2 DAYS!!!

 That's right, 2 days until I am officially off the market (REMEMBER THE CONSTRUCTION! Click here for details.). The time has FLOWN by, as I knew it would. I just couldn't comprehend what it would be like. I am hoping my wedding day doesn't go by in such a blur that I can't recall it well. It will help that we are video taping it, and will have photos, but I really want to be present and basking in those moments. I want to mean my vows when I say them.

Yesterday I finished editing the wedding pics from last weekend. I only need to burn them to a disc & ship them off today, which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. They turned out pretty well, I was really excited to see some of the images that I wasn't sure about transform into beauties. It didn't hurt any that the bride was a blushing, beautiful, blue-eyed babe. Her groom cleaned up nice, too. I'll post some of them - sometime. Or maybe a link to their Smugmug gallery.

This morning I am getting things ready to take to the church, so I can start setting up the reception as much as possible. Fred is helping me, and maybe some of his family. Nick comes back in the afternoon, and a whole car full of girls I love will pull in around that time, as well. They have planned some kind of bachelorette party for me, so that should be... interesting.

In effort to keep my mind and heart more on the present (and less on "what's next?" mode), a couple of my friends who were recently married left me some messages on my blog and Facebook wall. I thought they gave very sound advice. I'm wondering if anybody else has some advice for the girl about to get married in 2 days?

PLEASE comment, if you have something to share. :)

Russell Engagement Photos

I have uploaded to my Faithful Photography Smugmug site about 2/3 of the photos from last Friday's engagement shoot with the future Mr. & Mrs. Russell! As time allows, the remaining photos will be added, as well. Click here to peruse a gallery of photos. Feel free to leave comments on the photos & vote for your favorites. It helps me become a better photographer - I LOVE constructive criticism!

3 DAYS!!!

 days. 

I can scarcely believe I am allowed to type that!

The next three days will be filled (and I mean FILLED) with as much preparation as we can shove in before Fred & I marry on Saturday. I keep asking him if he's nervous, and he insists that he's not. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous - not about marrying Fred, but about the whole wedding. We of course want everything to go off without a hitch, so we are preparing and praying as much as possible before Saturday. I have purposed to enjoy the day on Saturday, no matter what happens and no matter what anybody says to me. I am marrying the man I love and we will share the company of many friends & family. What's not to love?!

This may be one of the most surprising seasons of my life, as I mentioned all of the surprises yesterday. Add one more to the mix, because my best girl called me last night and told me that she was not, in fact, driving 9.5 hours overnight with her fiance on Thursday night to arrive here in the wee hours of Friday morning. She is instead flying to Chicago, then driving here on Thursday afternoon with all of the rest of my girls! She even took a personal day @ work for me, I am so grateful. Not only will she be here to spend more time with me, but she will be in town for my bachelorette party (another surprise - they are kidnapping me) tomorrow night, and able to sleep over and help out with everything on Friday. Her fiance will drive solo all the way in on Friday and stay through Sunday and they'll drive back on Sunday, so he is a hero in this, too!

I AM SO EXCITED!!! And blessed!!!

Construction Alert

For those of you coming to our wedding on Saturday, BE PREPARED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION & DETOURS. Please allow 10 minutes extra to work around the construction.

Major reconstruction is taking place at the intersection of I-94 and US 131. The ramp to eastbound I-94 from both northbound and southbound US 131 will be closed. There are a few ways to get around the construction, but these are the fastest.

NORTHBOUND 131 (toward Grand Rapids):

Take Centre Street exit from 131, and turn right (east) on Centre. Drive 2 miles east to Oakland Drive, then turn left (north) and continue for 2.5 miles on Oakland Drive. The church will be on your left, just before I-94.

SOUTHBOUND 131 (toward Indiana):

Take the detour by going west on I-94 to 9th Street, the first exit west of 131. Turn around at 9th and travel over I-94, then eastbound on I-94 for 2 miles to the Oakland Drive exit. The church will be on your immediate right.

EASTBOUND or WESTBOUND I-94:

Both directions have access to Oakland Drive. The church is on the south side of I-94, on the west side of Oakland.

