This is probably just the beginning...

but I'm thinking that this blog is shortly going to turn into a wedding blog. It seems that is the only thing I'm thinking about much lately (go figure!). The biggest decisions I need to make at this point are:

1. who will my bridesmaids be? My sister will be my Maid of Honor. And then there are two slots up for grabs. I let Mike determine how many couple would stand up with. I know that I have quite a few friends that I could choose. I have totally underestimated how difficult it is to narrow it down. My Aunt Ruth suggested that I put all of their names in a hat & draw them out ;-)
2. what kind of dress do I want? In the brief discussion that we had with Pastor Jeff about him officiating & having the wedding at the church it was mentioned that strapless was out. That is fine by me b/c I am not a lover of strapless. The problem is that 98% of all wedding dresses seem to be strapless or halter tops (which should only ever be worn on the beach, in my opinion). Plus, I am not a big fan of the lace 'sleeves' that they like to attach to modify the dress so that it is no longer truly strapless. I'm just not a fan. And I think I already mentioned in a previous post that I don't like the big full skirts. I wonder if I can go shopping with a list of things that I don't like & be successful in finding a wonderful dress?
3. what colors do I want to choose? My favorite color is red. And frankly, that is the only color I ever thought I would use in my wedding. However, Mike does not like red (he assures me he really doesn't care, but I don't want to use a color he doesn't like!). Plus, our church carpet is kind of a teal color. So red just won't do. I really like blue, but I've been in 10 weddings & I wore blue in 6 of them. Because I am crazy, I really don't like the idea of using blue. So I've been thinking, what about a lilac color accented with a light green? I spent some serious time on the David*s Bridal website today trying out that color combo. I like the lilac idea b/c it will look nice in the church. Also, the first roses that Mike ever bought me were lavender. Mike & his brother got me 25 lavender roses for my 25th birthday. Even though we weren't dating then, it's still a super sweet memory for me. I was really surprised & just loved those roses. Let me know what you guys think of that color combo. I was trying super hard to copy & paste a pic of the dresses & the colors but the computer just wouldn't cooperate. I also chose this font color b/c it's kind of lavendar & my blog is green - I didn't want you to assume it was just a happy coincidence ;-)
4. What music do I use? How much music do I use? We're going for the short & sweet ceremony version. I think we will just have Mike's sister, Gwen sing. What about a reading of some sort?

And just in case you think I've got nothing decided, here's what I've settled on:

1. My wonderful friend Abby is going to do the flowers.
2. We have a location & a pastor.
3. My Aunt Ruth is going to play her flute.
4. Joyce is going to play the piano.
5. I have an appointment to dress shop this Saturday with my sister & my mom.
6. My parent's & I have had the "this is how much we're willing to kick in" conversation. They are being much more generous than I had thought possible.
7. I know that I'm going for a semi-formal vibe. Early afternoon, knee length bridesmaid dresses, suits vs. tuxes.

And that's about it. Gotta keep scheming! In between jobs today I'm making a quick stop to buy a planner - gotta have a home for my massive to-do lists!

2009 Is Gonna Be Crazy!

This just might be me for the next couple of months. I went to a meeting last night for the training program that I do to prepare for the Indy Mini (my 3rd year in the program - it's a great one...I love it!). Anyway, I met a girl there & we were talking about what else was going on in our lives that we would have to plan our training around. She's in her last semester of nursing school - big time busy, especially since she also has a job. Then I told her what else I had going on & as I listened to myself I started to FREAK OUT just a little bit in the back of my head. Here's what I listed for her:

• I work two jobs (about 51 hours a week)
• I am finishing a complete remodel of my house
• After the house is done, I have to finish moving & unpacking
• I'm planning a July wedding

Oh. My. No point in totally losing it now. I already signed up for all of this. I've paid the money & now it's time to get the job done. Let's just say that a planner is on the top of my shopping list. I'm going to need to be super organized (ha ha ha) to get it all done & not loose all of my hair in the process (FYI, stress really CAN make your hair fall out).

