Ah, New Years....

To some, New Years Eve is a night to get drunk, be with friends and celebrate. To other's New Years means a second chance, starting over, a clean slate. And to a lot of people, New Years is a time to set goals to be accomplished in the upcoming year. 

I personally fall into none of the above categories...

I hate that people use a new year as a reason to change something(s) about their lives that could have easily been worked on prior to the calendar change. You want to lose weight? Well, why not start right away? Quit smoking? Again, what's stopping you from achieving that now? Seriously, why can't people take the appeal of New Years resolutions and just start being better RIGHT NOW????

That also goes along with the whole second chance, clean slate business. Why does a new year have to begin for people to feel like they can start over? If you want to change something and being anew, do it NOW!!!!

Lastly, I absolutely cannot stand how New Years is hyped up as a party night. I feel that it leads to many a drunk driver on the road, idiots that are obnoxiously trashed at cocktail parties, and unwanted new years kisses. I think this last thing may be the reason for this blog rant. My ideal New Years Eve would be to stay in, with my husband and my dogs, order a pizza and watch a movie while having some drinks. We wouldn't be out on the scene, true. However, we would be with the most important person in our life and still have a good time. Not to mention that we would be home and safe.

Matt has volunteered us to go to a cocktail party tonight. Sure, not so bad (minus the mere fact that he didn't feel the need to ask what I would like to do) I guess it could be fun. I had planned to be DD so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting a cab from YOLO and be able to get home safely. I was already edgy about driving though, just because of all the idiots that still choose to drink and drive. Now, it's going to be foggy tonight. Another thing that makes me anxious. To sum it up, I'd be sober around a load of drunk yahoos so that I could be responsible and drive us home, yet when I drove home I wouldn't be able to see anything let alone a drunkie driving toward me because it's foggy. Sound like fun? I don't think so!! So, my Mom so graciously offered to stay at our house with the dogs so that Matt and I could stay out at the house where the party is being held. This way, we could both have a few drinks, ring in the New Year (Whoopidy Doo!) and stay put in an environment that will not have us at the morgue come morning. Upon mentioning to Matt that we should stay put, I got an answer of, "We'll talk about it later..." Hmmm....indeed we will!

To be continued....

My 2008

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I got married!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't have any last year....still deciding about this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope, that's what 2009 will be for. Bonnie, Sara, Mica and Jordan are all having babies!!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?
Mexico for my Honeymoon.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A new car.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 2 - My brother's car accident

May 31 - Our wedding day

August 9 - Carrie and Zach's wedding

September 20 - Nick and Jordan's wedding

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making a decision about what to be when I grow up.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Nothing comes to mind....yay for me!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No I didn't.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Probably something for the wedding.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My husband's and my brother's

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Eh, let's not go there.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills and the wedding and honeymoon.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Being married of course. And also getting Macy and traveling, as well as the other two weddings I participated in. And las but not least, the 2009 babies.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
All Summer Long - Kid Rock

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? slightly fatter - apparently marriage will do that to you!
c) richer or poorer? about the same

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
The boat.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worry.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Lots of time with family on both sides, and with a few friends.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Over and over, every day.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Private Practice and Lipstick Jungle.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I hate the word hate, but I've always had a strong dislike for the people that I currently feel that way about.

24. What was the best book you read?
Marley and Me

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Nothing new.

26. What did you want and get?
The best husband in the world.

27. What did you want and not get?
A wedding dress that I loved.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Sex and the City was a good one.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
My actual birthday was on Easter, so we made the family rounds. I turned 23.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Getting better.

32. What kept you sane?
My co-workers.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kate Walsh.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Listening to uninformed people talk about the election.

35. Who did you miss?
My Dad.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
No one new, but getting to be better friends with Tyler was great!

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
You can't always have control, so just enjoy the ride - bumps and all.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Someday when I'm awfully lone

And the world is cold

I will feel a glow

Just thinking of you

And the way you look tonight

Just for fun......

