Squishy 7-15-07's Blog

Happy 1 month into the New Year!

Squishy 7-15-07 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:28:00 GMT

It’s been about a month and a half since my last entry. Things got a bit busy since then. I guess to begin we went off to Key West for New Years…it was a great trip as always. We had our New Years Even dinner at the same waterfront restaurant where we got engaged just 5 months earlier…we even snagged the same table where it all happened!! It was very romantic…dinner was great; we talked and relived all the memories of our engagement night (so sweet!!). It was a perfect New Years.

Since we returned from our trip everything just has picked up!! Work was a little crazy with the start of the New Year and on top of it wedding planning has begun to kick into high gear…we had slacked on wedding planning for a almost a good 2 months due to the holidays. Early January we met with our photographer and had our “Engagement Session” pictures taken…last night we were back at the photographer to pick out the “keeper” pics. We picked out some pics to be made up for our parents and also we are having a folio made up for ourselves that will be framed and matted…I’m so excited…the pics all came out so great! In June we have whats called a “Love Story Session”, for this our photographers will be taking us to the beach…I can’t wait! Also we have met with our Pastor and have begun our counseling sessions…we’ve had one so far just last Sunday and another scheduled in 2 weeks. Our first one went well…it was pretty light…we just talked about what each of us believed to be the strengths and growths of our relationship. I’m sure it will get more intense in the next few sessions…I will keep you posted. Lastly we’ve been working on getting our honeymoon booked…needless to say it’s been stressful. My fiancé has been taking care of most of the planning as he wanted the honeymoon to be his duty (fine by me)…but we have decided together that we want to go to Bora Bora and it just has not been easy getting all the logistics down. We had everything booked…and already within 2 weeks of booking our original flight was cancelled. So now we are trying to re-work everything with our reps. It’s just so difficult because there are few flights that go out there and most flights out there only fly on set days…and with the major time zone change it’s tough working everything out. Thank God we have started to work on this 8 months before the wedding…who knew booking a trip could be so difficult. My advice…start working on the honeymoon ASAP…especially if you are going to a really exotic place…it’s nothing like booking a trip to Florida when you are booking these small islands in the middle of nowhere!

So that’s where we stand right t now…as you can see 8 months to go and things are already quite busy. My next thing is for my girls to pick out their dresses. We have a dress/lunch date set for March 1^st. Hopefully all will go well and dresses will be ordered. My philosophy is to take care of as much as I can early on because things are just going to get nuts in the 3 months prior to the wedding…all the meetings with vendors, finalizing details, making sure everything is ordered up…it can get quite overwhelming…so the less that’s left to last minute…the better!!!

NEW YEAR'S TRIP WAS GREAT...

Squishy 7-15-07 — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:56:00 GMT

So we got back from our New Year's trip to Key West, FL on January 2nd. We had a GREAT trip!! Been so busy since we got back though so I haven't been able to write til' now. But the trip was great in the way that we got to relax in the warm sun (had an amazing stone massage as well), party at night with friends, and even had our share of romance. We had a New Year's dinner at the place that we got engaged at!! It was so nice, we were even able to sit at the same table where it all happened...bonus!! It was funny...we were very giddy, as sitting there kept bringing us right back in the moment...we both had this stupid grin from ear to ear the entire time, reliving the stories of that day...I just love how my fiance is totally the guys guy but when with me he's not afraid to show how he feels...even when the feeling is giddy...lol. Bringing in the New Year was a bit on the chaotic side though...as is to be expected when celebrating in Key West. The crowd can certainly get a bit overwhelming...almost to the point that it's difficult to enjoy...but you get through it, it's only a few hours of craziness. I got my kiss at midnight from my fiance and that's all that matters.

So now it is back to reality...I'm at work now...another sloooooow day!! The last week and a half after I got back from vacation was very busy though, so the slowness is sort of welcome...but at the same time my day is dragging. 5 o'clock seems very far away at this point!

Wedding plans have also been starting to get back on track after taking off the last couple months from planning due to the holidays. Last weekend we had our first photo session with our photographer...they call it the "In-Studio Engagement Session." They are just the formal pictures taken at the studio, it's all part of our package. In June we do a "Love Story" session. Ours will be at the beach since we are both original beach babies! Out of these pics we pick the picture that we want blown up to be signed at the wedding. On Sunday we went to church and met with our Pastor. He sent us our online relationship inventories. Once we both complete them, he'll run the results and we start our counseling sessions. So we are on our way!! On March 1st my girls are supposed to go for dresses, I hope they can all keep their word on the day I picked because it's been difficult. Everytime I pick a date, 1 or 2 of them always have a problem with it, so I pick another date and then someone else can't do it. I don't get it...I have 6 girls (might end up being 5 since one girl is pregnant and torn about being in the wedding), 2 of my girls are out-of-state...so it's only 3, possibly 4 girls that need to agree on a date...such an issue though...ugh!! But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for March 1st. Then my Matron of Honor is looking to get pregnant between now and my wedding...so her dress is a whole other issue...she doesn't even care if she's ready to pop at my wedding!! What can I do though...I can't stop her and I love her to death...but it is frustrating that she can't be mindful of how she plans this pregnancy. Anybody have any advice??