I'm going to become a SUPER DUPER To Do List Maker!

* this post is actually a clever plea for your prayers ;-)

It's Official!

Drum roll please...I would like to announce that Mike & I have finally decided on a date for our wedding! And it's totally official b/c I've added a ticker to my blog ;-)

The big day will be Saturday, July 11th. I think with an anniversary date like 07/11 neither one of us should ever forget our anniversary!

I hope to take my first dress shopping trip this Saturday with my mom & sister. I'm totally encouraged by the fact that I found two whole dresses on-line that I actually liked. I had started to feel some dismay when I had looked through several magazines & web-sites only to say yuck, yuck, yuck to almost every dress. I'm just not a fan of strapless. or lots of lace. or lots of ruffles. or big full skirts. I want to be able to stand close to the man, for goodness sake!

So, let the preparations begin in earnest. Any of you married (or just especially knowledgeable) folks out there should feel free to pass on any tips for me. Especially if they involve saving money or getting things done quickly & easily ;-) Or any suggestions about the program - songs that can be sung, or readings, or anything. I am kind of shocked at my normally opinionated self - I don't have any idea what I want when it comes to this wedding! Help!

Still Alive & Kickin'!

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post. And since this past weekend when I was kindly urged by some family (you know who you are, D&L!) to get on here & say something - here I am!
Thanksgiving was great. I got up, puttered around my house, went for a run, & then headed over to Mom & Dad's to make some noodles. I went to Mike's grandma's with him for the noonish time meal & then we went to my parent's for the 4ish time meal. Needless to say, we weren't very hungry for round two. I feel kind of bad for my mom b/c the meal at their house is always #2 for her kids. We just don't have too much appetite for another round. But, I did eat her stuffing with much more gusto that Grandma Stewart's oyster stuffing. OH MY! Does anybody out there like that oyster stuff?
The day after Thanksgiving started early. I had to work my 2nd job from 2-9, so I had to get my shopping done quick! My family has a completely insane tradition of shopping on Black Friday. It's not just me & my parents; it's also my siblings & their families, my grandparents, & my aunt & uncle. All in all, it's 15 people. We can't count Mike b/c he says he would have to smoke some weed to be able to go out that day. So I gladly let him stay home ;-) So I shopped, I worked, & then I crashed. Saturday was a lot the same.
Sunday morning was when things just went totally south. I had the feeling that I was coming down with something late Saturday night. I woke up & my left ear was really painfully achy. I hadn't had that feeling since I was a little kid. Sunday morning I got up & just felt really draggy as I got ready for church but I was hoping I'd shake it off after I had some coffee. It was a 5th Sunday so we had our regular morning service, a fellowship carry-in dinner & then an afternoon service. We also had a short choir practice after that for the Christmas Cantata. I got home at about 3:30, changed my clothes, & drove myself to the urgent care clinic. My ear was hurting very badly & my throat was getting scratchy. NOT GOOD. I waited forever (trying not to think about how I was breathing in all the germs from the other sick people) & finally saw the doctor. He thought it might be a mild ear infection. I was chilling but had not developed a fever so he wrote a script for a z-pack & sent me on my way. I got it filled & started taking it immediately. Went home, Mike came by & tucked me in & I was asleep by 8:30 or 9:00.
Monday was worse. In fact, it was probably about the worst day of sickness. My fever was around 103 for hours & my throat was full of infection (I'll spare you the details). I called my regular doctor & he advised me to go to the ER or see him first thing the next morning. I opted not to rack up a bajillion dollar hospital bill & waited to see him Tuesday morning.
So, I'm at the doctor's getting a chest x-ray & blood work b/c he thinks I either have pneumonia, mono, or leukemia. Yep, leukemia. Evidently it can start with a terrible throat infection. Who knew? My mom took me home to wait for the phone call. At this point I'm pretty upset. I didn't' really think I had leukemia, but I was really concerned about the mono thing. I didn't want to think about how long that can linger & how it affects the rest of your life. Scary stuff.
The phone finally rings that afternoon. Leukemia - no. Mono - no. So what gives? What is making me so miserable??? Acute tonsillitis. I never knew it could be so bad. I was given strict orders not to go anywhere until I had seen the Doctor again the following Monday & he gave me a ten day course of Levaquin (an antibiotic that has the side effect of rupturing tendons - how fun!).
