One week.

That's it. That's all that's left.

Last September the most wonderful man got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Last septemebr I was drowning in a pool of excitement. Last September I was starting my journey of wedding planning bliss.

And now it's here -- and I'm still just as excited; if not more. The thought of walking down the aisle towards Jon gives me instant butterflies. The kind that flutter around in your stomach until it hurts. I love that before my Dad gives me away, I get to spend those precious few minutes with him. Every single piece of the wedding day has played over and over in my mind, trying to paint an image. But I know that nothing I imagine will come close to what I'll experience.

It's still so surreal to me that I'm getting married. I'm going to call Jon my husband...and I'll be his wife. I almost feel like I'm saying goodbye to my childhood. It's a strange, yet exciting feeling.

I look back on this last year remembering how every time I would turn the calendar page, it seemed like a lifetime until the September page could be turned. I remember talking about the wedding day like it was years away. I remember when I first fell in love with my dress. It's been sitting in my closet, patiently waiting to be worn.

It's been an unforgettable year and I have loved every minute of it. Sunday is my birthday, but I can promise you that I'll be spending it finishing last minute wedding stuff. I got an early birthday gift from Jon; a new iPad. It's awesome, and has been keeping me very entertained. This last week will be a busy one and I'm hoping to remain sane during it all.

Happy Friday night!

One helluva month.

Literally.

I know for the mid-west and east coast, the heat has been unbearable. The west coast on the other hand, practically just started smelling the sweet scent of summer. It's been comfortably warm for the past few weeks and looks to remain pretty hot for the remainder of the week. Summer is here. And I beg to ask the question, "where has the time gone?"

I survived my first wedding festivity; my bridal shower. I'll admit, it was a tad bit overwhelming. But, I haven't had that much fun with my family and friends in a long time. Everyone showed up to support me and "showered" me with wonderful gifts...most of which made me blush. The food was amazing and the drinks were flowing. My best friend, Stephanie, planned an unforgettable shower for me and I will be forever grateful.

After the shower was over, Jon came over my parents house to help pack all the gifts up. I had so much stuff that we made his roomy BMW look like a tiny Smartcar. And you know that damn quest bedroom that I'm always trying to clean? Yea, well...that's where all the gifts found a home. There's actually still a few gifts and boxes in our living room. I keep hoping that they'll eventually grow legs of their own and make their way in the room; however, that has yet to happen.

I have been so incredibly overwhelmed (and apparently stressed) that I came down with shingles. No joke. It started out as a small red bump, then gradually spread into a cluster of bumps. It was not fun. I was home for a week, in bed, drugged up. Luckily I caught it early enough to start the antibiotics; which stopped the shingles from spreading to my stomach, or causing severe pain. I'm thankful it was only mild pain. They've since faded and might leave a little scaring, but I'm glad that's over with. I do not have time to be sick. There is way too much going on....

I leave tomorrow bright and early for Las Vegas. Me and six of my girlfriends are heading there for a fun-filled weekend of bachelorette festivities. The entire weekend is a "surprise" to me and I don't even know where we're staying or what we're doing. I do know it will be fun. Don't expect me to come back and dish out all the details...because you know how it works: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

Next weekend Jon's brother, Clark, is getting married in Monterey, CA. I can't believe how fast that came up! Right after we come home, August sixteenth will be here...and that means our wedding is exactly one. month. away. [begin freakout] OH MY GOSH! [end freakout]

I've been continuing my craft binge and took my wedding shoes from plain to uh-mazing. Thanks to Michaels! There's nothing that a few bows and a hot glue gun can't do...

More fun to come! And you might get lucky and I'll share a few sin city stories. Or...maybe not. Happy Weekend to you all.

I fail.

.......at blogging.

I swear, I try really hard to keep up with this; but it's almost like a job. It's not easy. I'm embarrassed of the fact that I haven't written anything since Easter. I wish I could promise you that this won't happen again...but I can't. So I apologize in advance. There's a lot going on right now that derails my desire to blog.

Planning my wedding has literally taken over my life. But I'm okay with it. This is probably my biggest excuse for not blogging. We are now almost two months out until the big day. My excitement for it is overwhelming. We've been getting a lot done over the past few months and things are falling very nicely into place. I've collected all my vases for the centerpieces and I am well on my way.

