Guess what I got today?

Chris and I now have 6 of the 8 place settings we wanted, a beautiful wood salad bowl that only I will eat from, and an awesome wine rack that I cannot wait to fill up....and then empty :)

Its all really happening isn't it?

Our Save the Dates finally went out last week and they were just adorable.  Next up is designing invitations.  EEP!

I had a wonderful shower in North Carolina over the Thanksgiving holiday and now have lots of recipes to try and kitchen gadgets to make them with!  I really have the best family in the world.  It was so nice to have a happy reason to be together after my grandaddy's passing.  And we even went dress shopping for my mom and grandma.  Mom got a super pretty dress and Grandma ended up deciding to get a dress she already owned altered.  They're going to be so pretty :)

Can you believe it's December?  I don't know where the time is going.  There is so much to do in the next 2 months, I don't know how I'll fit it all in!  Christmas, New Years, moving.  EEK!  Toss in work, working out, yoga, Chris, and trying to maintain a social life and I'm one busy lady.  So far the stress hasn't been bad, but I can feel it starting to creep up on me...I'm hoping that making lists and trying to stay organized and motivated will keep it at bay. 

Or maybe red wine will do the trick ;)

Hi there!

How appropriate is it that there is a "Say Yes to the Dress" marathon on tonight and I have my first dress fitting tomorrow?  I am soooooo excited!

I think this may be the thing that puts me over the edge into bridezilla territory.  I'll finally have my dress, which  makes it tangible that I'M GETTING MARRIED!

Okay, now for the serious/reflective portion of this post....

My grandfather passed away a little over a week ago now, so I've been a bit...emotional. That's probably putting it lightly, ask Chris and he'd probably say something worse.  I was asked by my grandmother to speak at the memorial mass, and though it may be one of the hardest things I've ever done, I'm glad I did. It's so hard saying goodbye, but there is so much beauty in reflecting on the life of someone who lived such a long, love filled life.

An overarching theme to the service and to my grandfather's life as a whole, was his love for my Grandma.  This Thanksgiving would mark their 56th wedding anniversary.  56 years.  I can't even imagine, and I'm so impressed and overwhelmed with what a love like there's conveys. My granddad would tease and tease my grandma in a way that only one who truly loves and cherishes someone could.  I can't even describe how my heart felt when I heard how he knew shortly after meeting my grandma that she was the girl he'd be with forever, because that's how I felt about Chris. My grandma is such an amazing lady and cared for and loved my grandfather with everything she had until his last day on earth, and continues to do so now that he's gone. I aspire to be like her in all that I do in life and love.

Chris and I are so lucky to have such great examples of marriages in our families.  It means so much to know we have such great legacies of love that have come before us to show us the right way.


As today is Veteran's day and my granddaddy was a WWII Veteran, I thought I'd share a picture of him, in all his sassy, handsome glory. :)

Dear Blog,

Though it may seem that I've forgotten you, I promise I haven't.  I just can't think of much to blog about these days (or you can blame my other new baby, Pinterest).

I've been under a lot of stress these past 2 months, between changing positions at work and the decline and eventual passing of my grandfather.  I'll be making a trip to North Carolina for his memorial mass this weekend, and then I promise, I'll get back into the swing of things and start more regular postings. 

Less than 6 months to go and today marks the 1 year anniversary of our engagement.  Sadness and tears have been unavoidable here lately, but life goes on, and soon there will be happy things to think of again.

Unable are the Loved to die,
For Love is Immortality.

Grandaddy, if they have the internet in heaven, I hope you can read this.  I love you.

Katie

     Gosh it's been forever.  I think I've slipped into a lull because I've gotten a giant portion of wedding stuff done and not really a whole lot is left, at least not until we get to early 2012.

     We've got a great month lined up and I'm super excited.  My parents were in town this past weekend and we had a great time catching up and I got to finally show my dad the church and the reception site.  He hasn't been to St. Louis in something like 2 years, and Chris hasn't seen him since before we got engaged.  Needless to say it was a much overdue visit.

     Somehow, Chris convinced my mom to cross over to the dark side...she borrowed one of his Reds Tshirts.  Having mom on his side must've been good luck, because the Reds won...unfortunately.

     I love this picture of me and my boo :) Our love transcends baseball affiliations.

     Next up is a visit from Chris' parents this weekend, which is always full of laughs and fun.  I have to work the weekend after that (ugh), but THEN!!! Chris and I are going to Chicago for a long weekend before my birthday.  I.cannot.wait.  I've been saving up all my vacation time so I'll have enough time off around the wedding and honeymoon,and I'm dyyying for some time off. A 3 day fall weekend in Chi Town is the perfect solution.

Happy birth month to me!

Gosh I'm getting bad about keeping up with my blog baby.  Sorry!

