the babbling bride.

Seems like blogging hasn't been entertaining enough to hold my attention since last February, over a year ago..hmm.

So here I am, thought it'd be fun to ramble and rave about all the exciting, challenging, overwhelming, amazing and outrageous things that have been happening lately.

I'm waist deep in wedding planning, almost there with only 79 days left!

Today Sam & I put in an application to get an apartment! Which it's kind of surreal to think about. Me and my adorable husband, just the two of us, living together! :) Hopefully we get our cute, cozy, little one bedroom on the third floor. We'll find out next week if we can get it!

As of yesterday we finished our registries, finally! After a ridiculous experience of being talked into registering for fine china and silver and coming home an hour later, realizing we already have a collection of very pricey things that we actually need on our registries and I proceeded to remove it from my list online. And I found that the bright and versatile budget friendly dishes and utensils as target are far more my style and are filled with the colors that make my heart happy. So take that you Lenox Fine China, you're beautiful, but not for me.
(I'd much rather have every Kitchen Aide creation that comes in Butter Cream Yellow.)

I find it kind of funny that my post from a year ago states that I want to make things and feed my creative hunger. Because now I have more projects than I think I can handle. I've got photo booths to create, invitations to make, programs to design and make, chalkboards to make, decorations to put together and a list of other small things. It's all wonderful, fun stuff, there's just so much. But I am so thankful to have friends who are going to help me! This weekend with the help of two of my very best friends Angela & Alli, I'm sure we'll get a handful of stuff knocked out.

In the midst of all of the insanity of wedding planning, working, having melt downs, drinking coffee, eating too much, not getting enough sleep, eating nothing but cereal all day and seeing my diligent fiance's nursing school books get bigger and bigger, I am so overwhelmed by the goodness of God. He has been faithful to provide so much for us during this season. I can't even begin to tell you how many people have become so committed to helping make our wedding day a beautiful dream. And I know that no matter what happens, because of the sweet grace and kindess of God, I will marry Samuel Dunlop, my best friend, my dream come true, my dearest love, on May 21st, 2010.

I want to be creative, I want to sew things. I want to make skirts all flowy and comfortable and pretty. I want to know how to sew clothes and curtains and bags!
I want to finish my many knitting projects I have started.....
I want to bake things and give them to all the people I love.
I want to fill all the empty frames in my room with pictures of all my favorite people.
But after school today all I did was sit on the couch and watch "Little House on the Prairie"

One day, hopefully soon, I will be creative!

"Grace gave what truth demanded "

I'm not very good at posting on here. Part of me thinks that I want to be better at it, usually when I read the well updated blogs of people like Alli and Vanessa. But I just don't really think I ever will. I don't know why.

I just read The Grace and Truth Paradox by Randy Alcorn in the past few hours(not a great feat, it's a small book). After an overwhelming day, sitting by a fire, drinking vanilla soy hot cocoa, eating fresh peanut butter cookies and learning about the glories of our Savior is very refreshing! Our church is diving deeply into how Grace and Truth work together. And how Grace is just as important as truth! Alcorn says "Neither is sufficient." "Grace and Truth meet at the Cross."
I am so refreshed and amazed by the beauty of truth and grace working in sync with each other in my life. Just today, I was overwhelmed by my sinfulness and my inability to change. Then I was reminded of the Grace that flows freely, releasing me from the need to perform and changing my heart and giving me the strength and desire to change! It blows me mind how Christ is 100% truth and 100% grace. That he would sit with prostitutes and thieves, not to accept their sin, but to show love, to show grace and in that speak the truth of the power of sin and the danger of hell! I'm now learning that the TRUTH of our depravity before the throne of the Holy God does not stand alone, but it causes us to rejoice in the GRACE freely given to us that we may now approach the throne without blemish!
I am so thankful for my Mom and Sam who both specifically spoke the truth with grace to me today! The way they cared for me today was such an example of bringing these two powerful words together! Grace and Truth!

I am also aware of God's faithfulness to give me grace to be at school again. I'm so thankful for good professors and easy classes and the peace that comes with knowing that this is where God has called me to be in this season. And am sure that He will continue to provide clarity as to what I should pursue as time goes on.

So, 2009 is shaping up to be a pretty good year so far. The first month has started things off pretty swell, particularly in the visit from Ang, Alli and Steven and celebrating Sam's birthday at Magic Kingdom! :) Now if only I could have some warm weather, than I would be truly happy. (just kidding really, I can be content and rejoice even when I'm FREEZING!)

I'm going to continue to distract myself while my family watches The Office. It's rare that my family catches it while its on TV and Sam is so kind to always wait for me to watch it later (though he has to choice because he's at work tonight). So now I'm waiting for him so we can watch it together. (Sweet...I know)
Oooh and speaking of The Office, I officially own Season 4 on Dvd, which means I can study and practice my Office Trivia and be even more prepared to outdo Emily in vast Office Knowledge and Quotes!

