the one with all the marry-ment

This weekend two of my best friends got married in the most bedazzled of occasions  Cortney Shanks married Tom McGuirk!! After several rounds of dating - they finally tied the knot yesterday.  And it was perfect:) I wore a gold sequined party dress (every girl needs one, after all) and Jesse got to wear the cutest little bow tie. We stood up on stage and watched two of our favorites commit their lives to one another. It was a tearful, happy, and long-awaited event and I'm so glad we got to witness it. 

The beautiful bride!

Over the last year, Cortney was in five weddings (including mine) and I was curious to see how she would style her own wedding - and let me tell you, it was the most unique weddings ever. She did an amazing job combining all of the best parts of this time of year - candlelight, glitter, and class - while remaining perfectly herself. Her dress was simple and beautiful and she matched it with a coverlet from Beholdn (Anthro's wedding line) - seriously the coolest accessory I've ever seen. Like I mentioned before, the bridesmaids wore gold sequined dresses, carried black clutches (hand-picked by the bride for each maid - precious), and rocked sock buns. The reception was held at this stunning New England house that had a roaring fireplace, twinkle lights, and cozy couches. Magical. 

Tom and Cort - you may never see this thanks to your amaaaazing honeymoon in Aruba (woo!) but thank you for letting me be apart of your Big Day. I can't believe we almost had to miss it, but I'm so grateful that God worked it out. The best December 22nd I can ever remember:)  If you want to look at more pictures from their day (and if you have an instagram) - type in the hashtag #merrycortmas and enjoy!

Today, I'm sitting at my computer with a sore throat and head ache - the aftermath of the perfect weekend - and I'm trying to rest up before we head out to Florida for Christmas vacation. I feel so tired and yet so blessed all at once. It's definitely been a wonderful Christmas season already. 

And before my other lovely brides from 2012 feel slighted - I would also love to give a special shout-out to Candice and Erin - two of my other newly married friends who are literally some of the most stunning people I will ever know. Your weddings were perfect and deserve a post of their own. I love you both dearly:) If you want to have some serious wedding envy take a look at their weddings here and here. Just kidding...envy is wrong - let's call it "appreciating." ;)

the one about connecticut

There are no words that can make sense of something so violent, so heartbreaking, so sad. Many writers and blogs have expressed the perspective of a parent and I'm not here to do that. I'm not a parent, and although I've been so sad and emotional about this whole thing - I can't imagine what I would feel as a mother too. I don't have any kids of my own to squeeze extra tight tonight, but the last few days have reminded me that I have so much to cherish in this fleeting life - my family back home and here in Boston, my wonderful husband, my best friends, my church family, and so much more.

But tonight, I meditated on something far more somber. I found a list of biographies of the victims on CNN's website. Typically, I avoid looking at things like that - it's just too hard to face. But tonight, I decided that I wanted to....rather, that I needed to. As I looked through the names, I prayed for each of the families and loved ones of these adorable children and brave educators. At one point in my prayer, I had to stop and just weep. How could this happen? Why do people do these things? 

As I finished my prayer, I still didn't have any answers. 

But I'm reminded of the Scripture that President Obama quoted yesterday from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

I'm so glad that the President comforted the nation with these words. They were exactly what I needed to hear (and I doubt that I'm the only one). I'm so grateful that this life isn't it. It's only the beginning. I can't wait to be in the place with no more goodbyes and no more tears. 

I also watched this video from one of the parents, Robbie Parker, about his daughter Emilie. His heart of forgiveness and love challenged me deeply. I hope it heals your heart a little bit too. 

Love, 

Alexandra

the one with the weekend visit

Ever have one of those days where you wake up feeling like you've already lived the whole day already? That's me today - totally and completely exhausted in every capacity. But here's the good news - exhaustion can come from the most positive things. Like this weekend, for instance, my dad came into town! It was one of those weekends where you go non-stop but it was completely wonderful. My dad came to Boston not only to visit his favorite daughter...sorry Elizabeth;)....but to speak to our church about the books of 1 & 2 Samuel. I hadn't heard my dad preach in forever and I've got to tell you - it was even better than I remembered. He has the gift of bringing the Bible to life in the most fun, expressive, and deep way. And he makes the best movie references (I mean really, what other preacher quotes "Die Hard" regularly in sermons). 

