Our Engagement Photos (1/2)

Exactly 2 weeks from today, I will officially be Mrs. Philip James Cosentino. Ah!

In the last 2 days, we've picked up our marriage license, finalized our reception timeline with our DJ, and I picked up my wedding dress. As I looked at that dress in the mirror at my final pick up, I was equal parts relieved that it still fit ;), and amazed that the next time I put it on, I will be getting married. 

I thought it felt real this whole time, but truth be told, it's just starting to register that I'm getting hitched! And not just getting hitched, but pledging to spend my life with the best man I know. Swoon. 

I shared about our engagement party last week, and left off by saying that we closed out the weekend with our engagement photo shoot. It was so much fun, and I am so grateful for our amazing and talented photographer, Becky. Excited to share her work with you! I have so many favorites, that I'm going to break them into 2 posts. 

Becky, thank you for making us feel so natural in front of your camera! These pictures are so special to me, and I'm excited to share more with you all later this week! 

Our Engagement Party!

Seeing as how we officially have only 2 and a half weeks remaining of our engagement (say whaaat?!), I figured it was about time to start documenting it. ;) Our engagement will be just under 5 months, and one of the most common questions I get is, "has it been stressful?" 

My answer is no more than your average engagement! I can whole-heartedly say that 5 months gave us plenty of time to plan this wedding. It was the perfect amount of time where we never felt rushed, and yet it never felt too far away. I always felt like it was close enough that I didn't have to wish the days away, because I knew it would be here before I knew it!

I think the only thing that can be difficult about shorter engagements is booking vendors, and I will say that we lucked out with tons of availability (& deals!) given that March 5th is a few weeks shy of busy season. That being said, I know people who have done 6 month engagements with a June wedding. It's doable, peeps! If you're newly engaged & wanting a shorter engagement, go for it! ;) 

Anywhooo, onto the topic of today's post: our engagement party!

Being long-distance for 3 and a half of our 5 month engagement, and having my family multiple hours away, it made for some suuuper wedding-filled weekends. The first was the weekend of November 7th. It kicked off with one of the wedding activities I was most looking forward to; dress shopping!

I was never the girl to imagine her wedding dress. I've been day dreaming about my groom since I was a little girl, and I had my bridesmaid dress picked out since I was first a bridesmaid myself, ha! But when it came to my wedding dress, I couldn't let myself look until I knew it was the real deal. 

So you bet that the Monday after we got engaged, I was browsing David's Bridal and screen-shotting my favorites. ;) I wanted to wait until I could go with my mom, so I spent the month between our proposal & our engagement party narrowing down my favorite dresses and styles via their online gallery. 

I had one immediate favorite, and a second that was an entirely different style, but I fell in love with the more I saw the picture. Things typically look different in real life, but even after trying on multiple dresses, my two favorites from online were my two favorites on me. 

Luckily, there was an undeniable, unanimous winner. And therefore, it was an easy task to say yes to the dress!! :) I can't wait to show pictures after the big day!

After dress shopping, it was time to get ready for our engagement party. Truth be told, I debated if an engagement party was necessary. We likely wouldn't have had one if our sweet friend hadn't of texted me offering to host (thank you, Natalie!!). 

I am so glad we did! Our proposal was wonderful, but engaged life did come with its own unique stresses & challenges. I wouldn't have had it any other way, but there's no denying that we had our fair share of sobering moments in that first month of engagement. I believe the proper term is called, adulting? The engagement party was a moment to push pause on adulting, and simply celebrate. We were surrounded by countless friends & family, and we felt tremendously loved. 

Our friends Natalie & Levi were so hospitable to use their home to celebrate our engagement, and we both drove away feeling overwhelmingly blessed. Our friends commented on how sweet it was that even extended family came for the occasion, and our family was raving about how wonderful all of our friends were. We felt incredibly lucky to have such amazing people in our lives. 

We closed out our wedding-fest-of-a-weekend by meeting up with our fabulous wedding photographer (& friend!) for an engagement shoot. I'll save those pictures for next time, because they deserve a post of their own!

