Fun week!

So I know that I have a final and paper due soon, but the past few days have been packed full of fun time with family and friends. I did get some studying done today, but hopefully the next few days will allow more focused study time :-) So this past weekend my cousin/maid of honor Rara came to visit me. It was so refreshing to see her and just spend time catching up. I miss her when she is gone! We went to the beach, spent time with her good friend Mitchell, and went to Displace Me, an event put on by Invisible Children in order to raise awareness about the genocide going on in Africa. Then we both went to my kitchen shower put on by Wes' mom and sister and a good friend of ours. My mom and grandmother flew in Sunday as well for the shower. It was so fun. It was an interactive cooking lesson during which we prepared the dinner that we ended up eating. Wes was super happy to hear that Teri's good friends chipped in to buy us an awesome grill. It is surreal to be getting gifts that will adorn our new home in a week or two. It seems as though time is passing quicker than normal these days :-)

I have been staying with my mom and grandmother in their hotel for the past few days. Today my mom and I had hair appointments with the guy who will be doing my hair for the wedding, and tomorrow is my last dress fitting. My grandmother has never seen my dress (no one has except my mom and other grandparents by picture), and I am excited for her to be here to experience this time with us. Wes met us for breakfast this morning, and last night we all had dinner (Wes and my brother Mike included) with a second cousin Mimi who I haven't seen in a long time and her new husband, Nick. It has really been a fun week, but I am missing my love since I am not staying at school right now and only get to see him briefly. He was gone this past weekend as well with his fraternity brothers on a farm doing guy things like dirt bike racing, flying, and looking for boars to hunt. I have to say, I am glad that I was excluded from the guy trip this time. I am sometimes tempted to join in for things like the upcoming Olympics, or a competition including most every sport you can think of, but as for the farm, I am glad I was with Rara :-)

Anyway, I am busy as ever, and I can't wait as always for June 23rd which is going to be here before I know it!

Here is a picture from the shower:


me and mom

Update

Well... I thought I would have more time to write here after volleyball ended and as classes come to a close, but it turns out there is always something to keep me busy. We all have so much going on it seems, and sometimes I have to remind myself to take a minute or two and just sit and appreciate all that I have been blessed with and by. These past six months have been awesome in so many ways, and I never stop learning that is for sure. The Lord is teaching me more about what it means to be part of a team and to put Wes before myself while staying true to the thoughts and feelings that the Lord puts on my heart. I am so thankful for the way that Wes loves me so incredibly and selflessly.

Wes and I spent last Saturday with Dave and Jan, our extended family as well as our Christian marriage counselors. We were so encouraged by our time with them and were able to experience wonderful fellowship, food, and conversation. We so look forward to spending more time with them. They are such a fun couple! The whole weekend served to reinforce and affirm my confidence in my relationship with Wes. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord has blessed us in a special way through each other.

I can't believe that graduation is aroud the corner and the wedding is less than two months away.... anyway, I gotta run, but I am so excited. Rara, my cousin/best friend/maid of honor is coming in town tomorrow. I can't wait!

"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it".

I can't believe next week is the last week of classes in my college career. Maybe someday it will hit me. Graduation has recently been overshadowed by this other big event in my life, my wedding, but it is a huge milestone as well. It seems like the last four years has flown by and yet it seems like it has been forever since I was in high school much less my freshman year of college. I have definately learned a lot since then, and I know there is a lot to learn as well in the coming months/years.

I miss my cousin Rara... she is far away, and I don't get to talk to her as often as I would like. I am jealous of my friend Linda who gets to see her everyday :-( I also miss my future brother Lucas who came to visit for a few days when I was away. I got to see him for an hour, but he too lives far away and won't be living close by soon if ever. What a blessing though to have such wonderful people in my life who I want to spend time with. They are the greatest!!

Not much of an update on the wedding, but Kacey and Wes' sister Heather, are hosting a kitchen shower for me in two weeks which should be really fun because we get a hands on cooking lesson during it. I love food, but I could definately improve my skills in the kitchen. I am looking forward to having more time now that volleyball is over to make some dinners for my love. Last night I got to cook for him, nothing fancy, but it was fun :-) Then again, any time I get to spend with Wesley is fun!! He is the most incredible fiance/love of my life/friend ever!!!

Been a while...

So Nationals for volleyball was such a good time. My team really played well together and we won our first five matches on Thursday and Friday, but then we lost first round on Saturday in the gold bracket, leaving us 9th out of 60 teams. It was kinda a bummer because we lost 27-25, 25-23 to Purdue. We were up 8 pts in the first game and then they came back and beat us. They made it to the semi-finals and just barely lost to University of Texas who beat Marquet but a lot! in the finals. We could have definately played with all the teams there so it was too bad to get knocked out so early on Saturday, but my team was so happy to have played well as a team that we were ok with the results. All the seniors started crying, myself included, and even our coach teared up a little saying how proud he was to have been our coach. It was a pretty special time with the team, and I am really going to miss the girls.

As for the wedding, the days are counting down. I think we are now at 9 weeks, around 68 days according to our website countdown! Hopefully we will get the invitations out soon. I guess they are still at the printer. We also have to start figuring out details like transportation and where everyone will stay, what the schedule will be when everyone is there, and other final details. My last dress fitting is in two weeks along with my second make-up and hair run throughs. Exciting stuff!

Now for the last few weeks of school... I have some catching up to do, but not much time left! I can't wait for the next phase of life. Who knows exactly what that will look like yet (in school, having a job?, etc.), but I am so excited!

No Time Right Now

Well, I just got back from home yesterday in time for a few classes and some much needed catch up time with the love of my life, and now I am packing and a little late to Bible study. I will leave the study early for the airport and am off to Nationals to wrap up my senior volleyball season. It should be a good time and hopefully we play well. Both of my parents are coming Thurs-Sun which is a real blessing. I am excited to have some good time with them. I was just home but there was a lot going on with the tennis tournament. I can't believe that I have only a few weeks left in the year before graduation, and of course... my wedding :-) I am so beyond blessed... wish me luck at Nationals!

Time is flying by

It seems like the past few months have gone by so quickly. I am now at home with my family for Easter and there is a tennis tournament going on at the club nearby. We are housing three players and their coaches, so we have a full house right now, but it is definately fun to have a lot of people around. It is cold and rainy today though so hopefully the sun comes out soon. I am having a good time so far, and it is fun to see the family. My mom and I also just recieved the final drawings from the florist and everything is looking great. I can't believe the wedding is right around the corner. People always ask me if I am excited... how could I not be!! I can't wait!

Great Weekend!

My volleyball team won our League Championship tournament on Sunday. We haven't performed well in tournaments so far, but we came to play and all had such a great time yesterday. I am not sure whether it was more fun to win or to have my loving fiance there supporting me all day long. He would leave during breaks between games to do things like surf, say hi to a buddy twenty minutes away, and go for a run... he said he might not be back in time, but he would for sure make a few games, but at the time that every game started, there he was :-) He is too sweet! We were in the gym from 9 am to 8:30 pm, but it was a great day. And the night before we got to stay with one of our best friend's families. Eric is Wes' roommate and couldn't come down with us, but we stayed at his house, and his dad took Wes and I out to dinner along with all four of Eric's siblings. It was so fun, and then we got to talk with Eric's dad for hours after dinner about our wedding, our relationship, and life in general. He is so supportive and is wonderful to talk to! Then Wes and I got to start going over a few more chapters in our marriage workbook on Saturday and Sunday. We are also working to finalize the guest list and date for a shower our friend wants to throw for us. What a great time! I love my fiance and am so blessed by him. I can't wait for another weekend where we get to spend good quality time together. It won't happen for another three weeks or so, but I just love that time so much.

