I.... don't know what to write about. I have an unfortunate case of blogger's block, which I find a bit disturbing. This blog is not for the purpose of making up creative stories, it's to fill you in on our life. To go an entire week and not have a thing to write about is.... well, quite pathetic really.
(1 minute)
(2 minutes)
(ate my lunch and pondered)
(20 minutes later): It's back!
Saturday night was Ryan's birthday. The plan was to celebrate his birth by eating at In the Raw. Michael and I, being the huge fans that we are, spent quite a bit of time getting ready for the celebration. We arrived at the restaurant to find 600 eyes staring at us (because that is what you DO at In the Raw: watch and judge, watch and judge). Unfortunately, none of those eyes were recognizable and we quickly learned that the party had moved to Tsunami. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Tsunami, but it is no In the Raw. We got back in the car, listened to the great hits of Mix 96 (my new favorite radio station--to be discussed in a bit) and soon found out the restaurant had changed yet again to Outback. Talk about a 3rd place finisher. I told Michael I was waiting for the final call letting us know we were to meet at the Braum's drive-through. Oh well, the dinner was fun and it was good to hang out with Michael's work friends.
We ran a few (fun) errands on Saturday and enjoyed the "warmer" weather. I decided that I don't mind running errands if they are on our own time. For example, we decide to go grocery shopping because we want to cook a glorious meal. THAT is fun. However, we decide to go grocery shopping because the only food in the cupboard is tuna in a can--THAT is not fun.
Due to the ridiculous amount of things we did on Saturday: Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Banana Republic, IO Metro, and Outback (I'm exhausted just thinking about it.... and I hope you're catching the sarcasm), we decided we should stay in our pajamas until 5:30p on Sunday. It was great! Steve and Kait came over for a bit and then we went to our Dave Ramsey class.
My last topic and then I shall sign off-- Mix 96. I recently put together a Communications budget for the church, which included a pretty large strategic marketing campaign for 2008. One of the requests the budget and finance committee had before they would grant the money was that I meet with some of the radio and tv advertising managers so that I might get a better feel of cost and demographics. The radio manager I met with kept talking about Mix 96 and what a great demographic it would be for the church. She described it as women in their thirties with children. I decided to give it a listen on my way home from work and had a goofy grin on my face the entire time. Apparently I have advanced 10 years in age and Thumbs is an official child. Seriously though, how can you not smile when Prince's "Raspberry Beret" hits the airwaves or Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" blasts through the speakers? I am officially hooked and proud of it. Give me a fanny pack and some mom jeans and I'm all set. Ok that last sentence was a joke--I'm going to give a big HELL NO to both.
Tonight Michael and I are going to watch the OSU/OU basketball game with our new neighbors--the husband works with Michael. I do believe we'll all be sporting bright orange. On Friday we'll be heading towards StL! It's been awhile since I've been there and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Hopefully the weather will be a little warmer than last time--yeesh.
It's almost February, which is a short month and then BAM! We're into March, which is SO CLOSE to April, and that just happens to be one month away from warmer weather. It's basically right around the corner... :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Home... Sweet, sweet home.
Dad took approx. 250 shots of our house this weekend and I am posting all of them! Only kidding, I narrowed them down quite a bit (and still came up with quite a few). Let the tour begin!
Front of our home:
Back of our home:
Entryway:
Breakfast area:
Kitchen:
Living Room:
I think this is my favorite "detail" of the house:
I love our coffee table (and also my mom who apparently learned hand gestures from Bob Dole):
Master bedroom:
Master cat:
Entry to master bathroom:
Master bathroom:
Michael and I picked out the mirrors and hung them ourselves!
Extra bedroom:
Office:
2nd bathroom:
We hung 2 pictures in this bathroom: a manatee and an ostrich. Yes, I am weird. And yes, Michael is the best:
We love our new home!! We have hung 3 pictures so the walls are still pretty bare but we will get to that eventually!!
Front of our home:
Back of our home:
Entryway:
Breakfast area:
Kitchen:
Living Room:
I think this is my favorite "detail" of the house:
I love our coffee table (and also my mom who apparently learned hand gestures from Bob Dole):
Master bedroom:
Master cat:
Entry to master bathroom:
Master bathroom:
Michael and I picked out the mirrors and hung them ourselves!
Extra bedroom:
Office:
2nd bathroom:
We hung 2 pictures in this bathroom: a manatee and an ostrich. Yes, I am weird. And yes, Michael is the best:
We love our new home!! We have hung 3 pictures so the walls are still pretty bare but we will get to that eventually!!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Pronounced: Shellfish
I am what they call a "selfish blogger." And I use the word "they" so that my statement sounds formal and world reknown but in actuality I just made it up...
I have a few friends who blog. Most have children and the others are quite the opposite and still go out on the weekends. I check each blog every day and get VERY disappointed if there are not at least 3 new posts each week. Recently I realized, who am I to get frustrated at them when I'm lucky if I blog once every 2 weeks?! And I have zero kids to take care of and zero chance of going to a bar this weekend. I do believe the two relate--I have no kids and no crazy antics, therefore I have nothing to write about. So while they are busy doing things that are either beyond or behind me, I expect a somewhat formal update on their life. And I want it NOW (stomps foot)!
Moving on! Pictures of the house will be posted ASAP! Mom and pops are coming to visit us on Saturday to see the "finished product." We still have a lot of pictures to hang, etc., but for all practical purposes, we're done. And we're proud. And we want them to see our house and be proud of us. That being said, our camera's flash is as puny as my bicep and takes lousy indoor pictures. I'm afraid if we post the pictures our camera has produced, everyone will think we live in a cave/dungeon/under a rock and visitors will be few and far between. Or if they do decide to make the trek they might bring flashlights and/or night-vision goggles. To cure this problem, we have asked our parents to please bring a camera so that we might document our new abode properly and give it the respect it deserves.
