One Week!

Have you ever had that feeling where you plan and plan for an event and then you suddenly find yourself in the middle of it?

I felt that way at the birth of all three kids - after 9 long months of anticipation I suddenly was in labor and there was no turning back. Kind of like being strapped in a roller coaster and heading up the hill - knowing whatever lies ahead you were going to have to face.

As Brian and I were sitting at Joel's basketball tournament in Richmond on Tuesday I had that same feeling. We had known about this tournament since the beginning of the school year and now here we were.

Even more surreal to me was knowing that the next time I would feel that feeling would be at the wedding - just ONE week away.

Can you believe it?

(This picture has NOTHING to do with this post. Ha ha.

It is just another beach picture I wanted to share.)

For the FIRST time in my life I took four dresses into the fitting room and . . .

ALL four fit and I liked ALL of them!

After much parading around outside the JCPenney dressing room, it is settled.

I have my dress!

What I like about my dress in bullet form.

• It has sleeves. Therefore, there will be absolutely no arm jiggle going on.
• It has rouching - rouching is good, very good.
• It is very comfortable to wear. There should be no tugging and pulling. If I do it will be simply out of habit and not necessity.
• It doesn't make me look old. At least I don't think it makes me look old. Please humor me and tell me it doesn't make me look old.
• There is absolutely NO beading. I am not ready to wear beading. Beading=postmenopausal status.
• It is in a nice color that will blend in well with the wedding party. The last think I want to do is stand out like a sore thumb.
• Brian went "Oh ya!" when he saw it - enough said! At that point it didn't even matter if it was on sale.

Crunch Time . . .

So far this week:

Megan and I met with Pastor Z. and walked through the ceremony;

We also meet with Mr. M. regarding the reception - Wow! There's a lot of tables and chairs to move!;

Megan and Adam picked up their wedding bands;

We finally decided on tonight for the boys to get measured for their tuxes;

We gave the flowers to Mrs. P. - and we were promptly informed that we don't have "nearly enough flowers" for a bouquet;

Megan talked to Aunt Carol and emailed cake pictures to her;

Megan had the final, final fitting on her dress;

We found out Emily's dress does fit!! Yay!!;

Megan and Adam got their marriage license;

We purchased ALL of the reception paper products;

We FINALLY mailed all - well, almost all of the invitations;

I tried on 4 potential mother of the bride dresses;

I started a crash diet.

All of this was done in addition to -

Having an AWESOME Christmas cantata and Christmas Dinner on Sunday;

Surviving a winter storm;

Going to one away basketball game;

Working;

Grocery shopping;

Starting a crash diet and actually sticking to it;

Cooking;

Laundry;

Cleaning.

Who am I kidding - those last three things never happened!

Wedding plans in a nutshell . . .

We interrupt this wedding planning for a trip to FLORIDA!!!!!!

Let me just begin by saying, I know it is not all about me -

BUT I NEEDED this trip - I NEEDED the beach!!!

Thanks to Joel's hard work along with the hard work of his fellow basketball team members and coaches, Joel's team was invited to a basketball tournament in Florida - where they finished in second place!

Thank you, Joel!

Brian was more than amazing to me on this trip! He went out of his way SOOOO many times to make sure that I had time on the beach!

He even risked getting chewed out by an armed military guard at midnight - just to get me to the beach that first night! Thankfully the guard was nice and instead of shooting us politely showed us where to turn around and gave us directions to the PUBLIC beach!

But two days of driving . . . two days on the beach . . . three INTENSE basketball games later . . . we are back in the thick of wedding planning!

Wedding plans in a nutshell -

Wedding Dress: Alterations are complete - Megan will be trying on the finished dress TODAY! Veil is in the works. Need: head piece to go with veil.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Everyone has a dress - except Emily. Talking about it makes my ulcer hurt.

Tuxes: Picked out - my boys just need measured before 12/20. Decision to be made: Does Brian want to wear a tux or buy a new black suit?

Sanctuary Decorations: Fortunately this was easy - the church will be decorated. Just some minor rearranging will be needed. I am in LOVE with the unity candle Megan picked out!

Flowers: NOT DONE - Mrs. Parker HELP!!!!!

Cake: Thanks to Aunt Carol and Rhonda the cake is in the works - Megan just needs to look through their catalog and pick one out! Hopefully, that will not take long.

Reception Decorations: Megan and I went out on Black Friday and hit the sales at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Old Time Pottery - everything we bought was either 50 or 70% off! What an answer to prayer!!! But that being said we still need: round table skirt, tableware, candles, candles and more candles, white Christmas lights, sand, wood . . . still a few things to get!

Pictures: Nana is in charge of pictures!

Catering: Another TOTAL answer to prayer!!! TCM's school lunch lady was also a classmate of Brian's, and I think she is really giving us a GREAT deal on catering the reception. Yummy menu!!

Hair and Makeup: Megan and her bridesmaids (besides Emily who is away at college) had a trial run with their makeup. They all looked gorgeous! Hopefully things will go smoothly the day of the wedding!

My Dress: I don't want to talk about it. Too much pumpkin pie and Christmas candy has only added to my stress with picking out a dress. The only fancy dress I have EVER worn was MY wedding dress! Oh, I have worn plenty of nice, pretty dresses in my lifetime . . . but nothing that compares to what I need for the wedding. This is a HUGE source of anxiety for me right now.

Well there are the wedding plans in a nutshell! A lot done . . . but still a lot to do!

Subtract from our remaining days:

Christmas cantata practice and performance

Every Tuesday and Friday night basketball games

Joel's school Christmas program

Christmas Eve and Christmas with everyone

Joel's Richmond basketball tournament

Helping Levi get the Pathfinder fixed, titled and plated

New Year's Eve party

Work

Megan's finals . . .

. . . there is plenty of time!!