It has been MONTHS since I have visited my small slice of
the Internet and A LOT has happened. I have written so many posts in my head in
the midst of the craziness that has been the last 4+ months. You see, going to
school full time, planning a wedding, and making a house a home has taken up
ALL of my time. BUT, I am lying in bed, drugged up and restless today after
being diagnosed with the flu. 1 day before the end of the semester, 5 days
before finals week, and 17 days before the wedding. Perfect timing, huh? So
rather than working on the countless papers I should be writing, I decided to power up my brain cells by
attempting to document all that has happened in the last 4+ months.
Goodness, where do I even begin? My last post left off right
before my official start of summer. Ahh, it’s hard to think about summer as I
gaze out my window and see snow on the ground. Like I said, it has been a LONG
time since I have blogged.
Alright, let’s get our sunglasses and sunscreen on and try to
remember those sweet (and WARM) days of summer…
Weddings, Weddings, Weddings…
It seems in the last few years, summer can be equated to
lots and lots of weddings. Not that I’m complaining. I LOVE weddings! I feel
like I attended a wedding every week (okay, I am being VERY dramatic) between
my friends getting married and Darin officiating weddings. It was awesome! I
love how unique each wedding is and how beautiful they are in their own way. My
favorite wedding this summer was one I got to be a part of. My sweet
sisterbear, Lauren, got married back in June and it was absolutely LOVELY. She
was such a beautiful bride and it was such an honor to stand beside her on her
special day. Oh and did I mention it was in Florida? BONUS! One the same day
Lauren got married, my friend Jess got married as well. Oh if only I could be
in two places at once. Fortunately, I got to FaceTime Jess just a few minutes
before she walked down the aisle and even managed to get a picture “with” her.
I lived vicariously through their wedding pictures and through Darin FaceTiming
me throughout the reception. Lauren and Jordan, Jess and Eric, I love you all
and love what God is doing through your marriage!
Hawaii…
Ahh, just typing that word takes me back to the beautiful
sunsets, the sweet scent of Plumeria, the sound of waves crashing, and the
feeling of sand between my toes… Okay, I’m back. Goodness, there really are no
words for the beauty that is Hawaii. We visited Maui and Kauai and got to see
and experience absolutely breathtaking things. There is beauty to be found
everywhere, but it is NOT hard to find in Hawaii. I am so thankful to have had
the opportunity to experience this with my family and will treasure our
memories for a lifetime.
Wedding Planning…
Goodness. Gracious. The summer consisted of A LOT of wedding
planning. And it was AWESOME! Exhausting at times, but awesome! As I sit here
now only 17 days before the wedding, it is amazing to see all of the big and
small details come together. Over the summer, I got my DRESS!! Oh my goodness,
I cannot wait to wear it. Not being able to show or tell Darin or my dad about
it has been a struggle. Ha! We also picked out our cake, the tuxes, the flower
girl dress, found lots of neat decorations, and a whole lot of other things.
Ha! I’ve actually done a (fairly) decent job of keeping track of the wedding
festivities on our wedding website, which you can visit here. We are getting SO
close and I am beyond myself with excitement!
Union Campus…
Another MAJOR thing that happened over the summer was the
official launch of the Union Campus in our new building. Goodness, what a
blessing it has been to be a part of this campus. Since we opened the doors in
June, we have met so many new families and have really seen God move in
powerful ways. I am so proud of Darin and the way he leads and loves the
congregation at Union and am thankful for the opportunity to stand by his side.
2 Years…
On August 1st, Darin and I celebrated our
two-year dating anniversary. Each year, Darin has recreated our first date and
it is so precious and special every single time. This anniversary it was
especially fun to talk about wedding and house plans! I am so thankful for the
gift that Darin is and am grateful every single day to be the one to love and
be loved by him.
Making A House a Home…
On our two-year anniversary, Darin and I decided that it
would be the wisest decision for me to move into his house once we got married.
He has lived in his house for about 9 years and has made it his home, but after 9 years of living in
a “bachelor pad,” it needed a little TLC to make his house, our home. We have worked SO hard on the
house (with the help of Darin’s Dad and Best Friend Jeremy…THANK YOU!) and have
definitely made some progress. There is still a few things we want to do before
the wedding, but it has been an unexpected blessing to work together to make a
home.
