My Wedding Day- A few photos to go along with my story...

Mirtha doing my hair

My maid of honor Kaela dropping off my coffee

The gals doing their hair & makeup

I'm just goofin' around!

Cinching up the dress

First looks

Ceremony

Grand exit...hehe

Everyone who attended the wedding!

Me and my bridesmaids

Dennis and his groomsmen 

Celebrate!

xoxo

True Love

I do love my Starbucks...

My parents!
:)

All Photos By:  Sweet Life Photography
(http://www.sweetlifephotos.net/)
*Thanks Dana!*

My Wedding Day

The morning of my wedding I woke up and was so tired that I could hardly be excited.  I tried to catch a few extra zzz's but my maid of honor Kaela would have none of that!  She kept saying in a sing-song voice "It's your wedding day today!  Wake up!  You should be excited" or something like that.  Meagan caught a few extra zzz's, lucky girl, and then quickly got ready with the both of us girls.

Kaela and Meagan dropped me off at Mirtha's for my hair appointment and by then I was getting pretty excited, but was still pretty tired!  My third bridesmaid Kimberly texted me and told me that she was bringing me coffee from Starbucks!  *WOOT*!  Kaela dropped it off and not too much later after that my photographer Dana dropped by to take photos of me getting my hair done.  Mirtha did a beautiful job!  It was everything that I could have ever wanted!  The amazing thing was, I changed my hairstyle last minute because the last one that we had tried my hair had been too frizzy for!  

Dana drove me to the church and I went almost right away to the bathroom where the girls were doing their makeup and hair.  I mostly just goofed around (I was hyped up on caffeine) hehe.  Afterwards we went to a room set aside for us to get ready in.  Mom came in and helped of course, which was awesome.  She had to cinch me up in my dress, which was painful, but had to happen!  Dana took lovely photos of us all getting ready and then headed outside with Dennis so that we could take "first look" photos.  I was SO nervous and anxious for him to see me for the first time!  The photos look so awkward!  haha.  The ceremony went by pretty quick really.  I enjoyed it!  The end was great and we both had a lot of fun doing our surprise dance exit.  We didn't have a lot of time after the ceremony to chat as we had to go and get photos done.  

Dana made the whole morning so much fun!  She had so many great ideas for photos and of course let us get in a few of our own!  We all had a blast even though it was cold outside and we were all freezing!  The end results made all the cold, posing, and running around worth it!  After our bride/groom session we went to Starbucks for a free coffee and a couple of cool photos and then headed to the reception.  I was happy to see that mom had made sure that all of our closest friends had stayed behind to celebrate with us!  It was a really good time.  We just made it our own and didn't really have a particular order to things, but that made it fun!  

I am especially thankful to all of the people who helped make our day as special and amazing as it was:  The people who helped set up for the ceremony and reception, the people who worked almost non-stop in the kitchen, my parents for paying for the reception (along with other things here and there!), our friends for being there for our big day, all of the people who gave us such thoughtful gifts and baking for the reception.  I also want to give a special thanks to my dad because he worked very hard in order to help us financially throughout the whole wedding.  Finally, I want to especially thank my mom, who was with me through the whole thing, from the beginning of the relationship to the planning and executing of a wedding and even now as a mentor.  She worked tirelessly from beginning to end and I am so thankful for her!  What would a wedding be without a groom?  It goes without saying that I am thankful to Dennis for showing up, for loving me, for marrying me and for being my best friend in the whole world, the one that I can always count on being there for me!  XoXo

I know...I haven't posted in ages!!

So yes, it's true...
I haven't posted in ages and my mom has been getting after me again and again to post!
"What's new?" you may ask.
Well, in 32 days I will be a married woman!
I can hardly believe that I am no longer a teenager.  It's really quite surreal.
I'm not sure how I feel about this whole "growing up" thing yet, but I do know that I am super excited to be getting married to a man who loves God first and me second!
I should post that whole story on here eh?
Alright, well since I am being lazy I am just going to copy and paste the whole story from my wedding website.

About the bride:

Written by: Dennis

Talitha is a Godly woman.
She's beautiful, caring, thoughtful, loving, and she's also very practical.
She is an amazing person to have as a friend.
Though she is strong willed at times, that makes her sure of herself, which is one characteristic that I find particularly attractive also comforting and reassuring.

Written by: Talitha

I was born in Northern British Columbia on August 18th, 1989.
I'm the firstborn of 4 kids.  I have two brothers (Trevor/Tavis) and one sister (Meagan).
A bit of a tomboy when I was younger, I loved to climb trees, play with dirt, and tackle boys.
I loved to read, go camping, go fishing, take pictures and sing.
Now my hobbies are: photography, photo editing, and reading.
I love God and I want Him to always be first in my relationships.  God first, Dennis second, and others third.
I am really looking forward to my wedding day!
I thank God for blessing me with Dennis!  

