Lisa + Brandon Part 2

So we survived the Storm and were ready to go for the BIG DAY!  We woke up and immediately put on our monogrammed oxford polos to get ready in...would you expect anything else from the one and only Lisa Talley?!  We then had an amazing time together eating breakfast and praying for Lisa and Brandon...what a sweet thing to do the morning before you are wed :)

Of course we had to end our prayer session with a "team bride" huddle...let the festivities begin!

If you know me at all, you know that when 2:00 pm rolls around...I NEED a diet coke.  When I say need...I mean my body cannot go on without it.  I usually bring some with me when I travel, but this time I forgot to do so.  When that time was approaching, I asked the wedding director if she knew were I could find one.  She didn't.  Around 2:30 I was feeling crazy and talking about how I needed it with my friend Amanda, another DC (and dawson's creek!) fan, I guess the wedding director over heard me.  Soon I was wondering if I could quickly run to a 711 before the pictures began...next thing I know the wedding director hands me a ICE COLD DIET COKE IN A CAN (because we all know the can is way better than the bottle) and SAVED MY LIFE.  She said she knew I needed it and ran to her parents house (which was close by) to grab it for me.  That my friends, is the kind of service you want for a wedding day!  Anyway, I was pretty pumped...

After my DC it was time for pics and all that fun stuff...

Lisa looked unbelievable!  Love that glow...(btw some of these pics are taken by her good friend, Leslie)

When we discovered that my dress was starting to split on my left side...then we taped it.  Yes, taped it.  More on that later. 

After pics, it was time to jump on the trolley with the guys and head to the wedding ceremony!  I was lucky enough to ride by the groom!!!

The ceremony was beautiful and completely spoke to Lisa and Brandon's love for others, each other, and especially the Lord.  I realized I like Catholic Weddings not only for their beautiful rituals, but also the bridal party gets to sit down :) Next, back on the trolley and off to Stevenson Ridge for the ceremony...


Check out a few of the details....

Yes, that is the groom's cake and yes that is Wilson Hall (JMU building) and yes that is a golden retriever.  And finally, yes, the same person that made this cake also made it for the Pope when he came to visit the US.

While waiting downstairs to get introduced, DUKE DOG himself made an appearance.  Of course Lisa and Brandon could not get married without him!!  I was excited to see him and hoping he did not see this picture of me taking "road dog" up for the wedding...

After all the introductions...here he comes!  Along with the JMU fight song and lots of cheering JMU alum!

Love Lisa's yellow cardigan as Brandon and her share their first dance together.  Sweet moment to say the least.

The classic JMU picture...it was a debate on whether I should be in or not..then the Bride told me to get in...so I listened to her!

Duke Dog needed some company during dinner, so we invited him to eat with us.  I decided it would be fun to sit on his lap like santa.  I asked him for another Appalachian State championship and he was NOT excited about that. I, as you can tell, thought it was hilarious.  The rest of the night he kept on giving me fun gestures and ignoring me on the dance floor, it was hilarious.  

I still managed to dance with him though...

Love this pic of the 4 of us...notice the rip getting bigger.

Macfie and her boo, James

The tape didn't work out.  We could not sew it because the dress is silk.  We just let it go...

Time to cut the cake...after their siblings made 2 of the best and sweetest toasts I have ever heard!  

I got to meet Molly, Lisa's friend and Stacey's old Portland roommate!

At our wedding, Brandon has a photo op with my grandma becky (wish I had pics to share), so we decided it was only fair for Luke to have the same opportunity with his grandma eickel:

 my very own groom

As you can tell, this wedding was a blast and the perfect way to send Lisa and Brandon out on their honeymoon and new life together.  They are fun, genuine, selfless, joyful...and their wedding matched that perfectly.  For more pics of the big day (and more of Lisa's beautiful details) check out their photographer's blog:  http://katelynjamesblog.com/lemons-and-limes-wedding-theme/

Can't wait to visit Lisa and Brandon EICKEL soon!

