Hanging in there....

First we were supposed to be getting married on May 11 2013, then March 23 2013, then April 12 2013 (this date is no longer happening either *sigh* *scream* - long story)....now it's quite clear to me that I don't know precisely WHEN I will be getting married. All I do know is that IT WILL happen THIS YEAR!! (I've bought virtually everything I need, so there most definitely has to be a purpose, I have faith that God wouldn't have me doing all this work for nothing). The past few weeks have been tough. Feelings of doubt, discouragement and weariness have plagued me, but I am NOT GIVING UP. God gave me a promise and He keeps His word. Delay doesn't mean denial, so I'm pressing on and refusing to be moved by what I see. Hallelujah Jesus!!

My next step now is to be patient and rest. I've done all I can do, so I must trust in God's timing as He works everything out for my good. Romans 8:28. Not easy, but very necessary.

So guys there will be no talk of marriage around these parts until the venue is booked and the invites have gone out. I think I'll drive myself and all of you stir crazy otherwise. I'm hanging on and keeping the faith, already I can feel God working things out in the situation, so it's onwards and upwards as I keep rejoicing His holy name. Thank you Jesus!!

Friday reflection - Things are getting real around here...

Hello everybody,

Well what can I say? A LOT has been going down. The Mr and I were at the registry office this morning giving our notice of marriage...yes it's all go, and we've confirmed the date and venue. Whoopeeeee!! The way the sun was beaming down this morning after the appointment, made me feel so blessed to be alive. I know the good Lord is shining His face on us and we are walking the path He wants us to walk. I know it's not always going to be easy, nothing in life is, but when I am weak He is strong. He has already proved this to me time and time again. Glory to God!!

We're getting married in mid April, not the end of March (as we thought last week), to be honest that is much better even though there's only a few weeks in it. So the date is Friday 12 April 2013 and it's all go, Go, GO!! 8 weeks TODAY!!! Ooooweeeeee!!

As mentioned last week, I had my first dress fitting which went really well. The seamstress is great. I've got a second fitting next Saturday, by which time I'll have to have my shoes. I saw a lovely pair last night at Westfield when Alex and I went out for a meal, but alas they were too small. The price was perfect but the hobbling after a minute on my feet was not... lol.

We tried on rings too that was VERY exciting. Alex isn't really a jewellery wearing type of guy but the ring looked amazing on his hand. This is all beginning to feel so real. I'm still in awe of how things have turned around at the speed they have, in the way they have. Seriously when God says something IT GETS DONE, and not in our time but HIS. Favor, favor, favor, Glory, glory, glory.

As the picture above says an AWESOME God deserves an AWESOME praise and let me tell you if you begin to take your walk with Him seriously your mind will be blown by the faithfulness He will show you. Praise Him forever!!

Doesn't the ring look gorgeous on his hand?
I loved mine too. So delicate.
Need to try on again with my engagement ring.

Friday reflections - dress fitting tomorrow!

source

Phew....what a difference a few weeks make. This time last month I was a few weeks into the separation from my OH and today, on Friday 8th February 2013, we are on the verge of confirming our March 2013 wedding date. Who but Jesus could work such wonders? Our parents are meeting tomorrow to discuss all the details and I have my first dress fitting tomorrow too.....wooHOOOOOO!!

This morning I dropped my girls off to school and scooted off to my local town centre to see if I could get some bridal underwear. Apparently you have to wear the lingerie you will be wearing on the day, as well as the shoes you plan to wear, so the dress can be altered accurately. Thank God for Marks and Spencer is all I can say because I was in such a rush I didn't really have time to go to a lot of places, so in faith I went to M&S and I found precisely what I was looking for. A lovely attendant fitted me to double check my size (34B)...and fortunately I had a picture of my dress, so she was able to give her opinion on whether she thought the bra I chose was suitable. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was the one, and when I tried it on my thoughts were confirmed. It fit perfectly and gave me a nice shape (believe me I need all the help I can get after three kids and losing a bit of weight LOL). To add an extra layer of blessing into the mix, M&S currently have an offer where if you have a bra fitting with one of their attendants and spend over £30 on lingerie you get £5 off. I qualified for that, so I got the discount which came in super handy.

It really is all go. We've got our girls dresses and our son's suit to buy (not to mention a TON of other things), but I have seen outfits in Monsoon, M&S, John Lewis and Next which I think would work really well, the OH and I just need to confirm our colours/theme. I may even stick with the dresses I bought for the girls from Mini Mode last summer, but something tells me they lack the WOW factor...hmmmm.

The one thing I'm missing for tomorrow's fitting are my shoes. I didn't really want to rush that purchase, and I have to pick up my youngest daughter from pre-school by 11.40 am, so I think I'll just take some heels that I already have, at least that will give the seamstress an idea of height. My, My, my...I can't quite believe things are starting to fall into place the way they are. I will begin to feel more at ease when we have the date booked, but that will be in a matter of hours and anyway that is not for me to worry about because God has it all under control. Just look where He has brought me thus far?? Praise Him!!

There's something I have to tell you...