Speaking of respect, I have even more respect for Michael after last night. We went to j-life and hung out with our miniature friends (6th and 7th graders) and then afterwards came home and Michael hung the curtains in the living room. I think they look smashing and he is hot when he uses a power drill. :)
We have a busy (but exciting!) few days ahead of us. We are going out to dinner with Anna and Gary tonight (haven't seen them since the wedding!) and then Kait and Steve are coming over tomorrow night. Saturday we'll be with the parents and then (sadly) it's already Sunday and the weekend is almost over! We started a new class last Sunday night: Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It's a 13-week study that is supposed to help couples get their finances in check. We're excited to learn how stupid we are with our money. Ha. You know when you're watching a movie and it's a super awkward part so your insides get kind of squeamish and you're just wanting it to be over as fast as possible so you can feel better? I think that's how we're going to feel for the duration of this class. He lays things out there and doesn't really care if it makes you feel uncomfortable (because he and you BOTH know what you're doing with your money is stupid). But it's good to hear nonetheless. I'll keep you updated if Michael and I become millionaires in the next few years thanks to Dave.
Next post will probably not occur for a week (if I'm being honest) and will include pictures--hooray! And a special thanks to all of the bloggers out there who post often and entertain me throughout my work day. It's a tough job but someone needs to do it (please)! :)
I have a few friends who blog. Most have children and the others are quite the opposite and still go out on the weekends. I check each blog every day and get VERY disappointed if there are not at least 3 new posts each week. Recently I realized, who am I to get frustrated at them when I'm lucky if I blog once every 2 weeks?! And I have zero kids to take care of and zero chance of going to a bar this weekend. I do believe the two relate--I have no kids and no crazy antics, therefore I have nothing to write about. So while they are busy doing things that are either beyond or behind me, I expect a somewhat formal update on their life. And I want it NOW (stomps foot)!
Moving on! Pictures of the house will be posted ASAP! Mom and pops are coming to visit us on Saturday to see the "finished product." We still have a lot of pictures to hang, etc., but for all practical purposes, we're done. And we're proud. And we want them to see our house and be proud of us. That being said, our camera's flash is as puny as my bicep and takes lousy indoor pictures. I'm afraid if we post the pictures our camera has produced, everyone will think we live in a cave/dungeon/under a rock and visitors will be few and far between. Or if they do decide to make the trek they might bring flashlights and/or night-vision goggles. To cure this problem, we have asked our parents to please bring a camera so that we might document our new abode properly and give it the respect it deserves.
Speaking of respect, I have even more respect for Michael after last night. We went to j-life and hung out with our miniature friends (6th and 7th graders) and then afterwards came home and Michael hung the curtains in the living room. I think they look smashing and he is hot when he uses a power drill. :)
We have a busy (but exciting!) few days ahead of us. We are going out to dinner with Anna and Gary tonight (haven't seen them since the wedding!) and then Kait and Steve are coming over tomorrow night. Saturday we'll be with the parents and then (sadly) it's already Sunday and the weekend is almost over! We started a new class last Sunday night: Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. It's a 13-week study that is supposed to help couples get their finances in check. We're excited to learn how stupid we are with our money. Ha. You know when you're watching a movie and it's a super awkward part so your insides get kind of squeamish and you're just wanting it to be over as fast as possible so you can feel better? I think that's how we're going to feel for the duration of this class. He lays things out there and doesn't really care if it makes you feel uncomfortable (because he and you BOTH know what you're doing with your money is stupid). But it's good to hear nonetheless. I'll keep you updated if Michael and I become millionaires in the next few years thanks to Dave.
Next post will probably not occur for a week (if I'm being honest) and will include pictures--hooray! And a special thanks to all of the bloggers out there who post often and entertain me throughout my work day. It's a tough job but someone needs to do it (please)! :)
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
It's been a CRAZY year and we're only one week in!
I have decided that I am one enormous oxymoron. I'm ok with this fact except I can't help but notice that the second part of the word is MORON and that makes me feel a bit sheepish. I won't make a list of my oddities (because there IS such thing as self-preservation) but I have noticed lately that I get as much excitement out of crazy, chaotic moments as I do when it is completely quiet and the biggest weight on my shoulders is whether I should go to bed early or stay up 30 minutes longer and finish my book. Shouldn't a person be one or the other--is it possible to truly enjoy both moments equally?
The point is, in the past 2.5 months I have done the following:
-Married Michael
-Traveled to Maui, Hawaii
-Unpacked 40 bajillion boxes of wedding gifts
-Sent 40 bajillion thank you notes
-Celebrated Thanksgiving with Michael's family
-Bought a house
-Selected a lender for our home
-Celebrated Christmas with my family
-Celebrated New Years with Kait/Steve and Myers/Karen
-Changed aforementioned lender to NEW lender due to first lender's inability to do their job correctly
-Closed on a home
-Packed 80 bajillon boxes
-Moved into new home
That, my friends, is A LOT of stuff to happen in 75 days. And while there have been a few freakouts/breakdowns, I have enjoyed it IMMENSELY. So my question is, how can I enjoy all of the above nonsense and at the same time LOVE the fact that we took naps on the beach in Maui or that I am perfectly capable of sitting on the (new!) sofa and staring at our fireplace (I call it zoning) for ridiculous amounts of time? Interesting.
Pictures are to come soon but we did have quite the excitement last week with our house closing. After a huge headache on Wednesday of finding out we would NOT be able to close on Friday, we switched lenders, were re-re-re-approved (I say that because we'd already been approved twice by the previous lender) and were still able to close on Friday. Both sets of parents arrived on Friday night and we spent the weekend moving into our new home!! It is crazy that we have a garage, backyard, and neighbors that all have multiple children... all very surreal. Mom compared our street to Wisteria Lane but I am praying that is not the case. Cheaters, killers, and tornadoes--feel free to bypass 110th street and head on over to California, Vegas, or Kansas!
Michael and I made 2 New Year's resolutions: read the entire Bible and workout more. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to keep up with both of them for both our spiritual and physical health's sake!
It's been an exciting few months but I think the pace is about to slow down. We already have many weekends booked due to Mardi Gras, baby showers, trips to visit friends, Bachelorette parties, weddings, etc., but at least we have those 5 days of the week where we can come home and just BE. I guess it IS good that I love a chaotic mess as much as I love a book in bed because that appears to be the life of the Haynes' for quite some time.
