The best family a bride could ask for

I love to brag--especially when it's about my family. This may be long, so please bear with me.
I will try to get through this without becoming a blubbering mess while typing this out!
I'll start with my Granddad. He has done beautiful work on our invitations--he has a God-given GIFT! We bought DIY invitations at Walmart because they were exactly what we wanted. My grandfather went to painstaking efforts to make sure everything was printed just perfectly, and was lined up and worded right, and just so. I must say, that no company could do as good as a job as he did. The invitations, the reply cards, the rsvp cards, and the direction cards AND the envelopes, AND the "S" monogram on the seal. He did them ALL. I'm beyond amazed, beyond impressed. 

My Mema and my Mimi. Both of my grandmothers have helped out in several ways. I couldn't ask God to bless me with better Grandparents than the 4 He gave me!
I even gotta brag on my sister in law Caitlin. She has already done so much for me with this wedding, including planning a second reception in Arkansas for us, and helping with designing the programs. She told me she wishes she were more my coordinator than a bridesmaid because she gets me--she gets what I want, and she does! But I also know she can write it out in plain English the complicated OCD/analytical thinking that goes on inside my head (scary isn't it?) of exactly what I want and how I want it for the wedding. She will ask questions and does NOT step on toes. I will tell her why I want something, she'll give her two cents worth, and I'll either change my mind or decide to keep things the way I want and she's not the least bit offended by it. That's awesome! She has become like a sister to me, and I love her for that! I LOVE that she is so on board with helping and willing to help, despite being in school, raising a 16 month old, and working. I could NOT do that if I wanted to. That has GOT to be hard! Thank you Caitlin!!

My dad has been amazing at being there over the phone to calm me down during various crises that I call him about. And boy have there been plenty! Everything from car issues, to work issues, to finances, to wedding, to siblings, to...you name it! He offers what he does best--his kind words. Some how, when he says something like "this too shall pass" or, "you'll get through this", I know he's right. If I start yelling in my ranting about whatever is going on, he is somehow able to calm me down. He's amazing at that. I don't know HOW he does it. Maybe all those years as a peer mediator manager or whatever they called it at the post office paid off...obviously he knows how to calm people down. He will suggest things that, had other people suggested them, I would have said, uh, NO. But when he suggests an idea for the wedding, it's almost like, oh, I didn't think about it like that. I love my dad. We butt heads A LOT, but I love him dearly, and I'm SO glad he's going to be walking me down the aisle! <3
My mom has been there for me through everything, including with this wedding planning process. She has stuck with me and supported my (albeit strange) ideas about the ceremony and reception details. If I didn't like something, she fought for me to have it changed or "not added", whatever it may be. She has listened to me complain, gripe, praise, and go on FOR EVER about various wedding or other topics. She wants the very best for me for the wedding, even though we can't afford "The Ritz", she has worked SO very hard to make it look like a million dollar wedding.
Recent example: When I go into a store on a mission for something, I usually find it, call my parents up and they say, okay, if that's what you want, see if they'll take a credit card over the phone. David's Bridal has been the common place as of late. Recently, I wanted to find my headpiece. I had NO IDEA what I was looking for in a headpiece--veil or no veil, tiara or no tiara, bird cage or not. I just didn't know. I called her with a few pictures I had sent via text and she just kept saying, those are nice, but didn't you say you wanted....X or Y or Z? Those don't seem to balance any of those qualities. So I waited to buy. I texted the pix to my bridesmaids, and some liked, but others were like, "meh...not really you." I later found out that my mom and Caitlin were talking and are going to do something special having to do with my mom's dress (I know what it is, I want to keep it a surprise). I wanted to CRY because my mom wants to do that for me! She is SO special to me and it means SO much that she would use her dress for something for my wedding day! God could NOT have blessed me with a better mother. She's become my best friend. <3
Last, and you better believe certainly NOT least, my "Mr. Wonderful", my fiance' Erik or as I will be affectionately calling him on this blog "MOTH" (Man of the House). Erik has been my rock through many trials, and we have talked them out together. Our biggest thing is that we DO communicate. Everything. I love how he makes me feel when I'm around him, I love how I can be me and not expected to be someone I'm not. I love that he isn't afraid to tell me no about something. He pushes me to be my best. I want to be my best for him. He has encouraged me to find a job related to education because it will get my foot in the door, but he has allowed me to at least search other options. He is an amazing father to his son--Gman, and I know that someday, he will show that same love for our children as well. I want to grow old with him. Go on Sweet Adeline International Chorus Contest TRIPS together. That includes setting up and taking down risers together! Spoil our grandchildren together. Go on old retired-people trips around the world together. Be buried next to him. Get to Heaven together, and work to make sure our children know about God's love and plan of salvation, and hope of Heaven. Together. If he is by my side, I will die a happy woman, of this I am sure.


Does my bragging appear as if I am spoiled? You bet! I'm spoiled by a God who loves me SO much that He has richly blessed me with a family that wants so much for me, and loves me unconditionally. I'm the luckiest girl in the world.


I'm out for now. Leave some love!

