A Oui from me, Toby!

Hi Folks, Toby here. I just figured I'd sign on to wish my Mama and Daddy a Happy 3rd Anniversary. As you can see, in preparation of tonight's festivities, I'm wearing my Sunday best. I've even tried a little something new with my hair; it's my understanding that what I've done is called "spiking."

I have a great night planned for my parents. I figure it's the least I can do given that if it wasn't for them being married and all, I probably wouldn't be here. So, I have tonight all planned out.

When Daddy gets home from work, Mama and I will give him the pictures of me that were taken last weekend. Oh yeah, and there's a stiff piece of paper that we're supposed to give him too. I really don't get it but, Mama put a funny object in my hand and had me do something to it with a color. Then she closed it up kind of like a book and put it in a paper blanket. (I'm going to whisper what she did next because I don't know if what she did next was something I should have seen) she licked it all around the edges!! I won't tell Daddy if you don't!

Then I plan on sitting at the table with them while they have what Daddy calls a "romantic dinner." He mentioned a menu but I admit that I wasn't really listening; I have only a little interest in the food they eat and I was playing with Sophie so I just nodded my head like I understood. I'll get leftovers when Mama nurses me anyway. I'm not too worried about missing anything there.

Soooooooo, after dinner is when the real fun begins. First, they are going to read me a few of my new Halloween books. They read to me all the time and they say I'm going to be really smart. That's a good thing, right? After that I'll let them just sit and stare at me while they say things like: "How cute is he?" and "can you believe he's ours?" and "was that just a fart or did it sound juicy to you?" I'm not really sure what any of those things mean but I know they're good because they always seem really happy with me.

At some point they will feed me and snuggle me. We'll play my music and do tummy time. We will play with my puppies too, I just love to do that. I may fill a few diapers and then the day will come to an end when they wrap me up tight and snuggle me before I lay in my bassinet for the "long sleep" (I say long sleep because that's when I go to sleep for like 8-10 hours. Mama and Daddy say this is really nice of me, so I guess it's a good thing.)

So, you see, I've planned a nice night for them and will let them play with me all night long. I just love my Mama and Daddy so much. I mean, they do everything for me. I'm never sad so I think the least I could do would be to let them do all my favorite things tonight, right?

Okay, that's all from me for now. I'm thinking I need a nap but first I can probably get Mama to read me Corduroy's Halloween. Have you read it? It's awesome! Sometimes, I'll grab at one of the pages with what Mama calls "showing an interest in reading" and she will get really excited. Usually if I "show interest" she'll read me several more books in a row!! I guess if I want to read Clifford and the Halloween Parade too, I better "show interest."

Later!
Toby

Wednesday Oui? Oui

Today is our three year anniversary. Three blissful years.

 

 

Many wonderful things have happened in the past 3 years but one thing stands above all.

Aaron, I couldn't ask for a better partner than what I have in you. I could not ask for a better father for our son. I have learned more about life and love in the past three years than I ever imagined.

Happy Anniversary, Babe. You have given me the world.

Fun Fact Thursday: Alaska

I have always, *always* wanted to go to Alaska. When Aaron and I first started talking about our honeymoon and he gave me the option of going anywhere in the entire world, I think he was somewhat surprised to hear me say "Alaska!" without hesitation. His response was, (and this was a couple of years ago so I am paraphrasing) "I can't believe I'm marrying someone who, when given the choice to go anywhere in the world, wants to go to Alaska. Score me!" He was relieved I didn't want to go and lay on a beach somewhere sipping frosty drinks (in all honesty, I wouldn't mind that, but it certainly wouldn't be one of my top 3 vacation destinations).