I have lots of excuses though!  Its been quite a busy few weeks of studying my butt off for my LMSW exam, which I took and passed on July 27.  Woohoo!  Then of, course, I have the work excuse.  Theres just something about the summer months that make people a little more wacky than usual, to say I've been stressed this past month is an understatement.

Okay, now for the fun stuff!

Three things have been checked off the Wedding to do list since my last post. 

 The always important, SHOES!  I found these 50% off at Macy's last week and just couldn't say no :)

CAKE!  We decided to go with a 4 tier, square Amaretto cake, with alternating fillings of raspberry and Bavarian Creme fillings. Deeeelicious! I could do cake tasting every day for the rest of my life and die a happy, albeit obese, Katie.


We also put down a deposit on our site for the rehearsal dinner.  This place is one of our go-to dinner places on my side of the river.  Good food, hand crafted beer and spirits, what more could you ask for?

So...if you've been keeping track, getting the cake and rehearsal dinner site booked were the last big things on my to do list. 

Which means, naturally, I now have a mental to do list of the "small things" I need to wrap up.
1. Harass my 2 bridesmaids in Arkansas to get their measurements in so the bridal salon can order all the bridesmaid dresses ;)
2. Harass the bridal salon about being 2 months later with my dress than they originally said.  (I could write a really nasty blog about how irritated this makes me, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt before I trash their company...)
3. Coordinate with the church organist for ceremony music, pick out readings, and Chris and I will likely start meeting with our priest later this fall for some more pre-cana counseling.
4. Finalize menu with the Tap Room for the reception, and pick out the 12 beers we want on tap :)  Beer tasting anyone?
5. Finalize floral arrangements and talk with our dj about music selection.  Send any music requests our way and we'll put it on our list, if we approve of course :).
6. Oh yea, and pay for everything!  Minor detail of course.

I'm sure there are more things to add to that list, but its Saturday morning and I'd rather eat breakfast and get my day started then send my brain into overdrive (as if it isn't already) with wedding details.

Can you believe we've already been engaged for 9 months?  Whooooa, we're halfway there!

259 days to go!

I'm a horrible blog mom

I've left my little blog baby alone for too long!  I can't believe its been a month since my  last post!

I'm trying to think of what to update on, but all I can think about is how excited I am for this week to be over!  Chris and I have a cake tasting set up for Saturday with a Bakery that is owned by a family that just happens to know a lot of my friends from trivia.  I just love having connections.  I just hope their cake tastes as good as my friends have been saying!

I also just bought tickets to the upcoming New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys concert that will be here in St. Louis next week.  Jenny, you're gonna hate me for saying this, but I'm way more excited to see BSB than NKOTB.  I was in loooooove with BSB back in the day.  I'm going with my friends Amy and Alexcia, and I'm sure it will be a blast reliving the songs of our teeny bopper days :)

Then!  I'm going to Cincinnati next weekend with Amy to see our guy friends play in a footy tournament.  What is Footy? Just click HERE to find out!  They are conveniently playing about 10 minutes from my future in laws, which means I get to see the lovely Thumanns for a few days :)  Chris is trying to rearrange his work schedule so he can tag along too.  There's also a Cleopatra exhibit at a downtown museum that Amy and I both really want to see.  So it'll be a quick, but fun filled weekend in the Queen City.

Can't you see why I'm ready for this week to be over?  Ugh!

284 days to go!

Yay!

Chris comes home tomorrow! 

I've had quite the weekend, spending some time at Clearwater Lake with some friends was much needed and quite relaxing.  I got some sun too :) 

Cindy came in town for the weekend, so I only got to see her Thursday before I left for the lake.  Wouldn't you know it, she got me something off our registry already!  My dream mixer.  Seriously, its awesome.

Isn't it just beautiful!  I cant wait to make cakes and cookies and bread and all kinds of treats.  For now, it's living in my FSIL's basement, because, unfortunately, I have absolutely no counter space at my current apartment :( 

Thus, "lots of counter space" has now been added to the checklist of things our future home MUST have. 

All in all, I suppose the only thing I really have to say on here tonight, is that I am beyond excited to see my love tomorrow.  It has been way too long and I'm almost to the point of getting weepy whenever I think about him.  Needless to say, tomorrow can't come soon enough!

Wah.

So Chris has been gone since last Tuesday (5 days if you're counting)  and has been out of contact since Friday evening when he crossed over to Canada for his annual fishing trip.  He did call me Saturday morning for one last chat before heading off into the wilderness for a week, which was so sweet I tear up thinking about it.

I gotta tell ya, the old adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" couldn't be more true.  I swear, it really feels like there is something missing, as cheesy as that sounds.  Whats funny is that this is not the first time he's gone off on this trip with no way to talk, text, or email, for a week. But this is the first time since we've been engaged, and I think that's what is making this especially hard. 

