Congratulations!

Congratulations to one of my oldest and best friends, Andy, and his wife on their new baby girl Hannah, born yesterday at 4:39p.m. Weighing in at 8 lbs 12 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Welcome to the world Hannah!

An Early Christmas

After opening gifts for Mike's birthday last night he announced that he wanted to have Christmas. We had decided a few weeks ago that we would open presents on Sunday, as I am leaving for Seattle the on the 21st and knew that the few days before would be busy. After much negotiation I broke down and agreed to Christmas, as long as we could open our stockings on Sunday.

It took us almost an hour to open our gifts to one another, it was an absolute mountain of discarded wrapping paper and boxes before us after we were finished. But I have to admit, not only do I adore opening presents, but my darling husband buys the absolute best presents on the planet!

Thirty.

Happy 30th birthday Michael! What a busy year this has been for both of us. I hope the coming year brings you great experiences, lots of fun, and of course, love. I love you baby.

Quick

I drove to the mall over lunch, went into 3 stores, bought 2 Christmas presents, grabbed lunch and drove back to work, all in 55 minutes. Christmas shopping, the quick and painless method.

Excitement Level: Low

Christmas is a mere 20 days away, yet I'm not feeling my normal rush of childlike excitement about it this year. Maybe its the large string of major events and traveling the last few months that have taken the spark out of it, I'm not really sure. All I know is that I'm not enjoying Christmas shopping like I usually do, haven't felt the urge to bake Christmas cookies and haven't even thought about listening to holiday music. I wouldn't call this a funk, just a disinterest this year, which is upsetting, because it is, by far, my favorite holiday of the year!

Spending and Saving

A few weeks ago Michael and I set a very lofty goal of how much money we'd like to save by the end of 2007; however, it feels like everytime we turn around more money flies out of our pockets. Between all of the weddings, upcoming graduations, birthdays and holidays, I'm feeling that we are further behind than when we set the goal. And whereas I've always lived within my means and not carried a bunch of debt, I've also not been the worlds biggest saver and I'm hoping the next year will turn that behaviour around.

This year I've tried to be careful in my holiday shopping, although its my favorite holiday and I always go overboard, its just something that simply cannot be helped. I have been scouring stores and online looking for good deals on great gifts to try to stretch the dollar a little bit further. I've been sort of disappointed in the sales so far. I realize that after black Friday there aren't so many sales to be had for a short while, but I want to get the shopping D-O-N-E. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at a big stack of beautifully wrapped presents and knowing there are 20 days until Christmas and you don't have to go back into the crowded, crazy, overheated mall anymore before the holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

This will be my first Thanksgiving away from members of my own family. I've not always been with my parents on Thanksgiving, but I've had aunts, uncles and cousins around if my parents weren't. This afternoon Michael and I are driving to Newberry, MI to spend Thanksgiving with his family and I'm a little homesick. Our family doesn't have many Thanksgiving traditions, but there are things that are commonplace (foods, location, etc) that won't be this year and I'm feeling a little out of sorts. I wish I could infuse some of my family traditions into his, but that isn't easy to do, so I'll just have to hold off and hope we are around my family next year.

This weekend should be very busy with Thanksgiving tomorrow, our second wedding reception on Saturday and a baby shower for one of Michael's cousins on Sunday. Between all of that and driving 6 hours each way, we should be plenty tired by the time we get back late Sunday night!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my family and friends who sometimes seem so far away in distance, but you are never far away from my heart and thoughts. I love you all!

Overdue

Congratulations to my brother Sam and his wife Samantha on their marriage in Las Vegas! Michael and I had a fun weekend and enjoyed being on the other side of a wedding...the side where its all about enjoyment of the day (no planning, no pictures, no worries). Best wishes and luck to you in your future together. We love you! A few pictures of the fun weekend:

Mike and I at Caesars Palace

Aurora, the best flower girl in the world

Sam #1, taking photos

Sam #2, what an awesome bride

Ouch

I was jogging/walking through the rain to the gas station next to my work to pick up some wheat thins to go along with my lunch and I slipped in a combination of slippery rubber shoes, slick asphalt, on the way down I scraped both my palms, my right knee and elbow and somehow managed to twist my right ankle. I stumbled the last 5 or 6 steps into the gas station, looked down, and saw what appeared to be a tennis ball underneath my skin on my right ankle. I went to the ER right away and after x-rays they said it wasn't broken, but it was a level 2 sprain, which is where the ligaments overstretch or tear, so I'll be out of commission and hobbling around for a few weeks at least. The picture is of the comparison of my bad leg to my good leg, after icing and keeping it up for the last 2 days. It's swollen and black and blue all the way from the side of my ankle to my heel. Its about 500 times better than it was.

A Sad Goodbye

Last night we sadly had to put my cat Chico to sleep. He has been fighting diabetes for over a year and we've tried everything to make him stable and better, but we came home yesterday and he was very, very ill and after talking to the vet we decided to let him go, although its hands down the hardest thing I've done. I'm gonna miss you Chico-baby.

Comfy

Last night I slept on our brand new bed, with brand new sheets, duvet and duvet cover. It was the most cloud-like sleeping experience I've ever had and I was sad to have to wake up an hour early to get breakfast for a meeting at work this morning. I would have much rather snuggled in for that hour and enjoyed the comfort that is my new bedroom. Pictures coming shortly.

White Stuff

It's snowed a little today, and frankly, I'm not ready for it!

Watch your step

Last night I was walking out of our office and Ballard was hiding underneath a sheet that was falling off of our spare bed onto the ground. I didn't know he was there and firmly stepped on him and I was pretty sure that I had killed him, because I stepped on him HARD. He seemed fine, but I was afraid that I hurt him internally, so we took him to the ER vet and after an exam, x-ray and 2 hours we were told he was o.k. I felt horrible, but I'm happy he is o.k.

Halloween

Tonight will be a pretty uneventful Halloween. No costume parties or trick-or-treaters visiting us, but the night is turning out to be beautiful weather for the kids. I remember some Halloween's as a child when it was freezing and snowing, and like a dumbass I decided on some not-so-warm costume choices...more than once.

Happy Halloween!

