The Biggest Life Update Ever So Far

Where can I even begin to catch up on what's been going on since I last wrote??

First of all, THIS LITTLE LADY IS MARRIED!

(The gorgeous, gorgeous photography is all thanks to Lauren Schumacher Photography. She is so talented and so much fun!)

Hoooooooolyyyyyyyyy guacamole. I just can't believe it finally happened. The final countdown happened so stinking fast that it would be scary unless you are as sure as I was/am that you were doing the exact right thing. As soon as Darin arrived we were getting our marriage license, packing more things, bachelorette partying, setting up the church, and rehearsal dinner-ing our last single days away. It was so busy but so much fun. Not to mention I have the most helpful friends and family who were all over the place helping get things on the right track and making sure I did not go fruit loops. Which I did not! Success!

First of all, I seriously had the best bachelorette party ever. It was so laid back and fun without being gross in the slightest (NO, I did NOT see Magic Mike, for the last time!). We went to this awesome place in Baldwin Park where you make your own chocolates and had the best time. You can cover all kinds of crazy things with chocolate on a conveyor belt or fill truffles with fun flavors -- I kind of wish I could work there now.

We got to wear some neato paper hats! I look like a 4 year old.

We then headed back to my friend and maid of honor Heather's house for baked potatoes for a great dinner, and then drove out to Universal CityWalk for the night, ending up at a dueling piano bar, which was so fun! They did a great job, and even sang a little "going to the chapel" song for me! :) Lots of crazy drunk college guys there for a 21st birthday congratulated me, haha. We hit up a Latin dancing club there afterwards for a brief bit, before deciding we lacked the skills needed and were tired.

Everything about the wedding experience went so great. The rehearsal dinner at my parents' house was so laid back and fun, and everyone loved the homemade pizza (and Dickeson family recipe drank of course). Slumber partying with my friends before the wedding was so good, especially since those chicas are a little far away now. :( And before I knew it I was downing a yogurt and speeding to my hair appointment. Note to everyone smart: don't forget a button-down shirt. This n00b had to cut off her t-shirt to avoid ruining the hair. Luckily USF lost the game it was from so it isn't a huge tragedy.

As I anticipated from everyone else's wise words, the wedding was a huge blur. Everything happened so fast that it felt fake. Thus, nothing really felt too serious or intense and I never felt the urge to tear up once, even though my sweet groom got a little misty-eyed! I felt bad because I on the other hand had a huge case of nervous giggles and had to hold them in as I walked down the aisle, stood up there and said all my vows -- and then did actually laugh when my dad's phone rang twice while officiating the ceremony and when our cute baby niece/flower girl Drew was babbling away during the wedding -- and before I could blink I was walking back down as a wifey arm-in-arm with my boo! So crazy. We had to hustle to the park for pictures, and then hustle back so everyone could eat Tijuana Flats, and then hustle down to dance and cut the cake, and then after dancing a bit, hustle as my mom pushed us out the door to be sent off through the cloud of bubbles into the getaway car (GO GRANNY CAMRY!) and off!... to finish packing at my house before hitting up the Hilton at Universal.

It was so much fun, and so laid-back. It was the kind of wedding meant for a Lara. Nothing was too serious, little mistakes were funny and not devastating, and I think everyone had fun. I felt like it was a success when my photographer messaged me to say that this was her favorite wedding so far to shoot because everyone was so nice and had a spirit of fun and excitement all day. Yay!

(Again, go Lauren Schumacher Photography!)

I have to insert my little two cents about the wedding budget. Everything turned out gorgeous and fun and for a lot less than some people will spend. Here were our vendors and stores, which all turned out amazingly!

• Dress -- JCPenney (yes, it's really a wedding dress, I promise!)
• Venue -- North Park Baptist Church
• Catering -- Tijuana Flats
• Photography -- Lauren Schumacher Photography
• Florist -- Sheridan Flower Shop
• Cake -- Sam's Club (haha it was a 15 coconut cake) and a good friend Becca made some delicious cupcakes
• DJ -- mwahaha my iPod and my brother
• Officiant -- my pops and Darin's dad
• Bridesmaids dresses -- Forever21, Nordstrom, Express
• Groomsmen outfits -- JCPenney, Etsy for the ties

It was a super fun day but I am glad it's over and that we're getting into married life now!

Our honeymoon was also a blast, booked with the gracious help of our friend (and Darin's sister's mother-in-law) Deb, who has some skills with travel agent business. We went to Captiva Island, Florida at the South Seas Plantation Resort for a week and it was just lovely and so fun. Darin and I went on a dolphin cruise and saw tons of cute dolphins jumping around in the wake, ate at some fancy and exorbitantly expensive restaurants, rode a jetski (which was so scary for me... Darin drives fast), kayaked in the Gulf, tanned a lot and beach walked/swam/etc. 

