Less than 3 months to go...

Let it be a dance we do. May I have this dance with you? Through the good times And the bad times, too. Let it be a dance.

What a great feeling tonight, sipping on the peach wine and enjoying the flowers growing on the deck. Nature brings me peace, Gods prints in it all. Thats why the garden wedding seemed most appropriate for us.

We've gotten a lot done so far. Today alone we accomplished so much. It was pretty exciting really.

*Tuxedos- I dont know ANYTHING about suits or tuxedos. NOTHING. So today I learned something. We ordered the vests and ties in Olive green and the little guys will wear tails and bow ties. My Dad will wear pink for me :) and Jonahs will wear green for him. Its gunna be fun!! Im really excited. Jonah is going to look so handsome. I cant wait to see him all dressed up.

*My Wedding Ring- We got a great deal. It happened to be on clearance and it was the one I really wanted. Jonah and I have decided to engrave the inside of the rings but it will be a surprise for eachother. We will find out on the day we wed. Lovely. I cant get the picture to show up.

*Vows- I finished mine! They arent long and not complicated. They are sweet and to the point. Cant wait to vow them to him in front of God and family/friends.

*Music- Uncle Jim is going to be the DJ and so we picked the songs we will have played for the traditional dances.

*Bridal Shower- I hear a date and location have been decided on. Pretty exciting. I suggested a zebra print cake with pink border and strawberry mojitos. Im really excited. The only problem is that we have moved a lot and have friends and family everywhere. Unfortunately its impossible to pick a place that is easy for everyone to attend. I just hope everyone can attend.

Other news thats not bridal-

*Our very loved son, Fuzzy, is sick. He is having some issues with his bladder. The doctor thinks it might be Kidney disease which we are really nervous about. He is on some medication and looks all doped up, poor guy. I am really concerned about him. He just crawls up on my lap and sleeps. Hes breaking my heart... and wallet! The vet is MAD EXPENSIVE!!! He is so worth it. Good thing Mommy got a raise! Thats all I got to say. He may single handedly postpone the wedding!haha. He is one of our babies and we are worried.

*Jonah and I have been doing really well on our diet/life style. Jonah has hit his goal!! Back to a 32 waist! And goal weight. Ive lost 30lbs so far. When we picked out the ring I had to keep asking them if they were sure about the size bc it was a size and a half smaller then what I normally wear. We are really happy. Much healthier than New York.


I have been really trying to make this apartment a home. We signed the lease again, kinda, and I want to make it home. We will spend our first year/ half year as newly weds here. Im in nesting mode, minus the pregnancy. We bought some stuff on craigslist and are trying to do this inexpensively. Its a start.

We’ve been in DC for 3 months now, guess its time to unpack. We weren’t sure if we should stick with this apartment or rent one closer to my office. Truth is this apartment is beautiful and really more space than we really need. But the cool thing is we have a hobby room which we will make into an awesome guest bedroom soon.

Since Jonah is a musician and I’ve always loved all things music we decided that would be the theme of the guest room. We will get a futon from Ikea and make throw pillows out of old band t-shirts. Then we will make curtain by copying album covers onto fabric and patching them on to some curtains. We will also frame some of our favorite rolling stone covers. We will also hang Jonahs guitars on the wall. We are pretty excited about our project. We can only hope it looks as cool when its done as it does in our minds.

We finally cleaned the room out. It was filled with boxes full of boxes and what not. It looks so much better. Jonah has all his recording equipment in there which is pretty messy looking but he has promised me that by the end of the week that will be taken care of too.

I hung some pictures as well this weekend. We need to have them framed but until that good ‘ole promotion kicks in they are just posters on the wall. We really are pleased with our picks.

Jonah had a big job interview this week. I could not be prouder of him. He thinks he nailed it. It was for a screen writer for the government. How cool, right? Im most excited that if he gets it he will be happier than his current position and the benefits working for the government are fantastic. Praying hard.

I went ahead and sent the menu choices to the wedding planner. I had to make a decision and with the guest list being rather large we needed to go with the food stations rather than the table service. Mom made some good points, kids generally don’t eat the meals served and people prefer choices. We went with two meats, potato station, salad station, and asparagus wrapped in bacon. The flowers have got to be peonies. I love them. I could stare at them all day. What a beautiful creation God gave us. I told Jonah, “I don’t wanna stop watching them, Im afraid I’ll miss something”. They just make me happy and even though its fall they will have to do. The cake will be four tiers and 4 different fall-esque flavors; pumpkin spice, maybe a carrot cake or maple something or other. Fun fact: it wont include walnuts because I’m allergic. So that all I have for now on the wedding front.

