{ 2009, in Photos and Words ~ Part I }

{ January }

In January, Grandma Winnie {my Mom's mom} went home to Jesus. It was relief to know that she was free from her suffering. One of the odd things about funerals is that they often bring together people you love who are still alive, but don't see often enough. People like my sweet cousin Julie, her baby Eli, and Julie's grandma {my "other" grandma} Verla.

{ February }

{Back, L - R: Grace, Liz, Megan, Hyemi, Aspen. Front, L - R: Jenn, Sarah, me}

The community group {fancy name for Bible study} where Mike and I met has grown from one group to four, and every few months all four groups gather for a Big Family Get-Together. In February, my three roommates and I {we met in the original group and still attend sister groups} hosted the BFGT. It was a houseful of chaos!

{ March }

On Sunday, March 26, 2009--the one-year anniversary of our first date--Mike asked me to marry him. At sunset. On a pier lined with hundreds of candles and red roses. The same pier where we danced on our first date. Oh, it was Epic. Someday I will tell you the whole story.

{ April }

I turned 26 on April 18, and Mike {with the help of my sneaky roommates} threw me a surprise party. At my house. I had no clue. It was awesome, and not just because it was my first surprise party. I had so much fun, and only took two pictures. Both of the amazing flower-cupcake-cake my roommie Kristi made. There's a reason we asked her to make all the cupcakes for our wedding!


{ May }

Dozens of inner envelopes for our wedding invitations, carefully hand-stamped and laid out to dry on the dining room floor. The majority of the effort you put in to planning a wedding doesn't come to fruition till the wedding day; I think that's part of the reason I really enjoyed the physical work of stamping invitations and envelopes and seeing the results in front of me.


My roommate Lizett also celebrated her birthday in May. The culmination of her birthday party was an evening spent with a group of friends at our house, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and singing songs to Jesus. It was a beautiful, happy, mellow evening that so perfectly exemplifies Liz's love for her Savior.


{ June }

Chelle, Anna, and my roommates threw me a bridal shower that was the fullness of beauty. It was perfect. I still have a hard time convincing myself that the above photo was my bridal shower and not a Martha Stewart photo shoot!