Friday, May 29, 2009

Bring Your Dancing Shoes

We have officially booked a co-worker of Brian's to serve as the MC/DJ at the reception. He will also serve as the official "web caster" during the wedding. I have a dear friend who is moving to India this summer for a two year teaching contract and with our wedding being at the beginning of the school year we know of some friends and family who won't be able to travel for the event. So we decided we would make the wedding available to them!

Diane (matron of honor) and Greg (groomsman) are coming down today and tomorrow so that she and I can begin the quest for bridesmaid dresses. Brian and Greg will be drinking beer, playing with the gutter robot (thank you Jim and Becky for letting us borrow him!) and maybe getting the posts in to finish our back yard fence so that Ozzy (Christi and Erik's dog) can move in.

On Sunday Erik will turn 15! He wants Noodles and Company for his family dinner and a cake from Dairy Queen. Next weekend we're taking his buddies to Omaha to catch a Royals game. It seems unbelievable that he is as tall as me now.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

We Graduated

At the end of the third session the minister informed us that we passed!!! We have to meet with the whole team from the church one or two more times (for logistics) before the wedding but as far as pre-marital counseling we have completed the process. We reviewed all the principals that we learned, especially the "love pyramid" and he told us it sounded like we were ready.

I had to call my mom before we met to see if she could meet with the minister really quick after work because she is playing the piano for church on Sunday. She wanted to know if he was going to talk to us about sex again. She really loves to see me blush! At any rate, we can get married now!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Time to See the Minister Part 3

Brian tells me that this means we have reached the halfway mark in our required pre-marital counseling. We were supposed to work on picking vows and I can honestly say that we have looked through them a few times. We have a "maybe" poem for our liturgist. While we didn't complete the assignment, it's not like we ignored it. The vows are important for what they represent. Will our wedding be ok with something simple? Absolutely! But I want something that is simple, special, pretty and SHORT. The short part is important. I'm guessing I'll trip over my words and some of the one's that we have read make me cry without speaking them... so we have crossed those off the list. I'm sure that it will all work out. I have been practicing "I do" and that seems to be working!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Too Much Fun

We had a FANTASTIC weekend. Friday the drive to Kansas City went smoothly and we spent a few hours before the concert drinking cheap beer in the beer garden of a BBQ restaurant that was attached to the concert venue. We talked about the wedding, the house and the opportunity that lies ahead. The Offspring took the stage at 10:20 and they were AMAZING. We saw them in KC 5 years ago in a tiny venue but they were really meant to be seen outside!

Saturday morning we got up and roamed around visiting bike shops (Thank you Paul!!!) and eating at The Waffle House. Say what you will but if we had one in Lincoln I would have to spend 15 hours a week on my bike!

Then we went to lunch with my Great Aunt Mary and Great Uncle Wayne. It was a wonderful visit and they gave us some lily of the valley to plant at our new house. I had picked a spot almost underneath the deck for them but it has an ant problem so instead they are on the back side of the house right below our bedroom window. I can't wait until next spring when we can sit on the deck and enjoy their lovely fragrance.

Sunday my mom played her harp at church so Brian and I were a part of the harp relocation team and then we went out with Brian's middle brother Jeff to celebrate his last 20 something birthday. (If you hadn't realized it by now, we spent the weekend eating!!!)

Yesterday morning Brian and I left home at 0600 for cemetery duty. We went first to Lincoln Memorial to visit his grandparents and one set of great grandparents on his dad's side. From there we headed out of town to visit Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Nehawaka, Nebraska) to visit another great grandpa on his dad's side and Ottenbein (Murray, Nebraska) to visit his great great grandparents on his dad's side. His great great grandpa John Anderson Davis was a civil war veteran and WALKED to Nebraska after the war. We have really enjoyed learning about Brian's family. Our last stop was at Wyuka to visit more great grandparents and a baby that would have been Brian's great uncle.

We actually were able to get a few things done for the wedding yesterday. After all our running I tricked Brian into a trip to one of the craft stores and used a coupon to get quite a few of the centerpieces for the reception.