Happy humpday, friends! Thanks for celebrating this exciting season in our lives alongside us. Feel free to leave a comment with any exciting news from your life, because I'd love to celebrate alongside you, too!

The Letter

Happy New Year, friends! I have a yearly tradition of writing myself a letter each year around this time to reflect on the year that has passed, and dream about the year to come. It's become something I truly look forward to, a time to pause and process all that God did in the prior year, a time to give Him the abundant praise that He deserves. And it's a time to embrace the beauty of a new year, the hope & anticipation that come with the unknown.

***

Dear Me, 

2015 began with so. much. expectation. Didn't it? From the get go, I somehow conjured up a plan that I was sure would unfold, and didn't give much thought to how I'd feel if it didn't happen precisely as I thought it would. Most plans in life I hold loosely, having learned from experience that things don't always go the way you think they will. And there's an undeniable beauty in that! But for some reason, the plans for 2015 felt so solid. Not from stubbornness, or from a stand point of forcing my hand. But perhaps from a blissful, naive, hopeful view that of course things would go the way I thought they would. 

Spoiler alert: they did not. 

2015 was a beautiful, wonderful, blessed year. But it was also a year full of learning to walk through unmet expectations, restlessness, and at times, disappointment. 

And for that very reason, I think it was one of the most monumental years of my life. Not because of the engagement, though that absolutely goes on the Amy Reed lifetime highlight reel. But because let's be real, life is full of unmet expectations. I see people around me dealing with them every day, from the last minute cancellation of lunch plans, the spilled cup of coffee, the scary health diagnosis, or one of the most heart wrenching, the realization that procreating isn't always as simple as you thought it was. 

In 2015, God taught me the immeasurably valuable lesson of how to walk through unmet expectations with contentment, a gracious heart, and hope. In 2015, He reminded me that His plan is always, always better. He showed me that dreams are beautiful, and it's okay to grieve them when they don't pan out. In 2015, I tangibly saw that God's dreams for me are bigger & better than my own. 

This past year, I fell more deeply in love with my future husband than I ever imagined possible. My gratitude for him & my family grew, and I come out of 2015 feeling insanely blessed for the people I get to call my people. 

I learned about the "word of the year" thing through the blogging community, and these past few years it's been amazing to see how accurate the word proves to be at the conclusion of the year. This year, I felt nudged to claim a rather strange word for 2015:

I felt as though I had been learning & learning, but now it was time to truly apply. To soak in the water as a sponge does. For what good would a sponge be if it never absorbed the water it was immersed in?

I hardly blogged this past calendar year, but when I did, there was a recurring theme of slowing down. During the months of slowness & waiting, it's almost as though there was nothing to do except ask God, "what are you teaching me right now? What do you have for me in this season?"

2015 was absolutely a year of not only learning, but applying lessons. I will forever be grateful for how God met me and molded me over & over again this past year.  

And now, hello 2016! Talking with PJ this past weekend, I realized how different this year feels from last. Perhaps it's lessons learned, or maybe it's just different place, different time. Whatever it is, I feel so much lighter going into 2016. I without a doubt know it's going to be a life altering, pivotal year, but there is so much less expectation. 

The slowness has followed me into this season, and I truly feel a stark contrast from the busyness that has marked prior years. I feel called to be present & purposeful. Even when life is busy with planning a wedding & preparing for married life, I feel myself choosing a life of intention over a life of busy. I pray that theme continues through 2016. 

I want to be intentional with my time, with my marriage (ah! I can say that now!), with my friendships, with my health coaching business, and with my mission of sharing Christ's love with others. I want to be a better listener, someone who shows up & is present and engaged. I want to seek God above all other things, and ask Him, "what do you want with my life?" 

I found my 2016 word through a hashtag on the screen while watching Demi Lovato perform at the New York NYE party. I read #Confident2016, and God and I had an uber spiritual moment (thanks, Demi!). 

