At the Right Time...

I have been in the process of cleaning out my room over the last few months, getting ready to move into the apartment with Michael once we are married. As I have cleaned, I have found many things that I had completely forgotten about: notes from swimmers, funny pictures from college & high school, ticket stubs to concerts & basketball games, etc. And with all of these things comes a flood of memories. However, nothing has moved me as much as what I found today: an old journal that I had kept through middle & high school. As I read through it, I was saddened about how confused my heart was, and how I was so drawn by the things of the world. However, the last entry brought tears of joy to my eyes. On May 12, 2001, after finishing my first year of college at THE Univeristy of North Carolina, I wrote the following:

Ok so I was reading over this journal and I couldn't help but laugh at myself hysterically! But its really neat to see how I have changed over the years. I just finished up my first year at UNC (the best place in the world!). I love college so much... this year has been an amazing experience and I have grown so much. I finally know God has forgiven me & I finally feel like Christianity is my religion and my beliefs, not just my parents. God has blessed me so much this year, it is overwhelming. I remember the first day at Chapel Hill and how scared and nervous I was, and now I know I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I have met the most amazing people here... like Warren & Lindsay. I don't know how I survived w/out them first semester. The 3 of us were definately not friends at the begining of the year, but now they have definately become my best friends. Warren is gonna come to Charlotte in a couple weeks... I am so excited, but then he will be in Colorado for 8 weeks (sadness :( ). But I know God has amazing things planned for all of us this summer! At the begining of the year I started talking to this guy @ UNCC and we dated through February... but its such a good thing we aren't together anymore... I definately felt like I was compromising while I was dating him. Maybe one day I'll have a God centered relationship. Nah, actually I have decided that the next person I kiss is going to be my husband... I don't want to waste my kisses on anyone else or give anymore of myself to someone because I keep getting hurt. But I KNOW that God has someone out there for me who is just gonna blow my mind. It's weird to be home after I've been gone for 9 months. But I think it will be good because I will get to spend a lot of time with my brother... he has gone throught a lot this year and I fee like I need to be here for him. We are working together this summers so we will get to spend a lot of time together. After I left for school I realized how important he is to me. I never realized how close we were until I was away from him. Haha, I talk about him ALL the time @ school... but i can't help it, he is such a big part of my life that I have to talk about him, we've shared too much and too many memories for me to not talk about him!
I'm coaching at Wynfield this summer and I am so excited. I've wanted to be head coach for a while, and this is a great place! Ha, both Warren & I are history majors so he decided (for me) that we are gonna teach at the same high school and coach together. That's crazy for me to think that far in advance but at the same time... only 4 more years and I'm out in the "real" world. I will be so sad when I graduate from UNC, I would stay there forever if I could. But I'm not gonna worry about that right now. OK I'm out!
<3 Shaynah Renee :)

How amazing is God's sovereign plan! I look back now on how he slowly changed my heart & opened my eyes up to His amazing grace, and I am astounded! My God is so faithful; He has promised to finish the work He began in me until the day of completion. Although His work is far from over, remembering His past faithfulness to me encourages me have hope for His present & future faithfulness & lovingkindness. I cannot deny that His mercy knows no ends! My marriage to Michael is just one example of God's goodness. I will praise Him in all things, because I know my God is for me, is perfecting me, loves me, saved me, covers & protects me, and is working His sovereign plan in me for my good & His glory.

You and Me

I absolutely love this song. It's incredible. At the risk of sounding like a 16 year old teeny bopper, here are the lyrics and a link to the video

Wanna pack your bags, Something small
Take what you need and we disappear
Without a trace we'll be gone, gone
The moon and the stars can follow the car and then when we get to the ocean
We gonna take a boat to the end of the world
All the way to the end of the world
Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly
You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes
You and I, we're not tied to the ground
Not falling but rising like rolling around
Eyes closed above the rooftops
Eyes closed, we're gonna spin through the stars
Our arms wide as the sky
We gonna ride the blue all the way to the end of the world
To the end of the world
Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly
You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes
We can always look back at what we did
All these memories of you and me baby
But right now it's you and me forever girl
And you know we could do better than anything that we did
You know that you and me, we could do anything
You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
Two of us together, we could do anything, baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
Two of us together yeah, yeah
Two of us together, we could do anything, baby
To reach the end of the world

"Free At Last"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

everyone should watch this in its entirety at least once in their life.

Making List, Checking it Twice

I've always been a fan of making lists and an even bigger fan of checking things off my to-do list. I even have a notebook that holds all my daily/weekly to-do lists. So needless to say with planning a wedding I have been making lists & then crossing things off the list. Most of the big things are finished:

• Ceremony & Reception location (I am super excited about the reception - the venue is perfect!)


• Wedding dress & veil - which I can't show you a picture of. Surprisingly I got the dress from David's Bridal. I found an awesome veil online at an Etsy store (that website it awesome!!)


• Groom/Groomsmen Attire - check it out. I decided to go with suits instead of tux's - too formal is not my style.


• Bridesmade dresses - the girls have told me they will wear them again. I'll believe it when I see it - but they do have pockets, which make them super awesome!


• Liz Shea is going to be doing the photography. I am SO excited by this - she is a dear friend and I absolutely LOVE her photography.