I've got quite a week ahead of me,  between work, yoga, Shakespeare in the park, my FMIL coming to visit, and a lake trip, I really should be so busy that he'll be back before I know it.  But its late, I'm tired, and it's Sunday. Our day.  And all I want to do is hear his voice tell me goodnight.

So for now, I'll be that girl that calls his phone even though I know its off, just to hear him awkwardly say his name for his voicemail.

I promise my next post wont be so sappy or sad.

Too much fun!

So tonight I met up with my lovely FSIL for coffee, dinner, and looking at options for DIY (do it yourself) wedding invitations and save the dates.  Too.much.fun.  Jenny is a genius/miracle worker/artist/awesome lady who found this website with all kinds of fancy paper and envelopes to use and print our own designs on, and for a fraction of the price.  I'm beyond excited to see the samples I ordered and see what ideas they spark.  We also came up with some cute ideas for Save the Dates, and I'm now in search for pictures to use for that project too.

I've been in touch with a DJ that I've heard and read great reviews of, and hopefully Chris and I can meet with him sometime this month.

That just leaves a cake for the bigger budget items and we'll be pretty well wrapped up.  I cannot believe how the time is flying and how much I've been able to get done so far.  I'm beginning to wonder what I'll have to do as the time gets closer...but I'm sure I'll find something to stress about :)

Chris and I started some registries last weekend too.  So far we're registered at Crate and Barrel and Target.  I have plans to add to both of those once we get closer to the wedding and have idea of where we'll be living.  We couldn't really pick out much besides kitchen stuff because we haven't discussed what aesthetic we'll want for our future home.  I can definitely say it won't include deer heads in the living room though, sorry Chris!  Still, it was so much fun picking out things like dishes and cookware and thinking "This is what we'll be eating meals off of in OUR place."  So fun!

I'm on my own for the next 2 or so weeks. Chris left this afternoon for his annual Canada fishing trip with his dad, Uncle, and some of their buddies.  I know he'll have a great time and hopefully the trip will leave him quite re-energized to start tackling some wedding tasks when he gets back.  Luckily, I have lots to keep me busy.  I have a friend from high school coming to visit this weekend, my FMIL will be coming to STL for a visit next week, and I have a lake trip planned with some friends that following weekend.  Then Chris will be home and all will be right with the world again.  I should also mention that I've recently acquired the first 6 Harry Potter DVDs and will be marathoning them each night (yes, I'm a nerd).  I won't even have time to miss Chris!

Okay, who am I kidding, of course I'll miss him :) 

Lookie what I got!

So our engagement pictures finally came in.  Here's a preview :)

Aren't we just adorable?  Seriously, for as awful of a time Chris had and considering how hot and muggy it was, I'm really happy with how these turned out.  One more thing off the checklist!

Chris is gearing up for his annual trip to Canada and I'm pushing hard to try to get a few more things off the list before he's gone.  I've got a few info requests in with some local dj's and I'm hoping we can set up cake tasting/consultations sometime next week before he leaves.  I know we still have a lot of time, but I'd really like to have a good idea of what the heck to budget for.  I think that is the only stressful thing of all this planning, having no idea what or how much to spend without killing my budget. 

Hopefully after he gets back from Canada, I can get Chris to go set up some registries with me.  Ideally I want to have our registries started so I can include that on our "Save the Dates" that I plan on designing within the next month :)  Lots on my plate this summer!

Oh!  and here's some big news!  Chris asked his cousins to be in the wedding as groomsmen.  Hopefully he'll find the time when he's back in Ohio in a week to ask a few more guys to round out the wedding party.  I keep telling him he can't come back until we've got all 5 (or 6 if he can't decide) groomsmen.  That boy has too many friends!

I feel like I'm rambling, but I've saved the most exciting piece for last.  Helllllo Honeymoon!  Chris and I will be spending a week in the Dominican Republic at The Wyndham Viva Dominicus Palace.  We've decided to leave the weekend after the wedding to give ourselves a full week instead of what would only by 5 days if we left the day after the wedding.  HUGE thanks to my parents for letting us use their time share to trade for this resort.  Big money saver and we're pretty much guaranteed to be treated as VIPs.  Seriously, they have a private beach for time share people there.  Yes please!

Last but not least, my little brother Douglas graduated high school last weekend.  He's the baby, so it is a little surreal that he's heading off to college in the fall.  I had such a nice, long weekend at my parents...despite some major car issues (which I'll save for another post).  Duck has become such a nice little man, I can't wait to live vicariously through his college escapades in the years to come :)

Reunited and it feels so good!

Yes, I'm quoting Peaches and Herb....

