Wedding Update

Well, after yesterday's little update on life, I thought I'd also give a little update on how all of the wedding planning is going.

I've kind of had to take a break from it all with the holidays and everything. I'm always planning little things here and there in my head. Thinking of new ideas for centerpieces and decorations, but haven't done any concrete planning, which i need to do. I have my trusty little planning notebook that I got from my mom when we got engaged, and in it is a check list on a time line... here's what I need to have done that I haven't done yet.

• book florist
• book videographer
• reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests
• book any necessary rentals
• choose wedding party ( I have all 8 of mine, but Josh only has 5.... )

So that's everything that was supposed to be done by the 8 month mark, so I'm not too far behind, but here's everything that needs to be done by the 6 month mark.

• order bridesmaid dresses
• plan honeymoon (planned, just have to book flights and cruise)
• book ceremony musicians (already asked all of our friends who are playing or singing during the wedding, now we have to find a good sound guy)
• finalize plans with caterer and florist
• send your save-the-dates

Again, not too much, but I really want to be ahead of schedule because I don't want to go crazy the last few months before the wedding.

My biggest concern right now is the florist. I really want to get that booked and figured out ASAP. If anyone has any ideas or advice on that, or anything on the list, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, and wish me luck!

2010

Well, it's been awhile since my last post... I'm sorry. I've been quite busy with work, and the holidays, and everything as I'm sure everyone else was.

Josh and I had a wonderful four Christmases at all of our family's houses! We got to see everyone in two days, and while it was exhausting, it was totally worth it to be with everyone that we love!

Our New Years Eve was a little less eventful. I worked all night and Josh also had to work but was able to come in and see me to give me my New Years kiss : )

It is the new year though, 2010, the year Josh and I get married! It's going to be a big year for us, and one that we will never forget! I can't believe it's only less than 8 months away! I have a lot done but still have a lot to do! I can't wait for it to get here though!

Thankful

Well, since the Thanksgiving holiday has come and gone and we're already getting into the Christmas season, I thought I should catch up and write about what I'm most thankful for this year.

This is the first, last, and only holiday season that I'll be a "fiancee" and in just one year from now I'm going to be a wife! Josh and I will have been married for about 3 months and hopefully in the process of getting ready to buy a house. The wedding will be over, and we won't be having to worry about all of the planning and saving money. We'll just be able to enjoy each other as husband and wife.

But for now, I'm still a "fiancee" and really enjoying it a lot! With this holiday came lots of time spent with our families, which reminded me how blessed we both are to have such big, wonderful, and supportive families. At Thanksgiving dinner, my Uncle Jeff said a few words before grace, as he always does, and this year he mentioned that he was thankful that he'll soon have a new nephew in Josh. It meant so much to me that our marriage also means a lot to my family, and it made me realize how blessed Josh is to now be a part of my family, but also how blessed they are to have him in their family, because he really just is amazing!

I'm also thankful for the fact that we both have such amazing and giving parents to help us out so much with our wedding. It would not be the event it will be without their help! I'm also thankful that Josh and I both have the opportunity to work as much as we do, or at all with this economy, and be able to save as much as we are for our wedding. Having roommates is a blessing as well right now because without them, we also wouldn't be able to save as much as we are. It's a struggle sometimes, and honestly, being newly engaged in a house of 4 people isn't easy, but we make it work because we know what it's all going towards, and that makes it all worth it.

One other thing that I realized I am so thankful for this year, especially just within these past couple of weeks, is my fiance. Not only is he my fiance and the love of my life, but he is my best friend, and I couldn't be happier that I get to spend the rest of my life with him. I'm so glad and thankful for our strong and stable relationship as well. Don't get me wrong, we have our issues every so often, but our love and stability has never wavered. We've taught each other how to work our problems out in a thoughtful and respectful manner, and nothing ever gets left unresolved or unsaid. I'm also thankful for the respect we have for each other and for our relationship. Again, don't get me wrong, we're not perfect, and sometimes words are thrown out that aren't meant, but at the end of the day, I respect him more as a person, fiance, and friend than I do anyone else, and I know he feels the same.

Our relationship has grown so much over the past 3 years, but one thing that has never changed is our love for each other, and the way we find ourselves sometimes just smiling and staring at the other person. I'm in utter disbelief sometimes at the amount of love I have for just one person, and I am just so thankful to have been so lucky to have found him and to be able to share my life with him.

Blessed

So, on Sunday night Josh and I were invited to his mom, Carla's house for dinner with the family because his sister, Elizabeth's fiance, Mark's mum and step-dad were in town from London. We already don't get that many opportunities to drive to Salem to see his mom all that often, let alone have the opportunity so spend time and get to know Mark's family, so we were both going to try really hard to go and see them.

Josh unfortunately couldn't get the night off from work, so I decided to go up by myself. Now, I'm not one for driving... alone, especially at night, and even more when I'm tired. It was tough, and I had to slap myself to keep myself awake on the way there, but I have never been more happy to have made that drive than I was that night.

I had such a wonderful time with his whole family! Honestly, I was a little nervous, because even though I've known his family for about 3 years now, I've never spent time with them without Josh, but as soon as I got there I realized, there was absolutely no reason for nerves.

I know I already knew this about them, but they are all the most amazingly sweet, and caring family I've ever met. I just love them all, and it was so wonderful to be able to spend time with them because I left that night feeling so extremely blessed to be marrying into such an incredible family.

