Rain rain dont go away...

SOOOooOooo....God ANSWERED my pleas for rain...or better yet, He gave me a "rainy forcast" and my golf tournament chairperson CANCELLED the tournament ( this came on the heels of two teams dropping out today...so yeah...) and now I just have to go in the morning to tie up loose ends! YAY!

I am still praying for the rain to actually COME...this way we might not have to pay out of our noses for a tournament that we arent even having :-(

But, nonetheless, God is SOOO GOOOOD TO MEEEEEE!!!!

in twenty four hours...

This evil golf tournament will be a memory...whether good or bad memory, I dont really even care at this point. As long as its past-tense.

Meeeeh.

And then things started happening...

So, yesterday, I got a loooot of "work" done. Just not "at work" per say. ;-)

For instance, I had a grand ol' time hanging out with Paul and Brendan ( the first was kind enough to drive the latter down from Dallas )...and I have to say I have been blessed with really fun friends who I do not tire of talking to.

And then, after THAT, I went to Tyler with Anna and Ryan...where....*drum roll please*...I got my wedding dress!!!! YAAAAAAY!!! Its really perfect, and I cannot wait for it to be ready to pick up in April because I think I could probably stand around and look at myself in that dress for several hours without getting tired.

...

Wow.

That was rather vain! But, its not really because I look that gorgeous or anything, its more that I think its possible that the whole "white dress/veil" thing is even MORE of a convincer that you're ACTUALLY gonna get married than the ring. ( if that's possible). So, its exciting. And I got to cross the word "dress" off my wedding-list and that was satisfying. And the dress is great...I looove it.

In other news, I am slowly recovering from my vicious cold. I now have a totally sexy smokers voice and I am in constant contact with a box of tissues. But, I feel a million times better. hehe.

"welcome to the top five"

So, I dont remember if I've mentioned this on my blog, and I'm too lazy to do a google check to find out...so forgive me if I'm repeating myself...but:

Stranger Than Fiction has just moved into a place in my top ten favorite movies list...in fact, I havent made an official list yet, but I'd say its in the top five.

I bought it once it came out on DVD a few weeks back and since then I've been watching it every chance I get ( when I'm not loaning it out to people).

I mean, its just such a happy movie...and I am such a sucker for things that are well written and have clever puns like "a dozen flours"...or even cheesier literary lines like, "Dramatic Irony, it gets you every time."

Seriously...I love Will Ferrell. Ever since he graced me with one of my other top movies of all time, Zoolander, I have been delighted with his quirkiness...and in this movie he's just so nice and come on, Emma Thompson is fabulous...and that girl that is the sister to that guy who's gone from October Sky all the way to Brokeback Mountain...what's her name? What's his name?
Anyway...she was great too.

So yes. If you havent seen this fantastic movie yet, go rent it. It'll be different from all those "deep thinking/change the world/ultra violent/oversexed/horror" movies...but I think you'll like it.
It's happy. And I dont think we get enough happy now days.

and then there was morning

Night sweats.
Yeah, sure maybe you didnt want to hear that this early in the morning. But, that's just toooo bad, because that's what last night consisted for me...I'd wake up freezing cold...and then I'd wake up burning up...then I'd get cold from the sweat...and around we'd go.

Yeah good story, I know.

Buuut, at the same time I think the 4pm-8am "in bed time" really did help my cold. At least I'm feeling less sorry for myself this morning, and I haven't cried today ( and its 9:30! Woo!)...

I was really convicted last night about staying on top of the things that are really important to me. You know, ETERNAL things....I mean, all this stuff about the wedding... I cant help but care about it, and all the million and one things that I need to do before July...it is important too. BUT, last night I was lying in bed feeling dreadful and cancelling my Bible Study via text message..and as I was texting my girls back and forth-I was thinking how much I just love them and what dear dear friends they have become to me...and I know that ultimately, I will try and drop everything for those girls. Because, my time with them is not yet up. And I also know that long distance friendships CAN actually work ( four of my five bridesmaids live thousands of miles from me)...and I feel like, of all the wonderful gifts God has given me the relationships with others that He has blessed me with, are absolutely the most wonderful.
I now just pray that I will be appreciative of the gifts He has given, and I will be faithful to cultivate them as I should.

the life and times...

So, this is one of the reasons I have a blog ( which sometimes I need to be reminded of since, my blog ALSO gets me in all sorts of trouble. meh)....
But, I just got off the phone with the Pine Creek Lodge people, and they had a cancelation! We've got ourselves a reception!

