Tuesday, May 31, 2011

our happy puzzle

Yesterday we got to meet with our lovely wedding planner to go over the timeline of ceremony and reception.
We saw a diagram of what the ceremony will look like as well as the reception. We have decided to have the ceremony outside and the reception inside. (:

We went over some specific details... like who will be walking who down the aisle and where our immediate family will be sitting for both ceremony and reception. We generally did the order of ceremony and order of reception.
It was actually fun. Getting closer to THE DAY (81 days and counting) it is making it feel all the more real. Now i can begin to visualize what the tables will look like... how the aisle will be... who will be where. Its not just a building with colors schemes anymore. Our wedding planner is piecing it all together.

Planning your special day is very much like a puzzle. You see the box of what the pieces should LOOK like at the end but getting to that end result can be a little hard, fun, confusing, exciting, and frustrating (especially when you are having to PAY for every single, tiny puzzle piece. lol)... but at the end when you are looking at that finished product all you can do is smile.

I know for sure i wouldn't be able to do it on my own. I am soo blessed to have my wedding planner to guide us along the way. She is saving us time, energy, and money! She has helped us cut costs, reassured us about how beautiful it will be, and has given us tons and tons of ideas! She is giving everyone we are working with (and everyone in the wedding) the order schedule that we went over so everyone is on the same page with everything. She will write out a schedule for the wedding day too.. so that we can stay on time with everything. (: And everyone knows where to go and when. What a relief! She even factors in time for hair/makeup, breakfast, and stuff like that. (:

The next hurdle is just paying for everything that is left to be paid for. hehe. But we are trusting God in our finances and expenses. (: We may need to just cut down on our personal spending ( no iced chai from Starbucks for a while) and make sure that the wedding/apartment expenses/bills are being paid first.

There is ALOT that goes into planning the wedding (decisions, bills, working with people, minor details to huge details) but we are more and more excited with every passing day to the end result - me and my fantastic Fiance becoming one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

puzzle pieces and love, - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Friday, May 27, 2011

Errands. Errands. Errands.

This week has been the busiest yet to date. (Especially Wednesday.... we ran errands all day long!)

We had a meeting with our relatively shy cake baker to finalize the cake. (: It was funny because we were looking at pictures of the cakes that she has made in the past and my Fiance found a cake that he "kinda liked." It was pretty much the same style of cake that i had picked out on my own with her the last meeting we had. hehe. it made me smile that he and i both agreed (separately) on the same type of cake.
Here is our cake inspiration (we wont have flowers in between tiers:

I love the simple elegance of it. (: and then we will have some our flowers (fuchsia roses and daisies) on the cake too...with a cake topper. So far i kinda like this one:
So we will see what we end up with. 

We tried about 5 different flavors and chose our final 3. (: Which are: strawberry cake with Bavarian Cream filling, champagne cake with strawberry filling, and chocolate cake with caramel filling. delicious! My wonderful future husband picked all the wonderful flavors (after i narrowed it down. hehe).

Also we picked out his tux and the guys' tuxes.... which was fun. They will all look SOO handsome. 

We went to Target and registered for all the things we need to start a home. (: It was sooo much fun going around the store and dreaming about what we want and scanning it with the little gun. (: 

We have been budgeting and looking at cell phone plans, honeymoon ideas, priced mattresses, Cable/Internet packages. I forgot how much work it is being an adult. lol. All the ideas and decisions we have to make because we will be our own little family in just 85 days. 

We got to checked out the hotel room that we will be staying in the night of the wedding. It is soo nice! So we decided to stay one more night. hehe. (: 

We also started our pre-marital mentoring last week. (we had our second session yesterday morning). I ADORE our couple that we are working with...and i think it is really helping my Fiance and i to understand eachother more. And we are just talking about things that we don't normally talk about it. It is helping us get closer to one another and to God...which is our goal. I am loving this process and having fun doing it! Our couple we work with have been together for 21 years - married for 18. They have soo much insight to offer us and we are ready to receive it! (: We have lots of homework to do since it is a 12 week process and we are very very close to our wedding date... but its sooo beneficial for us both! 