Our First Big Married Purchase

We've been shopping like crazy for the last two weeks, but yesterday we made our first big married purchase. After much conversation, we decided to bite the bullet and buy a new matteress. Let me just say, there was nothing wrong with our old mattress, it was queen sized pillow-top, comfortable and easy to sleep on; however, after spending our wedding night on a beautiful king sized mattress with a foam support layer on top, our bed just didn't seem quite so great anymore.

We also purchased a very modern platform bed that is much different from anything we currently own. Two weeks ago at Crate and Barrel I bought an ivory duvet cover with a chocolate paisley pattern on it (in King size, in hopes of an upcoming purchase), and with the new bed, sheets and curtains I've now purchased to coordinate, the room is going to look great. I can't wait for the bed to arrive on Thursday!

It's Official

Michael and I are married and it feels awesome. After 8 months of planning, we pulled of a fun and memorable 8-hour celebration. I had mentally prepared myself for things that would go wrong, but I can honestly say, that if anything did, Mike and I either didn't notice or care. The ceremony was personal, and I managed to not cry (I was afraid of sounding like a blubbering idiot), the reception space was gorgeous, and it was awesome to be surrounded by everyone we love.

To all of you who traveled from both near and far, thank you, thank you, thank you. You made our day special with your presence, and we sincerely hope that you enjoyed your stay in Fargo.

I am starting to get pictures e-mailed to me, and as soon as I have some, I'll post them here.

I'm here

I arrived in Fargo on Sunday afternoon, although after carrying my wedding dress through both the Detroit and Minneapolis airports, I was a little tired, and my arms were a little sore. Who knew a dress could weigh so much!!

I spend yesterday running around town picking up miscellaneous items that I needed for the wedding, and of course, stopped by all 3 Dakots Boys Ranch stores to pick up bags and bags full of new clothes. I can never get over how cheap their stuff is, I must have bought about 5 skirs, 1 purse, 2 blazers, 5-6 sweaters, 5 shirts for Michael, 2 bathrobes, 4 pairs of pajamas and other miscellaneous items (all new) for under a hundread dollars. The value just can't be beat!

Today my cousin Jerica (also a bridesmaid) is going to come over and hang out and run some more errands before we head out for a Chinese food lunch...yum! I am getting so anxious for everyone to get into town this week, there are so many people I haven't seen since Christmas, or even before and that in itself is enough to make this week awesome, let alone the wedding.

The weather here has gotten a little colder than originally expected (read: 37 degrees right now); however, it appears as though it won't rain on the 'big day', but they the S-word has gotten thrown around quite a bit for a possible flurry or two tonight. Bundle up!

Our Newest Addition

Just because we have so much time on our hands, we've added a new addition to our family.

His name is Ballard and he is 8 weeks old today!

If you're expecting a package...

...I'm sorry. I'm behind on everything because of the wedding. Laundry, getting my car washed, and sending out packages. I have three sitting on my kitchen table that need to be sent, I just can't seem to get around to it. So Heather, Kelli and Melissa, I promise they'll be in the mail soon! It doesn't mean I love you or think about you any less. At this point, I'm beyond belated...I'm just late!

1 month

I can't believe the wedding is only a month away...the last 7 months have flown by, and what used to seem so far off, is now right around the corner. Most of the plans are made, although I do have quite a few projects I'm working on which is helping me stay busy and not too nervous about the big day.

Our pastor asked us to mail him some general information about our families and more detailed info about ourselves including our hobbies and why we love the other person. We've known about this task for months but wasn't one that had to be done in a hurry. Last night I told Michael he had to complete it today so that I could send it off. He e-mailed it to me at work and I almost cried...he's not a many of many descriptive words (for instance, when asked why he loves me, he often replies "because I do"). So today I opened up an e-mail with a bunch of reasons and they were awesome to read.

Today at work about 20 of us delivered meals to senior citizens around town for United Way. Myself and two other co-workers delivered to 9 people and it was a wonderful experience, the people delivering the meals are often the only people the seniors see all day and they were so nice and wanted to chat. I definitely think it's something I will do again.

Book Club

I responded last week to an ad on Craigslist for a new book club looking for members. I received an evite from the coordinator to her house to introduce ourselves and pick out a book. I thought this was a tad big strange, only because I thought we could have picked a book and then met to discuss; however, I really don't have any social life in Ann Arbor, so I went.

When I got there I walked into a room of 7 girls who were awesome, in the same boat I was in and 3 1/2 hours later I walked out with renewed hope for living in the Midwest. These girls were all different from one another, different careers, backgrounds, etc, but we all felt instantly comfortable and talked up a storm.

I can't wait to get to know them better!

Happy B-Day!

Happy 29th Birthday Heather! I hope you had a great day (despite having to work). May the last year of your 20's be filled with great times, good friends and wonderful memories!

A Spot

About 5 months ago I got a dark spot on my bottom lip. I had an appointment with my dermatologist for something else and I pointed it out to her. I told her it has started with a little zit-like bump that I picked at and then when it healed the dark spot was there with a white ring around it. She said it looked fine and was probably trauma from me picking at it. The spot started to lighten and last week it looked like it was almost gone.

Well driving to work on Wednesday I looked in the mirror and noticed that it was back to its old dark self, and then on Thursday it was all white and raised. So of course I called the dermatologist who is booked for 2 weeks, but my wedding is in 6 weeks and I don't really want something crazy on my lip!

Let's just say hours have been spent searching the web for "white dot" "lip" and "lip cancer" and anything else I can obsess about, because thats what I do best when I'm not feeling well. I always work the smallest problem up into some crazy thing in my head only to find out its something small.

Feeling Better

Chico seems to have recovered from his recent episode, although the weekend was long and very tiring getting him to this place. Each day we had to give him insulin twice, fluids under his skin twice, an appetite stimulant pill twice, a painkiller liquid twice, a antibiotic pill once, and feeding him with a syringe every two hours during the day.

With all of that I didn't get a thing done that I wanted to, but at least he is better! So that means this weekend will be filled many projects, although we will get to take a break on Saturday to go to the University of Michigan vs. Vanderbilt football game at the 'Big House'. I'm excited, not because I love football, because I don't, rather that football in Ann Arbor is an institution and I drive by the Big House every day, and I've always wanted to go inside.