As with every new year, I sit back (on our new couch), reflect on the previous year and wonder how it flew by so fast. For example, at this time last year I was newly engaged and thought life couldn't get any better, Kaitlin and Summer were happily dating their own Steves, and Melissa was a glowing newlywed. Fast forward 12 months and I am now married with a brand new house, Kait and Summer are both engaged, and Melissa recently brought Maddilyn Rose into the world. WOW. I can't decide to laugh or cry about the huge happenings that are occurring so often in the lives of myself and my friends. And to think this is just the beginning...
Here's to a great year--It's going to be fabulous!
The point is, in the past 2.5 months I have done the following:
-Married Michael
-Traveled to Maui, Hawaii
-Unpacked 40 bajillion boxes of wedding gifts
-Sent 40 bajillion thank you notes
-Celebrated Thanksgiving with Michael's family
-Bought a house
-Selected a lender for our home
-Celebrated Christmas with my family
-Celebrated New Years with Kait/Steve and Myers/Karen
-Changed aforementioned lender to NEW lender due to first lender's inability to do their job correctly
-Closed on a home
-Packed 80 bajillon boxes
-Moved into new home
That, my friends, is A LOT of stuff to happen in 75 days. And while there have been a few freakouts/breakdowns, I have enjoyed it IMMENSELY. So my question is, how can I enjoy all of the above nonsense and at the same time LOVE the fact that we took naps on the beach in Maui or that I am perfectly capable of sitting on the (new!) sofa and staring at our fireplace (I call it zoning) for ridiculous amounts of time? Interesting.
Pictures are to come soon but we did have quite the excitement last week with our house closing. After a huge headache on Wednesday of finding out we would NOT be able to close on Friday, we switched lenders, were re-re-re-approved (I say that because we'd already been approved twice by the previous lender) and were still able to close on Friday. Both sets of parents arrived on Friday night and we spent the weekend moving into our new home!! It is crazy that we have a garage, backyard, and neighbors that all have multiple children... all very surreal. Mom compared our street to Wisteria Lane but I am praying that is not the case. Cheaters, killers, and tornadoes--feel free to bypass 110th street and head on over to California, Vegas, or Kansas!
Michael and I made 2 New Year's resolutions: read the entire Bible and workout more. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we will be able to keep up with both of them for both our spiritual and physical health's sake!
It's been an exciting few months but I think the pace is about to slow down. We already have many weekends booked due to Mardi Gras, baby showers, trips to visit friends, Bachelorette parties, weddings, etc., but at least we have those 5 days of the week where we can come home and just BE. I guess it IS good that I love a chaotic mess as much as I love a book in bed because that appears to be the life of the Haynes' for quite some time.
As with every new year, I sit back (on our new couch), reflect on the previous year and wonder how it flew by so fast. For example, at this time last year I was newly engaged and thought life couldn't get any better, Kaitlin and Summer were happily dating their own Steves, and Melissa was a glowing newlywed. Fast forward 12 months and I am now married with a brand new house, Kait and Summer are both engaged, and Melissa recently brought Maddilyn Rose into the world. WOW. I can't decide to laugh or cry about the huge happenings that are occurring so often in the lives of myself and my friends. And to think this is just the beginning...
Here's to a great year--It's going to be fabulous!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Life's Worth Visiting in Fort Smith, Arkansas
I know we were taught at a very young age that a day is made up of 24 hours (or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds...) but I would place a large sum of money on the following: The days of Christmas break were 10 hours each. This is the only way I can rationalize the speed at which the days flew by. Michael and I drove up Saturday afternoon and suddenly time decided to go into a frantic fury. Next thing I know it's Wednesday and we're driving back. And I'm sad. I'm really sad to be leaving my big family (I can say that since there are 6 of us now)! We had a wonderful time and I'm already looking forward to Easter when I can see Justin & Michelle again.
Right before we took off for Fort Smith, Michael and I decided to pack up the Wii. This turned out to be an excellent decision--it received more play time this past week than it had since its arrival last Christmas. Justin really seemed to enjoy playing Wii sports and Michelle was another type of sport: a GOOD sport, so she seemed to enjoy it as well.
We also spent several evenings playing Catch Phrase, which is my new favorite "board" game. I had a blast. It was girls vs. guys and while I'd like to say the girls creamed the boys each time, it seemed like we were both pretty solid teams (or horrible, whichever you prefer).
Mom spent a lot of her time in the kitchen and everything she made was absolutely wonderful. It really was a fantastic weekend. I borrowed Michelle's book, "Eat, Pray, Love" and enjoyed it as well.
I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing family. I love that we can spend 5 days together, never leave the house and STILL have a great time. I love that my brother and I are still so competitive that we'll spend 15 minutes counting the number of tablespoons it takes to fill up a cup 60% (don't ask). I love that Michelle and Michael can talk about sports with one another because God knows my family couldn't keep up if we tried. And I love that we stayed up late one night to listen to recordings my parents made of Justin and I when we were 2-4 years old (turns out I ADORED the song "Jesus Loves Me" back in the day).
2007 has been a fantastic year and I can only imagine what next year will bring! Possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see what we all have in store for us.
One of the things I shared with my parents as a 2-year-old was the nursery rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty." After I said the entire rhyme I said, "Now I want to do the God version!" (or something...) So I shared the nursery rhyme again and added my own ending: "All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again...but God could." We all had a good laugh, but it was a great message. When life is at its worst, there IS someone that can help. He'll take the broken pieces, put you back together, pick you up and dust you off. What a FRIEND we have in Jesus!
Merry Christmas!
Right before we took off for Fort Smith, Michael and I decided to pack up the Wii. This turned out to be an excellent decision--it received more play time this past week than it had since its arrival last Christmas. Justin really seemed to enjoy playing Wii sports and Michelle was another type of sport: a GOOD sport, so she seemed to enjoy it as well.
We also spent several evenings playing Catch Phrase, which is my new favorite "board" game. I had a blast. It was girls vs. guys and while I'd like to say the girls creamed the boys each time, it seemed like we were both pretty solid teams (or horrible, whichever you prefer).