Just the Instagram version of some of our adventures! :) We had a great time but we're happy to be home, especially after this beast of a trip...

But 18 straight hours later (and LOTS of being bored driving through Ohio at 2 a.m. haha), we are home sweet home in Michigan and are happy as ever. It's definitely a task getting our house to be cozy and set up the way that works best for us, and also me unlearning my Florida driving ways to become a true Michigander with the doodly Michigan lefts. But it's worth it for the nights spent so far game night-having and hookah-smoking and ice cream-getting with friends and going to giant family gatherings. And spending some gift cardage at Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond. 

Life with the D has been the best adventure so far.

More later as stuff goes on! Love, Lara

Invisible Warring

In case you didn't know, it's just ONE WEEK until my wedding! Technically less, actually, because it is midnight now and therefore a week from the first day of our honeymoon. :) I can't believe it. The past  six-ish months have been so long and so short at the same time, truly a phenomenon of physics.

One thing is for certain: I never want to look at another pinwheel again.

Or program. Or tablecloth. Or iTunes (still not done with my own wedding music!).

Wedding stuff is seriously getting poopy now. I am burned out for sure. Every day has mostly been comprised of me and my parents doing wedding-related shopping, crafting, planning, freaking out, and other activities. I barely see any of my friends, mostly because the majority of them are not in Orlando at present but also just due to me being busy and them having lives. I keep being left around 10 p.m. to yet another night of Frasier reruns. Don't get me wrong, Frasier is my favorite television show ever -- there just comes a point where you are ready for a little more jazz going on in life around that time than Kelsey Grammer.

The stress and boredom that comes with cutting out programs on a $6 paper cutter all day manifests in ways that aren't good. I find myself getting more irritable a lot faster. When my neck hurts and I've messed up a handful and need to print more, I feel more fussy. That collides with my interactions with Darin, who is also very busy with work and other things, leaving both of us exhausted throughout the day. I take his busyness and tiredness as him nonverbally saying, "You're not that important to me. I don't want to talk to you," rather than "You are so important to me, I am just really tired right now and can't talk long." The continued frustration of having less and less quality time with him as the wedding draws near makes the occasion all the more frustrating! It seems illogical, but it's hard to plunk down and DIY more and more for your wedding when you are worried your groom isn't really that excited to be with you himself.

Stewing in feelings of sadness, it hit me like a ton of bricks tonight as I was washing my face: SPIRITUAL WARFARE, CHICA. That is the connector between everything else. Satan is a master deceiver and wants God's children to feel uneasy and frustrated when huge events that glorify God approach. There are so many little opportunities for him to do his work, from conflating small issues into mountains of irritation for me in wedding planning, to twisting my interactions with Darin into visions of rejection and loneliness. Getting married and becoming one is a huge day of joy in the Christian kingdom because it honors God's plan for starting families and doing ministry as a permanent team, embodying the love Jesus has for his people! Why is it a big surprise that Satan would be so interested in meddling with a bride the week of her wedding?

What encourages me to consider is that he does this because we are moving towards something that is God's exciting plan for us, one that we are so grateful and overjoyed to take. There isn't a doubt in my mind that I am doing what I am meant to do. I am getting married to not only a godly and strong man, but also one who is my best friend! Realizing how much he means to me and how much our union pleases God and should point to Him combats the lies that want to take hold of my life as the wedding gets closer. It's important to pray for the strength to say no to untruth and withstand the temptation to have an outburst that I will regret later.

Believe that God is good.
Believe that He loves you.
Believe that the people He's given you in life love you, too.

I am hoping that this message is more firmly anchored into my heart. It's the weapon I need to fight these invisible wars and be the victor in enjoying this last week before I marry the love of my life and start my brand new life by his side!

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

Love, Lara

P.S. THANK YOU LORD THAT THIS LONG DISTANCE IS ENDING. I SERIOUSLY HATE IT ABOUT AS MUCH AS I HATE THE DEVIL. IT IS NOT GOOD.

10...9...8...

Umm... SURPRISE!

YAY!!!!

I can't believe it. This past month and a half have really flown like crazy. From back on December 22nd when we got engaged, through the months of my final semester at USF, it never seemed to get any closer. Until now, that is! When you can say you're getting married in less than 10 days you know it's on!

I am so blessed, and am taking time tonight to lay out these blessings before the Lord in prayer and thank Him for every single one. It's just so incredible. The littlest things are so wonderful. I am rejoicing in how Darin is such a great uncle -- he made dinner for his (and soon to be my) nieces and nephew, and took them to get ice cream and a movie rental. They come over and swim and hang out at our house now. Might I mention that I'm jealous I can't be there for that yet? But I seriously can't get over how I am marrying the best guy in the world. Gosh. He just jazzes up my life so much. 

