00 and i missed out on a super fun game involving photobooth props (i'm a sucker for those) but the shower was beautiful and i had a good time for the last half of it! she got tons of great stuff to stock their new home together.

a couple weekends ago, they stopped by our place to pick up a key. if you haven't put two and two together, they are the couple who moved in to our apartment complex only a couple buildings over from us. and stan is officiating their big day! anyway, carli was talking about how she wanted to start collecting random dishes and i couldn't help but show her my beauties i have collected since christmas. it's not a huge collection, but it's getting there. ironically, braden was totally on board. you see, b doesn't have any dishes from his bachelor days and carli used china she got from her grandmother as her every day dishes. b was NOT a huge fan of that. so much that he gave carli free reign to start her own collection! lucky gal ;)

of course we had to take a trip to anthro to start stocking her kitchen with cute dinnerware! here she is opening up the gifts i got her. pictured is a super cute apron i picked out for her!

 

so cute that i wanted to purchase one for myself too! i'm a sucker for stripes these days ;)

and here's a photo of me and my 20-week belly with the guest of honor! thanks carli for posting these photos on facebook so i can steal them! 

Cinco de Mayo, her sweet mom is hosting a wedding crafting party to help make the wedding and reception decor. i love crafting so this is right up my alley! i am so excited!! 

can. not. wait! 53 days until they walk down the aisle!!!

oh, and just so i can give my amazing husband some cred, he did let me purchase an apron for myself. and a kitchen timer. and a new potholder and glove. i know, he's pretty darn awesome! and a sucker for making me happy :) i love him!

perfect night with good friends

anniversary #1

june 6, 2009 marked the completion of our FIRST year as husband and wife and our FIFTH year together! it has been a wonderful year and it just went by so fast. we celebrated with a delicious steak dinner from randy’s steakhouse in frisco. after dinner we went home, popped open the wine our good friend rachel nanney bottled for us for our wedding present (which was oh so good!) and watched our wedding video. we didn’t get our video until a week before our anniversary and i wanted to wait just one more week to make the occasion that much more special, so it was the VERY FIRST TIME we watched it. we cried. both of us! it was so wonderful to get to relive the most special day in our lives thus far…especially since we remember our wedding day as a blurry haze of events!




and because our vows were so important to me (i’m sure they were important to him too!) i want to share them with you!

i, julie, take you, stan, to be my wedded husband. with deepest joy i come into my new life with you. as you have pledged to me your life and love, so i too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. just like the church in her relationship to Christ, so i will be to you stan, i will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so i will strengthen, help and comfort, and encourage you. honoring God by His spirit through the word, i pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife.



Oh, how often i fall short of this covenant i made! but everyday i strive to take one step closer to being the wife i know i’m meant to be and stan deserves. and i am so thankful i have a group of girls who isn’t afraid to call me out when they see that i’m not holding up my end of the covenant. true friendship is a gift from God and i am so blessed that i have found it in these girls!