Best day

Today I got to go to the beach with my fiance and just hang out for hours talking... about the wedding, our future marriage, our goals and expectations, etc. It has been so long since we have had the time in our busy and somewhat conflicting schedules to just sit and get to read through these pre-marriage books we have been given and really reflect on our relationship, what is important to us, and what we are looking forward to. You know, it was one of those days where we didn't do that much, but that was the beauty of it. We met up with Josh, a high school buddy of Wes', then visited with his mom for a minute trying to work out details of a potential wedding shower, went to dinner at a great little Mexican spot (Wes' food of choice), stopped by Trader Joe's, rented a movie, and now he should be here shortly to watch it. Tomorrow we are heading down South to spend some more precious time together :-) and visit with one of our closest friend's family. He's here... gotta go.

Today...

Today was a busy yet fun day! It started out with a workout and breakfast at the hotel with my mom, then we went to look (unsucessfully) for a mother of the bride dress, then to a hair style/highlight/cut appointment, and finally, to my very first dress fitting! Exciting! My mom was only here for two days, but we packed a lot in and had a great time. She will be out quite a few more times before the wedding. She is planning to come for a shower out here maybe, the second dress fitting, my graduation, and she will drive out here with me with stuff to move into our future house. She is a really dedicated and loving mom. She is so helpful and involved which is great! It has definately been a blessing to have a mom who is so excited and supportive.

Then I came back to school for volleyball practice which ran late. I didn't get home until well after 10pm, but Wes was sweet and stayed to spend time with me even though he has a lot to do tomorrow and hasn't gotten much sleep the past few days. I better head to sleep now though, I am exhausted. That's all for now...

Big week

Tomorrow my mom is flying in, and we have a hair appointment to go to at 12 with the guy who will be traveling to the wedding with us followed by my first dress fitting!! Exciting stuff! I am going to stay with my mom Tues and Wed and then she flies back Thurs morning. Also, I passed the test on the US Constitution today that I had to pass before I can turn in my application for a teaching credential program. It was harder than I thought even after studying a little... sure am glad I passed :-) The Lord is good!! Wes had been interviewing a lot for next year. Hopefully we will know what he will be doing before school gets out and the wedding nears, but I don't want him to feel too much pressure which may be inevitable. I know the Lord will provide and that Wes will take care of me. One thing that we have been talking about is making sure we don't take on jobs that require us to spend weekends or any other excess amount of time apart. This year it has been hard because we have been busy almost every weekend (me mostly)... not hard on our relationship, but just hard because we miss each other when we don't get that time on the weekends to just hang out together. A lot of times when we see each other this semester it is in between classes or briefly after he bikes me home from volleyball. It is different when we get the kinda time where we can just sit and enjoy each others company. I remember one Sunday during the summer we both worked in Nicaragua. We laid next to each other on the ground of a room in the house where we lived with a bunch of other volunteers and talked ALL day... I am talking six or seven hours straight. It was one of the best days ever! I remember doing the same thing a few days after we met each other. We played ping-pong and sat and talked from afternoon until after sun-down. That is when you know you really have something great, when no matter how much time you spend with one another, you always want to spend more.... when you can talk for hours and never get bored, when you can just be together and not always need to fill the silence with words. I am so thankful and blessed by Wes! What an amazing time!!

Great day yesterday

Sorry I have not made as many entries lately. Both spring break and this week have been busy, and I suspect the next few weeks will be as well. Two days ago I had an advisement meeting for a teacher credentialing program I am thinking I will apply for (starts in the fall). All of a sudden the deadlines are approaching, and I did not know the extent of the application process until I got to this meeting. I have so much to do before next week... get fingerprinted at the police station, get TB test results, get copies of my transcripts, take a test on the Constitution which will require studying, apply to the university, get it, and then apply to the program by April 1st. Not to mention I have class most of the day today (and they don't give TB tests on Thursday), and then I leave tonight for Las Vegas. My volleyball team has a tournament in Vegas all day Friday and Saturday, then I should be home just in time to study the Constitution and take my test on Monday...

Back to the title of my post... yesterday I got to talk to Robin, my maid of honor, and Luke, Wes' brother and his best man, in one day! Robin is doing great and recently returned from Nicaragua where God did (an is doing) an amazing work in both the people that Robin and other volunteers interacted with, as well as the volunteers themselves. It was so good to talk to her about freedom and the victory we have in Christ! Yesterday afternoon I had a hair run-through with the hairstylist we will be bringing to the wedding, and I liked him much better than the other option! We are going to do it again next week and my mom is going to come out for a day or two, and hopefully my dress will be in for my first fitting! Exciting stuff! Then practice got canceled which ended up being such a blessing because I got to spend time with the love of my life who I didn't see much this week and won't see this weekend (until Sunday night which will for sure be a date night!). We got to go to a nice dinner and share crepes for dessert with one of Luke's good buddies from college, stephanie, who I happened to go to high school with back home. It was great spending time with her!

I have a lot of volleyball right now and am going home for Easter in a few weeks. Tomorrow is the three month mark! The day is quickly approaching... we are so happy!

Constant planning

So today I spent most of the afternoon with Wes' mom printing out pictures and going over which photos should be included in the slideshow for the wedding. It was a fun day, but who knew that looking through pictures could take so long? It was great spending time with Teri also! Then I had a super long volleyball practice, got a bite to eat, cleaned up a little (I think a bomb might have gone off in my room...oops), and now here I am, about to hit the sack and try to squeeze in some rest before getting up early to edit something for my brother and make it to an interview for a pre-teaching credential program. I have only been back a day, but I am right back in the swing of things. Gotta love it...

News from Maine

Yesterday I had way too much sugar, but the good news is, we have found a cake lady! My mom, Craig (the event planner) and myself took off on a two hour trip North to find a cake lady I found on the internet. We ended up lost on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and eventually made our way to Diane's kitchen, where she had set up a cake tasting including a printed out menu, waters, pens for note taking, and specially made cookie bridesmaid dresses with my initials on them for gifts. What an elaborate tasting. She has the cutest little quiet house with a beautiful view and we sat for an hour and tasted 11 cakes that were made specially for us. They were incredible, and we actually decided on five flavors to use... three in the groom's cake and two in the wedding cake. I won't give away all the details, but they were soo good! In fact, we came home from the tasting with half of the cakes left for my dad and my mom's cousin to taste and ended up retasting them ourselves and switching our choices. Pretty much all I ate aside from a nice dinner in Portland was cake! The cake lady also makes cookies which she ships and seem to keep her really busy. She can design anything you want her to, but she has a number of examples on her website. She also ships pound cakes, and I highly recommend her wild maine blueberry one for breakfast/brunch! You can find Diane at http://www.mainecakesandcookies.com/. Check it out!

Yesterday we also got about ten inches of snow here. When we got off the plane on Wednesday, it was 65 degrees, and yesterday it was back down in twenties and snowing. We braved it and made the trip to town for dinner, but it looks like I won't be doing much outdoors today. Yesterday, we also went to Damariscotta pottery on the way to the cake lady to the store where our fun pottery is coming from. I got to pick out a number of pieces that are being kept there for order. It was fun to pick out pieces myself instead of just looking through the hundreds my mom had.

Today is our last day in Maine and then back to school. It has been a fun and relaxing break with a lot of good food and good sleep. It will be good to get moving again and see my Wesley who I have only gotten to even speak to a couple times since the start of break. He is off in Canada skiing. I miss him! I am excited to see him tomorrow :-) That's all for now...

Update

I haven't had as much time to write since I have been home. My mom and seem to have a lot of errands to run. Today is our last day here, so we need to finish some details like measure my brother for his tux, take pictures of our plates to post on our website, visit with family who we haven't seen much in the past few days, get alterations done, etc. We have also had big dinners three out of the four nights I have been home. Last night we celbrated my brother's birthday a few days early at our house. My mom is an awesome cook! Hopefully I will learn to cook like her, or at least a little bit like her :-) I tell myself I haven't really learned yet because I don't have people to cook for. Wes and I are quite busy, and we don't seem to have time to cook dinner often if ever. Plus, when you only cook every once in a while, it is expensive because you have to get all the little ingredients that you would already have if you cook more often. So... hopefully once we are married I will have more fun cooking and more time to do it.