Our vacation/belated honeymoon is going to be amazing and I am beyond excited. Here are some interesting facts about Alaska:

• Alaska is the 49th State in the Union.
• The state of Rhode Island could fit into Alaska 425 times.
• The state motto is "North to the Future".
• Nearly one-third of Alaska lies within the Arctic Circle.
• 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States are located in Alaska.
• Mount McKinley ( 20,320 feet ) in the Alaska Range is the highest in North America.
• The state's largest city is Anchorage; the second largest is Fairbanks.
• In 1867 United States Secretary of State William H. Seward offered Russia $7,200,000, or two cents per acre, for Alaska's almost 400 million acres.
• Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline and, including islands, has 33,904 miles of shoreline.
• Alaska has areas that get: 24 hours of daylight and 24 hours of night.
• Alaska contains approximately 3 million lakes.
• Alaska is 55 miles east of Russia.

Wednesday Oui: Ouizell's Vacation

When Aaron and I first moved in together I bought my dogs a "welcome to your new home" gift; a white weasel looking thing with buck teeth. I bought it (impulsively) at Family Dollar while I was there doing my quarterly acquisition of household cleaning products. This toy, haphazardly thrown into the cart as an afterthought, has earned quite the reputation.

Now, to understand the extent to which my dogs are spoiled you have to realize how many toys/accessories these boys have. They get a new Halloween costume every year, a tee-shirt for every occasion, life jackets, Santa suits, reindeer antlers, winter boots, raincoats, cooling collars, bathrobes and I even had tuxedo shirts imported from Japan for my wedding. These dogs want for nothing

All of our toys (the ones most frequently played with) have names. Why? Because my dogs have a supreme intelligence which allows them to learn the names of their toys. If we were to say, "Bing, where's Bluey?" He would run around the house and seek out Bluey and return him to me (after, of course, first having sex with Bluey [Bluey is a blue bull who happens to be the one and only toy that has earned Bing's sexual affection]). But, the favorite toy of my dogs happens to be "Ouizell" the dollar store toy bought on a whim. Of all the toys they own (including a $20 hand-puppet giraffe [which they completely discarded after I ordered it]) they like this cheap animal the best. So much so that he needs to be with them most of the time. Whenever we travel, if Bing sees Ouizell go into his overnight bag (yes, they have their own overnight bag, from L.L. Bean-- it's monogrammed) he will get so anxious because he knows we're going somewhere. Ouizell has had to visit the doctor several times over the past 4 years, has several scars (stitches), only one working squeaker remains intact and is now tailless and toothless. Plus, not only does Ouizell sleep in bed with us-- every night, Ouizell was also a guest at our wedding.

The point of this blog? Well, Aaron and I are completely stressing about leaving the pups for the 17 days we are in Alaska/Seattle. My Mother is taking them at the farm and they'll have a great time with their cousins (my Mom's chihuahuas) but, as their Mama, I worry about them. So much so that I actually had a nightmare about Alaska/Ouizell last night.

As I said, Aaron and I will be gone for 17 days. We have two formal dinners on the cruise, we will be in various climates and we'll most likely need to pack a lot of clothing. As a result, we have been discussing the purchase or use of one of those things that sucks the air out of stuff so you can pack a bunch of crap in a suitcase. Well, in my dream last night, we arrived safely in Alaska and as I unpacked my suitcase I realized Ouizell had somehow been packed and vapo-sealed into our luggage. In my dream, I lost it. I absolutely, without a doubt, lost my shit screaming that "not only had we left the pups for a significant amount time, we had also taken their baby." (I legitimately cannot explain how much they love this toy). In the dream I insisted on overnighting the weasel to my mother's farm so they boys wouldn't be without this ratty beast for another second. It was crazy and I woke up in a panic.

Come to think of it, I am crazy. It's impossible to explain how much I love these dogs. Seriously, when it comes to my dogs I am certifiably sick in the head. Oui?

Top Ten Tuesday: Our Fall Themed Wedding

With the first day of fall being just days away (y'all know I love fall!) below, please find the top ten pictures of the decorations at our fall themed wedding. I've been picky about posting wedding pictures in the past but, you know what? I'm going for it! As our one year anniversary approaches, I find myself getting sentimental (gasp) while remembering what an ABSOLUTELY perfect day it was! I wouldn't go back and change a thing with the exception of changing the guest list a bit.

