a special day

Today was a very special day and like most for Zachary and I, we weren't able to be together. Z moved into our apartment. It's a little place right outside of DC, in Arlington, Virginia. I have never seen it in person but I'm so in love with it. I'm so in love with the fact that we have a home together. We will live there for three months before moving to England and I'm so grateful for that sweet time we will have there. This week I packed up my Tahoe with all the presents we have gotten so far and shipped it to Z. Shipping the car didn't provoke emotion in me but today hit me like a ton of bricks. When Zach called me this morning as soon as I answered he said "BABY, BABY, BABY I GOT THE KEYS!" The joy in his voice was the sweetest thing in the world to me. It wasn't the most intelligent conversation, consisting of continual giggling and back and forth sentences of "wow this is really happening." In the craziness of wedding planning and moving my life to DC this was an amazing reminder that at the end of all of this, I get him! I get to start a home with Zachary. I get to fight with him in person, I get to go to dinner with him and make dinner for him. I get to watch movies with him and take walks with him. Zach moving into our home today has felt like the first step of all of our dreams starting to come true. 

our place

this is Zach's set up in the living room
he says he doesn't want to sleep in our room without me

wish I could have been shipped with the Tahoe!

-Hay

wherever we live, my home is always with you

Wow this wedding is getting here fast! Everything is starting to come together too! I am moving in to our future apartment that Haley and I will live in once we get married and come back to DC after our secret location Honeymoon. It's amazing seeing Gods plans develop before your own eyes. 
Haley and I will be in it for a couple of months until we get ready to move to England. Wow God thank you for the amazing wedding gift! It's such an amazing opportunity and thank you for letting me spend it with my best friend! I'm so excited to see where God takes us on this amazing journey and for us to be adventurous with Christ as our tour guide!  

Hay I can't wait to share in all of Gods adventures with you! I love you always!

-Zach

God loved me enough to make me a bobcat

In leaving the town that helped shape who I am, I cried. The emotions of driving away knowing things would never be the same and remembering all of the amazing times that were had with some of the most incredible people I've ever met was overwhelming. In my dream world I would be able to sit down and have coffee with every single mentor, professor, teammate, advisor, friend, classmate and coach and tell them thank you for making my last four years the best of my life. So many little moments throughout my time at Texas State taught me so much about myself, my life and my God. If you know me, you know that I have a passion for photos so I felt the best way to commemorate the closing of an amazing chapter in my life would be to share some of my favorites with you.

my first san marcos best friend

everyone always loved when Z came into town

passion

I have always believed that you have to find your own individual way to connect with God. For some going to church does it, for others it's in the silence of the morning, for me I have always felt the presence of God while rollerblading. I have had some of the most amazing encounters with the Holy Spirit while on roller blades. It doesn't have to be fancy or traditional so I challenge you to find your secret place with the Father. 

my wild child

teammates for life

shekinah bliss on the field

Softball will always be apart of me. I have had so many amazing opportunites through this sport. It was my passion for so long and taught me so much, I am grateful for that.

we always believed we could fly

thick and thin

never got old

The people I have met have become more like family than friends. When I left San Marcos I wept in thankfulness of having the privilege to live life with them.

so much love for the game

dont go

best

As I reflect on my past four years, I'm thinking about my next. The man I'm marrying encouraged, supported and loved me every single step of the way. He allowed me to fully invest in San Marcos and was not greedy for to much of my attention and heart. He is what the next chapter of my life holds and I cannot wait. 

my future

 -Hay

Plans

Zach and I are two months away from getting married and surprises continue to come our way. We started dating three years ago and from that moment we've been making plans. Plans to go to school together, plans for him to be stationed near me, then plans to learn how to deal with long distance and finally, plans for us to get married and live in Washington D.C. In the last month, Zachary got orders to be stationed in Lankenheath, England for three years. It was our option and we were allowed to turn it down. At first we thought it sounded ridiculous and overwhelming. The week prior we had found a wonderful apartment, I've been shopping for warm clothes for the past year and the PLAN was to live together in D.C. 

We took a deep breath and decided to stop speaking to each other and start talking to God. The conversations on my end consisted of a lot of confusion and worry. On one hand, it sounded like so much fun but on the other, three years seemed like a long time. Zach wasn't getting a clear word from the Lord but my man is NOT a worrier and he is very confident in God's guidance of where we are supposed to be. I had been getting some guidance from people close to me and ultimately I knew that whatever we decided, it had to be a choice we both were confident about.

A couple of days later, Zach calls me while he is walking home from work and i'll never forget what he said, "Haley, I don't want to be in the Air Force anymore and I don't want to be away from family anymore, those things do not sound good to me but Hay I cannot ignore the fact that God has just told me that England is what He wants for OUR family. I think we should go. What do you think?"I was struck into tears at the concept of Zach and I being a family, it was OUR decision because it's OUR family. I wept, just completely humbled by the fact that I was chosen and given the privilege of marrying a man who cares more about obedience to God than his own comfort. In preparing for marriage I've read a lot about submitting to my husband and respecting him as the head of the house, in this moment I realized submitting to Zach is an honor and respecting him comes from the love I have for the person that he is. 

Zach and I are releasing our death grip of control over our own lives. We realize that God's plans are not always what seem like the easiest plans but they are always the best plans. 

"For we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

-Hay