Mom spent a lot of her time in the kitchen and everything she made was absolutely wonderful. It really was a fantastic weekend. I borrowed Michelle's book, "Eat, Pray, Love" and enjoyed it as well.
I'm so happy to be a part of this amazing family. I love that we can spend 5 days together, never leave the house and STILL have a great time. I love that my brother and I are still so competitive that we'll spend 15 minutes counting the number of tablespoons it takes to fill up a cup 60% (don't ask). I love that Michelle and Michael can talk about sports with one another because God knows my family couldn't keep up if we tried. And I love that we stayed up late one night to listen to recordings my parents made of Justin and I when we were 2-4 years old (turns out I ADORED the song "Jesus Loves Me" back in the day).
2007 has been a fantastic year and I can only imagine what next year will bring! Possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see what we all have in store for us.
One of the things I shared with my parents as a 2-year-old was the nursery rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty." After I said the entire rhyme I said, "Now I want to do the God version!" (or something...) So I shared the nursery rhyme again and added my own ending: "All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again...but God could." We all had a good laugh, but it was a great message. When life is at its worst, there IS someone that can help. He'll take the broken pieces, put you back together, pick you up and dust you off. What a FRIEND we have in Jesus!
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Smiling's my favorite!
We had a walk-through of our house yesterday! It didn't take long at all and we only found a few things that had to be marked by the dreaded blue tape. Everything else is done on our side so the only thing we can do is pack and wait for close on January 4. I'm afraid the next few weeks are going to fly. I am thrilled about moving into our new home, but so frustrated about packing everything up.
It seems like it was only 2 months ago that we unpacked every last wedding gift and threw over a hundred boxes away. Oh wait, that WAS only 2 months ago. I wish we'd known we'd be moving so soon! The only thing we have packed and ready to go is the slow cooker and that is because it has yet to come out of its box.
In other fun news, our bookcase comes in today. It was supposed to be here several weeks ago but they messed up our order. And then it was supposed to come in last week but we had no power (so they couldn't use the elevator). We'll see if we have a bookcase in our apartment by 5p tonite. I'm not holding my breath. :)
I started a new book last night: Marley and Me. I believe I am the last person on earth to read this book. I kept putting it off because I KNOW it has a sad ending and do I really want to inflict pain on myself this close to Christmas? My problem with books is that I take these characters and they become a part of my life from page one until the very end. There is nothing better than starting a new book, but I feel a sense of loss after I finish the last page. I notice that I will start slowing down when I reach the last chapter because I don't want it to end. I'm not like that with movies, but give me a great book and I'll want it to go on forever.
We're having a girls night tonight with Kaitlin, Cari, and Aubrey. I'm really looking forward to catching up with them. Michael and I have decided we're going to try our darndest to sleep in tomorrow and then we will head to Fort Smith for Christmas! I can't wait--it's going to be so nice to have all of us together and to just be away for 5 days.
One last thing--I have to brag on my husband. :) Michael called on Wednesday and told me to go to Utica Square and kill a bit of time before I came home. I asked why but of course he said, "Oh no reason, just don't come home yet." So I drug myself to Utica (I just hate that place--HA!) and checked out a few of the stores. When I finally came home, he'd surprised me with approx. 150 white chocolate dipped pretzels--my FAVORITE! He'd gone to the store to pick up the ingredients and had hand-dipped each and every one. It was such a sweet gesture. What a great guy! (I think we have 15 left--oops!)
I highly doubt I'll post again in the next few days, so MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family!
It seems like it was only 2 months ago that we unpacked every last wedding gift and threw over a hundred boxes away. Oh wait, that WAS only 2 months ago. I wish we'd known we'd be moving so soon! The only thing we have packed and ready to go is the slow cooker and that is because it has yet to come out of its box.
In other fun news, our bookcase comes in today. It was supposed to be here several weeks ago but they messed up our order. And then it was supposed to come in last week but we had no power (so they couldn't use the elevator). We'll see if we have a bookcase in our apartment by 5p tonite. I'm not holding my breath. :)
I started a new book last night: Marley and Me. I believe I am the last person on earth to read this book. I kept putting it off because I KNOW it has a sad ending and do I really want to inflict pain on myself this close to Christmas? My problem with books is that I take these characters and they become a part of my life from page one until the very end. There is nothing better than starting a new book, but I feel a sense of loss after I finish the last page. I notice that I will start slowing down when I reach the last chapter because I don't want it to end. I'm not like that with movies, but give me a great book and I'll want it to go on forever.
We're having a girls night tonight with Kaitlin, Cari, and Aubrey. I'm really looking forward to catching up with them. Michael and I have decided we're going to try our darndest to sleep in tomorrow and then we will head to Fort Smith for Christmas! I can't wait--it's going to be so nice to have all of us together and to just be away for 5 days.
One last thing--I have to brag on my husband. :) Michael called on Wednesday and told me to go to Utica Square and kill a bit of time before I came home. I asked why but of course he said, "Oh no reason, just don't come home yet." So I drug myself to Utica (I just hate that place--HA!) and checked out a few of the stores. When I finally came home, he'd surprised me with approx. 150 white chocolate dipped pretzels--my FAVORITE! He'd gone to the store to pick up the ingredients and had hand-dipped each and every one. It was such a sweet gesture. What a great guy! (I think we have 15 left--oops!)
I highly doubt I'll post again in the next few days, so MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family!
Monday, December 17, 2007
On the 5th day there was light. And it was GREAT!
If you were to tell me that our power went out a week ago today I wouldn't believe you--it truly feels like it has been a month. I never knew how much I loved electricty until I went without. Kait was nice enough to let us stay at her place 2 nights, and we decided to brave Monday and Thursday night at the apartment. I know a lot of people can claim they've slept in 40 degree temperatures--I'm not sure how many of those people can say they did it INDOORS.