Maple syrup favors: Aaron and I made the syrup at the farm earlier in the year.

Our "sons" not only had tuxedos (which had to be shipped in from overseas because I couldn't find any in America that I liked, LOL) but they also had a birch branch cage made especially for the day to keep them safe and cozy!

The carrot cake cupcakes were lovingly made by my "brothers" Matt & Nelson.

 Every part of the day was decorated exactly how I wanted it, down to the tables being named after hikes Aaron and I have taken together.

The end of the chair rows had cranberry mums and the ground was sprinkled with flower petals and pine cones. My Step-father collected bags and bags of pine cones for our day. This all led up to the heart shaped arbor under which Aaron and I stood to say our vows. Our good friend Jason even cut small saplings to plant beside the arbor.

My mother-in-law made the centerpiece for the cake table. Gorgeous!

Each place card was a plantable seed packet; you could plant the entire thing and grow flowers out of it. The tables were decorated with acorns (acorns have a special meaning to Aaron & I)

And what would my wedding be without cotton candy? Each guest was given cotton candy, made right at the reception to enjoy (much to the objection of our sticky caterers- bless their hearts.) 

Wednesday, Oui? Acorns

When Aaron and I began "dating" (I put dating in quotations because he was dating me -- I was simply hanging out with him) one interest we shared was a love for the outdoors; specifically, hiking.

On our very first hike together we journeyed to Oak Hill Fire Tower in the Concord area. It's an easy but long hike that leads to a fire tower/lookout area. The views are glorious and, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Kearsarge, Mt. Cardigan and some of the White Mountains up north including Mt. Washington.

When we reached the summit Aaron wanted to continue up to the top of the fire tower. Now, you have to understand, I'm not a fan of heights. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm deathly afraid of heights but, they do cause me some discomfort and anxiety-- mostly I get wobbly legs and I start to shake. Never the less, part of me didn't want to be a baby so, I scaled the tiny staircase that felt like it reached into the heavens... and boy was it worth it! The views were gorgeous.
 
At the top of the tower there is a platform where you can stand to get a panoramic view of the expansive mountain ranges. We weren't dating at this point in time, although Aaron was trying desperately to entice me to be his girlfriend so, with his Honda car key, he carved our names into a support beam on the tower. It read: Aaron (heart) Jessi. I remember when he did this my first thought was, "I hate graffiti" followed by "isn't he assumptive!?" I wasn't pleased he marked the tower but, ours was among hundreds and hundreds of names so I rationalized it was "semi-okay" that he did this (and, deep down, I was a bit flattered.)
 
Hiking back to his car I picked up an acorn cap and, feeling the need to impress and out-do his graffiti, I put the acorn cap to my lips and let out a shrill whistle; always pleased with my ability to be a Tom-boy. Aaron was amused and asked me to teach him how to do it. I placed the acorn cap in his hands and he tried, unsuccessfully, several times.
 
We have hiked the Oak Hill Fire Tower twice since that first day, the most recent time being 4 days after we were married. Each time I fight the nausea as we revisit the view and our names carved illegally into a support beam. Little did I know, the day we took our very first hike, not only would this be our first hike as husband and wife but also, years later, Aaron and I would have together hiked many of the mountains you can see from the top of the tower (Cardigan, Monadnock, Kearsarge.) It's really funny how life happens.
 
The reason for the title of today's blog is three-fold. While planning our wedding I wanted to do something original with the tables; most people use just a plain old number. I, on the other hand, named each table by a hike we have taken together. The place card bore the name of the guests, their respective table (mountain), and they were written on a seed packet that could be directly planted to grow wildflowers. The cards were set on a table decorated with-- you guessed it, acorns.
 