Invitations were sent out Monday afternoon, and people are starting to receive them. We were so incredibly fortunate that my cousin owns a print shop and made our invitations for FREE! It's an amazing wedding gift and we will be forever thankful.

My bridal shower is next weekend and I am so excited. It will be my first wedding event; sort of like my "kickoff" to the wedding festivities. I also found the perfect bridesmaids gifts and I can't wait to give them to the girls.

Today the girls and I started to book our plane tickets to Las Vegas for my bachelorette party. We are going the first weekend of August and it can't come fast enough. The majority of the girls I invited are all going; so it will be a full house. Nine girls (including me) are ready to help celebrate my last Vegas trip as a single lady. I'm looking forward to all the memories we will be creating, and all the stories we'll be reminiscing about over years.

Since the wedding is only two months away, we're getting down to the wire with all the small details. Favors need to made and programs need to be printed. Everything is starting to be finalized with the vendors; food, music, photos and decorations. I've been channeling my inner craft-self, and I made my card box for the wedding. All the ones I've seen in stores or online are fairly expensive...and I knew that it was something easy to make. A simple trip to Michael's for a three dollar mini glue gun, some ribbon, wrapping paper and old shoe boxes did the trick. And viola!

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Today is July 1st, and I'm not quite sure where the time has gone. From this point on, every weekend until the wedding is completely booked. Our annual family camping is coming up in a few weeks and I'm beyond excited to go. I didn't think I was going to make it this year, but I managed to squeeze in a four day weekend of some relaxation and fun in the sun. Now that is something to look forward to.

It's going to be a busy weekend, full of friends, family, birthday parties, barbeque's and fireworks. Have a safe weekend!

Happy fourth of July!

easter sunday funday

Even though Easter isn't as big of a deal as Christmas or Thanksgiving, I still treat it like any other holiday. And that means, getting up early in the morning, baking cookies (pre-made packaged ones, obviously; Jenn doesn't bake), and making my homemade artichoke/jalapeno dip. Preparing and "baking" gets me excited and puts me in the holiday spirit.

My Aunt held Easter dinner at her house this year, so the whole family came together to celebrate. Lot's of food; lot's of laughs; lot's of love.

Decorating Calla Lilies is a traditional favorite in our family. My parents have tons of Calla Lilies in their yard, and we'd always use water paints and markers to decorate them. You should try it...it makes for a great art session!

The food was uh-mazing, and I couldn't get enough of it. Ham, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans...it felt like Thanksgiving in April. And I'm perfectly okay with that.

The kids played outside and couldn't wait to hunt for Easter eggs. So much so, that no one even knew they had done it already! They came inside with eggs in their baskets and smiles on their faces. Whatever makes them happy! Speaking of eggs...we found a crushed hard boiled egg and it's shell pieces in the Barbie's kitchen sink....and of course, it was "Barbie's fault".

I mentioned in my last post, that this years' Easter Day feature was bringing back the Egg Decorating Contest. I must say, everyone did a fantastic job. And as promised, here are the contestants:

"Eggpunzel" - let down your golden yolk

"Egguana"

"Pool Rack"

"Eggcident"; "Egg Plant"; and "MEGGerita"

And the winner.......

"Eggy Gaga" (and the 2011 Egg Decorating Contest trophy)

The "Eggy Gaga" still has me laughing. Next year I'm definitely getting in on the fun and entering the contest. I wish we could resurrect the original egg trophy. But it is almost twenty years old and it's housed in Arizona with my Grandma.

I'll be taking a mini blog break since we leave for Canada on Thursday. I haven't even begun to pack. Typical of me to wait until the last minute. I had every intention of going home yesterday and at least starting to pack; but instead, I had a beer, watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S, played games on my phone, cooked dinner, played more games on my phone and then went to bed.

I'll attempt to pack tonight...but I already know how that will turn out.

Happy Tuesday!


quickie post.

Another day...another picture-less post. I need to get back into the groove of snapping away at life's little treasures. I do however, promise that there will be plenty of pictures to come over the next few posts.