Really, even though I've cried four times today ( I blame it on my cold)...I've still been continually reminded of God's provision.

Did I tell you that the infamous Paul James offered to pick Brendan up from the airport and deliver him to Nacogdoches?! Honestly, I've got the best friends ever.

And to all those people that told me what a catch I got...believe me I know....Brett is wonderful.

And just so you know...I'll be in bed from now on....I feel down right miserable....I've got water bottles, telephones, and the second season of ER to nurse me back to health. hope it works, I've got a board meeting and an international guest tomorrow.

clouds, a chance of rain.

Meeeeeh.

I have a nasty cold. Which makes me want to cry. I feel so useless and unproductive. And I feel like my best effort is not good enough.

Oh, and its official....every place in the WORLD is booked. I have no place for a reception for 300 people on July 14th. Someone find me a hole...I'd like to go take a nap in it.

the reminder.

This weekend has been fairly interesting. I wouldnt say its been very productive, in the sense that I havent gotten to cross anything off my ever growing to-do lists. But, at the same time, I've been trying dreadfully hard to learn a lesson.
The lesson that a very good God is holding my life in His hand.

For instance, I love my friends. I love Brett more. But, I still love my friends and when I realized that we were getting married very very soon...it made me sad to realize that many of my favorite people would not get to share the day with us.

But, as of this weekend I will have at least four of my very dear friends from New Zealand at our wedding...and as of today I am now praying very hard that Thida will be able to make it too. ( she's given me a glimmer of hope, so I am going to take it and pray/run with it)....honestly, this is more than I would have dared to hope.

So, all of the issues that I am taking to God at the moment...things like...
"Is Brett's brother Tim and his family going to be able to come to the wedding?"
"Where in the WORLD are we going to have a reception for 300 people?" , "How will I find Bridesmaids dresses ( in red) for five girls, that they can afford?" "I need a dress too!"" I want the song from Master and Commander played at my wedding...where am I going to get a celloist and a violinist?"

These problems...all of which are constantly rummaging around in my head at all times...I am trying to grasp the fact ( and, yes, its a fact) that they are ALL being taken care of...and if they arent being taken care of-then they aren't that important....Instead, I am trying to pray for the things that are important...I'm trying to focus on the people that are important, the relationships, the memories...
I am absolutely treasuring my time with my family-so the fact that I didnt find a wedding dress yesterday but instead laughed extremely hard with my mom and my sister-I am totally counting Saturday a success.
I am absolutely treasuring my time at my church, and with the dear Family that I have there ( I'm also trying to figure out how to get sermons from my church onto a podcast...heheh)
I am absolutely treasuring my friends that I have had such a blast with over the last two years....

And then there is the other thing that I am doing....thinking of the future....oh, that the Lord would prepare the way, for if He does not go with us...than what are we?

clockwork red

So, I've been having serious issues ever since the time changed ( or, rather, since I returned home from Spring Break and had to change my clocks)...it seems that I'd subconsciously created a very delicate balance of "time" within my home-where bedroom and kitchen clocks worked together ( at different time...the kitchen being faster than the bedroom) to get me to work on time, without getting me out of bed too soon...truly a time-balance worth striving and achieving.

WELL, let me just tell you, that at some point during my clock changing extravaganza of March 2007, I upset this intricate infrastructure of time and all this week i have been getting up a good FIVE MINUTES before I actually need to. And let me just tell you, its horrible.

I mean, there is possible NOTHING worse than standing at your front door-completely clothed and washed-looking remotely ready for some sort of a day, with a mug of coffee in one hand and a breakfastonthego in the other-only to realize that you really don't need to leave your house for another 4 minutes and 56 seconds.
It is then that the cold reality creeps over you as the realization that you could have actually BEEN ASLEEP for that 4 minutes and 56 seconds but instead you're going to just drive to work a little slower..Its a horrible moment.

I wish it upon no man.

So, this morning I re-set my alarm clock's time in the hopes to restore right within my home. Here's hoping I got it right, because let me tell you, I am REALLY feeling the 24 minutes that I did not sleep because of this dreaful problem.

joyjoyjoy

So, I just saw a group on facebook that was called "If 100,000 people join this group than my wife will let me name our second child "spiderman".

Oh. my. word.

I mean, I know its made up and everything ( facebook groups annoy me to NO END, please stop asking me to join your stupid political groups... they dont accomplish anything that I can see.) but I thought it was really funny anyway.