Some other noteworthy things that happened I thought could
be captured best through pictures…
Erin and Travis Got Married
Brittany Went to Haiti for a Year
We Went to a Red's Game
Momma Had Major Shoulder Surgery
We Went to the Boone County Fair
Jen Got Engaged
Okay, moving right along into fall. Grab your lightweight
jackets and allergy medicine as we dive into the many adventures of fall…
Senior Year…
On August 19th, I began my last first day of
school…well, at least as a college student. I seriously had the BEST 1st
day I can remember. What is awesome about NKU is that in the education
department, I go to the class with the same people all day long. This could be
a major bummer, but is a huge blessing when you have amazing classmates! To
give you an idea of how awesome my first day was, I’ll quote exactly what I
wrote after finishing my first day of my senior year of college… “Today I was
driven to school, saved seats for my friends, ate a packed lunch, watched
Pocahontas, did a scavenger hunt, looked a pretty flowers, was given 2
chocolate chip cookies, and had 5 children’s books read to me. Basically my
first day of senior year resembled my first day of first grade.” Like I said,
it was an awesome first day! All in all, this semester has been MUCH calmer and
less (academically) stressful. My teachers have been great, the workload has
been manageable, and I have developed some really sweet friendships with my
classmates. When I first transferred to NKU, I struggled in a BIG way to
adjust. BUT, after starting my second year here, I see God’s hand in all of it
and am so thankful for the way He so faithfully provides.
Kindergarten Kraziness…
This semester I was placed in a kindergarten classroom. For
my teacher friends out there, you know kindergarteners are their own breed. Oh
my goodness, it was ridiculous and hilarious. Very few days went by that I didn’t
have a student cry, wet his/her pants, randomly fall down, or be called
“Teacher.” It was definitely a learning experience that made me thankful when
the semester was over…did I say that out loud? Ha! In all seriousness, it was a
great learning opportunity that made me fall in love with 20 more sweet babies.
Shower #1…
On September 20th, my mom and Rachel hosted my
first shower for our family and childhood/family friends. Oh my goodness, it
was so special. And overwhelming. It was absolutely humbling to look around the
room and see so many faces of women who had helped shape me into the person I
am today. SO many memories flooded my mind and multiple times throughout the
day I teared up at the sweet realization that this was reality. In addition to
having so many precious friends at the shower, nearly all of my bridesmaids
were able to attend. THAT was awesome! I was so excited for them to meet each
other and start their inevitable friendships. Ha! I felt so loved, so
celebrated, so encouraged, and so humbled after that special day. To anyone who
helped make that day so sweet, THANK YOU!
Feeling 22…
This past semester I turned 22 and in honor of Taylor Swift,
“Ooooh, I’m feeling 22.” I like even numbers and have a good feeling about this
year. So far it’s been one of my favorites yet…and it’s about to get even more
amazing! On the Friday before my birthday, my sweet friends Abbey and Gabi
planned a special birthday breakfast for me. They are AMAZING. I seriously do
not know what I would do without these precious girls. Gabi made us a delicious
homemade breakfast and we spent the morning lamenting about school (briefly)
and cracking up and catching up on life outside of school. I am so thankful for
them!
On Friday evening, Rachel and Jeremy came into town and we
enjoyed a yummy birthday meal at Longhorns the day before my birthday. I always
love having everyone together and was so thankful that they made the trip up to
celebrate with me. We finished our
evening by tying jingle bells for the wedding. Ha! It takes a village, people.
Rach and Jeremy, thank you for coming up and making me feel so loved and
special!
On Saturday (my actual birthday) Darin surprised me with a
super wonderful and special day. He started the festivities by surprising me
with tickets to see Dirty Dancing that afternoon Oh my goodness, it was SUCH a
great show and such a sweet surprise. We are now attempting to master “the
lift.” Ha! Wish us luck ;) The day continued with a delicious meal, watching
the sunset at Alms Park, and finishing up the day with a YUMMY and FREE sundae
from Graeters. Yum. My day was made so special by the phone calls, texts,
Facebook messages, and cards. I felt SO loved and celebrated.
My BFF, Cinderella…
Speaking of feeling loved and celebrated…my precious NKU
classmates threw me a surprise wedding shower. And when I say surprise, I mean
it! Oh my goodness, I had NO IDEA. To the point that when I walked in and heard
everyone yell, “Surprise!” I looked around to see who they were talking to. Ha!
On top of being totally blown away by having a surprise shower, the surprise
was hardly over. After walking in, the girls made me sit down with my back to
the door. I kept trying to get up because I am not a huge fan of being the
center of attention. BUT, what I didn’t know was that Cinderella was coming to
my shower. Seriously. I was in complete shock. It was hilarious, slightly
embarrassing, and completely amazing! She came in and sang to me, danced with
me, gave me a crown and sash, and stayed in character the entire time. It was
priceless! She even taught us how to curtsy like a princess and made us
recite the Princess Creed. Oh my goodness, I was so shocked and was shaky for
the rest of the day. Ha! I was absolutely humbled to have such sweet classmates
that celebrated me in such a big and unexpected way. I still can’t believe it
happened, as I still feel so undeserving of the generosity and love. THANK YOU to everyone who made food, bought gifts and cards, and invited Cinderella to
join in the festivities. This is certainly a memory I will laugh about and
cherish for years to come!
