10 questions

My friend Erin tagged me in a post to answer 10 questions about myself (that she created).  I had fun answering them, but I'm breaking the rules just a little bit and not tagging anyone, mostly because I feel like my girlfriends who blog won't have time to answer the questions.  But I hope y'all enjoy learning some random information about me. :)

1. What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?

Currently my iPod is 'making some inappropriate choices' (to borrow a phrase we use all the time in PreK) and refuses to charge, so I can't actually check this.  I go through phases with obsessively listening to songs, so I'm going to guess that at this moment it's either something by Ingrid Michaelson or Joshua Radin- they've been my 'can't stop listening' artists this year.

2. What is your favorite book?

Oh, gosh.  That's a hard one because I LOVE reading... seriously, Cori isn't sure what to do with me sometimes.  Recently I've been digging Karen Kingsbury (Christian fiction) and The Spellman Files series (funny and engaging).  I LOVED City of Refuge by Tom Piazza- it's a beautiful fiction story about 2 men post-Katrina in New Orleans.  I read that right after we moved to Tampa and it was definitely an emotional read.  In high school, my fave was To Kill a Mockingbird.... really, I could go on and on about all the books I've read and loved.

3. What is your favorite vacation spot and why?

I love love LOVE the beach!  I'm a big fan of napping/journaling/reading/talking/ tanning on the beach interspersed with time on the ocean.  Good thing I live in Florida now. :)   But I will say, one of the best vacations I've ever been on was a road trip almost 2 years ago with my then-roomies, Laura and Kim.  We drove from NOLA to Los Angeles and back with stops in Dallas, the Grand Canyon (a huge highlight for all 3 of us!), Vegas, and Austin.

4. If you weren't working (or studying) in your current field, what would you be doing?
I'm 'that' girl who knew since 3rd grade that she wanted to be a teacher, but I did go through some phases where I considered other things.  Back when I was 14 and had just become a Christian, I went through a phase where I thought I'd be a missionary- because that's what good Christians do, right?- until I realized that I could serve Jesus in any field.  In high school, I loved being a part of our school paper and considered journalism.  I think there's still some truth to both of those things- there are times when I miss my Campus Crusade for Christ intern days, where walking with Jesus was part of my job.  And while I don't miss the professional writing of journalism, I still love writing stories.  Call me dorky, but one of my fave parts of Crusade was writing my monthly newsletter to friends and family, sharing about ministry in New Orleans.  So maybe I'd be a feature columnist who leads women's Bible studies...  but then when would I play with my kiddos?  Think I'll stick with teaching for now. ;)

5. List five blogs you like to read!
As the girl that moved away from both of her homes, I love that I have friends who blog that I can stay in tune with their loves.  Jenny, the Kostrzewa's, the Mangerchine's, Katie, and Erin are all friends that I love keeping up with via their blog posts.

6. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

RELAX!  I'm still soaking up newlywed-hood, so for Cori and I, an ideal weekend is one where we have a few plans- church, dinner with friends, maybe a few errands- but overall we're able to just laze around and enjoy each other.

7. If you could only shop at one store for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
TARGET!  Seriously, Target is the one store that I'll go to just to wander around.  I didn't think it was possible to love it anymore than I already did, but after Cori and I got married I found a whole new appreciation for it was we made our home together.  The fact that we got so many Target gift cards for our wedding didn't hurt either. ;)

8. What is your favorite dessert?

I'm an ice cream girl, through and through.  If my health/waistline/budget could handle it, I would happily have a big ol' bowl of ice cream every night... and I'll admit it, I have been known to sit down with a carton of ice cream and a spoon as a post-work/pre-dinner snack.  That's why I don't always keep ice cream in the house. :)

9. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have three things with you, what would they be and why?
*The Bible- sorry, I know that's the cheesy answer, but it's true!  I mean, c'mon, what better time to dwell on God's promises than on a deserted island?
*My journal- I am SUCH an external processor and have found that journaling is a great outlet for that.  And I'm just guessing I'm going to need to process how the heck to get off this island, so a journal would aid in that.
*A flashlight with never-ending batteries... because I'm a scaredy cat and that island must get dark at night!

10. What is the last concert you attended?

My church's band was part of the Battle of the Bands on the University of Southern Florida's campus a month or so back- does that count as a concert?  If not, then hmmm... it's been a while.  I can't think of a single one in the last 5 or 10 years!

post-wedding photo shoot.

We had the best time taking pictures after the wedding!  We were kind of obsessed with being able to ride around on golf-carts and I was amused by how much Katherine, Kim, and Laura were determined to be able to drive their own.  As for me, I was content to just sit back and let my husband drive me around. :)

my parents, me, my husband, and my brother

my WHOLE family! Taylors and Pflugradts :)

my new family- Cori's parents and his brother, Casey

adorable flower girls! Carly and Ellie

haha, so much to love about this picture... but my favorite part is definitely that Laura lost her bouquet...

SO thankful for these precious friends who have walked through life with us.

Please note- everyone else is smiling and laughing... and then there's Adam, Cori's best man, who looks like he's going to vomit.

favorite head-kisser.

LOVE!

such a happy day!  the smile was impossible to wipe off my face.

Pretty much some of my favorite people on the planet. 

AMAZING!  I have no idea what is going on here, but I love it.  What is my husband doing?!

So, I think our photographer's instructions (to the guys) were to look manly... and I was confused as to whether or not that pertained to me.  So funny.

Last but not least will be a post with pictures and memories from our reception.

a few new touches...

So, I recognize that this isn't the most thrilling of posts, but I thought I'd share a few pictures of our home.  Back in the late summer/early fall when we'd first settled in, I posted an album on facebook with pictures, but we've made some additions since then.  