I'm not joining, though.

So do you people even know what I'm talking about? I'd love to think that my readers have better things to do than become addicted to Facebook. Yes, I'm sure you are all better people than I...

So, Thomas is giving me his "wedding check list book"...he's the only guy I know that actually HAS such a book, but I'm eternally grateful. I think I'll feel better once I have an entire book of lists to check off.
;-)

Really important prayer requests:
So, turns out I'm a DREADFUL person...my good friend Brendan is coming to Nacogdoches for seven weeks ( he's a medical student from NZ here to shadow doctors in the area) and I STILL havent figured out a way to pick him up from the airport ( he's flying into DFW at 2:30 on Tuesday and i have my boardmeeting that evening at 6.) AND I still dont have transportation for him yet. :-( Please pray for me, I feel like such a jerk for waiting till the last minute to take care of this.
Silly golf tournament. Silly wedding plans. Life is sooo busy, and yet I'm sure if I was more organized I would get more accomplished!

all that glitters...

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

This verse really stuck out to me during my quiet time this evening...really the whole passage is so sweet and it is truly a comfort to think of what a generous Father we have. Yet, this verse stopped me in my tracks because of the little endearments stuck in there, "little flock".
I dont know, but when I think of Jesus, and how much He loves me...and not in the grand "general" kind of love...but in a very PERSONAL way...I am in His little flock, and it is there that I will spend all my days.

Today was a good day, a calm sort of a day, and I've got myself some brides maids...which, you know, is nice. ;-) I've got fabulous friends.

Let Me Explain. No, There Is Too Much. Let Me Sum Up

Good quote from the Princess Bride....and totally what I'm going to have to go with after sitting her surrounded by ten days worth of news papers.

I am home again. I do love my bed. I do love being by myself in familiar enviroments....but with that being said I had a wooooOOOoonnderful time with Brett. In fact, I'm going to marry him.

Anyway, so much has happened not even counting today ( when I arrived in Nacogdoches only to have my gas pedal become insane and go without being pushed...lets just say it was scary and I had to just turn my car off to come to a stop. there were angels involved.)

So, yes, I'm going to have to resort to bullet points. the lazy mans blog post. But, you'll have to forgive me when you realize that LIFE has become rediculously out of control, not normal, and down right FAST MOVING as of late...

General Thoughts From Abigail's Spring Break Adventures in West Texas/ Washington State:

-Brett's friends from college are really fantastic. And did I mention funny? Because they were. They were really funny. And did I mention friendly? Because they were. Really welcoming.
-I've decided that my friends and Brett's friends would like each other, and therefore I am even more happy to marry him. If that's possible ( to be even more happy).
-Weddings are great. Even when you're just a guest, and you met the Bride the night before, and this is the first time you've seen the groom.
-Washington is beautiful. When its not raining. And even then its got really nice tree action going on.
-Washington is lacking in the following: Little Ceasars. Chilis ( no molten Chocolate cake), Sonic.
-Washington has: Brett. Washington just won.
-The Drakes are really fantastic and wonderful people, and not just because they let me stay with them for a week.
-I went to a "PWOC" meeting..."what's that?" you ask? Well, my dear friends...THAT is "Protestant Women of the Chapel"....oh. yes. Acronyms are, if possible, overly used in army circles.
-The Protestant women gave me all sorts of helpful advice about the army, like, "Dont park in the General Officers Parking Spot, because that does not, in fact, MEAN any "general" officer's wife can park there."
-I am a good little navigator. Just give me a map and a lot of time to drive around by myself so no one will see me get lost.
-Military bases have their own grocery store. They have arrows on the floor and rules about "one way rows"...but then again, they are tax free, so I suppose I can deal with a little structure.
-Brett's friends in Washington are really fantastic. And did I mentione funny? Because they were. They were really funny. And did I mention friendly? Because they were.
- I have all the Christopher Guest movies ( Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, This is Spinal Tap...) except for "A mighty Wind"...guess which one Brett owns. Of course, this is one of my not-so-good-yet-also-worth-mentioning reasons for marrying Brett.
- I've learned all sorts of things that I need to pray about regarding my future. For one thing, becoming a "we" is a rather overwhelming ( yet totally fun) thing.
-Registering for wedding gifts is actually QUITE overwhelming. But, you are often given free stuff. I think its worth just PRETENDING to get married just to get the nice red tote bag from Macy's. Seriously. Do it. Thank me later.
- My engagment ring is gorgeous. I'm surprised that strangers don't stop to stare in wonderment.

picture:


Story: So I really really wanted a ruby center stone.....just because...but did you know that ruby is the birth stone of July?! Which is when we're getting married? coincidence?! I THINK NOT



who else is grossed out by the close up of my hand?! Yeah. I should moisturize or something.
BUT, it doesnt take away from how much I love my ring...eeeeeeee.
ok. enough.

go buy a calendar...

