Thursday, July 28, 2011

Hello world! My name is Mrs. Perry and I’m delighted to meet you!

Hello world!  My name is Mrs. Perry and I’m delighted to meet you!  Of course, if you ask the federal government it is not exactly official yet (that’s a whole different animal), but for all intents and purposes, I am now Mrs. Victoria Perry. *Pure bliss!!*

What a joy it is to be his bride, his beloved, the apple of his eye!  Now if you are a faithful reader, you know that wedding planning has certainly been stressful and overwhelming at times, but I can honestly say that our wedding was fabulous!  It is crazy how you can sweat all the small stuff along the way, even an hour before the ceremony, but the minute they opened the doors of the church and I saw Clint at the end of the aisle waiting for me, all of my worries about logistics simply melted away.  The time had finally come to be united with my love in the sacrament of marriage and I simply could not stop smiling!  He looked so dashing in his tuxedo and the pure joy in his face, not sure if he should smile or cry, was the very best expression of love that I had ever seen.  As I told him, I kept telling myself to walk slowly, but in my heart, I was running down the aisle to him.

Clint and I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding festivities (bachelor and bachelorette parties were amazing, rehearsal dinner was a relaxing and intimate time, the wedding ceremony was beautiful and sacred, the reception was the height of joyous celebration with those we love, and the honeymoon, staying for a week in a little cabin in Big Sur and exploring the surrounding areas of Monterey and Carmel, proved to be both a refreshing getaway and a thrilling adventure.  With all these major events behind us, memories to last a lifetime, and beautiful pictures being uploaded which captured our joy, I must say, that it is nice to be finally settling into our first place: opening wedding gifts, unloading boxes, assembling furniture, arranging pictures, cooking dinners together, and just being newly weds.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have supported us through this journey to the altar (personalized thank you notes will come eventually, I promise), and ask that you please continue to lift us up in prayer, as we discover what it truly means to be one.  As all married couples realize, it is quite a paradigm shift to move from independence to considering your spouse’s needs and desires above your own, to see possessions as not mine or yours, but ours, and to create a loving atmosphere of open, honest, uplifting, and God-honoring communication.

Now a little message to all of my friends who are brides to be: hang in there.  Enjoy the little joys along the journey!  You only have one wedding, so delight!  Take a break once in a while and just enjoy being with your love.  The planning will end and life will eventually settle down and then you’ll be married!!  Trust your family and friends and lean on them for support.  They are genuinely excited for you and want to help in anyway that they can.  Stop to consider the great gift of love that God has mercifully given to you both, and rejoice in His abundant provision!  Stare into the eyes of your beloved and feel the smile begin to form on your lips!

As many have reminded me, the wedding is only the beginning – the marriage is where the true adventure begins.  So here’s to our new adventure as the Perrys!  We’re excited to share the journey with you!!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Bears all things

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
                                                ~1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a

11 days ladies and gentlemen!   Oh my goodness!!!

Well, I must admit that I had a bit of a melt down last week when I realized how much I had left to do in such a short amount of time, but my family came to the rescue.  We spent hours walking up and down the aisles of the local craft stores looking at candles, ribbon, vases, picture frames, and much, much more.  With their aid, I made great strides this weekend and now I have a renewed sense of joy and excitement for the big day!  They transformed the overwhelming To-Do list into an exciting adventure. 

With that being said, I learned a valuable lesson this week.  You see my dear Clint is currently in Notre Dame working on his masters degree and impressing the professors with his thoughtful theological reflections.  I am so very proud of him and excited to see him reaching his dreams, our dreams.  In the meanwhile, I am here in Southern California, alone.  However, this weekend I learned that even when Clint is gone, I am not, in fact, alone.  I am surrounded by a loving family and friends who are excited to help ease the burden.  Bearing each others’ burdens is love.  I have always avoided confessing my weaknesses to others partially out of pride and a sense of independence, but also from a desire to not weigh others down with my problems.  This weekend confirmed again that in admitting my limitations and asking for help, I am actually opening myself to receive love, and those who truly love me do not see it as an imposition at all.  In fact, they quite enjoy being needed and feeling like they have contributed to reaching my dream.  Of course, I am delighted that my love will be returning in 3 short days.  Yippee!!!

11 days until the wedding.  Wow!  I feel so very blessed that my dear Clint saw me amidst the crowd and is as overjoyed as me to go to the altar and spend our lives together.  I always dreamed of my wedding day, but I never imagined that it would ever be so close – less than 2 weeks away!  I still cannot believe it!  Oh my goodness!!!

Thank you for your prayers thus far, and please continue to remember us before the Father in the days ahead.  We so very much look forward to celebrating with you!!