Wedding Checklist

So, according to TheKnot.com and our wedding website, we have just 84 days to go until our wedding. EIGHTY-FOUR (I spelled it out for emphasis). I can't believe it.
One year ago at this time, I was probably sitting in my apartment, probably lesson planning or grading, as was my life then, my then-pregnant best friend was probably over and we were probably watching Army Wives, or Drop Dead Diva or some other show that I had recorded on my DVR for us to watch over the weekend. I had the typical "woe is me who is without a love" and she had the normal "I'm craving...(fill in the blank, but it was usually rice crispy treats!).
I didn't know then what I do now about love, how it's not superficial. Being IN love with someone, completely and totally is not a love that is "surface" love. That kind of love is when you tell a close-friend-but-not-your-bestie-friend "love ya!" or the favorite ice cream flavor of Ben & Jerry's "ooooh I love that Cherry's Garcia flavor!" That's surface love. But deep, heartfelt, emotional love is being completely IN love with someone so much that, even if you didn't know them a year ago, you feel like....you feel like your life would be completely empty without them around. That the person was your missing puzzle piece to your life. That you can't imagine your life any different than being side-by-side. Completely 150% committed to them, to your bond, to your relationship, your life together. That, to me, is true love.

I firmly believe with all my heart that my grandfather had a hand in Erik and I...with later assistance from Erik's grandfather. I hear they were great friends, the two of them. We found out back in August that both of our grandfathers, along with a fella at church in Ontario, sang in the Pomona Valley Carousel Chorus (Barbershop of course!) together AND that my grandfather and his grandfather both stood side-by-side on the risers! For me to believe that they didn't have a hand in this would be absurd! We want to make sure we honor both of them on our wedding day. They are a part of both of us, they are a part of our lives, and we are who we are today because of them.
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Woah, that was deep. That was not the point of this particular post.
Anywho, I wanted to share what The Knot has decided I need to do (apparently 102 things still, with 8 of them "overdue") before the big day. I'll spare you all 102 things and just talk about the things for 2-3 months beforehand.
Apparently we are supposed to "plan out the ceremony with your officiant and talk about any religious requirements (such as premarital counseling). I've been lectured, counseled, advised and the like by friends and relatives who SWEAR by premarital counseling. And that's GREAT! I do not discount that one bit. Honestly, if we could afford it, and if our officiant were in California, like we are, we WOULD. We have similar, but different plans that we have been working on for our marriage, such as the Dave Ramsey courses and such, and will be working toward being debt free. Please know that I'm not saying that we won't do premarital counseling, but if we can't do it, we can't do it.
"Finalize the menu and service details with the caterer." -->My mother and I are planning a special trip to Florida in February (woah, next month!) just for the little things like this! I'm SO excited about the caterer we are going with, he is SO accommodating and is giving lots of "complementary" items as being included! So, no, it probably won't be done exactly in that 2-3 month window, but it will be done. :)
"Shop for and purchase wedding bands"...yah, we've shopped...I found my favorite, he found his...just gotta get them now... :)
"Grooms: Get measured for your tux at the formalwear shop." If I could get the MOTH (man of the house) to actually DO THIS!? I've not pushed him to get it done and taken care of, I've just brought it up...probably once a month since November that I will need the measurements of all the men that will be ordering tux's...Sacino's is only in Tampa and for SOME REASON I had to pick a local shop...*rolls eyes at self*
"Having a bridal shower? A bachelorette party? Or a bachelor party? Talk to your maid of honor and best man about any prewedding party plans." Considering that my best friend is my MOH, I know I'll be in good hands....I'm a little worried about MOTH though b/c Gman is HIS best man...Gman is FIVE...he asked his dad if he could invite HIS friends...cute, but um, not quite the same party kid...sorry! :)
"Schedule your dress fittings and confirm delivery date for your wedding dress." Ummmmmmm....mine won't be delivered to the shop till AT LEAST January 27...(eek! CLOSE!) and then I'll hopefully be able to try it on when Mom and I are there in February...one fitting at the beginning of the week and hopefully (by the grace of the alterations lady) a second at the end of the week...that's it. Two fittings in one week to get it right...when you live across the country, ya just gotta go with it!!
"Finalize the ceremony song list and ceremony readings with your VIPs (very important extras)." That's a work in progress. Waiting to hear from one group because another group never got back to us, and then other music is being looked at...all just for the ceremony. Readings (and people) are picked out, just have to ask 'em now!
"Figure out ceremony readings and reach out to the people you want to play those roles"...umm, didn't we just go over this? CHECK!
"Brides: Give a bridal shower guest list to your bridesmaids." Considering I'm in California, one of my bridesmaids is in Texas, one is in Arkansas, and two are in Florida...I don't know exactly how this is going to happen, but I hear there is talk of one in Florida which would be totally awesome! :)
"Arrange day-of transportation for you, your wedding party, and guests (as needed)." They can walk, I can't get my dress dirty! KIDDING Yah, that's in progress too...
"Send out invitations at the three-month mark. Be sure to add extra postage for overseas guests." And for the rising cost of stamps...is it bad that ours aren't going out until like...5 weeks? Save the dates are going out at 7 weeks...that's cutting it close...I know....
Surprisingly, that's it. But then when we get to the 6 week mark, there's a ton more to do...but I'll spare that for another blog entry. In the midst of all this planning, we are both working nonstop, recovering from illnesses, and I'm auditioning for the Harborlites Chorus and hoping to make it in before the drop-dead date to be able to go to Denver! Oh boy! Lots to do!
Well, this is going to be it for now. I already have a couple more posts in progress about our cleaning day we had a few weeks ago...and the one that we're going to have SOON, and about this whole wedding experience so far...STAY TUNED! :D
Leave us some love!