So, you can circle July 14th with a big red pen...because THAT is when Brett and I are getting married... wooooo! Its official!!!

In other news I've had about zero internet time on my trip so far, and therefore I've been blogging in my head. Of course, no one can appreciate my wit in my head, but I'm use to that.

So, dont worry I'm saving all the good stories to tell you when I finally have the time!

This Episode is brought to you by...

Sisters.

Because I have the best sister ever.

Honestly, I wouldnt have gotten through Monday or Tuesday without Anna. Yes, work had truly overcome my little mind and I was SO beyond stressed that I was almost frozen by fear.
And all I can say is that my sister pushed me to do my work, step by step, making inappropriate jokes at all the right times to make me laugh, and coming up with suggestions when the impracticality of my task at hand seemed to swollow me whole.
Yes, when I wrote in my journal on Monday night that I needed God to send me HELP.
He totally answered. He sent me my very own sister.
Isnt that wonderful?
God answers prayers in beautiful ways.

So, anyway, I still have about $1,000 to raise in the next two days...but I'm feeling waaaaay better ( although prayers are still coveted) ...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...and the light looks strangely like Brett....and a week in Washington.

fall out

So, yeah, wow. That was a crazy weekend wasnt it? ;-)

Apparently my job did not, however, get the memo that I have "bigger fish to fry" with the whole turn-life-upside-down-change-everything-and-decide-to-get-married business and therefore I have been actually WORKING today...even though it is BEYOND cold in my office. I mean, seriously..hands. frozen.

Now, my darling, supportive friend Amy was kind enough to use sarcasm in her congratulations ( which, P.S. apparently you are suppose to give the girl "best wishes" but I will totally overlook that since I didnt know that until yesterday). And mention that she will only "Skim" wedding planning.

That made me very warm and fuzzy on the inside. Only really good friends are brutally honest in hallmark moments. ;-)

So, Amy can go ahead and skim this next section:

About two and a half hours after being proposed to I was being bombarded with all sorts of important questions like WHEN are we getting married WHERE are we getting married....
Oh. My. Word.
I hadnt thought of that.

I know that girls out in the world think about these things...and they also have a relatively good idea that they are going to be proposed to, and therefore they probably, secretly have a whole bunch of ideas to spill once the proposal happens...but I am SERIOUS when I say that I wasnt really prepared.
;-) All I knew was that I loved Brett and I wanted to be his wife...that's ALL that I knew...

So, when marriage dates in early July are being thrown around...I'm just trying incredibly hard not to hyperventilate.

Yup, I'm about to totally change my life in every possible way. Get ready, there is totally going to be some fall out.

communication...

Honestly, in the last twenty-four hours ( well, more like the last 12 hours of the last twent-four) I have FOR SERIOUS used all my communication resources minus some smoke signals ( because of the fire ban) to track down various beloved Folk in the hopes of telling them one of the greatest, most fantastic stories of ALL TIME.

But, let me just tell you, communication in the telecommunications sense has FAILED ME.

So, I then remembered my darling blog that has kept me in close contact with my beloved friends for years now, and so I have not written down my fabulous story in the hopes that you...my beloved, will read it until I can actually get ahold of you on, say, a telephone or some other more desirable form of feedback..


So, yesterday morning ( saturday) I was like all lazing out on my
couch like I always do on nothing-to-do-really saturdays...and my
sister calls ( because we had planned to go for a run).

Anna: So, are you dressed?
Abbey: Ummm....NO....of course not. Why would I be dressed?
Anna: weeeelllll...I think we should go out for lunch instead of going
to work out.
( now you might think that sounds suspect since she's essentally
trading exercise for food...but you dont know anna and I until you
realize this is a COMMON occurance.)

Abbey: Um, ok...
Anna: So, I'm coming over, so GET DRESSED...BRUSH YOUR TEETH.

So, I'm slightly annoyed because she's being slightly pushy and I've
got all the time in the world, but I decided that i will leasurely get
ready for the day...and I'm in the bathroom brushing my teeth when
Brett calls.