Something I am also so deeply grateful for, that a lot of people can't claim for themselves, is my amazing in-law family. I am the luckiest girl ever. You hear people you know vent about how their mother-in-law is always meddling in their business, and how their brother-in-law keeps borrowing money, and other nightmare tales. I am actually so excited for the family I am joining soon! They are fun, laid-back, and so easy to be around and get along with. They joke around and spend a lot of time together, something I like since I don't live near any of my aunts or uncles or grandparents. They've been so gracious in hosting me and keeping me company when Darin is at work, haha. They put so much time and effort into the bridal shower they threw in Michigan, which was so fun despite the mishaps! I am proud to be taking their last name soon! :)

And, let's not forget, I am thankful for people willing to help out in getting this wedding shindig on the road. My friends (and Mom, of course) offering to help me spray paint, hot glue, tie ribbons, hole punch, and myriad other things are keeping me sane and giving me company during the most mundane of tasks. I have some sweet hookups for parts of the wedding, such as a great friend from church named Becca who is taking care of our cupcakes, and my Mammaw for sewing me a garter and the ring pillow among some other things! I am showered with help and company!

The final countdown is on!

Love, Lara

A Fortnight

Two weeks from now, I will be a MARRIED WOMAN. HOLY CRAP. THAT IS REALLY HAPPENING.

It's finally beginning to sink in now that the major issues are being ironed out, and my time is now spent mostly on trips to Hobby Lobby for decorations and going through checklist after checklist for important wedding things, just so I don't forget something monumental.

Today was the third and final bridal shower! It was an absolutely awesome time, spent with my best friends from church growing up in Orlando and their moms, who often were moms to me as well from giving me rides to school to housing me during summer school while my parents went on vacation. It was at the house of some of my favorite three ladies, Ms. Gina, Caitlin, and Elena, who I've known for a ridiculously long time and who are so hospitable and fun. We had some delicious chicken salad sandwiches and Texas sheet cake (yessss ma'am the South will rise again!), and made toilet paper dresses and reminisced about funny stories from times past.

Hotties!! Basically I had the best time catching up with some people that have meant a lot to me for a huge chunk of my life. I wish I could have about forty more showers if it means I can keep seeing everyone over and over.

Completely aside and off topic, I am in love with that dress I got from Forever 21 and the $4 necklace I wore today. Dang. Stylish.

I also feel really great about an awesome Pinterest-inspired idea for our guestbook! This website has some great suggestions for unique guestbooks, and I really liked the idea of using a photo book of our brand spankin' new engagement photos as ours! I didn't feel like spending the $40 for a regular book that I likely won't read often at all, so it made sense to make a book using Picaboo with our engagement photos -- which we were going to make anyways -- but leave space for signatures and messages from our wedding guests! I went with Picaboo because Livingsocial had a deal where I paid $20 for a $60 book! Cha-chiiiiiiing! It should be gorgeous!

Especially because our engagement photos look awesome.

My fabulous and talented friend Kristin did an amazing job and was so much fun to be with as she snapped some very genuine pictures of Darin and me. We really do look like that when we're laughing. We hiked all the heck over Detroit and you will see how fantastic those photos are if you leave us a sweet note at our wedding! :) Shameless plug: she is a great photographer and a great friend!

Well, back to shoulder exercise and mixing our wedding music. Won't be too long now!

Love, Lara

Shower #2

Can you say "coming up fast"!? Dang. 17 days until my love arrives in Florida, and 20 until we become Mr. & Mrs. It needs to feel as soon as it is -- there's a lot to do that I am twiddling my thumbs about! I always work best under pressure but school is probably a little different than my once-in-a-lifetime day of getting married. :|

I had an absolute blast at my second bridal shower in Tampa! This one was focused on the friends I made while I attended USF, whom I met through Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru, btw), dorms, classes, and all kinds of school-tastic things. My roomies/bridesmaids Lauren and Skylar, as well as one of my best friends Katie, all set up that delightful little apartment at the Pointe that I called home for a year to be a proper English tea party. Everything turned out SO FREAKING CUTE. Lauren borrowed a bunch of tea cups and saucers from her grandma and mom, which were gorgeous and legit china. We hung some cute colorful bunting on the wall over our table of foods:

1. My FAVORITE kind of salad: spinach, romaine, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, almonds, feta, and raspberry vinaigrette. Mmmm. I got thirds of it during the shower, haha.
2. Lemon cake with lemon curd filling and vanilla frosting
3. A fabulous strawberry trifle (keeping with being all British and whatnot), which I didn't really use a recipe for. I just got a sweet $3 clear bowl from Ikea and layered cubed pound cake at the bottom, followed by vanilla pudding, then sliced strawberries, and then whipped cream, repeated a few times with a pretty pattern of sliced strawberries at the top. SOOO yummy.
4. Absolutely not negotiable... tea sandwiches! One had sliced cucumber with cream cheese mixed with seasoned salt (just because it was all we had haha), and the other with my signature chicken salad recipe. I love mixing canned chicken with mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard, Craisins, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Delicioso.
5. Of course, the classic Girl Scout Punch, but with some cherry limeade soda we found at Walmart and lime sherbet! Talk about YAY!
6. We also did up some homemade sugar cubes! Follow the directions at this tutorial.