The first book I read in 2015 was "So Long Insecurity," by Beth Moore. Reading that beautifully written thing was like a big ol' wake up call to how much of a grip insecurity had over me. I've seen progress since then, but I truly feel like there is so much more room to grow. 

I want to spend 2016 really asking God to show me what confidence looks like. Not just for myself, but because I believe confidence changes ev-ery-thing. It breeds healthier relationships, combats competition and comparison, and because I believe that true confidence can be found in confident faith. 

I want to know what that looks like. So 2016, let's pursue it. 

Considering it's going to start with getting married, I think this year is going to be a pretty darn good one. ;) Let's enjoy every minute, mmkay? 

XO, 

Me

***

Praying all good things over your 2016, friend. And if you happen to meet disappointment along the way, know that you are not alone. And know that our God is beyond trustworthy & faithful. <3

2015 Year In Review

Time for by far one of my favorite annual activities: the yearly recap. This is my 4th "Year In Review" post, and each time it is such a joy to sit back and reflect on all that the prior year held. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like each year tends to speed by faster than the last, and taking the time to look back on the happenings of each month reminds me that it truly was 365 full and eventful days.

So let's see what those days of 2015 held, shall we? 

<< January: 2015 started with a festive bang in the form of a belated Friendsmasgiving (mentioned here). Two of my close friends moved up by where PJ lives, so my first trip up of 2015 included a reunion and a tour of Google. I said yes to being a bridesmaid in my best friend Kristi's wedding, and helped her pick out her wedding dress! The month ended with an amazing weekend at Jesus Culture Conference. >>

<< February: Cheered on my Patriots as they (controversially) won Superbowl XLIX, and sent out fun Valentine's Day cards with the roomies. Had the amazing experience of being VIP on the Ellen Show, and had a positively wonderful first Valentine's Day with my love. >>

<< March: Celebrated PJ's birthday, which fun fact, happens to be the same day as my brother and his mom. Participated in some fun bachelorette festivities for my friend Natalie, and watched the Bachelor finale 3 whole days after it aired! Managing to make it those 3 days without discovering the outcome through social media was a real success in my book. ;) We ended the month at Natalie & Levi's wedding, and I also wrote the Love Without Sex series this month, which is near to my heart. >>

<< April: Ran a 200(ish) mile relay race called Ragnar Relay, and started my second seminary class on 1 Corinthians. I noticed and documented a new theme in my life of slowing down. Cheered on my guy's team at AT&T Park, & had some much enjoyed time with girlfriends. Also wrote one of my favorite posts this month, a letter to the guy whose car I hit. >>

<< May: Had lots of family time this month, both at my cousin's wedding & on Mother's Day. Coordinated my dear friend Claire's wedding (how stunning does she look?), and ran the Rock & Roll Half Marathon with my PJ on our one year anniversary. This month, I also felt the pull to take one week completely unplugged from social media. It was pretty liberating! >>

<< June: I got real into YouTube hair tutorials this month, and the dutch braids were the proof. Went to a baby shower for my dear friend Kristen, who now has an almost 5 month old adorable baby boy! Got to go to Mississippi for a work trip, and turned it into a blogger date where I met the lovely Cassie. Ended the month by finishing my second seminary class, and turning 26! >>

<< July: Celebrated the 4th of July in style, and started a 24 day health journey consisting of a 3 Day Refresh + my first round of 21 Day Fix. We successfully showered our bride Kristi, and at the end of the month, I shared the outcome of my 24 day journey, & announced my decision to become a Beachbody coach! >>

<< August: A definite highlight of 2015 was surprising my across-the-country-blogger-bff Diana, when PJ & I flew to Charlotte, NC to see her! This month also included a fabulous bachelorette weekend for Kristi, my first time at Harvest Crusade, an "Everything You Want To Know About Shakeology" blog post, and a thoroughly enjoyed laborless Labor Day weekend with my man. >>

<< September: Celebrated my dad's birthday with a weekend at home, and stood beside Kristi as she said I do! Ran my very first 21 Day Fix group (which was AWESOME), and enjoyed many coffee dates with lovely lady friends (per usual). I also wrote a post this month that touches on a huge lesson of 2015, finding contentment in waiting. >>