But hearing him preach was only one of the highlights - we got to talk and catch up, re-tell funny memories, and just be together. One of the best parts of his visit was going to see the Boston Pops holiday concert. The Boston Pops combine symphony orchestra, choral performance, and modern music in this wonderful melodic blend and it was such a great experience. Special bonus? It was totally free! After a night full of merriment I am officially in the Christmas spirit. 

Having my two favorite men together in one place was the perfect December treat - my first married Christmas season and my dad visiting all at once. I truly feel like the "boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places" (Psalm 16:6).

This morning I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful earthly father who points me to my heavenly father. However, I realize that my situation is unique. So many of my friends don't have the relationship with their dad that I get to enjoy - but the amazing thing is that we can all have a father that thinks we're the bees' knees. Don't believe me? The Bible has some wonderful things to say about that. Try reading Isaiah 49:15-16, Psalm 103:11-13, and Zephaniah 3:17 for starters. Here's to a holiday season full of security, peace, and connection:)

Miss you already!

the one where we got [christmas] crafty

Christmas decorating on a newlywed budget? Challenge accepted. After years of bemoaning my lack of creativity in DIY projects - I finally made some progress this month! I took on three projects (you've got to start somewhere, people) and I thought I would share them with you here. 

1. Yarn Wreath 

For those of you who follow me on Pinterest, you know that I went a little pin happy recently in the wreath department. They are a great combination of home spun (see what I did there?) and put-together. To make my wreath I followed a tutorial from the Decor Chick blog which you can check out here. 

What you'll need: 

- A wreath form (made of a straw-like thing)

- Two rolls of yarn (if you are doing a two tone like me)

- Hot glue gun

- Decorative feature (I chose greenery with some berries)

What you do: 

It's simple - just wrap the yarn around the wreath form tightly and make sure there aren't any gaps. As you finish with a section (if you opt to do multiple colors), just secure with a dab of hot glue. It took me about 2 hours to wrap while catching up with a friend. Finally, just hot glue the decoration to the front and fix to your liking! 

After I finished wrapping the wreath, I started to attach the greenery with hot glue. 

The Final product! Wrapped the greenery in additional yarn to hide the ends. 

2. Holiday Centerpiece

I wanted something cute and festive for our coffee table - so here's what I came up with! 

What you'll need: 

- A clear vase

- Two bags of fresh (or fake) cranberries 

- Greenery (fake or real)

- a candle (I opted for a mason jar one but tea lights would be cute too)

- twine

What you do: 

Simply fill the bottom with cranberries, decorate the top with greenery (I had leftovers from the wreath) and place the candle in the middle. Finally, wrap the vase with some twine and that's it! Done and done. I really like the way it turned out. And the best part? It was practically free.

I like how this is seasonal without pounding you over the head with Christmas cheer. 

3. Cinnamon Candles

I saw this idea online at Martha Stewart and I wanted to make one for me and one for a dear friend who happens to loveee candles! So, I went for it. 

What you'll need: 

- Vanilla pillar candles

- 2 bags of cinnamon sticks (I suggest a craft store for this)

- Rubber bands

- Twine

What you do: 

In order to get the most out of my cinnamon sticks, I decided to break the sticks in half. I was able to break most of them by myself but J helped me with the thicker ones:) After that, I wrapped the rubber band around the candle and started putting cinnamon sticks side by side. You do have finagle it a bit since some sticks will be large and make the skinny ones slide out. But the rubber band is still much better than glue (I tried both). After you arrange the sticks, wrap the twine around the candle so that the rubber band is fully covered. The candle will look and smell great!

The final result: a sweet-smelling and cozy decoration. I surrounded mine with metallic  accents.

It's amazing how just a few simple decorations can transform your home this time of year. I hope this gets your creative juices flowing! Happy decorating and DIY-ing everyone! Oh and if you have more ideas - please feel free to comment! I have to capitalize on this phase:) 

the one with the correlation

Taken at the Reservoir during my prayer time today. Beautiful New England afternoon:)

When I started this blog a couple of months ago, I intended to post "deep thoughts" on Monday mornings. Well, as you can see - I've posted exactly three deep thoughts which you can find in the "Monday Musings" section of my blog. And now, this right here will become the fourth deep thought. 

For those of you who know me, you are aware of several things about me: I cry easily, I MUST talk through every feeling I've ever had, and I can go from sobbing to laughing in about 30 seconds flat (it's a gift). Well, since getting married those emotional mood swings have grown exponentially. Allow me to be clear - I have the most wonderful, patient, adorable husband on the planet and none of these things are due to him. I blame it all on the stress of transitioning (which I talked about several musings ago). 