The somewhat last minute favors we concocted were these adorable Ikea cookies with soft chocolate hearts in the middle... take a look here. We got some little Wilton-brand treat bags at Walmart and sealed them shut with yarn. Cute and easy!

It was so much fun catching up with friends, especially some I hadn't seen in a while! We had a memories jar where we got to reminisce about fun stories and such. And, without my knowledge, Skylar and Lauren played their own game where they wrote down what I said while opening presents and later presented it to me as what I will say on my wedding night. I haven't laughed so hard in a while -- watch out Darin! I am even weirder than you suspected all along!

It was the most fun and super fancy day. (I look so much taller than my mom! Yay!) I love my friends and am so glad to party with them before the big day arrives! Thank you guys for your love and good spirits!

Love, Lara

Remember the Joy

Just as with everything in this world, there are hills and valleys. I've definitely been feeling that the past couple of days. I had a great time in Michigan getting our house all set up and spending time with my in-laws-to-be and my boo, and am just so tired of having to fly back home again after all that.

The light at the end of the tunnel is definitely near. If I really stop and think about it, it kind of freaks me out. Less than a month until I get married! I am so ready for this to happen already. We've been planning for months and dealing with long distance for many months more. It's taking its toll on me, and even though I never have to go away to visit Darin and then leave again, it gets harder every time to go back to "normal life" talking on the phone a few times a day and that being all that you have.

I think the hardest part is the somewhat helpful but painful tidbits of marriage advice I keep getting; "There will definitely be hard times." "Getting married doesn't mean you won't ever feel lonely again." "Adjusting to being married can be really frustrating." On top of the pain of being apart, it just brings a little discouragement to dwell on these thoughts, which are 100% true but just not well timed for me. My excitement about getting married is dampened a little when I think that some of the sad things I deal with in a long distance engagement won't forever disappear when Darin and I start living in the same house.

It's always good to be realistic, and know that nothing is perfect. When you get married, you are entering a covenant that isn't always easy to keep and is shared by a sinner, someone who makes mistakes and won't always gel with your ideas and feelings every second of every day. But sometimes, when you have had it with being a thousand miles away, you just need to focus on the joy of your wedding day. Then, you will at least be together -- not just in the same zip code but the same home! You will probably rub each other the wrong way sometimes, or even get into it a little deeper than that, but you'll have so many more of those special and fun moments that you remember fondly when you sit on another flight home from visiting your love. You're starting a new life with your favorite person and best friend, and can count on being with him when new hills and valleys approach.

That promise, founded on how God designed marriage and desires it to be, is what I'm clinging to in this awkward transition time of frantically finishing wedding preparations and growing weary of having to say goodnight and hang up until tomorrow. Marriage is a gift and a joy, and that is what merits mentioning the most!

Love, Lara

Moving to Michigan

So you can probably guess where I am right now! Well, at least partially. I am indeed back in Michigan... in my HOUSE!!!!!!!! GAGAGAGAGA!!!! :)

I mean, our house, but how weird that I can refer to something as my house. I usually called my apartment or dorm of the time my "house" in conversation and people would call me out on that weird habit, but a home is a house and a house is a home to me. But now there is no judgment, people! It is a legit house and it is fly!

Darin and I are in love with this house to the point that it's just silly. I mean, for the price we are paying to rent it, it's amazing. Three bedrooms. Hardwood floors. Huge basement. Pool. Basketball hoop. Yard. Big happy kitchen. Bunnies. (AHH I LOVE BUNNIES! No one else does but me. Typical Florida move.) It is just so nice. And our parents have been ridiculously generous giving us furniture and housewares and helping us set it all up. I am telling you -- this place is swank. I am not usually one to brag, but we are decorating it up nice. I can't wait to have people over for parties when I really live here for good!

We're having so much fun setting up the house and also doing wedding things. Darin's mom and sisters threw a bridal shower that will go down in history as one of the craziest but still fun events of my life. They planned this fabulous afternoon at Mosaic, a really great restaurant in Greektown that Darin's brother-in-law manages, only for the power to go out. For the first time in restaurant memory for them. Who could have planned for that?! Everyone kept remarking on how we were getting a true Detroit experience with things just getting ruined by construction and such, haha. It still worked out totally fine, though. We had a great dinner across the street at Pegasus, where I had my first saganaki and some really ridiculously tasty Greek food, and then cocktails and dessert at Mosaic in the dark. The absence of power worked out fine for me, since it was the perfect temperature for me to be comfy while everyone else thought they were sweating to death -- another typical Florida move. Anyway, it was great re-meeting and spending time with some of Darin's extended family and close friends, as well as some of mine. Even though Darin's aunt forgot the cake that she volunteered to bring -- the never ending joke of the evening that was just too funny -- it was such a fun time that no one will forget, especially me! I had a blast!