.....I'm making a list of things I hate, followed by things I love....

Things I HATE:

Driving in the fog. When people think they know something about everything (ie know it alls). Black licorice. People that interrupt. Windy days. When animals or babies are hurt. Beets. Spiders. That there are people who would be wonderful parents, and can't have children and people who are terrible parents, yet can pop babies out like a gumball machine. That there are hungry people in the world. Stupid drivers. Doing dishes. That my Dad is not still here. Being cold. Watching golf on TV. People who cannot be compassionate. Public restrooms. That my husband has to endure getting a shot once every week. Critcal and judgemental people. The Wal-Mart parking lot and check stands. People that always have to be talking and can't just be quiet. Being sick. Techno music. Obnoxious people. Raw chicken. That my house will never be the same kind of clean now that we have dogs. That I'm not closer with my brother. When people hurtfully make fun of others. That I can't save every homeless animal there is. Sand in my shoes. The cry a baby makes when they are hurting. The smell of gasoline. When my Mom says that I "turned my nose up at it". That Bonnie does not live closer. Bad friends. The Sees candies that have marshmellows in the middle. Liars. Parallel parking. Cleaning out my closet. Shoes that are super cute, but unwearable because they hurt your feet after 20 minutes. The snow. Monday mornings. Dishes in the sink. Flies. People who don't know how to drive boats and be courteous and jetskiers. The way my heart twists when Matt cries. Things that I have no control over. When people blame. Drama queens. 

Things I LOVE:

My husband, Mom, Brother, and the rest of our family and friends. Our house. Being with my entire family on holidays. That Matt puts up with me being sensitive. Snuggling on the couch when it's raining. Curling up with a huge blanket and watching a movie. Sushi. Decorating the Christmas tree with Matt. Our neighborhood. Our dogs. My orange laundry room. Hot showers. My Shows - 90210, Private Practice, Grey's and Lipstick Jungle. The beach. A fountain soda when I'm hungover. Meaningful talks. Stephanie's laugh. Pictures. Vodka. Old movies. Swimming. That I rescued a Doberman. Wrapping Christmas presents. Clean sheets. Appetizers. Going on trips with Matt. Concerts. Reading. Shopping with my Mom. The sound of highheels on a hard surface. Summer time. The cabin. Random acts of kindness. People watching. The boat. Hanging with James and Tiff, talking and drinking. Barns. Almond Rocha. The ride back into the launch after being on the boat all day. Babies. The smell of fireworks. Veterans. Long weekends. San Luis Obispo. Staying in hotels. Weddings. Farmer's Markets. Traveling. Finding a really great bar that makes the best bloody marys. My birthday. Dolphins. Unconditional love. Pulling into our culdesac and seeing Matt's truck in the driveway. When my dogs listen. That Matt made one of my best friends my sister too. That my Dad wrote letters to us before he died. When my family talks about my grandparents. The fourth of july. Tropical resorts. Memories. BBQ's. The country. Dancing.  Getting dressed up. Cooking. The feeling of productivity. Big purses. Being there for someone. God. Getting a card in the mail. Cocktail parties. Green pastures, surrounded by white fences. Our Friend's Thanksgiving. My strength. The way Matt proposed to me. The way that I feel when I walk out of the office and to my car on a Friday afternoon. Sleeping. Going to Jason's with Matt on Christmas Eve. Popcorn. Rollercoasters. Making someone smile. When my toenails are painted. Going out to dinner. Shell Beach with Matt and a six pack. The first minute of the New Year. The last day of school. When someone unexpectedly makes my day. Traditions. A full tank of gas and a clean car. The way my hair feels right after I get it cut. Girls nights. Music. Rodeos. The Fair. A good bottle of wine. Working with Amy. Being married. Having the family, friends and life that I do.

I can't believe it's December!!!

