Since we asked for 4 colors of plates, we decided early on that it would be cool to write the name of the family that gave us each set of plate, bowl, mug, saucer. So, I am happy to announce that I got to eat off the Red Lindahl plate and Rachel got to eat off a Blue Blake plate!! Part of the tradition we’ll try to continue each meal time is to also pray for the families whose plates we are eating off.

It is a total blessing to get to have these plates, but even more of a blessing to remember with love and gratitude the people and families who are such a big part of our lives. Thank you so much! We LOVE you!!

When we landed 6 days ago in Salt Lake City, we hired Ski Taxi to drive us to Park City. Our very interesting, full of historical fun facts about the area, driver showed up in a minivan with UT plates that simply read, “Hugh.” Hugh is an amazing older hippy generation guy who was very kind to us when he heard we were on our honeymoon. He gave us the “50 cent tour” around town before dropping us off at our resort. He offered to give us a free round trip to anywhere in town if we wanted. Little did we know how valuable that offer would be.

About three days later and after some bad food, Rachel and I were in a world of hurt. I was feeling better than her and had taken the bus to the local grocery to get OTC remedies and food supplies, but Rachel was not able to hold down any liquids and was becoming increasingly dehydrated. So I called to a local urgent care doctors office and made an appointment and then called our new PC friend, Hugh to cash in on his offer. He was so gracious and picked us up at our resort and took us to the doctors office and then the grocery to get more supplies and back. I made the comment to him that it was nice to have a friend in Park City. His very gracious response was, “Yah, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

But the middle of the story gets better. At the doctors office we were assigned a very wonderful doctor whose name — no joke — was Doctor Chuck Morrison. And like any good 80s action film with Chuck Norris, he roundhouse kicked the nausea and dehydration that was bothering Rachel. After 2 liters of fluid, Rachel got her smile back and we were on our way thanks to Hugh.

We had another couple of slow days of recovery, but yesterday we were able to go on a roller-coaster, a slide, and a quarter mile long zip-line at the Park City Mountain Resort. We have had a wonderful time getting really acquainted with each other during the best and worst of times. There isn’t quite anything like a stomach bug to bring a husband and wife together extra quickly.

Ever grateful, I love my wife, Rachel.

Bill

Last night, I tried to explain how I felt and the only words that I could come up with was dumbfounded, blessed and amazed. today on our wedding day, I want brag on my husband to be.

While I was in college, God told me that I would marry a pastor, and that I already knew him. I thought that was strange, but said okay. Several years alters, I had kinda forgotten that He had told me that.

A year or so, during a bible study some friends of mine said to make a list of my must-haves for my future husband so that if he matched my list, I would know that he was it, the one whom my heart loves! I thought I would share the list, because it describes Bill perfectly.

My Future Husband . . .
-servant hearted
-positive & encouraging
-God-fearing
-seeks wisdom, not afraid to ask for help, intelligent
-patient & understanding
-good listener (will let me vent)
-very affectionate
-active
-good looking
-enjoys life
-wants at least 2 children, loves being around them
-taller than me
-hard-working, but able to relax
-honest and trustworthy
-humble, but not easily walked over
-generous
-kind-hearted
-cheerful heart
-protective
-likes curling up on the couch reading or watching movies
-will dance with me
-money-wise, good with money

Also, Bill is a graduate of DTS and does ministry with a pastor’s mindset, so that part came true. I also happened to know Bill while I was in college, so that part came true. I got reminded of God’s promises one day while I was out and it freaked me out a bit. I knew that Bill was it.

I am excited to get to marry Bill and share it with some amazing people!

Love, Rachel

Seventy-two hours is also the same amount of time it takes to read the entire bible out loud. The next time you have 3 days to kill, give this a try. Although it might be more manageable to try an hour a day for 72 days.

Seventy-two hours is also the amount of time we need to be prepared to survive without basic utility services in case of a natural disaster: http://72hours.org/. I think Rachel and I are prepared for marriage, which will definitely NOT be a natural disaster. Our premarital training was very helpful and informative. (Thanks, David and Jamie!) We have been working on our marriage more than our wedding since February — at least until this last week or two when things got really busy finalizing everything.