Our bed!  I love the pictures above our bed.  When we first moved in, I spent some time figuring out  what to put on the walls.  We have wedding pictures on top of our dresser (we'll see those pictures in a minute) and I didn't want to overdo it, BUT I liked the idea of having some pictures with personal meaning.  The middle picture is one of our engagement photos, taken by my talented (former) roommate Laura.  We're in the middle of it, but it's primarily of a beautiful bridge and lake in City Park in NOLA.  Then on either side are pictures from our wedding (thank you, Rebekah Hoyt!) of flowers with our rings on them.  Again- beautiful flowers, beautiful scenery, but a perfect touch.  I love it!

Our Puong chair and mirror

I love these!  I found them at a Bealls outlet- so random, I never  go in there- but I love them.  I mean, obvi- fleur de lis- and they're perfect for hanging my necklaces.

Our dresser with wedding pictures: us dancing at our reception (LOVE this one!), our families, us!, our bridal party, and us running out.  Again, thank you, Rebekah Hoyt!

fun paintings!

Come visit us! :)

ceremony.

Our ceremony was absolutely beautiful from beginning to end.  Here's a peek...

mother of the bride and brother of the bride :)

Cori's parents

my adorable flower girls!  Ellie and Carly

Cori, seeing me for the first time :)

no more nerves here! so proud to be on my daddy's arm, walking to the man i love

giving away of the bride...

Such an honor to have sweet friends read Scripture at our wedding.  Above, Lisa Cox (now Lisa Nelson!) and Jenny White below

So thankful to have Steve Shelby, pastor of West End Presbyterian Church, marry us.  I grew up in WEPC and God has used it over the years to teach my parents to love Him and love me, to show me who Jesus is, and to support me as I grew in my relationship with Him.

the kiss!

I love this view!

We did it!

First few moments as husband and wife

A few more details to capture... one of my very favorite moments of our ceremony was when we sang 'In Christ Alone.'  My friend Caitlyn sang, and Cori's friend Isaac sang and played the piano; the congregation sang along.  As we worshiped the Lord, I had this moment where I knew God was there.  I had prayed that our wedding would be different, that people who didn't know the Lord at this wedding might see how our wedding wasn't about us- it was about Jesus.  As we sang, I knew it was apparent that Jesus was with us.  That might sound Jesus, but it was beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful!  All in all, the ceremony flew by, and I was thankful for our amateur recording the church gave us that allowed us to relive some of those moments.

almost to the aisle.

Below are some snapshots from the few hours before our wedding.  I'm already excited to post pictures of our ceremony.  I recently (and by recently, I mean like an hour ago) finished a series I've been reading for years, and it culminates in the main character's wedding.  I found myself tearing up as the author wrote about the proposal, the shopping for the wedding dress, the rehearsal, and of course the wedding. It reminded me just how beautiful and unique that season of life is, and I can't wait to reminisce about our ceremony.

I didn't do bridal portraits, so I asked my photographer if we could find time before the ceremony to make sure we were able to get some good shots of me in my dress.  Here are a few favorites :)

The brick church building and this archway was the perfect back drop!

Seriously loved these shoes and how they looked in pictures!

I love his natural smile here!

Sassy bridal party!

SO thankful for who these women have been in my life- on my wedding day and every day before and since!

Good-looking groomsmen and hubby!

From right to left- Seth, one of Cori's closest friends at VT, Adam, his best friend since childhood- also his best man!, Casey, his brother, and obvi- Cori himself

Other moments to remember from before the ceremony: reading the letters Cori and I had written for each other. Having girlfriends come in to freak out with me for a few minutes before the wedding actually began.  Being calm the whole day and then getting really nervous right before walking down the aisle- not about marriage, but about being in front of so many people.  I had to laugh, because I was nervous and I LOVE being the center of attention.  My thought was- how do shy people have wedding ceremonies?!  My bridesmaids and Dad were great with me though, and I'll always remember how Laura tried to calm me down.  I had shared that a few months before the wedding I had written myself a letter reminding myself about how much I love Cori.  That might seem crazy to some to have to do, but I have some anxiety issues and a friend suggested I have a plan in case I started to freak out.  Anyway, as we're walking toward the sanctuary, moments before I walk down the aisle, Laura starts writing me a letter out loud.  "Dear Rebecca, this is going to be amazing..."  My dad also has a special memory of soothing me in those moments.  (And for the record, the moment I saw Cori, all nervousness melted away and you couldn't wipe the ridiculous grin off my face.)

the moments before

Humor me here.  I know you might not be interested in seeing pictures of me putting on a dress, but that's what you're getting today!

Ashland First Baptist Church, where we got married

My wedding shoes and bouquet!  Even though you couldn't see my shoes under my dress, they made for fun pictures.

the sanctuary and my dress

Okay, I LOVE this picture because I feel like everything about it is so the man I fell in love with.  Cori, being a boy- meaning he didn't have to get his hair and make-up done- had some extra time before our ceremony.  So no big deal, here he is, just a couple hours before he walks down the aisle, playing the piano in cargo shorts and a white undershirt.

Sweet Laura- roommate, bridesmaid... and a HUGE help!  Laura is a photographer so she knows what to expect with weddings- she even had her own little emergency preparation kit.  She also did my make-up, a job she didn't know she'd be doing but did wonderfully!

mother of the bride :)

love!

This is one of my favorite little details!  My friend Jenny had her initials-to-be stitched into her wedding dress as her something blue.  I LOVED the idea and a sweet friend from church embroidered this for us.

Next up- a few pre-wedding pictures of me in my dress, Cori with his groomsmen and me with my bridesmaids!