A lot happened last week but before I get to that I'd like to recount the previous weekend. Michael's parents drove up from Coppell to celebrate Christmas with us! They arrived late Friday night and stayed with us for the weekend. We celebrated Christmas on Saturday morning and had an absolute blast. One of my favorite gifts they gave us was a Wii game: Dancing with the Stars. It is quite entertaining and I'm not terrible at it, which tends to make games more fun! :)
Sunday our power went off for about 5 hours so we took off to have breakfast and show his parents the house we fell in love with last month. They were a little unsure about it beforehand but genuinely seemed to like it once they saw it. The weather was getting pretty terrible so they left early Sunday afternoon to head back home. The power came back on so we spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy and playing the Wii. I received a call from Shelley reminding me about the Ben Lee concert on Sunday night--I quickly got dressed and met up with her and her boyfriend. It was WONDERFUL! There were probably 60 people there and it was so neat to see/meet Ben. We had a fantastic time!
The weather kept getting worse and I woke up to a call from my boss on Monday saying we would not be going to work. I was excited for my 3-day weekend but it was shortly after the call when the power went off... again. Argh.
Let's jump ahead to Thursday! Well I guess before we jump ahead I should let you know that Michael and I changed our minds about building a house. We were all set to do it and then the builder announced a great new price on the house that is already built. To build the exact same house in the same neighborhood would cost almost $15k more, which we both felt was ridiculous. So after a lot of debating, number crunching, budget editing, praying, etc., we decided that buying the house now was in our best interest. Ok, back to Thursday. We called our realtor and told her we were ready to make an offer; we met with her at 5:30p, made our offer, and then hung around south Tulsa while she met with the builder. She called us back about 9:30p and said she was ready with his counter-offer. As we walked into her office, I received a text from Kaitlin announcing that she and Steve were engaged!!!! I was so excited for her and so disappointed that I couldn't hear the story immediately (I'm sure our realtor would understand, but I also knew she would like to get back to her family and her home that actually HAD power sooner than later)!
Our realtor announced the builder's counter-offer, which was almost exactly what we (realistically) wanted. We told her if he would go down to what we wanted (not our first offer but what we decided we'd be comfortable with), we'd sign right then and there. He decided he would do it, but only if we moved up the closing date 3 weeks! We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, grinned, and made a deal! Long story a little bit longer.... Our closing date is January 4--less than 3 weeks! We're a little petrified but SO EXCITED.
What an awesome day! I called Kait as soon as we left our realtor's office and heard the wonderful engagement story. We are so excited for the two of them--what a fantastic couple! I can't wait to see them both in person and also see the beautiful ring!
Michael and I had enough warmth from excitement that we braved the nite in the apartment. We'd decided we would go home to Fort Smith for the weekend and left early Friday afternoon to get away from Tulsa. We were not in my parents' home an hour before we received a call letting us know that our power was back on. We still stayed the nite with my parents, had a fantastic homecooked meal, great company, and a warm night's sleep. Came back Saturday to clean up the apartment and relax before work started. Yesterday was spent shopping for refrigerators, window treatments, washers/dryers, and pricing sofas. We walked away with nothing but received a lot of great information for the near future!
Sorry for the long post but so much has happened this week! We're really excited to have power again and feel so sorry for those that still don't. It was a very humbling experience for us. Throughout the week we realized we were so fortunate to have friends with warm houses, transportation, winter clothes, etc. This was a headache to us but an absolute nightmare to others. It also reminded us to remember the real reason for the season, and that the light of the world is not the man driving around in a white PSO truck (though he WAS pretty close to an angel).
A lot happened last week but before I get to that I'd like to recount the previous weekend. Michael's parents drove up from Coppell to celebrate Christmas with us! They arrived late Friday night and stayed with us for the weekend. We celebrated Christmas on Saturday morning and had an absolute blast. One of my favorite gifts they gave us was a Wii game: Dancing with the Stars. It is quite entertaining and I'm not terrible at it, which tends to make games more fun! :)
Sunday our power went off for about 5 hours so we took off to have breakfast and show his parents the house we fell in love with last month. They were a little unsure about it beforehand but genuinely seemed to like it once they saw it. The weather was getting pretty terrible so they left early Sunday afternoon to head back home. The power came back on so we spent the rest of the afternoon being lazy and playing the Wii. I received a call from Shelley reminding me about the Ben Lee concert on Sunday night--I quickly got dressed and met up with her and her boyfriend. It was WONDERFUL! There were probably 60 people there and it was so neat to see/meet Ben. We had a fantastic time!
The weather kept getting worse and I woke up to a call from my boss on Monday saying we would not be going to work. I was excited for my 3-day weekend but it was shortly after the call when the power went off... again. Argh.
Let's jump ahead to Thursday! Well I guess before we jump ahead I should let you know that Michael and I changed our minds about building a house. We were all set to do it and then the builder announced a great new price on the house that is already built. To build the exact same house in the same neighborhood would cost almost $15k more, which we both felt was ridiculous. So after a lot of debating, number crunching, budget editing, praying, etc., we decided that buying the house now was in our best interest. Ok, back to Thursday. We called our realtor and told her we were ready to make an offer; we met with her at 5:30p, made our offer, and then hung around south Tulsa while she met with the builder. She called us back about 9:30p and said she was ready with his counter-offer. As we walked into her office, I received a text from Kaitlin announcing that she and Steve were engaged!!!! I was so excited for her and so disappointed that I couldn't hear the story immediately (I'm sure our realtor would understand, but I also knew she would like to get back to her family and her home that actually HAD power sooner than later)!
Our realtor announced the builder's counter-offer, which was almost exactly what we (realistically) wanted. We told her if he would go down to what we wanted (not our first offer but what we decided we'd be comfortable with), we'd sign right then and there. He decided he would do it, but only if we moved up the closing date 3 weeks! We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, grinned, and made a deal! Long story a little bit longer.... Our closing date is January 4--less than 3 weeks! We're a little petrified but SO EXCITED.
What an awesome day! I called Kait as soon as we left our realtor's office and heard the wonderful engagement story. We are so excited for the two of them--what a fantastic couple! I can't wait to see them both in person and also see the beautiful ring!
