Behind yet again....

I have gotten behind yet again on posts......(I think i need to get a little better at keeping up with things). I have been making a TO DO list of things we need to get done.

• Since the last post we have gotten the bridesmaids fitted for their dresses and started to get orders in
• Now all that left is shoes and jewelry.
• Need to start getting mens tuxedo sizes together. (Click on tuxedo to follow link)
• Unfortunately still working on location...and seeing as how my church doesn't like to respond back..doesn't bode well. But we will figure something out.

As of right now that is about it, but I will be coming in for mothers day weekend and hopefully we will finally start getting everything into place...fingers crossed.

My sister Jamie came up to visit for her spring break trip. It was fun having one on one time with the youngest of my 3 sisters. While she was up here we:

• Took her on a tour of Lakehurst Naval Base
• She got to see why it was called Lakehurst (due to all the flooding from the rain, it literally becomes a lake)
• Took her to the commissary and the NEX, (exciting....ha)
• And took her to see the little stick in the middle of a field where the Hidenburg was housed and crashed.
• We took her on her first train ride and her first visit ever to The Big Apple, New York, New York. 
• While we were there we took her around to:
• The McDonalds that Kiki and I fell asleep in with the Lafayette Marching Band the morning we marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 
• Central Park
• The M&M store
• The Hershey's store
• NBC Store
• We went to Ripleys Believe It or Not museum
• And MARS 2112
• She got to see the Intrepid Naval ship (now a museum), unfortunately we didn't have the extra $$ to go in.
• We didn't get to see Ground Zero (September 11) area or the Statue of Liberty. But hopefully next time she is up here we will be able to

Way behind on posts

• I realize that I am way behind on posts....so here is what has happened since the last one to get everything up to speed.
• Michael came back to New Jersey for his ASF class while I stayed back in Lexington to try and get some more wedding stuff done.
• While I was in Lexington I managed to find my wedding dress (which I think is absolutely gorgeous). I would go into details on what it looks like, but seeing as Michael reads these posts I am not going to....lol
• I figured out the dress I want for the bridesmaids and the color, which is called 'mermaid'. Kind of appropriate seeing as though I am aiming for an ocean theme! All there is left to do is get Michaels' sister, Holly's, measurements and get the order in we will be good to go on those.
• Still working on a place to hold the wedding ceremony and reception. My family and I are just having a hard time wrapping ourselves around paying $1500.00 for the church we are members of, when my parents I think payed maybe a grand total of $300.00 max. Seems a little more or less 'against the grain' of what a wedding held in the church is supposed to represent; a marriage on the foundations of Christianity; and to charge that much money, which in a lot of cases pushes the couple else where because they can't afford their own church is a little on the ridiculous side......but hopefully we will be able to figure something out here soon.
• My mom drove back up to New Jersey with me, and the weather was absolutely horrible!. We drove through rain and fog that was so thick you couldn't see your own hand even if you were touching your nose. I do however, find it rather funny that the only time it didn't rain on our trip back to New Jersey was when I was driving, because every time my mom was behind the wheel.....it poured.
• While my mom was in Jersey::
• We didn't get to do a whole lot, or take her to see very much due to the crappy weather conditions. We did take her on a tour of the Lakehurst....'scuse me....McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst base....then later on mom, michael and I played cards and ate some homemade chili (yum).
• Hopefully when it starts to get warmer we will get more visitors to New Jersey and be able to have a lot more fun :-)
• As it stands right now, I still have a lot of wedding planning to do.....but it will all work out.

Our trip to Lexington

• Came home to Lexington to visit with family and celebrate our engagement. During our trip we also went wedding dress and bridesmaids dress shopping
• Found a couple of wedding dresses that Iliked, but there was one specific one that I fell in love with. Still have yet to make a decisions
• Have narrowed the style of the bridesmaids dresses down to couple. But still have yet to make a final decision.
• Due to the fact that we are having to plan this wedding while traveling back and forth between Kentucky and New Jersey, and Michael only able to ask off for so many days at a time, as well as michael having to start class on monday, I decided to stay back for a few more days to make decisions on location of the ceremony and reception and a final decision on dresses and my mom offered to drive me back to New Jersey. So i finally get to show her around!!! That will be interesting.
• only thing is that..........I feel extreeeeeeeeeeeeemly guilty making michael drive back home alone.:-(  I love you Michael! :-)

Days 8-9

• I can't wait till the warmer weather gets here! Michael has been off of work for the past couple of days due to snow.....yet again!!! So to bide some time we went and registered at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. The scanner gun didn't like me and had to exchange it once. But we had fun wandering about the store and playing with the scanner. 
• On an even happier note...for me at least...I finally found a china pattern that I loved!!! It is silver rimmed white plates, with a dark blue and silver accent plate! I LOVED it, as did Michael. Of all places to find a china pattern I liked I did not expect to find it at Bed Bath and Beyond.
• We will be headed home for about a week on Tuesday March 2nd which is exactly 3 days from now!!! I'm excited to be coming home and have my family start helping us plan our wedding! With input from 8+ women and a couple of men, I think we should be able to get everything worked out! :-)