And we now have insane numbers of Target gift cards that Darin and I are so pumped to use! :) How do people know us so well??

It's just so crazy how everything is finally coming together. Moments that you've waited for for seemingly forever are happening in a row like BOOM! I have a comfy house at which to arrive when the honeymoon is over, which will be in like... a month. It's so hard to believe. I know there's a lot in this new chapter of life that I am not ready for, whether I realize it yet or not, but God brought this part of my story to pass and has more in store than I can see yet! He knows where my job will be, and how I will fare during my first northern winter (praying for grace now, haha). We will be good stewards of what we have today!

Well, it's time to get ready to go out when Darin comes home from work! My parents have yet to get a tour of the D, so that and dinner at a bar restaurant that Darin got me hooked on at Christmas. Yay! It's a great day in the 313!

Love, Lara

P.S. DISCOVERY: Meijer may just fit the bill for replacing Publix in my life. Now, nothing truly can, because I love their delicious ice cream selections and delightful cooking school samples, and my BOGO sprees. But Meijer has EVERYTHING! And their deals aren't bad -- I got some legit name brand spices on a 10 for $10 deal, and other stuff is randomly half off sometimes. And it's huge, and I got a very cozy Detroit Tigers shirt that I will sleep in and wear out of bed many times. One reassuring part of this move to the mitten is that I can shop with the same joy I had at Club Pub. Sweet. :)

The Humility of "I Do"

Weddings have a lot to do with humility. Ironic, given all the psycho brides on TLC today; weddings provide a great opportunity for women (and also men, a lot of the time) to run away with their pride and make several months increasingly about them until one day is over. But for the average, mostly sane woman getting married, a lot of humility comes into play as well.

Humility tends to be forced on you, but that's just how it goes!

I see more and more how much I am a scatterbrained, forgetful, and accidentally inconsiderate mess as the weeks go on. I had a horrific time trying to figure out bridesmaids, which makes it seem like it's great that I have so many good friends, but really just made me feel bad and mess some things up. Trying to keep the budget in tact has involved a lot of research, hair pulling, and hunching over a table for hours on end tying ribbons and punching corners of card stock for invitations I made on Photoshop by myself. (If you like how they turned out, hire me!!! Hahaha) Little changes in the plans and difficulties communicating what is going on with planning has led to some little snaps at Darin for not reading my mind.

And I've somehow missed sending a few invitations. A "few" isn't very many unless it describes people you know and love and want to make feel welcome and important! How in the world could I have done that?! I cross-checked my list SO MANY FREAKING TIMES THAT I CAN'T EVEN. And yet I get texts every week or so that say, "Hey babe, don't worry, but somehow __________ didn't get an invitation yet." Did I make one in the first place? I thought so! I CHECKED THAT DAGGUM LIST! IT HAS COLOR CODES AND SO MANY HELPFUL FEATURES. But alas, there are people wondering what happened to their invite.

My stress levels make my inner psycho come alive sometimes. I get so worried. Did they think I forgot? Or that I wouldn't invite them at all? Do they think I'm too stupid to stay organized and take care of everything? Do they think I didn't read millions of Martha Stewart wedding etiquette articles on her blog!? I must not even seem high-functioning enough to be married to another human being. (Panicked voice, not snarky voice.)


Humility time!

1. I am a speck of the universe.
2. I can't ruin people's lives or self-esteem with pieces of paper.
3. I am a flawed human being.
4. I am not likely to be the master of my fiance's guest list... full of people I've only met a few times. And with tons of similar names. (Families are like that I guess, haha.)
5. My wedding will be a real life event, not a glamor shoot for a magazine.
6. It's not all about me... it's about glorifying God's way of unifying two people to represent Christ's unity with the church!

BOOM! Can't argue with that! (Ephesians 5:22-33)

Everything in life has a way of pointing back to the gospel. Our goal in everything. And our identities are tied in the Lord, not our ability to keep UPS-worthy records of invitations.

Even if you literally have no earthly clue how it is possible that any could not make their destination.

This wedding will happen and it will be GOOD! I am thankful for humbling experiences to continue reminding me of what the purpose of this wedding is... actually getting married!

Love, Lara

Put a Ring On It

Hanging up the phone with Darin tonight, I just laid on my bed and sighed for a minute. The thought of getting married in a little over two months really struck me as so exciting and thrilling that I just couldn't stand it. I am just so nuts about that guy! I enjoy our time spent chatting on the phone, and am so ready to do that in person. (Or even just spend a few hours sitting around watching TV. Ahh, a relationship luxury that is to come. Haha!)