On that note: GO BLUE!

Back to the vet

Last night after Mike and I got home we noticed Chico hadn't ate or drank anything. We drove to the store and got a syringe and a bottle of Ensure. After dinner I started giving him the Ensure with the syringe in order to get something in his stomach. I didn't get very much in him, but I hoped it might urge him to eat.

This morning I woke up and walked into the kitchen and Chico was laying there by his water dish. I petted him and went to add more food to the dish and he walked up and rubbed against my leg, which he normally does when he's hungry. He just walked over and looked at both his food and water and went and layed back down. So back to the vet we went and ran some bloodwork and other tests. The vet prescibed an appetite stimulant because sometimes the painkillers they give will make them stop eating, which is bad for cats because they develop other serious problems quickly if they don't eat. She also told us to blend together wet cat food and warm water and feed him through a syringe.

When we got back home we gave him the pill and some fluids under his skin and then I went to work blending together the cat food. The smell was absolutely awful, and he didn't like eating it very well, but hopefully it will make him feel a little better and he'll start eating on his own.

Back to the vet

Last night after Mike and I got home we noticed Chico hadn't ate or drank anything. We drove to the store and got a syringe and a bottle of Ensure. After dinner I started giving him the Ensure with the syringe in order to get something in his stomach. I didn't get very much in him, but I hoped it might urge him to eat.

This morning I woke up and walked into the kitchen and Chico was laying there by his water dish. I petted him and went to add more food to the dish and he walked up and rubbed against my leg, which he normally does when he's hungry. He just walked over and looked at both his food and water and went and layed back down. So back to the vet we went and ran some bloodwork and other tests. The vet prescibed an appetite stimulant because sometimes the painkillers they give will make them stop eating, which is bad for cats because they develop other serious problems quickly if they don't eat. She also told us to blend together wet cat food and warm water and feed him through a syringe.

When we got back home we gave him the pill and some fluids under his skin and then I went to work blending together the cat food. The smell was absolutely awful, and he didn't like eating it very well, but hopefully it will make him feel a little better and he'll start eating on his own.

I'm tired

I haven't been sleeping well lately. Sometimes I'm too hot and sometimes I'm too cold. Sometimes I need a big pillow and sometimes I want a flatter pillow. Sometimes I'm having weird dreams, and sometimes I just toss and turn for no reason. I'm sure the bulk of my sleeping issues boil down to I have so many project to get done over the coming weeks for the wedding.

Of course it's all my fault. I'm completely pressured by the crushing weight of the wedding industry and I want certain details of the wedding to be unique and homemade, not cookie cutter and predictable. I know in the end I will be happy with how things turned out, it's just a long road to get there still. All of the project do however keep me from being too worried about those things that I am actually worried about (i.e., bawling at the ceremony because my dad says some sentimental thing RIGHT BEFORE walking me down the aisle, getting cake smashed in my face, because hey, wouldn't that be fun...um, no, no it wouldn't, and there being the tiniest bit of drama going on).

One more thing to take my mind of all of it is Chico. Last night we ended up taking him to the ER vet because he looked and was acting awful. After a very quickly spent $300, we found out he has the same exact condition he had back in April, which means more painkiller, antibiotics and giving him fluids underneath the skin (thank the Lord that I have Michael to do that part for me). Hopefully in a few days he'll be feeling better, but its scary and sad to see him that way.

Check, check

Invitations sent...check!

Travel booked for wedding...check!

Heard at the Post Office

Little Girl: "Mom, I have to go to the bathroom"
Mom: "Alright, as soon as we are done here"
Little Boy: "You can just go in the grass when we're done"
Little Girl: "Ewww, no"
Little Boy: "Why not?"
Mom: "Well, it's not so easy for us girls"

Okay, while true, how about adding a "Your father should never have taught you that. You need to go to the bathroom IN a bathroom".

2 Months

2 months from today Mike and I will be married! I can't believe how quickly the last six months have flown by and how much has been accomplished (and is still left to be finished). I am getting ready to send out the invitations this week, which makes October 14th seem even closer somehow.

In other wedding news, when I first got my engagement ring, I was positive that I didn't want a weddinb band with it. However, within the last few weeks I've decided that I do want a band. I looked at a bunch of different styles, but chose the matchign band for my ring which is beautiful, although very expensive, which made me second guess my choice. Luckily, we were able to puchase the band at a local jewelry store that carries it and saved almost $700 over another store (the one where Mike bought my e-ring). I'm glad we looked around before we bought, because now I feel o.k. with my decision -- god knows I love a good deal!

Oh, and 5 months and 1 week later, my dress still isn't here. I hope it comes in soon!

No two left feet for this couple

Last night we took our first dance lesson for the wedding. We haven't picked out our first dance song yet, and I don't even know if we'll totally use what we'll learn, but it's a fun activity in the middle of the week. Last night's class focused on the waltz and I was suprised how quickly Mike picked it up. He did really well and it was fun to do something together. It wasn't exactly his cup of tea; however, we have 9 weeks left and he's on-board for it, so it must not have been too bad.

Adventure Needed

It’s August already and in the coming weeks and months there is much to be done. But, it’s nearing the end of summer and I’m getting a little bored of Michigan and wanting some adventure! I want to get out of town, even for a few days, although with the wedding coming I don’t want to spend a bunch of money. I’ve been researching places we could go, without flying, and without driving for a full day. I’m not sure we’ll even have the opportunity to go, especially with a wedding to pay for, but here are the contenders:

Niagara Falls – About 5 hours away, but I’ve never been there and it would be interesting. Besides antiquing, I don’t think there are a lot of other activities in the area.

Cleveland – A bout 3 hours away, home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and on Lake Erie. I’ve never been to Cleveland, although I’ve heard some good things about it.

Pittsburgh – About 5 hours away and a big city full of lots of different activities. I have been to Pittsburgh before, but not since high school and it might be fun to see it again.

Chicago – About 4 hours away, and full of hustle and bustle. We visited there last October and it was HOT, but we saw a lot and had a good time.

