The Newest Tass.

It has been so fun and such a privileged to watch and share in each step of the way as the Tass Family grows. Jala and Maggie are two people who mean so much to me and they are so blessed by Tori, their newest addition. They have been great parents to Ellie and are doing so great adjusting to #2.

Tori seems to have such a different personality than Ellie already but the more I see her the more she looks like Ellie. I am glad we got to sneak in some quick photos a couple of weeks ago. It's so fun to see this new phase of life!

Behind the scenes (reality)

I have had a few conversations recently regarding how other people's lives are (read: look). Facebook, Instagram, etc. have all made it very easy to make our lives look however we want. We post statuses of our great moments, pictures of nice meals/fun places and of course only the photos we look best in.
Maybe it is more of a woman thing, but as people we compare. We are jealous.
I was having a conversation on Tuesday with a friend about how put together others seem and then the reality of the messy moments. Fights, dirty dishes, bad moods, ugly hair days. It's rarely as it seems.
Tonight I saw someone post this article on Relevant that was right in line with what I've been thinking this week. All that to say.. When I saw this picture of Charles and I that we laughed for a long time at I decided I needed to post it. This is a small glimpse of the less than great moments. Bad timing, conflict, boredom, and trials can all get the best of us. Sometimes, it is just not as pretty as it seems.

So, friends, try not to let comparison steal your joy. We don't know the story behind what we see on social media. We are not them. We have much to be grateful for.

Enjoy:

The Real Deal (almost)

A few weeks ago Charles and I took a quick trip to Phoenix, Arizona. Two of my bridesmaids are there but also Chris Roussin, who is marrying us. We wanted to get some time with him for a little premarital counseling (we already did this officially) and some ceremony planning. This weekend made things start to feel a little bit real.

We fumbled through the desert rocks in the dark to snap a quick must have picture at the border:


We arrived late Friday night (saturday morning) and spent time catching up with The Brines. Then we started Saturday morning with a trip to Matt's Big Breakfast which all our Phoenix people keep raving about. It was indeed, delicious. If you know me you probably know I LOVE breakfast. So it was way worth waking up early for. Plus it was great to spend time with Steve, Amy and Elona.


We spent time with Chris covering some important elements of our relationship, significant areas of marriage and gleaning wisdom from him. It's really special to have him marrying us since he was such a big part of the foundation years of my faith and alongside Hannah they showed me much about a couple who follows Jesus and loves each other well. I am extremely grateful for the years of investment they've given.

It was such a gift to spend time with both the Brines and Roussins to celebrate our upcoming wedding. They did much to celebrate us! Amy and I got massages, we all went to dinner, and then the men went on a night hike and us ladies enjoyed fondue at the melting pot. I loved getting time to hear what they've learned over their years of marriage. Plus, it was so fun!





By the end we were feeling very tired but very encouraged and blessed. It is so significant to have such great support. We ate lunch with the Brines, spent time praying for each other's journey and jumped in the car. I can't believe I almost forgot the closest Cracker Barrel is in AZ! We saw a road sign and exited immediately. Not that we were hungry but Charles had never been and we had to stop! We had a great dinner, enjoyed a fun stop and took a few photos on the way out. We laughed a lot which was so fun. The car ride got better with a great time to reflect and pray for the options ahead of us. I am thankful for the time in the car to just be and take in what's ahead.


47 days. Here we go!