I am excited to go to Maine. The highlight might be our cake tasting. We sent seven flavors to the Maine Cakes and Cookies to taste including a normal vanilla butter cake and chocolate cake along with pumpkin cream cheese, carrot, italian cream, maple cinimmin butter, and german chocolate cakes. Hopefully we will have better luck with this place than we did at our last cake tasting... I have high hopes :-) I will probably have more to share when I get back from Maine...

So funny...

I wish I had a videotape of my uncle Charlie tonight after a few glasses of wine, going through all the old beatles albums, motown, aretha franklin (I don't know how to spell her name), and other old records. He plays in a band in Maine with a bunch of old buddies (he has grown up spending summers in Prout's as well), and they are going to play after our rehearsal dinner. My mom and dad started dancing in our living room, and pretty soon we were all doing the jitterbug to old beatles songs and getting super excited about the wedding and everything! I think uncle charlie is going to come over tomorrow and go through songs again. It was so fun! What a great night... we had an awesome dinner and hung out all night. My grandmother was here and so was my cousin who is going to be our ring bearer. He is so cute! He kept playing "Joyful Joyful we adore the..." on the piano and playing chess with my dad. He is quite competitive, and absolutely adorable!

Another big step was taken today. My mom and I got our act together and finally ordered the flower girl dress for Eliza (my beautiful cousin!). It is soo cute! I also got to try on my dress again because they had it at the store we were at. I am getting beyond excited!

Houston has been great so far, but I better get some sleep. We have a full day tomorrow with ladies doubles, the gym, researching tuxedos for the boys and ring bearer, going through songs with Uncle charlie, and whatever else comes up.

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

I can relax...

It has been one busy week so far. I haven't had much due until this week, and I just finished my paper for this class last night before my volleyball game (in which we beat UCLA, yeah!). The team is starting to play better, and there is a feeling of confidence and fun out on the court again. Today is going to be a busy one as well. I have class this morning, then an appointment with the makeup artist for the wedding, class from 2-6, and then I am hanging out with my Bible study girls tonight. I am exited to go to Houston... I leave the house at 4 am tomorrow. That's so early!

Anyway, is it wrong to still be dreaming about a camp I haven't been to since I was 16? I had the most vivid dream about Camp Ozark last night. I was back there, and it was so much fun. I got to be a counselor for a week (something I never ended up doing), and I was loving it! Then i woke up :-( Sometimes I wish I had gone back to be a counselor. It is the kind of thing I know would be so much fun for me, but there has been a clear purpose that the Lord has had me in the places where I have spent my summers in college.

That's all for now. Can't wait to see my family and head back to Maine!

Our Pottery

We are registered for an everyday china that can go in the microwave. It is simple, and we have ordered some in a cream color and some in a pale blue. These pictures are our fun pottery that we decided to get instead of a fancy china. They are each hand painted and every one is different. It is called Damariscotta Pottery and is made in Damariscotta Maine. My mom and I will go when we visit in March. These pieces are ones that I have picked out of my mom's collection. She is now selling them to people to give as gifts. I am excited to go to the place where it is made and see what they have out!

Pictures

Today is a busy day. I just came from class and the gym, now I am finishing studying for my exam at 2 pm, and I am about to go meet my incredible fiance for lunch. I was getting together pictures for Wes' mom, and I thought I would post a few more. They are from last summer.


In Maine


In Hawaii

School work

That's what I am up to right now. I have big midterm tomorrow and the paper for this class due Thursday. I have a volleyball game Wednesday, Thursday I am meeting with my makeup artist for the wedding, and then I leave at 5:45 am for Houston on Friday. I have to get back for a hair appointment in Houston... it continues. I knew there was a lot that goes into planning a wedding, but it is really amazing how a constant dialogue can continue for months on end. I emailed the florist again today to figure out what arrangments I want to see next week when we are in Maine. Then we were supposed to collect pictures for a slide show, but Wes and I still haven't gotten our act together... hopefully we will get those to Wes' mom within a few days. I love it though! Planning this wedding almost makes me want to go into event planning, but then I remember that it means working nights and weekends, and I want to be home with my husband. That and I really love working with kids! I need to start applying to credentialing programs soon. I passed the CBEST, and now I have to take the CSET, but I can't take it until May. Hopefully I will have more time after Spring Break to focus on what I will be doing next year. That's all for now... I am really looking forward to returning to Maine over Spring Break!

Quick update

I think I have found the bridesmaids jewelry :-) I got to spend all day yesterday with Chase's mom which was so great! She is such a talented jewler and a good friend! Then I had a volleyball tournament in Irvine today (and tomorrow). We won all four games, and even though it doesn't say much because the competition wasn't great, it was fun, and I think we are slowly getting out of our funk. I am excited to play again tomorrow... but for now, I am off to shower for my date with none other than the best fiance in the world! I am so blessed!

Oh, and I got the flower proposal from our florist in Maine complete with sketches and descriptions of the flowers we will have at each venue. I am super excited, and it is so fun to start seeing everything come together. The proposal is still in the works, but it is looking good! Fun stuff...

Not much

There is not that much going on right now. I mean the same details are being worked out like planning appointments for my trip to Maine with my parents in a week or two, but mostly I am getting work done this week. I had a midterm today (in my PE class, but still, I study), and I have a big one on Tuesday. Then I have a paper due for a class (the one I write this blog for actually) due in a week which will require a LOT of time. This weekend I have a volleyball tournament in Irvine, and as I previously mentioned, I will get to see Chase's mom on Friday. Then I come home for Saturday night in between tournament games, and I believe I will either get to go on a date or a double date, depending on Whitney and Matt's availability. Wes and I don't get as many dates this semester because of our busy schedules, so any chance I get to spend some alone time with him is awesome!! I get to have lunch with him on Tuesdays and Thursdays which means today was a good day :-) And then on Mondays and Wednesdays, he bikes me home from volleyball because it is dark and what can I say, he loves me and wants me to be safe. So I end up getting to see him most days which of course I love, but I am beyond excited for when I get to share a home with him! I think we might be by the beach the first year too so that's also something I look forward to. We both love to be active and be outdoors, and it will be great to live in an area where outdoor activities are so easily accessible!

Portland

Check out some scenes from Portland Maine (twenty minutes north of Prouts Neck where the wedding will take place). Some of our guests will be staying in Portland and seeing similar sights.


Sunset in Maine


Exchange Street in Portland

(I found these on flickr and there were more, but I couldn't figure out how to get the others onto the blog... maybe they are private). It's a beautiful place!

Chaser

Chase was going to be a groomsman in our wedding. He had a fatal skateboarding accident on November 9th, and I know that he is dancing the streets of gold in heaven with Jesus, but I miss him. I missed him a lot tonight. I got to talk to his mom this evening who helped Wes to get my engagement ring. Hopefully she will be able to come to Maine with Chase's twin sister, and I think I will see her this weekend. She is going to help me with the bridesmaids jewelry. I love his mom, and I really loved Chaser. He was one of the best friends anyone could ask for. He was Wes' roommate for two years, and I can honestly say he loved people more genuinely than anyone I know. He would cry when you cried and laugh when you laughed. He was the first friend I called when Wes asked me to marry him, and when Wes showed him the ring the night before, he started crying he was so happy for us. His faith was not only the strength of his life, but an encouragement to all those around him. The Lord even used Chase as he lay in the hospital, giving us scriptures through the last email Chaser had sent to his Bible study. Psalm 73:23-28 will forever remind me of Chase and the incredible hope and faith he had in the Lord...how appropriate were those words! It saddens me that Chaser will not be standing next to us on June 23rd, but I have hope and peace in knowing that Chaser is with the Lord he loved more than life, and someday I will stand next to him in heaven. Even still... I miss him.


