Our first official day here, came too quickly for me. Poor Michael had to tear me from the pillows and blankets. I was not ready to wake up by any means. Breakfast started at 9am. Let me preface this by saying that neither Michael nor I are breakfast eaters. Maybe a muffin or oatmeal with coffee but never breakfast. Oh my goodness, I have never been so pleasantly full so early in the day. We were served oven roasted pears in blueberry soy yogurt. Then came the big deal. We then ate blueberry pancakes that were out of this world with "cheesy" potatoes and mock duck sausage-style patties. Oh yes, it was all vegan and the best breakfast I had eaten to that date. No apologies Pizza Luce brunch. You don't even compare.
We almost took a nap after breakfast. Even our bodies were freaking out. :laughs: We gathered the courage to move around and got ready. We unloaded our bikes and took down the hills. We took our time to get over to Canal Park. We took a break on an amazing overlook. It was simply stunning.
maybe we should crop the bench out
sassy, fun photos
trying to get back on the right path
meet Michael, master biking photographer
As we got into the boardwalk area we began the hunt for a bike rack. We parked by the Maritime center. We took to the pier and began the photo shoots. I highly anticipated going over to the DeWitt & Seitz building as 3 vegan friendly places resided there. We went down to Amazing Grace Bakery and Cafe. The mission was coffee but Senor Sol was out so we settled with juice and bubbles. We mozied through the shops and went up to the studios of amazing artists. They were not open for us but we ogled everything. There was an old fashioned printing press in one. Around 4pm our stomachs were telling us lunch was needing to happen.
oh the bridge
too bad I had squinty eyes
the cutest husband, I ever did see
did i mention the weather was perfect?
pier art.
We hopped into Lake Avenue Cafe and were pleasantly surprised. Our waitress was more than helpful. We ordered a starter of babaganoush and grilled pita triangles. Oh my babaganoush. I think this will be a staple in our household. Michael decided to break the veganism cycle I had forced upon him. :laughs: He ordered a tuna sandwich with provolone, red onion, olive oil on a toasted ciabatta bread. i could tell he was in love with it. i ordered the pasta nero. In this simply perfect pasta there were kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and wilted spinach brought together with a white wine and olive oil sauce. It was to simply perfect. Everything here was so delicious I wanted to make a second trip over there.
pasta nero
tuna sandwich
trust me, I was much more excited than I look
We leisurely strolled through a few stores after lunchish. We walked into the art gallery we have been in before. There were some lovely prints hanging on the wall. The artist, Rick Allen, turned out to be the same guy who had the printing presses in the top level of the DeWitt Seitz Marketplace. I believe we will start collecting his work. We then felt ready to head back. We only made it to the 21st block on Superior street before I wimped out and had to walk my bike up the hills. We made it back, took a shower and I promptly passed out. Our nap turned into sleep.
We are traveling back from our honeymoon in Duluth. If I were to rate this trip on a scale of one to ten, it would get ten out of stunning view of Lake Superior. I would definitely say that everything surpassed our expectations. We were blessed with glorious weather. The sun, Senor Sol, as we like to call him was always out shining while we were out. Mother wind provided cool and mostly soft breezes.
We drove up here after our wedding night in Minneapolis. We grabbed soup from Panera before heading up. The trip was nice and calm. Even our bikes made it without knocking over bicyclers on the side of the road. We checked into our B&B, the A. G. Thomson House, around 5 pm. We met the inn-sitter who kept referring to us as "veh-gans". It was so cute, I just couldn't correct her. After being shown the house, we were brought out to the carriage house, in which we were staying. We stayed in the Brule River retreat. Our room was nothing less than cozy and way too comfortable. We settled into our space.
Michael spying as I got ready
Then we made our way out to downtown for dinner. This was Sunday night so the parking was free and not too hard to come by. We mozied on over to Pizza Luce. As always, we ordered our favorite pizza, the Rustler. Even if you are not vegan, I highly reccomend the rinotta instead of cheese. It was phenominal. It is sweet and tangy and the little kick of bbq sauce just puts this pizza into perfect flavor profile.
