In anticipation of the Big Day

My dad, ready to welcome you to the Bloomington :)

Last week my dad conceded to go to the tux store to be measured, which was probably as momentous for him as me going to try on wedding dresses!

Then, Grace Church (where my parents attend and where we will be married) organized an amazing wedding shower the Sunday before I left. I couldn't believe how many people were there, and was really blessed by everyone's encouragement and support. Here are a few pictures:


So, the wedding is really coming--soon! I'm so grateful for all the people around us who are encouraging, advising, and helping us through this significant transition!

Wisconsin Dells

Last week Bob and I went to the Wisconsin Dells to rendezvous with some of my relatives that were on vacation there. The Wisconsin Dells are (is?) a unique tourist phenomenon-- mostly a getaway for midwesterners who want somewhere close to relax for a few days. Here are a few pictures:

Grilling s'mores with my cousin Calli's adorable kids

The newest Dell's attraction--The White House, upside-down

We went hiking at Mirror Lake State Park, and saw several interesting webs/nests made by insects. There is a large spider inside on the left of the one below, and she appeared to be carrying a large egg sac. I love the variety in God's creation!

Planning

When we got engaged, we said that we wanted to be intentional about planning for the marriage, and not just for the wedding. The wedding is a significant ceremony, but if we haven't looked farther than that day, we're in real trouble. We are trying to balance both, and also remember to live life now, in addition to being in a phase where we are consumed with preparing for something.

Our friend Augustine, a pastor from Rwanda studying at Fuller, took us to a park last week and imparted marriage advice for a few hours. In the picture below he is giving an object lesson--he dropped a vitamin in a glass of water that fizzes and dissolves like alka-selzer. We watched until it completely dissolved--the two individual entities disappear to form a different third entity.


This week we are in IL, preparing for the wedding. Registering, tux shopping, meeting with the photographer, etc. Here we are in an aisle at Target trying out some chairs:

Pentecost Sunday

Two weeks ago was Pentecost Sunday, and we really enjoyed the way that Knox Presbyterian Church (where we attend in Pasadena) celebrated, so I thought I would share a few pictures.

The sanctuary had balloons on both ends of the pews, which gave the place a very festive feel. In the service, they had several people who were fluent in different languages quote John 3:16. The languages were very diverse: dutch, chinese, kinyarwanda, spanish, arabic, and English! The person speaking in the picture below is our friend Augustine from Rwanda:

And, as a souvenir, everyone got to take home a red balloon, which the kids especially enjoyed. :)
Neither Bob nor I grew up in churches that celebrated Pentecost, so we are grateful to participate in a church that follows the church calendar, so that we get a chance to focus on significant events like the filling of the Holy Spirit in the early Christians. Did you get to celebrate?