50 Days to Mrs!

I am so excited!! We are getting closer to our wedding date! June 23 could not get here fast enough for me! I had a conversation last night with my mom and my maid of honor about my bachelorette party, and now, everything is going to go more like what I wanted!

A few weeks ago, the kids and I had been invited to go on my family's annual Mother's Day camping trip to Quartz Mtn. State Park here in OK. I had originally told my family that we couldn't make it because we didn't have a car to get there. Brian would need it to get to work and back that weekend. Plus, we don't have much camping gear, so really, it wouldn't be very much like camping for us. Today, I was telling my stepmom the reasons why we wouldn't be able to make it, and she said, "Well, I will find you a ride. Start packing!" She and my dad have enough camping supplies for boy scouts, or as she put it "a refugee camp". So we are all set! When the kids got home, I told them that I wanted them to go try on their swimsuits. They asked why, and I said that we would go camping next weekend. They were so excited that they started jumping up and down and screaming. Then, I told them that they would get to meet my family and they got even more excited! It's all that they could talk about tonight! I'm so happy that they want to go camping and meet my family!

I still have so much to do before the wedding...and packing for the camping trip.

Yesterday, I spent a good chunk of the day at my mother-in-law's house going through a huge plastic bin of pictures. I picked out some to put in the slideshow for the wedding reception. Mom sent me a picture that we are going to use. I'm excited to get some more stuff done!

dresses, flowers, and kids! OH MY!

So much has happened recently!

We found my wedding dress!!!! After trying on 3 other dresses, I slipped this one on and instantly loved it! I knew before I walked out to show my "entourage" that this was definitely in the top 2. When I went to try on dresses, I didn't go in expecting to find my dress. I had found 3 dresses online at David's Bridal and had printed off their pictures; I texted several women who are important to me and told them if they wanted to come to the appointment, they were more than welcome to. That day, I took my mom, my future mother-in-law, my future sister-in-law, my Aunt Jenny, and her daughter Haley dress shopping with me. I'm so glad that they were all able to make it and share in this special once in a lifetime experience! I went in expecting to try on one style. When the bridal consultant saw what I was looking for, she let me try on what I came to try on, and then she said, "If it is okay with you, I am going to pull another dress or two that you might like better, even if they are out of your comfort zone." Since I had the pressure of my mother just beyond the fitting room door, I said okay. She brought this one back in, along with a lace gown. I LOVED this one. It fit so beautifully. It is the only dress that I've ever worn that I want to put back on and wear more than once. I NEVER wear dresses, and I certainly never get the urge to put one on just because. For some reason though, with this one, I want to wear it just because I feel so beautiful in it!

My dress! 

 The same day we went and found my wedding dress, my mom and I had spent that morning in Hobby Lobby picking out what flowers I wanted for the ceremony. I had some idea that it was going to be difficult to decide this part, but I didn't think it was going to be SO hard. At one point, I cried, but in the end, we put together something that I am very happy with!

Center aisle arrangement

 Mom is gracious enough to make yellow calla lily boutonnieres for all the men. We picked out 2 large purple roses for both my MoH and my bridesmaid to carry. We got the basket for my flower girl, we still have to get the petals for her. The only thing we have left is to get my bouquet, women's corsages (which I have entrusted to my mom to make), and the reception decorations.

For those family members who can't attend our wedding because they are no longer with us, but have become our angels, we are setting up a memorial table and a memorial candle in their honor. Mom thought that it was going to be depressing, but Brian and I want it, so we will have it! 

In other, non-wedding related news, I have started kind of doing yoga. I actually just got my yoga mat in yesterday, and I'm really not very good at it yet. I love doing it though! I feel really good afterwards!

Brian's Grandad is getting worse. :( We found out recently that he has cancer. We didn't realize until yesterday that more than 75% of his lungs are covered in cancer cells. Brian's dad (the kids call him Grandy, so that is how I will refer to him here) is in denial about how bad it really is. The whole family is worried that we will have a funeral to attend within the next month or so. Please pray for Grandad, and Naw (his wife), and of course the rest of us. We don't know what is going to happen to Naw after Grandad leaves, but we all trust that God will provide. 

The kids went to Arkansas for Spring Break (I think I mentioned this earlier, sorry for the repetition), and they seemed to have a good time. I was a little worried that when they came back, they were going to compare me to Kim and then wouldn't like me. Or didn't want me and Brian to get married. Thankfully, nothing like that happened! On Sunday while Brian was at work, I let them watch The Wizard of Oz from 1939 with Judy Garland. Then, they grabbed showers and we played their favorite card games until bedtime. Aaron's favorite is Uno, and he really likes the one that we got for Christmas from my mom, it's the Mod version. Emily's favorite is Bandits, also a Christmas gift. :) We also really enjoy playing Left, Right, Center. I'm glad that they are back home now, though. The house was too quiet with Brian working nights.

The best is yet to come!

Since I moved from Amarillo to Chandler, I have been super busy! After the last post, things really started picking up with my work and with the kids school. I worked part time at Bath & Body Works for the holiday season, and I LOVED it! I left on great terms this New Year, so I'm hoping that they will hire me back this holiday season! 

 

On December 18th, Brian took me to the Myriad Gardens in OKC and we had a day out! It was so much fun, made even sweeter by the wedding proposal at the end of it! I loved getting to call my Dad and telling him that I'm getting married to the perfect man for me! 

We are looking at buying a house this summer and moving in after the wedding, which will be on June 23!!! I'm still working on the wedding invitations to get them sent out, but hopefully after Brian gets home from work tonight, he will help me get another 30 done...

I have a couple of new blogs that I'm following (not that anybody is actually reading this, but if you do, you might be interested in them!) My Dad has a brand new blog about breakfast and life lessons. It is freaking hilarious so far. Hopefully, when I send him some of my breakfast stories, he will put them up as well! A friend of mine from high school has a blog up, that I just found out about today. She is traveling abroad from Texas and you can read about her adventures here. On the addictive website that is Pinterest, I found a number of great blogs, such as Chef In Training.

I have continued taking life one day at a time, and living for now. I am still attending the support group in OKC for survivor's of suicide (you might need to scroll down on the page for the info) on Monday nights when I can and they are such a huge blessing to have!

I think that's all for now, I'm going to try to get better at this, I promise!