"God doesn't require us to be successful, He only requires us to be faithful." - mother theresa.

countdown

life has been exceptionally busy lately, so no time for reflective blogs, unfortunately. vacation bible school is setting sail next week, and somehow i find myself at the wheel of this massive ship. come on, the analogy works, all things considered.

david and i had a fantastic weekend visiting cedar falls and minneapolis. we got in some quality family time with handsome little baby elliot, and we were able to relax and goof off with our lifelong budbuds, reid and liz up in the twin cities. they were incredible hosts. we had a marathon ikea run, did some touristy stuff, and ate some blissfully good food. it's great to have friends like that, people you can unwind around.

sunday, after an early drive home, was another shower, this one for the extended ladies on my mom's side of the family. we played some cute games that ellen, donna, and tammi devised, and ate some fabulous tiramisu that ellen made from scratch. man, wedding planning may not be my thing, but i love the showers. i love getting everyone together, playing funny games, laughing, celebrating, eating together. any excuse for a party is a good excuse in my book.

the new apartment is slowly taking shape. or maybe it's just getting more cluttered. david and i found a round, formica and chrome table at a flea market for $17.50. it only had 2 chairs w/it, but it's a fine start, so that has moved into our "dining room" along with a teeny tiny ikea desk. david also yielded the power drill on monday as he put shelves into the wall, and he could not have been any more manly if he had tried. i'm a lucky gal, what can i say? there's something attractive about a guy who takes initiative with a power drill in hand :)

we also got our marriage license today, and ate at the delectable lebanese cafe "open sesame" to celebrate & wrap up marriage counseling with brent. i don't think anyone noticed, but my hands were shaking when i filled out the paperwork. i wrote down breeann noel cowger and felt a little tinge of excitement and anticipation. it's a big deal. no way around it. it's a little scary... the unknown, the loss of my fierce independence that i've used as my identity... but i know that the life i'll have with david will be so much richer than anything that i could have constructed on my own. it's all worth it.

i'll see you soon

i found you in my dreams this morning
dawn came boldly through the blades of blinds
and i stirred slightly, didn't want to lose you,
so i glued my sleeping eyes shut.

you were living in an eastern coastal town
with a starving sea tucked below precarious cliffs
and the waves crashed like restless vagrants
desperate for a way home.

i found you were a mechanic and you worked hard
with black grease coating calloused fingers
but you seemed ashamed to be found
doing such work you considered unimpressive.

it had been years, so we talked like honest children
about how you were always were a writer,
how i should have known better,
how when you're young you never realize
there are no time-outs or do-overs.

intrinsically, we knew the sand was thinning out;
i would soon have to jump those cliffs to wake.
this would become nothing more than a fragment,
a false memory made up in my head.

you started crying, telling me you were lonely here
so i promised to visit from time to time.
i intend to keep every word i said
if only i could steer a slumbering ship to your shore.