So, ten days of drugs later I am feeling pretty ok. I still get really tired by the end of the day. I think I have begun to realize that I need more sleep on a regular basis. I just can't do what I used to do - how sad...I'm aging!
And it seems like the last couple of days I've been surrounded by people with upset stomachs. Fun! I am terrified of the stomach flu. I am scared to throw up. I am scared about feeling nauseous. Am I the only one? Seriously, I should probably be counseled about it; it's a huge stronghold of fear in my mind. Pathetic, I know.
Anyway, I spent a whole week at my house & I really loved having the quiet time there by myself. I got to feeling a lot more comfortable there. I know the sounds & smells better, if you know what I mean. The worst part of the whole deal is that I didn't have any paid time off left. My company is a little unconventional in the way that they handle vacation, sick time & personal time. It's all considered the same & they are fairly liberal with how much you get (I'm a six year employee & I get 26 days a year plus 7 paid holidays). The catch is that none of your days carry over year to year so many employees are trying to get their last days of in December. Since we only have 9 employees I try to make sure all my time is used up so that we aren't too short-staffed. Well, let's just say that plan totally came back to haunt me. I missed 5 1/2 days of work with no pay. And I missed all of my scheduled hours at my 2nd job, too. So it's going to be interesting the next couple of weeks as I figure out where to cut some corners. I had some money saved (thank God!) but that is kind of a lot to cover, especially this time of the year when I had been spending a little more for Christmas gifts & things.
All of this to say, the Lord has been right here with me the whole time. I am so grateful to Him for protecting me when I am afraid, helping me sleep when I don't feel well, & comforting me with His Word. I had some wonderful hours during that week just reading my Bible & loving it more than I have in quite some time (to my shame). I also had a nice visit with my sister. She came by one morning & we spent an hour just catching up & enjoying each other's company. Somehow I let my life get too busy/overwhelming to delight in those kinds of moments on a regular basis.
NEWS FLASH!!! I just got a text from Mike that says he is NOT getting laid off at the end of this week. Thank God they are keeping 65 employees & he is one of them. The Lord has been so good to answer prayer in this matter.
I have more great stories to tell, but they will have to wait for a later date. Hopefully soon I can give you some details about the wedding. We haven't planned much b/c we were waiting to see if Mike would be laid off. That question has been now been answered so it's time to move forward!

Sooo...Now What?

So, now I'm engaged. I have this beautiful ring, I have this guy I really love that I want to marry & now what? I had started picking up bridal magazines here & there. I flipped through them all & looked at all the wedding dresses online at David's Bridal. Hmmm...I don't really like anything. I hate strapless. I hate foofey. I really don't like the idea of spending tons of moola ('cause we don't have it). And then Mike got The Letter.
The Letter would be a layoff notice from his employer. He has worked for the same manufacturing company for about 13 years. The company is experiencing some hard times & truthfully there have been layoffs going on at different times for over a year. Silly me, I kept saying, "You've been there so long they'll have to shut the plant before they get to you!" Hmmm...guess what? They might shut the plant.
The Letter says that as of December 18th there will be a plant-wide layoff. Of course, they expect this layoff to be temporary. They usually have a shut-down period of about two weeks over the holiday anyway. So, my thinking is that they are not sure at this point if they will be able to keep this plant open. They lay everyone off & then they can save some money because they won't have to pay them holiday pay (bah humbug!). Then if they need to shut down, it's already in process. In the employee meeting that was held, they said that they intended to call about 70 workers back as of January 5th. Mike is about #45 in seniority. If they call back by seniority, he should be included. Since they aren't union, who knows what criteria they will use to select employees to call back. Higher seniority = higher rate of pay so that may cook his goose.
Sooo...now what? I was thinking April for the wedding. Now we're not so sure. I've been kind of discouraged about it. But my heart & mind keeping coming back to the assurance that the Lord is in control. He knows all about it; He knows our anxieties & our desires. He will lead us for the right timing for our wedding & I'm praying He'll provide great deals along the way as we plan things.
In conclusion, if you're wondering when we will set the date for our nuptials, just know that we're wondering, too! And praying & seeking the Lord's will. Pray along with us, please.