Only 24 more days until Christmas!!!! To be honest, I've never considered Christmas a favorite holiday. I've always felt that it was played up way too much, that people spent too much money and stressed themselves out, and didn't really appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. This year, however, I'm really looking forward to Christmas. Maybe it's something to do with havinga husband and the prospect of having kids someday to see get excited about Santa. Who knows!!

Anyway, we started off our holiday season with four Thanksgivings. The first was the Friday before the actual holiday with Matt's Dad and Step-Mom (Jeff and Helen) and all of the kids. The steps were going to be elsewhere on the actual holiday, but still wanted to celebrate with us so that's why we started early. It was a great night!!! The next day, we did our third annual Friends Thanksgiving/Jason's birthday party. That was also very fun!! The real Thanksgiving found Matt and I splitting the day with each side of our families. Everything was lovely. We ate too much, drank too much and sat around and did nothing, but we loved every minute!!

Being lucky enough to have a four day weekend, we did have some motivation to be a little productive.....I painted our laundry room orange and Matt put up our Christmas lights. Both projects looked great by the end and we're very happy. 

That's my update for now because I'm boring!!!

A Hump Day Post

Nothing exciting to report. Work is good, school is the same. My husband is perfect and my family and friends are happy and healthy.

I find myself being  more and more ready for cooler weather, which is unusual for me. Maybe it's the upcoming holiday season. With Halloween being on Friday, the general question of late is, "What are your plans for Halloween?" My answer? NOTHING!! Well, not really nothing. Matt and I are actually planning to join our fabulous neighbors (James and Tiffany) while they take their two wonderful daughters (Skylar and Emerson) trick or treating. Then, we will order pizza and drink and talk and hang (it's what we do best together, no matter where we are). I'm really looking forward to Halloween for a few reasons:

1. I DO NOT have to figure out what kind of costume I am going to sport to a party. Now, I do like parties. I enjoy seeing people and being out and basking in the company of those that are our friends. However, I have HATED dressing up for Halloween since I was about 12. Give me a theme party and I'm game, but Halloween costumes just suck in my opinion. So, not dressing up this year is one of the best things for me.

2. We are going to be spending the evening with some of our most favorite people. And, we get to see two of our favorite kids dressed in their costumes and join in on taking them around the blocks surrounding our house to fill up their pumpkin buckets with treats.

3. We are going to be spending the evening with some of our most favorite people. At their house. Away from our house. Which means we don't have to get up to answer the door every 5 minutes and we don't have to buy candy that ends up being left over and getting gobbled down by me. 

4. It seems that this year, beyond Halloween, Thanksgiving is literally right around the corner. And I LOVE Thanksgiving (another post with a list to reveal why will be in the works).

So, that's what we're doing for Halloween. And that concludes my super exciting blog for this week!

It's been a long, long time!

So. Married for over 4 months and here I am. Originally, this blog started out as being a way to record events surronding our wedding (mine and Matt's that is) because  I was sure some day I would enjoy reading back. Now, I wonder why I wouldn't want to read back on other things as well. Being too lazy to keep an actual hand written journal and feeling too silly posting my ramblings on MySpace, this seems to be the best option. So, here I am!

To catch up on the basics, married life is great. Of course every day isn't 100% perfect, but overall I have a great husband and a great life that I try to enjoy to the fullest. Not a lot has changed since the wedding(other than the fact that we are married of course!). We live in the same house, have the same jobs, I still go to school. We did get another dog on July 11. She is a black lab and her name is Macy. When she came home with us, she was 7 1/2 weeks old. I guess that would make her about 5 months old now. Cash loves her and she REALLY loves Cash. It's nice that they have each other during the day, though taking Cash places without Macy (such as the vet, we're not favoring one over the other) has proved to be challenging. Apparently, with Cash gone for a little less than an hour, Macy proceeded to bark for him in the back yard the entire time. Our new goal is to seperate them more often. 

Another big event of the summer was Matt's sister's wedding. It was beautiful, emotional and perfect. I had the pleasure of being one of her three matron's of honor. The wedding took place up in Truckee on August 9th. The weather was great, the food was tasty and the music was worth dancing to. I created a slideshow of pictures of both the bride and groom from childhood until now (Carrie did the same for my wedding) and it turned out really well. I have included some pictures from the wedding below. It truly was a special day!

