Wedding Blog: Hair Appointments

Our morning began at 9:30. The wedding was at 6:00. We were in for a long day!

It didn't take my flower girl very long to become tired and anxious to be done with her hair appointment. She opted out of an up-do because she felt like it would "take too much time" and it was "very pretty" just as it was.

She was right. Add a tiara, and I had a very beautiful flower girl!

Miranda took a turn in the chair. She enjoy getting a side braid and lots of curls. This gorgeous hairdo could never be as pretty as she is. I truly believe that I have the most beautiful sister ever!

My niece, Rori, showed up halfway through for her hair appointment. What day is complete though without candy? I swear this girl is Houdini. She can disappear better than anyone I've ever met.

We caught a big smile from my lovely bridesmaid, Andrea. I loved her long, thick black hair! So pretty!

Midway through the appointments, I felt a migraine coming on...

So my stepmom, Anna, came to the rescue!! She is an exceptional massage therapist, and my headache was gone almost instantly.

I never realized how much hair my baby sister, Zoe, has! In fact, I confuse the back of her head with mine in some of the pictures! What a gorgeous head of hair!

Miranda is finally finishing up! Soooo pretty!

Here is a shot of Zoe's completed look. She is absolutely stunning!!

Now it's my turn...

Look at that hair!

Time to practice with the veil. This is when reality hit. It finally sunk it that I was getting married. All sorts of emotions were raging through me. Mostly, I couldn't wait to get to Washington to see my handsome groom!

My hairstylist for the day was amazing. I don't know how she curled my head of hair along with two others whose hair is just as thick as mine. She had to be exhausted!

It's all starting to come together nicely... Truly feeling like a bride now!!

Once again... I was so full of emotions at this point. My big day was finally here!!!

Something blue... My shoes and dress were both blue. This also provides a nice shot of my beautiful pedicure! Red with three rhinestone flowers on each big toe! Love it!

Finally! I am done!!

Next stop? Make-up and bridal room!! Will post more soon!

Wedding Blog: Spa Day

In lieu of a huge, wild, out of control bachelorette party that I was not looking forward to, my Maid of Honor and bridesmaids planned a spa day the day before the wedding. We got manicures and pedicures and enjoyed each others' company. Miranda and I also learned what Andrea already knew... We do not care for pedicures. At all.

Mom snapped this shot of Miranda and me as we were beginning to get our manicures. I got an acrylic set, and Miranda got her nails painted.

I enjoy being pampered. It's quite nice actually.

This pretty much sums up my behavior... cool as a cucumber. If I wasn't calm, cool, and collected, I was bouncing off of the walls and informing everyone that I was getting married.

This is the one part that I did enjoy of the pedicure... the warm wax. It felt soooo cool to have the hot wax on my feet!

They then wrapped my feet up like a crippled child. I loved this part as well. It was so warm and cozy. If a pedicure only include the hot wax and warm and cozy booties, I would love it. However, the scrubbing, rubbing, and other annoying activities are not for me.

At the end of spa day, we were beautiful! Despite this dislike of the pedicure, Miranda and I left with super cute toenails! I enjoyed having beautiful nails for my wedding, and I am so thankful that my bridesmaids planned such a nice, relaxing day for me!

After the spa, we went to Applebee's where I enjoy the Fiesta Lime Chicken and a Skinny Margarita. It was the perfect meal to celebrate my upcoming marriage with! I enjoyed chatting with my sister and friend, and I had a great time just being with the girls!

After we left, I got a massage from my stepmom. It was heaven on earth, and it provided me with the best way to relax before the big day! Even though I was Chatty Kathy the ENTIRE time, I left feeling like a new person!

The evening ended with my mom, stepmom, sisters, bridesmaid, and me watching Princess and the Frog. Perfect. Simply perfect!

I woke up on Saturday relaxed and ready to go!

Thank you girls for planning such a wonderful day and for making my last day as a "single" gal the absolute best that it could be! I love you!

Wedding Blog: Rehearsal

I have decided that the easiest way to blog about the much asked about event is to break it down event by event. Over the course of the next few days (and possibly weeks), I will blog about different events and aspects of the best day of my life.

First up... Rehearsal.

After working a 10 hour work day, getting off 30 minutes late, and driving three hours (through lots of road construction) to Washington, Andrew made it to the rehearsal about 35 minutes behind schedule. Our pastor was a bit uneasy at the hectic nature of our rehearsal and doomed our wedding to failure due to lack of organization...  at least that's how it seemed at first.

After a bit, things calmed down and we were able to get started. I had a lot of fun learning what we needed to do the day of the wedding as far as the ceremony goes. Little did I know that, at the end of the evening, I would forget everything we talked about. It was simply a whirlwind!

