Kindergarten Conversations

I teach a Sunday School class for kindergarteners at my church. Today, there were only two who showed up. I'm guessing it's the time change?? Well the two that showed up were none other than Annie and Samuel, my flower girl and ring bearer for the wedding! So as we are coloring our big "rainforest poster", i ask them, 

"So, are you guys excited to be in my wedding?" 

Annie nods her head up in down, with a huge smile on her face. 

But Samuel says, "Miss Petie, I need to tell you something. I might not be able to be at your wedding because I need to take care of the baby donkey" (they have a donkey who just had a baby!).

So i say, "OH, that makes me sad Samuel, but I understand you gotta do what you gotta do. I will just have to ask another boy to be my ring-bearer."

Samuel: "Well, actually, I probably could miss a little bit of a day. What day you are getting married?"

Me: "It's June 26th. If that's a bad day for you, Samuel, I understand."

Samuel: "No, I can do it probably.....Long pause.....Miss Petie, actually i forgetted that my dad will need my help bringing in the cows that day. He can't do it without me. So i don't know if I could be there very long. I would have to ask my dad and tell you later".

Me: "Well, i kinda need you to be there for the whole day, so i guess i should pick someone else. Annie, do you know any other boys who could be my ringbearer?"

As annie and i discuss possible substitutes, Samuel's eyes are big and he has that face on that little boys get when their plan of trying to be "too cool for school" fails, and as they realize that it didn't give them the results they wanted.

Samuel: "No, Miss Petie, I can do it! You don't have to ask anyone else. I will just let my dad take care of bringing in the cows. We haven't even boughten the cows!" 

Thanks for making me a priority, Samuel:)

Phew!! Looks like I don't need to worry about finding a replacement after all!!!

And later that day...as told to me by my mom: 

Someone at church: "How old are you Samuel?"

Sam: I'm six. 

Annie: No you're not! You're five.

Sam: No, I am. I'm six.

Annie: Wait a minute, that means i am six since we are the same age. Am i six?

Sam: I'm seven. 

                                                                       Samuel. :)

So interesting how the male/female differences come out so early in life. Men trying to impress and constantly "one-upping" the girls.

Many are the Plans...

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21.

That verse hit me like a two ton something as i did devos this afternoon. Ever since i woke up this morning, my mind has been a mess of crazy. Dresses dancing through my head, flower bouquets, favors, houses, plans plans plans!...and i have found it extremely difficult to focus on quieting my soul. I have been taking care of a sick girl, my cousin Taylor, who is living with us, so it's nice to be home. I did a workout tape this morning and a 50-minute yoga burn workout which, kicked my little hiney! But it felt so good. and the endorphins now are jumping up and down inside my heart's trampoline (doesn't your heart have one?).

I was actually reading in the book of Hosea, about his wife of "whoredom", as the King James Version puts it. The amount of grace, risk, mercy, and forgiveness God was calling Hosea to have for his wife is astounding, yet nothing compared to what God has done for us, sending his son to be a mere human. So i am reading this, which is kind of hard to follow for me in my new King James Bible. But, being scatterbrained and all, i was glancing around the room, perusing my beads and dreaming of jewelry delicacies and i saw on one of my cloth boards the Proverbs 19:21 verse. I had written it long ago, and like things that have been in the same place for awhile, i kind of forget to look at the board, or even realize it is there. But boy, do i NEED that verse today! My plans, mostly for my wedding, seem so monumental to me at this moment. I am wrapped up in the selfishness of being a bride-to-be. I'm sure the line between basking in your moment to shine and putting others before your needs is at a different spot for everyone. But i haven't quite found that spot. I enjoy planning. i enjoy all the plans racing through my manic brain. But i forget about what is real. What is now. I glanced at the news this morning and saw a clip on this little girl who wanted to give her prosthetic leg to children in Haiti whose limbs had been severed. She is like 2 or 3, a cute little asian girl. Her dad is in Afghanistan, and when he heard what she wanted to do, he cried. In a completely opposite side of the world topic from where i am right now, it is good to get a reality check. Wedding plans are great. They really are. and i think there is nothing wrong with basking in this moment of your life. But for heaven's sake, I need to remember that i am but dust!

Give me more!

I found my dress and it's all i ever dreamed of and more!!!! Just went this afternoon to "Uniquely You". The girl who helped me was named Alyssa, same spelling as mine. and she was so great, she knew exactly what i wanted. I ended up buying the first dress i tried on, but tried on some others just in case. Here are some of the "others"...I felt like Cinderella in the poofy one. SOOO gorgeous. I can't show my real dress here, because my fiance might stumble upon it. But SOON i shall be able to show it!

Pics of Gowns...

Here are a few that i liked in the back, but not the front. And some I sort of liked, but not enough to buy, obviously...

Wedding Gowns and Gasp!

Well, now that i'm engaged, I am on the hunt for the (my) perfect dress. And it's been quite a hunt. While i have only been to three places, and those just in the Wichita area, i think i have tried on at least a hundred! Yesterday, i thought i had the one. It was funky, unique, lacy, antiquated-looking, vintage, and gorgeous. but...i just couldn't bring myself to buy it. Last friday, my mom and i visited "I Do Bridal and Tux" in downtown Wichita. The customer service there was great, and it was a really fun environment. There, too, i thought i found the one. Then i went home to stew over it. This stewing is what has saved me from many a purchase! i should stew more often, especially after a trip to Target or, GASP- which is my name for GAP, because once there, i become a Great American Spending Person...and we all know that gasping will occur after it sinks in how much monetary damage we have done to our checkbooks. Gasp, indeed!!
It's not like i'm determined to have people gasp when i walk down the aisle in my finally found gown, and i'm really okay with it not being terribly unique. I just want one that, i don't know, "fits" me to a tee, my personality, everything. I have the gown in my head, I've dreamed about it. I was joking to my soon-to-be-hubby (except the fact is, it was not a joke at all!) that everytime i closed my eyes, i saw wedding gowns going thru my head. Even ones i had never seen before. Which makes me think--is wedding gown designing in my future? hmm...something to stew over:) Even on the drive home last night, I was staring at the snow-covered streets and the snowflake-covered everything else, and was, you guessed it, picturing wedding gowns made of the same snowy patterns! Snow is actually a great inspiration image, for those of you into wedding gown designing. Maybe that should be my little secret...oh well!
So yesterday, in the snow and the ice, my wonderful mother, my amazing cousin, and myself drove to the ends of the earth-Derby, Kansas- and looked for the perfect gown at a place called "Simplistic Bride". Very great customer service! I had a wonderful lady named umm...Sue, i think. Shout out to Sue!
I tried on about 15 gowns, as compared to the 25 i tried on at the first shop, which means i am narrowing down what i want. This is a good sign. So today, on to "Uniquely You" on the other end of the earth-Gasp!!- the West Side (of wichita).

Wish me luck--er, Providence!