So I realize it's been two weeks and part of that is probably because Chris has been gone and I've been, well, mopey.

But he's back now!  Only for me to leave Thursday for a weekish.  Sigh.

Chris went home for some prep for his upcoming fishing trip to Canada with his dad, uncle, and some other guys.  Now I'm heading back to my parents for my baby brother's high school graduation.  When I say baby brother, I really mean baby brother.  

Needless to say, the fact that I'll be heading home to Kansas for a long weekend to see this kid graduate from high school makes me feel incredibly old.  Douglas, or Duck, as my family refers to him for a really long and silly reason, is probably the most similar to me of my siblings.

He's smart, funny, charismatic, and such a sarcastic little turd that you can't help but laugh and love him.  While our 7 year age difference can make me "uncool" at times, I think he'll agree that he and I get eachother's humor and personality better than anyone else in our family....it probably helps that we're both brilliant. :)

Where on earth has the time gone?  My little faggy (dont ask) is a 17 year old college guy now. He's already joined a fraternity at Kansas State where he'll be studying engineering, and he's promised to buy me a t-shirt and get me tickets to a football game.  What great brother :)  Let's just hope he wont be too cool to be an usher at the wedding :)


Finally, for Jenny and Cindy, who will most likely let out a great big "awwww", I decided to add this final picture of Douglas, who was hands down the most adorable of all the Beebe children.

Why can't he be like that forever?



I'll report back with lots of pictures and stories from my week home, and maybe even have a wedding progress update soon.  Hint:  We have at least 2 groomsmen!  Chris has been busy!

May Day!

Today is a special day, my baby sister turns 20.  The 5 year age difference was certainly interesting growing up, but we've become super close and she's my best friend.  I am so excited to have her as my maid of honor.  So here's to my chickybaby, seester, MOH, and bff.

Happy Birthday Claire!

You'll never believe what happened...

Chris ate broccoli!

Okay so maybe he only ate a few pieces before gently telling me he didn't like it because the texture of the stalks was too firm.  But still, he at least tried it and that, my friends, is major progress.  There's hope after all! :)  I am actually somewhat hopeful that I won't have to explain to my kids why they have to eat their veggies when their dad won't. 

I booked a consultation with a local florist for next week, Flowers To The People.  A co-worker referred me saying "She'll work with your budget and treat you like a princess!"  I'm really excited and like that she buys from local farms and her store is super close to my apartment.  I have no idea what kind of budget to go in with, so I'll be doing some research in the coming week.  I am going to check out 2 more florists in Belleville to compare to, and hope to have made my final decision by the end of May. 

I have quite the busy rest of the week.  Tomorrow, my roommate and I are throwing a party at our apartment and one of my college friends is getting married Saturday.  I'm looking forward to a relaxing Sunday, and the possibility of having Chris try another veggie.  Grean beans? Peas?  The possibilities are endless! :)

Meet our flower girls, my cousins Charlotte and Hannah.  Their mom is my super awesome aunt/Godmother and I couldn't be more excited.  Apparently they're really into Disney Princesses right now, so I hope they're as excited as I am to see them in cute little dresses for the wedding. 

Now Chris needs to ask his cousin if her boys can be the ring bearers and we will have an overload of cuteness at the wedding :)

1 year from today I get to marry my best friend. How lucky am I?

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever."

                                                                                                          ~The Notebook

 Sigh. :)

Sunday Funday

Actually, this hasn't been "Sunday Funday" because I worked this morning and spent some time cleaning up my room this afternoon.  However, I guess it could be "Sunday Fun-evening."  I'm currently snuggled up in bed, with candles lit around my room, a cup of chai tea next to me, and The Notebook going in the dvd player.  Ahhh, now this is the life!  Lets just hope my clients leave me alone tonight (I'm on call) so I can enjoy my relaxing evening.

We are 4 days away from the 1 year to go mark, which just so happens to fall on Holy Thursday this year.  I suppose Chris and I could celebrate by going to mass and having our feet washed (Its a Catholic thing). Though since it's not technically a Holy Day of Obligation, I doubt I can convince Chris to give up his Thursday night.  Not to mention he'll probably be cracking the whip and forcing me to help clean up his place since we've got some friends coming to town for the Cardinals/Reds series of Easter weekend.  Thats right, me and 4 reds fans spending the whole weekend together :)

Speaking of Reds fans, how cute is this?

 I really hope our kids are this cute, because you better believe Chris Thumann will put our kids in this very uniform.  Thanks to mama Thu for sending the picture :)

This week's plan is to find time for a date night to revel in the fact that a year from now, we'll be Mr. and Mrs., and enjoy a weekend with friends.