After our stomachs had exceeded capacity we hobbled back to the car, talked about the next days plans, and drove back to our "home." We found the giant bathtub in our room to be perfect for soaking away the troubles and worries in our minds. If everyone had a giant bathtub, I believe there would be more peaceful hearts in the world. Still lacking proper sleep, we then sank into the pillows and soft blankets. I was out pretty quickly.
94 beats per minute and counting. The thoughts could light up a room given the electrical stimulation of my mind. The funny thing is, I am not so sure what I am even thinking at the moment.
I feel like I am caught in a storm right now. My thoughts whip around me at 40 miles per hour. The clouds are about to cave in at any moment. There is a possibility of grave danger. My chance to head to the hills is running out. Still, I am filled with excited energy to see how this all will turn out.
This wedding may just give me a heart attack. I love my lists. I love my details. Honestly, I despise this planning. I am not a decisive person. This is the last job I want. Out of all the decisions I have made the only one that counts is that I want to be with Michael forever. I didn't expect that decision to leave 100 different decisions with it. I have been trying to stay positive, but I have so many doubts.
There is a rainforest population of monkeys that are latched to my back. Decision after decision and talking about my decisions has dulled my enthusiasm with this wedding. I think all my work has especially been wearing me thin. I work to save for the wedding, but I have lost so many social nights with the people who I love and care about. I am even missing half of this Easter Sunday to work. The additional stress of finding a place to live is killing me. We are ready to have our own place together, but it doesn't look like it will happen any time soon.
This is definitely not my most tactful post, I am sure. It really has been all "oh woe is me". My heart has been heavy lately. Please do not worry though. I am just ready to spend everyday with my soulmate, building a life together. He has been the greatest friend to me. He comforts me as well as fuels my dreams and passions in life. I just want to be with him. Right now I have hurdles to cross before I can do that. I have tripped a few times, but I have to keep running. I will get to my wedding day no matter how improbable it feels. As rough as the past year has been I am still finding hope.
As selfish this post is, I know that I cannot do much without all of the amazing and wonderful people we have around us. I am always so blessed and inspired by so many beautiful souls. It is time to fine tune my heart strings and stop dragging my feet. I need this wedding to happen, because it is going to be awesome.
A few moments of my life I have convinced I may have been a cat. With all of the sleeping here and there, the love of pats on the head, and the ability I have to sneak up on people always seemed to point towards cat. I am sure I am turning into a bear though. I mean, If a bear had a bath tub, I would totally be one.
I will explain a little further for you. I have been sleeping more than usual lately. This past weekend alone I slept for 36 hours. If weren't for work, I would have hibernated the entire weekend within my dark cave. Not to mention, when woken up, I may have been willing to claw a face off. Luckily for Mike, I keep my nails short and he finds the humor in this decaffeinated zombie thing that I am. Aside from getting into the garbage (that is Brady's job) I think I can relate to a bear.
Oh and the bathtub thing. I have been taking so many late night trips to the bathroom to light candles and lay into the warm bubbles and let my thoughts float to the surface. Sometimes it isn't relaxing. It just gives me a space to share my inner secrets with myself. I will admit that my stress levels have been ridiculous lately.
I feel stupid saying this out to the world, but I need to send out save the dates. I have them all addressed and sealed I just need to be awake when the post office is open. I never realized how difficult this would be. It really isn't excusable by any means, I could just get up early and go, but you don't want to wake the bear. I am willing myself to count them up, stamp them and send them tomorrow.
I still feel like we haven't been far down the wedding planning road lately. We really have a lot accomplished.
