St. Michael's Kitamba Primary School

For those of you that have received our wedding invitation already, you may notice that on our registry cards right below where our gift registries are listed, it says something about how donations may be made to St. Michael's Kitamba Primary School in Kampala, Uganda. Here's a little bit more info about the school and why it's listed:

St Michael's Kitamba Primary School is located four hours north of Kampala, Uganda. This is a poor rural farming area in the hill area of Uganda. The school consists of 50 girls and 10 boys, only two children own a pair of shoes, the other children come to school barefoot. These children have many needs, but despite them all, they believe that they are doing fine. Their attitude is pure and beautiful. They do not know that they are needy, they believe that is what life should be. Many of these children are orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic and civil wars. Many are raised by other family members or strangers. The average life expectancy in Uganda is 36. Family members sell fruits and vegetables to raise money for school fees which average $150-210 per child for the school year. The children receive one meal per day while at the school consisting of posho (grits), beans and rice and receive a notebook and pencils.

Matt and I want every part of our wedding to be a reflection of who we are. We wanted our passions, our personalities, our interests and our loved ones to be included in this special day where the two of us become one. And as so, I couldn't imagine not including some type of humanitarian effort into that day. Africa, more specifically the orphans of Africa, have always been a passion and huge part of my heart since I was young. Matt has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and shares this similar passion with me. Both of us hope that one day God will allow us to include some of these forgotten ones in our family. Adoption has definitely been a topic of conversation in our family planning talks :)

The church I attend has been presented with an amazing opportunity of going over to Uganda to help out a couple orphanages there. St. Michael's is one of those orphanages and is located in such a rural part of Uganda that no one at the school has ever even seen a white person! (I wish I could be there to see the looks on their faces when a group of gringos arrive!) Amazing! A group from Life Church will be going over the beginning of September not to spread a religion, but to present the real and raw love of Jesus in a practical way. Not only will they be providing these schools with practical supplies like clothes, school supplies and money, but they will be letting the children know that there is a God out there who is real and loves them! They will be letting them know they matter to someone and that their dreams and hurts are not forgotten! What a powerful and amazing opportunity! I'm more than slightly jealous that I couldn't be joining them.

If you would like to join with Matt and I in this cause, donations and/or checks may be made to Life Church. Please be sure to specify Uganda Missions.

We will have a donation table set up at the reception. Or, any donation can be sent to Life Church at 3818 West 4700 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84118. If you have any further questions, you may also call Life Church at 801.968.3715 or visit http://www.lifechurchutah.com/ .

Thanks for visiting us again and sharing in our enthusiasm about our BIG day! We can't wait to see you at the wedding! :)

Meet Some of the Most AMAZING People We Know! (Our Line)

Do you ever wonder who those very attractive people are that are standing next to the bride and groom? How do they know them?! Sometimes when I'm sitting out in the audience watching a wedding ceremony, I make up stories of why the bride and groom chose those people to stand next to them on that very special day! Well, Matt and I decided to save you that trouble and tell the stories ourselves! So may we introduce: Our wedding line! Ladies first.

Matron of Honor

Rebecca Alvarado

Sister of the Bride...need I say more?? Not very many people are blessed to have the type of relationship with their sister like I have with mine. Rebecca has been my role model since the moment I was born! She's even the one who named me! Even though there's 6 1/2 years between us, you would never know it! We finish each other's sentences and have the amazing ability to read each other's thoughts. Put us together in a game of Taboo and I promise, you don't stand a chance! Rebecca has not only been my older sister, but a best friend.

Maid of Honor

Whitney Clift Whitney and I have been friends since we were 13, and best friends since high school! Whitney has been one of those friends that every girl wishes they had. The second I needed anything, whether it was a ride to school, a listening ear or a good boy bashing session (back in the high school days of course!), she was always there with a cup of coffee in hand! Her and I have gotten ourselves in and out of trouble together way too many times to count, have way too many inside jokes and far too many funny stories to tell (most of which no one else finds as funny!)! She was there helping at my proposal and I couldn't imagine having my wedding without her standing by my side! :)

Bridesmaid

Amanda Burrows

As well as growing up with a close family, I was also blessed to grow up with a very close extended family! The closest comparison would be "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." That's right....we had it all: food, food, 10 conversations going on at the same time, women in the kitchen, men at the grill, women in your business, opinions, food, plenty of love, laughter and the thing that brought us all together: FOOD! Haha! I had tons of cousins, so there was always someone to play with! Manda and I were the same age and best buddies growing up. Our moms always put us in matching outfits and had our pictures taken together! We had dreams of owning our own veterinary clinic and even wrote our own cookbook! (Which never made it to the publishers...who knew no one needed a recipe for making peanut butter sandwiches?!) Even though Amanda and her family moved away from Utah when we were young, we managed to stay close and for the first time in about 18 years, we'll be living in the same state again! WAHOO!!! So not only will I have a family member with me in Oklahoma, but also a very close friend! Double bonus. This girl is the real deal.