Happy Holy Week!  and p.s. Don't know if I mentioned this but I gave up meat for lent, and I'm 5 days away from successfully completing my 40 days as a vegetarian.  Woohoo! There's a hot dog at Busch Stadium calling my name for next Saturday :)

Spring sprung and all I got was this crappy humidity...

It's been a crummy high 80 degree day in St. Louis today, and projected 80 something day tomorrow.  Ugh.  I'm not necessarily a cold weather person, but I'd at least enjoy a few weeks of "Spring" if that's possible.  I love sleeping with the windows open and putting off turning on the AC til late May or June. Apparently not in St. Louis....

~~~~~~~

It's been quite the weekend so far for me. 2 date nights!

Honestly, it's been kind of a weird few weeks with me and Chris.  I don't know exactly what it was.  We didn't argue or fight, just felt more like a funk.  I suppose it's probably normal to have a post engagement lull, once the luster of being engaged wears off, and there's been a lot of emotions flying around this last month.  Needles to say, I couldn't stand it.

Slowly but surely, we're working back into our routine and obnoxious lovey-doveyness.  We've been on 2 dates this weekend.  Last night we had sushi with some friends and  ::Gasp:: Chris actually ate it.  Not just one or two bites, entire rolls.  He even fought me over the last piece of my favorite roll.  Who would've known, raw fish and veggies and he still ate it willingly. Tonight it was just the two of us, at one of our favorite haunts, The Wine Tap.  I had a salmon pizza that was delicious.  I gave up meat for Lent this year, and it has surprisingly been quite easy. Now we're snuggled up on the couch watching baseball (him) and blogging (me).  We desperately needed some down time to just be with each other and relax.

Life is good.  Busy, sometimes chaotic, funny, and so full of love.  I really do adore Chris.  He's my best friend and never ending source of entertainment (He's currently yelling at the tv/Reds game).

I'll leave this post with a few pictures of some ideas for centerpieces I have.  Simple, elegant, sweet. 

MamaThu also found what sound like some pretty cool looking lanterns that could be centerpieces, with or without flowers, to match the rustic feel of the reception venue.  Looks like a trip to Cincy is in order soon :)

Oh and p.s. I booked our engagement photo session for the second week of May, so I am super excited to a. shop for outfits, and b. put Chris through a photoshoot :)

378 days to go!

Where has the time gone?

I feel like it's been forever since I've looked at the blog, let alone had the time to sit and type something.  Life keeps on going. Whether I want it to slow down or speed by, it certainly keeps its own pace. 

I think I last left off before I went to California for my grandpa's birthday.  We (my parents and youngest brother Douglas) had a great time seeing family and catching up, and I definitely enjoyed the sunshine.  I like getting a better grasp on where I come from.

 This month has been especially hard because Chris' uncle passed away unexpectedly.  Needless to say, there have been a lot of emotions and tears, and we made a quick trip out to Ohio for the funeral weekend.  I can't even describe how close I feel to Chris and his family now.  My family now. 

Then just as I'm starting to settle back into life here in St. Louis, my dad calls to tell me my mom broke her leg in a skiing accident in Colorado.

Not just broken, annihilated.  I just felt sick to my stomach thinking about how close she was to hitting her head or having a more serious injury. (Though looking at the xray, I'd say she had its quite serious).  I think the emotions of everything from the beginning of the month hit me all at once after her accident, because Chris was pretty sure I'd gone crazy.  I mean, really, who sobs over their mom breaking her leg? Well, I guess I do.

Needless to say, I'm ready for April.  We're closing in on one year to go and I hope to get some more wedding things accomplished in the coming months.  I bought a groupon the other day for a one hour session with a really nice photographer, so hopefully we can get some engagement pics done later this spring.  I also want to drag Chris to a few different florists to get an idea of what flowers are in season this time of year...and I've been told we need to start shopping for a dj even though we're not getting married for another 12 months.  So, my to do list keeps growing and the wedding keeps getting closer. 

Like I said before, life just keeps on going.

What a Weekend

This weekend, Chris and I completed the required Pre-Cana to be married in the Catholic Church, and oh boy, was it interesting.  We were there from 8:30a.m. to 5 p.m., so it was quite a long day to say the least.  The content focused around commitment, communication, conflict resolution, budgeting and financial planning, and family planning. I'm not quite sure how Chris really felt about the whole thing, except that he apparently thinks we're the perfect couple and a lot of the talks didn't apply to us, because, why work on something that doesn't need improvement?  I found it very interesting, and while I agree with Chris that we're on the same page with pretty much everything, a lot of the content was helpful to just spark thoughts of what married life is really going to be like for us.