Toronto – About 5 hours away, and technically a ‘foreign’ country. There are a ton of cultural activities and big-city attractions to stay busy for a weekend.

Energy Sucks

I work for an energy company, I even work for the energy company that I get to write $200 bills to every month for our energy service at home. I am not able, however, to come home after work and have energy. Our power was out from 5 o'clock until 9:50p.m. today. Let me just also add that at 8 o'clock it was still 95 degrees outside and it wasn't very pleasant inside either. Thank goodness it's back up, I'd be less than happy if I had to pay for a hotel tonight in order to not roast.

Spray-On

In an attempt to not be pasty white for the wedding, I decided to go to the spray on tanning booth this weekend for a test run. I know they spoofed the experience on Friends years ago, but I must say, from personal experience, that it is every bit as unpleseant as it was portrayed.

After watching a video briefing me on what to do (booties, shower cap, lots of 'barrier' lotion on the hands, nails, knees and elbows to prevent tanning in those areas), I was shown to my room, which actually reminded me somewhat of an industrail closet. After getting undressed I followed the rules, put on the cream, my shower cap and booties and realized the goggles were missing. I got dressed and went to the desk where I was told to just shut my eyes, because the goggles caused noticable circles and I wouldn't want that.

I went back, got undressed again and entered the tanning booth. I was to press a green button and in 5 seconds was to be showered with tanning spray for the next 12 seconds. I stood there and nothing. So I pressed again, nothing. After repeating the process a few times I stepped out, got dressed and went back to the reception desk. The woman working the desk apologized and said she had forgot to turn it on, and that it should now be o.k.

I went back to the room, undressed for a third time, got into the booth and again nothing. At this point, I'm frustrated, but keeping my cool. I got dressed again, went back to the desk and was told that she had forgot to validate my fingerprint, which is part of their security measure to make sure people don't fry themselves in the regular machines 15 times a day. After I verified I went back, got undressed and was READY to get tan.

I pressed the green button and just as it was described I was showered with a burst of tanning spray for 12 seconds. Of course, I'm holding my breath and shutting my eyes, and after 12 seconds the machine stops and I have 10 seconds to turn around. Well at this point I need to take a breath and when I breath in I am disgusted by the massive amounts of tannign solution floating in the air. The machine proceeds to blast my backside for 10 seconds while I'm coughing and trying not to breathe in any more sludge.

After it was all through I stepped out, took a deep clean breath and toweled myself off. After a few hours I notices a VERY distinct tanline on the tops of my feet that the booties did not cover, and my hands, which I had applied a LOT of barrier lotion to were freakishly tan. Over the rest of my body I was pleasantly tan and I was happy with the results (minus the hands and feet).

It's a little expensive to have done, and if I do it again before the wedding, I'm going to have to figure a way to A) breathe and B) protect my hands and if that all works, I'll be doing it for the wedding.

A Ring

After looking at many different stores, styles and materials, we finally purchased Mike's wedding band last night. It is a beveled edge tungsten carbide ring by Trent West and was suprisingly affordable. It is nearly impossible to scratch or dent, and won't loose any of its luster. It's also extremely hard and can never be sized like gold or platinum, although the company we bought it from will allow him to exchange it if his size ever changes. I'm happy to be done with it. I like the ring, and I'm happy to be able to cross one more item off the wedding to-do list.

3 Months

In less that three months (89 days) from now Mike and I will be getting married. I am so excited, although quickly starting to realize how I need to get in gear and start some of the projects I thought I had plenty of time to start. Yet to do are: addressing/sending invitations, menus, direction cards, finishing centerpieces, choosing readings, picking or writing our vows, choosing ceremony music, planning the rehersal dinner, confirming vendors and getting my dress in and fitted. I have a feeling the next few months are going to fly by!

Never going to happen

I love having guests at my house, and I'd have a lot more if I could. But this product is beyond ridiculous. I'm sorry, but if and when you do stay at my house, you're never getting ironed sheets.

Happy 18th birthday Jerica! I hope your day is great!

Year 28

Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 28. I can actually say I'm happy to be turning 28, because all year long I thought I was 28, when I was only 27. I don't know why it was so hard to remember how old I was, but now I KNOW I'm 28.

Yesterday I worked until noon and Mike stopped by with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I drove home at noon, picked him up and we went to The Lake House. Mike wasn't super excited to watch a Keanu Reeves/Sandra Bullock movie, but since it was my birthday, I got to decide. We heade home after where I took a little nap before we headed off to dinner.

Dinner was fantastic. We ate at the Chophouse which is by far one of the top restaurants in town, and better still is that on you birthday you get 50% off your entire food bill (for both people, not just the birthday person). I was too stuffed to head over to the attached dessert place that I love, so we headed back home to digest for a couple of hours. Later we went back out for some frozen custard which was great as well.

I love my birthday...I just wish everyone I love was closer to celebrate it with me!

What we did in Fargo

We got a lot accomplished while we were home in Fargo:

• Almost missed our plane to Fargo (we got the last 2 standby seats)
• Went to Target to buy 2 clean shirts because our luggage didn't arrive and we had an appointment in the morning
• Met with the photographer
• Went to lunch at my favorite pizza place
• Went to the cake tasting and picked out flavors for our cake
• Bought a ton of clothes at the Dakota Boys Ranch (there is nothing better than buying a suitcase full of new clothes from Target and having it only cost $50)
• Picked out flowers at the florist...they are going to be gorgeous
• Saw the reception venue, I'm absolutely in love with it, it's beautiful
• Met with the church wedding coordinator
• Picked out the tuxedos for Mike and the guys
• Spent the day with my friend Melissa and her baby Colton
• Went to the barn to visit my cousins beautiful horse, Dolly
• Had my bridal shower (picture below of my cousin Jerica, a bridesmaid, me, and my cousin Krista, who coordinated the shower)

The Knot

I've been spending a lot of time on The Knot website lately trying to get ideas for the details of the wedding, and I have to say I've been inspired by a lot and in turn making a lot of little, personalized things for the wedding. But today, I was excited because someone from there sent me a message asking for my advice! She lives in Philadelphia and has the exact same dress as I do, and it's not one that is very common at all, and the color is unique so it presents some accessories 'challenges' that we're going to try to talk out. It will be nice to have someone with my same dress that I can bounce some ideas off of.