                                                       First dance............

                                                           Sister and brother.........

                                                           The bride and I.......

To bring this post to an end, our summer (aside from the above) was pretty uneventful. We had a lot of boating time, a few baseball games, some great times with friends and family, and basically a nice summer in general. Lucky us!!

The calm after the storm....

So it's all over. It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the wedding and I couldn't be happier. Not to say that I don't feel a little sad that it's all over, but I think there is more relief that the work is done.

Just to recap a little......the wedding rush really started Thursday May 29th. I went to Sac and met up with Carrie to buy my make-up and make the parents gifts. What we thought would take about three hours ended up taking more like five. So, that pushed back the time that I had for picking up my dress, getting extra house keys made and packing. Matt went with all of the boys to pick up tuxes, so it was nice to be able to focus on what I needed to do while he was gone - wrap attendant gifts and parent gifts and pack (with the help of Tyler!).

Friday morning, I woke up and had breakfast with my Mom and Matt. Then, my Mom and I met up with all the other girls to get our nails done. That was a lot of fun. Next, some of us went to go see the Sex and the City Movie. I really liked it, but will say that it was a bit heavy to watch the day before getting married. Also, the movie was incredibly long so by the time it was over we all had to fly to get ready for the rehearsal. The rehearsal went well. Not much of the goofing off and not listening from anyone, which was very much appreciated! Everyone went to The Buckhorn for dinner afterward and that was also very nice. All attendants and parents loved their gifts and Matt made a wonderful toast to thank everyone.

Saturday morning, I woke up at about 6:45 to have a one hour massage at 7:00. Helen arranged all of this, and also arranged for all of my bridesmaids to have massages throughout the day as well. It was fabulous! Between 8:00 and 10:30, there was lots of lounging around, chatting and relaxing. The hair girls showed up and did everyone's hair - mine came out perfect. The my good friend Bonnie came to do mine and Carrie's make-up, which also came out beautifully! Then, the limo showed up and we left for RH Phillips.

Upon arriving there, we all went to the holding cell. I got dressed and primped, then took pictures with all of the girls and my brother. Once I was back in hiding, Matt and the boys did their pictures and then it was time for the ceremony to start! One thing that I am thankful for is the ten minutes pre-ceremony that Mitch and I had alone. Nothing incredibly special happened, but it was just nice to have that time with only him.

Mitch and I drove up the hill to the ceremony, and from what I remember everything went off without a hitch. The ceremony was short and sweet and neither Matt nor I messed up any of the words we had to repeat. Right after the ceremony, we did a receiving line. I'm so glad we decided to do this! It was a great opportunity to be able to atleast say hello to everyone. Right after pictures, the DJ announced all of the wedding party and the reception was in full swing! (Our DJ was fabulous by the way!).

After this point, everything else is pretty much a blur. There was good food, dancing, a slideshow, and wonderful toasts, but other than that it kind of all runs together! I did have a fabulous time, but the only thing I regret is trying to walk around to talk to everyone......if I had it to do over, I would definitely stick by Matt's side and let people come to us! Oh well!!!

By 11:30 that night, the limo had dropped us off at the airport hotel and we were anxious to go on our honeymoon. We left the following day at 9:00 am. The honeymoon was great, though not terribly exciting to tell others about. We did swim with dolphins and go on a cultural tour, but other than those two activities it was a lot of sleeping, eating, drinking, swimming, and relaxing!

Upon our return, there was gifts to be opened. That was a lot of fun! Everyone was very thoughtful and Matt and I are both very appreciative!!!! Our awesome photographer even got the unedited version of all the pics to us, so we were able to have a preview which was great.