 
Now this story comes full circle.
 
As many of you may or may not know, weeks ago, Aaron's car was totalled by a tree falling in our yard. We just bought him a "new to us" truck but, before the old Honda was towed away, we had to go through the process of cleaning out Aaron's personal belongings. As he unloaded the car and brought travel mugs and tuperware into the house (grrr) I watched him set something, carefully, onto the counter; an acorn cap. I had already begun doing the dishes that were sitting in his car when I went to sweep the acorn cap into the trash. The conversation that ensued when something like this:
 
A: (excitedly) Nooo!
J: (startled, confused, holding the cap out to him) You wanted to save this?
A: Yes! It's the acorn cap.
J: I know what it is.
A: No. It's theee acorn cap.
J: (staring blanking, confused) "Theee" acorn cap?
A: The one from our first date... at Oak Hill. Remember?

All this time he saved it. Unbelievable.
 

Menu Monday: Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa

As I enter the planning stages for my sister's baby shower this summer, I have recently been thinking about one of my dear friends, Quinn. The reason Quinn comes to mind is because when I think of planning a shower for my sister, I can't imagine planning it without Quinn's help. She is "our sister from another mister." I write about her because Quinn fits into today's post so, sit tight and her part in this will slowly reveal itself.

It's a widely known fact that, arguably, my favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. There is just something about the sense of family in that movie that appeals to me. If you surveyed my core group of friends, who didn't know I was a closet Steel Magnolia-er, they would probably testify that I much prefer psychological thrillers to a feel-good tear-jerker like Steel. I mean, I still refuse to watch or read The Notebook!

Regardless, I love Steel and I use many of the quotes from this movie on a daily basis so, it felt appropriate to post about a few aspects of the movie today.

First and foremost, a recipe for Menu Monday taken right from the movie:

Truvy's Cuppa Cuppa Cuppa

• 1C Sugar
• 1C Flour
• 1C Fruit Cocktail "with the juice"

Mix together and spread in a greased 8X8 pan and cook at 350 to a "warm bubbly" (approx 35 minutes)

Now, a quick word about this recipe; it's a novelty. If you're looking to impress at a dinner party, don't choose this recipe- it just doesn't cut it. It's sticky sweet and cheap to boot. I really like it but you'd have to try it to be the judge. The fact that the recipe came from my favorite movie may have colored my taste buds a little but, I double dog dare you to take a taste ;) And, if you haven't seen the movie you need to crawl right back under the rock where you live.

Ever since I first saw that movie, years and years ago, I've always said, "someday, I will have an armadillo cake at my wedding," never thinking that I would actually have an armadillo cake at my wedding. In theory, my little heart wanted one so badly but, when it came down to finding someone to make it and reasons why it should be in the budget, I knew it probably wouldn't happen.

Enter Quinn. Quinn has known me for almost 25 years (scary!!) and she wouldn't let my dream die. One day, months before the wedding, I received an email from Quinn stating that not only had she found someone to make my cake, it was going to be her wedding gift to us!

I can't tell you the joy I felt when a nice (and talented) man showed up at my reception site and said, "I'm here to deliver an armadillo to Jessi." Unbelievable.

Quinn, I love you like a sister. Your friendship over the years is something I have always appreciated. You are good to the core and I adore you. Thank you for making this lifelong dream come true.

And yes, it had gray icing and a red-velvet interior. I told the caterer, "cut it up randomly, a section here and a section there, I want it to look like an autopsy." The part Aaron and I saved for our 1-year-anniversary? The ass. Eveyone loves a "good piece of ass" ;)

Photographic Friday: "Nickel"

This is one of my very best friends, Nickie.

I am not the type of person who keeps a ton of friends around me. I keep most people at arms length, but a few seem to weasel their way into my life and make a home in my heart. As cliché as that sounds, it's the truth.