Niederman Farm…
For years, my family and I have made it a tradition to go to
the Niederman Family Farm to conquer the corn maze and initiate fall. This
year, we asked dear friends of ours to join in on the festivities. The Judd’s
have been good friends of Darin’s since his days at CCU and have been a huge
blessing to me in the last year and a half that I’ve none them. Tiffany is a
Godly and amazing wife and mom and has encouraged me in the time that I have
known her more than I can say. We had SO much fun exploring the farm with the
Judd’s and loved making sweet (and chilly) memories with them. Fall can
officially begin…
Trunk or Treat…
This year, the Union Campus hosted a “Halloween Trunk or
Treat,” where church members decorated their trunks and passed out candy. It
was awesome! I was the unofficial official photographer and got to photograph
all of the precious kiddos and their families. We had SO many people come
through and lots of kids and adults alike dress up and join in the festivities.
It was great!
We Had a Bash in Wabash…
What a blessing it is to be loved by women I just met. On
November 1st, sweet ladies from Darin’s home church hosted a shower
for Darin and I. It was SUCH a lovely shower and we were absolutely blessed
with generosity, wisdom, and love. It was so neat to look around the room and
see women who have loved the Mirante family for so many years. It was also
awesome to have my parents in Wabash and to have Grandma Lois, Tammy and the
girls, and Page and her girls all in one place. I love BOTH of my families. I
am looking forward to getting to know these sweet ladies more in the years to
come!
A Man Shower…
The leaders at the Union Campus are the BEST. They serve
with passion and compassion and work hard to make the Union Campus a place
where everyone feels welcome. Darin and I are so honored to be able to partner
with such phenomenal leaders. These leaders are also ridiculously generous and
love my husband-to-be well. After church one Sunday, Darin walked into his own
surprise “Man Shower” complete with tools and (root)beer. It was so awesome!
The generosity of our friends is absolutely humbling and it was so fun to see
Darin celebrated in such a big way!
And a Bash in Union…
That doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it? Ha!
BUT, have I mentioned how humbled Darin and I are by everyone’s love and
generosity? It’s been such a crazy experience to be loved on in such tangible
ways. On October 15th, we had our final shower and it was just as
special as the others. Our sweet friends Candice and Jenny hosted a Pampered
Chef shower for us and it was an absolute blessing to be surrounded by so many
amazing women once again. It just doesn’t get old! Candice worked hard to make
her (BEAUTIFUL) house absolutely perfect and had the sweetest details to make
it even more special. Darin and I are so thankful to be loved and celebrated by
so many people we love!
A Date with My Daddy…
I love my sweet Daddy so much. He is seriously amazing. A
few weeks ago, he suggested that we have a “date night” before the craziness of
December hit. Of course I was thrilled to have time just the two of us and put
it on my calendar. Well, the day of, he surprised me with tickets to the
Broadway show Newsies in Louisville. We drove down to Louisville, ate a yummy
dinner, and went and saw the show. And it was AMAZING! I had never even heard
of the show before, so it was so neat to experience it all for the first time
with my Dad. We made some really sweet memories and are already looking forward
to our next “Daddy-Daughter Date.”
Thankful…
I really try to be thankful every day for the big and small
things in my life, but sometimes in the midst of CRAZY, it is easy to lose
sight of all the good around me. Which is why I am always thankful to have an
entire day (or weekend) set aside to reflect on all that I am thankful for.
Goodness, if I were to write a list of all the things I was thankful for, it
would be another 6 ways…which I KNOW you don’t want to read. Ha! But, I am SO
thankful for the life the Lord has given me. It has been such a joy to see His
hand in so many areas of my life this year. I am thankful. I am also thankful
to have had the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with my family and my Sweet
Love. My heart is ALWAYS so full when we are all together. My Nanny worked so
hard to make an absolutely AMAZING meal and it was well worth the hard work.
Our First Thanksgiving
After spending most of the afternoon in Louisville with my
family, Darin and I started our drive to Wabash and picked up Grandma Lois on
the way. It was exhausting to drive (or for me, ride) so much that day, but SO
worth it, as we had some really sweet quality time with Grandma Lois, Page and
her sweet family, and Paul and Linda. Because we will be gone on our honeymoon
over Christmas, we celebrated Christmas with Darin’s family the day after
Thanksgiving. It was awesome! The kids had no idea and the adults were excited
to be together and have part of our Christmas shopping finished early. Ha! It
is always awesome to have everyone together. I am so thankful to almost be an
official Mirante!
A few other noteworthy moments of the fall…
A few other noteworthy moments of the fall…
We Applied for Graduation
We Went on a Segway Tour
We Passed the Praxis!
Sweet Love, Gave me "Blue Ribbon" Flowers
for Passing the Praxis
It Snowed On November 17!
I Got Crafty
Today…
And so, that brings me to today. Still in my pajamas and in bed with Motrin and nose spray near by…first positive flu test for the entire doctor's office. #awesome In the midst of feeling quite miserable, I am thankful for time to rest before the crazinesscontinues begins. If
you made it through this entire blog post, bless you!
And so, that brings me to today. Still in my pajamas and in bed with Motrin and nose spray near by…first positive flu test for the entire doctor's office. #awesome In the midst of feeling quite miserable, I am thankful for time to rest before the craziness