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

4 DAYS!!!

  days!

Yesterday, I was overwhelmed with surprise. First, I found out that we do in fact have a place to go after our wedding. We don't leave for our honeymoon until the eve of September 4, so we have a few days to kill before then. Fred made plans to go up north to Ludington and stay in a cabin there - a PERFECT way to relax.

My second surprise came in the form of my parents' wedding gift to Fred & I - a pair of matching kayaks! I was a little worried when my dad told us, "This gift we are going to give you has never even graced your mind, you've never even thought of it." That being said, he was a little nervous to give it to us for fear that we hadn't thought of it because we didn't want it! It turned out really well, though. Fred & I were elated! We can use them on our camping trips, and maybe even take them up north with us!

Last little note, below are some shots from Friday's engagement session with Jimi & Jill. They are such a cute couple! I couldn't decide which shots to edit, so I did all 200 of them! Jimi has been on active duty in Asia over the last few months, and was supposed to come home a week & a half ago. Just a week before he was supposed to come home, he was given the bad news that there was not enough money and he wouldn't be able to come home just yet.

So Jill prayed. And her family prayed. And her friends prayed.

And Jimi came home! He was given his ticket just hours before his plane left from Japan.

So in celebration of his homecoming and in anticipation of his upcoming wedding to Jill, we braved the rain on Friday morning and got some GREAT shots. Thanks for a fun morning, Jimi & Jill!

"Come-hither" at the KIA.

Little Dutch kids always kiss.

Fields of gold.

5 DAYS!!!

days.

Today I'm editing those engagement shots from Friday & starting the wedding photos. I'll post them soon, if I get a chance - maybe tomorrow's post. Tonight my parents are having Fred & I over for a yummy steak dinner with them & Alison, and they are giving us our wedding present. I am so excited! They have been enormously helpful and wonderful through this whole engagement & the wedding planning process, as well. I am blessed with some great parents, siblings, and extended family already - it seems pretty crazy that God would bless me with ANOTHER wonderful family. He sure has great plans, far better than what I could have come up with.

Oh, and my wedding dress came home from the "hospital" today. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

A little teaser of the dress:

6 DAYS!!!

I don't know about the 7 nights, but just 6 more days before I marry the one I love!

A little update on yesterday's wedding shoot - it went really well! There was NO RAIN while we were out on the beach, the clouds rolled in just as we rolled away. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS! The rain held off & I held on during the more hectic moments. I fell in love with the camera I shot with, but still found much use for my Rebel. I'm pretty grateful for that thing! It has opened up a lot of fun, learning, and even witnessing opportunities.

Liza & Dustin Mielke are happily wed and blissfully headed off on their honeymoon this morning. Best wishes and God's blessings for a wonderful life, you 2!!! I had such a fun time with your family, and your generosity is much appreciated.

Pics to come!

7 DAYS!!!

 

That's right, one week until I am Mrs. Emily Betcher. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I always thought so. And check out the forecast for next Saturday!!!

Anyway, I am off to photograph a wedding today. It's in South Haven and while the weather looks BEAUTIFUL this morning, there is a 40% chance of showers & thunderstorms this afternoon (when the wedding commences). Please pray for clear weather for the couple, Liza & Dustin! It is a beach ceremony, which has been their dream and desire. I would love the opportunity to shoot this wedding outside, as well.

I borrowed a friend's Canon 5D, so hopefully I'll come away with some nice shots on both that and my little Rebel XTi. I am saving up for a 5D (or whatever new & improved Canon version comes out in April), and have a few weddings & senior portraits to do, to help me purchase one. My goal with my business is to stay debt-free, so if I have to rent or borrow other equipment, or "just make do" with my current equipment, that's just fine with me! I want to keep learning and pushing myself to grow and to better understand the technology I have, to serve others. There is a reason God gave me the ability to purchase my XTi, and I would hate for discontent to cloud that reason. As I once told my dad (and he is faithful to remind me), "It's not the camera that takes the picture."