We have:
an officiant (finally)
meal picked out
liquor list
menswear all decided on
poofy under dress thingy (thank you Jaci!)
a dress big enough to fit me and 3 children in
2/5 bridesmaids dresses ordered
invitation wording figured
timeline figured out
favors in mind
All of this has just occurred recently. I am really getting excited about it finally. My gown is the big stress party right now. When we got it, it was a little loose. I cannot think of a proper metaphor to explain how much it doesn't fit anymore. It has to be at the very least two inches too large on each side. I was told that our original alterations lady couldn't do that much work. I am swimming in a dress 3 sizes too large. I feel magical but not in a good way. I don't understand how this is possible.
We have just under 3 months to plan this baby. I am so mixed in emotions lately. The debate on our pace while running towards the wedding is really the most concurrent topic with every other thought I have. I am definitely considering a garter belt that can hold a flask.
I can at the very least, take pleasure in the sunshine that is finally peaking out. Of course, Spring always posing a much more serious issue; the search for the perfect punk album. I truly am in need of some manic, loud punk rock music.
Okay I will update a music video shortly, but for now you can revel in the peace of a quiet entry.
I love you and am truly thankful for your support.
Who knows how many more we will add once we get the list of the Stier side of the family.
I'll tell you, they are great pro-creators. ;)
I am trying to figure out what I need to do next.
I have my first dress fitting on the 28th I believe.
I am behind on my deposits. I couldn't figure out why I didn't have the money until I looked at my bill pay. I brilliantly paid my credit card bill two weeks earlier than the due date. I suppose this means I will have more to work with later, but it still frustrates me a little. I tend to sabotage myself with trying to pay my bills early. Oh well.
Since we have registered, I have been dreaming about what our apartment will look like. We need to go apartment hunting once more. It is so exciting to dream about what we will do with it. I especially enjoy the idea of a kitchen to ourselves. Holy goodness, we can create some amazing meals in there.
It is pretty much 5am currently. Why am I wide awake? I am totally a night owl. As much as I appreciate a quiet, cool morning, I am can only as good as a zombie without coffee. I will even bite your head off if you wake me from my slumber. I feel so much more productive in the darkness. I want to call people and make appointments, if only they wouldn't hate me for doing so. I guess I will just sit here and write return addresses on the envelopes and get them ready to send out.
Planning a wedding means looking into your options. Sometimes options just irritate me. Example: Spider and I went to the Wedding Shoppe on Grand to try on bridesmaids dresses. While waiting, which already felt like we were waiting for a prime seat at a fancy restaurant, we took a look around. We glanced at some unity candle sets. Ivory candles with a gold ribbon tied around one of them was $60. Why do people give into this? It isn't going to be any more amazing because it's $60. I would only buy them if it filled the air with glitter and Etta James magically sang At Last. Seriously, why is this even an option?
It hasn't been too hard being modest with expenses. Handmade things take time but they can save so much money. Our save the dates are magnetic business cards and only cost $36 for everything except for the postage. It wasn't the cheapest thing in the world but it's definitely cheaper considering most save the dates are $1.25 per card. Speaking of handmade items, I have developed an amazing plan for the favors. It's a secret though.
I have so many things to do, so many questions to ask, but alas we only have 107 days to get it straight. Where has the time gone?
I appreciate your devotion to read through all of my ridiculous rambles.
I think you may just have to listen to Anxiety by the Ramones for every single post until the wedding.
I am excited for the wedding, don't get me wrong, but there are some things I would rather not complete. It feels like I am back in high school. I have a bunch of addresses I need to input on the mighty guest list at the knot(dot)com as well as write out on envelopes. I have been avoiding it like crazy.
By completing these things, I will see just how many guests we could potentially have. My biggest fear for this wedding is that too many people will show up. We have a max capacity at the venue of 140 guests for the ceremony and 200 for the reception. 130-140 is ideal though, being that it isn't the largest venue in the world. What if we have too many guests? What are we going to do? We can't tell them, "sorry but I'm sure you will find other weddings to go to." This is the one thing I do not have complete control over.