Easter Sunday calls for perfectly bloomed flowers; colors of the rainbow painted on eggs; and a feast that I am already salivating over. This Sunday, our family is bringing back a tradition that I haven't thought about for years....

The Egg Decorating Contest.

This defined our Easter when we were little. It became such a hit, year after year, that a trophy was created for the winner. And yes, it was made out of an egg. So, I was thrilled when I received the email stating that the contest was once again apart of our Easter. And I won't dissapoint...you will see first hand all the creativity that comes from just an egg.

Jon and I are headed to Canada next week for a friends wedding. It's our first time and we're very excited. Hopefully I'll be able to control my love for souveneers. I tend to buy things that I don't need, just because. It's usually things that I'll swear up and down that I will use in the future, but then either gets thrown away or collects dust on a shelf. Happens to the best of us, right?

I actually gave myself a pat on the back this afternoon for not using the fifty dollar off coupon I had for New York & Co. I walked in, grabbed a few things I liked, thought about it and put it all back. Jon would have been so proud...because I even can't believe I did that. Who am I?

Happy Friday...and Happy Easter!

five months.

Before I start, I had good intentions of posting this yesterday...but the weather was beautiful and I couldn't waste the day by sitting inside. So...this is a day late. Better late then never, right? I must admit, there's nothing better than sitting here on my laptop, with a nice cup of coffee in hand, with Say Yes To The Dress on in the background. Thank you TLC for fulfilling my wedding show obsession.

And...this is a picture free post (sorry...I didn't get around to taking any this past week).

Yesterday marked our five month countdown to the wedding. I'm warning you now, there will probably be a countdown for the remaining four months as well. It's gets me excited...so just go with it. Sometimes I think back to when we got engaged last September and picked our wedding date; how a year from then felt like a lifetime. Even though five months, is still five months, at least I have a few things to keep me preoccupied until then. I have to put myself to work next month picking out wedding invitations, because in June they're being sent out. In July, my best friend Stephanie is throwing my bridal shower, and in August me and the girls are jetting off to Las Vegas for my bachelorette weekend. There's a lot of things to be excited for leading up to my big day.

The "wedding corner" in our guest bedroom continues to grow as my Michael's trips become more and more frequent. I know I've mentioned this before, but their coupons are saving me. Not only do they have weekly forty to fifty percent off coupons, but they accept competitors coupons as well. Although our wedding is going to be a bigger wedding (about two hundred), I'm having a blast planning and preparing on my own. I am in my element and loving every minute of it.

I have to take a minute to congratulate two girlfriends of mine. My best friend, Analiese, just had a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Jon and I went to visit them the other night in the hospital and I just couldn't wait to hold him. Analiese got to the hospital just in time...literally. She didn't have any time for drugs...and with that being said, she is my hero. Another friend of mine, Jen, has been struggling with conceiving for many years. She has been told by doctors that she and her husband wouldn't be able to have children. They've accepted the fact that surrogacy and adoption are their only options. As a true believe in miracles, the most amazing miracle has happened to them. Jen found out that she's pregnant. Eight weeks pregnant, to be exact, with a healthy baby. Just writing about this brings me chills. Congratulations to my two amazing friends!

And of course (yet again) I've caught that damn baby fever; it's a problem, I know. I guess I just can't wait to start a family of my own. I long for that feeling of being pregnant; of looking into my baby's eyes as we lay staring at each other; for that tiny hand in mine; and the image of Jon being a father...because there is no doubt that he'll be amazing. But good things come to those who wait. And waiting is what I'll do. I do however, have a confession: I went online and looked at tons of baby stuff, looked at baby furniture, and stood in the doorway of our guest bedroom visually placing where everything would go. It fulfilled my baby fix and brought a smile to my face, and now I'm over it.

I am not however, over my craving for a new camera. A nice camera. The one I've been wanting for, oh about a year now; a Canon EOS T3i DSLR. I even had a dream about it the other night; no joke. But again, good things come to those who wait....

Well friends, that's it for today. I've got a hungry belly to feed, a full basket of laundry to wash, and a messy room to clean; all which need to be today.

Happy Sunday!

Wedding, A New Addiction...and Loving California.

Ok, so I supposed I need to catch up...(as my dear husband-to-be informed me). It's been a really busy week and this is the first time I've had a moment to write.