We got some of the engagement pictures back. Just as I thought, we weren’t happy. Jonah does not want to use her for the wedding and truth be told I don’t either. They aren’t horrible, just not great angles of us. I will post one or two here, our favorites. He wants to go get more engagement pictures and to be honest Im just not interested. We have so many other expenses with the wedding that the engagement pictures will just have to be left as is. We just wanted one or two to frame. Who knows, we haven’t gotten the whole cd yet, maybe there are some that we will like there.

Went to the doctor for a follow up on the cysts this week. All is well. She explained that every month a cyst will form and some will be bigger than others and the one that I had must have burst making it very painful but the tests that she did showed that everything was fine and that I wouldn’t need surgery or anything, Thank God! Really no pain either. She also was impressed with my weightloss since the last time I was there and even gave me a little help. With 4 months until the wedding it is one of the only things I can think of these days. The wedding dress isn’t even in yet and Im nervous how I will look in it. Its been so long since I tried it on, February 12th to be exact. I guess most girls say that though, since it takes so long to come in.

This weekend we have company!! Eddie, Beth, and my babies are coming to visit! Ed and Beth will go out on the town and I will play with the kids and Jonah will work. I can’t wait. I miss the kids. I haven’t seen them in a few weeks, and to be honest while staying tuned in with the Casey Anthony case, I just want to hold those kids tight and thank God their parents are great and sane… most of the time.
Anyway, can you tell our internet is down? I was bored and filled ya in on everything! I guess I should go clean and organize another room. Thanks for stopping by!
XoXo!
M

Engagement Pictures

We took our engagement photos this weekend with the very talent Ms. Porter Watkins. We are really excited to get a couple of great shots. To be honest, Im pretty nervous about the results because I haven't lost the all the weight I was hoping for yet. I know there are going to be some that I hate. We got a preview already. Not the best Im sure so I will wait to share with everyone until we get more. Hopefully by the end of the week we should have a handful. Our contract says we'll get them all in 20 days.

The rest of the wedding stuff is going pretty well. I need to leave the registry alone. I keep going in and deleting and adding. I just think about some of the stuff we added and think, "Will we use that often?" but I guess the point is to get the things that you will use and need. Its hard to keep that in mind.

I need to send the decisions to the planner then we will be a lot further along. Jonah needs to call our friends the videographers as well.

Oh and great news! Jonah got a promotion! I could not be prouder of him! He is taking his new role very seriously and I think its going to be a very positive thing for him and for us. Im really excited for him.

Ah, and one last thing on my mind, the wedding party. I am so stoked we have such a great group. Its been on my mind those who cant be a part of it for whatever reason. It saddens me, really. I have Beth, Kelly, and Hayley and then a bunch of Jonahs little cousins (he really wanted to make it a family event- sweet boy). But there isnt a time that goes by when I dont think of those who cant join us. I hate it but I also know it is what it is. Moving on...

Thanks for joining us, You!!!
XoXo!
M

We're not in New York anymore...

While in New York I knew what the hottest book was at the time, I read the paper daily, we went to the movies almost every weekend. I knew what everyone around me was doing. Hadn't a clue about myself.

I was more worldly, more cultured in New York. But I wasn't healthy. I'm healthier now, mind, body, and spirit. I'm connected again, to God, myself, Jonah, my family. Life is good.

How does that happen. How do you take off to fulfill your goals and dreams but completely forget to include yourself in the experience? I was a shell of who I really am as a person. I was aiming for all the wrong things because I thought they mattered. Even now I can distinguish when I disagree with what I am being asked to do at work. Big difference for me.

I was blessed enough to share the experience with my best friend, Jonah, and continued to grow and love him but it is pale in comparison to now. After we moved here we rediscovered each other. We were more like roommates in New York compared to now where I am desperately in love with this man.

I've found myself again, Im getting healthy again. Losing weight, trying to make the gym a habit again. We cook, we clean, we sleep. Its a beautiful life.