So as I tell myself, I do not have time to do this now, I am really just hiding from the reality of the subject at hand. Why can't I be more brave? I wish I could be one of those kick-ass girls who will tackle anything and get it done, just to get it done. In reality I am the shy girl who is shuffling closer to it, but most times needs her friends to make her "bump into" the issue to really face it. Even by blogging about it, I am procrastinating. Ironic isn't it?
Tonight I am going to buck up and get the courage to get something done. I need to pick up the actual save the dates from my parents place and before I can send them off I need to get a total guest count and a total envelope count. I also need money for stamps but that is doable. So tonight we rock the envelopes. Maybe I just need a little musical accompaniment. I'm thinking the Soviettes are you?
So I looked at hotels in the area. The closest one to the venue is a Holiday Inn. They don't seem like the most reliable of places. They don't block rooms for wedding groups. They just give a discounted rate to guests who say they are attending the wedding. The "discounted" rate is $120 a night for a single King bed and $130 for two queens. And not to mention that they cannot guarantee you a room as it is based on overall room availability. It just sounds weird how uncommitted they are to making this a stress free issue. It's a reasonable hotel but having you kids pay that much per night (and that's the discount rate) is another concern. Just doesn't seem right, but I will look into more options.
They are just your boring hotel rooms.
My mind wants a break from the wedding. I find myself in the kitchen with some contempt for that little purple box of cookies purchased from innocent sweet talking girls.. You know what I am talking about. Those vanilla cookies with a caramel coat, thrown around in some coconut, and sweet chocolate drizzle. Pretty sure that those little bit...bites of heaven are plotting some corruption. I want to get a little radical and punk rock on those cookies. I need to make a vegan batch for myself. I have been plotting my attack for awhile. I lay in bed and contemplate what sort of cookie I should use to match the texture and flavor of the original. I need a vegan caramel recipe that doesn't taste like butts. There is a secret to their chocolate I believe. I remember it being sweeter but darker than milk chocolate. Online recipes for this just won't do. We need something original. I just want to bake, create a batch of deliriously delicious cookies.
If it was about having cookies, I would just go to the co-op and buy some. This isn't the case. There is something so therapeutic about spending time in the kitchen, putting just the right amount of flour and baking soda in, having a risk of getting your hands and hair a mess, and once you create you can fill peoples hearts and stomachs with it. There is order but still risk for absolute chaos. You nurture it and treat it with care and then watch it do its baking thing. It somehow helps direct all of the unrelated masses of thoughts in your mind settle into order. There is no better food than food made with love.
Let's sum this entry up. I am tired and scared of wedding planning. I am my own psychiatrist. I hate it when people get ripped off. I have a secret punk rock, radical side to me when it comes to cooking and baking. I also have a heartfelt love for love-food. How multifaceted.
Heard this on the Current the other day. Does anyone remember Sheena, our old copper Rav4?
P.S. We registered at target yesterday. I've attached a link that will hopefully bring you to our Target registry. You don't have to buy me a bike though. hah.
This could not have been done without my beautiful mother and amazing father.
Well we have that down, so let's get planning.
I guess this means I have to contact local hotels and figure which one will have the best rates for out-of-town guests. That shouldn't be too hard. I work in the hotel industry now, so I understand all this blocking rooms business. How many should I block? Say 20, just in case we have guests that don't want to drive home?
Just received a call from my soul sister (maid of honor) after I texted the good news. Nothing but screaming "Yay! You're getting married.... at Summit Manor!!!" :laughs: She was at a bus stop too which makes me giggle harder. Too funny. Totally lost my train of thought. hah.
my spider is the cutest of them all!
I now we get to pick out food and start stocking up on booze. It is all coming together. Wow. Everything is so exciting. I need to save save save my monies. It will all be worth it.
Invitations are being creatively built by Micah Kopp still. We should have a clearer idea of what is going on with them in a week or two. Save the dates came in the mail yesterday. Tiny envelopes and stamps are now of the "to purchase" list.