If you're a friend of mine (one of the one's who has burrowed through the shell) you know that I would do ABSOLUTELY anything for you. Anything. It's the way I work. Everything I do, I do to the best of my ability. I work hard, I play hard, and I love hard. I'll admit, I know I'm a horrible acquaintance, but a great friend. I live my life by it.

On this "Photographic Friday" I wanted to give a shout out to Nickie. I've been having an incredibly stressful month and one constant companion and supporter (aside from Aaron and a couple other friends) has been Nickie.

I cannot imagine my life without her. Seriously. She is my rock most days and, no-matter-what, she's always there for me-- a huge supporter. If I'm having a bad day, or even a good day, seeing her makes everything better. We spend unusual amounts of time together and we do almost everything together. Nickie is a permanent fixture in my home and even has a key. I can't explain, or articulate the love I have for Nickie but, with Nickie, words aren't even necessary. A simple glance will tell all and she knows what I need- and vice-versa. Nickie has been very patient with me- breaking through my shell, and she is even someone I'm willing to hug on a daily basis :) I can tell Nickie anything and she doesn't judge me, nor does she disappoint me.

Aaron absolutely LOVES Nickie too. Who wouldn't? Aaron always says, "Nickie is the sister I never wanted" ;) Or, actually, "Nickel" as he lovingly refers to her. In all reality, I think the reason they get along so well is that Nickie is Aaron in a female body and Aaron in Nickie in a male body- they are exactly the same person in a lot of ways. It's kind of creepy.

I love this picture of Nickie and I. She was the reverend at my wedding. She married us!!!!! I am so honored she performed the ceremony and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Nickie loves me unconditionally. Every girl needs a friend like her. Thankfully, she’s mine.

Wednesday, Oui: "Pep"

Last Monday (the 23rd) I made my annual trip up to Portland to go Christmas shopping with my mother, pick up the farm fresh turkey she raised for me, and have lunch with my Pepe (pronounced Pep-pay; the spelling seems to confuse people).

This has been a tradition in our family for what must be about 8 years now. We always do it the Monday before Thanksgiving, we always meet in Portland, we always go shopping at the Christmas Tree Shop, and we always take Pepe out for lunch.

I'm so scared this was the last time this tradition included bringing Pepe out to lunch. Pepe is not doing very well and, every time I see him, he seems to be a little worse than the last. It kills me. I love my Pepe, probably more than I can even put into words and growing up, he was always the MOST important person to me (well, he and my sister always fought for that title ;) I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when...

So how is this a Oui, you ask? How is this a happy-go-lucky-make-you-smile story?

Well, I've been thinking a lot about my Pepe. When I think of recent times I've seen him one of those times includes the wedding.

I clearly remember being in the bathroom at the venue, putting on the last finishing touches before I got into my dress when my sister came into the bathroom where we were getting ready. She looked at me with eyes  I know so well that I can read them and she said, "Jessi, Pepe is here." I put my make-up away and walked out of the bathroom to find him, tears already running down my face.

He was sitting in a chair, waiting for me, looking so handsome. I walked over to him and I just cried. For months after I got engaged there was only one concern I had about the wedding- the only time I agonized over the guest list, the only thing that could possibly have gone wrong on that day; Pepe wouldn't have made it. The only way Pepe wouldn't have made it was if he wasn't with us (I can't even bring myself to say the word, let alone type it.)

To know Pepe you have to know that he is one of the smartest, bravest, and sweetest men alive. He has several ailments right now, and a couple forms of cancer. I'm not going to get into the extent of his health issues because that's personal to our family, but when I say he is in pain every day, he is in pain. It's probably a pain that would cripple you or I, but Pepe takes it because he loves life so much that he's just glad to be here. He is the strongest person I know and I knew, regardless of his pain, if he were here on 10.10.09 he would be at the wedding. And he was.