The funnest errand (at least for me) was FINALLY picking up my gorgeous Maggie Sottero wedding dress! My future mother-in-law and future sister-in-law came with me so i can try it on one last time before taking it home. I love it!!! I am sooo sooo happy with it! I felt like a bride standing in front of the mirror. (: I cant wait to see my Fiance's face when i am walking down the aisle towards him! 
Here is a picture of the certificate of authenticity. (: 


and here is my dress in the closet awaiting 2 months 3 weeks and 5 days until i can wear it.

I have been tired from being soooooo busy with all the wedding stuff and working.... but its soooo worth it! (:

Busy weeks, fun errands, and love. - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥ 




Friday, May 20, 2011

3 more months!

Me and my wonderful Fiance had our first pre-marital mentoring last week. (:

It was amazing! I instantly fell in love with our couple! They have been together for 21 years, married for 18! They told us that they are not counselors and do not have a degree in psychology - all they can offer us is their experience. (:
We talked and went over our assessment for over 3 hours!!!! We got to learn more about our strengths and weaknesses as a couple and they got to share their hearts with us. It was simply phenomenal how alike we were all. How they handled certain situations completely resonated with my Fiance and I. We couldn't help but laugh when they would talk about little arguments they had in the past because it was SAME way we handled those same fights.

I really think that this pre-marital mentoring is going to be amazing for my Fiance and i! It has already had us start talking about things that haven't been brought up before. It also has helped us notice certain things we don't like in our relationship that we need to fix. I am excited for this process! We already have homework and everything! hehe.

MY DRESS IS IN!!!  I ordered my dress back in January and it is waiting for me at the bridal shop. My future mother-in-law wasn't there when i bought it so i told her i wanted her there when i pick it up. So now i am trying my hardest to find a time and date where we are both available. Its harder then i thought. My dress got here 3 days ago... and i cant wait to see it! (:

My Fiance is home which means finalizing all the vendors that i have already met with. So i have been emailing everyone so that he and i can see everyone. (: I think that we may meet with the cake lady on monday or tuesday. i am excited! its soo fun to have him home and completely in the process.

Today marks 3 months until the Big Day! ah!!!!  (that was a scream of delight) It seems like sooo soon and yet sooo long at the same time. There is still a lot to do (and alot to pay for!!!) but i know we can do it. I feel silly constantly counting down (and that in itself may make the time go by slower) but i just cant help it! i am elated that i am marrying him! (:

That is, of course, if the world doesn't end tomorrow. lol. So silly. Well, if Jesus does come back tomorrow i will embrace Him with open arms..... and then have a little talk with him as to why He decided to come back before i had my wedding. lol. (;

Silly predictions, wonderful countdowns and love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Monday, May 16, 2011

some would call this love

Well i have spent the past few days with my amazing Fiance. It has been a lot of fun.  (:

Wednesday afternoon (after his flight being delayed) the whole family greeted him at the airport with our glittery signs and smiles on our faces. I felt like other people could see my heart pounding as he walked toward us! A trillion emotions come flooding in as we hugged for the first time in MONTHS!
We went to dinner at "our spot" with the family (Reedd Robinnn YUM! yes, i did just sing the theme song) and had a relaxing evening.

The next morning my Fiance and i went to breakfast just to enjoy each other and hang out. Again the trillion emotions were at an all time high on the drive over to the restaurant. Its an amazing feeling how their can be soo much to say but so lost as to where to start.
I wanted to hear ALL about school, his life there, what he's been learning, his graduation, his friends, the church there. I wanted to tell him ALL about church here, what i've been learning, the wedding plans, my work. So many thoughts were going over and over in my mind but i couldn't articulate one.
Once we were at the restaurant my brain decided to start working again and we started talking about life. It was quite amazing to just sit across from him and talk and listen. I can't believe i took that for granted.

