DAY ONE!

Philip got to the house early Sunday morning to get started on what will be our land! We will be building across the road from my house now and we are SO excited to get started!

The first cut! yayyy!!

A few cuts later and...

the celebrity showed up! Before Daddy pulled up, the cows were no where around. He loves it;)

Around the time I had to head home to get ready for Sunday School. Progress already!

After church and dinner on the grounds for 5th Sunday, we got back out there! There's already trees down in this picture. Going to get some more:)

So thankful for all the help we had!

Even Jager was a part of the fun:)

Jager needed a sip;)

They're just there to make sure he's doing it right:)

Cows checking out the new stomping grounds.

The end of a full day's work. We were tired and scratched but oh-so-happy:) I told Philip that this was the first day of forever. We get to improve this land together always and we are so excited about it!

Pumpkin Fun!

Pumpkin carving night was last night at this house:)

loved getting this picture at school!

Chicken Tortilla Soup and Greek Bread for supper:) After the hunters got home, we ate and got busy carving.

finished!

Momma's chicken...I love it.

mine - Philip's - Momma's - Lance's - Kayla's

I just can't wait for 11.11.17:)

It's Happening!

I'm getting MARRIED!

..but first we have a house to build.

The very next day after I said YES, we laid out grid paper at Philip's and started to draw our future house:) It had long been decided that we would first build a shop/apartment on land that would soon be ours near my lifelong home. I walked into Philip's room and saw this

ahhhh..he's already hard at work:)

We had a couple nights of this and then I realized..yayy. fun. building. but I have a WEDDING to plan! Mel and Momma were both warning that places, photographers, and caterers book up fast and they weren't wrong!

1st. Where do I get married? My church is too small and I was worried about construction going on at Philip's church at the time of the wedding. I looked at different venues and fell in love with this place.

The Historic Cash & Carry Building in Downtown Lake Charles.

So we called..and our date was taken. Our date that I so did not want to change for many reasons.

11.11.17

sad. I called around to a few other places and couldn't get this place off my mind. I called again and asked about 11.TEN.17, which I wasn't really okay with, but if I really wanted this place it was the next best option. So I set up a meeting and tried to get excited about the date change. If I just went and fell in LOVE with the place, we would get married the night before our perfect date.

I had prayed hard that some place would just fall into our laps.

Sunday came and we (me, Momma, and Kayla) headed after church to meet with the lady that was going to show us this beautiful place.

But. On the way, we passed the Boy Scout Camp and Kayla said, "Let's drive down there!" and I said, "I could get married THERE!" (which of course was why she suggested it in the first place. I just thought she was into a Sunday Drive)

So I got way too excited way too fast. We stopped at the house to ask permission to go back and no one was answered the door..so we drove back there anyway. It was beautiful. I had only ever been back there once before, and even then, I didn't go very far past the entrance. Just like today.

We headed on to Lake Charles (me a little less excited about the venue we were going to see) and I sent Philip as many pictures of Camp Edgewood as their site had.

We got to Cash and Carry and it was very nice. It was my style, but it had a few downsides. Still couldn't get the camp off my mind!

When Philip and I headed back to town that evening, we were trying to beat the sun going down to go try that house one more time.

and he was THERE! and I stammered on his doorstep and said "I've lived down this road all my life and I love this place and I'm just recently engaged (probably shoved my ring in his face at this point) and I wanna get married here!!"

and this man, in his pajama top with the game going in the background, said--in a not-as-excited-as-I-was voice-- "A wedding would be GREAT!" I was bouncing. I called my mom out of church and she left right then (oops) to come see it with us:)

It was PERFECT. the outside, the inside. Everything! Lots of room to park, a--get this--MESS HALL (to be used as a reception area), and lots of benches facing the beautiful lake where the ceremony would take place. Guess how many chairs (along with the appropriate amount of tables) were already in the mess hall...300! THREE HUNDRED people could be accommodated. This is just perfect.

We went back Tuesday along with the whole family + Meemaw and Peepaw to get a better look and more pictures.

I love the wood, the fans, the boy scoutiness;)

 

getting ready to tie the knot. heh.

So excited MeeMaw and PeePaw ASKED to come see the camp:) They were just as excited as I was when I told them I was going to have my wedding here. I had just "worked out" with PeePaw that day. He has fought so hard to get his strength back after a stint in the hospital.

 

two pretty bridges like this that bring you across the lake to other lodges, campsites, and more that I have yet to see.

 

Momma's wheels already turning:)

Where we will say I DO!

:)

it's beautiful, it's perfect, it's home.

and it's exactly what I was praying for before I even knew it.

The Proposal

I had been looking forward to September 25th for months! It was Philip's birthday and the first one we would spend together:) I had searched for the right presents since June! I was so excited to give them to him! I got up and got ready for church and headed to his house. I couldn't wait to give him his presents FINALLY!

 

and he loved it all:)

We headed off to church (after Mr. Jules gave us a questionable after church errand--need mustard?) and it was a great service! We left and ran our errand, then I made him play me my favorite funny song and was in the middle of singing, he pulled into "our" boat launch:) Nothing out of the ordinary. We randomly would do this when we passed. It was PACKED! He circled around in the front and found a parking spot. After we sat and talked a second and finished my song. He asked if I wanted to take a walk down the pier. Of COURSE!

We walk down and oh look...

 

a lizzard. I can't imagine him thinking "I'm about to propose and she wants to show me a lizzard.."

We get to the end and yayy, a diesel truck decides to launch his boat. Convenient. So we just talk and smile and twirl and then boat is launched. Loud dodge pulls away and Philip looks at me and asks what could make this day even better..and I say a hamburger. We were headed to his house to eat lunch with our families after for his birthday and it was heavy on my mind;)

Then he did this!

 

HEART EYES.

 and I did this. whoops. I was a little shakey!

then I was SO EXCITED!!

It was the most beautiful ring! I had never seen his Ammaw's ring until this day. The diamond was perfect and I knew right then it was hers!!

and then it got even better..he told me the band was one of Momma's wedding bands!

 and that's the face that came with that news. :)

I can't believe I get to be wrapped in those arms forever:)

Then came our first prayer as soon to be husband and wife. I love this picture.

The rest of the day was spent with family and friends. Celebrating not only his 26th birthday, but also our engagement:) Of course he outshined my birthday presents! Ha!

Speaking of birthday presents. These pictures were going to be one of mine:) He had decided to keep Emily, the hidden photographer, a surprise. However, Philip did not let Blaine in on this and I'm SO GLAD! I was very happy to have them to look at on this day. So thank you, Blaine! ;)

They had it planned just so perfectly. I'm the luckiest girl in the whole world!