About the groom:

Written by: Talitha

Dennis is shy, sensitive, caring, romantic and loving!
He loves God and others and almost always puts them first, I love that about him.
He's really good with kids, a quality that assures me that he'll be a good father someday.
I love his amazing smile, the way he talks to me, the way he reassures me when I am feeling down, and our nightly talks on the phone.
He's my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without him!

Written by: Dennis

I was born in Nairobi, Kenya, Africa on August 1st, 1987.
I was the firstborn of four children.  Two brothers (Alex/Stephen) and 1 sister (Christine).
My mom tells me that I would have races by myself around the house just to keep myself preoccupied when I was 4 years old.
I enjoy playing sports, especially: soccer, rugby, basketball and cricket.
Of late I have acquired a taste for reading, thanks to Talitha.
One thing I value more than anything else is my relationship with God.  If anything I am grateful to Him for the grace He gives me and for allowing me to actually be able to receive Him every day.  It is through my relationship with God that I have learnt what it really means to be a man.  Above all else, to be a man who loves God.



How we met: 

According to Dennis:

It was the summer of 2008 and Talitha and I went to the same church, which is where I first met her.
However, this was not a typical meeting because I did not want to stick around for too long, because she was so talkative.
A few weeks later she invited a friend of mine and I to help her pack up Kelly's truck.
After a few attempts at trying to run me over with a scooter and bossing my friend and I around we finally got to talking and I could see that she was a really friendly and warm person.

According to Talitha:
Indeed it was the summer of 2008.  I had come to BC to move up to Yellowknife with Kelly, who lived in BC at the time.  She was attending Dennis' church and so I first met him there.
When I first met Dennis it was among a group of three guys.  Two from Kenya and one from Nigeria. Dennis' friend was the talkative one so Dennis and I really didn't talk at that first meeting.
Over the weeks I was in Kamloops I got to see more of Dennis at bible studies and at church.  He totally intrigued me but he also intimidated me by his silence and shyness.
When he came over to help us out with packing up the truck that's when we really hit it off I think.  I don't know about this whole running over with a scooter thing, but suuuuure, that may have happened...haha.
We lost touch for a couple of months after I left to go up North, but we eventually started communicating again over Facebook and Skype.  We became the best of friends and the closest of friends.  Closer to the end of our "just friendship" others around me (mom, Ndemu, Meagan) started questioning my true feelings for Dennis.  I eventually admitted to myself and my mom how I really felt and then finally admitted to Dennis how I felt the end of August, 2009.  He took a week to pray about it and at the end of the week told me that he wanted to start a relationship with me.  Before it became "official" though he called and talked to his parents and I talked to mine.  On September 4th, 2009 he asked me to start a courtship with him.  We just celebrated our 1 year anniversary together as a couple recently.   

Our Proposal:

Date of event

8/26/2010

How we got engaged

He said:

Dennis told me that he had something for me when we got back to his place.  When we got there he asked me to wait outside.  A few minutes later he came out with a birthday card and asked me to read it.  At the end of the card was a note that said "This letter is not yet complete.  There is one more thing left to say..."  He got me to read that last part out loud then he got down on one knee and said "Will you marry me Talitha?"

She said:"Yes, yes, yes!" and a little later "I love you!"
Apparently I said "yes" before he had even finished his proposal.  Ha-ha!

What we did:
Dennis: After I proposed I got off my knee and gave Talitha a big hug.  I then told her that I loved her.  Meanwhile I was thinking of getting the ring on her finger, which I did while on one knee.

Talitha: After he proposed I freaked out!  Ha-ha!  I actually had tears in my eyes and I just wanted to jump around and go crazy.  I couldn't wait for him to put that ring on my finger and make it "official".  It is beautiful and perfect!

How we felt:

Dennis: To begin with I was really nervous (I do not openly admit this hunny, oops, too late!) but when she said "yes" before I was done proposing to her that built up my confidence.  When she said "yes!" this time after I was done proposing I was on cloud nine!  I was happy and grateful.  Talitha was now my fiancé!

Talitha: Before he proposed I sent a text to a good friend of mine telling her that "it might happen today!"  When he got me to wait outside I thought for sure it was going to happen and I was nervous and excited.  When he came out with a birthday card instead I was like "What is this?"  I opened up the card and read it through.  It was so sweet.  Once I got to his special message at the end I had butterflies in my stomach because I just knew what was coming.  When he asked me to read the message at the end that made me know for sure!  When he got down on one knee I think I had chills.  Good ones of course!  I hid my face for a few seconds with the card.  I think that I was blushing.  I was so so happy and ecstatic!  Before he even had the chance to put the ring on my finger I was in his arms giving him a good long hug!  I felt so much love and happiness!  When he put the ring on my finger it just brought everything to it's climax!  I can hardly wait for our wedding now!  