On another note, we've got 4 suitcases, a garmet bag, a duffel bag and a large purse to take with us to Fargo on Wednesday. I've weighed these suitcases a dozen times, and they had better not weigh over 50 pounds at the airport because I do not want to pay the overage amount! It really is amazing the amount of stuff that we've acquired over the course of planning!

The Knot

I've been spending a lot of time on The Knot website lately trying to get ideas for the details of the wedding, and I have to say I've been inspired by a lot and in turn making a lot of little, personalized things for the wedding. But today, I was excited because someone from there sent me a message asking for my advice! She lives in Philadelphia and has the exact same dress as I do, and it's not one that is very common at all, and the color is unique so it presents some accessories 'challenges' that we're going to try to talk out. It will be nice to have someone with my same dress that I can bounce some ideas off of.

On another note, we've got 4 suitcases, a garmet bag, a duffel bag and a large purse to take with us to Fargo on Wednesday. I've weighed these suitcases a dozen times, and they had better not weigh over 50 pounds at the airport because I do not want to pay the overage amount! It really is amazing the amount of stuff that we've acquired over the course of planning!

We're tired

Wednesday Working Hours:

Mike: 9am to 2am = 17 hours
Sunny: 7am to 4am = 21 hours

Yesterday we were both dragging and I know that I was in bed by 9pm. I don't mind working hard, but I think 21 hours is a tad on the ridiculous side. It's nice to get overtime, but not when you're tired for 2 days afterwards. Oh well, the weekend is less than 3 hours away and we both need a break!

Lots to do this weekend trying to prepare to go to Fargo next week. We have so much stuff to take back, it's a good thing that Northwest allows us to take 2 suitcases each, otherwise I don't know how much it would cost us to ship all of this stuff back.

What??

I just read an Associated Press article that stated “She has shown interest to come over to Namibia,” Jooste said by telephone from a conference in neighboring South Africa. “Nothing has been confirmed yet, but there is a definite possibility of that happening.” They are talking about Britney Spears. C'mon. Don't eat Angelina Jolie's leftovers and have the baby in Namibia. What are you going to do next, auction of the first photos for cash? Oh yeah, thats already been done.

I feel bad for the girl, the entire world looks at her life and pokes fun, but she does do some stupid things that warrant that kind of attention.

Not about the white and frilly

I am steadily trying to finish some wedding projects before Mike and I head back to North Dakota in two weeks to meet with vendors and bring along whatever wedding-related items we can. I have quite a list of projects that need to be done prior to leaving, or while we're in town.

This weekend I made our ring-bearers pillow. I hated all of the traditional white pillows that are usually used. We aren't having a traditional wedding, Mike's aunt is going to be our 'ring bearer' and therefore, a traditional white pillow just wasn't going to cut it. Below is the end-product of Saturday's sewing project. It's brown satin with pink pom-poms, brown and pink ribbon and a crystal button. I LOVE IT.

I'm Addicted

I've been watching random videos on YouTube.com the last couple of days and I've never laughed harder. For some laughs I definitely recommend this one and this one. On the crap that people come up with when they're bored! But hey, I get bored and I have a video camera, maybe I'll get insired.

80 degrees

It's absolutely beautiful today. Mike came downtown to take me to lunch and we walked to and from the restaurant in the perfect 80-degree weather. It wasn't hot or humid, just perfect, sunny, warm and fabulous! It made going back to work very, very difficult.

Tonight we're headed about an hour north of us to see a Dave Matthews concert. I'm excited, not only because I love his concerts, but that the tickets were absolutely free! It's always nice to work for a company that has good perks.

In the company of friends

It was so nice to have Elaine in town last weekend! I warned her in advance that Ann Arbor didn't hold a whole lot as far as things to do and places to go, but I think we managed to get in the highlights. I had forgotten how awesome it was to shop with a girl (vs. Mike who hates shopping). And Elaine, we both know the highlight of your trip was driving to Dundee, MI to see the Cabela's superstore with the insane amount of taxidermied animals on display. The picture below is use in front of a huge statue outside of a bear and a moose fighting. (you can see the antlers of the moose strewn across the bottom by the bears leg...nice...Michigan rules).

!!!

It's only 2:30p, but I've been looking at the clock since 11am waiting for 5 o'clock to roll around. I'm ready for the weekend.

Elaine is coming to visit this weekend and I am so excited! She is our first visitor from out of state and first overnight guest. There isn't a lot to do in Ann Arbor, but I think we'll muster up some fun things to do while she's here!

Another Post About Cake

I called our bakery in Fargo that we had chosen to make our wedding cake to set up a tasting for while we were in Fargo. The woman was 'so glad' that I had called, because they were in the process of calling all of their wedding parties to alert them that the head baker, and the namesake of the store had 'abruptly' left the business, and that we would have to find an alternate baker in town. People, it's Fargo, there aren't a ton of options. Luckily though, we were able to secure another bakery with their recommendation. Unfortunately, we've never tasted their cakes, but I'm sure it will be fine...plus we have a tasting in July to try out their flavors. For those of you attending the big event, the potential cake and icing flavors are listed below, so vote for your favorite (o.k., vote even if you can't make it...I need the input, as you can see, the possibilities are staggering!)

Cake Flavors
White
French Vanilla
Marble
German Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate Fudge
Chocolate Raspberry
Red Velvet
Lemon
Carrot
Strawberry Swirl
Banana
Piña Colada
Raspberry Swirl
Amaretto
Pumpkin
Cookies 'n' Cream
Kahlua
Peanut Butter

Filling Flavors
Chocolate
Lemon
Bavarian Creme
Raspberry
Strawberry
Caramel Nut
Chocolate Truffle
Raspberry Mousse
Strawberry Mousse
Chocolate Mousse
German Chocolate
Coconut

Cake

I've been having a problem at home lately that involves cake. I think cake is o.k., although I'd much rather have some sorbet or another dessert in it's place. Well, Michael doesn't have the same though. HE WANTS CAKE. Sunday night at 8pm as I was putting away laundry he looks over and said "I wish I had some cake", and I offered to bake one. After him saying no about 10 times I could tell he really did want one, so I went to the kitchen and made a vanilla sponge cake...from scratch. Needless to say, by the time I came home on Monday it was gone.