I really do just love his mom, and she's always been so sweet to me, and his sister is amazing and so sweet too. The rest of his family that was there, his Aunt Rosie, Unlce John, Grandma Barbara, cousin Faye and her kids Taylor and Jack, his step-dad Gary, and then of course, Mark and his lovely family, Jean and John, are really, truly all amazing people, and it's so wonderful that we're all going to be one family now.

I don't know what it was about this night that made me realize all of this, because I've always known his family was amazing. Not only his mom's side, but also his dad, Brad and his step-mom, Donna, and that whole side of the family. Since the beginning they have all been so wonderful to me and welcomed me in with open arms. I guess it was just the fact that I didn't have Josh there, and it was just me getting to talk to each person individually rather than Josh and I as a team, and maybe it was the fact that I got to really see how open and inviting they were to just me... I don't know. It just really hit me though, that these people are amazing, and they're letting me be a part of this amazing family they have.

I've always had a big family, who are all so loving and supportive, but it's just really and truly a blessing to get to add to that big family, and know that these people that were strangers to me just 3 years ago, are now a part of me and who I will become, and be a part of me and Josh, and our children's lives forever. It's really just so special, and I really do just feel so blessed.

Engagement Pictures!

We finally went and picked up our engagement pictures that our good friend, Coquette Lawrence took for us! We love them and are very happy with them! It's so great that we were able to get pictures in the park where Josh proposed! Hope you enjoy them!

One month down...

So today is the 11th... it has been one month since Josh and I got engaged. My how the time flies! It really does not seem like it's been that long! I still feel like it was yesterday that he took me on that walk, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him!

It's still so strange that this time in our lives is even actually finally here! I mean, I had been waiting for him to ask for about a year... or maybe a little longer ; ) ... and now he has and it's already been a month? It just doesn't seem real still.

I hope that the next 9 months don't fly by quite as fast as this last one, because as much as I want our wedding to get here, I don't want it to be over either, because all I keep hearing is that the day goes by so fast. I just want to keep enjoying this time right now, all of the planning and being a "fiance" because I'll never be one again, and I hope that the wedding takes it's time getting here, because it'll be over before I know it! And then after that, it won't be, "Wow, it's been a month," it'll be, "Wow, it's been 50 years... how did that happen?"

Well, here's to the next 9 months! Let's hope they pass slowly : )

Catching up!

So sorry it's been a little while since my last blog post... been keeping busy, not only with planning the wedding but with work, school, and helping out Divisi. Let's see if I can get you all filled in on everything...

Since my last posting I went to Salem to get my measurements done for my dress, and they had the sample there so I got to try it on again. My youngest sister, and other maid of honor, Hannah, was also able to come with us this time, along with my mom, my sister Beth, and bridesmaid, Jaime.

The great part about it being in Salem was the fact that Josh's mom, Carla, and older sister, Elizabeth, were able to meet us there and see me in the dress and also be apart of it all. I also got to ask Elizabeth to be my bridesmaid while we were there that night. It was actually kind of funny how it happened though. My mom didn't know that I hadn't asked Elizabeth yet, and we were taking pictures and she told all of the bridesmaids to get in the picture, so Hannah, Beth, and Jaime stood up and got in, and she said, "Elizabeth, you too!". Elizabeth of course was a little confused, and had no idea what she was talking about. So I told her to come over, and asked her to be my bridesmaid, and she was so happy, as was I!

I got to try on a few more veils to get a better idea of what I wanted, but I wont decide until I've picked out jewelry and everything else. My dress is supposed to come in in March, which is when I'll go in for my first fitting! I can't wait to see and wear my dress!

Let's see, what else... we got some engagement pictures done by our family friend, Coquette Lawrence which we will probably use for our save the dates, our engagement announcement in the newspaper, and probably around the house : )

We found a caterer! Another family friend, Jeff Lewis, will be doing the catering at the wedding. He did it at my cousin's wedding last summer, and did an amazing job! We still have to figure out a menu with him, but we'll do that soon.

Just yesterday, Josh and I drove to Portland to meet with Dan Adams, who has been a friend of his dad's since they met in seminary school. Dan was a priest for many years, but recently became a flight attendant, so he caught a flight into Portland that morning to meet us and the rest of Josh's family for brunch. We asked him to officiate our wedding, and we are just so happy and blessed to have such a wonderful person who knows us so well to do that for us.

Also that day we met with a potential photographer who offers a one hour free photo session to take some photos to see if the connection is good, because he believes that since we'll spend most of the day with him on our wedding, we should like him and get along. We're going to see the photos he took and talk a little more with him next week, so I'll let you know how that goes!

I think that's about everything... we have a lot of the stuff figured out, but let's see...

• ceremony and reception site- Riverbend Resort
• caterer- Jeff Lewis
• photographer- either Sarah McAallister or Ten18 Photography
• cake- Josh's step sister, Alisha
• officiant- Dan
• DJ- DJ Coco... did I mention for free? : D
  
• music throughout- all of our wonderful, talented friends from On the Rocks and Divisi
• dress- The Bridal Gallery

We still need to find a florist so if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it!

Josh and I have also been talking about our honeymoon and it's down to two places. Maui, Hawaii or a cruise of Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. My aunt and uncle offered their condo on Maui for us to stay at, which would be wonderful, and the only thing we'd have to pay for is the flight, and food and fun when we get there. The cruise is actually one that our good friends Peter and Evynne Hollens will be working on next summer, and unfortunately preventing them from coming to our wedding : ( But if we go on their cruise, not only will it be amazing, and somewhere Josh and I have never been, but we'll get to see them, and share this time with them. Decisions, decisions...

I think that's everything for now! Until next time... and hopefully it will be sooner than 2 weeks from now ; )