    

Marriage and Women (1 Peter 3:1-6)

Just listened to "Trial Part 9: Marriage and Women" by pastor Mark Driscoll.  It's a great sermon for women based on 1 Peter 3:1-6 teaching biblical submission.  http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/trial/marriage-and-women

Ending points from the sermon...
~Five points to what submission does *NOT* mean:
1. A husband is in *ultimate* authority... (Above the husband is the church. If he's sinning call the elders, let's start church discipline.  Also there is the government.  If he is breaking the law, call the police.  A husband is not in ultimate authority, all his authority is derived.  It's derivative authority, it's not innate authority, he's not God.)    
2. A wife does not have independent thoughts.  (Submission does not mean that if you ask a woman a question she looks at her husband and says, "well what do I think?"  She has her own mind.  Your wives are smart, your daughters are smart.  They (daughters) aren't going to grow up and when they get married all of a sudden not have an idea.  They are going to grow up and have their own thoughts.  What we are talking about here is not that a woman believes what her husband believes or doesn't think for herself or isn't educated or doesn't read books and have deep profound insights.  It just means that when decisions are made that she respects the leadership of her husband.)              
3. A wife does not seek to influence their husband (A wife is their husband's helper.  They should seek to influence him in a positive/Godly manner.  "She's a helper..."  "A prudent wife is from the Lord..."  She should be his biggest influence next to God.  She can give counsel, wisdom, help... The bible says that a man needs help.)
4. A wife must obey her husband's command to sin (Because God is in ultimate authority when the husband if he should command his wife to do something that is unbiblical and sinful and/or illegal the wife says "No, I follow God's authority, not yours.  I follow you as long as you're following Jesus.  You stop following Jesus and I still follow Jesus."
5. A wife is less intelligent or competent than her husband.  (There are wives who are smarter than their husbands.  It doesn't mean she is less competent, it means that he is the leader meaning that he takes responsibility for the home.  In the same way, when the president brings in his advisors who are intelligent and competent and they help him to make his decision and he then makes his decision it doesn't mean that once the decision is made they are not intelligent or competent it just means that when he makes the decision he takes responsibility for it, good or bad.)

~Submission *DOES* mean:
1. A husband and wife are equal with complementary roles.  (They both are image bearers of God made male and female in the image and likeness of God with complementary, not competitive, roles.)
2. Wives are to submit like Jesus did in Gethsemane.  (In the Trinity, Jesus submits to God the father, He's sent by God the father, He does what the father tells Him to do, He says what the father tells him to say, and in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus is preparing for His own death to atone for the sins of the world.  Remember the insightful conversation that Jesus had with His father.  Did He have feelings?  Yes.  Did He articulate them?  Yes.  Did He speak freely and frankly?  Yes.  He's passionate, He's emotional, He's relational, He's verbal and what does He ultimately say?  "You're will be done."  Some women think submission is unlike that...you can't feel anything, you can't say anything, you can't ask anything...that's not the way that Jesus does it.)
3. Husbands are to lovingly lead like Jesus does the church.  (Does Jesus berate the church?  Does He rule legalistically over the church?  Is He cruel, mean, harsh, inconsiderate, unloving to the church?  No!  He dies for the church!  He gives all Himself for the well being of the church.  And a husband who understands marriage biblically, he gives himself away for the well being of his wife and children.  That's Ephesians 5 "Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church."  Driscoll always asks wives, "Do you submit to Jesus?  Why?" -- "He's wonderful to me..." is the answer they give.  "Alright, then gentlemen, be like that.  Make it easier for her to follow your lead by being more like Jesus.)
4. A single woman should only marry a man she can follow.  (Ladies if you are single be very very careful who you date and marry.  Don't just date a man that you can put up with.  Marry a man you can trust, you'll follow his leadership, you respect him, he's safe, he's Godly.  The last thing you want is some guy you don't trust, he's not wise, he doesn't do his "homework", he's harsh, he's inconsiderate, he's immature, he's a boy, you're more his mother than you are his mate, real danger.)
5. Christian marriage shows the Trinity and the gospel.  (The Trinity is that there's one God, Father, Son, and Spirit, three persons and that there is "functional subordination within the Trinity."  That the Son submits to the Father, the Father and Son send the Spirit, and even though they are equal and they are one, in a way that the husband and wife are equal and they are one.  There is deference to authority and there is leadership and hierarchy within the Trinity, the same is true within human relationships particularly the church.  The gospel is this, that Jesus Christ takes responsibility for that which is not His fault.  My sin is not Jesus' fault, it's my fault.  Yet Jesus Christ went to the cross, substituted Himself in my place for my sins, and He took responsibility for that which was not His fault.  Headship is that men are like Christ taking responsibility even when they're not at fault.  There are times when a man is partially responsible or fully responsible for some sin or error that is in his family and it is effecting his wife and children, but there are times as well when the women or the children do sin and what should the husband do?  Stand back and say, "That's you're life, this is my life.  That's your mess, you made it, you fix it"  No!  Like Jesus the man takes initiative, the man takes responsibility, the man doesn't stay back, the man enters in and tries to love and redeem and rescue and fix and save and heal.  And he takes responsibility for the well being of his family, particularly his wife.  Because that's the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That's what Jesus does for us.)                                                                                       

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