Lauren flew home last Wednesday for to help me with some wedding stuff. And we wasted no time. As soon as I picked her up from the airport, we went directly to David's Bridal to pick out the bridesmaid dress. We ended up picking two dresses that we really liked; now we just have to decide between the two. Oh the dilemma. Once we finished up there, we drove straight to Bed Bath & Beyond to do what I've been looking forward to doing for months now; registering. It was such a high. As soon as the lady handed me the scanner gun, I couldn't say thank you fast enough. I was out of the registration room in no time, and off scanning a bunch of crap.

It. was. awesome.

Even though we didn't get out of there until after six o'clock, we decided to keep on going and register at my second location; Macy's. It was an equally fun time until we found the Martha Stewart section. We were both in awe as we walked through the isles of every type of spatula you could think of. I'm not a fan of her personally, but my goodness, that woman thinks of everything. And you know what? It's decently priced. I'm pretty positive that I scanned every one of her items.

So, growing up, I've never really been into makeup. I wear a little bit, but nothing too extravagant. I recently had a friend do my makeup and she's started an obsession for me that I think could become very dangerous. Today was my second day in a row visiting the M.A.C. store. That store alone is dangerous. I also just found out that Nordstrom and Sephora accept returns on all opened makeup products. Uh-mazing. I can already tell this is going to be a wonderful relationship.

Hello. My name is Jenn and I'm addicted to buying makeup.

Before I go, I have some pictures of the ocean to share. Jon and I went to Half Moon Bay on Sunday, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Our friend lives a stones throw away from the ocean...and I took it all in for the few hours that we were there.

It made me crave our honeymoon trip to Puerto Vallarta. While the sunset is always a beautiful site, there's nothing more breathtaking then a sunset in California. Enjoy!

Birthday Fun and Wedding Updates.

Last week was a busy week. Every day was booked with something to do. Usually there's a few days out of the week where I have a night to relax; lounge on the couch; pig out on junk food; be lazy. There was so much going on, that a night like that didn't exist. Secretly, I'm okay with it. Time flew by and now we're on to a new week and (almost) a new month.

Before we leave this month behind, a special birthday cannot (and will not) go unnoticed. My soon-to-be husband celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday. While he didn't want it to be a "big deal" or "anything spectacular", I couldn't let him get away with having a boring birthday. Before he got up, I snuck out of the room to do a few "birthday" things around the house. Recreating what was done for me as a child, I hung a happy birthday sign up on the wall; and made sure the table was clear, so his present would be the first thing he'd notice.

Not expecting any of it, seeing his surprised face light up was all I needed to make my day. Hey, even at 27, a birthday sign and presents are still exciting.

After opening his gifts (a bunch of clothes) we got dressed and went shopping. I promised him shoes.....to which he found three pairs. But the man needs shoes. Sometimes it amazes me how simple he is. Before his new pairs of shoes, he maybe owned about 5 pairs. But this is what I love about him; name brands don't mean anything to him. If I asked him who Michael Kors is, he would give me that blank stare look and say "where?" Yes, you read that right......my point exactly.

The rest of the day consisted of delicious burgers at Fuddruckers, watching UFC, and enjoying a mouthwatering homemade chocolate cake from his Momma. We were going to finish the night off with seeing a movie, but quickly realized that a 10:30pm showing would be "too late". So we held true to our "we're so old" line, and opted for our warm bed instead. Perfect end to a perfect day.

In wedding land, things are moving along just fine. Our six month mark came, and then went, and now I'm just in that blah stage. All the big vendors have been booked and now I'm shopping around for the little things that need to be done. I feel like I'm in that "in-between" stage, where I want to start making name cards, but really can't until the end. I want to start making the programs, but I don't have all the ceremony details set. I want to start putting together all my favors, but if I do, where the hell will I put them all?

So for now, I'm being patient (trying, anyway) to wait. I've been continuing my weekly trips to Michael's, swooping up all the vases I can get my hands on. I went to the Hallmark store yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find their wedding section 40% off. I walked out paying ten bucks for a super cute guest sign-in book. It's little things like this that make me happy.