Chaser


Haug (one of his closest friends) and Chaser... so cute!


Chaser and Haug on top of the world


One of my favorites :-) He loved to dance.

Busy day

Today I was back to planning. I talked to my mom about five times today trying to nail down details about the episcopal clergy who will be marrying us along with how to integrate Dave (our marriage counselor and co-officient). We were working on lodging, transportation, and planning our trip to Maine in March. I talked to Craig again today about details like the tent and other flower arrangements I am thinking of. Also, we think we have found a good cake place that we are excited about, and now we just need to be sure we can meet with them over spring break.

This morning I got to see Teri (Wes' mom). We had lunch and talked wedding, and then she went with me to Bed Bath & Beyond to update the registry. It is so great spending time with Wes' family (soon to be mine as well:-) ! On Wednesday last week and then Friday morning, Wes and I got to see our little Godson, Breydon. His sister, Heather, was in town for the week with the little one. Here are pictures from the visit:


Breydon with Wes


Another with Wes


Me with the little guy


The happy couple :-)

Back from Houston

So it was a short but fun weekend. Wes and I arrived inHouston Friday evening. That night my mom had invited over about twenty family friends. We had my mom's famous lasagna and chatted. Wes has met a number of my family's friends in Houston now, but it was really nice for him to meet more people and get to spend more time with those he had already met. We had so much fun hanging out with Jennie and Hawk Friday night as well. They are so sweet, and hanging out with them was yet another reminder of why they are two of my best friends in the world and always will be. They are two of the most loyal, loving, and just plain fun people I know!

Then on Saturday, we spent time at the gym with my brother, Mike, and then we went to my Grandparents house. Grandmother and Pops are getting older, and they don't leave the house much anymore, so it was truly a blessing to get to spend time with them. We ended up getting the majority of the grandkids over at once... it was a really special afternoon. Then we went to a cocktail party hosted by two couples my parents are friends with and Bess, who I feel like I have known forever. They were so sweet to host the event, and again, it was a great opportunity to introduce Wes to a number of people that he hasn't met yet (and some that I hadn't met or hadn't seen in years).

Then Sunday we to church, and then to brunch for my cousin (and maid of honor) Robin's birthday. After brunch we packed up and hopped back on the plane. We went to dinner with Wes' parents when we got into LA and now here I am, back at school.

As far as the wedding plans go, we tasted a cake from another bakery in Maine that they sent to Houston for us this weekend, and though cream cheese pound cake is not exactly a wedding cake, the cake itself was awesome! This gives us hope for this bakery (I forget the name). We will taste other flavors when we are back in Maine in a little over two weeks. We talked a little about details in Houston, but in the next few days, we are going to start getting together appointments for our trip to Maine like a hair-run through, meeting with the florist, full menu tasting, etc. We are also still in the process of figuring out the lodging situation, and we need to start thinking about transportation. Also, Wes and I will hopefully look into getting our wedding rings after spring break in a few weeks, and in the next few days we need to start getting organized and figure out what exactly Wes and the groomsmen will need to wear. It is time to start nailing down some of these details :-)

Then, we are supposed to get together pictures from growing up/ friends/ family for a slide show by the end of this week... here is one I love of me and my brothers when we were little. Also, here is another picture of my brother, Michael, who goes to school with me, and who I will probably mention more in the future. Love him!


Me, Mike, Richard


Wes, Me, Mike

Don't know why I am awake

I am waking up to take my brother to the airport at about 3:50 am tomorrow morning. Wes and I are picking him up around 4:15, dropping him off, then going to Wes' parents' house. Hopefully we will get to nap before breakfast. We are getting breakfast with his parents and sister who is still in town with our little Godson. Then we are off to Houston! I am so excited to see my parents, and I am starting to gear up for a lot of socializing. We have a casual dinner Friday night, a coctail buffet in our honor on Saturday night, and a brunch for Rara's birthday on Sunday (my cousin and maid of honor). I can't wait to see her! It has been way too long. Anyway, I don't know why I am awake right now. I am not that tired... probably because I had a craving and just made a bannana boat. They are soo good. Whitney told me the recipe. You slice a bannana in half and coat the insides with peanut butter. Then drizzle raisins, pecan pieces, and coconut. Then drizzle honey on the top and put the halves back together kinda and put it on tinfoil. Then wrap the tinfoil up around the bananna (you can leave the top open), cook on 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, and you have a healthy substitute for dessert! I love sweets, but I am trying to find healthier options. There are a number of other recipes Whitney and I want to try. I will let you know how they go. Hopefully by the time June rolls around I will be better in the kitchen and have a number of good recipes to try out on Wes.

PS. If anyone knows any really great recipes I should learn how to cook for Wesley, do not hestitate to let me know :-) Help is always appreciated!

More pics from the shower

Thanks to Jennie, I have recieved more pictures from the Kitchen shower my bridesmaids gave me in January. Jennie and her mom found the best cake! I don't know where the got it from, but I wish they made cakes like this one in Maine :-) It was so good.

I got to talk to Robin for the first time in a while today. I am really excited to go to Houston with Wes this weekend. One weekend off volleyball will be a nice change. We had a game tonight in Irvine, and I didn't get home until after 12:15 am. Luckily we won, but we took it to five games and had to win by two. I am now a permanant outside hitter. One of our star players tore her ACL (we think) this past weekend, and I went from middle, a postition I have played for my entire volleyball career, to outside hitter. It is fun because I am on the court more than I was at middle because there are four middles and only one plays at once, but I don't get to hit the sets I love. Oh well, whatever the team needs!

I also got to see my Godson today, Breydon. Wes' sister, Heather, asked Wes and I to be the Godparents to her little five month old a few months ago. We were so honored. He was a little fussy today but sooo cute! I hope we continue getting to see him often going forward. It will be great if Chris and Heather move back to LA (from San Francisco). We would love for them to be close!

Anyway, here are the pictures I mentioned:

Jennie again

I can't say enough about having Jennie as a bridesmaid... I think if nursing doesn't work out for her that she will always have a job in the wedding plannig business. Who would not want her involved in their wedding? She is so sweet and emailed me today to get pictures of the potential flowers we will be using. If I could have her in Maine with me going over every detail I would (she would probably get sick of me by then though :-) Jen... you are the best!

An exciting detail that Jennie informed me of today is that four out of my five Houston bridesmaids will be in town next weekend when Wes and I visit. I am soooo excited to see them! The only one missing will be Jane. I know they will be busy, but I can't wait for them to spend some more time with Wes. They are all so important to me, and I want for them to know the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with!

I also had a great talk with Heather tonight, my roommate and bridesmaid (I have quite a few... I am blessed!). It was so good to catch up with her and hear her heart. Even though we live together we are both really busy, so it was great to spend time together tonight after Bible study.

That's all for now. It is almost the four month mark! Exciting!

Kitchen Shower

My Houston bridesmaids had a kitchen shower in January during the end of Christmas break, and I just found a few pictures on a friend's facebook page. I thought I would post them. The girls sitting on the couch with me are my bridesmaids.



On Couch: Jane, Hawk, Gar, Robin, Me, Jennie


Jane, Hawk, Gar


Hawk, Gar, Robin, Me, Jennie

Back from Davis

So the tournament did not go quite as planned. The first day one of our star outside hitters came down wrong on her knee and tore something. She is on crutches now, and I went from a middle to an outside hitter for the tournament. The line-ups were all new for us, and we were missing a number of players, but that does not excuse our play the second day. We played fairly well Saturday, but this morning was not our best performance. Anyway, next weekend Wes and I go to Houston, and then we have a tournament in Irvine. Then after spring break we have a tournament in Vegas and then Nationals in Kentucky. Hopefully we learn from this weekend and pick it up in the upcoming tournaments.