I made a funny Obama comment that I thought was pretty clever and true the other night (until someone else brilliantly thought of the same thing at CG the other night...). But as I'm writing this I'm feeling convicted of what I read today from Al Mohler's blog http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=3113
I'm learning respect and pray for the man that God has appointed as leader of this country!

Reflecting on the year

2008 has come and gone. What the heck, so quickly?

Last night Sam and I were talking about everything that has happened in this past year. And looking back, it was a pretty intense year. Lots of exciting things, lots of big changes, lots of opportunities to grow. I began the year as a young new "adult" all officially able to play the lotto and such. (I think this year of my life has been filled with more changes than most.)Here are some highlights (well, and a few...low lights, I guess you'd call them)

• I bough my very own car in January. And thank the Lord it has served me pretty well this past year.
• went back to school (dual enrolling) after taking a semester off for my "home making internship"
  
• Took a senior trip to Busch Gardens with *most* of the class of '08
  
• Finding out that Jenny and Dad were expecting a baby!
• Preparing like crazy for New Attitude, Graduation and Quint's birth!
• Taking a road trip to New Attitude! (and praying that I wouldn't miss Quint coming!)
• After NA going right into Graduation mode and GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL! (hoping Quint wouldn't be born during Graduation)
  
• (Wondering when the heck Quint was going to be born...)And then finally the birth of my new baby brother Quint McGregor Santos!
• Watching my Golden Retriever Gabe get sick and having to put him down. ;(
  
• Dad and Jenny's wedding!
  
• Dad, Jenny and Quint moving to California. :(
• Road trip across FL (well, St Pete and Miami) with Khrysten!
  
• Starting my first full time semester in college.
  
• Finding out that I'm allergic to Dairy. *unfortunate*
  
• Sam and I starting our Courtship!!!
• Going to see Cold play! (On my list of things to do before I die...haha)
  
• Going on my first date with Sam. (Last week. ;))
  
• Turning 19. :)
  

This year was wonderful to be sure, it had some very hard times, and some exceptionally wonderful times! A crazy year of the crazy transition into "adulthood", from celebrating birthdays to seeing friends start courtships, some engaged, and then beginning a courtship myself! Through it all I am amazed at the faithfulness and sovereignty of God in every area of my life. At the beginning of 2008, I like every other year, carried worries and concerns, only to see how God provided, protected and changed me through this year! It makes me excited and so overwhelmingly aware of His sustaining Grace as I enter a new year! No matter the challenges that are ahead, God has been faithful, He will be again, His loving compassion, it knows no end! All I have need of, His hand will provide, He's always been faithful to me!

I always without fail cry my face off when I watch Little Women and It's a Wonderful Life.

I watched both of those movies today, wow.

I've been tagged too! :)(By Angela!)

Nicole, Khrysten and I on the way to Abbott's 16th Birthday in August of 2007. We took the Black and White theme to the extreme. :)

Now I tag five more people (who hopefully haven't been tagged yet :D): Sarah Davis, Katelyn Merwin, Alyssa Merwin, Vanessa Fernandez and Chelsea Courson!


The Rules: go to Your Pictures file go to the 5th folder open up the 5th picture and post it then tag 5 people when you are done.

I know what you're doing to me boy, You move so fast like a psychopathic color TV

Today is Thanksgiving! My house smells really good right now, I want to eat!

Two days ago I got my first hair cut in 6 months. I think that was a record for me.

Nolan and I broke the family rule to not watch or listen to anything Christmas until Thanksgiving day, and we watched Elf two nights ago...but we justified it as it was the 25th and it was exactly one month until Christmas.

I don't know if I'd encourage my Children believe in Santa Clause.

My brother is AMAZING he just made a beautiful, HOME MADE apple pie!

I love listening to Magic 107.7 and screaming when my favorite Christmas songs come on.

Tonight we are going to the Cork's and eating Thanksgiving dinner with lots of my favorite people.

Last night Sam, Nolan, Hayley and I went on an adventure walking on the beach in the cold.

As of yesterday Sam and I have been courting for 2 months! He left a card at work for me yesterday because he is just incredibly sweet like that.

I have no idea how or what I'm going to do for Christmas gifts for my family this year.

Last week I went to spend the day with Angela and Alli. It was beautiful, refreshing day. I am so blessed by them!

I'm going to be 19 in less than a month!

I see the light at the end of the tunnel, school is almost OVER!

I can't wait to watch "Miracle on 34th street" (the original!) with Nolan, Hayley and Sam today.

Tomorrow My papa, My mom and I are all off and will be home together! That NEVER happens these days. I'm so excited! And we're going to get our Christmas Tree and decorate the house! Then tomorrow night, we will watch one of the greatest movies of all time. "It's a wonderful life". We are very specific in planning out when we watch our Christmas movies. It's a big tradition.

I'm going to call my Daddy in California...

Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas time" just came on. Yes! :)