So last night after dinner Mike asks if I've bought him any "treats". I informed him that while no, I didn't, I did make him a cake 48 hours prior and wasn't that enough. Not more than 15 minutes later we were driving to the grocery store to pick up a cake mix and frosting for his 2nd cake of the week.

This has got to stop.

Dear Michael,

I understand that you have a mandatory session at school this evening that you weren't able to get out of. But I want you to understand that Jason Mraz, my favorite artist on the plant, is performing tonight and we have tickets. I know you took your ticket as you left this morning in case you were able to get out early and drive the hour to the venue to meet me.

Honey, please be aware that if you aren't able to join me and Jason Mraz should notice me sitting in the crowd. alone and available, and he happens to offer to father my children and sing to me for the rest of eternity, I just might take him up on the offer. I just want you to be forwarned.

Love,

Sun

Pictures

Our engagement pictures are in! If you'd like to view them, or purchase some for yourself they can be viewed here. In order to view you'll need the username, Sunny and Michael, and the password, 12167. We had them taken in Gallup Park where we got engaged, and the bridge we are walking towards and the rocks we are sitting on in some of the pictures is under the bridge where Mike proposed.

Post-Its

I had 16 post-its on my desk today with notes written all over them. It was obviously a very busy day.

On another note, we bought our tickets to Las Vegas for the Sam's wedding. Mark that down as airline tickets #3 and #4 purchased so far. Only 4-5 more to go!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom,

Happy Mothers Day! I hope you have a wonderful day, and even though I can't be in Seattle to spend it with you, I'm thinking about you. I'm glad you enjoyed your flowers, even if the florist did send a completely incorrect arrangement. However, your 2nd arrangement of correct flowers will be there on Monday. Enjoy!

Love,

Sunny

Retail-ity

H&M opened yesterday in the mall next to my apartment. I went today and it was a bad, bad mistake. Cute clothing at inexpensive prices...I can see already I'm going to have to leave my credit cards at home when I go there.

Cold

How is it the 12th of May and still only 45 degrees outside? What happened to the 70 degree weather of a week and a half ago?

Yummy Goodness

Last night we had to run an errand about 20 miles from home, and it just so happens that a few miles from there is a Culvers. Most people outside of the midwest don't know what Culver's is. It is a fast food restaurant whose specialty is frozen custard. The custard is unbelievable. For all of you attending the wedding in Fargo in October, plan on stopping by for one of their yummy treats, the ultimately blissful taste is well worth the calories.

Of course my Aunt Jane is well aware of the magic which is Culvers. She is known to keep a schedule of their daily special flavors in her car so she can stop and pick up something yummy when she's out and about.

It's always something

The last 48 hours have been full of one issue after another:

Mike's car died. It's dead. So now we're shopping for cars when we didn't expect to be adding a car payment into our monthly bills

We have ants. Came home last night to find a little trail along the ledge in our kitchen. Where they are coming from, or what they think they're going to eat, I have no idea. We bought some ant traps last night, and now they are feeding on it. Stupid ants.

Our thermostat is busted. I set our temperature in the house to about 70, and a few degrees lower at night. I wake up HOT and find out the air isn't working.

10/14/06. Our wedding. Mike has school and we knew he would need to miss a week, which isn't a problem, except about four weeks during the school year they have 'manditory' weeks, and it JUST SO HAPPENS that they have scheduled one of those weeks for either the week before or the week after our wedding. So option A (f it's the week before_, they'll let him leave Thursday afternoon, or option B (if it's the week after) , he'll have to leave to go home the day after our wedding. Neither I'm super excited about, but I guess we'll just have to roll with the punches.

And finally, travel. We've purchased our first 2 airline tickets (of the upcoming 8-10 we'll need to purchase before January)...my wallet already feels strangely light.

Brokedown

Last night I had to work late, which is never much fun. I ran a couple of errands, got home and finished up my paper for school. I sat down on the couch and the phone rang and it was Michael. He was driving back from his martial arts class 75 miles away and had broke down. Thank goodness he had just made it into Ann Arbor, but was stalled at the side of the road. I drove across town and called the towing company to pick the car up. Over and hour later they finally arrived to take the car to the shop. We're not sure the car is repairable, or if we should just junk it and try to get a new one. Not exactly what we needed right now is to pay for a new car, but I guess sometimes things happen when you least expect it. I have to say though, that Mike won't be the least bit sad to see that car go!

Getting it done

I finally feel like I got some things accomplished over the weekend. It's been weeks since I've felt like I've really gotten anything done. This weekend Mike and I had our engagement pictures taken at the park where we got engaged. I can't wait to see the proofs. It felt like every time she took a picture my face was in a funny position. I definitely need the "1, 2, 3" before a picture. She took some unique shots and hopefully a few turned out.

I also ordered the bridesmaids dresses. I am so thankful for finding Netbride, because in doing so we saved $60 per dress and the company has great reviews. I can't wait to see them in person, although that won't happen until right before the wedding because they are being shipped directly to the girls, and I won't see any of them after their dresses arrive, before the wedding weekend.

We caught a movie at the dollar theatre next to our house. We saw Firewall, and although I think Harrison Ford is awesome, I have to say that he may be getting a tad old for all of these action movies.

Also managed to get the house cleaned, try a new restaurant and split a piece of fantastic carrot cake from Sweetwaters Bakery. Yum!

10 Years

My high school reunion is this summer and a few months ago I got an e-mail to verify my address. I thought that an invite would have come by now so I logged onto our alumni website to see if there was any further information. The page is pretty much blank, except for a very small 'June 17, 2006' in the upper left corner. That is just over six weeks away. Now I realize that my class was only 75 people, and probably 90 percent of them still live in town, but 'cmon, it would be nice to get an invite more than a week beforehand. Oh well, I'm already going back in July, I guess I'll have to wait for my 20-year reunion!