So Craig (the wedding coordinator) said he will be able to have one of the cake places send a chocolate cake for Wes and I to taste next weekend in Houston. I guess they won't send much, but they will send a chocolate one. Also, Craig found out the Episcopalian priest who will be marrying Wes and me. Dave, our Christian marriage counselor and Wes' brother-in-law's dad, will do the majority of the service, but the church requires the vows to be performed by a preist who is ordained in the Episcopalian denomination.

That's all for right now. Hopefully my dress comes in soon. I ordered it in October, and I think my first fitting is the middle of March. I wasn't given specifics, but Saks is supposed to call when it comes in. I'm excited!

Away for the weekend

I won't be seeing Wesley this weekend. I am off to Davis tonight to play in a volleyball tournament with my club team on Saturday and Sunday. We will finally have some really good competition at this tournament I think. We have played a number of games and only lost one to a team that we had beaten before. I think we are really good when we bring our A game, but sometimes you don't know how you will match up against top teams until you play some of them. Hopefully this weekend will be a good test of our abilities.

This morning I worked out with Whitney. We are starting to work out regularly together. It is easier to get in shape when you have a friend to do it with, and she has been an awesome workout partner. I am also going to try to cook sometimes. Whitney is coming over now to make something that can be substituted for dessert: a baked bannana with peanut butter, nuts, honey, and raisins... I think that is the recipe. I will let you know how it goes. I want to learn how to cook more recipes that I can try out on Wes in a few months :-) He doesn't like vegetables, so I am going to try some different ways of preparing them and see if I can't get him to like them. I am so excited to be a wife. Joy said that school doesn't teach women skills for the home anymore. I think either her or Kasey was a home ec major, but I don't think that major is available anymore. There is so much I want to learn, and I am thankful to have older women to teach me. Not only about having a Christ-centered marriage, but also about the basics of being a wife and loving your husband!

Valentine's Day (one day late)

This Valentine's day was one to remember. Not because anything big happened, but because I got to spend time with my valentine :-) Wes was supposed to be working all day or at least most of it, and then he was asked to take an appointment with a trainer which would have been great for him in preparation for a big upcoming ski-trip. But he dropped everything to come back to campus and spend time with me. He brought me beautiful roses that match our wedding colors, and he wrote me the sweetest card. He is really thoughtful when he writes, and he really means every word he says unlike me. Not that I don't mean what I say, but I kinda write as thoughts come to me, and I do so much more frequently and quicker for sure. He must have recieved hundreds of cards from me when we first started dating, and I would probably have continued to send them, but I have started considering the cost and now use email more often than not :-) But I absolutely love it whenever I get one of Wes' well-thought-out and adoringly sweet cards.

My favorite part was the handwritten certificate inside for dinner at the Melting Pot and dessert at 21 choices, an evening out we had discussed would be fun. It is for any night of my choosing! Wes knew that we couldn't go out to dinner on Valentine's day because of my volleyball practice, but he knew it was important to me (as it always is) to get time alone with him to just be together and enjoy each other's company.

Another reason why yesterday was so special is because Wes is not accustomed to celebrating, much less recognizing Valentine's day. He did not grow up with beanie babies and big cards awaiting him on the kitchen table every February 14th. He always thought of the day as a Hallmark holiday and found no good reason to recognize it nor spend money supporting the holiday that celebrates something that he celebrates every day: love. Thus, last year we decided that we would not do anything special for valentine's day. I tried to get around this rule by making him brownies and ice cream, and eventually it came out that though I understand that the holiday is trivial and needs no recognition, I want to celebrate it because it is a great opportunity to focus on the love that we share together and an excuse to do something special for one another or just be together. I decided that I did not want to celebrate Valentine's day with my friends and family and not with the man that I love and am going to spend the rest of my life with.

Thus, this year was the first of hopefully many more special Valentine's days that we will share together. I don't need much nor do I expect it; I just like to take the time to appreciate one another, and that is exactly what we got to do yesterday. Wes does not need to plan something elaborate or spend an exorbitant amount of money to make me feel special, in fact, that would be unlike him. He is simple in a really good way. He always makes me feel so loved by the little things he does for me like biking me home from volleyball practice when it is dark out, doing my laundry becuase we don't have machines at our apartment, and a million other things. Yesterday was just another reminder of how good he is to me and what an incredible blessing Wes is in my life.

Kelly and Walker

Wes and I recieved an invitation to a coctail party that my parents' friends are having in our honor a week from Saturday in Houston. It will be a great opportunity for people to meet Wes and get to know him better. My parents are also planning to have a casual dinner at our house that Friday night, and we have invited Kelly and Billy. Kelly was my babysitter/nanny from third grade through high school (not that I needed one through high school :-) She lived above our garage for years, and she is probably the inspiration for my potential teaching career. I want to teach fourth or fifth grade, and no suprise, she's a fourth/fifth grade teacher. I used to go into her classroom and help the students, and I always loved grading papers. I would ask about her kids as I would teach my younger brother on the chalkboard in our hallway. I would sit my dolls in their desks and teach imaginary classes.

Kelly was not only an inspiration when it comes to my future career, but she has also been a great friend. She is now in her thirties and married with one kid, Walker, and another on the way (hopefully a Malory Elizabeth... we used to always pick our favorite baby names, and while mine seem to change yearly, hers has always been the same). I was a bridesmaid in Kelly's wedding, and though I don't think they will be able to make it to Maine with the baby's due date being right around the wedding, they will be missed.


Me and Walker

Gar

Gar is one of my very closest friends and a bridesmaid in my wedding. I have known her since I was four, and we have been great friends ever since. I would actually probably get in trouble for calling her Gar online... I might be the only one other than Wes to call her that now (he does because I do). When we were in third grade, Gar, Hawk, and I all played on the same basketball team that my dad coached. Their full names are Laura Garwood and Laura Hawkins. Having two Laura's on a sports team is fairly difficult, especially when you need to get their attention quickly to pass, etc. So they got the names Gar and Hawk, and I don't think I've called them Laura since.

I remember when Gar and I would take walks with orange pops, play dressup (captured all too nicely in many a picture), and sing country songs with Jennie while my dad recorded us on film. We were the three muskateers with Hawk at one point. We dressed in Looney toones tie die tshirts and matching looney toons high tops. We wrote a song, and I think we really thought we would be on TV. We have come a long way since then, but one thing I love about Gar is our friendship never changes. We may not see each other all the time (especially now that she is in school on the East coast), but regardless of what we are doing or how long it has been since we have caught up, she is still one of my very closest friends and we still go on walks. I know she will always be there for me as I will for her, and I can talk to her about anything and everything. I remember when they announced Gar's name at high school graduation. I started crying. Our friendship has meant so much to me!

I am so glad that Gar will be by my side during my wedding, and I can't wait for her to get to spend more time with Wes.


Gar


Jane, Hawk, Jennie, and Gar (four of my bridesmaids)

A few things

The save the date cards finally arrived yesterday after being engaged for four months, or so I was told. We didn't really think we needed one at first because we aren't inviting as many people to Maine as we will the reception in Houston after, but we quickly realized we were wrong. The most important informaion on the save the date card is the link to the website where all the flight, lodging, and logistical information is located.

I am continuing to exchange emails with the florist and event coordinator in Maine. Wes and I might actually get to taste cakes sent from Maine when we go to Houston in a week and a half. Exciting! That will be one of the first wedding planning things we have done together. I think Wes is going to play a bigger role in shaping the ceremony. Unfortunately we still have not found a summer clergy who has preached at the church to marry us yet. A woman from Maine is working on finding out who that will be, but we can't do much to plan the ceremony until we know what role the Episcopalian minister will play and what Dave Congo, Wes' brother-in-law's dad, can do. He will do the message part of the ceremony, but we don't know what exactly that entails.