When I think of the wedding I think of three times in particular. The first is when I walked out of the bathroom to see him. He wasn't wearing a tie, per my request, because I wanted him to wear one that matched the wedding party. He couldn't stand to greet me so I knelt beside him, resting my head on his knee, crying. "What's all the fuss about? This is supposed to be a happy day, dear." (He has always called me "dear," but pronounced with a Maine accent which sounds more like "d-ya") "I know, Pepe, I'm just so happy you're here and I just love you so much." I replied, through sobs. To which he said, "I do you too, d-ya." I looked up at him. He always says "I do you too." It's like he catchphrase. I also noticed the tears in his eyes. He knows. He knows how I feel, he knows he doesn't have much time left and I know he worries about me. I really need to do a better job at being brave, like him, when I'm around him. To lighten the mood he added. "Well, I hope you didn't think you were gonna get married without me bein' he-ya. Now, where's my tie?"

I tried, three times, to tie it beautifully; failing each time. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I couldn't see through the tears welled up in my eyes, but that'd be a lie. I just can't tie a tie. "Pepe, it looks awful, do you want me to get someone else to do it for you?" "No d-ya, you did just fine. I wanted you to tie it."

I told him I needed to go get ready and gave him several kisses and hugs before I left his side, crying... almost hysterically. As I walked away I noticed my "new family" Jim, Linda and Matt looking on. I had no idea we even had an audience at this point because when I'm with Pepe the rest of the world just fades out. But I recall looking back at my new family and seeing all three of them standing there, wiping their eyes. "What a spectacle I must be" I thought, then I added in my mind "I wonder why they are crying, too?"

The second moment at the wedding was when I walked down the aisle to have Pepe and my Father give me away. That was the sweetest moment in my life so far. The pictures captured that day are a testament to how I felt. Since the wedding, I've been given several different versions of the moment when I walked up to and stood beside my grandfather, in front of my husband, next to my family, with the people I love standing behind me. In each picture the love I have for Pepe is clear on my face, but I noticed something else in those pictures; at that very moment in time other people, guests, and friends are crying too. I've seen several pictures, at several different angles, and a few people were crying. "I wonder why they're crying?" I thought.

Over the past couple months I've given this a lot of thought. Were others crying because I was? (The "I can't see someone cry rule?") or were they crying because most know that Pepe's time with me (us) is limited? Or were they crying because they too have love(d) someone like that? I think the answer is yes to all of the above, but after giving it more thought, and thinking about the people who I saw cry that day, I realize it probably has nothing to do with witnessing the amount of love I have for this man. They are crying because they love me- because they know. They know me. They get it.

The third moment happened without me even knowing until recently, when I watched the wedding video. When I was planning the wedding I knew I wanted to formally acknowledge my Pepe. I knew he wouldn't be able to dance, I knew he would have had much difficultly walking me down the aisle and I knew I couldn't have him in the part where the wedding party and parents were introduced (he wouldn't be able to walk to his seat alone because sometimes he falls.) So, instead, I had the DJ make an announcement to acknowledge Pepe. So, in that moment... in a room of 100 guests, the ones closest to me removed and waiting to be called in, the DJ announced my grandfather; thanking him for being there, and telling him that we love him. The room erupted. How? I thought. How come all the people who are closest to me are in one room and everyone is still screaming for Pepe? Screaming HARD. How did they know? A month later, watching the video, I was grateful and knew each person on that list deserved to be there, I needed them there.

That is a oui- without a doubt.

My Pepe is not the only amazing person in my life. I have many. That's how I know when "the time comes" I will be broken but "okay." I have amazing people to support and love me. My Pepe raised me to be strong and brave. I won't disappoint him.

I'm just not ready yet.