We are so in the stages still of little butterflies over everything. There's so much new territory with one another in our relationship, having only just met a bit over a year ago. It's so hard to imagine a time where we will be used to each other. Right now I feel like when we're married, I will wake up every morning shocked that there is someone else in my room! Is there really a time where that feels normal?


I just read a really interesting bit from C.S. Lewis that I think sheds some light on this topic of the slowing down of the crazy stages of love:


"People get from books the idea that if you have married the right person you may expect to go on 'being in love' forever. As a result, when they find they are not, they think this proves they have made a mistake and are entitled to a change — not realising that, when they have changed, the glamour will presently go out of the new love just as it went out of the old one. In this department of life, as in every other, thrills come at the beginning and do not last. The sort of thrill a boy has at the first idea of flying will not go on when he has joined the R.A.F. and is really learning to fly. The thrill you feel on first seeing some delightful place dies away when you really go to live there. Does this mean it would be better not to learn to fly and not to live in the beautiful place? By no means. In both cases, if you go through with it, the dying away of the first thrill will be compensated for by a quieter and more lasting kind of interest. What is more (and I can hardly find words to tell you how important I think this), it is just the people who are ready to submit to the loss of the thrill and settle down to the sober interest, who are then most likely to meet new thrills in some quite different direction. The man who has learned to fly and become a good pilot will suddenly discover music; the man who has settled down to live in the beauty spot will discover gardening.


This is, I think, one little part of what Christ meant by saying that a thing will not really live unless it first dies. It is simply no good trying to keep any thrill: that is the very worst thing you can do. Let the thrill go — let it die away — go on through that period of death into the quieter interest and happiness that follow — and you will find you are living in a world of new thrills all the time…. It is much better fun to learn to swim than to go on endlessly (and hopelessly) trying to get back the feeling you had when you first went paddling as a small boy."

Should we really be afraid of those sparks dimming just a little bit, and turning into a steady fire in the fireplace rather than an explosion? Is there not some comfort and pleasure in a routine walk around the block or spending breakfast reading the newspaper?

I loved C.S. Lewis' comparison of moving to a place you once visited on vacation. If you fell in love with Paris over a week trip and decided to relocate there permanently, of course the Eiffel Tower would seem more commonplace in your line of sight as you did your daily business. The bustling fun of the Champs-Élysées would not invigorate you as much as it did the first time. But no one would imagine talking you out of moving to Paris just because the novelty would wear off. They'd talk about the joys of becoming a regular cafe patron, a fluent French speaker, an appreciator of fashion or food or art, or whatever you like.

So why do people see marriage as the death of fun and excitement? It's the same thing, making a permanent choice to reside with what you delight in -- although instead of a city, it's a person. It's okay to grow used to waking up and seeing that someone still there, and bearing through normal life with them.

My plan is to embrace and ride out all the early excitement and passionate fun of marrying Darin; in no way do I want to talk myself out of that in favor of what is inevitable. It will be a blast while it happens naturally! And after that, we can practice what it's like to cultivate love rather than let it carry us like a raging rapid. I will be as proud and excited as can be for us to become old farts together, and have our usual coffee times and fold our laundry on Saturdays. I wouldn't trade a love like that for 80 years of crazy exciting passion; it'd probably take a new guy every year for that to be remotely possible. Never in a billion years! You have to be the world's biggest dope to trade anything for Darin. No one else could be as much fun to make up horrible future Clinton baby names with, dance like a goober with at weddings, invent recipes with, drink beer with, lay out at the pool with, or go bowling with, ever in your life.

Cheers to sealing the deal and letting true love grow!

Love, Lara

Vent Sesh

Brief vent list, so that I let it out in a healthy-ish way and do not misdirect my frustration at people I love or anything like that:

1. What is the obsession with having 1 year of experience for every job listing on earth? I have dedicated my time in college to studying and doing homework, and volunteering abroad over the summer. That has been a lot harder than sitting at a desk for a year! Can I write that on my resume instead?
2. Why does Florida need Darin to come down 3 days early to get a marriage license because of a "waiting period," which 2 residents from Florida need but 2 visitors don't? (I emailed the Clerk of Courts asking about if 1 is a resident and 1 is not, and they said we have to wait 3 days.) Days off from work don't grow on trees, and I think it's fairly clear that if this is a long distance situation that it is not impulsive, or could be just as impulsive as people coming in from somewhere else. Urgh.
3. Why do apartment complexes lease you out till just mid-July, so that no one would ever want to sublease from you because the dates are so highly inconvenient and useless? Yes, it was my choice to get married around that time, making it difficult to move out at the exact date they say, but man that's a lame time for anyone to move out of somewhere, with school still about a month away and such. Everyone is couch surfing around that time. Stupid.

BOO! I am irritated!!!!