Michael and I had enough warmth from excitement that we braved the nite in the apartment. We'd decided we would go home to Fort Smith for the weekend and left early Friday afternoon to get away from Tulsa. We were not in my parents' home an hour before we received a call letting us know that our power was back on. We still stayed the nite with my parents, had a fantastic homecooked meal, great company, and a warm night's sleep. Came back Saturday to clean up the apartment and relax before work started. Yesterday was spent shopping for refrigerators, window treatments, washers/dryers, and pricing sofas. We walked away with nothing but received a lot of great information for the near future!
Sorry for the long post but so much has happened this week! We're really excited to have power again and feel so sorry for those that still don't. It was a very humbling experience for us. Throughout the week we realized we were so fortunate to have friends with warm houses, transportation, winter clothes, etc. This was a headache to us but an absolute nightmare to others. It also reminded us to remember the real reason for the season, and that the light of the world is not the man driving around in a white PSO truck (though he WAS pretty close to an angel).
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Oh the Weather Outside is FREAKIN' HORRIBLE!
Well friends, my post a few weeks ago declaring the "great weather of Tulsa" can now be considered a bold-faced lie. Absolute fabrication. The most common term I have heard the past few days about Tulsa is that it is a "war zone." To any of you NOT living here, I'm sure that sounds a bit exaggerated, but it is indeed a wreck. Michael and I have been without power for over 48 hours now and the apartment is a cool 50 degrees. Kaitlin offered her apartment last night so we were able to sleep (and wake up!) in comfort. Poor Thumbs had to rough it at our apartment--I now know that her extra layer of skin (or in her case, extra 25 layers of skin) is a complete blessing. :)
My fingers have turned blue from keeping them crossed for so long. We're really hoping the power comes on today but we've been told it could be as long as a week before we see the light (harhar). I'm off to lunch with Michael--I will write more about our weekend in another post but I wanted to dedicate this one to our wretched weather. If you haven't guessed, my mood is sub-par.
Oh how I wish we were back in Maui!
(Images were taken by 2 of our friends. Click on each picture so you can really see the grossness):
My fingers have turned blue from keeping them crossed for so long. We're really hoping the power comes on today but we've been told it could be as long as a week before we see the light (harhar). I'm off to lunch with Michael--I will write more about our weekend in another post but I wanted to dedicate this one to our wretched weather. If you haven't guessed, my mood is sub-par.
Oh how I wish we were back in Maui!
(Images were taken by 2 of our friends. Click on each picture so you can really see the grossness):
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
I have a green Thumb(s)
Obviously, Thumbs did not receive the memo that the green stocking is MINE! :) Michael and I came home to this last night and thought it was pretty funny.
Monday, December 3, 2007
A House Hunt and a new TV
Michael and I both thought our lives would calm down after the wedding. We quickly realized, however, that neither of us like the slow-paced life much (although he handles it a lot better than I do). We ventured out a few weeks ago to look at an open house in Jenks and fell in love with it immediately. Unfortunately, our bank account did not fall in love with the house and it has more say in what we can and cannot do. We promised ourselves not long ago that when our lease was up in May, we would be moving into a house. The apartment life is not the life for us. We really enjoyed the realtor that was showing the house and gave her our information. And then we had a glooorious idea: what if we BUILT a house just like this one? And in this same fabulous neighborhood? And move into this fabulous house in May?! I just love when those light bulbs go off above our heads.
Still holding onto that idea, we researched everything we could about owning a home, as well as several different banks and mortgage lenders. We finally settled on one and were approved last week! Our next plan was to meet with the realtor on Saturday (2 days ago) and pick out our lot. I brought my camera so I could photograph "the one," but alas, the lots that were provided for us were all in Country Woods II (we prefer Country Woods I). We're supposed to hear back from our realtor in the next few days with more lot choices, so while we were both a little sad on Saturday, we are still very excited to hear our options!
The picture below is the house we visited and fell in love with several weeks ago.
The next 2 houses pictured below are both in the same neighborhood. We love the brick/paint/shutter ensemble on both houses. It's a bit hard to tell in the pictures, but they are both so beautiful!
We woke up yesterday to one of the largest Sunday papers I've seen to date. Gotta love the 40 bajillion ads/coupons getting everyone ready for Christmas! Michael came across an ad that was too good to be true at Best Buy so we hopped in the car and got ready to welcome the newest member to the Haynes household: a 46 inch LCD HDTV (I was a little disappointed we'd only ordered 3 stockings for the two of us and Thumbs). We arrived at the store and quickly noticed the deal WAS too good to be true, and, in fact, was not good at all. Michael was severely disappointed and we left immediately (literally--I had to take 2 steps for every 1 of his just so I could keep up). When we were back home, we noticed that the TV we've looked at for several months was ALSO on a huge sale. After making a list of pros and cons (Michael's pros outweighed his cons 25 to 1), we had a severe case of deja vu as we drove BACK to Best Buy. 30 minutes later, we were proud owners of a beautiful new TV that will arrive on Thursday. The key to this good deal is that we do not have to pay interest until 2011, which is the only reason I decided we could afford said TV. I'm not sure if I've ever seen Michael so excited (he promised his love for me was greater than his love for our newest addition, but I'm not 100% convinced).
Come May, we will have a glorious house that will be adorned with a gloriously huge piece of electronic equipment in the living room. You are all invited to come over and enjoy both, but you might have to sit on the floor since we really don't have any sofas. (Hmmm... perhaps we should have invested in those first?) Oh well, I guess you live and you learn, and you sometimes make allowances to see your husband smile like a giddy school child as he dances in the Best Buy parking lot.
Still holding onto that idea, we researched everything we could about owning a home, as well as several different banks and mortgage lenders. We finally settled on one and were approved last week! Our next plan was to meet with the realtor on Saturday (2 days ago) and pick out our lot. I brought my camera so I could photograph "the one," but alas, the lots that were provided for us were all in Country Woods II (we prefer Country Woods I). We're supposed to hear back from our realtor in the next few days with more lot choices, so while we were both a little sad on Saturday, we are still very excited to hear our options!