That's pretty much it for now. I can't wait for June, and I can't believe that the wedding is just over four months away now! Exciting!!

This Weekend

This weekend was so fun! I got to spend a lot of time with Wes which, of course, I love! Friday night we had dinner with Travis and Nikita, and then Saturday night we went to Marie Calendars, Golden Spoon (in Torrence... who knew there was one so close? :-) , and then to the movies. It was our first ever alone date to the movies, which I have to say is pretty good for having been together for over two and a half years. We have rented many a movie, but never gone to one in the theater together. Wes' mom, Teri, gave us two free passes at AMC, and we saw the Pursuit of Happiness, which I recommend almost as much as Freedom Writers. We saw Freedom Writers last week with Randy and Teri, and it was sooo good! I don't know if I just found it inspirational because I want to be a teacher and was encouraged by the story, but it was really good. Then, today I had a volleyball game at UCLA which we won. My dad is in town and came to the game. We also got to take a long walk with him and my brother on Saturday. It is so awesome to be spending time with Wes and my family. We have made it a priority to spend time with my family whenever they are out here, which seems to be a lot considering my parents live in Texas, but it is just so great to be able to talk about the wedding together and have everyone's one hundred percent support. My dad is so excited, and I can't tell you what a blessing that is!

This afternoon Wes and I got to play some tennis, go grocery shopping, fix dinner, and watch a movie at my house. I told him tonight that it is so aweosme to be in love because I get to do my absolute favorite thing in the world practically every day... which is to spend time with him (I am cheesy I know, but I mean it). Anyway, I better get some sleep, I have a paper to start working on tomorrow.


Me and my dad

June Weddings

Doug and Steph are our two friends getting married June 9, two weeks before us, in California. They started dating about a month after us and got engaged a few weeks after we did. Doug is in our wedding, and Wes' is a groomsman in Doug and Steph's wedding. It is so fun to have watched each others' relationships grow over the past few years and to get to go on double dates together. Steph and I took the boys skydiving for their birthdays two years ago which was unforgettable and the most recent double date was to a glow in the dark mini golf course. It was the boys idea...very different and fun! Hopefully we do more together in the next few months.

The update

I just got back from a family (future that is) dinner at Travis and Nikita's house. Travis is Wes' brother, and he married Nikita in South Africa over Christmas (she is from Joberg). Wes' parents were there along with some of Trav and Niks' friends. It was great to spend time with them. Niks wanted to know all about the wedding, and everyone from California seems to be initially a little suprised about the attire. My brother, Mike, wondered about how Californians would interpret the dress code. He questioned whether or not some Southern California locals would show up to the black tie affair in a regular suit and a black tie. In Texas there is no question that black tie implies a tuxedo, but it seems that it is quite rare to wear a tux in California. In fact, Hauger, one of the groomsmen, had never heard of a cumberbun until I told him what he would be wearing to the event. He asked me the difference between tails (what he will be wearing) and a tux. It was so amusing to me that he was clueless on this subject after growing up seeing my dad and brothers wearing their tuxedo's fairly regulary to functions such as the family dance every Christmas, proms, weddings, formal parties.... Our wedding may be different from the norm here, but I am so excited to have a traditional wedding in a little chapel that I grew up in.

I better get to bed. I am taking the CBEST in the morning and though I am confident in my abilities to pass the test, I really need to pass it before I can apply to any credentialing programs for next year and the next possible date I could take it is in June right before my wedding. I know that the Lord is faithful to provide for whatever path He has for me, so I am really not that concerned. I just always like to put my best effort forth, and I haven't prepared as extensively as I would have if I had been aware I would be taking the test a little earlier. I have heard it is really easy, but who knows. It is a good thing it is all in the Lord's hands.

Details from today

Today I have been looking over the information that will be on the CBEST. I am taking it this weekend so I can apply to credentialling programs for next year. I don't know much about next year except that I will be married and hopefully pursuing a career in teaching. It is exciting to know that a lot will change and yet have little idea of what exactly life will look like post-graduation. Now is a great time to continue learning what it means to trust the Lord :-)

My mom and I went over some things for the wedding today. I am supposed to contact a hairdresser in Maine and have been for the past few weeks, but somehow my memory continues to fail me. Hopefully I remember to do that tomorrow. My mom and I also talked about what candles should be used at the reception, who will be coming to the reception in Houston, when we should arrive in Maine, ane what we can accomplish when I go to Houston with Wes in a few weeks. It still seems like we are either ahead of the game or there isn't that much planning to be done. I expected to have so much to do, and I guess we have had a lot until now. Maybe we are just transitioning between larger things like booking a band, place, getting the dress, etc. and the details that I am sure take a while to work out. We shall see...

Flower girl

cousins
Originally uploaded by aweeks.

Eliza is older one in the pinky purple. She is my cousin, Will's, daughter. The two kids with her are Everett and Gretta who are my cousin, Katherine's, kids. I see them every summer in Prouts (Maine), and I called Eliza about a month or two ago and asked her to be our flower girl. I am so excited to have her in the wedding!

Trouble finding a cake...

My mom, Craig (the event planner and caterer), and I tasted cakes a few weeks ago when I went to Maine to work on the wedding plans. I have arguably one of the biggest sweet tooths ever, yet not a single cake was to our liking. Half of the pieces we tried had this tasteless white frosting that we had to scrape off and none of the cakes were fluffy or rich... so I have been looking up more cake websites. Before we looked at Cakes Extraordinaire and another baker that I can't remember right now, and I just found two more websites of cake places in Maine. One in New England Couture Cakes and the other is called Pink Ladies Classic Desserts. Some cake flavors that sound good are: golden vanilla butter cake with chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting, chocolate truffle with peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache filling, red velvet with vanilla buttercream frosting, carrot cake or apple spice with cream cheese frosting and filling, yellow cake iwth chocolate frosting or the dark & moist chocolate cake. These all sound good. Hopefully they taste good also. I sent an email to my mom and Craig with these new websites and preferable flavors. We are going to do more cake tasting over spring break. Hopefully we will like what we taste in March better :-)

Another

I found another Wedding blog that has a lot more entries and covers a broader range of topics. If anyone finds some other resources to help me in preparation for the wedding, I would love to hear about them!

Wedding Blog

I found a Wedding blog written by professional wedding planners who answer any question you could have about the big day, etiquette, style, etc. I haven't used them yet (I can't think of a question right now), but I am sure I will come up with something as we move closer to the day. The blog is called Always a Bridesmaid. Check it out.

He's feeling better!

Praise the Lord... Wes woke up this morning so much better! It must have been a 24 hour thing. He'll be able to realy hang out today :-)

He's sick...

It is the worst seeing the one you love soooo much bed-ridden. Wes was supposed to drive up to Santa Barbara with me and my team this morning. I had a volleyball game this afternoon (which we won), and then we were going to hang out with the Warner brothers, Ryan and Ethan, who are practically like brothers. I know them from Prout's Neck (where our wedding will be). Wes was so excited to come, but woke up sick as a dog this morning. I had to leave him like that all day to drive up to Santa Barbara, but I made it home this evening for a movie. I hope he feels better tomorrow... I had seeing him sick. At least it allows me the opportunity to take care of him.

Marriage Counseling

Today Wes and I had our first marriage counseling session with Dave Congo, Wes' brother in law's father. He is a Christian marriage counselor and has a practice with his wife, Jan. They are such wonderful and loving people. We are so blessed to be able to have him be involved in the wedding ceremony and help us in our premarital counseling. We went over the wedding details including possible vows, the layout of the church, and wedding party, and the elements of the ceremony. Wes and I love that he wants to make the ceremony really personal to us. He understands how important it is to us that the Lord is honored and the bigger purpose for marriage recognized, yet he also knows the value of tailoring the ceremony to us and what is so special about our relationship. I know he will do such a great job. He also gave us homework assignments that Wes and I started on our dinner date. We have a workbook and a book written by Dave and Jan to go through. We also have a temperment quiz to take. I answer one sheet how I percieve myself on a number of issues and then how I percieve Wes, and he does the same. Then we get to look at how we see ourselves compared to how we see each other. Then we will talk through any differences or discrepencies.