• Invitations are still being worked on, but my uncle Gary & aunt Pam have done an INCREDIBLE job with the designs they have shown me so far. I think they really capture the essence or our wedding & personalities.


• I got an incredible hook up for a cake - a mother of one of my swimmers has connections with Johnson & Wales and introduced me to a girl who will be making our cake.


• La-Tea-Da's is catering our event - you know Klebers LOVE to eat, so the food will be delicious. I just hope Michael & I will have a chance to eat the tasty treats. We will be having a cocktail hour with 2 passed apps; a carving station that includes NY Strip, Turkey, roasted veggies & rolls; a make your own pasta station with 2 sauces, Italian sausage, grilled chicken, and veggies; dessert bar and cupcakes. MMMMmmmmm......


• AGAPE is DJing our event - the DJs name is Russell. We've heard lots of good things about him. Everyone tells me that the DJ can either make or break your event - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


• We've also started working on wedding decorations. I've found some great ideas that I'm copying from etsy & http://www.stylemepretty.com/ (a great wedding blog that I highly recommend). Here's a few pictures of some of the decorations we have started on (mad props to mama Klebe, Kristie Honea & Kendra Sands for their help in this department)

Michael has been put in charge of the honeymoon (obviously) and finding us a place to live. I must say he deserves mad props because he did an incredible job in both areas. We are taking our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic at an all inclusive resort. I am so excited about this!

He has also found us a place to stay - the name of the apartment complex is called Spectrum. I am so excited about this place - it is absolutely gorgeous, has great amenities, is brand new, very safe & secure, and located in South End (a few blocks from Pike's Old Fashioned Soda Shop & the Light Rail - I have a feeling a lot of people will want to come visit us!). Finding a place to stay really made getting married real to me - I just keep thinking "WOW! we are gonna live her together!" (and I can't wait :)

I love this man so much - can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him! Happy New Year!

Florida Football, Carolina Basketball, Christmas, & Wedding

Here's a photo montage of what's been going on for the last month

1. here are the engagement pics I promised:

2. Michael & Me in Gainesville for the Florida v. Florida St. game (and my first trip to Gainesville)

3. UNC Baskeball hall of fame & Michael's first Carolina basketball game:

4. Kleber family Christmas (+ McMahons later on in the evening)

5. Making crafts for the wedding (paper pinwheels w/ button centers)

Gettin' Hitched

If anyone knows me even a little bit, they know how much I LOVE The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I bleed Carolina Blue. I love the campus, the memories, the friends & experiences I had while I lived there for 5 years; now I have one more memory to add to the list of reasons why I love UNC...

On Saturday, November 7 (exactly 9 month to the day that Michael & I started dating) I had the opportunity to take Michael up to Chapel Hill, hang out with some of my favorite friens & go to the homecoming football game vs. Dook. Here is how our day went:
1. I tell Michael in the car that Lindsay Hecht is going to the game with us (last minute change in plans)
2. I start to feel pain in my left side & know what it means - kidney stones. Michael & I pray in the car for relief from the pain.
3. We stop at a rest area - Michael frantically calls my mom to find out how to call Lindsay & let her know that he is planning on proposing to me today!
4. Michael calls Lindsay; Linds responds with ah "Oh Shit!" and runs and tells Kristen (who had just gotten out of the shower)
5. We make it up to Nantucket Cafe for lunch with Kristen & Linds (my kidney stone pain has gone away) - we enjoy a beautifl lunch outside - Lindsay eats dairy products & I predict it will cause future problems
6. Michael, Lindsay & I head to campus, randomly run into Warren Perry, then walk down Franklin St to show Michael all the glory of UNC.
7. Lindsay loudly announces that she has to use the batheroom, runs into McAllisters, tells us not to wait for her b/c she will get stage fright (I think nothing of this - typical Lindsay move).
8. I start to show Michael through the upper quad of campus - Silent Sam, Morehead Planitarium, Davie Poplar...
9. I tell him the story of the kissing bench under Davie Poplar - if you have your first kiss on the bench, that is the person you are going to marry... and then I'm ready to move on to the Old Well, Old East, Old West, South Building, etc...
10. Michael suggests we sit on the bench & have our first kiss - I dont object (and studdenly I have a feeling I know what is about to happen)
11. Before I know it, Michael is on one knee, ring in hand, I am having an out of body experience, we are engaged!
12. Campus was crowded, people were watching the whole thing! We get some cheers & a round of applause from the folks walking to the game.

In the words of my cousin Sam, "Your boy knows you well Shay. There is no better place for you to get engaged than Chapel Hill."

(I'll put up pics in the next post, this one is long enough as it is)

In Case You Forgot

In 2009 Ty Lawson lived up to Ed Coda's #5 jersey. In 2009 Wayne Ellington finally shot lights out like we always thought he could. In 2009 Danny Greene was everything the Tar Heels needed him to be, whenever they needed him. In 2009 Marcus Ginyard inspired his team mates from the bench. In 2009 Bobby Frasor finally got what was his. In 2009 Deon Thompson played his size. In 2009 Tyler Hansbrough became the most complete player in Carolina history. In 2009 we beat Dook twice, and havent lost in Cameron in 4 years. In 2009 we beat MSU twice. In 2009 we won the National Championship ...just in case you forgot.