The picture below is the house we visited and fell in love with several weeks ago.
The next 2 houses pictured below are both in the same neighborhood. We love the brick/paint/shutter ensemble on both houses. It's a bit hard to tell in the pictures, but they are both so beautiful!
We woke up yesterday to one of the largest Sunday papers I've seen to date. Gotta love the 40 bajillion ads/coupons getting everyone ready for Christmas! Michael came across an ad that was too good to be true at Best Buy so we hopped in the car and got ready to welcome the newest member to the Haynes household: a 46 inch LCD HDTV (I was a little disappointed we'd only ordered 3 stockings for the two of us and Thumbs). We arrived at the store and quickly noticed the deal WAS too good to be true, and, in fact, was not good at all. Michael was severely disappointed and we left immediately (literally--I had to take 2 steps for every 1 of his just so I could keep up). When we were back home, we noticed that the TV we've looked at for several months was ALSO on a huge sale. After making a list of pros and cons (Michael's pros outweighed his cons 25 to 1), we had a severe case of deja vu as we drove BACK to Best Buy. 30 minutes later, we were proud owners of a beautiful new TV that will arrive on Thursday. The key to this good deal is that we do not have to pay interest until 2011, which is the only reason I decided we could afford said TV. I'm not sure if I've ever seen Michael so excited (he promised his love for me was greater than his love for our newest addition, but I'm not 100% convinced).
Come May, we will have a glorious house that will be adorned with a gloriously huge piece of electronic equipment in the living room. You are all invited to come over and enjoy both, but you might have to sit on the floor since we really don't have any sofas. (Hmmm... perhaps we should have invested in those first?) Oh well, I guess you live and you learn, and you sometimes make allowances to see your husband smile like a giddy school child as he dances in the Best Buy parking lot.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Catching Up!
I apologize for never getting back to writing about the honeymoon (oops). Below I have posted 2 albums of pictures from our trip and will let THEM do the explaining, otherwise I will never catch up on this thing!
Album I
Album II
All of the pictures have a brief description and sum up our trip quite nicely!! We had an absolute blast and can't wait to go back. We've decided it might not be the ideal place for a family trip so we're hoping to go back in the next few years before all of our money is spent on diapers and baby bottles (not that there is anything wrong with that)...
Some of the highlights of our trip were the sunrise walks on the beach (we never managed to get on "Hawaii time" and therefore woke up at 6:30a every morning); evening cocktails at Kimos (fabulous restaurant right on the water); snorkeling at Black Rock; the beaches at Wailea and Kannapali; and last but certainly not least: the 9-hour road trip to Hana. It was absolutely exhausting but one of the most beautiful adventures I've ever experienced.
Moving on!
We are now back to the real world and loving it! We celebrated our one month anniversary by going to Bed, Bath & Beyond and returning a few things. Ha! I have no idea why people wait so long to get married--it is so much better than I ever expected. What could be greater than being with your best friend all of the time? Grocery shopping isn't a chore, running errands can actually be fun, and we get to spend all holidays together! Which brings me to my next topic of discussion...
We decided that we did not want to split our time with both families during each holiday so we went to Coppell for Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice to be able to drive down there and stay for several days--I always feel like we are there for such a short time and it tends to feel rushed. I watched a cumulative total of 84 hours of football (and by 84 I mean 184), but I am starting to understand the game and I do actually enjoy it. My limit, however, is 1 game per day and I do believe I exceeded my limit by about 400%. We also saw The Christmas Carol, which was fantastic! And last but not least, we did some minor Christmas shopping--none of this 4am craziness, but we did find some neat things for the apartment. We left Sunday morning so we could get back for our friends' wedding Sunday night--it was a beautiful ceremony and we're so happy for them both!
I wouldn't say "Oh the weather outside is frightful," nor would I say, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," so I think I'm pretty satisfied with the weather right now--it is indeed cold, but not miserable. We picked up our Christmas tree last night! This is my first experience with a "live" tree and so far I am loving it (although it sheds more than Thumbs)! It has a slight lean to it, which we think adds a bit o' character. And as I mentioned to my family, it must take after me--who knew trees could have scoliosis?! :)
Our tree without the trimmings...
It's a beaut!
"Just Married" Christmas ornament.
Our temporary tree topper from Maui!
Michael and I have been quite ridiculous about the upcoming festivities. We made a Christmas cd and hung up a wreath mid-November and our apartment is filled to the brim with red and green (and an occasional gold and silver). Tis the season!
What a good feeling to know that I am finally caught up on this blog! Perhaps now I can keep up with it in a timely manner. :) Alright, I'm off to deck the halls with bulletin boards!
Album I
Album II
All of the pictures have a brief description and sum up our trip quite nicely!! We had an absolute blast and can't wait to go back. We've decided it might not be the ideal place for a family trip so we're hoping to go back in the next few years before all of our money is spent on diapers and baby bottles (not that there is anything wrong with that)...
Some of the highlights of our trip were the sunrise walks on the beach (we never managed to get on "Hawaii time" and therefore woke up at 6:30a every morning); evening cocktails at Kimos (fabulous restaurant right on the water); snorkeling at Black Rock; the beaches at Wailea and Kannapali; and last but certainly not least: the 9-hour road trip to Hana. It was absolutely exhausting but one of the most beautiful adventures I've ever experienced.
Moving on!
We are now back to the real world and loving it! We celebrated our one month anniversary by going to Bed, Bath & Beyond and returning a few things. Ha! I have no idea why people wait so long to get married--it is so much better than I ever expected. What could be greater than being with your best friend all of the time? Grocery shopping isn't a chore, running errands can actually be fun, and we get to spend all holidays together! Which brings me to my next topic of discussion...
We decided that we did not want to split our time with both families during each holiday so we went to Coppell for Thanksgiving this year. It was so nice to be able to drive down there and stay for several days--I always feel like we are there for such a short time and it tends to feel rushed. I watched a cumulative total of 84 hours of football (and by 84 I mean 184), but I am starting to understand the game and I do actually enjoy it. My limit, however, is 1 game per day and I do believe I exceeded my limit by about 400%. We also saw The Christmas Carol, which was fantastic! And last but not least, we did some minor Christmas shopping--none of this 4am craziness, but we did find some neat things for the apartment. We left Sunday morning so we could get back for our friends' wedding Sunday night--it was a beautiful ceremony and we're so happy for them both!