The remainder of the day he and i just continued talking, working through things, laughing, joking, and enjoying every moment together. The two days i had off of work were spent with him and his family. We talked about a lot of things - our lives together, the wedding, school options, mentoring, boundaries, our hearts,  getting connected in church, and how we plan to stay focused on God. I am in awe of the wonderful change that has taken place in my Fiance. He delights my heart. I am more in love with him today then i was yesterday..and i know that will continue to grow.

We have come to the realization that marriage takes work. Marriage isn't always going to be easy. We won't always FEEL the love. But we do always choose to love. Love is a choice. On those days where bills are more then our income, we aren't getting along, the kids are on our last nerve, and there isn't an ounce of romance left.... we still have to CHOOSE to love. I have always "known" this.... but since there is only 96 days until my nuptials i am learning this in a new way.
My Fiance and i are going to get great tools from our pre-marital mentoring for our lives, and i am extremely excited for that! We will get involved in the church and continue to seek God's face. We will learn and grow together. We will encourage one another and be in constant prayer for each other.

Yes, it won't be a piece of cake every day of our lives. Sure there will be days where i will probably want to choke him (and i am sure he will feel the same). But at the end of the day  i have chosen this man! And i will choose him every day for the rest of my life. (:

breakfast dates, conversation and rekindling love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

a glitter sign is a great way to welcome him home!

Today is the day i pick up my Fiance from the airport! I am sooo excited that i don't even know what to do with myself!
Its so crazy to think that i have not seen him since Christmas - that is like 4 months!!!! wow! (:

 Sunday was my birthday and we had a wonderful day. We went to church in the morning and hung out the rest of the day. My Fiance's cousin was in town and she was soo much fun to hang out with! She was HILARIOUS!!! We enjoyed Starbuck's Frappy Hour and got half-off frappucino's. (ALSO, my new love is the mocha coconut frappucino - delicious!). For dinner we had my favorite meal and then had cookie brownies, which were really scrumptious (although, yet again, i couldn't finish it since my stomach likes to handle only a spoonful of sugar at a time).
So yesterday i went shopping with the birthday money my future mother-in-law got me. I went to Target and bought a pair of shorts and 2 tank tops..and then went to Wet Seal and bought 5 tank tops for $20 (i LOVE sales!) and a super cute clip for my "something blue" for my wedding day.

After shopping i came home and ate dinner and then it was off to the store for some last minute items. My future sis-in-law and i decided it would be fun to make a big sign for my Fiance to welcome him home at the airport! We went to Target (which is probably my favorite store. In my opinion if Target and Walmart got in a boxing round Target would KO Walmart within seconds!) and bought some super fun glitter-glue pens, crayola markers (that were made with recycled plastic), and some poster board (we bought one big one that we decorated and then bought two smaller ones so that his little brothers can decorate and hold their own).
Sis-in-law and i spent about 30 minutes working on the poster board and i am quite content with the results.



NOW..... i just need to wait another 6 hours to see him again. Time is going by so s l o w! I get off work and have about an hour to get ready and meet him at the airport!

I am overjoyed!

Airport reunions, glittery signs, and love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Saturday, May 7, 2011

My Birthday Reflections

Tomorrow is my 24th birthday!

Wow!!! Time goes by way to fast! I am in my mid-twenties...HOW did this happen?

I feel like it was just yesterday when i was cheering for my high school, mentoring jr. high students, dreaming of a someday wedding and working a fun job to have spending money. NOW my adult activities consist of paying for that aforementioned wedding, taking advice from others on how to be a great wife and working a not so fun job  to stay afloat. Oh the joy! Life WAS easier when we were 5 and boys had cooties and our clothes didn't match. (;

Its scary how fast it feels that i am growing up. Like When i was younger (like in high school) 24 sounded sooo.... old. lol. Now that i will be 24 in 5 hours ...... it sounds kind of young. Before i thought by the time i was 24 i would be married and have like 2 babies! lol. Boy am i glad to let the 17-yr old me down!