All in all, I think that our wedding was great. Everyone seemed to have a good time, there weren't any major crisis (except for when I got blood on my dress, which is too long of a story to tell here. In short, Michelle is a superstar and was able to get it all out with club soda!) and the weather was really on our side!!! The most exciting thing though, is that now Matt is my husband and I couldn't be happier about anything!

22 Days and Counting!

I seriously cannot believe that it is May 9th. A few short months ago, it seemed like I had all the time in the world and now, I'm looking at 3 short weeks! Wow!

Everything is done. Now all I have to do is enjoy the rest of my time as an engaged woman and look forward to walking down the aisle, having a great time with all my loved ones, and hopping a plane to Mexico the day after!

Although I am very excited, there is a part of me that is quite sad as well. You see, for most girls this would be the time to fret over whether or not their flowers will be perfect, if their dress will be wrinkled and if the DJ will play the right songs. Not the case for me. For me, my one stress is that my Dad will not be there to share my special day. Now I willingly admit that I am slightly more melancholy about this these days. Tomorrow will be six years since he has passed away, and although I miss him every minute of every day, it is somehow always more magnified around the middle of May as well as Christmas. I guess setting a wedding date for the end of May probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Even though I miss my Dad terribly, and wish he could be here physically, I know that somehow someway he is with me in my heart.

5 1/2 More Weeks!!!

I cannot believe how time flies!!!!! In almost one month, I will be married to the love of my life and I couldn't be happier!

We have gotten 49 RSVP's back so far, and I must say, we are going to have quite the turn out! I had heard that about 15 % of people that are invited usually cannot attend (especially if you don't send out save the dates!), but I don't know where our 15% of "no's" went! I am very excited that everyone wants to share our day. It will be great to see everyone and have a good time!

My bachelorette party was last weekend. What a blast! All of my girls (especially Carrie and Michelle!) did such a wonderful job and I couldn't have had more fun than I did! The weather was a little chilly, but we managed. Good location, good hotel, good restaurants, good clubs, good friends, good times! What more could a bride to be ask for?

I have started to get in touch with most of our vendors regarding final payments and last minute details. All of our vendors have been great up to this point, and I feel very fortunate to have nice professionals to work with. The bridesmaids dresses all came in about 2 weeks ago, so that's no longer a worry. A few of the girls need to have alterations, but there is plenty of time for that before the wedding!

I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed, not because I'm nervous or am not having fun; simply because I am worried that I am going to forget something until the last minute! I guess it's time to start making lists and going through the little "pre-made" schedules in my bridal magazines.

Hopefully I'll have one more chance to write before the wedding!!!!! Cheers!

Post-Shower Update!

Well.....the invitations were mailed out on March 29th without a whole lot of trouble. Matt did help me stuff everything for them, which I was grateful for. We've already started to get our RSVP's back, which is exciting.

My next endeavor is to verify the delivery date for all of the bridesmaids dresses. They were ordered in mid February, so I would imagine they should be getting here any day. I have picked out the shoes for the bridesmaids (a fabulous find at Target), so it's nice to have that off the list. That being said, I still need to get a garter as Matt insists on doing that whole thing during the reception. I don't really want to because I think I will get embarrassed, but it's his wedding too so I'm doing it for him.

My bridal shower was on April 5th and it could not have been better! The food was awesome, and the decor was very classy (I'm not really a "themey" person), just lots of fresh flowers and white table linens. All that were involved in the planning process truly outdid themselves, especially Carrie, and I could not ask for better friends and family.

I can't wait for my bachelorette party in 2 weeks!!!!!

Time is going SO quickly!

I can't believe that in less than 12 weeks I will be someone's wife!!!! This past weekend I was sitting and thinking about the wedding and how time has flown by so quickly during all of the planning. For the next few months, my number one goal is to slow down and completely relish in the rest of the process of getting married. Not that things haven't been fun up to this point, I've just now realized how fast it's gone by and since I'm only planning on doing it once I want to take in every minute!

My dress and veil came in a few weeks ago. I had my first dress fitting and it is perfect!!! Well, not EXACTLY perfect, the straps and hem need to be taken in! I can't wait to wear it on May 31 and see Matt's reaction!