In the afternoon (I know you thought the weekend was over didn't you?) we went out to our friend Dave's house and enjoyed a late lunch with Vicki (bridesmaid), Dave and Jeremy. Erik and Jeremy wore each other out with the trampoline and Nerf guns and I think we were all sound asleep shortly after 10 last night. Tonight Brian and I need to get caught up on homework and with any luck tomorrow we'll be able to squeeze in some more time to work on the house. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a holiday weekend so much!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

15 Weeks Until the Wedding

Is that even possible? 15 Weeks until the wedding. 8 weeks until we'll mail the invitations. 11 weeks until we sit down to go over the "tasting" menu. 5 weeks until I'll make a final decision about my dress. I think this weekend I better get my marigolds planted!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

So Stinking Busy

As many people know I really like to be busy, however, we may have reached the point where it's too fast even for me! Tonight we both have a bunch of homework, Thursday night Erik is singing in his last freshman choir performance, Friday we're working half days and then leaving for Kansas City for the Offspring concert and when we get back we have all the yard work, and homework and with ANY luck at all we'll get the painting done and get some new pictures of the house taken. We have been able to squeak in enough time for exercise and we're trying to turn our schedules in June sideways so that we can finish the wedding planning and still participate in all the other activities we enjoy. Hopefully in the next few days I'll be able to report on the major headway that we have made in our many endeavors!

Monday, May 18, 2009

So many options

It must have been easier to get married 100 years ago. The average person didn't have a ton of money for their wedding dress, there probably weren't possible reception halls on every corner, there probably weren't so many choices. Maybe then weddings were more like "you've seen one, you've seen them all". I want our wedding to be different like we are. I just didn't imagine that there would be so many choices. Like how much do we want to pay for terra cotta pots for the merigolds, or what color of purple do I want for the programs, the invitations, the napkins, truly the list goes on.

We have started to order things for our big day. This makes it more urgent, more real, more exciting, and yet, more time consuming than I had imagined. We are both looking forward to our break from school and the end of Erik's school year activities. Hopefully the breaks will help us to get ready for September!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Dresses for the ladies

I think we officially have schedules figured out to find dresses for the bridesmaids. The matron of honor (Mrs. Duryea) and I will be going to look at dresses on Saturday, June 6 at all the bridal stores in town. We will both wear comfy shoes and may need lots of alcohol. After that she and I will practice the electric slide in our basement. Honestly, when we were young we were coordinated, we'll get there again!

Then, on Sunday, June 14, the rest of the bridesmaids and I will go check out the dresses and try to make a final decision. I am hopeful that we will be able to find something in the right shade of purple in the perfect price range, and maybe it will even be something in stock that requires only the most minor of alterations. A girl's got to dream right?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

We made it

I think that we passed the financial portion of pre-marital counseling. I learned that we are financially boring and "safe". Sounds pretty good to me! Apparently in the 1980's people wanted to spend, spend, spend. Now the trend is to save and live within your means. I had no idea how hip we are financially!

I also called and got the phone number and address for Brian's cousin Brad so that we can invite them to the wedding. We are so hoping that they will be able to get away!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Another Meeting with the Minister

We have our second meeting with the minister this afternoon. We're going to talk about money this time, how we want to spend it, save it and what we would do with a windfall of cash =) Hopefully we'll pass the bible quiz this week and the minister won't want to talk about sex again! Say a little prayer for us!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Our New Number

Apparently a man named "James" had our phone number before we did. James has a LOT of creditors. Last night when we got to the house we had 18 new messages, and not one of them was for us. I called three of the companies back and they are removing us from the call system. If you call and it's busy or we miss a call from you I apologize, it probably means we're trying to get the bill collectors off the phone =)

Monday, May 11, 2009

Call Me =)

YEA, we have a land line!!! Our new number is 402-805-4031. Our project for tonight is to get the answering machine set up, it just has the computer generated lady asking you to leave a message for right now!

We got the contract from the photographer over the weekend and had a mostly quiet Mother's Day. 4 more weeks of school and then we can get a lot more done for the wedding!

Friday, May 8, 2009

We're getting the technology

Wednesday afternoon Brian hung out and waited for the cable guy and we got internet and cable ("we've got cable tv, but it still isn't satisying") - the cat now has more than the radio for entertainment. Today we will have a phone..... isn't it exciting! I'll come back and post tonight or tomorrow morning once it's working and we have a real number!!!

Monday, May 4, 2009

WOW

So tomorrow will mean that we have 4 months til the wedding. That seems like it will be here in a blink! I worked on our list for this week and we will definitely be busy!


On a brighter note, we are getting closer on planning the music. We know who will be playing and the music that will be played by the pianist. We have started selecting the music for the strings and the rest will be a surprise!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May Day

Or Beltane, if that is what you prefer. When Erik was almost one I learned that May Day was originally celebrated as Beltane, a Celtic fertility holiday. I wonder how people went from celebrating spring and the change of seasons with sex to delivering little baskets of candy and popcorn to each other's doorsteps. Oh well, to each their own.

For anyone who is interested. My Beltane will be celebrated sorting the Marching Band funraiser orders, taking 3 quizzes and writing a paper. I think I got hosed on this one!