The only things we don't have yet and do not know what to do about it are the officiant (the one we wanted will be at rainbow gathering the last half of the month) and counselling. I hear counselling can benefit (aside from the obvious) by reducing the cost of a marriage license. Will the counselling cost more than the license though? What? How are we even supposed to get an officiant who we have a relationship with now? Maybe one of our friends can become ordained online or something. haha.
I almost forgot to tell an awesome story! So my mom had called the main dude at Summit Manor this weekend. They were on vacation until Monday. Today, my mom received a call back from said main dude. Let's call him David, being that is his name. He is very hesitant about the date, almost in an agonizing, I-have-bad-news-coming sort of way. If you have ever tried planning an event such as a wedding you will know, Saturdays are hard to come by, especially in summer. He checked the date. It was open. I am pretty sure we got one of the last Saturdays in the entire summer! How absolutely killer is that? Way too cool. All the fingers crossed has paid off. Thank you kids!
I am pretty sure Michael and I have the coolest family and friends out there. So many resources and help. I could not have achieved half of this on my own. I just want you to know that your love and amazing support will never be over-looked. My world is full of the most beautiful people.
Mike and I with half of the Spill Canvas at our second trip to the Warped Tour.
Alright, where did we leave off at? Tax returns? That must be it. I did manage to get my refund back and I have a good amount of money under my belt. So what to do with this money? I am pretty sure I have it figured out. I first paid off two of my credit cards and put a dent in the other two. It feel so odd to say I have four credit cards. Two were useless store cards. I don't really shop much anymore. One was my emergency card and the last is my Tires Plus card. I was so close to paying the Tires Plus one off but about a month ago my brakes were shot. Either way with two cards out of the way, I will have to put less money towards the bills and more towards the wedding.
With all of this I have the spare money to put a deposit in to our wonderful photographer and our heavenly cupcake baker. This will all go down on Friday for sure (Target payday is my safety net). My amazing parents are contacting Summit Manor and if our date is still available the deposit will be put down asap. If not, I do have a few other places in mind. I hope we do not have to view those places but just in case, I am keeping them in mind.
I ordered save the dates! Do you believe it? I actually did something real. :laughs: I got 250 free business cards from vistaprint.com. I only had to pay for the shipping. Now I need ridiculously tiny envelopes or another idea to incorporate them into and send those babies out. That idea sort of stresses me out. Addresses. Ugh.
I have already started working on the invitations and as soon as we have the place we will probably send those out as well. Is it weird if you get an invitation the week after a save the date? :laughs: It probably won't work out that way, but it is a funny idea.
Today really is my first day off in two weeks. I said I wasn't going to do anything. Practically the opposite. I am fully caffeinated and there is much more coffee still waiting to be consumed. I am going the farthest I possibly can with wedding planning today. It probably means my google docs account is going to fill up. I am a list person. Mike makes fun of my lists all the time, but I deserve it. When cleaning the room Mike likes to show me all of the pointless lists I have created. Today is going to be a useful list sort of day.
I am stopping myself right now. I could write a thousand scrolls worth of ridiculous wedding babble, but I will save you from torment. I will keep you posted as things keep coming together. I am excited for this wedding, are you?
I should be able to swing a deposit on Summit Manor within the 1st week of the month. I just have my fingers crossed that the 26th of June isn't already booked. You know that would bring us back to square one. There is no way I am ready to go back there. I don't think I could handle searching for a new place, especially since our time to plan is so limited.
What else can I do but wait two weeks? I really have no choice. I continue to work and work and work. There is no end to this game. As sick as it may sound, I wouldn't mind adding a few more shifts to my schedule. Hours=money=wedding.
I feel like such a loser right now. Shouldn't I have this planned? Shouldn't I have this wedding in the bag? Shouldn't I have been able to save up enough by now? I mean, we have been engaged for a year and a half now. I should've, would've, could've. They say "hindsight is 20/20" for a reason though, right.