Lisa + Brandon Part 1

Luke and I had a BLAST celebrating Lisa and Brandon's wedding!!  What a memorable and exciting few days!  Things that could have gone wrong:

• monsoons
• a hotel full of guests with no power
• spray tans go awry
• a ripped bridesmaid dress
• bars with no power
• minor car accidents
• 100 + degree weather
• a bride, groom and family stuck at the rehearsal dinner because of a storm
• a church with no power

And...all of those things happened.  And it was awesome.  All the little things made this wedding beautiful, crazy and so much fun.  

I got to Fredericksburg on Thursday and spent the afternoon and evening with the Bride and her family.  We set up the venue, finished up all the details, and just enjoyed relaxing together before everything began!  

On Friday morning Lisa and I went on a run, which I owed her since she ran with me the Friday before my wedding!  We survived the run and the heat and headed to the Bridesmaid's luncheon at Bravo, where I had delicious ravioli and enjoyed the company of all the fun ladies.  

Up next:  The Rehearsal Dinner.  We headed to the Fredericksburg Country Club where we were served delicious cocktails, appetizers, filets, and dessert.  Hanging out with the whole bridal party was a blast...I loved seeing old JMU folks and meeting new ones.

Amanda + Tory:  Fun couple at our table and hosts for the weekend!  Thanks :)

BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!!!!  Love that necklace...

All the ladies:  Katie (MOH), Liz, Lauren, Amanda, BRIDE, Leslie, me, and Macfie

I always feel the need to take one of these pics with the groom

The whole bridal party

After silly pictures it was time for the after party...or the storm.  On the way to drop off our car before heading to Capital Ale House...the clouds, winds, lightning, and craziness began.  The bride and groom were stuck at the Rehearsal Dinner, the rest of the party was stuck at the ale house with no power, and we were stuck in the driveway...

...until Luke told it was OK to come inside...even though we thought we need to get to the bride ASAP.  After discovering she was OK, we waited out the storm at Amanda's and drove back to the place we were staying.  Luckily, we had power, but the groomsmen and other wedding party members had no power at their hotel until 4:00am the next morning.  It was described like it was the Titanic in the hotel lobby.  But, we continued to have a great time and more to come...

Things are a changin'

It seems like nothing can stay the same in the Logan household...and you know what?  As hard and frustrating as it can be sometimes...I like it.  It keeps me on my toes, and most important relying on the Lord.  I am sure a lot of you reading this know what has been going in our lives, but I just want to take a moment and reflect on the past couple of months and how we have seen God work!  As my dear friend Amy shared with me this morning, "I am obsessed with the way God is working in your lives."  I would tweet that if I tweeted.

Anyway, here is a timeline (sorry it is so long!):