Wedding pictures

I know, I know, many of you are anxiously awaiting my wedding pictures. I JUST got the online proofs from my photographer, Nathan Moreau- and they are amazing... absolutely amazing. I can't wait for y'all to see them and I will be posting *some* here as soon as I'm able. However I'll only post some, not all. I will share the link to my pictures on my private Facebook page, and for those who do not have Facebook Stephani (I won't mention any names) I will send you the link so you can see all of them. I'm just not keen of the idea of' the world having access to them. All you have do is access his website then to view the gallery (it's a specific link) you'll set up an account of sorts (just basically provide an e-mail) and put in the password to my gallary (which I'll post on my FB page) then voila-- access to 10/10/2009.

Stay Tuned!

10/10/09 The Ceremony

I look around me and sometimes it's so hard to believe that this is my life. I know it sounds so cliche but it's what I've been thinking about lately.

My wedding (our wedding) was absolutely perfect. Everyone had an amazing time. It was such a blast to sit back and look at all the people who love and adore us, all there to celebrate with us. I saw old friends who I hadn't seen in years, constant companions, and significant others of friends who I met for the first time. It was a whirlwind, but so enjoyable (I hear the food was good too.)

Highlights of my wedding (and we'll start with just the ceremony) include:

The ceremony: The weather was perfect; it was beautiful. My brother-in-law spread the aisle with flower petals and pine cones. Our bentwood arbor was a dream, one of my best friends performed the ceremony, and my Pepe was there. He made it!! He even said "I hope you didn't think I'd let you run off and get married without me being here."

Walking down the aisle and seeing the sunlight peek through the multi-colored leaves, seeing my family waiting for me, I looked at Aaron and thought "How does this happen? How did I get so lucky? This is everything I could have ever wanted."

Per my request, the DJ played Creedence just as we had our first kiss, I remember thinking, "Jessi, remember this moment."

Once we were inside people told us how beautiful and original it was; exactly the look I was going for. What we found adorable was that people also said "We couldn't hear your vows?" Hahaha, yes, we know! Those were for us only. We made promises, secret promises, to each other. I think you all know that if I want to project my voice, I have no problem doing so.

There is so much I want to share, my bachelorette party, the rehearsal dinner, the reception, and the honeymoon but alas I want to spend time with the man I married. Not to fear, I'm back to my old blogging ways (now that 14 months of planning is done, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.)

Many more pictures, thoughts and details to come.

Wednesday, Oui

This is my last "Wednesday Oui" before I get married to the REASON "oui" exists.

Nuff, said?

Oui?

I'm signing off until after the wedding. I have way too much going on to be blogging- but, I've missed you and I wanted to check in.

Pictures and details coming soon!!!

XOXO

The Future "Mrs"

Princess for the day? Oui!

Saturday July 25th was my bridal shower. It was one of the best days ever. A lot of planning went into that day and it was more than evident by how prepared my girls were. From the decorations, to the food, to the games and the plans- it was truly amazing. I hope everyone knows how appreciative I am. I honestly could not ask for better people in my life. I know I've said it a million times, but the past 3 years have been the best years of my life and I don't know what I did to be so blessed.

Me and my beautiful mother.

My darling sister, AKA "Maid of Honor"

Jaime, Nicki, Alyssa, Hilary (my 'maids') and Nickie- the rev...

My future M.I.L- love her!!!

Lyss- I have known her for 10 years!

Jaime 'Jammers' hosted the party at her home- Thank you, Jaimsss!!

One of my besties, Heather, from Antioch.

My party favors: Celosia flowers (they used to be called cockscomb- LOL-- my favorite annual for summer) and Quinn made chocolate and peanut butter lolly-pops in the shape of maple leafs for my favors. Not pictured is home brewed Chihuahua beer made by Reverend Nickie.

My mom and Lucia- and me (being a freak- I was just so excited)

One of my favorite dishes from The Pampered Chef... I got the trifle bowl as a gift too!

Some of the food- there was so much food there...

My 'maids' Alyssa and Hilary

I was digging in. I wasn't waiting for the crowd. MY FOOD!

Quinn and my sister. I have known Quinn for 23 years!! LOVE THEM!