If you would like to keep your fingers crossed as well, that would be amazing. We can use all the help we can get. Some nights I am so desperate to make this happen I seriously consider baking brownies to sell for the cause. How silly is that? Meh, maybe I will just start giving plasma on my days off.
Okay kids, just a quick update. I need to sleep tonight.
I love the imperfect pictures like this. Just feels so perfect.
It is almost Friday again. This week has flown by.
I have been getting so many compliments on my temporary engagement ring. I would say that is pretty cool considering it only cost me $8 from the silver booth I worked at during the state fair. Definitely an awesome deal.
Not a lot has really changed since the last entry. I am working both jobs and not much more has been done. The hotel job is getting easier as I figure things out. I have a knack for always getting into the weirdest situations there. It really isn't too exciting at all.
Of course, we have valentines day rolling around this weekend. I cannot believe the crap people buy for this holiday. I have to walk through the valentines section every night I close at Starbucks and I am pretty sure I will be blind every time. :laughs: Everything is so pink and terrible. What is wrong with all of this? I am not saying it isn't nice to get flowers or anything, but to make an entire day that is devoted to men getting last minute teddy bears and candy. It just sounds stupid to me. Shouldn't everyday be filled with laughter and love with your, what's the word, lover? So silly and yet there is nothing I can do but sit back and watch the chaos.
There are only two primary things filling my brain lately. Money and planning. They go together like hummus and pitas. One fuels the others progress and I still feel like time is passing too quickly.
To be honest, this planning is really getting to me. I know what I want but cannot get to it unless I make the step to put down the deposits. We need save the dates and invitations. We need to confirm the ceremony/reception venue. We need to give money to the photographer and cupcake lady. We have yet to register, but we are registering through target, and who really wants to be there more than they have to for work? I really cannot let this cause a flare in my anxiety. I am worried that if I keep my cool, I might be too cool and get nothing done until the last moment.
I am planning and hoping to get my w2s this weekend and get my taxes filed away. So I give it two weeks or so until I see a return. My return is going straight to booking our wedding site. From then on we can bring on the wedding planning. I will probably be a bit elusive until then. Maybe I will just fill your head with stories. I certainly have plenty to tell. I just need to keep working and calm down a little. As well as squish my pennies together and save all that I can.
Michael is doing pretty well, as far as I know. He has been working full time still at Target. No word on the promotion yet. He has guitar lessons with an awesome little lady on Thursdays. So when we do see each other, things go well. We make some meals together and talk about ridiculous things.
I can't believe how awesome everything is. Really, I am constantly amazed that I got so lucky. Everything was so perfectly timed between us. I am so blessed to have such an amazing soul mate here. Mostly, I cannot believe he puts up with all of my nonsense.
oh prom. it feels like it was so long ago. why do i feel so old?
Saying you're busy sounds like such a sad excuse sometimes. It is vague and could mean so many things. It simply says you don't have the time you'd like to do whatever you want.
We are very busy lately. Working away. Next week I believe I have a few days off for once. It seems that once we save up some money, something happens. Yesterday, I took a trip to the bank to deal with overdraft fees. One was for being $.10 under with a transfer on the way from my savings. The guy was very unhelpful and pretty demeaning. I am pretty sure I am not an idiot when it comes to my money. At least I hope not. It was a hard day.
I have been in touch with Jay F. Jeweler for the past few weeks. We were going to fully redesign my antique ring and have really amazing rings. I have realized a few things along this process. As you most likely know, we are saving up for the wedding and getting our own place. If Michael is saving up for those as well, what help is another payment process? I would like a new ring. One that reincarnates the antique ring Michael proposed to me with two Decembers ago. It is just a ring though. I have two perfectly good silver rings with czs and getting Michael a simple silver ring will be $20 or less I believe. I would hate to place us in a position where our savings would be minimal.