Love, Lara

Goal Maker

I've always been a big fan of lists. I used to make lists just for fun of my favorite cereals, my favorite flavors of ice cream, my favorite books, just because. It's a really weird thing to do just for fun - you are literally writing down things that you already know for the most part - but there's something satisfying about seeing it organized and on paper to me.

Lots of times, this weird hobby of mine is actually very helpful. I like pro & con lists, and how they help me make decisions about what to do. Making lists of the classes I've taken and the ones I still wanted to take helped me keep on track throughout college (NOTHING came as a surprise to me in terms of credits and whatnot). Making lists of places I'd like to travel helps me figure out what opportunities to keep an eye out for and save my money towards the ones with the most things I want to see, or what's nearby other places I like.

I was really inspired by the blog of a really awesome woman, the pastor's wife at the church I attend, Ashlee Proffitt. I barely, barely know her at all; I think she recognizes my face on Sunday mornings haha. However, I am a big fan of her design business. We have very similar taste in how things should look, I have noticed.

She has a great practice of putting her monthly goals out for all to see, which first of all forces you to make some goals in the first place that have a deadline, and also share them so other people can at least be a little interested in how they are progressing. Being a list fiend, this is right up my little left-brained alley! Oddly enough, the font she uses on her goals list is exactly the same as one I use all over the place. Again, coincidentally similar tastes. (Thanks Learning Curve.)

Although we're already through a good chunk of April, I have some goals in mind that I'd like to accomplish this month!

Spiritual Goals: 1. My roomie & friend Skylar had the great idea of reading through the Psalms downward that correspond to the number of days left hasta la boda. For example, 90 days left = read Psalm 90. Pretty neat! I have done it most days the past week since I thought about it but want to make it consistent.

2. I've been reading the awesome book Changes That Heal by Henry Cloud for USF Cru's Women's Challenge this semester. Unfortunately, I felt the need to back out of it this last month of school due to the billions of things that must occupy my time, but the book is awesome and I want to finish it up in my spare time. Highly recommended, even if you don't think you're all that messed up, haha. :)

3. Scripture memory. Also something I have been doing at Women's Challenge, and need to continue on my own. I love this verse; it really speaks on how to live in a godly community & bring others in.

Personal Goals: 1. Something I like a lot is fiddling around with graphic design software. I have no idea if I am very good at it or not. I did design my own wedding invitations and received enough positive feedback from trustworthy friends that I am confident in sending them out, but that's still a pretty small portfolio, hahaha. I found a nice online course that has more foundational things I want to learn. Gotta jump on it!

2. All semester I've made a point of exercising with Robbie after my Tuesday/Thursday classes. I also walk a lot to class, so I am not too worried about trying to cram in 5 days a week and become super buff. Just building a little muscle tone. It's fun!

3. Marriage + moving = perfect time to dump some clothes I do not wear or do not need. Not only do I have a ridiculous number of pieces that are Florida-tastic and not practical for living in Michigan year-round, but an abundance of free shirts from USF and the like. Can't wait to get it down to the basics.

Relationship Goals: 1. Darin and I have read through 1 Peter together for a while now. Darin proposed that we start reading the same passage together and come back to discuss it, and both of us independently wanted 1 Peter. Can't find an excuse not to with divine guidance like that! ;)

2. We have started the most perfect premarital counseling course humanly possible. It's online (perfect for this LDR situation we are in), biblically-based, AND was on a special for only $55! I can't wait to start it!

3. We usually pray together before hitting the hay, but sometimes we forget. Both of us want to make it more of a habit that we can carry into marriage.

Wedding Goals: 1. Figuring out the food is a lofty goal for this month, haha. I might need to keep it going into May. But making progress in that area is definitely necessary.

2. I am so close to this goal being done that I don't feel bad that the other one is a tall order, haha. I just need more stamps!

3. This is my last full month in Tampa, because I am heading back to Orlando to finish up wedding shenanigans in the comfort of the city in which the party is going down. Not all my lady friends will be able to come down there later this summer, so I am thinking we will have to have a more open-invite fiesta right here in the 813. I am going to bounce some ideas off my friends!

Goals are great! Even if you're not as much of a visual person when it comes to planning and organizing, you owe it to yourself to keep track of some things you are striving for regularly. There's a lot that everyone wants to do but doesn't set out a plan to just do it! Get you some!

Love, Lara

Le Bling

I have mentioned before that I really did not do much planning in the way of what my dream wedding and all that would be like. Well, at least until some months into dating Darin and being pretty darn sure that I did not want to keep looking. :) Lacking this interest for a long time in my years spent as a girl -- 22 and a half! -- I also did not have a huge interest in jewelry. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was a junior in high school, and even then, got cheap fashion earrings that were no more than $8.00 a pair, and also some of those necklaces from Forever 21 that probably have something toxic in them.

