Home Sweet Home (in 101 DAYS)

A family in South Tampa has given me a free place to stay until Forrest and I are married, but in the mean time, I have been helping Forrest with his house (our future home) in St. Pete.

Here is a sneak peak of the little place on 15th Ave... can't wait to call this place home in 101 days.

The House

Front Door

Front Porch

Front Office

Den: View 1

Den: View 2

Dining Room: View 1

Dining Room: View 1

Guest Room: View 1

Guest Room: View 2

Master: View 1

Master: View 2

Kitchen

Our two Guard Dogs

flash backs:

I was flipping through pictures today and came across these...

A next-door neighbor and I would get married on a daily basis (definitely not kidding about this one!!) in his living room.  His mom was the preacher, his sister played the piano, and my ring was the twisty-tie from the bread in the kitchen.  My "groom" was named John, but because of a speech impediment, he had to get used to me calling him "Ga-on." We would drive off down the sidewalk after the "ceremony" in his powerwheels red wrangler jeep for all of the neighborhood to see. 

 Oh the days living on Pine Court...

I've always wanted to be a bride, but one thing I am certain of, I never imagined that my groom would be as great as Forrest is.  The Lord has given me something SO sweet, and I am beyond thankful and honored for the man I get to marry in November.  It hasn't really hit me yet that in 3 and a half months I will me married and living with a guy.  I have such a joy and peace in all this because I am certain I have found my other half.

 One closing thought today: This wedding seems much better than the early days in the Pine Court neighborhood!

Date set!

We have set a date and are looking forward to being married in 4 months!

Big News!

How does the "Eleazer Diaries" sound for a name? 

I guess I will have to rename my blog soon BECAUSE...

Forrest proposed. And I said YES!!!!

  Couldn't be more excited to have the most amazing man as a fiance!

Here is the story:

  I was leaving town on Thursday for a reunion with my best friends, so Forrest had told me to mark my calendar on Wednesday for a date night before I left.  

It was a typical Wednesday.  We both got home from work and jumped in the car to go on a boat ride and go to dinner. The tide was low, but Forrest was so determined to get the boat in the water that he even jumped in with his shoes on to push the boat off of the lift. 

Once we were on the boat, he surprised me with a cooler filled with cheese, crackers, salami, and drinks. We rode out to the gulf and sat in front of the Don Cesar Hotel on Pass-A-Grille Beach to watch the sunset.

At 8:28 on July 13th, Forrest told me to close my eyes because he had one more surprise for me in the cooler.  As I opened my eyes, he was down on one knee with the sun setting on the horizon.  Both of us had tears in our eyes thinking of the future we get to have together.

I'll never forget his words.  "I love this.  I love that we can do this for the rest of our life. Turner Louise Outlaw, will you marry me?"

I think in all of the excitement, I forgot to actually say "yes" to his question.  I am guessing he got the picture from my reaction, but just in case...

Forrest Thomas Eleazer, YES!!!!  I get to spend the rest of my life telling you that I couldn't be more excited to be your wife. 

3 days

THREE days until this...

 And some of this...

 and if we are honest, probably some of this...

I cannot wait.

These times are just good for the soul.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July from St. Petersburg, Florida!

We are festive here and ready for fireworks, friends, and a long weekend on the water!

Hannah and her boy...

This is Hannah's boy.  I prayed for years she would meet a great guy, and now she is happily dating a handsome guy featured in the article below:

http://thegentlemensfund.com/nominees/view/310

Way to pick a good one, Han!

BiG

I have lived BIG. 

And I like living that way. I like being involved in the BIG stuff the Lord is doing.  I like feeling like a BIG fish in a BIG pond.  I thrive in the BIG moments in life or at least I used to...

I have found lately that I get overwhelmed when I think BIG scale. Moving to a new city is overwhelming. Finding community and meeting new people is overwhelming. Meeting 100's of kids is overwhelming. Being responsible to bring Wyldlife to 6 middle schools is overwhelming. 

Simply, transition is overwhelming me, but I am reminded of a parable in Luke (Luke 16:1-13) and the words of the Lord, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

All Jesus has asked me to do today is to be faithful in the SMALL things.  

I have to remind myself that I am called to pay attention to the small stuff, so that when the BIG stuff comes around one day, I can be faithful in that, too. 

Old and New:

I want to brag on Forrest. A month ago, he bought a house. 

 Buckets of sweat and a couple of blisters later, look at the difference...

Old House

New House

Stay tuned :)

St. Pete

I love St. Petersburg.

"Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!  I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert... to give drink to my chosen people."

Isaiah 43

"You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace."

Isaiah 55

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you."

Psalm 116

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Psalm 32