Days 7-10

• The past couple of days have been a challenge. I called the church to make sure they had availability on August 21, 2010 and go figure....they didn't. I then proceeded to ask her to call me should an opening occur. Then later on that day about 5:30 a lady from the church called me to inform me that she had looked at the wrong month, but unfortunately the 21st was still unavailable. She did however tell me that the weekend prior (August 14th) was available. So after a LOT of commotion of calling the pastor to make sure he would still do it at the church and was available, to figuring out fees and etc for the church my brain officially hurts (foreboding of events to come?).  So with all that being said....the date of the wedding has been changed to August 14th!
• To make matters worse, after talking to my mom about getting everything situated....she so lovingly informed me that my rehearsal dinner would in fact be taking place on.....that's right....you guessed it.........Friday the 13th!!!!! (not that I am superstitious or anything.....gulp!) Who knows, with fingers, eyes,toes and anything else you can cross.... I am sure it will turn out to be the best rehearsal before the most exciting day of my life! Surrounded by family and friends, what more could a person ask for?

Day 6 (and 5)

• Today started working on guest list.
• Realization.......we have really big families and know a LOT of people. Absolutely insane! Sad part is....we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. What we have so far is just off our heads with no input from our families yet.....oh lord!
• Decided to go ahead and start the registering process
• Places Registered:
• Williams-Sonoma (duh)
• Target (sort of, still working on it)
• Yep thats about it so far......
• Number of times I have been caught staring at my ring or said "it's pretty" or "it's sparkly"
• lost count about an hour after waking up this morning and I woke up at 8:30.....lets just say a lot
• Watched the KY vs Vandy game.....HEART ATTACK! But WE WON!!! That's all that matters
• Discussed Wedding Cake:
• Decision so far
• Brides Cake
• Alternating layers of square and round
• Each layer different flavor.
• 1st flavor set
• White Cake
• Seedless Raspberry Preserves
• Vanilla Buttercream
• White fondant
• 2nd flavor set
• Strawberry Cake
• Vanilla Buttercream
• Fondant
• Decorations
• Beach theme
• chocolate seashells
• tropical flowers
• Grooms cake
• Traditional
• Chocolate cake
• Chocolate icing

Day 4

• Officially settled on song for the first dance!!!
• Winner: At Last by Etta James, but adding a bit of a twist to it. It will be sung by my sister Shannon (who has an amazing voice and I know will do a great job!!!)
• Put up slide show on page 
• Set up events calendar! (located on the left of the screen)(thank you dad)

Day3

• Looked up marriage license laws for the state of Kentucky and Fayette County
• Items needed:
• Drivers License and social security card
• and no health tests required
• Side note:
• Restrictions:
• Can't marry your cousin (ha.....restriction? and Kentucky is 'known' for this?)
• Dad called Billy Ray......waiting on return phone call (okay so Billy Ray said he would be more than happy to perform the ceremony) **Fingers crossed no hospitalization at the last minute
• Fixed comment box on page, hopefully it will work from here on out.
• Did more wedding dress research (this is going to be a impossible task, too many styles, beading or no beading, straps, no straps, designer? list goes on and on.....what is a girl to do...........go crazy I guess)
• Still no decision on first dance song.....stalemate ....wah wah
• Thinking of places to register
• Williams-Sonoma (of course)
• IKEA
• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Any one else have any suggestions?
  

My Engagement Ring!!!

February on goings (Day 1 and 2)

• Wedding planning started

• 2 days in and already seems like the wedding is tomorrow! (thank goodness it isn't, way too much planning to do) 
• Thus far we have:
• Announced engagement! (There was the usual excitement, and of course crying.....mom, dad) 
• Set wedding date, August 21, 2010
• Called about bridesmaids and groomsmen
• Decided on theme, Color (sort of)
• Possible Venues
• and the ultimate snafu that all couples hit, the infamous first dance song
• Choices thus far:
• Unforgetable - Nat King Cole
• At Last - Etta James
• Just the way you look tonight - Steve Tyrell
• It had to be you - Pete Fountain  or Michael Buble version
• A kiss to build a dream on - Louis Armstrong
• Kokomo - Beach Boys
• Picks thus far: 
• Lauryn: Kokomo or At Last
• Michael: It had to be you -Pete Fountain version
• Thought about design of wedding dress, bridesmaids/flower girl dresses, groom/groomsmen tuxes (ultimately I gave in.....ok, ok no dress white navy uniform)
• Flowers
• Pastor (Billy Ray Jennings is my first decision, lets hope he can do it!)