Chris and I still operate in the "Oh we're young and in love" mindset.  We laugh and play, and we rarely argue.  We have had similar upbringings and are blessed to have parents who have set excellent examples of what love and marriage is supposed to be.  We have a good little life that we've settled in to.  This weekend definitely reiterated all that, and I've never been more sure or excited to marry Chris.  My excited little brain has calmed down a bit though, because the reality is setting in that although Chris and I possess all the right tools and supports to have the most amazing and happy marriage (which OF COURSE we will), we're going to have to work on it sometimes.  It can't always be puppies and rainbows, but with the things we've discussed this weekend, I know we'll work through anything that we come up against.  I just love him so much and still can't believe he picked me to share his life with.

On a side note, this week I start a weekly yoga class with my lovely FSIL, Jenny.  I've gone to a few classes using a Groupon I bought, and I'm obsessed.  Jenny suggested I join her class that's offered through the local community college network as a continuing education course, so I did. :)  I'm excited to have weekly dates with her to catch up and have some bonding time that doesn't involve wedding planning.

Plus, at the end of the week, I'm flying to California for a family reunion/grandpa's 85th birthday.  I don't see this side of the family that often, so I'm really looking forward to it. Not to mention it's supposed to be almost 80 while I'm there, which will be a nice break from the dreary weather we've had here the last few days. 

Now, I'm off to help my sister out with an assignment.  She's using me as a professional consult for a psychology paper, so I have to make sure she gets an A :)

14 Months!

Exactly 14 months from today, we're getting married!  Chris teases me that its still far off, but I know how quickly time goes by and I can't even begin to describe how excited I am to be getting closer to the one year to go mark.

Unfortunately, its late for me and I really need to be going to bed.  But before I go, I wanted to share that Chris and I have officially booked our reception site, The Schlafly Tap Room. We are going to have the Club room for a cocktail style reception.  I.CANNOT.WAIT!  Seriously, I can picture it all in my mind and it is going to be fabulous :)

Now, time for some sweet dreams of dancing around the tap room with my love :)

Goodnight!

Happy Valentines!

Can I just take this time to say how much I love Chris?

We had such a great time on our date.  Really, we always have a great time, but theres just something special about being out on a date all dressed up.  Plus, our meal included complimentary champagne (yum!) which always helps bring out a good mood :) He makes me laugh and got me a super corny card (with a sweet note inside) and beautiful flowers.  I got him the season 5 dvd of one of his favorite shows, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  I just cannot wait to marry this man.  He's my best friend and I can't imagine my life without him.

Happy Valentines Day!

Ugh.

So, I got off work early today, which is a good thing.  And I got in a good workout at the gym, another good thing.  Then as I'm pumping gas, I had a major slip on the ice and now have scrapes all up my left leg, a sore twisted ankle, AND got my new nikes dirty.  Hence the "Ugh!" Oh, and I'm also doing laundry with Chris tonight...and I HATE doing laundry at laundromats.  I have fantasies about owning my own washer and dryer some day soon so I can wash clothes regularly instead of every few weeks when the hampers full to the brim.  Ugh.


Okay, I'll try to make this a positive blog from here out.

Chris and I went to Nashville this past weekend with our friends Nathan and Sarah, and we had a blast.  The live music there is just too much fun, and we recognized a lot of the bands from when we were there last year.  I fell in love with one of the bands who were playing a wide array of covers and asked about the possibility of them playing at the wedding....and then the singer told me the approximate fee and I about died.  He gave me a free cd though, so I didn't come up totally empty handed.  We also bought a Christmas ornament while we were there, thus starting our new tradition of collecting ornaments on all our trips to make sure our first tree has some sentimental ornaments on it :)

Isn't he cute?

This weekend, Jenny and I are gonna meet with a potential photographer. Wish us luck!  I've looked through their online portfolio and know a friend who used them for her wedding and she loved them.  I have high hopes, and it feels so good to be getting stuff done!

Next Saturday, Chris and I are looking at The Tap Room again, this time with an actual reception going on.  I feel bad crashing a wedding, but Chris needs a peek at it with people in the room before he'll let me put down a deposit.  I think once we get that settled, It'll all be smooth sailing.  At least until I start stressing about how to decorate the place.

Honeymoon wise, we found the coolest place, Hotel on the Cay in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, through my parent's time share company.  Right now we're on a waiting list, so hopefully people will trade a week out so that we can go.  A 5 acre island in the middle of the harbor, no roads, no cars, snorkeling on site.  Seriously, what could be better?  Our second choice is also in St. Croix at  Chenay Bay.  Stunning pictures, I can't get over how clear the water is.  Thank goodness Chris has a water proof camera, because wherever we end up, we both want to spend a lot of time snorkeling.