But last week marked another turning point in my emotional state. For the first time in awhile I felt more like myself. I felt like I was finally having more normal (nay, rational) emotional responses to daily life and that I was even more easy going (and my husband says, "hallelujah"). I've been trying to determine what, if anything, changed and I came to several conclusions. 

1. Thanksgiving break came and I took a break from the daily pressures of work. I even got out of town:) 

2. Prayer. I started reading a book on the subject (The Prayer of the Righteous by Mark Templer) and I've been having longer, better times with God. 

Simple, right? However, this weekend came and several things got in the way of my prayer time. And wouldn't you know that my emotions got out of control again. Sometimes the correlation between prayer and my daily dose of peace surprises me. And I have to wonder - after being a Christian for 10 years - how am I still so shocked by this? Why is it that I still think that I can make it through the day without intentional, meaningful time with my Maker? 

After all, let's think through some heroes of the faith - they were all noted for their devotion to prayer. 

David: wrote most of the book of Psalms as prayers and songs for God. He teaches us to be honest with our Lord.  

Daniel: was willing to go against the laws of Babylon in order to pray to his Creator. He was even arrested for it!

Elijah: he prayed and called down fire from heaven, rain from the sky, and victory over his enemies. 

Paul: began every letter talking about how earnestly he prayed not for himself but for the disciples in all the churches. Talk about a selfless man of prayer. 

And most notably - Jesus himself! He prayed alone, with his disciples, in large groups - he was constantly withdrawing to spend time with his Father. Even God's Son needed and prioritized prayer. It begs the question - who do I think I am to avoid deep prayer times?

I have a feeling that I'm not the only basket-case who gets surprised by how a lack of prayer affects her emotional well-being. Thank goodness I'm not alone:) But here's my thought - what if I really conquered this? What if I made a true and deep commitment to changing this area of my life?   I think it's time to make that decision. I refuse to be surprised by the correlation and in fact, I'm devoting myself to a higher standard of prayer. 

Who's with me??

the one with christmas trees and google searches

On Monday, Jesse and I picked out our very first Christmas tree! And yes - it was exactly like that scene in Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswold sees "the one" - and the tree glows and a chorus sings melodiously in the background....well, sort of. But we did find a tree in the freezing cold and we did cut it down ourselves! And by "we" - I obviously mean Jesse. I was dressed far too adorably for such an endeavor. 

Turkey Hill Farm...and my very own lumberjack.

So anyways, we picked up our good friend Steve and drove up to Turkey Hill Farm in Haverhill, MA to search for the perfect tree. With the beautiful mountains behind us we paid an arm and a leg to cut down our very own tree, drink some free cider, and snap some photos commemorating the special moment. 

The first-ever A+J tree! Sorry I'm not giving you a full scale glimpse at The Tree. It's about 6 feet tall and smells divine. 

Oh and a woman from the Associated Press followed us around taking pictures for an article or something. So, who knows, maybe we'll even be in the paper! I even typed in "Alexandra Ghoman" on google today to see if she had posted a picture with my name in it and alas...only my Pinterest page popped up. This showed me two things: no, she didn't sell our pictures to the AP wire and yes, I'm the only Alexandra Ghoman on the internet...nay in the WORLD!!! 

So, clearly, it's been a big week for me - a first Christmas tree AND my very own google name. It's the little things in life:)

Sealed with a kiss. But we're married so it's allowed:) 

the one with the redemption

Although I'm sure you're dying to see all that I did over the holiday weekend (just kidding, I know your instagrams, facebooks, etc have already been thoroughly bombarded by your friends'/other bloggers' posts) -  I know that what you really want to know is how I fared over Black Friday. Did I break my vow? If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about - then you can read my recent fashion vow post here.

