Where I Left Off: Day Before the "I Dos"

**I started this entry last week and just now got around to finishing it :) **

I find myself thinking, "It's happy hour in Maui" almost every hour in the afternoon while I am in the "real world"...sad sad day it is, we are no longer in Maui. As I said below it has been very busy but so very exciting every day :) Though, our wallets are feeling the hit that they took last month, nonetheless, we are happy and blessed. Tonight we are taking the dogs up to the high school to watch the Homecoming game...go Wolfpack! We are making our homemade pizza, and I am sure, I will indulge in some wine...love me some wine....(I can't believe I said "love me some...")

I wanted to give you all a little recap of the wedding festivities since I was in such a hurry last post...It all started October 8th with a little spa man/pedi with the ladies and of course my fav champagne :) My something blue was my toe color! I would show you my toes, but I have ugly feet (hello, I am a runner) so I will spare you. But this clever idea was all my sister's thinking. Good job Tal!

We then went home and had some yummy mexican food and started piling up our cars with all the decorations. Holy moly there was a lot! My poor house was a mess afterwards. The next day, my MOH and I went for a 10 mile run...it was my last one as a single lady and it sure felt good to spend it with my best friend. As soon as we got home I had to rush and get ready as Nick and I had a meeting with my brother in law, (he was the officiant) and we still had to drop off our rings to make sure they had one last cleaning. **Brides....don't forget to do this! I guess it helped that our jeweler was a few doors up from where we were meeting the broskie. Right after those two things, we were off to Laguna for the rehearsal! This is when it all got a little weird...good weird, like surreal weird.

We had a lot of fun at the rehearsal because it was the first time everyone was there so that was nice :) Though, it was short, we got the run down of how stuff works and went on our way! After the rehearsal, everyone kind of parted ways for a couple hours, I however, went to my room got my stuff prepared for the next day and then got ready for our rehearsal dinner. As I have mentioned before, we had our dinner at the Beach House in Laguna, this is where Nick took me for our first date. It was so nice to have everyone seated under one roof and just enjoying each other's company, as well as some wine :) The filet was absolutely melt in your mouth wonderful and the tiramisu was to die for....I think it's pretty safe to say that everyone enjoyed the dinner.



After the rehearsal dinner, everyone went home or back to their hotels while Nick and I spent some time alone so we could give one another our gifts. While I had bought Nick's gift way back in March, I couldn't believe the day had finally come! I was able to give him his watch!!

Ok, another side note: I knew since he proposed that I wanted to get him a watch as his gift...the guy is obsessed with watches. Because of his obsession, I knew whatever watch I got him, had to be a good one and one that he would never buy himself. Well he proposed back in November and since that day I spent every day searching for the right one! Finally, one night we ate dinner at a local hamburger place, Heroes in Claremont. As we were waiting for our table, there was a gentlemen seated right next to me with his arm around his wife. Nick had leaned in, and said "see that watch, that's the watch I want next!" I am telling you guys, I wish you could have seen my eyes open really wide (I'm sure they didn't but if I were a cartoon character, a light bulb would have mos def popped up over my head). I had no clue how I was going to find this watch, but I knew I would find it. It was a Citizen watch and the rest was history. I don't want to bore you how I found it, but to make it short, the same jeweler that sold Nick my rings and sold me Nick's ring had found this watch and next thing you know, it was sitting in my closet for 7 months.

Ok...back on topic...I went down to Nick's room with the box (this box was big too) I was shooting myself for not getting a card...I am obsessed with cards, but this time, I was card-less. As I walked into his room I see him putting a card on the table....I was thinking...damn! He got me a card! I walked in and sat on the bed and as we both sat nervously we both said you go first! As, I insisted though, Nick went first. He opened it up and then all of the sudden his face lit up! I knew immediately that I had a good thing and got the right watch!!! YAY!!! Below is a picture of it :) Taken in Maui of course...Check out his ring too :)

Next up? Me! Ok, so a little side note....I mentioned earlier that I am obsessed with cards...However, I didn't tell you that more specifically I am obsessed with Papyrus Cards. So the first thing I notice is that he bought me a Papyrus card...very well played sir! I opened it up and just a little tid bit of the card was sticking out...and I noticed a familiar image on it...It was the card where the little girl is crying and walking the Great Dane....great card, one of my top faves. So I stopped opening it and said "you got me the great dane card!" patiently Nick responds with, "Yes I did, keep opening it"...As I pulled out the card, a picture stuck out....this picture was like a time bomb waiting to boom....Right when I saw it I instantly bursted into tears! I pulled it out and looked at him saying "did you get me a puppy?!" He goes, "just open the card!" and I'm like "no, is this my puppy?! Do I get to keep her?!" he's like, "umm, yes, you do...read the card!" I was sobbing....full on, sobbing. Nick has seen me cry but he's never seen me cry this much! This was THE BEST present ever!!! Totally beats the Michele watch that I have been eyeing for years....Nick had written a note for the puppy (she was nameless until I set eyes on her) saying that she was at home with Nick's parents and patiently waiting for her mommy to come pick her up....he also told me that I was going to name her...which I decided on Lucy the morning of our wedding. And since we had a day in between our wedding and the honeymoon, we could go play with her! Orginally, I told Nick that I wanted to just lounge that Monday at the beach then come home and get ready for our flight. Those plans were now out the window and we were up and ready to go by 8 am! I met her Monday afternoon and was already in love with her. By the way, the picture below doesn't do her justice. This little girl is beautiful and so so so smart! I can't get over it. She knows how to open doors!! And she's only 5 months! She is a perfect sister to Killian, plays with him all the time, steals his toys, and bites his ankles.
This post is becoming way too long, so I will end it here...next up? The BIG DAY! Hope you enjoy this post and keep checking back, I promise to put up pictures.