Back to work after Christmas...ughh!!

Squishy 7-15-07 — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:18:00 GMT

Well...the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over, part of me is sad as usual that it came and went so fast but the other part of me is relieved because it's always such a hectic time of year leading up to it and the day of...all the shopping and running around leaves you exhausted...as I'm sure we all know the feeling well. This Christmas was a bit less crazy then last year at least. Me and my fiance (well boyfriend at the time), moved in together 2 weeks before Christmas last year...probably not the best choice of times. Needless to say my Mom was not enthused with my timing being that I'm her only child and at the time had spent 25 Christmas's with her...leaving so close to Christmas pulled on her heart strings more then I thought...didn't give her much preparation for her first Christmas without me...and the guilt I felt made it difficult to keep the holiday spirit alive...I never had intentions of hurting her, and then of course trying to shop and live out of boxes and decorate a house (we got as far as a tree)...so I'm happy to report this year everyone (especially my mom), was back to their original selves and I really enjoyed a wonderful holiday with my fiance, his family and my family...it was our first and last (lol) Christmas spent together engaged which is sort of bittersweet...we'll be married by next Christmas. We throuroughly enjoyed it though...the house was decorated complete with outside lights, we had a cozy Christmas Eve dinner at a local byob which led to a few drinks at our favorite local bar before heading home to cozy up with each other and some music...right into Christmas morning where we slowwwllllly unwrapped gifts...it took us 3 hours to get through them...lol...and then met up with my family a bit later for Christmas dinner. And now here I sit waiting for the last 1/2 hour of work to go by...I can officially say I've gotten paid for doing NOTHING today...feels like everyone but me is out this week...lol.

Well...1 more day before we leave for vacation in Key West though...that is what got me through today and will have to get me through tomorrow...

Getting up-to-date!!

Squishy 7-15-07 — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:33:00 GMT

Geez...I haven't written in months!! I guess after I initially got engaged I got so caught up in the wedding planning world...lol. Well things have finally calmed down a bit, well I guess as much as it can at the moment...I've taken a slight break from wedding planning for the past month to focus more on Christmas. But anyway I'm happy to report that so far wedding planning has been a great experience without the stress that I anticipated. My fiance and I took a bit of a different approach to planning where we've basically taken it all into our own hands...I've learned from watching friends and other outsiders that if too many people get involved in the planning process it tends to make for a lot of drama...people might not like our approach but it's working for us and it's been a great experience for us. We've had to make some important decisions together and that really brings you even closer to your guy. So since our engagement on July 15, 2007 we have our photographer/videographer, DJ, Ceremony Musicians, reception sight of course, pastor, florist, and I recently found my dress (which of course I did with my mom)!! It's such a great feeling to have all the big vendor decisions out of the way...now after the holidays I'll be back on the planning and start focusing on more of the details and start the ordering up of everything else we will need. Also all of our appointments will be starting in full force in 2008...counseling sessions should be starting in January or February and then January 12th we have our in-studio engagement picture session...I'm siked!!

So in other news we leave for Key West on December 28th to spend New Years there...I can't wait...the break is much needed....and...it's the place where we got engaged!! So we're going with a bunch of friends but have planned to have a romantic dinner at the restaurant where Chris proposed!! I keep telling him he needs to replay the evening that we got engaged because I was so happy, overwhelmed etc. that I almost feel like the whole proposal was a blur...my brain couldn't keep up with what was happening...lol. Well off I go...back to work...I will write again probably next week and if not then in the new year!

And so it begins...

Squishy 7-15-07 — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:09:00 GMT

The wedding planning that is. I just got engaged less than a month ago and we already have a date and a place for the ceremony and reception. Apparently the wedding bug sets in a lot quicker than I expected. I wonder now what I was thinking when I lectured all my friends about rushing things when it came to planning their weddings. It was always, "don't rush things, enjoy the planning process, it all goes by sooo fast, give yourself time etc. etc." Geez, who did I think I was...lol...my fiance proposed while on vacation and just a few days after we get back we were already on the reception venue search...and now any conversation I have with anyone seems to be centered all around wedding talk whether I initiate it or not. But I'm ecstatic that we are getting a move on things so quickly because I can already see how the excitement and anticipation just build and build with each passing day, especially the more and more people talk about it with you. I'm trying to just take it all in stride though because in reality we aren't getting married until October 2008, I have a year and 2 months, and although I'm sure it will fly I also can't get ahead of myself when there's no need to at this point in time...