Our Engagement Photo Shoot

Nathan and I were so blessed to be able to work with Melissa from A&M Photography for our engagement shoot. I've known her through friends and the school my church used to have and I am so thankful that she did our pictures! (She'll also be doing our wedding, which is a huge blessing!) We both love how they turned out =D 

Melissa and her husband were great to work with and really took into account our needs and wants. I can't wait for our wedding =D Make sure and check out her website!

Until next time...

We're engaged! 12.14.13

Can I tell you?? It is so wonderful to be Nathan's Fiance! To officially be, his future wife! I've dreamed of and wanted this day so much, when it actually happened it was so surreal, and amazing. =D I promised all the "juicy" details ;) so here we go!

We had planned for me to come down and spend the weekend with Nathan and his family and were planning on celebrating Christmas with each other. We always meet in Sarasota (halfway between me and him) and this Saturday was no different. All I knew about that day was Nathan was taking me someplace and he wanted me to bring a nicer outfit. I figured we were going to dinner or something to celebrate Christmas - little did I know ;)

The day started out with presents (He got me such nice ones!), a movie, playing with his cute nephew, talking to his mom annnnnd setting up my new IPhone 5C that Nathan got me =D After a little while, his older sister Abby got there and we got ready and headed out. Nathan finally told me we were going to a place in downtown Punta Gorda called Fishermen's Village. It was a super nice evening, not cold, but a great breeze. Fishermen's Village is by the water and was decorated so nicely for Christmas, it was fun! We explored a military museum and looked through lots of cute shops, winding up the visit with some delicious frozen yogurt - I was still pretty clueless. Plus Nathan warned me not to expect too much, the little sneaker =P

Aren't we cute??

After finishing our yogurt, we headed out to Gilchrest Park. Nathan and his sisters had spent a lot of time playing there in the "old days" and he said it would be nice to go walk around. The sun was starting to set and it was beautiful out over the water. We walked out on a dock before heading toward the Ponce De Leon fountain.

Nathan's original plan was to propose to me at a Gazebo that is there, but as we were heading to it Nathan saw there were people there. He changed to his plan B of doing it at the fountain - Abby knew about the Gazebo (where she was supposed to hide and take pictures while Nathan popped the question) but she didn't get Nathan's hint. 

We stayed at the fountain for quite a while until Nathan finally sent Abby to his car to try and get her to realize what was happening. Poor Abby! She thought she was sent to get the ring and that Nathan was waiting for her to get back with it. When she didn't find anything she got a little "frantic" haha! ;) Meanwhile, Nathan told me how much he loved me (very romantically =D) and asked if I wanted my last Christmas gift - uh, yes please! He had me close my eyes...

This is a reenactment ;)

Then when I opened them Nathan was on one knee, holding out a beautiful ring, and asked me to be his wife, oh my word! It was soooooo surreal! I was in shock (the very best kind of shock!), and was just barely able to get out the word "yes" (hey, that's pretty good =P) before I started crying ='D And I kept crying as we hugged.

It was so amazing, so special, and absolutely perfect - I asked Nathan if it was actually for real! I will always remember it =D Abby finally figured out that she wasn't supposed to get the ring and came over to take pictures for us - then Nathan asked me what kind of food I wanted for dinner and we headed to Carrabbas with Abby and met her husband there.

I called my sister and my parents, they were so excited for us! Jaquelyn was glad she didn't have to keep the secret anymore ;) 

Now, all of those things that I kept putting off because we weren't engaged, I get to do! And this September I'll become Mrs. Nathan Frook - wow! Soon I'll have to start the series on how we met and how we got to the engaged stage, excited to share that too!

Nathan Brian - I love you more than life itself and I cannot wait to become your wife! Thank you for making December 14th, 2013 such a happy, wonderful, special day =D and for my beautiful ring, too! I love you!

Until next time...

Philippians 3:13 - A verse for the new year

The new year has come and gone and with it the flurry of resolutions and new ideas and goals. The first few days of the year that was pretty much all I saw - the resolutions that people were making. I always get a little overwhelmed with everything I want to do better or things I want to start, etc. I'm assuming I'm not the only one who usually drops the ball around... January 14th. ;) The last Sunday before January 1st, my Pastor taught on Philippians 3:13 and the verses around it. It really impacted me and helped make those resolutions seem more reachable. =) 

Philippians 3:12-14

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Yesterday I watched my football team and favorite player (read, Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning) win the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. If you're a football lover you know what a big and exciting achievement that is - But, it isn't the end of the road - that, would be the Super Bowl. Can you imagine how easy it would be to get stuck in the happiness and greatness of a championship win? But a good football team moves on, keeping it's eyes on the ultimate prize. That same sentiment can be applied to a loss - What if the Bronco's had let themselves stay trapped in the loss against the Patriots in the regular season? They would have never been prepared for yesterdays game. 

Now, as much as I love talking football and Peyton Manning, I promise the above did have a point ;) 2013 was made up of victories and failures - great moments and sad moments - wins and losses. Can you see how easy it would be to get caught staying in those moments? Victories can cripple us because we rest on them, instead of striving for more of what God has for us, better and more amazing than we could ever imagine!

Past guilts hinder us because we're afraid of messing up again. As a believer, last year was not my end goal - this year is not my end goal; meeting my Savior as a good and faithful servant is my end goal.

This year, I want to be like a good football team, forgetting what lies behind (victories and failures) and straining for what lies ahead - That is my GOAL.

Until next time...