Now that i am here....... and turning the BIG 2-4.... i cannot imagine my life going any differently. Sure, there were some good times and not so good times. There were frustrations, fear, anxiety, tears, anger, confusion..... but there was also laughter, relief, confidence, love, tears (i'm a crier), excitement, and joy.

Looking back at all the years of my life (all 24 of them!) i am glad where i have ended up. I am content with the choices i have made. And i am incandescently happy with my life. (:

Birthday wishes and love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

In Laws and Smiles

Today is my Friday and i am SOOO ready for the weekend! I have only worked 3 days in a row this week... but it still wears me out. lol. Pathetic, i know.
I've even been working my favorite shift and getting off at 3pm, (sooo much better then getting off at way-to-late-oclock!)  but when the weekend approaches i ALWAYS feel completely ready for it. (;

I think that this weekend is going to be my most favorite! Tomorrow i should be going to see the new Tyler Perry movie with my future mother-in-law and future sister-in-law. (: It will be sooo fun! Then Sunday is mother's day AANNNDDDD my birthday!!!! hooray! My future mother-in-law texted (yes...i know its not a word...but i say it!) me today asking me what i want for to have for dinner for my birthday. She said that i could have anything i want!!!! So i choose some delicious homemade chicken alfredo (it is my FAVORITE that she makes!) and some brownies for dessert.

I love that i have such a wonderful relationship with my future mother-in-law because in talking to other brides (and perusing on theknot.com) a lot of women don't. There is a lot of arguing, stepping over boundaries, and just not good relationships. its sad! I mean c'mon they devoted a whole movie (Monster-in-law starring Jennifer Lopez, Jane Fonda, and Michael Vartan) about bad relationships between the bride and the mother of the groom. How sad! its like expected that you will not get along with the mother-in-law.

I am sooo blessed that this isn't the case with me.  I get along with my future mother-in-law wonderfully! Because my Fiance went away to school for 9 months and i was living his family, i gott to know his family and his mom not as the son's gf (or Fiance) but as myself. As a person. As a daughter. A lot of brides get to know the mom-in-life as the son's wife....not as the individual, you know? I developed a relationship with my future mother-in-law apart from my future husband. I think this was important to me to have.

I am just soo overjoyed that i have my future mother-in-law. (: It makes my heart happy!

wonderful relationships and love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥

Monday, May 2, 2011

No one ever overdosed from encouragement.

Oh how i LOVE my pastor. (: He is an amazing man of God and is soo inspirational and real. (:
I always think it would be hard for me to ever move because of the church that i attend. After all, its one of the main reasons why i moved here.

Yesterday my pastor said something that just resonated with me so much. He said "no one ever overdosed from encouragement." It was such a minor statement and not even a point he was making in his sermon, but it spoke to my heart. How many of us need to be encouraged?

What does encouraging someone look like exactly? How is it displayed?

The dictionary defines encouragement as: 1) to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence 2) to stimulate by assistance or approval 3)to promote, advance, or foster.
To inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence. Wow! What a thought. To encourage a person is to inspire them to their full potential. To breathe life to a place that may be gasping for air. Encouragement is bringing about courage in an area in another person that may be feeling fearful.

I know when i am encouraged in any area.... i instantly feel awake and alive. If this person can believe in me... then maybe i can!

And maybe we need to encourage ourselves. There is nothing wrong with that. This is one thing i learned from a little engine that could - i think i can, i think i can, i think i can.

After hearing that phrase at church yesterday i started to think about all the people that i encourage, and i realized i need to do it more. I want to inspire people to go after what they love. I want to encourage people to dream and live. I wish to bring about life and courage to people that i am in contact with. This is my heart. (:

There is not a person that can be encourage to much. It can never hurt, only help. (:

Encouraging words and love - M

♥ . ♥ . ♥