436 days to figure it all out :)  I definitely won't need that much time, but at least I'll have time to relax in between all the upcoming big decisions!

451 days to go!

We're almost there! ;-)

I think once we finally get to April this year, I'll be starting a daily countdown...maybe a paper chain or something for each week.  I'm just so excited.  I can't believe how much I've more or less decided on/achieved so far.

Chris and I are going to check out a cocktail reception at the potential reception site on Feb 18th to see what the space looks like with people and decorations.  Mostly it's just to appease Chris and his concerns that it may be too small.  He just can't see it like I can I guess :)  I'm ready to put the deposit down as soon as he gives me the green light.  I also put a call in to a photographer that a friend used for her wedding to set up a consult to look at portfolios and packages, so hopefully that gets taken care of soon too.  The only other big things left are flowers and working with my FSIL, Jenny, to design Save the Dates and Invites.  I'm so lucky to have a crafty soon to be sister :)  This is going so much easier than I ever could have hoped, lets hope it stays that way!

I've recently joined the SLU gym with an alumni membership package, and I have been working out like a madwoman lately.  It feels good to have a daily outlet and I've definitely been sleeping better at night.  Plus I have the best motivation in the world to stick to a regular workout routine...my dress is going to look awesome on me :) Plus I'll need my endurance up to be able to dance the night away at our reception.

I hope everyone else is getting through these bitterly cold days with as much fun as I am!


oh and p.s. I convinced Chris to buy today's local groupon for half off a horse drawn carriage ride down by the arch, so be looking forward to pictures of that experience sometime soon!

Spoiler Alert...

Not!

My lips are sealed, or I suppose my fingertips are :)  I bought my dress this weekend, but for obvious reasons (i.e. Chris reads my blog) not a single detail will be discussed on here.  I'd imagine the rest of you reading this were either there when I purchased it or were some of the few that got an email with pictures attached.  All I'll say is that its everything I didn't want and absolutely gorgeous!

We also checked a few other things off the list this weekend.
I found a to die for bridesmaid dress.  Claire and Jenny both tried it on and we immediately agreed, this was it...and of course the sample in the store was exactly the color I wanted.  It was a sign.

The whole weekend was full of signs actually, or maybe that's what I kept telling myself :)  We ate lunch at and toured the Schlafly Tap Room.  I have to say, I think it's perfect. I still have to sell Chris a little on the size, but if we go with a Cocktail style reception and get a DJ to keep the music flowing, I think we'll have the best party either of us could've ever imagined.  There was a C+K carved into a table in the club room, again, it was a sign.

Then, after saying bye to mom and Claire, Cindy and I sat in the hotel lobby waiting for Chris to get us for lunch.  She has the brilliant idea to ask about blocking out rooms there for our wedding guests, and I was absolutely floored at how good of a deal they offered.Oh, and they gave me a free key chain and coupons for shuttle services.  Seriously, this weekend could not have gone better. The perks of getting the big stuff out of the way ahead of time is apparently peace of mind and significant discounts.

I'm being asked (read FORCED) to look at other venues and hotel deals before signing any contracts, but who am I kidding. My mind is made up and Chris will just have to come around ;)

I am beyond excited, and I can't believe how quickly or easily this seems to be falling into place.  Probably helps that I kicked my fickleness to the curb a while ago.


On a side note, it was absolutely hysterical how well our moms got along this weekend.  They shared a hotel room and definitely bonded.  They described it as being like teenagers having a sleep over and apparently my mother woke up talking about centerpiece ideas.  Wedding fever permeates into dreams, didn't you know?

It's about that time....

For Dress Shopping!

My mom, Claire, Chris's mom, and Jenny are zooming around the metro area this weekend for dress shopping.  I'll report back with a detailed account Monday.  Until then, off to create my own personal episode of "Say Yes to the Dress!"

Sisters

You can always count on sisters for a silly photo.  Claire and her tootsie roll pop make this picture fantastic.

I'm a lucky girl.

Not only do I have my wonderful sister, Claire, to call and vent to just about every day (not to mention live vicariously through her since she's a college sophomore right now)...and Jenny, my FSIL, who lives literally 3 exits down the highway from me...and Alexcia, who has been my roommate and confidante since freshman year of college....but I also have Morgan and Nisha, who have been my very best friends since high school and junior high, respectively.

I spent the past weekend in Conway, Arkansas visiting with Morgan and her husband and Nisha.  Nisha was just in St. Louis for a quick weekend, but I haven't seen Morgan, or Mogee as I lovingly call her, since her own wedding in August 2009.  These two girls make up the other 2/3 of "Kamorganishatie" a nickname we dubbed upon ourselves our senior year of high school.  We all have birthdays 5 days apart, me being the middle birthday, and I swear it was a sign that we were meant to be friends for life. I actually met Nisha in 7th grade and then Morgan in 9th grade when my family moved to Cabot.  We all went to Arkansas Governor's School between our junior and senior years of high school and Morgan and Nisha hit it off, so naturally I pulled the "I already knew her" card with Nisha and we became BFFs, literally.