A sneak-peak at a few more of Alison's senior pics (the ones she decided on):

8 DAYS!!!

You guessed it - I'm marrying the man of my dreams in 8 days. A little over a week. Wow.

And between now & then, I've got a few things to do:

• Edit engagement shots I took this morning
• Photograph a wedding
• Edit that wedding's photos
• Send off the engagement shots & the other wedding's photos
• Go for a final fitting & bring my wedding gown home from the "dress hospital"
• Pack for moving
• Maybe pack for the honeymoon
• Pack for the days immediately following the wedding
• Decorate the sanctuary & gym
• Have a bachelorette party
• Hang out with friends & family

Just a few things on my plate, it could be a lot worse. Think of all the things God was able to accomplish in just 7 days! And still had time to rest! I am praying He gives me a little of that strength & perseverance to work hard through these next few days, that I may relax and enjoy next Saturday. I covet your prayers as we do our best to prepare, prepare, prepare for the swiftly approaching wedding & marriage.

9 DAYS!!!

I'll be a Mrs. in a mere 9 days! Unbelievable.

In other news, one of my future brothers-in-law is leaving the state soon, and I am going to miss him! Nick is taking off this weekend for North Central University in the Twin Cities, where he will pursue his post-secondary degree. He's been knocking off credits at a community college for a while, and is excited to move with the Lord, following His will and pursuing His presence. He'll fly back next weekend for the wedding, but it will be short-lived.

I am just thrilled for him. In remembering how formative my college years were for me, and I am so proud of the decision he's made. While I'm extremely sad that he will now be 9 hours away from me (11 hours from our new home!), I am blessed that he has moved into a certain Dearest Friend's "neighborhood," and that I'll get to spend time with both of them now, when we visit. I know that I'll see him for holidays and breaks, too, and already plan to visit when I attend her wedding in October.

So in tribute to my new brother, a College "To-Do" List:

1. Glorify God.

2. Have fun.

3. Soak in the education.

4. Try lots of new things.

5. Some things aren't worth trying - don't give in to the masses.

 

10 DAYS!!!

I'm definitely not talking about waiting 10 days for a letter. I'm waiting the next 10 days to get married.

Shower #3

The third shower that was given to me was no exception to the abundance of blessing, fun, and fellowship that marked the first two. This time it was hosted by family friends Laurie Krum & Nancy Haas, and held in the Krums' amazing, immaculate pool area. There were many sweet, fun, fine ladies in attendance - many from different parts of my life. In the game that we played, each woman was "randomly" called upon by myself (drawing a gift from a basket that matched the gift she had chosen from another basket) and was asked to introduce herself to everybody else, and to describe a first, early, or otherwise significant memory of me. It was so fun when some women were able to say they knew me before I was born, and to have other young women whom I have only just met this year share my joy. What a blessing to hear these women speak fondly of memories I share - words can't describe the joy it was to share in. (Moreover, my future mother-in-law got to hear some "great Emily stories" that she didn't know, and got a little peek into the early Emily. Basically, she got to hear how far the nerdiness goes back into my childhood - it's deep, nearly fathomless. I may have been cool at some point during my early toddler days, but it's hard to say.) 

It was just a taste of the joy that Fred & I will share in 11 days when we say our vows in the presence of God, family, and many, many friends. (Insert annoyingly high-pitched squeal here.)

Shower #2

The ladies at my mom's work (KVO) were kind enough to throw me a shower at the Ground Round. We shared a few laughs, ate a yummy meal, and I opened presents. I think that has become (quite selfishly) my favorite part of showers. 

Though I've known a few of the "KVO ladies" since I was born, I was also blessed by the presence and generosity of women there who love me because they love my mom - how sweet is that?! It gave me a whole new perspective of Jesus' teaching about loving the "least of these." I have always lived in plenty, and have never thought of myself as the "least of these." I don't particularly feel that way now, but when I am blessed in such a way that I can't comprehend the love, compassion, and generosity behind it, I know I must be the least this time, and it makes me want to live that generously with my own time, love, effort, compassion, and even finances (a big deal for this Dutch girl - can I get an "Amen"?).

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 

Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? 

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

Matthew 25:34-40