Consequently, I did not have much to give Darin in the way of preferences when I knew he was in the market for an engagement ring. (I hadn't a single clue how soon I would be offered such a ring, which is a story to come, of course!) As long as it was not a heart-shaped diamond, I was really not too terribly picky. A man with good taste and three sisters will probably be fine!

I am glad that I left Darin to his own devices to pick which one, because knowing that he saw one that reminded him exactly of me is way more meaningful.

How little I knew about jewelry is made evident in the fact that I had NO CLUE what my ring size was. I just estimated about a 6 but was not sure, so Darin's secret transaction included sizers on a ring that was too big with the understanding that it would need to be made smaller. I think he knew that my tiny hands were smaller than I thought, haha. But three months later, it is all fitted right and looking sharp. I can be engaged with style!

Really loving showing off what my boo picked out just for me. Not sorry that he is off the market from everyone else. ;)

Love, Lara

Over The Moon

Wedding planning leads to a sea of uncertainties. Will people like the food that I pick out? Will they dance to the music I play? Will the deodorant I buy work? It's really very scary when you think about it.

Luckily, you get permission to go on vacation afterwards. And ours is now BOOKED!

We are heading to Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast in Florida at the South Seas Plantation. :) Nothing sounds better than napping on some sand after the psychotic 6 months leading up to that week. Many thanks to the wonderful Deb Baker for offering her travel agent skills and planning and arranging this sweet trip for us on a pretty amazing budget. We are sleeping at $250 a night with one for free, for a whole week! For how beautiful and fancy it is, it is a pretty fabulous deal!

That's one thing off the list! Thanks, Darin, for being in charge of that. You did pretty darn good!!

Love, Lara

When a Cheapskate Plans a Wedding

Before even having a clue about who I was getting married to, I knew for a fact that I would have issues planning a wedding. While a pretty big chunk of the girl population has been deciding the colors and ideas for a long, long time, this area is just not something I am all that particular about. I've gotten girlier over the past few years, at an all-time high right now, but I still don't have tons of wedding fantasies to fulfill. The place, the flowers, the food, and the dress were all completely new ventures to me when I found myself looking down at Darin on his knee holding a ring this past December!

Over these past two months of starting the planning business, I've found that I have a reallystingy perspective on wedding spending. A big part of it is that my parents are the big benefactors, and I don't like the thought of trying to waste all their money, but I also see the average cost for something in a wedding and it just freaks me out! I begin comparing the cost to buying things like gas, furniture, rent, and the like. I am my dad's daughter -- usually, practicality wins.

This far along in the process, though, I've found that there are definitely ways to cut back on what you have to pay to throw a good party. I'm excited to share some of the ways I've been pleasantly surprised in what we have saved!

• The dress: I don't want to give too much away, to minimize the chances of Darin accidentally seeing what it looks like somehow. But I looked in two places that I didn't expect -- thrift shops and department stores -- and came away with a dress that I really, really love for only $65. I liked it even more than more expensive ones I was eyeing at regular bridal salons. (I'm looking at YOU, David's!) It needs slight altering, but even with that cost eventually added in, it's a steal for a pretty dress that gets only one day to shine. I also got a veil on sale at Hobby Lobby for $6 and shoes for $25. During the reception, I'm changing into TOMs that Darin bought me for my birthday last year. I think it'll all look great!
• The venue: This was a pure blessing for us. My parents asked the church that I belong to in Orlando about renting the building for the wedding. They are in the process of building a new church location in Baldwin Park, and don't have a sanctuary completed yet, but the core building is done and has a big lobby with windows and other space for a reception. I am lucky to belong to a church that doesn't have some ancient cathedral and a more intimate community, or else it would be way less likely that we would be able to use the facility for $0. Period. Insane. I am so very grateful for this blessing that we have!
• The stationery: Of all the DIY opportunities a wedding provides, the save-the-dates and invitations were the part I was most excited about. I love design, and the idea of being completely in control of what everything looks like. No one can mess it up but me, and I am paying nothing for my own services! Haha. I ran my idea past a few trustworthy friends who have some graphic design experience, and went ahead and printed them out. I used JoAnn cardstock that was $4.99 for 50 sheets, which printed 2 cards each, and printed them on my little HP in my apartment with ink I already had. Using super cute Dollar Tree envelopes that were $1 for 50 and a stamp I got on sale to decorate, I paid about $15 for all the supplies, minus postage. I need to repent of some pride issues about this, as you can see... I am a little too pleased with myself.

Instagram quality, but you get the picture!

Not much else is set in stone yet, although I have all kinds of crazy decoration ideas on Pinterest that may make an appearance. :) I'm excited to keep adding to this list though!

I just want to encourage people out there that there is hope not to go into debt for a wedding. It should be more about the lifetime that comes after that one day, while still having a good time getting married nonetheless!

Love,

Lara