Currently we are sitting on our deck and it is storming. It's so green and the air is so refreshing. There are no sirens just rain and birds. I have missed this. I feel like I was away from this for years, like this is something so new. As if we were living in a bomb shelter and maybe to me it was a bit of a bomb shelter. We love the city. We will ALWAYS love the city. But living there, full time, is not my thing. Not unless I can have a much nicer place closer to work and the means to live there comfortably.

Ok wedding deets:

So we are exactly 5 months away. 5 months! In the blink of an eye, my eyes, it will be here. I will be putting on that Ivory gown and following my bridesmaids, who will be dressed in the color "wine" from Alfred Angelo (its a deep autumn friendly PINK). Wine, fitting right? Their shoes? No idea. Mine will be HOT PINK!! Moms gunna hate that.

Ive picked out my jewelry which my Dad is going to buy me so that I have something special to wear from him that day. Im getting most of it from www.Etsy.com. I think its going to turn out perfectly. The place that we are having both the wedding and reception is Coopers Landing in Clarksville, VA. It is perfect for our little garden wedding. Blocks from the lake, in the town we fell in love. Perfect.

I can see why brides get so nervous after they buy their dress. I havent seen it in months! Since February 12th. I wont see it again until 6 weeks before the wedding. Thats when Kleinfleds receives it and I start the fittings. I sometimes have to revisit the photos because it has been so long that I cant remember how perfect it is for me. Plus the sample size wasnt my size so it wasnt perfectly fit to me. So who knows. I love it and I hope it looks good.

My Bridesmaids are just a few of my friends and then the rest are Jonahs little cousins. He feels like they are sisters to him and its important to him to have them involved. Three are my friends then four are his cousins. We have asked one of my friends to do the Bible reading for us. The groomsmen are Jonahs best friends, my brother Eddie, and his little cousins. My Ushers will probably we my older brothers- I need to ask them, and then 2 more people. Who knows who will be the guest book stuff.

My goal today was flowers and cake. I didn't get very far sadly... I tried. Got some ideas. But I basically just need to send them to the planner. She takes care of everything. Best investment ever. My job doesn't allow me the time for the added stress.

Engagement pics at the end of the month... Roosevelt Park in DC. Hope its pretty. Haven't a clue about it.

Ah, I think we will eat dinner and watch Thor now. Maybe plan a much needed break from work. Enough rambling.

I'll post a sneak peek ... in pictures.

Thanks for reading along.

66 is HOV in the morning... ???

I was thinking about this blog when I was sitting in the impound lot. How would I start it. Don't we think in blog from time to time?

So as I'm getting on the highway Im thinking, "Today is bound to be a better day because yesterday (Thursday) was a nightmare". I go ahead and click on the cruise control and start my journey to work knowing that I will be early because I left nice and early.

I get to Falls Church and this Trooper gets behind me with his lights on. I keep going thinking it cant be me. Im going the exact speed limit. Im wearing my seat belt. I keep watching him as he follows me from lane to lane. Then finally waves me over with his arm.

I pull over and ask immediately, Why did you pull me over? He said that he would discuss it after he saw my license and registration. Then proceeded to tell me that 66 is all HOV from 6-9am every morning and again in the evening. Wow. Didn't know that at all.

Then he ran my license and said that I had an unpaid ticket from 2006 and that they would need to tow my car unless someone could come get it. Of course both my phones are dead. So off we go to the impound lot. How in the world do I dispute a ticket from 2006? I have no idea.

So what a day we had on Friday!

Together

"Love like there's no tomorrow,and if tomorrow comes, love again." Max Lucado

As much as I love New York, DC has treated us(me especially) very well. For the first time in two years I am sleeping, eating healthy, and enjoying a lovely life. I find that I have more time for the important things again; long conversations with God, rediscovering Jonah, loving my pets, talking to friends and family. Im even getting back into scrap-booking and taking trivial classes at the local community center!

While living in New York I was going insane. Lack of sleep and job stress was making me crazy. I kind of liked the crazy but I also knew it was creating some horrible habits. I feel sane again, as sane as I can be. Its amazing how differently the world looks when you arent sleep deprived. My decision making process is completely different now. I was a basket case trying to hold on to what little pieces of personal time I had left. When those pieces were threatened I felt I was in a sink or swim situation. Giving up more would be losing more of me. If only some of those around me were a little more patient and practiced that 'ole unconditional love thing than things would be different, very different. Ultimatums have never been something I appreciated.