( Now, Brett had gone to Dallas for just one day for a friends
wedding...so I wasnt really planning on hearing from him, but
whatever...)

Brett: What are you doing?
Abbey: Brushing my teeth ( yes, I'm honest.)
Brett: So what are you doing today?
Abbey: ( goes into a long involved monologue, a clever one I'm sure,
about my day with Anna.)
-Brett waits patiently for me to finish.
Brett: So do you have time for me today?
Abbey: Umm sure.
Brett: Well, I'm down the road right now....are you decent?
Abbey: NO. ( honestly, I pride myself on looking the SAME all the
time...you know morning through to night...I have the same disheveled
look about me so that there isnt ever a huge difference...but, as fate
would have it, on this particular day I was looking WORSE than
normal.)

But, Brett gave me like FIVE MINUTES and in that five minutes I went
from crap to craptastic ( this is my story...so you'll just have to
believe the creative license)

So, Brett shows up at my door and I'm totally touched that he'd drive
all the way from his friends wedding thing to come see me-which is
HONESTLY all that I thought was going on...
But, yeah, Brett is acting strange...and not strange in that "Abbey is
looking oddly craptastic today" kinda of a way...but more in a "there
is more to this than a popin visit sorta a way."

So being the poliet girlfriend that I was, I sat down on the couch and
waited for him to collect himself...meaning he starts running around
my apartment ( not running, but metaphorically speaking).
He produces a towel from my bathroom...and after some serious
waiting....a bowl of water from the kitchen.

-I must interject here to say that even ME...being totally
SLOW...kinda knew that things had taken a serious turn...

So, Brett sat me down in a chair and proceeded to read from John about
Jesus washing the disciples feet....and then he read from Ephesians
about the husband being the head of the wife just as Jesus is the head
of the church....

( and while Brett was reading this I was trying hard to take it all
in, and at the same time not cry.)

And then Brett washed my feet. And then he asked me to marry him.
And I said yes.

So, now, my dear friends. I am getting married. And not in the
hypothetical sense but in the REAL LIFE I am getting married kinda
sense.

Im crazy HAPPY

Check it!!

ONE WEEK from today! I see Brett!!! How excited am I?!

Of course, before then I have all sorts of 'real world' stuff to accomplish...mostly overcoming fears at work etc. etc.


My Yahoo! email address is, for serious, acting up...I started getting emails from three days ago yesterday...what's up with that?! This really ticks me off-considering I make it a matter of pride to check my emails more than any other person in the world...what's the point of checking if I cant COUNT ON THE INTERNET TO DELIVER?!
So, anyway, if you've emailed me in the last week and you feel like you've deserved a reply and it hasnt come...than send some gmail lovin my way and I'll be ALL OVER IT. ( stupid yahoo).

Oh, and here are my clarifications for the week:
In this episode of my life I made fun of me being invited to join Rotary...I also made fun of their food. I would like to clarify that it is a widely known FACT that Tuesday Rotary has waaaay worse food than Wednesday Rotary ( who knows why)...and I was mostly making fun of MYSELF rather than of the lovely Rotary gentlemen. I've been several times to both rotarys and I totally enjoyed talking to all those I came in contact with...I guess I just doubt how much they'd like to hang out with ME.

And then here I forgot to mention that as much as it does trouble me to not agree with my friends all the time...I am also oddly peaceful about it...which is why Streams in the Desert was so nice to read. :-)

Okie Dokie...now I'm going to try and have productive/happy Friday :-)
This week went by remarkable fast...

a matter of conviction

Lately I have been troubled by how very much I care about other people's opinions....specifically my friends. Of course, in a lot of ways it is GOOD that I care what they think. I have been blessed with wonderful, Godly friends...who's opinions I respect highly...

But, sometimes, God calls you down a lonelier road, where you cannot exactly explain your reasoning in "human terms"...and, well, that's a hard pill to swollow...but I liked this which I read in Streams in the Desert, tonight:

He creates situations that human judgment, even if consulted, would never allow. Yet the cloudiness of the circumstance itself is used by Him to guide us to the other side. Perhaps this is where you find yourself even now.
Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious but it is perfectly right. The reason behind it will more than justifuy Him who brought you here, for it is a platform from which God will display His almighty grace and power...

peas

So, down the road from where I live, there live a dog and a cat, and on pretty days their owner leaves the front door open and they often come out in the yard to sit....together....the cat leaning on the dogs front paws.

It makes me smile every time.