Now is the time to enjoy being

Yes, there are still some details to finalize even this late in the game, but with wise counsel, we are going to try our best to begin enjoying the marriage ceremony and reception with our family and close friends. Some things we wanted to do got the axe this week — not because we didn’t want to have them or that they wouldn’t be nice, but because as Pastor David Ake says, “A wedding doesn’t make a marriage. Invest in your marriage.” With all the frenetic last minute activity this week, we could paraphrase this counsel another way, “Don’t forget the reason for the season.”

Gratefully thankful and humbled

As we enter the final hours before the ceremony, we just want to say a big thanks to some of the amazing people who are helping us with the wedding (yes, there are lots more). We are humbled and very grateful for the love you are showing us right now:

• Susan Howard & Nate Brown- reception setup
• Diane Sun – our wedding coordinator
• Denise Pacific – Rachel’s matron of honor
• Chris Whitson – Bill’s best man
• Wayne and Pamela Walters – Bill’s new “mom and dad”
• Ron and Ingrid Murphy- Rachel’s new “mom and dad”
• Amber Emery – our cake confectioner
• Yolanda Harris-White – our photographer
• Josh Carl – our Videographer and Reception DJ
• Rachel Gatewood – our guestbook table attendant
• Josh Tollison – a former student of ours who is leading us in worship before and during the ceremony
• David Ake – our best friend and pastor, who is pulling double a triple duty this week helping get things ready

THANK YOU: we love you all so much!

Ok. I’m finishing this blog post so I can go enjoy myself this week, because my parents are driving in and my brother, Wallace, is flying into town tomorrow and I’m excited to see them all!

Rehearsal is at 5:30pm on Friday. At that point, we will have 21 hours left. How fun and amazing it is to think how far the Lord has taken us and how He will sustain us through the rest of our days.

Today marks 9 days left, and am I ever enjoying the countdown time, especially seeing the July 2 date quickly approaching.

Rachel and I made the realization last night that the last time we shaved a digit off the “days countdown timer” was back in March, which sounds like a long time ago, but feels like it was just a couple of weeks ago.

I am very excited to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing woman.

I love Rachel Walters!!

18 days. Wow.

It is starting to hit me that the moment I’ve been awaiting for all of my adult life is approaching very quickly. I feel elated, excited, and very grateful to the Lord. I had given up a few years back on finding the Miss Right, but He has been very gracious to both Rachel and I by patiently allowing us to develop our friendship over the last 5-6 years and by providing an unbelievable romance during since October of last year.

I eagerly await being able to spend the rest of my life with Rachel Walters. I am quite smitten, and sincerely hope to love her more each day for the rest of “happily ever after.”

It’s not what you might think.

Today we just combined iPhone plans into a FamilyTalk plan, but it was one of the first steps of two lives joining into one. I know combining cell phone plans is not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but I was able to reflect again on the seriousness and permanency of the vows we will be exchanging in a few weeks.

The combo plan will allow us to save about $15 per month than if we have two separate plans. The fun thing was that Wayne and Pam Walters just happened to be at the AT&T store too. It was a good time of spending time together and taking care of business.

• We have a date and venue reserved: July 2, 2011 at 2:00pm at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco TX.
• Pre-martial mentoring is in full swing with David and Jamie Ake
• The bridesmaids and groomsmen have confirmed
• Rachel has bought a dress and gotten the bridesmaids’ dresses and accessories picked out and ordered
• The menu and caterer have been decided: “¡Fajitas!”
• The tuxes have been pre-ordered
• We are have engagement photos back and are working on picking one for the invitations
• The wedding site is up and running

It has been a busy few months, but we are determined to build our relationship as much as we are planning for an event.

We are getting married at Stonebriar Community Church on July 2, 2011! I still can’t believe it! I get to marry Bill Murphy, who is the love of my life! God is soooo amazing! We are going to get married in the atrium and my dad gets to walk me down the aisle and this huge staircase. I just know that it’s going to be the best day of my life.

It was a lot of fun to go dress shopping with my mom and Denise! I am so excited to get to wear it in July.

Even though I am starting to plan our wedding and announce it to family and friends, it still surprises me when I working on wedding stuff. If you had asked me last summer, if I could have predicted any of this I would have told you nope!

Love,
Rachel