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!