Isaac and Lydsie -

**Warning: This post may involve huge amounts of shrieking, giggling and aww-ing due to the nature of the subject .... two people in love with God and each other**

I almost just got ahead of myself and put the whole story in the warning clip. HAHHAa .... it's so hard to contain any joy where Isaac and Lydiana are concerned! :) I'm still getting ahead of myself.

Today I was trying for the umpteenth time to figure out how on earth I made it this far without blogging about Lydiana and Isaac. I mean, really ..... FAIL. First it was because I wasn't allowed (top secret) and then it was because I was really sad about some things ... and then it was because every time I started to blog I thought .... "AAAAAH!!!! there's SO MUCH TO SAY!", and that just really holds me back on posting. But here I am. Blogging. It's ridiculous in a way because we all talk about it ALL. THE. TIME.

So. For those of you who need an intro ... THIS is Lydiana and Isaac on Isaac's blog. His take on engagement, marriage and ohmygoodness. God wrote their love story so so beautifully!

I think this is going to be one very very long post rambling on and on about how amazing this is. And I have no pictures. I know .... I mean, I have some of Isaac, but they were all Pre-Lydiana, and I don't have anyyyy of Lydiana because I've only been around her TWICE (well, three times if you count like .... 2 minutes). :D But I've gotten to know her and her dear siblings sooo well through Facebook. AND Isaac's sister Molly too! Hey look! something good came of FB! hahaha. -.- Ahem.

SO. Isaac and Lydiana met this past Spring at the Spring Barberville. and then later they danced. (so I heard) and BAM. LOVE. ok. maybe not exactly like that .... haha. But you get the picture. And then Isaac was transferred to ALASKA the last frontier (he's in the Coast Guard) aaaannnnd left Lydiana here. (insert sad face and tears) But THEN....THEN....they started courting long distance. (this is a really simplified version) ((obviously)) and then they got engaged. *sighs over the romanticism of it all*

So that's a very basic version with no details, but you can ask them sometime. Oh my. Ohhh my. And today, people .... they are getting married TODAY!!! AAAAAAHHHH!! We are sooo so so so excited and exhilarated and joyful and just OVER THE MOON thankful for them both.

My amazing friend Anna of Anna Grace Photography took some pictures of them when Isaac came down and surprised Lydiana (while they were courting), so these were taken within 10 minutes of my house at a secret location, and oh my word. It makes my heart stop they are so wonderful to see together!! See, I haven't seen them together-together. Not even courting-together. But when I see them next, they will be married!! *SHRIEKS*

I am a little excited. *cough* That might be the understatement of the year.

~ Photo by Anna Grace Photography ~

*SWOON*

Please hold while I giggle and then start crying. I am really THAT happy, friends. It's not like this hasn't happened before, I was in a wedding a few weeks ago, and I was on top of the world happy, and it's kinda' like that now. :) It usually happens around weddings. But when it's two best friends? And one of them is your "heart-big-brother"? HAH. HAH. oh my.

I love Lydiana and Isaac. I love knowing they are getting married. I love that God brought them together. I love how God prepared their hearts and showed His hand so freely. I love that their families are so soooo happy about this, and they haven't ever personally and literally ever met the other family. I love how they both talk about the other one how thankful they are and how amazing the other one is. I LOVE that God thought this up!! I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again - "GOD is SO amazing to bring Isaac and Lydiana together and get married!!".

So ... you know I could really just talk about this to fill a whole book worth. I mean, really. I knew Isaac before I knew Lydiana, and of course, had no idea of putting them together until BAM, they were courting and I was freaking out I was so excited because what a great idea! Hahahaha. God is so so amazing.

So go look at the rest of those pictures on Anna's website and swoon over them, and then come back and listen to some more sweetness. hahaha. They are some of her best work, I love it! The first time I saw those pictures I stopped and stared. Then I clicked to the next one, and I put my hand over my heart and sighed. Then I clicked again, and giggled. And somewhere in that album I cried. And then I clicked on another one and swooned. and then I cried some more.