With all this said, I am going to hold off on getting my ring. I would much rather have an awesome wedding and an amazing home with Michael, before I would get an expensive trinket on my finger. It can be a one year anniversary deal, or even a five year anniversary, I just don't need it now. Spending my life with this boy is so much more valuable than any piece of metal and stone. I can't exactly express in words how much he means to me, but I think some of you may understand
silly geese
Our tattoos will be our version of the ring. :laughs: We are going to get tattoos after the wedding. They will each be the keys to each others hearts. They will be over our sternums. Probably antiques skeleton key in appearance and somehow incorporating the things we love about each other. No names, just forever a key to one anothers hearts.
Ready for story time? You can take a break if you like. I hate reading long entries too. Okay, if you're ready...This is our journey through rings.
It all really started on June 27th. That one year anniversary together was great. We were pretty much homebodies for the evening. We talked about everything possible, including marriage. We were laying on Mike's bed just talking the night away. Mike then rolled off the bed, was on one knee and took a $.25 ring and asked me to marry him. I said yes to this plastic ring with 5 googly eyes looking back at me. It was silly and fun to do, but the way my heart raced at the thought of it being real, wow. On the drive back to my place, it was almost silent. I asked Mike if it felt real to him too. He said yes. This is how we quietly engaged.
A week or two later we took a trip to Duluth together. I believe it was the best week I have ever had. On a day trip to Gooseberry falls, we went to a really dorky tourist shop. He actually had some really cool rings made of steel and cubic zirconia. We each got one and they sort of pretty much matched. With those rings, everybody started asking questions. Oh my goodness, it was so silly.
We admitted to being engaged, but really didn't want to make it official and tell the family until Mike got a real ring. So we sat on our hands and said we would like to get married for six months. That is when our year and a half together came by. Two days after Christmas, we went to the depot for some ice skating. I love ice skating so much. It wore me out and we were hungry. We braved the winds and went along to Kin Dee, a little thai place kitty-corner to the Guthrie theater. We shared a plate and the world's best company. After dinner, Mike suggested we walk along the stone-arch bridge. It was so cold and my brain must have been frozen because I wouldn't agree to it. :laughs:
There we were in the chilled wind, stuffed with food, and tired. We went back to Mike's place after a super long drive. We luckily made it out of Minneapolis, having taking chance turns when we passed our exit. The Beatles were cranked up and I was singing along. Once we made it home, our song came on, and Michael told me, "I can't wait any longer". He got down beside me and had a box with a gorgeous antique ring inside. I was crying immediately. So sappy, so ridiculous. I did manage to get a "yes" out there at some point. You always think about what you are going to do when that someone pops the question. Never in a million years did I see myself crying and confusing the love of my life.
can we say beautiful?
Then we had the ring. We told everyone. To my knowledge everyone was happy for us. It only took me two months to ruin the ring. The prongs were not as strong as we would have liked and have lost two stones. It was such a sad day, and we are hoping to someday reincarnate it through another ring. So for now I have a perfectly good pair of silver rings that will work for the ceremony. How about that.
I have to say, you really just know when you are going to be with someone forever. No doubts, no questions, and no worries. There is no need to rush into things if you know you are going to spend your entire lives together.
Not only is today the day that we celebrate our 31st month-iversary, but it is also only 5 months away from being our first day together as husband and wife. I am pretty excited, to say the least. Put aside all the stress from planning, I am so thrilled to see what these next few months bring.
Today, I am spending time away from the checklist that has taken over this year. I know we will get everything done so one day off is okay. I am so thankful today. We have been so blessed to have so many wonderful people who fill our lives. So many people who have stepped forward and offered to help us out. I cannot believe how beautiful everyone is.