First of all, I'm happy to report that I've worn my own (feminine) clothes every day this week. Since I've been freeeezing up here in Boston - it's been tough to stick to my own clothing options - but I've made lots of effort! And over the holiday weekend I even took some photos to prove it. Special thank you to all of you (J included) who have been forcing me to stick to my vow - I never knew how much you all detested my bad habits until I posted about it:)

Photo 1: shirt (thrifted), sweater (Gap last year), jeans (old navy), necklace, (consignment)

Photo 2: sweater (Gap), colored jeans (Gap outlet)

Photo 3: ruffled shirt (LOFT), sweater (LOFT), cords (JCrew Factory)

*In other news: the angle of these pictures is oh-so-unflattering. Vow #2 - stop taking photos like these*

And how did I survive the Black Friday shopping craze? Well, again, I just barely escaped the clenches of men's clothing sales and instead I bought two feminine shirts - one from Target and one from LOFT. They're adorable and flattering...finally! I'll post those later. J, on the other hand, bought some reallyyyy soft shirts during the sales and I haven't tried to steal them yet. It's nearly been the death of me.

Is it breaking my vow if I just wear them once... if I didn't buy them personally? Shhh, don't tell:)

And just in case you DO care about our Thanksgiving - here's a picture from our very first Thanksgiving as husband and wife. We like to keep it bright:) 

the one with the fauxgiving

In honor of Thanksgiving Eve, I'm posting about one of my favorite new traditions....celebrating Thanksgiving...rather "Fauxgiving" with some of our best friends. On Saturday, several of the young married couples at church got together for a huge turkey dinner - and it was an absolute FEAST. The feast allowed me to try out some new recipes. I decided to make some southern classics: macaroni and cheese and sweet potato souffle. And now - I have the privilege of sharing them with you:) 

Macaroni and Cheese: 

I got the recipe from the Food Network (it was the highest rated recipe) and it turned out deliciously!! Here it is before and after the oven:) Look it up here. 

Sweet Potato Souffle:

I don't have a picture of the souffle but this was one of the favorites of the evening. It was rich and sweet...and totally Southern:) It was diviiiine! And you can find the recipe here...Paula Deen, baby!

Although everyone made some delicious food - the best part of Fauxgiving was spending it with friends. I feel so blessed to live in a place with so many people in our stage of life. The first couple  months of marriage have been wonderful but also new, crazy, emotional, etc and we've needed peer friendships like never before. I'm so thankful that God has blessed us abundantly in this department. 

Isn't Alex such an adorable hostess?! She and Jay made the turkey and made this night come together:) 

Can you believe that actual Thanksgiving is tomorrow?! I know I can't. J and I are spending the holiday weekend with his family up in Syracuse, NY and it's going to be a great time. This is my second year with his family (although last year we stayed in town) and I'm really excited about it. Although I always miss my family this time of year - I'm so blessed to have the in-laws that I do. They make me feel so loved and included. Special note: Jesse's sister will not be joining us this year. And I'm so mad - thankfully she's sitting right next to me until her flight this afternoon. So I'm getting my Jenna-fix a little early this year:) 

It's hard to believe that this time last November, J and I were still dating long distance. The last year has brought so much to be grateful for - God is good. 

Thanksgiving 2011

the one with the confession...

It's official: I need help. 

I have worn something from the men's department EVERYDAY this week. 

Things are getting out of hand. 

It all began junior year of college. I began searching the men's sale section regularly (predominately in the Gap) and I soon acquired a collection of button downs, henleys, some thermals, several hoodies, a pair of sweatpants, etc. Now married to a boy with even more flannels, sweatshirts, thermals, and cool sweaters - my obsession has reached problematic proportions. I have constant access to shapeless, warm, and comfortable clothing! To be fair, I always try to feminize my menswear with pearl earrings, cute hair, statement necklaces, skinny jeans, etc. But let's be honest - you can only get away with the boy-gone-girly look so often. I'm turning something that would be mildly chic on a bi-weekly basis into a daily lumberjack routine. 

Oh dear. 

That being said - I, Alexandra Joy Ghoman, hereby vow to stop buying men's clothing for the foreseeable future....even if said future holds the softest, most affordable shirt/sweater combo I've seen in months (I'm literally cringing writing these words). And I also promise to limit my purchases to feminine items that will balance my shapeless, overly-comfortable style. However, these new items will also work with my typical style. After all, "Rome wasn't dressed in a day"....or something like that. 

Some of the things I'll be looking for as I embark on my new fashion journey....fun dresses, interesting tops, blending of styles, etc. 

  

  

The first is from girlsack.com, second is from Gap, the last is from Ruche.

First is from Kendi Everyday, second is from LOFT, and third is from the Daybook Blog. 