Reality TV

I'll admit it, I enjoy reality t.v., or at least some of it. One show that I really enjoy is Top Chef on the Bravo channel. It's interesting to see the food that they create, but also the amount of drama that a few chefs in the kitchen can create. I know they choose people that will not be compatable exactly for those reactions for t.v., but sometimes you just want to jump into the t.v. and kick some chef butt!

For those of you have been watching it, last night Leann went home, which makes me mad, because Tiffany just angers me with her higher-than-thou attitude and I'm going to be so upset if she wins!

Also, if you watch it -- I'm SO happy they kicked Steven off. He was so annyong, he was the most self-centered person on the show, and his food was artful but not edible, and who wants that?

Happy May Day!

I miss being a kid sometimes, especially on days like today. May Day was great! We would come home from school and run around the neighborhood dropping baskets of candy off at our friends houses and try not to get caught. I always looked forward to it, not so much for the candy, but more because the weather was usually nice and my friends and I could be outside.

To My Mom

Thank you for understanding my newly deep rooted need to buy MULTIPLE pairs of shoes for the wedding. Only you can know what it feels like to think you've found the perfect pair, only to be wooed and pursuaded by two additional pairs.

You wanted some representation, and here it is. Sorry about the picture, it's a little nuts. This is when we weren't sure that the camera was working and I was holding a smile for minutes on end it seemed, Same was smirking as usual and you were laughing through it all. This is the only digital picture I have of you after the big computer crash.

Thanks again mom...I love you!

White and Sparkly

The bridal shop that I purchased my veil from called to let me know my veil was in (4 weeks early) and that I could pick it up. I stopped by and got it, which I was nervous about because I sort of remembered what it looked like, but was not sure if it would look good. I took it home, tried it on and it's beautiful! Now it's all starting to feel real, because its not everyday you get to wear a veil!

Green

Today there are leaves on the trees.

Spring has arrived!

Easter Leftovers

There is more fudge and chocolate in this household from our Easter baskets than should be allowed by U.S. law. It's a good thing we bought a treadmill, because boy are we going to need it!

Bribe Money

My company every hear has a campaign to get people interested in their health, promote nutrition, the benefits of exercise and to lose weight. They send out a survey with very basic questions and in return give answers to what areas of improvement you should most focus on. They also compare you to those of your peers. Apparently my peers are 64% heathly, and I am 65% healthy. Woo hoo! I'm dominating by a whole percent.

But, the best thing is, just for filling out the survey you get a $50 gift certificate to one of like 200 stores. Nothing like shopping money to incentify me!

My hand feels lighter

On Saturday I dropped my engagement ring off at the jewelry store to have it sized. Originally they had said I wore a 6, but I didn't want it to be too tight, so I told Mike 6 1/4, because 6 1/2 was a tad big. After wearing the ring for awhile I realized that it was slipping over my knuckle and I would be at risk of losing it.

The lady at the store told me that it would take about 4 days, although I asked that the bottom inside which is stamped with the maker of the ring remain in place. She advised that is done by the factory and if their local jeweler couldn't size around it, she'd have to send it back to the manufacturer to have it sized. So she called to let me know they did in fact have to send it off; however, that it would take approximately 4 weeks to come back! So now I'm walking around with no ring and it feels completely bizarre, which is funny because at first having the ring on felt weird.

Of course while we were there I tried on the 'wedding band' that matches my ring, which I had already decided I didn't need or really want, but wanted to see them together. The little tiny band is $1700 and the woman was trying to sell Mike on how I really should have one for the wedding and a second for our 1-year anniversary so that the band would look 'complete'...yeah I bet.

My back is going to hurt

Mike and I just lugged a 8 million pound treadmill up 3 flights of stairs to our apartment. Now mind you 2 (count them 2) people asked if we wanted help, and Mike said "no we're fine". Um, yeah. About that. I'm a girl, and I don't necessarily want to carry the weight of an elephant up 3 flights of stairs. Not to mention, when Mike moves things he gets crabby and starts using really big 7 syllable words that I can't even spell, nor do I have a clue as to what they mean. Nonetheless, I now have a beautiful new treadmill in my apartment to use!

What?

Eminem is divorcing his wife Kim, for the 2nd time. They were recently married in Detroit and it's lasted a whole 3 months this time. What were they thinking??

In Need of Spring

The weather has been all over the place. One day it's cold, and the next we'll have high winds and tornado warnings. The sun will be shining, but by the time I get outside it will be gloomy. I'm in major need of some sun and warmer weather. I was browsing online yesterday and found airfare thats only $200 to Grand Caymen...tempting.

In the Mail

Our save-the-date cards went into the mail today, so take a peek in your mailbox in a few days for yours! We've also had our wedding website up and running for a few weeks, and you can now check it out at www.sunnyjoandmike.com Of course, my web design skills aren't great, but at least the site will help with all the people coming from out of town get acquainted to my hometown.

I made my save the date cards and I love them. I think they turned out really cute. Planning a wedding on a budget is kind of fun because you are forced to be a little inventive, and in return get to put more of yourself into it. And not to mention, the continuous high of using glue non-stop for the last couple of weeks is just an added benefit. Seriously, I'm using some major toxic glue, and am going to wait for the weather to warm up so I can continue my projects outside in a WELL ventilated area.

30 Seconds to Mars

My new favorite album is A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars. I recommend the tracks Attack and The Kill. Of course, with Jared Leto as the lead singer (c'mon, who didn't have a crush on him when he was on My So Called Life!), it's hard to love the music.

Nails

I looked down at my nails today and couldn't remember the last time I'd applied polish to them. Plus with the cold winter and dry air they are brittle and breaking and I'm in need of a manicure badly.

Princess Gear

I went shopping last night for a veil and tiara. I was about to purchase them when she mentioned they had a sale of last years styles on sale. And since I'm up for a bargain, I went downstairs to check it out. The veil I picked I really loved already, so I was more looking for tiaras. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on it, and then one I'd picked out was $95, which in tiara world is cheap. So I started to browse and found one for $168 that was 75% off! So I grabbed it, tried it on with the veil and it looked awesome. So I took it home for a whopping $37 bucks. Man I love a good deal.