...The Mr and I are getting married.....NEXT MONTH!! Can I get a Hallelujah and an Amen? God is so good. I'm probably being a little hasty, but I can't hold it in any longer. There's so much I have to tell you all and so much I have to do. I'm a massive ball of nervous energy aka STRESS and excitement. I'm keeping this post short and sweet but promise to keep you all in the loop.....watch this space.

I won my wedding invitations!

Wedding invitations by Dotty Pink Designs;

Last Monday morning I checked my inbox only to discover I'd won a competition; courtesy of Dotty Pink Designs, to have my wedding invites designed and made. I was ecstatic. Still am. When I entered the competition I had a feeling that God was prompting me to do it and that I would win. The OH and I have been engaged for nearly five years and money is most definitely a concern, so to win this competition, and not have to worry about this expense is such a blessing. Amy Seager the fabulous designer is also a Christian, which makes me even more convinced that this is the good Lord's work, I even nabbed Amy's girl of God badge from her blog (as displayed at the top of my side bar) she has such a beautiful talent.

I am beyond excited. All we need to do now is confirm the date and venue, which God willing will be pretty soon (we have a gorgeous, budget friendly venue lined up, which we are preparing to view any day now). All will be revealed soon. In the meantime I can rest assured that my guests will be receiving beautiful bespoke invites. I'm so happy!

Below are some examples of Amy's work. All photos are courtesy of  Holly Booth. Please do visit Holly's website here and of course Dotty Pink Design's too.

I'm looking forward to working with you in the coming weeks Amy. x

I want to be married (I think)

More and more of late I've had a yearning to be married, like right now. I don't know if it's the romantic deep within fighting to get out or the sheer embarrassment and shame (we are christians) of having three children out of wedlock or maybe it's the fact that I'm rapidly approaching 33, but either way I feel the need to be a Mrs. The thing is I'm not sure how we get there anymore.

I read this great post on the London Bride blog recently. It was about long engagements and it got me thinking about the situation the other half and I have found ourselves in.

My fiancé proposed in glorious style along the river near Tower Bridge in early 2008. It is now 2012 and nothing is planned, booked, mentioned or talked about. It can't help that he runs his own business and I'm looking after our three children, so between the two of us we are usually too exhausted or too sidetracked to talk about us and this marriage/wedding malarkey.

I must admit I do get cold feet every now and then, when I'm having to constantly remind him to give me money for the bills or repeatedly having to pick his crap things off the bathroom, bedroom, living room floor. Then there's our different approaches to money. I'm pretty good because I'm organised. Him not so much. I often wonder if the issue of credit ratings and such like will impact me negatively when we get married, but that's not the way I should be going into it surely?

Compared to hideous exes, my fiancé's short comings are insignificant. And after all nobody is perfect and it's all about compromise. I know there are a lot of things about me he probably grins and bears (heck he probably doesn't even want to get married anymore but hasn't got around to telling me yet - *shudders*) so it all evens out I suppose.


The fact of the matter is, he is most definitely THE ONE and I want to be his wife but money is tight, (we've moved back to our one bedroom flat to save money for goodness sake so how can we possibly afford a wedding??). We both come from big families so nothing is ever going to be small and discreet. Maybe I'm just creating barriers and we should just go ahead and do what we can afford (zilch) and please ourselves rather than everybody else.



I think this could well be my dress of choice.
*rubs hands together excitedly*
Looks pricey though.



I swore to myself 2013 would be the year we became husband and wife. This extended , drawn out engagement stuff has gone on long enough. This wedding has to happen doesn't it? Even my little sis who isn't even in a relationship right now has more of an idea of what her wedding will look like than I do.



I've got to get this thing moving....

....right that's it, we will have 'the talk' tonight and a date will be set.



Keep me in your thoughts.

Otherwise engaged

I love these rings, especially the fingerprints
on the inside. I know what we'll be getting.

The better half and I have been engaged for four years. Come to think of it, it's four years to the day today. O.M.Goodness!

I really thought we would be married by now, I definitely did not think we would have THREE children and not be married.

The better half proposed in glorious style a few weeks after our eldest daughter was born and  I vowed there would be no more children until we had made our union official. What is that saying about best laid plans?

Just before I found out I was pregnant with our third child I had it planned (hypothetically) that we would go to Barbados and have a simple wedding in paradise. How amazing would that have been? An amazing holiday with the girls and a wedding all wrapped into one.

Now we are in a situation where all of our money goes on the children and providing the best life possible for them. There is absolutely no money in the pot for a wedding.

Many have suggested to do something small, get family to make and bring food. The thing is we both come from very big families and I don't see how either of these suggestions could work. Admittedly I was never one of those girls who dreamt of the fairy tale wedding to her prince charming. I never had visions of the dress and the cake from the age of seven, so I'm not precious and I don't have high expectations but I would like the experience to be romantic and memorable for all the right reasons. 

Now my new target is for us to be married by 2013 the absolute latest. I'm getting concerned that the longer we leave it, the more we'll feel like just not bothering. I sense that the better half has lost complete interest in the idea, it's never a topic of conversation, it just exists silently until our daughter sees a bridal magazine or hears the mention of a wedding and asks when mummy and daddy will be getting married.

The honest answer is I don't know, our lives are so crammed with other stuff that we'll just carry on as things are. That is until 2013.......