Morgan is such a cute newlywed it makes me even more excited to get married. Seriously, her husband is awesome (and was also at Governor's School with us) and I love him more and more each time I'm around him.  I joked with Morgan this weekend that he and I have so much in common, it's no wonder she married him :)  Nisha is a 3rd year med student and is our never ending source of entertainment. She's so pretty and smart and funny and just worldly, I can't help but admire her.

These 2 girls, combined with Claire, Jenny, and Alexcia make up my bridesmaids.  A fun and beautiful group of girls that I can't wait to share my day with, not to mention have them all meet each other. Finally.

Morgan, Me, and Nisha at Morgan's bachelorette Party

This may be my favorite picture from Morgan's wedding weekend. 

Jenny's "Jersey Shore" birthday March 2010. So.Much.Fun.

Alexcia and I never fail to have fun, even with a bucket.

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." - Isadora James

Happy New Year!

Well 2010 is officially behind us, only 475 days to go til the big W. :)

2010 was very, very good to me.  Chris and I made a lot of trips, some to new places and some to old favorites.  I think a photo recap is in order :)

We started the year off with a trip to Cincinnati, and of course had to hit up a Xavier basketball game.  We even got to meet the Blue Blob!

Next came a trip to Nashville for the Super Bowl with our friends Nathan and Sarah. The guys are the best of friends and are just adorable together.

 Early spring brings Mardi Gras to St. Louis and we can't pass up this crazy and fun filled weekend each year.

Chris' sister and her roommate both have March birthdays and threw the most amazing "Jersey Shore" theme party.  This picture doesn't do the bash justice.

I was lucky to get to spend a girls weekend in Memphis with my roommate and two other friends from SLU. It was a quick but fun trip.

In April, Chris and I made a trip out to see his Aunt and Uncle in Phoenix and had an amazing week seeing the land, even making it to the Grand Canyon. The picture at the top of the blog is from this trip.  We spent an afternoon in Sedona and the Red Rocks were breathtaking.

What's spring in St. Louis without baseball...or rain?  Chris and I went to most of the Cardinals/Reds games this year.  This game in particular had a 2 or 3 hour rain delay...I don't recall details, mostly because the beer service didn't stop :)  You can probably tell we had a good time.

Each year, Chris is lucky to spend a week in Canada with his dad and other friends or family.  This summer he went way up north into Ontario with his dad and two uncles.  He always comes back to me as a mountain man with all kinds of fish stories.

 In June, my family spent a week in Granby, Colorado.  This week was very special because my older brother Tim was visiting from Qatar and Chris got to spend a week with my entire family.  We had a blast and I've been itching to get back out west ever since.

For the July 4th weekend, we had originally planned to accompany a group of friends to a lake house in Tennessee...but that fell through (long story) and we all met up in Chicago for the weekend.  It was my first time there and I loved the busy city.  Good times with good friends.  I hope you can tell we're at Wrigley for a Reds/Cubs game, and I'm wearing my Cardinals hat :)

In August, my "baby" brother turned 17.  I got him tickets to a Something Coporate concert here in St. Louis.  He came out with our sister Claire and we had so much fun.  It was great to share the experience with them, especially since this is a band I listened to when I was 17.  Side note:  I took my sister to a concert for the lead singers other band, Jack's Mannequin, in February...but we both forgot our cameras, so no pictures from that one. 

September came and went with no pictures, even though I had my birthday...not sure why I didn't use my camera.  Then came October :)


So I bought Chris tickets to the Bengals v. Dolphins game for his birthday, and we headed to Cincinnati for the Halloween weekend.  We dressed as Frank and Charlie from one of our favorite shows for a Halloween party, cheered on the Bengals, and oh, GOT ENGAGED! :)  I loved October.

We spent Thanksgiving in Cincinnati, and oddly, I have no pictures from that trip.

In early December, my roommate and I went to Chicago for a 3 day weekend.  The whole weekend I wanted to see the bean in Millennium Park, which we did...en route to the airport.  Note the suitcases in our picture :)

For Christmas, I headed home to Kansas and Chris went to Ohio.   Though I missed him, I had a great time spending the holiday with my family.

We spent New Years with our friends Nathan and Sarah at The Wine Tap and had a fantastic time, complete with Chris playing his New Years horn to the tune of Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and Nathan trying to book the band for our wedding.

So that was my year; full of travel, family, and friends.  Looking back through all these pictures reminds me how truly blessed I am to have such great people in my life.  Though I can't imagine anything topping this year, I'm very much looking forward to what 2011 has to bring...and to being closer to 4.21.2012 :)