We won't see Jan and Dave until the end of April when we will spend the weekend at their home going over things we should know before walking down the isle. We are booked before then which is kinda crazy. The way our schedules work right now, Wes and I just don't even get to spend that much time with each other, much less our other good friends. It is hard not to get to spend the time with him I wish we had, but it is so comforting to know that this is just a season and in less than five months we will get to be married! We are so blessed!

Me and Wesley!

Me and Wesley!
Originally uploaded by aweeks.

Just another picture... he's so handsome!

My Photographer

As it happened, the photographer, David Jay, who my mom and I ended up choosing to do the wedding is good friends with one of the guys I grew up with in Prouts, Ryan. He did the wedding of friends of ours, Brook and Blake, and their wedding was so beautiful. Joy (Brook's mom and my mentor) said he was wonderful to work with and so fun to have around. Check out his site! If you click on DavidJay, then schedule, and then go to April 2006, you can click on Brook and Blake's wedding. Then click on the icon in the right bottom corner for a slideshow with music. Then if you are me, you go to June and see my wedding already on the schedule! Exciting!

Prouts in the winter

I found two pictures that Craig sent to Teri (Wes' mom) and I. He took these a few days ago. This is a view from a lot in Prouts. Isn't it beautiful?...





This is one side of the neck, or peninsula. There is beach along both sides and at the tip of the neck there are rocks (where we grill on Sunday's). The whole of Prouts Neck is about two miles long. I just love it there! I wrote a piece for creative writing in high school. I was asked to write about a place where I remembered feeling at peace. I wrote about nights in Prouts where I would walk home along the beach and sit right where the steps meet the path. The moon would bounce off the water, and I would just sit, look at the stars, listen to the waves crashing against the shore, and thank God for his awesome creation!

When I was younger, my mom and I used to walk home from the sing together, and we would stop and lay down in the grass. We would look up through tree braches and find the shapes they would make against the sky. We would watch the stars and talk just the two of us. Those are some great memories!

Not much going on

This week has been slow so far in terms of planning. Craig (the coordinator) and I have emailed a few times double checking that we are on the same page with the linens, but still no big decisions being made. I forgot to get in touch with the makeup artist which I will have to do in the next few days to confirm that she will be coming. I also need to make a list for who Wes and I are going to invite to the reception in Houston which we will have three weeks after the wedding for all those in Houston who can't make it to Maine. The church in Maine seats about 250, and last time I asked my dad how many were on the list for Houston, he said between 800 and 900. I am guessing he must have been exagerating. Who knows that many people? Anyway, it is going to be in July so I'm sure a lot of people will be out of town. It should be fun though! Wes and I are also going to go to Houston toward the end of February for a party. My mom and I are hoping that Wes will have an opportunity to get to know more of my parents friends during that trip.

The wedding is less than five months away now. Of course I am a girl and want to be in top shape for the big day (and for life in general), so I am starting to work out a little harder and cut back on the sweets (I have probably the biggest sweet tooth ever). My parents are a good encouragement, and they are dropping sweets for a while with me. I have the most supportive and loving parents! They are the best! What a blessing that my mom and dad have not only been so supportive, but seem to really be having fun planning this wedding. I am so excited that it will be in Maine as well because Maine really is like a second home to me. The church we will be married in is so old and familiar, and I have such wonderful memories in Prouts Neck (Maine). It was always one of the best times of the year growing up... August in Prouts and Camp Ozark. It is like a small town... like something out of "Dirty Dancing" according to Robin (the maid of honor). We all grill out on the rocks that Winslow Homer painted on Sundays before we head to the sing. For the sing, we set up chairs in the yaht club, and the whole town gathers as Chippy leads us for an hour in songs from a song book that has not changed since the sing began in the 50s. In fact, Chippy has led the sing since it started. It is just one of those traditions that seems to remain in a world that is constantly changing.

My mom has been going to Prouts for all of her life and so have I. Every summer, my mom's whole side of the family gathers in Prouts, and I have gotten to spend time with family that I otherwise wouldn't see often if ever. My mom's family is spread out over Houston, Arizona, and New York, but every summer, we all travel to the same place and get to spend time together on the beach, at the sing, in the kayaks, on the tennis court, etc. I have gotten to know my cousin's children, and my cousin Will's daughter, Eliza, will be a bridesmaid in our wedding. I wish I had a picture of her on my computer. She is the most beautiful girl!

I love tradition, and I love for things to be meaningful. I really want every part of our wedding to be personal and to mean something to Wes and I. I can't imagine having our wedding anywhere else. I don't know if Prouts Neck was the dream destination for Wes growing up (I actually know it wasn't :-), but for me, it has been just that. To be months away from getting married to the love of my life in a place that has so much history and meaning to me is almost too good to be true. The Lord certainly has blessed both Wes and I with each other!

Details

I found the perfect linens! This was a big deal because they had nothing in the Portland area that seemed to match what my mom and I were thinking. I also found a makeup artist! As I think I mentioned earlier, I was not impressed with the make-up artist at the nice spa in Portland. I was thinking that I was going to be doing my own makeup on my wedding day, which could have been stressful, but I found someone I really like to do my makeup for me! Exciting...

Trav and Nikita's wedding

Travis and Nikita got married in South Africa over Christmas. The wedding took place in Johanesberg, and then I went with Wes' family on safari at two different game reserves. We ended the trip in Capetown. South Africa was really beautiful, and it was so great to be able to spend time with my future family and grow even closer. It was kinda a big deal for me to be at the wedding as well, because it was my last Christmas before I am married, and I didn't go home to Houston until January. I still go to see my parents though which was great, and my bridesmaids in Houston had a kitchen shower for me when I got home.

My future family :-)

Heather and Chris

There has been a lot going on in my future family. Heather (Wes' sister) married Chris last October and a beatufiul wedding, and Travis (Wes' brother) married Nikita in South Africa over Christmas.

Heather is a bridesmaid in my wedding, and she recently gave birth to one of the cutest babies ever, Breydon, and Wes and I have been honored with the responsibility of being Godparents to the little one. Heather and Chris waited until we were engaged to ask us, and we could not be more thrilled! Every time I walk by a baby store, I just have to look inside and see if there is anything on sale for the little guy. I am going to have to be on a strict budget if the Lord ever blesses Wes and I with kids of our own. Something tells me my mom will be the same. We are suckers for cute kids clothes.


Can you tell where his parent's went to college? He is going to be an athlete for sure!

Awesome bridesmaid!!

Jennie wilson has got to be one of the best bridesmaids ever. We go way back. When we were in middle school we would make music videos to country songs and ski together in Crested Butte. She is uniquely Jennie... I don't have another friend like her. She is probably the most interested in all the details of the wedding, which I LOVE because of course, I like to talk about them. She is also a great resource for any questions I may have about hair, make-up, etiquette, etc. She made me an appointment to have my makeup done and sat with me for two hours while Jentry explained the steps of application. She organized and hosted (along with her mom) a wonderful shower for me in Houston with the rest of the bridesmaids from Houston. I just got to talk with her and update her on everything going on. She is great... she is one of those friends that I know will be around forever. She is so sweet and supportive of me in my relationship with Wes. She really takes a genuine interest in what is going on in my life, and you always know she cares. Gotta love JenBen!



This is Jennie at her debutante (not wedding) with one of my ushers, Sam, who has also been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember. We met in Kindergarten and have been friends ever since.