Best Man

Kraig Mewbourne

Cousin of the Groom

Not only were we family, Kraig and I had the privilege of growing up as best friends...from running golf carts in front of ambulances to late night talks about God, women, and why God made women so confusing, we went through it all together. It is hard to put 22 years of life we lived in a paragraph you know? The truth is Kraig has been there for me through it all. We could probably quote any movie we have seen together and even the previews for the ones we haven't! He is hilarious and currently single so ladies he's the one on the right ( Sorry I'm taken!)

Groomsman

Jared Hale

Best Friend of Groom

When I think of Jared of think of the many trips we took together to school in our cars. He has a 1981 Camaro and I have (Yes we still have them) a 1992 Formula Firebird...Teenagers, Fast cars, and nothing to do! We lived it up! I can remember one morning we road in Jared's Camaro to school, and when Jared pulled out in front of a Honda civic the lady driving made the most amazing/unforgettable face I have ever seen. It looked like someone turning there head away from a dodge ball while screaming the lyrics to Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer. I owe who I am to Jared because he stuck with me through my awkward faze (and man was it A-W-K-W-A-R-D), helped let go of what other people thought, and stick to my own convictions.

Groomsman

Jeff Weiszbrod

Brother of Groom

I wish every person could have a big brother like mine. From the time I was born I wanted to be like my big brother. Jeff and I are 8 years apart which tells you that when he was 16 I was 8. Imagine getting your drivers license and having to drive the most argumentative 8 year old around (my parents said I would argue with God when we get to heaven). As we have gotten older Jeff and I really have grown very close. He has become one of the first people I go to for advice. Jeff has a wisdom beyond his years and a witty mind. Which leads to hard truths and hilarious comments!

Groomsman

Matt Jones
Brother of Bride

As you probably guessed this is Marcie's younger brother Matt (Matty Tatty). I met Matty Tatty when I went to visit Marcie in late July of Last year. I'm not sure but I think he thought I was a little awkward (I know most people don't hug when they meet someone's brother but I tend to act first think later). I really got to see Matt's personality when we went out go-kart racing and bowling with the "guys." He wouldn't want anyone to know this but he used the girlie pink ball while bowling...totally kidding, but seriously it was pink. Matt is a very hard worker and a lot of fun to hang out with!

Engagement Pictures! And a few other thoughts...

Here's our engagement pictures....finally! The big day is approaching so fast, and if my calculations prove me right, it is exactly 47 days away from this very moment! HOORAY!! Honestly, I couldn't be more excited about the gift God has given me in Matt. He is truly a man of integrity and patience, sometimes I wonder how I could be so lucky! He challenges me in ways no one else ever has and I'm a better person because of him! Now granted, not everything is roses and rainbows. The closer it gets to the wedding the more emotions that are getting stirred up, which in turn makes me, at times, a not-so-peachy person to be around. Example: Thursday I spent the whole day crying. At home. At work. In the car. Even in the coffee shop. To Matt. To my mom. To my sister. To Heather at work. To Matt. To Matt. To my dad. To my horse. To my dog. To Matt. To the coffee shop. To my best friend. To Matt. To Matt. Did I mention to Matt?? And now to you reading this blog. Haha! Matt has been so patient and understanding through the whole process. I have the greatest friends and family to put up with me in my emotional state! There's A LOT of people (and a couple dogs and horse) that are going to be dearly missed! Like I said, I couldn't be more excited to start my life with this incredible man... but there's a lot of things about Utah that I'm going to miss!! Here's my short tribute to a few of those things:

Seriously, the best coffee EVER! To order: Mr. B's w/an Extra Shot :) YUMMMMM!!!

Mountains! Not only beautiful scenery, but killer workouts! Trail running will forever remain my favorite exercise routine!

Meet Cuddles. We've been best friends for 10 years. All the old sayings about a girl and her horse were probably written because of me and her! Seriously, I've never met a person that understands me as well as my horse ever has. She helped get me through the crazy teenage years and kept me out of trouble (and away from boys! I think that's why my parents bought her...hehe :) ) Her favorite past times include eating, pooping, eating, flirting with the horse next door, going on unsupervised adventures through the neighborhood (while i'm chasing her in my bath robe and towel on my head!), and stealing my peanut butter sandwiches. We sometimes call her Mr. Ed because she flaps her lips when she's curious about things. I LOVE HER!!! Enough said.

This is Mandi. She's two and my favorite running buddy! She enjoys swimming, laying in mud puddles, belly rubs, rolling in smelly things, eating smelly things and giving me kisses afterwards! She always manages to make me smile! Love her so much! :) XOXOXO

But anyway, back to the point at hand....there's some (not all) of our favorite engagement pictures!

Love, Love!