our vows.....

Me to Claudio:

Claudio, I believe that our Sovereign Lord has brought us together and I Amy Elise, without reserve and with all my heart take you, Claudio Fabian, as my husband with all the promises, blessings, and responsibilities that the Loving God of the Scriptures has for me in being your wife.

I promise to submit intelligently, sincerely, and sacrificially to your leadership as deeply as obedience to Christ allows me. To encourage you in your God designed role as my head. And I choose to influence you spiritually primarily with fearless tranquility, holiness, and prayer.

I promise to be your help meet. Being honest and transparent in communication, avoiding all secrecy, and open to your exhortations; I will speak well of you in public, I will pray for you daily, and care for your needs before my own. I will support you creatively in whatever calling so that your spiritual influence will grow in the home, the church, and the world.

I promise to create a refuge for you in our home; A home where our children find eternal life and our visitors the goodness of God and His truth. I accept responsibility with you to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord sharing with you the teaching and discipline that they need and with my example teach them to respect and honor your leadership. I will make decisions that will increase the faith of the family and carry ahead the cause of Christ.

I give you my body for you to care for it as your own, being one flesh. Guarding my heart from temptation and always delighting myself in you. Looking to no other and loving you unconditionally.

Claudio to Me:

Amy, I believe that our Sovereign Lord has brought us together and I Claudio Fabian, without reserve and with all my heart take you, Amy Elise, as my wife with all the promises, blessings, and responsibilities that the Loving God of the Scriptures has for me in being your husband.

I promise to lead you intelligently, sensitively, and sacrificially with Christ as my example and guide. To encourage you in your God designed role as my help meet. And by the washing you with the water of the Word you be sanctified and pure.

I promise to give myself sacrificially as Christ to the Church being honest and transparent in communication avoiding all secrecy, and being open to your exhortations. I will speak well of you in public, I will pray for you daily, and care for your needs before my own. Guiding you in wisdom so that your spiritual influence will grow in the home, the church, and the world.

I promise to sustain our home so that you may always glean from my fields and not be ashamed (Ruth 2:7-17). A home where our children find eternal life and our visitors the goodness of God and His truth. I accept responsibility with you to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord sharing with you the teaching and discipline that they need and with my example teach them to respect and honor your position. I will make decisions that will increase the faith of the family and carry ahead the cause of Christ.

I give you my body for you to care for it as your own, being one flesh. Guarding my heart from temptation and always delighting myself in you. Looking to no other and loving you unconditionally. My eyes are only for you.

3

ALL MY FAMILY IS HERE!!!!! AND 3 MORE DAYS UNTIL I'M A WIFE!!!!!

PS... Happy Birthday from the the 28th of September to Christina Szrama!!!!!

photography and flowers

yesterday was a superly productive day on the wedding planning. We found a photographer! We're meeting with another on Wednesday, but it's mainly just to compare his pictures, prices, and service too. I'm excited. Because I thought that me, being so picky with pictures, and not having seen good photography here yet.... it was going to be next to impossible to get a good photographer.... but, the Lord allowed us to "stumble across" a great guy who's studio is in a little corner behind some other shops who also does camera repairs..... and since Kristen's camera needed repairing..... that's how we found him! pretty cool huh? anyways... I'm excited about that.

THEN... we also found an awesome florist!!! I had been to another place where I had shown pictures of exactly what I wanted etc.... and the lady just said " well, let me tell you what WE usually do..." in other words... "I don't care what you have in your pictures I'm going to do it the way we always do it.".... not too convincing that they will do what i ask them. SO... I went somewhere else, and the lady we found there, Monica, was just wonderful!!!!! SO I'm super happy. I think in the past 2 1/2 weeks we've found a ceremony/reception site, a florist, and a photographer!

photography by: vmselde and amy donell