I pick my sister up from the airport on Wednesday. She's flying in to spend a very busy day with me. We're finally picking out the bridesmaid dresses. Then we're off to Macy's and Bed, Bath & Beyond to finally register for gifts. (...I'm surprised I've held out for this long. I've been looking forward to registering before I even got engaged......not kidding).

If I thought I was going to get a night to relax this week, wrong again! I'm in store for another busy, but exciting week. I'll try to catch back up with you all at the end of the week.

With that, I'll leave you with these beautiful flowers that Jon brought home for me the other day. It's one of the many reasons why I love him :)

Happy Birthday To You, Blog.

One year ago today, I made the decision to bare my thoughts and soul to the world. One year ago today, I was mourning that little something special of what could have been. One year ago today, I began a journey of recovery, grief and moving on. It's amazing how far I've come in one year and how beautiful life can be when she throws you a different path. While it may feel dark and painful at first, the more you continue on, the brighter your world will become.

I've been asked before, "do you enjoy blogging?" ...to which I reply, without a pause; yes. I love blogging. It's my own place to go and feel like no one can judge me. I treasure it, like it's my home.

I love coming here and sharing with all of you, the wonderful things that are going on in my life.

I love slipping some pictures in here and there, giving you a small glimpse of what I'm seeing.

I love that this blog, my baby, is like my very own book about my life.

This blog has taught me so much over the past year and I have so much more learning to come. Coming here and seeing that blank page, waiting for me to scribble on, is like a artist staring at a blank canvas before he begins to paint.

So, I thank you, little blog.

Thank you for providing a place for me to vent. A place for me to cry. A place that brings a smile to my face.

And thank you, readers. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have any motivation to share my stories. I hope to give you more pictures to go along with my words.

As my blog blows out the candles, here's to another great year.

Happy Birthday Blog! You're my little something special.

Spread The Word To End The Word.

Please remember what today is. March 21st...

World Down Syndrome Day.

While every day should be a day of awareness (not just for this foundation, but for every foundation), today is a day where we bring attention to the adults and children who have down syndrome. Even if you do not know anyone personally (as I do not), being supportive to those who do is all I can ask for.

Did you know that 3% of the world's population have intellectual disabilities? Sounds like a small number, but that's 200 million people around the world.

Did you know that the ever increasing use of the word retard or retarded in today's society effects the negative stereotypes that face people with intellectual disabilities? Because of this, people around the world are helping to raise awareness of the hurtful, cruel and insensitive effects of the "r-word". You too can help encourage others to spread the word to end the word and help people to think before they speak.

I made a pledge to do so...will you?

I only takes a measly ten seconds to make a pledge. It's free...and you know what? You'll feel a million times better after you do. Please visit this site to make your pledge.

Happy Monday friends!

A Little Something Special

I feel like I need to start the A Little Something Special post edition. Maybe it's a weekly thing (probably not) or maybe it's something I do every other month. But I feel the need to acknowledge the things that are special to me at the moment.

I've been thinking about this concept for a while...so I'm just gonna go with it.

Weekend Morning Coffee
I love my weekend coffee because I'm actually drinking it from a cup. Not the coffee thermos that I bring to work every day. I can sit on the couch, with my feet up, a blanket draped over me, and a cup of coffee in my hand. It's me and Jon's time in the morning where we're waking up together.

Tulips
I love them. There's something about Tulips that makes me feel, happy. Stress free. Calm. Saturday morning I walked into the kitchen and noticed the sun hitting the Tulips so beautifully. I couldn't help but smile :)

Date Nights
With us saving every bit of money we can for the wedding, date nights are few and far between. Which, by the way, is perfectly okay. That just means when we do have them, it's a special occasion and something I truly treasure.

Family
This past week I went with my Dad to the hospital where he had surgery to remove a hernia. Seeing him in the prep room made me realize that my parents are getting older. I always thought of my Dad as a superhero, like nothing could ever happen to him. Reality sunk in...and something inside began to hurt. It reminded me how thankful I am and how much I love and adore my family.

Fur-babies
I miss them. My cats, Peanut and Cookie, are at my parents house since we aren't able to have pets in our condo. My Mom sends me pictures of them all the time and it really makes me miss them. I've had them both since they were born and I wish I could have them next to me.

