Westley proposed on Christmas Day last year ... thus, our countdown until our wedding began at 367 days.
Today is our "Negative One Month Anniversary" ... and we have 30 days remaining.
Somehow, 337 days have already passed.
At the beginning, I felt like time wasn't moving at all and that I was going to remain engaged forever. Now, time has accelerated greatly ... and I'm finding it hard to believe that exactly one month from now, I'll be married.
Most details are covered; we have our flowers, our cake, our reception place (another story for another day: ours is the very last event they'll host before they close forever!), our photographer, hair/makeup appointments ...
We sent out the invitations a few weeks ago, and they're due back in one week. (We bought the 2 kits at Michael's for $30 apiece and printed them out at his parents' house.)
Of course, with both of us being musicians, we've been very picky about the music. We don't want the traditional "Here Comes the Bride" (which apparently was written in jest) ... so we're still trying to figure out which pieces we want.
My original dream (since mid-college) had been to have only piano and cello provide music ... but ... our church has a great organ ... and Westley wanted organ. So ... no cello/piano. And the pieces I'd considered with piano/cello just don't work with organ. Don't get me wrong; I love having the organ ... but I want the perfect piece to be playing as I walk down the aisle ... and I haven't found it yet.
Tonight, I've spent the last few hours researching wedding programs online ... a detail I'd forgotten ... but one which is important ... and again, I haven't found the one that really speaks to me yet. I loved our invitations ... and I want everything to be as wonderful as it can be.
At the end of the day, one month from now, I just want to be married to Westley ... to be together without having to drive several hours to see each other. It still doesn't feel real ... but the thought nearly brings me to tears ... the thought that 30 days will somehow fly by (even though I know many will be very stressful: moving stuff into the apartment, my concert, starting the school musical process of informational meetings & auditions, Westley's graduation, Christmas preparations, etc) ... and all of those events will propel us closer to our wedding day ... and God willing, everything will work out just fine and we'll be together, bonded forever by God.
*Deep breath* It begins ...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Gratitude
Grateful. Indescribably grateful.
Family. Westley. Friends. God. Gift of Jesus. Getting my marriage license earlier this week. Home. New apartment. Time. Music. My students. Getting my oil changed, windshield replaced (cracked by a rock in either September or October), and fuel emissions checked. Enjoyment from reading. Positive work environment. Supportive administration. Caring and friendly colleagues. Many affirmative responses for the wedding. Excuse for learning minimal French (a language I've always wanted to learn but didn't have enough motivation). Christmas in less than a month. Ability to serve God through music. Having my first fitting for my wedding dress. Health. Productivity. Life.
Even after I've written the above, my mind is flooded with a myriad (my favorite word of all time) of more things for which I'm grateful.
I'm grateful for my little brother, home from college, who's watching some incredibly gruesome but "ugh, it's so fake, Estrella!" zombie flick in the same room as I type on the family computer.
I'm grateful for my parents ... my mom who's fixing one of my hand-me-up shirts from my little sister (thanksful for her too) with her sewing machine at the moment ... and my dad who, earlier today, was showing off the tie he's going to wear on my wedding day.
I'm grateful for Westley ... and oh so grateful to God because He completely ignored my prayer that I wouldn't meet someone at GradSchool because I wanted to focus completely on my studies. I thank Him that He knew so much better. :)
I'm thankful for Westley's family ... because I already consider them my own family too.
I'm thankful that God has continued to guide and mold my life ... and He remains faithful in spite of my fallibility. Blessed. I feel incredibly blessed. And I am grateful.
Family. Westley. Friends. God. Gift of Jesus. Getting my marriage license earlier this week. Home. New apartment. Time. Music. My students. Getting my oil changed, windshield replaced (cracked by a rock in either September or October), and fuel emissions checked. Enjoyment from reading. Positive work environment. Supportive administration. Caring and friendly colleagues. Many affirmative responses for the wedding. Excuse for learning minimal French (a language I've always wanted to learn but didn't have enough motivation). Christmas in less than a month. Ability to serve God through music. Having my first fitting for my wedding dress. Health. Productivity. Life.
Even after I've written the above, my mind is flooded with a myriad (my favorite word of all time) of more things for which I'm grateful.
I'm grateful for my little brother, home from college, who's watching some incredibly gruesome but "ugh, it's so fake, Estrella!" zombie flick in the same room as I type on the family computer.
I'm grateful for my parents ... my mom who's fixing one of my hand-me-up shirts from my little sister (thanksful for her too) with her sewing machine at the moment ... and my dad who, earlier today, was showing off the tie he's going to wear on my wedding day.
I'm grateful for Westley ... and oh so grateful to God because He completely ignored my prayer that I wouldn't meet someone at GradSchool because I wanted to focus completely on my studies. I thank Him that He knew so much better. :)
I'm thankful for Westley's family ... because I already consider them my own family too.
I'm thankful that God has continued to guide and mold my life ... and He remains faithful in spite of my fallibility. Blessed. I feel incredibly blessed. And I am grateful.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Autumn
Late this afternoon, I went for a walk. I gazed into the woods ... and was struck by the beauty of the bare trees against some of the lingering greenery deeper in the woods. The ground around me was covered in fallen leaves ... and as I stood there in those few moments, more leaves gently wafted to the ground.