• One afternoon in March Luke came from school and shared that his contract was not being renewed at the high school he had been teaching at.  Even though he did not like his job, hated his 50 minute commute (AKA 2 hours of his life each day in the car), and was having a hard time teaching in the public school system coming from a private school and an awesome after school program the past few years....it was a still a job and we were devastated.  
• In case you did not know, Luke is the sugar daddy around here considering I am in school full-time at JMU.  Here comes panic:  how will we continue to survive, should I quit school and get a full-time job, do we need to move into a smaller place and get roommates, etc....basically I was freaking out to say the least.
• Luke and I were planning on being in Boston this summer!  Luke was going to take a class at Gordon Conwell Seminary and I was going to have an internship there with one of my good friends from Greensboro who is now the Director of Admissions.  We had to make the hard decision to stay in Harrisonburg and give up our summer dreams to save money and figure things out.
• Luke starts applying for jobs, has great interviews, but things still are not working out.  
• One night I ask Luke if he was really passionate about teaching and he responded something a long these lines, "I am passionate about things I do in my job, but not necessarily teaching.  I love building relationships, getting creative and working with people.  I think I want to go into sales."  In which I replied, "Well thats great, but you have no experience in sales."
• The next night, Luke goes out to dinner for our friend Paul's birthday.  Not knowing what Luke had shared with me the night before, Paul mentions Luke would be great at sales and that he knows someone who is hiring.  
• Luke goes in for an interview with HAJOCA corporation, an industrial construction supply company.  The branch in Harrisonburg has tripled in size in the past couple of years and they need more people in sales.  The interview goes well, in fact he did so well on the interview and tests that he qualifies for management.  He goes through most of that interview process, gets asked to interview with the president of the company.
• After much prayer, we decide management would not be the best fit for our family (the training involved a lot of moving) and he turns down the interview as asked to still be considered for sales within the same company.
• Time passes and I have to find a last-minute internship for the summer since I cannot got to Boston anymore.  I have a conversation with a friend about the Office of International Programs at JMU and interview for that job.  I get it and to my surprise it is paid!  It is rare to find a last minute paid internship, especially at JMU.
• We still have not heard anything about Luke's job and we continue freaking out.  Although we were doing fun things (as you saw in precious posts) we were anxious inside.  God reminds us that we are in a refining process...
• "...he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.  For you, O God, tested us, you refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance" (Psalm 66:8-12)
• The day before we were supposed to leave for Boston Luke gets a call from his new boss (a great guy and strong Christian) and he was offered the job!  Crazy enough, our friend Paul decided to apply for a position as well and also got a job.  Luke started last week and is loving it and it is great that he has friends to work with!  
• The next day (the day we were supposed to leave for Boston) Luke surprises me.  I came home from work with a post-it on the door stating "Get Ready."  He had packed up the car and had everything ready to go.  He surprised me and took me to an AMAZING bed and breakfast in Staunton (a small town 30 minutes away).  We had the best weekend together (pictures to follow)
• Meanwhile God had been affirming me that we are supposed to be in Harrisonburg and that more change was coming...
• Because we were not in Boston this summer, I finished up another practicum in Judicial Affairs helping develop a new class.  I loved it!!  One week ago I had my final evaluation with my supervisor and it was very positive.  I shared that I could see myself working in Judicial in the future, but only if it including coordinating a program similar to the Civic Learning one that we have (a mentoring/volunteer experience for students who need more guidance and involvement at JMU).  I was a mentor this past semester and loved it.
• A few days later I get an email from my supervisor asking me to come in and talk with her first thing Monday.  I walk in and she offered me the job as the Interim (so they don't have to run a search process) Civic Learning Coordinator!  I had no idea that the current coordinator was leaving and she knew he was searching but not that he had accepted the job.  She said our evaluation confirmed that I would be a good fit and I start on July 30!
• This means I will work full-time and start going to school part-time.  I will only graduate a semester late and JMU will still pay for my classes.  Although I won't be in as many classes with my cohort, everyone has been so supportive and I will continue to spend time a lot of time with them.

I share all of this because it is proof that God fulfills his promises.  In Ephesians 3:20 it states, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us."  Had our summer gone like we planned, we would have missed out on what God really had in store for us.  We have not decided what we are going to get yet, but the goal is to have a symbol somewhere in our home that marks this time in our lives.  That we can look back at it when times get rough again (because they will) and say that God provided then, and he will continue to provide now.  Like one of my favorite devotions says, "We do not need  Plan B.God will provide."  This was something I never even thought to plan...and it has been one of the biggest gifts and best surprises!

I know that was a long post, but it really is a picture of the greatness of God!  Now you can enjoy some pics from our surprise celebration getaway:

We started out the weekend with some prayer and then Luke brought out a picnic full of cheese and crackers..and my favorite wine from Cross Key's "Joy White"

The water garden by our picnic (behind the b&b)

view from our spot

Our little cottage behind the b&b we stayed in.  Robert E. Lee kept his horse here during the Civil War. It was awesome!

We went out for a great Italian feast and even got coffee afterwards, what a treat!

The next morning we had a baller breakfast and then walked around downtown Staunton, which was recently voted one of the top ten small towns to visit in America!

And of course we had to go to the local farmer's market as well.

Thanks for helping me reflect (haha CSPA) on all that has been going on in our lives.  To God be the glory!