Magnet Goodness

Many thanks to Heather for the great package of goodies that came in the mail today. After a trip to Lowe's (who said they didn't have what we needed), a call to Heather, a call to my very knowledgable dad, a trip to Home Depot (who was out of what Lowe's didn't say they had), and back to Lowe's to find what they didn't say they had...but did...and a trip to the COOLEST shop in ann arbor, Hollanders, to pick up some sweet paper for my wedding favors, I am ready to start making them!

The dress

Today I made my decision and ordered my wedding dress. The dress is very me, and I'm excited to have it arrive, although it will be 5-6 months before it arrives. There were a couple of shops that sold the dress, but with my mad negotiation skillz I was able to get an awesome deal. And I love a deal about as much as Elaine does, and nothing is more beautiful than you perfect wedding dress, for 22 percent less.

36%

Thats how much got taken out of my annual bonus. That bonus looks a lot less attractive after such a huge gouging, but nice nonetheless.

The dress

I'm starting to narrow down choices for my wedding dress. I have two that I really like, but I am having a problem making a final decision. I like them both, but the one I like more is also about 300 dollars more than the other. I don't know how I'm going to make that final choice. Mike was a trooper yesterday and came with me to look at them all. Hopefully by the end of this week I'll make a final decision and put in the order!

Nah nah nah nah nah nah You say it's your BIRTHDAY!

Happy 28th birthday to Marisa!! I hope you have a wonderful day and a happy, healthy, fun-filled year ahead!!

Congratulations!

To my brother Sam on his engagement!! He got engaged Friday night to his girlfriend of 4 years, Samantha. I am so excited for you and I was honored to have found out first! Congratulations to you both!!

Bridal Fun

I went dress shopping tonight. I had spent the last two weeks looking a different bridal magazines and tabbing pictures that I thought would look good on me, or I just liked in general. I made a list of 8 that I wanted to try on from this one store, made an appointment and went. Well 2 of them that I was most sure I'd love, I hated, and ones I never thought in a million years would look good were awesome! I took some pictures and have some more appointments coming up at different bridal shops to see whats out there before I make a decision.

Two amazing things happened while I was trying on the dresses.
1. Never, and I mean NEVER in my life were my boobs too small for a dress and it happened again and again tonight. I mean, what kinds of girls are they looking for??
2. I put on all of those veils and a tiara and it hit me, I'm going to be a bride!!

And it starts

They say planning a wedding is stressful work and I didn't believe a word of it. At All. However, after a zillion phone calls between churches, reception venues, family, etc. I'm exhausted! I do believe that we finally gotten it all confirmed, there are just a few things to tidy up and then we'll have an "official" date, yeah!

Although Mike thinks I'm nuts for trying to get this squared away so soon, I know I wanted a fall wedding, and being 9 months out from that time frame, it's important to secure a date at least for the church and the venue. I can wait months on other details like favors and what my garter (do I even need one) is going to look like.

Announcement!

Mike and I are engaged!! He proposed at a park, under a bridge, at sunset. It was a beautiful and pefect moment!

A Dissapointing Loss

Well, the Seahawks lost, but at least they gave it a good shot. If that bad call had went the other way in the first half, they probobly could have taken it.

On a side note...did anyone else think the Rolling Stones were just a tad blah and maybe a tad too old to be performing at superbowl (with all under 40-year-old groupies around them).

White and Windy Superbowl

We woke up this morning to a couple of inches of snow, and from what I hear Detroit is suppose to have gotten 6-12. I can't imagine moving around downtown today with all those people, and all that snow.

Mike and I are headed over to Steven and Lidia's house to watch the game with some friends, which should be a good time (plus the huge plasma t.v. doesn't hurt either).

Go SEAHAWKS!

Football

The Superbowl is 2 days away and the city is BUZZING with promotional craziness. Towns that are not classified as "Detroit", partly because they aren't, and partly because they are too ritzy to even acknowledge they are even remotely close to the city, have erected huge electronic signs that say "WELCOME TO DETROIT".

Trains

On my way hometoday a train was about to cross one of the only major streets on my way home, so I took a left to go on a little detour. By the time I made it to the street I needed to cross the next crossing at here comes that darn train, so I had to sit and wait for it anyway! Who in their right mind operated a train at 5 o'clock through a downtown area with only 2 major north south routes? Nice planning, city of Ann Arbor.

I love a deal

Lately I've been craving new clothes, and I want them to have a type of look to them whether casual, business or dressy. That look is modern, classic and a bit trendy. All of those things are the quentisential Banana Republic and I'm hooked. I've always liked their clothes but never liked spending so much per piece. Lately however I have been able to pick up a couple of super deals during their annual sale. In the last couple of weeks I've been able to pick up four new pieces for under 30.00...total. Full retail price of those pieces...over 200.00 What a deal!

They're coming to Detroit

The Seahawks have made it and they are coming to Detroit. Now I have to say that anyone coming to the superbowl excited to 'check out' Detroit is going to be sorely disappointed. However, I am excited at having some Seattlites in Ann Arbor (since who in their right mind would actully stay at a hotel in Detroit).

Go Seahawks!

My Favorite Christmas Gifts

This post is entirely too long delayed, but here are a couple of my favorite Christmas gifts this year. By no means is it complete, because I loved everything I received.



Making pizza is fun again thanks to this wonderful present from Mike. It is a dual wheel pizza cutter from Brookstone. There is no more going over the pizza twice to cut all the way through, plus it look super cool and is fun to use.



Tivo. By far the best invention on the planet. No longer will I watch a program real-time. Fast forwarding over commercials and parts I find boring is perfect for my ADD-style T.V. watching. Plus it makes the coolest sound...do do do...dong!


Beyond The Blonde. It's a great novel about the secret life of beauty salons in New York City. It was so good that I read it in a few hours on the plane home from Seattle. This isn't the only great book I received. I also got Citizen Girl, The Time Travelers Wife, plus a great gift certificate to Barnes and Noble to replenish my stock -- Thanks Mom!

A long night

I worked from 8am yesterday until 2am. It was a very long day and I am very tired. Of course, my boss told me I could take today off, which I am doing in part, but why work a long day like that with no overtime? I have to go in for awhile to make sure a couple of things are taken care of as well. Hey, at least I didn't have to be back at 8am and got to sleep in until 11!