I met with the florist on Saturday. Although the original plan was for Carrie and I to do the flowers ourselves since I don't want anything extravagant, we decided that it would be better to have a florist do the boutieneers (sp?). Well, since the florist is already doing seven of those, I thought to myself, "We might as well just have them do five bouquets as well and not have to worry about it the day before and the day of the wedding." So that's what is going to happen. I didn't realize how much that was stressing me out until it was off of my list of things to do. Now that a florist is taking care of that, I think both Carrie and I will have a much better time right before the wedding!

I have printed out address labels for the invitations and now I just need to finish the card insert to inform guests of where we are registered. My goal is to mail the invites out no later than March 28th. And speaking of registering, Matt and I have tried to register at Sears.......they are HORRIBLE!!!!! The customer service was some of the worst I've seen, and they seemed to cop a major attitude about us wanting to register in person at the store and not online. How dare we want to see the stuff we are registering for in person!!!! Silly us!!! So, we are going to keep the Target and Crate and Barrel registries and call it good! I'm kind of glad, even though the Sears registry was going to be stuff Matt wanted it seems like three is a lot to keep track of.

Last but not least, I wanted to mention a dream that Matt was telling me he had the other night. He dreamt it was our wedding day, and that he cried as I walked down the aisle. He had a hankerchief in the dream, and so now he wants to make sure that he has one for the actual wedding. Pretty cute........I think it would be funny if he was the one to be crying instead of me for once!!!!!

Only 16 Weeks To Go!!!!

Things are still running pretty smoothly.....

Matt and I went to pick out tuxes a few weeks ago. There was a bit of a disagreement on vest color, but we were able to reach a compromise and all is well.

Our Target and Crate and Barrel registries are completely finished. It was fun to make our wishlist, but a little daunting at the same time, especially when you are registering at multiple stores! Matt wants to register for "boy stuff" (I'm assuming he means tools and things for the yard) at Sears, so that's the last thing to do as far as the wedding registry goes.

We decided to go in a completely different direction for our rehearsal dinner. At first, we were very excited to be having it at Ludy's on the patio. The only downfall was that we would only be inviting those friends that were in the wedding party. Well, two of our great friends offered to cook for the rehearsal dinner. We are now having the shindig at Jeff and Helen's house, Gil and Rudy will be cooking and helping me plan. It has been really fun to decide on the menu, make shopping lists, and schedule everything out with them. I am now SO excited about the rehearsal dinner. We will have fabulous food, a great location and ALL of our wonderful friends can come!

My bridal shower has been scheduled for April 5th. Matt's Aunt Catherine agreed to have it at her house. It is beautiful out there, so I hope the weather is nice. Carrie is the main person in charge of planning the shower and I can't wait until it's here to see what she has in store. My bachelorette party has also been scheduled for the end of April. All of my girls and I are going to go to Tahoe for the weekend. It should be a ton of fun!

And last, but not least, my shoes came in the other day. They are absolutely perfect and I am so excited about them. My dress and veil should be here sometime next week. After that, all I need is a necklace, a bra, and a garter.

The ball is still rolling...

So yesterday I ordered our invitations. I am really excited about the ones that I ended up choosing. Matt has already been forewarned that he will be helping me stuff and address them!

I just scheduled the rehearsal dinner as well. It is going to be at Ludy's - as previously mentioned. The woman that I scheduled it with seemed very nice and I am happy to have another friendly person in the mass of people that you deal with while planning a wedding.

Tonight Matt and I are going to schedule as much of our honeymoon as we can. We have decided that we want to go to Puerto Vallarta and Matt's Dad and Step-mom were nice enough to offer for us to use their time share! I've been looking at resorts and available activities and am SO excited!

Matt's sister, Carrie, is also getting married this year. It' s been really fun to plan with her and to have someone to relate with. We are going to the Bridal Expo this weekend so that should be interesting!