It all just makes my heart go pitter - pat. I just have to tell you a few little things. And then I'll stop. But if you see me and mention either of them, prepare for Jean Marie Explosion of Joy and nooo time to talk about anything else. Ok? Okay. Good. :D AAAAAHHH!!!

SO. In August I was chatting with Big Brother Isaac on FB, and he had mentioned he had something to tell me .... I was full of sore energy from the first Camoo Day (where I had spent all day with his then-sweetheart, now bride to be) and other friends, and was talking about it and how we had complained to the invisible Coast Guard, hahaha .... and he just throws out that he's going to be in FL the next day, and I'm all like .... "Hahahhaa!" *silence*. "REALLY!?" So of course I am all excited because he is surprising Lydiana and she won't know!!! He wanted to see her before they went out to sea and got underway. I said something about killing the stupid boat, and while he is laughing .... the light goes on in my bland little head. and I. FREAK. OUT.

HAHAHAAHa!!!

Everything suddenly went all CAPS LOCK on FB from my end and I was like: "ARE YOU ...", but of course he wouldn't tell me, and I wasn't going to ask if he was going to propose, and so we were going back and forth and I was like "tell me what you wanted to tell me!! and he's like "TELL ME what you were going to say!!", and so finally I am like: "ISAAC WADE NOLDEN. Are you coming to PROPOSE?!". He was coming to talk to Lydiana's Dad. And then I started crying. Like, tears streaming down my face in utter joy. Isaac says "SO DONT TELL ANYONE".

Well here I've been sitting, typing away at my computer, my dad's at another computer in the same room, having listened to my little attempts at smothering these shrieks and now I'm outright crying, and I look around the computer and say "DAD! Isaac's coming to propose!" in the middle of all the tears, and dad's all excited ... and then I remember I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. O.O Oops. I could almost hear Isaac smashing his head into the keyboard in frustration. The poor guy. HAhahahaa.

SO. Some time later, they got engaged. And FB for reals, people ... it just exploded with joy. I think we all said so many times, you know it's a good thing, when everyone is talking about how great God is to bring this together and how excited they are for their friends/siblings, etc!! We were truly SO excited and could not stop talking about it!!! There was lots of shrieking and bouncing and giggling and hugging and screaming and well. you get the point. There was no holdback and everyone was just thrilled over what God hath wrought. :)

And then in September I talked with Lydiana ... and we talked about Isaac. (of course) We talked about how God had changed her heart and prepared her for this and how amazing it all was! And I told her in all sincerity, that there are fewer people that I trust so much as Isaac. He is such an honorable man. (and an amazing bass and guitar player to boot, oh and he sings. and writes songs. and fixes everything.) She said "Isaac is just awesome!". Yeah. That sums up both of them. :) I told her a secret. (kind of). I told her that Isaac can clean up an entire kitchen and enjoy it and also enjoy talking to someone watching him do all the work. True story. She laughed. I told her it would come in reeeeaaaaaally handy. hahahaha. :D

I know I've just been over the top excited and writing as fast as my fingers can go .... but I want to make sure you know how deeply they both have sought God through this courtship and engagement. Isaac has prayed for years for a wife, and I know everyone has prayed upon both of them with much fervency, I know I have. I started praying for Isaac soon after I met him, and when I learned that God had brought Lydsie into his life, I prayed that marriage and deep love would come for both of them, and ohhh, how precious the knowledge of that now. :)

Lydsie and Isaac ... you are both so dear to me. I love you both so much!! Watch out for the ship that will come one of these days, carrying the entire clan up to see ya'll in Alaska. :D Hahahahaa, that would be hysterically fun and wonderful. Much like this weekend. I cannot say enough how excited and overjoyed I am for you both ... and how much I cover you in prayer. Thank you for being dear friends (and siblings) to me, and loving me!! Happy wedding day, Honeymoon and ever after!! Ever after and always .... forever promised by our precious Savior!

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." ~ Jeremiah 17:7-8

With much much love, many hugs and a few happy tears,

I pray upon you both, on this, your wedding day ....

Grace, mercies and the depth of the Lord's riches upon you both,

forever and always, under the gaze of the Almighty,

~ Jean Marie ~

"Isaac's Little Sister & Lydsie's CAT"