We were at the chapel for an hour past the expected ending time. Boy, oh boy was I hungry!!! So- after "learning" our roles, we headed to the rehearsal dinner hosted by Andrew's parents.

I enjoyed sitting next to my momma at the dinner. We had awesome tortellini, chicken, and ceasar salad. Yum!! The tortellini was by far my favorite!

The in-laws decorated with sunflowers, lights, and placecards. It was very beautiful and very relaxing! Perfect environment after a hectic rehearsal!

My parents created a video of pictures of Andrew and me growing up. This video was incredible! It perfectly depicted how God has orchestrated our paths so that we are perfectly suited for one another in marrige. This video shows that we were, beyond a shadow of doubt, created for one another.

Follow this link to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xyiIQxvUBU

I really enjoyed hanging out with my flower girl and niece, Lexi. She looked precious in her dress, and she was very excited to be there! She really loved the cake... almost too much!!

I hugged on my little sister even more so than normal in the days before the wedding. This girl is amazing. She was the perfect Maid of Honor, and she is my best friend. I love her more than words can say, and I am so blessed that she was such a big part of my wedding.

It was sooooo nice to have all of my bridesmaids together! We are sprawled out here, there, and everywhere so it was very hard to get everyone together.

I also got in some cuddle time with my ring bearer. Now that he can walk, run, and throw balls, he's far too busy for Aunt Abby. So, I snatched this opportunity to cuddle him. What a perfect way to end the evening!

Overall, it was a fantastic rehearsal and dinner!!

Check back for more throughout the week...

IT'S HERE!!!!

The day has FINALLY come!!!

Today is Rehearsal Day.

Tomorrow is Spa Day.

And then...

... this awkward couple will join their lives in marriage!

I am so blessed to be marrying my best friend! I cannot wait until the wedding, and I cannot wait to begin my life with such a wonderful man! God has truly blessed us!

Gnome Fever

If someone would have told me five years ago that I would own a garden gnome, I probably would have laughed. I have always thought they are a little bit silly and for older people. A friend of mine has been working on a gnome garden and blogging about it. It is absolutely adorable! She has some of the cutest gnomes I've ever seen, and it has really made me want to buy a gnome.

Switching gears- Last year Andrew (and I) worked really hard to landscape the house. We planted all sorts of plants- elephant ears, hostas, calladiums, and more. Out of all of those plants, only the hostas came back. That left the front of our house bare... with river rock and mulching. It looked a bit odd. Today we made some purchases to spruce the front area up again.

We purchased these cute yellow zinnias as a filler flower along with...

... these vibrant red and orange celosia.

The main attraction are...

... three bold red, orange, and yellow zinnia plants.

This area is so pretty, and the color combination really pops. I love the bright reds, yellows, and oranges. They are the perfect summertime colors. I am a happy camper.

But...

This sleeping guy makes me so happy. I think this little gnome is the cutest thing ever. He is nestled in amongst the plants and he looks like he is enjoying a nice summer nap. I really like him!

I am afraid that I may have gnome fever now. I would like a cute little collection to go with my sleeping gnome. Oh boy...

Also- I didn't listen and was in the sun too long. I was wearing my swimming suit top, and Andrew kept telling me to go inside to avoid tan lines for the wedding. I didn't listen. I now have lines. I'm hoping they fade by Saturday! Oops!

Going to the Chapel...

... and I'm gonna get MARRIED!!!!

Yes, that's right. Today it is legally acceptable to get married.

Andrew and I obtained our marriage license today!!!

We have 30 days from today to get married. With 10 days to go, I think we can manage that! : )

Ironically, we had a small tiff before we went in. So, we weren't the warm and fuzzy bride and groom-to-be that they may be acustomed to seeing.

Looking back on it; however, it seems very appropriate! And, we have something to laugh about!

Oh... the joys of planning a wedding and being a graduate student!!

I am sooooo ready to be married!!

Slightly Obsessed

... with Disney's latest masterpiece.

Princess in the Frog could quite possibly be my favorite Disney movie ever created. Yes, it could even trumph Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Those who follow me on facebook know that I watch this movie fairly often. Ok, too much. Once a week minimum.

I thought that I would not watch it this week. I was going to refrain. It is not healthy to watch it as much as I do. That is until I heard it.

The voice.

In church.

Of Mama Odie.

I sat in awe for a few moments before turning to Andrew and exclaiming "Mama Odie!" Yes, this woman's voice is identical to the lady who sings and encourages us to "dig a little deeper" and we may just find that what we want isn't always what we need. This blind lady has deeper insight than most. Her pet snake is the only snake I haven't shuddered at in my lifetime. That is saying something.

