Our journey together, as one...: August 2012

Whew!! It has been one crazy busy month! Although, it's been the BEST month of my life. As some of you may know, Ryan and I got married August 18th!! I can't wait to share all the amazing moments that were captured on our day! I absolutely LOVE our photographer Bonnie Maness, she is beyond talented. I'm so excited to talk with you all about the other events that have taken place! Bachelorette Party, Bridal Shower, Rehearsal Dinner and so much more.

Here's the run down on this past month so far. We got married August 18th, had our one night stay at the Pinehurst Hotel, had probably the best breakfast on the face of the earth, left around lunch, went back to our homes to START packing (yes that's right, we hadn't even started!) at 3 PM, and had to be on the road the next morning at 7:00AM. This meant we had to go our separate ways the day after our wedding from 3PM till 3AM, check into a local hotel that night, wake up 3 hours later, and head to our new place in Wilmington NC! We've basically mastered doing things last minute ;) We were thinking about taking a Honeymoon the week after our wedding, but knew we had to get to Wilmington and get settled in since our Church, Reach Community will be launching here within the next few weeks! Ryan being the Worship Leader, we had a few things we needed to take care of, plus- we love our team and was super stoked to start doing life with them! We feel that communication, love, and really just doing life together is SO important- we really wanted to connect as much as possible before the Church launched, well as much as we could with planning a wedding and moving all in 6-8 weeks!

So we moved everything into our new apartment that Monday afternoon, and started painting Monday night....

What.were.we.thinking.

Just kidding.

At times we just wanted to quit and just "be"..do nothing..relax like people do on their honeymoon/the week after the wedding, but knew we could do all of that after our newly painted apartment! Just like we are doing right now :)

We were able to have a nice dinner at the great ol' Olive Garden tonight ;) I feel like all we've ate lately is pasta..we love some Italian.

Off to take the brownies out of the oven! Love being a wife!

Lately I have found myself either getting overwhelmed, emotional, stressed, and some days even turning into bride-zilla x 2. I want to make sure that I take it all in. I don't want to miss a second of this amazing experience by sweating the small stuff. Therefore, I pray and continue to tell my self this:

Paige, don't let yourself get caught up in all the little details, it will be perfect. Don't lose sight and keep in mind the reason for this celebration and how much it glorifies our Lord and what it represents. Don't get caught up in any wedding fuss, it WILL be beyond perfect. You are sitting here thinking about the flowers, the decorations, the schedule of the day, if everything will go just as planned. You are also thinking about the moment you slip into your dress. The room instantly silent. You're now praying your mother can keep it together. Because if she can't, you know you won't. You know when momma cries, you'll cry. You are thinking about those last 20 minutes. You know you'll have to pee every 5 seconds. Most of the 20 minutes will be spent running back and forth to the bathroom. You're thinking you'll be rushed to apply that last coat of lip gloss and mascara. Then you start thinking about the moment you walk out and your Dad sees you, in awe. There again, you're praying he will at least have only tears as opposed to sobbing. In that moment you are both realizing you'll always be his little girl. You're wondering how nervous he will be, and how happy all at the same time. Most importantly, you're thinking about the moment those doors open, and the first thing you see is him. The moment you see the man God has picked for you. The man you will be spending the rest of your life with. Your husband. Ryan. You're thinking about the overwhelming joy building inside of your heart, and the happiness filling inside of your soul that is almost too much to bare that "not crying" at this point just isn't an option. You know no matter how many joyful tears that will be falling, you will wear the biggest smile and your heart full of love. You're thinking about that walk down the aisle, and how it seems like it's taking a million years to reach his hand. The butterflies began. He'll look at you, and you'll instantly feel at peace. You'll look into his eyes and again, experience the overflow of Gods love through him. You are about to be complete. The moment that is about to happen you've waited your whole life. You're even smiling about it now. You're thinking about the moment you get to say "I do". You're thinking about the moment he says "I do". You're thinking about the moment you are pronounced as Mr. and Mrs. Kentner. You are thinking about the moment when God shows up and the anointing fills the room. You're thinking about the goose bumps you'll get. You're thinking about the people in the room, gazing at the two of you so in love. You're thinking about the kiss, obviously. You're thinking about the second you turn towards all your family and friends and walk out as one flesh. You are now thinking about you and Ryan's first dance. Sigh. You're now thinking about how much you love him, and the first moment you heard the song with him. You are now thinking about getting lost in one another's eyes, forgetting anyone else is even there. You're starting to think about you and your dads first dance. You're wondering if you two will get through it without ruining all of your make-up. You know how proud your father is of you, and of the woman you've become. You know he's so happy. You also know it's tearing him apart to let go of his little precious girl that seemed like only yesterday was bouncing around in pig tails in his lap. You're crying, actually you're balling about it now. You're hoping that he knows how much you love him. You're hoping he understands he will never lose his little girl. You're hoping he knows how much you appreciate everything he's done. You're now telling him how often you'll visit, how often phone calls will be made. You're now telling him to stop crying, and endless amounts of "I love you" are being shared. You're telling yourself now to be appreciative and thankful. Paige- be thankful for every single person in your life. Show how thankful you are not only with your words, but most of all with your actions. You have the greatest family and friends. You have the greatest "family to be", and you are thinking about how truly amazing they are. You are blessed that Ryan's family have been so supportive, loving and accepting. You are thankful that your parents are able to provide this celebration for the two of you. You're so thankful for your parents, and you're now convinced...in this moment...they will never know how much you love and appreciate them. Paige, remember to choose your battles. To always forgive, to always have grace, and to always love in every situation. Pray before speaking out loud, especially when times get heated. Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Do not raise your voice when you are mad or upset. Remember you cannot get snappy, do not let yourself get aggravated easily. Remember what to choose your tears on. Save them for the happiest moments. Find the appropriate time to use your pouty lip. Respect your grandparents. Be thankful of how supportive they have been throughout the entire process. Remember they may not like the same things, have the same style, or see things like you do. Remember that they care enough to give you advice, to have an opinion, and to help. Be there for Ryan throughout the process. Stop expecting him to help with e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g and thank God every night that he loves you so much to give you a man who is so patient and kind and willing to be there for your inability to make a lot of decisions without him. Make sure his voice is heard. Remember that if he has ideas or suggestions to listen to them. It's his wedding too. This is his life too. Remember his feelings. Remember that when you put his first, that it brings happiness to the both of you. Remember you love seeing him happy, even if it takes sacrificing. Paige, you need to sleep. You need to get lots of sleep so you can wake rested and happy. Not drained and ill. Take your vitamins, keep eating right and taking care of yourself. Do not let the enemy win when he tries to attack you with being sick, rebuke him immediately. Don't let yourself forget God gives you the authority to do so. Declare Jesus, always. Once again, take care of yourself and pray for strength when you feel weak. Stay organized, thats how you operate best. Do not get so stressed out you give up on that task. Take a few, breathe, pray, smile and continue on. There's no time for hissy fits!