Wish me luck;)

the one where we all made decisions

Ever experience something that just inspires you? This weekend, I had one of those times.  The annual New York/New England campus retreat, "Decision 2012" was this weekend and it was incredible. 550 college students came together to worship God and learn about his purposes for them. At this point in my life, my role as a retreat-attendee has shifted drastically. I'm no longer the target-audience retreats like these - and yet, I still gain so much from going. I still hear the word of God preached powerfully, I still see men and women who inspire me with their faith, I still hear songs that move me to tears, I still reconnect with old friends, I still leave wanting to pursue God like never before. 

Sam and Cynthia Powell were the key-note speakers for the event and did an incredible job preaching the word. As I listened to Cynthia Saturday morning, I was blown away (as I always am) by her wisdom and insight. Cynthia is a woman of one-liners - she knows how to speak the truth in one sentence. Here are a few of my absolute favorites:

"You take care of God's business, and he'll take care of your business."

"God has a perfect will and he also has a permissible will." (too deep to explain haha)

"Your perspective on your problems is in direct correlation to your perception of how big God is."

"After you get what you wanted; are you gonna want what you got?"

She gave me (and the hundreds of other women) in attendance much to think about as she spoke about God's campaign for us as his daughters. It's easy for me to leave weekends of convicting sermons feeling overwhelmed by all I have to grow in and all I have to change - but as I consider one of the main Psalms that Cynthia read - I feel encouraged by my God. 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him; 
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:8-12

I'm very far from perfect. I have so much to grow in. I don't want to stay where I'm at or be content with the status quo. I also don't want to forget the heights of God's grace or the depths of his love. 

I've made my decision. What's yours?

the one with the first snow!

As I write this - my fingers are freeeeeeezing!!! {Ha, Jesse saw me type that and blew on them to make them warmer -didn't work...but cute.} I'm sitting in our little attic working on the rooming list for our upcoming campus ministry retreat and thinking about the lovely mini snowstorm developing outside:) It's the first snow of the season and although all we have is this teeny space heater keeping us (vaguely) warm, I can't help but feel grateful.  Unlike many of my friends in New York and New Jersey, I'm lucky enough to have power, plenty of food in my pantry, and  enough gas in my car. I have so much to be thankful for.

I'm praying that my fellow north-easterners can stay warm, dry, and well-fed during this November storm:) And here's to hoping that J and I can soon afford to fill our oil tank and regain central heating! 

Until then....brrrrrr (sips hot cocoa). 

the one with the slow-cookin'

Confession: I looooove my crock pot. It's this magical contraption where you throw stuff in a pot, let it simmer for a couple of hours, and then - voila! Taste-bud delight! I'm going to let you in on two extra secret slow-cooker recipes today. And by "extra-secret," I mean that I got them from somewhere else online and fully expect you to share them with your closest friends and family. Enjoy:) 

BBQ chicken sandwiches: 

4-6 chicken breasts

1 bottle of barbecue sauce

We're having this for the second time tonight (per Jesse's request) with rice, green beans, and maybe some biscuits. He's a little obsessed with this dinner.

Chicken tacos: 

4-6 chicken breasts

1 packet of taco seasoning 

1 jar of salsa (normal size is fine) 

I adore Mexican food so this recipe was one of my favorites! I got some small tortillas, chopped up some lettuce, put out some shredded cheese and sour cream and we settled in to watch some Georgia football:) 

I recommend letting both dinners simmer for a couple of hours (4 on high, 6 on low), and then one hour before the timer goes off, shred the meat. This allows the flavor to really soak into the meat and to get extra moist before serving. 

Seriously. These are the ONLY INGREDIENTS for these recipes. I'm telling you - magic. Prepare to look like the world's tastiest cook...by doing practically nothing at all. 

the one with the kid-borrowing

This past weekend, J and I were asked to babysit for some of our great friends. The Millers have three kids ranging from 3 to 9-years-old. The original plan was to stay from Friday morning to Sunday night. We had a great time with the kiddos - we ordered pizza and made brownies, we built forts and went to Caleb's soccer game, we watched movies and rode bikes - all in all it was a great time. We were loving every minute with some of our favorite munchkins:)  

Little Man's soccer game. He scored his first goal!