<< October: Kicked off the month with an epic Disneyland / wedding weekend. Totally coincidentally ran into my bestie Colleen & her husband at Disneyland, which was the happiest surprise! Enjoyed some family time at my cousin's wedding, and started to plan a wedding of our own after getting engaged on October 10th! It was a magical month, indeed, and we ended it dressed up as the Queen of Hearts & Mad Hatter for Halloween. >>

<< November: Engagement started feeling real this month, as I picked out my wedding dress (AH!) & we were showered with love at our engagement party. Had our 3rd annual Reed Sister VayCay, this edition including a holiday cotillion party with mom. Celebrated my first Thanksgiving away from home by joining PJ's family up in NorCal. It was a sweet way to ring in the holidays as an engaged couple! >>

 << December: Thoroughly enjoyed a festive holiday season packed with parties & pot lucks, and ran my very first Spartan Race! Saw Star Wars on opening weekend with my love (& ended up watching the other 6 as a result!), and spent Christmas with my family in San Diego. The holiday season is never complete until we celebrate my baby sis' birthday on NYE, which we kicked off last night! >>

2015, you were mighty good to me. I look forward to giving you many more words & thoughts in my yearly letter, but for now I'll just say that you were awfully memorable, and awfully packed with lessons. 

Thanks for recapping with me, friends! I wish you ALL a very Happy New Year! 

** Previous Years In Review: 2014, 2013, 2012 **

The Day He Asked

On October 10th, 2015, a long-time dream of a man getting on one knee and asking me to be forever his came true. Years of dreaming about who this man would be (and wondering if he would be), followed my months of anticipation and wondering when the event would take place, all were met with a moment that surpassed anything I could have hoped for. 

And not because it was perfect by the book, but because it was perfect for us. My sour mood earlier in the day didn't subtract even the tiniest bit from the magic that unfolded as my sweet PJ got on his knee in the middle of a sandy shore, and held out the prettiest ring I ever did see. 

I think that was one of the biggest lessons I learned in the months leading up to our proposal. I felt this bizarre pressure to make it perfect, like if I said the wrong thing or woke up in a bad mood, then the moment would forever be tarnished. 

Welp, I did wake up in a bad mood. And that mood wasn't improved when we walked into Starbucks & I ordered my favorite breakfast, only to find they were out. Out! (Gasp, how-dare-they.) 

I thought something like that would damper our proposal story, but it turns out, it adds to it. Because as I reflect on that car ride to the Capitola Beach coast, the one where I was trying to put my big-girl-pants on & muster up a good mood for the remainder of the day, the one where the gloomy sky turned into a gorgeous, sunshiny one in a tangible reflection of God redeeming the day, I think about my sweet fiance sitting in the driver's seat, smiling knowing that regardless of the mood of the girl sitting beside him, he wanted to propose to her that day. 

And propose, he did. ;) 

That man who has every bit of my heart said some of the sweetest words, of which we only remember about half ;), got on his knee, and asked me to be forever his. The biggest question he'd ever asked, was met with the easiest YES I've ever said. 

After a few moments of embracing & beginning to process what had just happened, he pointed out my dear friend Michelle who had so sweetly captured the entire moment. 

I am so grateful for the pictures from this day. The moment passes so quickly, and is every bit as surreal as it is magical. It has been so nice to look back on these photos, and relive the moment that so tangibly altered the course of our lives. The moment when I got to say yes to being the wife of the best man I've ever known. 

Gah, it still gives me chills. ;) 

My sweet PJ, I love you so much. I daily learn how to love well by watching your example. You serve those around you, putting other's needs above your own without a second thought. You are kind, and considerate. You are hilarious, and so. darn. handsome. You are a better dancer than me, even though I fight you on that. You make life fun, and you romance me & make me feel like the luckiest girl alive. 

I could never adequately thank you for choosing me to spend your life with. 

I am so, crazy excited to be your wife.