I thought some reminiscing would be nice for this update. What do you say? Most of you know our story, but some may not. Here is a little tale that may sound grossly cute:
In June of 2003, My family moved up to Minnesota from Florida. It was a really rough move, especially for a girl trying to figure herself out. I was enrolled at Christian Life School in Farmington against my own will. It was such a sad and tiny school (still is). I met quite a few people there and started friendships a lot easier than I had thought. I did the typical girl thing, including trying to be someone cooler than I was. Oh the teenage years. :laughs:
Mike was one of the first people I befriended. He was nice, quiet, and of course cute. Being the youngin I was, I had one fat crush on the boy. Over the first year, I was probably obnoxious and obvious. Mike apparently just did his things but still remained nice to me. In my ninth grade year (aka year two, project Minnesota), we really developed a friendship. He helped me in study hall with my spanish homework by drawing ridiculous cartoons on my notebooks. There have been so many good times and memories from that year.
Towards the summer, we knew we wouldn't see each other that much. Mike was accepted to Bethel University. I was on my way to Eagan High School to begin anew. Our friendship still grew. We talked so much over the phone that summer. Then the new school year came. We didn't see much of each other, but still stayed in contact.
It wasn't until after I had given up on the idea of something more that something happened. We hung out so much the summer after my junior year. One day, Mike said he wanted to talk to me about something. We met at the Burnsville Caribou. We talked like always and decided to take a walk. We walked all the way down the road with anticipation in the air. I bet everyone could feel it sticking in the heat of the air. We turned around. We got back to the car with not much said. Finally, finally, Mike told me that he has feelings for me. Those gross, squishy ones that live in the stomach. It was shocking, exciting, and totally awesome.
The next few weeks we stepped on the subject ever so lightly. This friendship was so awesome, but how do we deal with something more? After a day of hanging out we went back to my parents. I made mac 'n cheese for us both. We grabbed some blankets and laid under the stars. We talked it through and on that day everything became official.
June 27th, 2007
All this time and there has never been a doubt in my mind that we are awesome together. It is weird to have such a cutesy, storybook kind of story. I never expected anything like this to happen. Maybe that is what makes it awesome and fun. Seriously the awed reaction from telling the story always seems sickening to me. I guess I will have to deal with it. It is grossly cute, I guess.
Five more months to go. Are you kids ready for this? It is going to be intense. No doubt about it. Actual updates coming soon. I can fill in more stories if you would like.
The past few days have been rough. I would look up to see the checklist for the wedding. We are behind. We have so much to do. Anxiety. Anxiety.
As desperate as my mind was becoming, I think I have my cool now.
A few weeks ago, I had an interview in Brooklyn Center. I said it went well but my insecurities were just up the wall. After almost two weeks of no response, I got a call back. I got the job and I start Thursday morning. I am so excited to save up money for the wedding now. This is not going to be easy at all, but this wedding will be so worth it. I love Target so much, I would stay there forever, but I need hours that just aren't there, so I am adding an entire job on top of it.
If you have ever worked with me, you know that I am willing to do the best I can and pick up hours where I can. I am nervous though. I have lost a lot of confidence since my job this past summer let me go. I know it wasn't even the right job for me, but it really hit me in the face. I am happy though that these past few jobs have been willing to overlook the past and trust in me.
With this job, my free time will be more elusive, but I will be able to save for this wedding! I am very excited. This means that planning will probably get a bit easier in a few months. Deposits will be paid and plans will be made. I am saving almost every single cent with a cup of coffee on occasion. I will keep you posted!
I am very much a simple girl who loves the earth. I am engaged so planning is taking up my time. As I write a new chapter in life, I am unsure of what is to come. I am positive that I will create many things in that time. I wish to share those and my everyday moments.
maybe we should crop the bench out
sassy, fun photos
trying to get back on the right path
meet Michael, master biking photographer
oh the bridge
too bad I had squinty eyes
the cutest husband, I ever did see
did i mention the weather was perfect?
pier art.
pasta nero
tuna sandwich
trust me, I was much more excited than I look