All the Nitty Gritty Details!

For those of you who are interested, here is the extended version of our engagement story...



At the beginning of the week of October 20th, Mike suggested to me that we do something fun together on the following Saturday. Since I bought my house we have been on very few actual dates (unless you count trips to Lowes & Menards) & it has been a long time since we had done anything that wasn't family related. I readily agreed. Later that week my brother & his family decided they would come up from Kentucky for the weekend. Friday night was quickly planned full with a backyard campfire cookout for my dad's birthday (2 weeks late). A good time was had by all, but I was wondering how I could get some extra visiting time in with my niece & nephew & still do something fun with Mike that next day. I got up early (Mike doesn't usually so that worked in my favor) & went to a homecoming parade with my family. After that I picked Mike up & we went to Nashville for a few hours. It's a wonderful little town that has street after street of artsy gift shops. We had a really nice time just wandering around, looking, & even doing a little buying. I was very suspicious that he was going to take a moment somewhere during the day & ask me. We were in several really nice picturesque places but nothing happened. Hmmm....

As the afternoon wore on we were in a bit of a rush to get back to town for dinner at Olive Garden with the family. I know, I know...my family gets together so much it's probably damaging. Anyway - no proposal on Saturday.

Fast forward to Monday, October 27th. Mike had asked me if I would come over to his apartment for dinner in between my packing & getting ready for the Vienna trip craziness. I agreed with my suspicions once again fully aroused. That day was the one year anniversary of our first date. About 4:30 he called & said that his afternoon had not gone according to plan & he didn't have a plan for what to cook for dinner so would I please pick up a pizza on my way to his place? Once again, I'm confused. Pizza is not a very special dinner. In fact, we've had pizza a bizillion times since we've been dating. I was a bit disappointed. So I ordered pizza & headed out to his place. When I got there I noticed that his little kitchen table for two had been moved. Normally it sets in the wide doorway between the tiny kitchen & tiny living room. I walked into the kitchen & this is what I saw:

He's so funny! He was all nervous. He had gotten 2 dozen beautiful red roses & he had worked really hard to get his new candles to look all drippy. What a guy. He asked, I said yes, we ate pizza, took some bad pics that I will probably never post b/c we look so tired & goofy, & then we went to my parents house to show off my beautiful ring.

It was perfectly Michael. He's not one for big showy, fancy things & I loved the way he proposed b/c it was simple & beautiful.

Anybody else want to share their engagement story?

I've Got Some News!

I'm happy to confirm the vicious rumor that yes, I am engaged! Mike proposed to me two weeks ago today on October 27th, our one year dating anniversary. That was also the night right before I left for Vienna. I was a little surprised, but not completely. I knew he had the ring (we had designed it & picked it out together) I just didn't know for sure when I was going to get it ;-) You can't tell a whole lot from the picture, but the ring is in white gold with a pear shaped diamond in the center. There are pear shaped sapphires on the sides. So very pretty!

I haven't posted sooner b/c I've been trying to call friends & family to let them know first-hand. It's taking awhile & some of you are still going to get a call :-) We haven't set a firm date for the wedding yet, but we're thinking April 11th or 25th. I've also got to decide if I can plan a wedding & train for the Indy Mini!

So it's exciting times here. I'll blog about Vienna & give wedding details as they come together!