This is Jennie with Ryan, another usher. I have known him since Kindergarten as well, and he is by far one of the most loyal friends. I know that he will always be there for me as I will for him. Doesn't Jennie look beautiful! I have more to say about all the Houston bridesmaids, each one of them holds a special place in my heart (cheesy but true), and my wedding wouldn't be the same without each one of them there. I have known them for what seems like forever, and I can't imagine not having them by my side. I am super blessed to have such wonderful friends!!

Quick updates

Turns out our first marriage counseling session is not this Friday but next. Though there are no big decisions being made right now, there seems to be a constant dialogue between me, my mom, the event planner, and now Teri, Wes' mom. (The event planner works for and with our caterers: www.churchillcaterers.com). This Friday, I will be going with Teri to have my make-up done and probably look at linens for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. We are also working on figuring out the timing for the rehearsal, dinner, and after party the day before the wedding. That's about it for today :-)

My maid of honor, his best man

We have been so blessed by these two! Not only are they incredible friends, but they are family. Robin is my cousin, and Luke is Wes' brother. Two summers ago, Robin came down to Nicaragua with Wes and I to volunteer at an organization the Luke helped found (http://mannaproject.org/Home.asp). We all got to spend time together and became close as a group. Since then it has been so fun to all spend time together...Robin came to their sister, Heather's wedding, Luke came and visited Robin and I with Wes in Houston, etc. Robin is like a sister to me. I have two brother's and so does she, so we serve as the sisters we didn't have. She is such an encouragement to me. Luke is now in medical school in Mexico and we don't get to see him as much as we would like, but we got to spend about three weeks with him over Christmas in South Africa which was so much fun! I am so glad to have the overwhelming support of these two and to know that they will be standing next to us come June 23rd. They are the best! (Luke is the one with the blue shirt and the other picture is of Robin and I when we were litte. Robin is on the right...so cute with her bowl cut :-)

My Fiance!

Wes is the greatest fiance ever! He is so sweet... he bikes me home from volleyball every night so I won't have to bike in the dark, he stops by just to give me a hug, he always calls when he says he will. I can't remember ever hearing him raise his voice at me. He always shares his thoughts honestly and openly. He loves the Lord and encourages me in my faith constantly. He lets me be cheesy, and he always holds my hand. He is thoughtful and caring and always expresses how much he loves me. He is trusting and trustworthy. He has the most beautiful heart... I am truly blessed! I absolutely love being engaged to him, and I can't wait to be married to the love of my life :-)

Back From Maine

The planning continues... I took a red-eye to Maine Thursday night and just got back to LA this afternoon. I spent all day Friday through Sunday planning the details of the wedding. I met Craig, the event planner for the first time, and I am beyond thankful that my mom, and I decided to use him and his catering company. He is so helpful! We accomplished a number of things this weekend. My mom and I went with Craig and the florist to the church and the country club where the reception will be to see the space (though I grew up going there I have never looked at it closely for dimensions, etc.). It was freezing! If you think it was cold in LA last week, that was nothing! It was about 15 degrees in Maine. I have been to Maine every summer, but never when it has been snowy, and I am sure glad I don't live there year-round! I am so excited that Wes agreed for us to get married there though, I love it. It feels like my second home and the church is so quaint. It was build in the late 1800s and it is all old wood with shingles on the ceiling inside. I wish I had a picture, but I can't quite figure out how to work pictures on this blog yet...that and I forgot to take one :-) It is really beautiful!

Getting married in Maine is definately a different experience. There is one spa in Portland that charges way too much for everything. They have one make-up person who uses the spa's own make-up and a number of hairstylists. On Saturday I thought I would have a trial make-up/hair appointment. I don't know whether I will do my own make-up, fly a woman from Houston up to do it, or use someone in Portland. Well, I didn't know, and now I am sure not going to use someone from Portland. Every time this woman tried a shade of lipstick on me she would draw way outside my lip line. I kept telling her and wiping it off, but I think she thought that's the way it should look or something...oh well. The hairsylist was better though. I think we will use her.

My mom and I also worked on picking out linens. We tasted cakes, looked at sample floral arrangements, went over the schedule for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding, worked on the menus, talked about transportation, etc. After this weekend I almost thought I wouldn't have much to do in the coming weeks, but on the flight home I made a list of the things I have yet to do, and I realized that the process is nowhere near completed. Don't worry... I will have more to write :-) This upcoming week, Wes and I are going to have our first marriage counseling session; however, I also found out that because we are getting married in an Episcopal Church, that we will need counseling with someone within that denomination as well. We still have to figure that out. I also realized we haven't started learning how to dance, and though Wes will argue he doesn't need to, I think some help couldn't hurt :-) This week I will also be looking at linens, isle runners, and continuing a dialogue with the florist.

Oh, I almost forgot... my dad booked a band for the wedding. Apparently it is a big band, 11 players or more I think, from Boston. My dad seems really excited about them. I am glad to have one booked... we were a little slower to get that done. Anyway, it's coming along!

Starting a New Book

It is nearly five months until the wedding, and I am beginning to meet with Joy to prepare emotionally and spiritually for this next phase. I have been so blessed and haven't had to think much about money growing up. I also haven't had a roommate for an extended period of time. I know that the responsibilities of married life will be different than what I am used to, and though I am excited, I want to be prepared to be a supportive and loving wife. This book I am beginning with Joy, a "Sacred Marriage" does not focus on how to have a happy marriage, which I want and expect to have, but rather, its empahsis is on the way that two people can grow closer to God and closer to one another through marriage. Gary Thomas says that "if you want to be free to serve Jesus, there's no question--stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can't imagine any better thing to do than to get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues that you'd never have to face otherwise." I anticipate that marriage will teach me how to be less selfish, thinking of another always before myself. I want to support Wes, and he makes it easy by loving me so completely. Another point that has stood out to me is that a lot of problems in marriage come when we set the wrong expectations and expect a human to fulfill what only God can. Only He is perfect and both Wes and I will mess up often I am sure, but as long as we remain centered on and filled by the Lord, we will be able to love each other despite our failings.

I know I have a lot to learn and that excites me. I want to be stretched and to grow in my relationship with the Lord and with Wes. I can't wait to see how the Lord uses us in the future.

We are going to be starting marriage counseling soon with Dave, Wes' sisters' father-in-law. He will be performing the message part of our service as well. Wes and I both have a lot of respect for Dave. His profession is Christian marriage counseling, so he has a lot of expertise in the area that I am sure will be of benefit to us in preparing for our married life together. It will also be great to spend some more time with family in the process.

That's all for now. I'm off to Maine day after tomorrow. I am excited to get some of the details figured out and spend some time with my mom.

Now 5 1/2 months left!

Wes asked me to marry him on October 13. So far, the planning process has been more fun and less stressful than I expected. We have decided to get married in Maine (meaning my parents and I). I am from Texas, Wes is from California, but I grew up going to Maine every summer. It is like a second home and there is a beautiful old church there that I grew up going to. At first my mom and I were going to try to plan everything ourselves without the help of a planner or coordinater, but as time passed and we realized our lack of knowledge about the services in the area, we signed up with Craig, our new event planner. What a good decision! My mom and I are a little disorganized and don't really know the order in which everything should be accomplished. It is comforting to know there is now a professional on board. My mom and I will be going up to Maine next weekend, and Craig has arranged a cake tasting, menu tasting, meeting with a woman from the Church who will open it up for us (normally just open in June and July), and meetings with two potential florists he recommends. I am looking forward to the trip! So far all the big things are done: the location, the general format of the evening, my dress, the bridesmaid dresses, and the groom and groomsmen attire. Now we get to work on the details. Fun! Sometimes it seems like the wedding is so far off, but the past few months of being engaged have flown by! I can't wait for June 23rd! Then after the wedding, Wes is planning a suprise honeymoon (I am assuming somewhere tropical :-), then we might be heading to my grandparents cabin in the mountains for a week or so before our reception in Houston. What an exciting time!