My Favorite
He's all I want and all I'll ever need. He does more than I could ask for and treats me with respect. I didn't know men like him existed - he truly is my prince charming.

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(That is my way of beginning a new topic, btw)

Oh Lord...we're officially 6 months away from our wedding. Can it PLEASE come faster!? I know, beggars can't be choosers, but I just want our day to be here! However, I am enjoying everything that comes with it.

Saturday Jon and I hiked up Mission Peak. Oh. My. Gosh. I was so sore when we got home. In fact, I am still sore. My knees were so weak, they were shaky. My legs were so sore, I thought for sure they were going to fall off. And my ass, well...my ass hurt even when I sat on it. The funny thing is, we didn't even make it to the top of the mountain! We only got to about half way. Jon wants to go back this weekend to finish it. You can imagine my excitement when the forecast calls for rain this weekend  :)

Happy Monday friends!

March Madness.

And no, I don't mean basketball. We've got a lot going on this month. Hence, the word madness.

March marks our 6 month countdown until the wedding (excuse me while I hyperventilate). It's coming up so fast. And while I've been taking things slow for the past few months, this is where all the details start happening. I'd be lying if I said this isn't my favorite part. I'm a very detailed person, so making the table numbers instead of using the generic ones that the venue provides, will be fun for me. Going above and beyond to make a simple "do-it-yourself" buffet menu for each table to view, won't be added stress at all. Michael's trips excite me. It's like Disneyland. Ok, ok...nothing is like Disneyland, but it definitely comes close. It's all the detailed things that really make a wedding unique. And yes, I take pride in being able to do these things on my own. I'm an arts & crafts kind of girl - what can I say.

Can I just take a minute to say how awesome I am for holding back the urge to wear my dress? I'm perfectly content with it being in the closet. However, that doesn't mean I don't go in there, unzip the dress bag, and take a peek at it every now and then. I'm positive this will be a weekly ritual until the day of the wedding. I've learned to accept it :-)

Not only is the month filled with wedding stuff, but it's filled with birthday's gallor! One of them being Jon's 27th birthday. If the wedding wasn't happening, I'd be taking him away for a surprise weekend - but I'm pretty sure our Puerto Vallarta honeymoon trip beats any 'ol weekend trip I would have planned. I'm just sayin'...

This weekend I "plan" (quoted because the likelihood of it happening is slim to none), to do some deep cleaning on the house. I'm talkin', sweeping, mopping, dusting, laundry and vacuuming. I may even hang some pictures and shelves on our plain sandy colored walls - something that I've wanted to do since we moved in......7 months ago. Pure laziness on my part. We don't plan on leaving our place any time soon, so I might as well make it look like people actually live there.

I made a dent in our spare bedroom last weekend (which has conveniently become the room for wedding crap). Jon suggests that I don't spend too much time trying to fix it up - only to redo it next year to make room for......a baby. Yes, we're big fans of wanting to be parents so we won't be wasting any time after we're married. Hopefully this time next year I'll be blogging about morning sickness, gaining weight, acid-reflux and baby kicks to the bladder. I know, I know...I shouldn't plan for things like this, but it's hard not to when it's something you can't stop thinking about.

I've got major baby fever, That's b-a-b-y fever...not b-i-e-b-e-r fever. There's a difference. Just wanted to clarify...

Ok, March! Show me what you've got! Here we go, you'll be over before I know it.

Ode To My Love.

Today is Valentines Day. The day that we show our love and affection to our significant other. The day that card stores and flower shops are full of last minute shoppers. The day that single hopeless romantic's sit with their head in their hands dreaming of that fairytale prince.

Even though we shouldn't need a holiday to show our love, in spirit of it, here's an ode to my love...

I love that he kisses me good-bye every morning before he leaves for work...
I love that he kisses me good-night before we go to sleep...
I love that he's a hard worker and strives to be the best...
I love that he can make me laugh even when I don't want to smile...
I love that he knows me better than anyone else...
I love that with one look in his eyes, I can tell how much he loves me...
I love that I feel safe with him and I know that he'll do anything in his power to protect me...
I love that he comes home with flowers when I least expect it...
I love the way he looks when he first wakes up in the morning...
I love the way he laughs and showing off that amazing smile he has...