But on Sunday night, Superstorm Sandy brought our perfect weekend to a major halt. Kevin and Melissa called with some bad news - they were stranded in Colorado. Upon finding out, the kids were pretty heartbroken - their parents were missing out on one of the biggest weeks in a kid's year - Halloween week! So, Jesse and I mustered every ounce of creativity we had left and tried to create the happiest, safest, snuggly-est night we could imagine complete with hot apple cider, Tarzan, and pulling the big air-mattress to the living room. The next day, the kids were out of school and the power went out due to the storm (dun, dun, dun). We called in some reinforcements and boy am I glad they came - Jon and Rachel arrived midday on Monday and took on some of the kid-duties while Jesse and I recuperated from non-stop parent patrol. Even though it was a crazy situation, it was wonderful to have time with Jon and Rachel. Those who babysit together, stick together:) 

Apple cider therapy:)

Tuesday night - some incredible things happened - the power came on and Mommy and Daddy came home. The happiness on those kids faces was one of the best things you can imagine. J and I won't be ready to have children of our own for awhile but watching him take on the role of dad for a couple of days was pretty much the sweetest thing ever. As we resumed our normal lives on Wednesday he kept mentioning how much he missed those kids. He kept wishing he could talk with them and hear their little voices. And my heart went pitter-patter.

Baby Bear watching Tangled with J. See what I mean?!

One day, I hope I'm lucky enough to have pictures just like these of our own kids with Jess. But until then, I'm so glad we have friends that let us "borrow" their cuties for a couple of days. Here's to "someday" with the world's best future papa! 

the one with the girly music

Carol Anne and I got to meet Taylor back in 2008...we asked for a "best friends" photo and she happily obliged. 

Oh, Taylor. Falling in love, heartbreak, heartache, happiness, friendship - that girl just gets girls. She explains our over-analytical, pull-your-hair-out, kinda crazy (okay, definitely crazy) emotions as vividly as we wish we could. She articulates the giddy butterflies, perfectly perfect moments, and the "holy-crap-I'm-in-love" memories with every detail I can never quite remember. In fact, I'm fairly sure that I could catalog the last 5 years exclusively in Taylor's songs. Embarrassing, but true. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

Tim McGraw - This was my very first favorite song of Taylor's. Reminded me of high-school love. Sweet and ridiculous all at once. Added bonus? It made me want a really great black dress. 

I'd Lie - This one never made it on an album...I think I found it on LimeWire (I know, it's awful - my illegally downloading days ended soon after). This song has to be one of my all time favorites. It has the added bonus of explaining my sister's love story with her husband perfectly:) Precious. 

Love Story - Who didn't love this song? When it came out, I think my roommates and I nearly imploded from excitement. I seriously don't think there's a song that's elicited quite so many ridiculous dance parties among our demographic as this gem nationwide. 

Breathe - Hello Break-Up Song! I can hardly listen to this one without being transported back to some painful memories from a couple years ago. Taylor explained what I couldn't - with all the drama and exaggeration I demanded at the time.

Enchanted - Falling in love with Jesse. This song came out right after we met and it was wonderful. After our first date, he told someone that it was "magical" which is basically the same as "enchanting," right? I think so too:)

Everything Has Changed - I love so many on the new album but as I listened this week, I couldn't find any that really spoke to this new stage of my life. But then this song came on and it took me right back to our first week of marriage. Just this great feeling of "Wow, this is forever and we're actually married. Everything really has changed!" The best part? J loves it too. 

I could go on, but for the sake of your increasing boredom and my increasing exhaustion - I'll start to bring it to a close. One of my favorite Taylor memories has a lot less to do with Taylor and a lot more to do with 3 of my favorite people.  Speak Now came out during my last semester of college and on the night it came out, Carly and I went to pick up our former roommates for a listening party late that night. For a couple of hours we just drove around back country roads blasting the then-unfamiliar songs, thinking about what was to come and sipping on some Sonic limeades (or maybe that was just me). As we drove, we remembered the last few years - bemoaning the ridiculously awkward times and celebrating the happy outcomes. This go-round we tried to have another listening party (via webcam) to no avail. But even so, I can still feel that oh-so-perfect moment, bottled in my heart forever, waiting to be relived. 

Look who's all Taylor Swift-y and expressive now? Oh wait, that's me:)

the one with the 100 things

Welcome to the Tuesday edition of Monday Musings...things that happened on Monday but that I couldn't post until today:) 

Allow me to update you on last week in the Ghoman household: So even after all the warm-fuzzies I posted last week, I still found myself in quite the emotional tizzy by Saturday morning. A series of unfortunate events had bombarded my already-fragile emotional state (see last week's post) and I couldn't seem to rebound. By the time the weekend showed it's friendly face - I was burnt out and exhausted.

