Cam & Beth

Two of our best friends got engaged this weekend. 

Cameron Kinch took Bethany Ezawa to the church where he asked her to be his girlfriend a year ago. He proposed with his grandmothers ring, then brought her back to his parents house where friends and family were waiting to celebrate. 

Watching her face when she walked in the door was one of my favorite moments. I could relate, because the same thing happened to me a year ago. This day could be described as an overwhelming dream-like rush of happiness and gratitude. It is one of the best and memorable events in a girls life, and it was obvious that Beth soaked up every second of it. 

{the roles we fall into}

Jordan and I have been reading "Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts" by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott. We really like this book so far, and today we read the chapter about myth one: "We Expect Exactly the Same Things from Marriage."

We each have unspoken roles and rules that we need to discuss and work through together so that little annoyances and problems don't turn into major issues.

Jordan and I have dealt with this very thing in our own marriage. There are roles I naturally assume and things I just expect him to take care of because that is how I watched it being done through my own parents' marriage. What we decided to do was identify the unconscious roles we fall into.

Here is our list:

Jordan's                             Alli's
navigator                          planner/scheduler
money manager               shopper
problem solver                 cleaner
comedian                          organizer/decorator
doctor                                gift buyer
leader                                 cook
secret keeper                     hostess

Do you think this sounds like us?

We also made a list of rules we want to follow. We both came up with five rules that were important to us, and now we have 10 things written down that we have committed to as a couple. Some of them are as as simple as 'always be on time' and 'wash the dishes after they have been used', but they are still important principles that will create a less stressful life and a healthier marriage.


I highly recommend this exercise for every engaged or married couple.

Love and marriage

With my wedding coming up shortly, I thought it might be fitting to share with you some of the more inspiring photos I have come across lately.

What I love most about browsing through wedding blogs and wedding related things is the individuality of each couple and the way they choose to express their love to the world.

Creativity.
wonder.
uniqueness.
love.



















This gives me such joy.

Engagement Bliss

We are so blessed to have such wonderful photographers for our wedding. I posted the sneak peak from our engagement shoot a while ago, but this time I will be giving you the full effect. Over 300 shots by Jess and Casper Hamlet, so you can imagine how hard it was to narrow down our favorites.

















See more of Casper Hamlet Photography right here!

Sneak Peak

Yesterday Jordan and I had our engagement photo shoot with our photographers, Jess and Casper Hamlet. We sacrificed our comfort and spent a few hours in the cold winter weather to get some quality outdoor shots. The whole shoot was so much fun, and I feel confident that every picture will be magic.

We are so thankful to have people we already know and trust as our photographers. Jess and Casper have great taste, the style we have been looking for, and they are wonderful people to work with.

The editing will take less than a month, but Jess sent us a preview of the shoot today.





I am just dying to see the rest!

The Story.


Classes were done for the fall semester, and the weekend had arrived. Jordan and I decided to grab some dinner at Wendy’s and run a few errands around town. I was browsing through the dishes at Mission Mart when Jordan unexpectedly received a phone call from his Dad, asking us to come by the house to pick up Jordan’s passport he had left there. We arrived at the house, and I immediately saw the tea light candles layered all around the back porch room. We walked in and I almost lost my breath. Jordan held my hands, spoke words of love and commitment, and then got down on one knee with a ring in his hand.

He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.

There was a bowl of warm water and a towel next to the chair in the room. Jordan sat me down, and began to wash my feet.

I cried.

I thought this was the end, but he took me downstairs for something more. I turned the corner and saw my Dad holding his video camera, along with my Mom, sister, and Jordan’s family who were all waiting there in suspense. I was in shock and completely overjoyed.

Jordan had invited all of our closest friends over for food, coffee, cake, and celebration. We took photos and spent the rest of the night talking about all of the work and planning that had gone into this single event.

(Jordan designed my engagement ring from start to finish. It was created as a one of a kind princess diamond ring, and I am the only girl who will ever wear it.)

Every single moment was beautiful. The Lord was pouring out his blessings, and I have never been more thankful. I am a soon-to-be Shepherd woman.


























"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

- John 13:14-17