And best of all, I love that I'm marrying my best friend.

Happy Valentines Day!!

Moving Right Along.

Saturday was a big day for me. I can't believe I didn't run to the computer right away and write down my excitement.

I got my wedding dress.

It's beautiful. I'm happy that I loved it as much as I did when I first tried it on. I was having all these nightmares that I wasn't going to like it. Four months ago is when I bought my dress. I kept thinking that maybe I would feel differently. What if it didn't turn out the way I imagined it to be? What if the "white" that I got was too white? What if the neckline wasn't right? All these things swirled around in my head. But when she unzipped the dress bag, I got my first glimpse of it. It. was. gorgeous. When I put the dress on I felt like a princess. I purposely continued to ask the lady a bunch of questions so I could keep my dress on longer.

I was able to take it home that day. It's hard knowing that it's in my guest bedroom closet - I just want to put it on and wear it around the house; wash dishes in it; clean; lay; ANYTHING! I just want to wear it! I have a feeling I'll be bringing it to my parents house soon...I'm not sure how long I'll last.

It's February; where has the time gone? We're nearly 7 months away from our wedding. Things are coming along so smoothly too. I haven't been stressed at all. And since the wedding is expensive, I've been finding other ways to save us money. Needless to say, Michaels and the Dollar Tree are my new best friends. They're saving me boatloads of money. I found my favor boxes to hold the candy at the Dollar Tree. They come 10 to a package. I spent all of $26 on all of them for our guests! I was very proud of myself. And don't even get me started on the fabulous coupons that come in the mail every week for Michaels. I've got all my friends and family giving them to me, so I go every day and buy something for 40%...score!

We're heading up to Tahoe this weekend with a bunch of friends. We're staying in a six bedroom condo for the Super Bowl, so it should be a lot of fun! We went to Costco last night and loaded up on $500 worth of food and alcohol. Good times. Have a safe weekend...GO GREEN BAY!

Back.

I can't believe that it's been since October that I came here to write. I was actually going to retire this site and leave it behind, but my amazing other half suggested that I should continue to do what I love to do; write.

I'll admit - I didn't really want to let the blog go. It's my place to come and write. Share with my friends about things that are going on in my life. It's a free write of anything I want; whatever's on my mind. So here I am, finally sitting back down to continue on with a place that is like home to me; a little something special.

I'll cut right to the chase and start where I left off. The holidays were a blast. The weekend after Thanksgiving I couldn't resist the urge to bring out the Christmas decorations. I anticipate Thanksgiving knowing that afterwards I have the "a-ok" to go ahead and start my decorating madness. And yes, it was madness...and yes, it makes me happy. There's nothing like sitting on your couch, sipping hot cocoa, with the glare of Christmas lights from the tree and the smell of fresh pine. It's unbelievably relaxing.

We spent the holidays with family, of course, dividing up time with each so effortlessly. With as many family's as we have to spend time with, I'm surprised that is was done with ease. We continued our family fun with taking an early flight out to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to spend a week at the cabin with Jon's Dad and his family. We had such a great time, I didn't want to leave. I'm a big fan of the snow - and there was tons of it. It snowed almost every day, all day. Every morning there was a fresh layer of powder; so light and fluffy that you could swim in it. We made snow angels, caught snow flakes on our tongues, had countless snow ball fights and rode around on the ATVs. It was the epitome of a winter wonderland...and I was in heaven.

After getting back from our much needed vacation, it was time to spring back into wedding mode. We're actually getting a lot done. Not at all surprising since I am a self-proclaimed organized freak. We finally got our engagement pictures taken and I can't wait to see them! Our photographer is fantastic so I know they turned out amazing.

My dress is finally here. I have an appointment on Saturday to try it on, and I.can't.wait. I just about peed myself when the bridal boutique called me to inform me that it was shipped to them. This means another wonderful day to spend with my Mom and Step-Mom. These times are special and spending it with the two of them means everything to me.

This year is my year. An exciting one. It holds nothing but happiness for me. It will be the year where I become a wife, a sister in-law and a daughter in-law. My new life as a married woman will begin and I could not be more happy.