My gaze was drawn upwards to the few remaining bits of color at the top of the trees ... these leaves were waiting ... blowing gently in the occasional breeze. I wondered ... How do they know when it's their time to let go ... to sway in the breeze as they float gracefully to the ground?
I watched the trees for a few moments ... hoping to catch a glimpse of a leaf as it detached itself from its tree. Several began their descent before my eyes happened upon a single leaf who easily let go of its branch and drifted to the ground.
How did it know when to let go?
My gaze was drawn upwards to the few remaining bits of color at the top of the trees ... these leaves were waiting ... blowing gently in the occasional breeze. I wondered ... How do they know when it's their time to let go ... to sway in the breeze as they float gracefully to the ground?
I watched the trees for a few moments ... hoping to catch a glimpse of a leaf as it detached itself from its tree. Several began their descent before my eyes happened upon a single leaf who easily let go of its branch and drifted to the ground.
How did it know when to let go?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Post in Numbers
220: Number of guests invited to the wedding
125: Original guest list number (before we realized just how big Westley's extended family is ... and how many people we love too much to exclude)
39: Days until the wedding!
23: Days until my school's concert
14: Days ago that invitations were sent out (and also the day I signed my lease for my new apartment!)
12.5: Number of hours I'll have to be at school next Monday ... for parent-teacher conferences
11: Work Days that my good friend (one of my bridesmaids!) is home on bed rest while letting her body heal after a complication in her pregnancy (and thankfully, both she and baby are doing well)
10: Horse stables I pass on my way to work ... I love seeing the horses out in the fields when I drive to/from work
6: Days until my first official gown fitting
5: Days that I had the music for a regional chorus event before I played at the concert 2 weekends ago
4: Number of sizes bigger than me that my gown is
(I got it on the sales rack .... and knew it would have to be adjusted)
3: Number of school days left this week!
2: Exciting performances I get to see within the next week (Rockettes & ?Mannheim Steamroller?), both gifts from others
1: Meeting left with the pastor for ceremony planning and pre-marital counseling
-13: Number of minutes ago I should have begun to get ready instead of writing this! :)
125: Original guest list number (before we realized just how big Westley's extended family is ... and how many people we love too much to exclude)
$99: Amount I paid for a too-cute cart/countertop from Target for my new apartment
91: Number of barns (functional and/or dilapidated) I pass on my way to work
53: Number of barns in my original count last week while driving myself
(Westley and I drove in that direction last weekend and I counted many more when I could safely pay better attention!)
(Westley and I drove in that direction last weekend and I counted many more when I could safely pay better attention!)
52: Number of confirmed wedding guests (including my principal, one AP, and their respective spouses)
39: Days until the wedding!
23: Days until my school's concert
14: Days ago that invitations were sent out (and also the day I signed my lease for my new apartment!)
12.5: Number of hours I'll have to be at school next Monday ... for parent-teacher conferences
11: Work Days that my good friend (one of my bridesmaids!) is home on bed rest while letting her body heal after a complication in her pregnancy (and thankfully, both she and baby are doing well)
10: Horse stables I pass on my way to work ... I love seeing the horses out in the fields when I drive to/from work
6: Days until my first official gown fitting
5: Days that I had the music for a regional chorus event before I played at the concert 2 weekends ago
4: Number of sizes bigger than me that my gown is
(I got it on the sales rack .... and knew it would have to be adjusted)
3: Number of school days left this week!
2: Exciting performances I get to see within the next week (Rockettes & ?Mannheim Steamroller?), both gifts from others
1: Meeting left with the pastor for ceremony planning and pre-marital counseling
-13: Number of minutes ago I should have begun to get ready instead of writing this! :)
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Happy Returns
Two of my former students returned last week for extra practice with their music. For an upcoming audition, they're singing the same music as my current students. One of my current students asked them why they had come to work with us instead of working with their current teacher.
"Well, Mrs. [former student's current teacher] is cool and all. Her class is fun. But well, Mrs. [their current teacher] just tells you that it's right or wrong but Ms. Estrella breaks things down so you can get it."
That former student had hated me at the beginning of last year because I had the gall to place her in the alto section, and she knew she was a soprano! How could I not know?! (I've since labeled that condition as "Heartbroken Soprano Syndrome.") Because I knew how much she loved singing (even if she didn't like me), I encouraged her to try out for an elite group, and I spent hours after school for a few weeks preparing her. She made it ... and decided in the process that maybe I wasn't so terrible after all. :)
So ... I was also pleased when she said, "You know, it's a good thing you made me sing alto last year 'cause it made me a better singer. I can sing both low and high now."
"Well, Mrs. [former student's current teacher] is cool and all. Her class is fun. But well, Mrs. [their current teacher] just tells you that it's right or wrong but Ms. Estrella breaks things down so you can get it."
That former student had hated me at the beginning of last year because I had the gall to place her in the alto section, and she knew she was a soprano! How could I not know?! (I've since labeled that condition as "Heartbroken Soprano Syndrome.") Because I knew how much she loved singing (even if she didn't like me), I encouraged her to try out for an elite group, and I spent hours after school for a few weeks preparing her. She made it ... and decided in the process that maybe I wasn't so terrible after all. :)
So ... I was also pleased when she said, "You know, it's a good thing you made me sing alto last year 'cause it made me a better singer. I can sing both low and high now."
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