But on Sunday, several things changed for the better - I got to go to church and worship God (always good), J and I went to a young marrieds devotional that talked about communication (always hilarious), AND I heard a lesson on gratitude (always convicting). 

The lesson stuck with me into my Monday reflection time and I found myself wanting to take the challenge that my dear friend Jenna left her audience with - to write down 100 things I'm grateful for.

It may have taken awhile, but after praying through the loooong list, I felt like a new woman. Today, I still have the same errands to run, same laundry to do, and the same issues to resolve. But now, I can embrace these "challenges" with a renewed perspective.

So allow me to pass along the 100 Things Challenge. What do you have to be thankful for? 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" 

Philippians 4:4 

the one with the autumnal-ness

We all know that girls loveeee fall. In fact our obsession with all things pumpkin, apple, and boots can sometimes be a bit of an embarrassment  But not enough of an embarrassment that it prevents me from partaking in all of those things with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm. 

But another reason to love fall? It's when Jesse and I first met, first fell in love, and now...our first season married! In honor of all that - I've decided to post some of our favorite fall moments from the past two years (yep, we've only known each other for two years....we took the short cut to life-long bliss). 

1. The October 2010 visit...football and corn-mazes.

2. Dates in 2011....enjoying the foliage and watching the Red Sox

3. Married in 2012....Topsfield Fair and Parker's Maple Barn

Why are we rocking the same pose in both photos? I guess it's our new/cool married thing. 

Here's to even more wonderfully fall memories:)

the one with the transition

As campus ministers, J and I typically work weekends so we loveee our slower (sort-of) Mondays. With a whole day to do whatever we need to do - I try to take some extra time to think, pray and read on these days. I can't say that all of my Monday musings are particularly deep...but I try!

Today was a special Monday. This weekend, I flew down to Georgia for Candice's wedding (more on that later!) so today I spent some time on the plane reflecting, praying and reading as I came home to Boston and to my wonderful husband. 

Today I spent some time reflecting on God's love. One of my best friends, Erin, sent me a text message the other day encouraging me to reread Isaiah 43:1-7. What an amazing passage full of hope and promise. As I reflected on this passage as well as Ephesians 1-2, I felt so moved just remembering the God that I serve. 

Since getting married two months ago, I've felt more grateful than ever before but I've also felt a bit disconnected from God. It's been a happy transition and a tough transition all at once. Everything is new - and my spiritual walk is no different. I finally feel the divide that the apostle Paul talks about to the church in Corinth. But this morning - something finally clicked for me. As I read through these passages a song came on my iPhone that helped me to realize some things I've been missing. The song? I Am by Nichole Nordeman. The lyrics go through a woman's life and talk about how your perception of God changes with every stage of life. The song paints a picture of a woman who learns to cling to God with every twist and turn of life. 

Names used to describe God: helper, healer, superhero, heartache healer, secret-keeper, best friend, Savior, shepherd, pasture-maker, comforter, redeemer, Lord and King, Beginning and the End, I AM. 

Listening to this reminded me that God never changes - but that our relationship will change as I grow older. And that's to be expected. I'm sure this is only the beginning of life complications, but God can handle every twist and turn - he is worthy of my heart, my soul, my everything. And that's truly wonderful news:) 

the one with the textured tights

This week J and I went up to the Berkshires to check out the location for our upcoming fall campus retreat (I'm sure I'll post more pictures later). We were so excited to get away for a night and enjoy the New England foliage (ridiculous) while listening to some good ol' Mumford and Sons. The trip gave me an excuse to dress up a little bit and break out some of my favorite fall gear. Yesss.

dress: madewell
sweater: LOFT
circle scarf: Gap
tights: H&M
boots: Steve Madden

the one behind the blog name

When I was 9 I planned my wedding inside out and up and down. But I could never quite picture the groom - What would he be like? What would he look like? What would be his favorite movie? His favorite band? What would his last name be? But now, having met the Mr. who made me a Mrs. I can honestly say that my groom is much more than I could have ever asked for. Alexandra truly loves Jesse - and I thought it only fitting that the inaugural post of A Loves J to say just that. So here's to the man who makes my life an adventure and who gives me the sweetest "good mornings" and the happiest "goodnights". I love you, J :)