Missing Maui

I don't have much time (seems to be the theme these days) to totally go into all the fun things that have happened within the last 3 weeks, but what I can tell you is, I am incredibly happy and love being Nick's wife more and more every day....

A little photo recap if you will:

What every bride tells you is absolutely true....enjoy the day, take it all in, and be prepared that it goes by fassssstttttt. I can honestly say that the day was the best day of our lives, as of yet and we are still talking about funny things that happened or just really great moments that we shared. I had a friend that asked me yesterday what my favorite part was of the wedding/day and I think it has to be when everyone got out and danced....it was sooo fun....Our DJ was absolutely amazing...we really wanted the reception to be about the guests and he definitely got that on the nose. We played a newleywed game in the beginning and I am still getting comments from guests saying that it was the best part. Another cool thing that they did was while Nick and I were saying hi to the tables, they played a game where they called 10 pre-selected guests to come up to the front and then had them find whatever item they called out....the winner won a quarter! haha. I am still getting teary eyed just thinking about our wonderful day...

then came Maui....

Oh Maui....how I miss you. That my friends, will get a longer post (same as the wedding) and more pictures of course. But I will say this, I enjoyed every minute of it....and I am enjoying every minute of married life as well.

Oh and guess what? I got a brand new puppy for my wedding gift...Meet Lucy :) Isn't she a doll? She is best friends with my other love, Killian :) Here is a picture of our wonderful children.


And that my friends is what I call a perfect wedding, honeymoon, puppy, and house. Stay tuned, I will write more when life isn't so busy...haha

Yes, I am Working the Week of My Wedding

and yes, I know.....I am crazy.

T -5 days and this lady is officially off the market.

How am I feeling? Well, some of the things that I have done in the past few days include:

1. starting the coffee maker without the pot being in the appropriate place (a.k.a: the coffee maker)
2. put my underwear on when I already had a pair on.
3. forget what I am doing even if it's only been 30 seconds since I started doing something new.

Those are just a few of the most recent things that have happened, clearly my head is someplace else. (However, the underwear thing was pretty funny).

I feel that the last few days...ok, last week or so, I have been in ultra-adrenaline mode where I wake up even earlier than I do normally and power through my day that is packed with countless wedding things, work, runs, and anything else that comes my way. I know that EVERY bride says they are E.X.H.A.U.S.T.E.D after the wedding, but I think I will be even more exhausted come Monday morning....seriously, I am wondering when this will hit me and I will crash....Praying that I will last through the weekend :)

It's strange to hear my family members talking about what shoes they are going to wear on Sunday or what dress they decided to wear because as Nick pointed out last night, they are planning on wearing those items to our wedding.

I got my hair trial done last week and we decided against the veil...as some of you may not know, I was going to make my birdcage veil and bought the materials months ago...but as time went by, it was harder than I had originally planned and half of it ended up in the trash can. Needless to say, I was very happy that my hairdresser said that I didn't need it :) There is however, something else that I will add to the dress that I am very excited for :)

Napkins are completely ironed....and we just need about 30 more to be sewn. I think between my mom, my sister, and her friend, Candace, it will be done in no time :) *fingers crossed.

I have to pack for our honeymoon...that one just hit me a few days ago...I had always known that we were going to Maui and I always knew that we would be leaving 2 days after our wedding. However, I never once put the two and two together and now I am slightly freaking out. This may sound weird....but honestly I put so much energy and stress into planning this wedding I never thought to plan on packing!

My dress is done tomorrow and then it's officially mine :) YAY. Linens are to be picked up on Thursday and then it's mani/pedi time Friday :)

Saturday will be my last run as a single lady so I am making it a good one :) 10 miles with hills....I am really looking forward to it. Then we will have our rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner . Oh my goodness, me=super excited for this...Then it's wedding time--Sunday!

I am not sure if I will be on here before then, so I wanted to write one last blog :) Next time I will be blogging, I will have a new last name and tons of pictures!

YAY!