Hello friends!

It’s been a while since we’ve chatted!

I’ve been struggling with what to write with the current changes and developments – it can be a bit overwhelming and it makes it difficult to be inspired. It’s a broken world, and we are all hurting. I pray we are able to find peace in the midst of these troubling times. One thing that’s been on my mind is the idea of “expectation vs. reality”. This idea or concept is often used as a casual reference to our best attempts at life vs. what we hope and expect for ourselves in the eyes of the world. I have realized that we tend to live with BIG expectations in mind. Often, when things don’t measure up with our expectations, we aren’t fulfilled and we miss out on the beauty of change.

I was going through my things, organizing, reminiscing, when I came upon my bullet journal that I stopped writing in once COVID hit. There, on my front page for January 1st, 2020, I found my bulleted list of all that was going to happen in 2020…

• Graduate College
• Say “I DO” !!!
• Honeymoon
• Move to North Carolina
• Start career
• Newlywed life

Rediscovering this page was eye-opening. I told Conner my findings and we both just laughed and thought, “oh wow, expectation vs. reality”. At first when I saw this list I felt a bit sad because I remembered writing it in pure bliss, feeling there’s no doubt I’ll walk the stage when I graduate… and of course we’ll be able to get married at our dream venue with all our loved ones… and sure thing, we’re going to plan the BEST trip to Maui for our honeymoon… and it’ll be a seamless move to NC with a job lined up! I started out saddened by all the experiences we missed and weren’t able to do… then God tugged on my heart. I realized I didn’t need to be sad about it, I did do those amazing things on my list… I graduated, I got married to the love of my life, we had the sweetest honeymoon, we moved to NC, and after a long season of delayed interviews, I now have a wonderful job as a stylist for Free People! I realized then that I have experienced all those incredible moments… and the reality of how they happened was beautiful. I will forever cherish what we made of our reality. I learned just how important perspective is. God guided me through that difficult season – reminding me of ALL the many things there are to be thankful for!

I graduated college – what a milestone!! No, I didn’t walk the stage, but my sweet family and neighborhood threw us a physically distant street celebration! How amazing is that! Conner and I got MARRIED! We knew early on hosting our ceremony wouldn’t be safe for our families and friends so we postponed our wedding three times. After lots of tears and frustrations, Conner and I said, “what are we waiting for?!” We stole our original date back from COVID and eloped in my backyard on June 5th with our sweet families and friends there to celebrate us – both physically distant in person and on Zoom 🙂 There was something so special about getting ready in my own house… doing my best to come up with a “wedding day” make-up look and using all my YouTube tutorial knowledge to come up with a special hairdo. Having my mom and nana laughing and crying with me seconds before walking down the aisle (poolside) with my dad, and to see Conner at the end of it… I was overwhelmed with joy. That day sure didn’t look like what we ever planned, but God blessed us and it was perfect. Looking back, I couldn’t have seen it any other way. I’m so grateful for my mom and dad… all their hard work in transforming our backyard into a dreamy wedding venue. To my family, the sweet Harvey’s, and our dear friends… you made a bride and groom’s dreams come true. We now look forward to celebrating with everyone once it’s safe to! We were not able to honeymoon in Maui and our second choice, a beach trip to Gulf Shores hit right in the middle of the tropical storm so at this point, Conner and I were both saying “what else?!” We were reminded of the beauty in making the very most of every situation. With our timeline, we weren’t able to honeymoon for too long because of our move to NC and Conner’s big job… (so proud of him, he’s an electrical engineer!) We decided to stay close and have a Chip and Jo themed honeymoon in Waco! Yes. Waco, Texas. I know what you’re thinking; that’s not a honeymoon destination! There aren’t any beaches or fun cabanas or spas… true – but let me tell ya.. did we have FUN! We stayed in Chip and Jo’s famous Giraffe House – so cozy and sweet. We were able to explore the silos, shop local antique shops, go to the Waco zoo, and eat at the famous Magnolia Table! Plus, we were able to pick up the cutest decor pieces for our new place! No beach? No problem. We brought a cute little inflatable pool for the backyard and made a little DIY piña colada bar. I cherish our sweet honeymoon… it was the perfect way to unplug and enjoy newlywed bliss.

2020, you’ve definitely been a difficult year for us all. Lots of expectations have taken a back seat and we are experiencing a big reality check! This year has grown me in more ways than I can count. I’ve learned a great deal about staying positive and choosing joy even when it’s hard to. I’ve learned that perspective is everything. I’ve experienced so much love and support and I’m reminded of the importance of family and friendship.

A few takeaways…

• There is beauty in change
• God is in control
• ALWAYS see the good & be the change
• Take time for yourself
• You can create your own magic
• We aren’t promised tomorrow – we have today .. and that’s a blessing
• Beautiful things happen when people come together

1 Colossians 3:14 

“… above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” 

you are loved.. remember to seek joy! here for any prayer requests!

ciao,

claire