I now am looking at 6 months until the wedding and I have very little planned. I just didnt have time to plan my wedding, with even a year to spare. Now its crunch time and Im doing really well. Im not stressed or freaking out like I imagined I would be, Im really relaxed. Im happy to make these decisions now. My guest list is way too big and my ideal budget is way smaller than it should be, but it's okay. Im just thrilled to have this experience. Love.

Love is a blessing and its a miracle to find. The fact that my guest list is much bigger than I had planned is a blessing of love as well. There is that many people I love and care about as well. Love is ... expensive. haha.

Something that I am really excited about currently, a project that Jonah and I have decided to do together. A diet. Sounds boring at first BUT its actually a lot of fun. We follow all the rules together, cook together, shop for food together, and support one another. We even occasionally get to work out together. Eating is something that is required to live and can be a very mundane or over indulging task. But to have someone to not only support and track your progress with you but help you each step of the way is renewing. It has really made us a little closer I think. It's exciting. So far he's at 12 lbs and Im at 6 (and this is day 6) and we couldnt be happier. We both have our wedding goals and we have decided to stick with it till the end.

Tomorrow we will go visit the Cherry Blossom Festival. We were suppose to have our engagement pictures done during this festival but it didn't work out. So, we will have to find something else cool to do. We just moved and things are so crazy right now.

We love our new place so much! So easy to keep clean. Much bigger and newer. Love it. We urge everyone to come visit! We have a spare bedroom now!

Anyway, this is getting long. Just wanted to update anyone who wanted updated. I'm trying to keep my FB profile quiet. The obsession and need for that sort of entertainment has passed for me. I use it solely to keep updated on those I love. That and their blogs of course.

Hey some prayer requests Id like to throw out there; My brother Rich is in the hospital and has been for a while- heart problems, My brother Eddie and his career- there is this one job he wants and it couldnt be a better fit, and the Cassells baby in Africa- they are adopting have such an incredible journey behind and ahead of them. I have such faith that their invite will have their family of 4 plus the baby.

Anyway, Love. Love. Love!!!!

XoXo!
M

P.S. Im dying to post pictures of my wedding dress. I wont but I really want to!!!

Roller Coaster Week

Week 3 and I already have a list of the good and bad times. Gessh! Like New York, DC is not for the weak.

Tonight you will find me curled up to a bag of tostitos, south west dip, and Star Wars I. I also have the lava lamp running.

Earlier this week Ed found out some fantastic news, he was interviewed for Verizon and got the job. Now he's just waiting on all the rest of it to go through. Best part is that its really close to us. More time with them makes my heart race. Its literally some of the best news Ive heard in a long while. Im so proud of him and thrilled for Beth and the kids.

Monday I had some crazy stomach pain. Since I had just gone to the doctor in my area last week I thought I would call them and see if they could help. The pain was so bad for a stint that I couldnt walk or cough. It scared me. I left a message and no answer.

Tuesday I get a call from them about my blood tests. Apparently I am very deficient in vitamin D and they called in a script for that and then the nurse tells me that my liver function is very elevated and I need to go to the hospital. So I panic and I tell her about the stomach pain and she says that I probably have gallstones and my gall bladder could explode and I need to go to the hospital. I asked if I could wait till after work or if it was that urgent. She said it could wait but I needed to go "today".

Jonah, Dad, and Mom call convince me to leave work and go. Jonah picks me up and Dad meets me at Urgent Care- Mom is on standby ready to show up as soon as I ask. I call the office back and ask what to do and the other nurse I talk to looks at the results and hears about the paint and doesnt seem to think its an emergency. Says that the levels arent too bad and the pain Im explaining isnt in the right place for gallstones. I start to get annoyed.

I go to the ER and explain it all and they do their own tests. Im there from 4:30-8:30pm. They take all new blood tests and a CT scan to see if its my appendix, since thats where the pain is located. Turns out that my levels are BARELY concerning. Still in slight pain so they do the CT scan and find...

An ovarian cyst. No exploding organs. Nothing but a cyst.

I could scream at the first nurse! She made me think I had a bomb in my body. Told me the whole deal about it being a danger that could explode in my body and poison me. That I could die from that. BAHHHHH! What in the world is the point of scaring someone to death! If it wasn't the bomb it was heart attack from her that would kill me.

The picture above is from the IV.

What a week.

XoXo!

By the way, Jonah is doing really well. His wrestling column is getting a lot of attention. Im so proud of him. Poor guy was pretty upset about yesterday.