This movie is about friendship, hard work, and discovering what you need in life.

Princess Tiana spends her life working to open a restaurant that her dad always dreamed of but never achieved. Through the movie, she learns that although her dad never got his restaurant... he had exactly what he needed: love.

Prince Naveen. Our little charmer. He's spent his life being catered to on a silver platter. Until he's cut off. Prince Naveen also learns exactly what he needs in life.

Charlotte, or Lotte, is the Baron's daughter. Though she seems shallow, she is a wonderful friend to Tiana and realizes the importance of finding one's true love.

Once again, my obsession is unhealthy. But, this movie has such a wonderful message that today's society needs to hear and soak up... and implement. I love this movie because it lifts my spirits and pushes me to pursue what I need in life. It helps me realize that though I want a lot, there are a few important things that I need to truly be happy.

If you haven't watched this movie, do so. It's worth it.

Tidbits

Life.

Has.

Been.

INSANE.

I was called out yesterday on facebook about my lack of blogging. I have been completely and utterly terrible about blogging lately, but I also don't know whether I'm coming or going. You can ask anyone- I am out of it. Constantly.

But, I plan to give you a small peek into what's been going on this week in my life... minus the bad!

Gato has had lots of fun bird watching this week. He's pretty good at making me smile!

I adore donuts. Especially when they come from a local bakery. These make me VERY happy. Mmm!!

Andrew and my future father in law have begun building a nice storage shed. This is what it looked like at the end of Day 1. It's going to be nice to have extra space!

This is what it looked like at the end of Day 2. We had a lots of rain the next day, so the shed was put on hold for a bit. The plans for Monday are to get shingles and siding on! Then it will be completed! They're doing such a nice job!

I came home after a looooooong day at school and found this. Andrew had been working hard on the shed. Gato; however, didn't have a care in the world. Little rascal!!

My future sister-in-law and her husband got us a covered muffin pan, lots of muffin mixes, and baking cups for my shower. I put them to good use this weekend!! MmmMmm! I love muffins!

We received our first wedding package in the mail!! A family friend had this shipped to us. It was a nice treat to come home to last night!

We were very excited to see that they purchased our cutlery set!! Thank you Deshmukh family!! We cannot wait to use these awesome knives! Great gift!!!

Finally, Gato thought it would be fun to play hide and seek today.

We couldn't find him anywhere. He's not allowed in the bedroom, so we thought he might be hiding in there. We were preparing to get him in trouble.

We finally found him nestled behind the blanket basket and between the couch and end table. It was too cute!!

Plans for the rest of today:

Concert at Cowboy Church

Finish Laundry

Wedding Plans

Weekend Fun

This weekend was good. Odd, but good.

1. My brother-in-law is now Dr. Scott. He graduated from Mizzou's medical school on Saturday! I am so proud of him. He earned this title through 4 years of hard work and persistence. It paid off! Congratulations!

2. I got to spend a lot of much needed time with my love. I've missed him lately. Here he's pictured separating a package of seeds. Four different spices came in the same pack- and he separated them so we could put them in different containers! He's so wonderful! He can make me smile so easily!

3. After church, Andrew grilled this amazing meal. He grilled corn on the cob (first of the season!) and steak. I baked the new potatoes in olive oil, fresh rosemary, and salt and pepper. I then topped my steak with bleu cheese crumbles. Yum! It was the best steak I've ever had. The whole meal cost us less than $12. Sure beats eating out!

4. Andrew got a fun new gadget! I call this his music box... he tells me I'm silly. This was his wedding gift from me... He's been a songbird ever since! He was truly like a little kid at Christmas- and it was so fun to see him that excited!! I love having the house filled with music, and I love having a happy husband-to-be! Great purchase!! : )

5. I got a new phone this weekend! I was eligible for an upgrade, and this handy dandy machine was free! I am really enjoying my new phone... touch screen, full keypad, and a doodling program. What more could a girl want in a phone?! haha! It really is a fun phone. And, it meets my high standards... it's the perfect shade of red.

That's my weekend briefing. Fun, but too short. My summer vacation has now come to an end... all four days of it. Back to school tomorrow...

One last thought... Please continue to keep my family in your prayers. We are dealing with a situation now that does not need to be made public. Please pray for strength, guidance, understanding, love, patience, kindness, and more. I am so blessed to have so many people in my life who are willing to pray without prying for information!

Life is a Journey

Life...

... is a beautiful journey.

Embrace it.

In the wise words of my wonderful Momma:

"Always remember that happiness is found along the way, not at the end of the road. Make the most of every step of your journey through this life, and keep your path aimed straight toward God."