I wouldn't say "Oh the weather outside is frightful," nor would I say, "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," so I think I'm pretty satisfied with the weather right now--it is indeed cold, but not miserable. We picked up our Christmas tree last night! This is my first experience with a "live" tree and so far I am loving it (although it sheds more than Thumbs)! It has a slight lean to it, which we think adds a bit o' character. And as I mentioned to my family, it must take after me--who knew trees could have scoliosis?! :)
Our tree without the trimmings...
It's a beaut!
"Just Married" Christmas ornament.
Our temporary tree topper from Maui!
Michael and I have been quite ridiculous about the upcoming festivities. We made a Christmas cd and hung up a wreath mid-November and our apartment is filled to the brim with red and green (and an occasional gold and silver). Tis the season!
What a good feeling to know that I am finally caught up on this blog! Perhaps now I can keep up with it in a timely manner. :) Alright, I'm off to deck the halls with bulletin boards!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
I Apologize For The Delay!
WOW! It has been a fantastic month! I'm not really sure where I should start, etc., so I will try my best to pick out the highlights of the wedding, honeymoon, and newlywed life in Tulsa. Shall we begin?
Wedding:
Our wedding was perfect! And by "perfect" I mean, we had an absolute blast and what mattered most happened: at the end of the day, we were married. Other than that, NOTHING went perfectly but it came together beautifully! The day before the wedding, several of us had pedicures and then most of my bridesmaids met up for lunch at In the Raw. Afterwards, a few went to have their massages (bridesmaid gift) and the rest of us went to decorate the Gilcrease. I was a bit nervous when we arrived, it was pretty desolate. But! The decorations, table linens, seat covers, etc., all made it look very pretty. The rehearsal was at 5:30p and everyone was there and on time (minus Annie who met up with us later). Dr. Miller was very friendly but to the point and we were on our way to the rehearsal dinner at Polo Grill! It was delicious!! My dad put together a video montage for us and it was fabulous. Michael and I have watched it several times since. :) After the dinner, pictures, and hanging out with friends, Michael and I went over to Justin and Michelle's hotel room for a bit so they could give us their wedding gift. It was good to have a few minutes with them before I attempted to go to bed. And that is the best word I can use because I ended up lying in bed wide awake from 1:30a to 5:30a. Ugh. Regardless, on to the WEDDING DAY!!!
I'm not going to lie, I did not bounce out of bed and sing with the birds the morning of my wedding. Instead, I felt like I did in college when I stayed up too late and had to go to class the next morning. Let's call it the most exciting class ever, but it was still a feeling of utter exhaustion. Michael and I met for breakfast at BBD and I managed to eat a few home fries and half of one pancake. He ate his entire meal and was ready for some more. You know that feeling you have when you're about to speak in front of a bunch of people and it's that sudden jolt of butterflies that makes you nauseous? I had that feeling in my stomach for about 7 hours straight. He, on the other hand, looked like he got married every day. The JERK! :) Regardless, it was great to see him. We had not had a chance to practice our first dance the entire week leading up to the wedding so when I dropped him off at the hotel, we practiced a bit in the parking garage. It was one of those moments where we felt absolutely ridiculous but we knew we'd remember it forever. :)
New paragraph! Kait and Melissa soon arrived at my apartment and ran in the room singing, "It's your wedding day! Hoooooray!" I love them. The 3 of us went and had our hair done at Iidentity Salon (my photographers met us there) and then came back to meet the girls and the makeup artist at my apartment. Several of the girls had their makeup done as a bridesmaid gift and they all looked beautiful. We shared some sandwiches for lunch (I had a piece of bread... yea I was still nervous) and then most of them took off to finish getting ready. I'd asked that we all meet at the church at 2:15 and everyone was there on time... except for me. I'm not sure what mom, dad, and I were doing but it was definitely not paying attention to the clock. So I arrive at 2:30 and decide it is TIME to put on the dress! Unfortunately, my photographers did not think it was time as they wanted to take several pictures of the dress BEFORE i put it on. So I sat. And waited. At 2:45, they finally decided it was time for me to put on the dress! I quickly did and mom had just started to zip it up when she yelled, "Oh no, it broke!" and then quickly followed it with, "It's ok. We'll fix this." What?! I kept asking what was wrong but she wouldn't tell me. I kept telling her "Mom, you keep secrets from the bride when she has no idea, but I already know something happened so there is no use in hiding it." Regardless, she wouldn't say a word. Long story longer, after 15 minutes of trying to decide what to do (the zipper was indeed broken and useless), my wedding coordinator at the church and my photographer ended up sewing me into my dress. Yes, that is what I said. One started at the top, the other started at the bottom, and they met in the middle. I kept it together pretty well, just got very quiet. I'd had full plans of sitting before the wedding with my dress unzipped to stay as comfortable as possible. Instead, I stood the entire hour before the wedding and was told not to move. The dress was finally completed at about 3:50, which was a good thing since the wedding started at 4p! Dr. Miller came in and prayed with the bridesmaids and then it was go time!
I'm not sure what I can say about the wedding except that it was fantastic. There were a few mess-ups, Dr. Miller started to call me Heather (Michael and Heather work at our church and are good friends of ours) and he also told everyone the wrong hymm. But other than that, it was beautiful. I loved every minute of it, especially when our parents stood next to us and promised to support us and welcome us to their family. It was very moving for Michael and I, and I think the entire congregation as well. :) Michael Homan and Julie sang "The Prayer," which was gorgeous, and Michael and I NAILED our vows (we said them from memory). All in all, we felt SO GOOD when we walked back down the aisle!!
Gosh this is getting long. I really don't expect anyone to still be reading this except for my dad, so HI DAD!!! Moving on to the reception. It was a blast! We had about 200 guests and as soon as we got there we sat down to dinner. The few mishaps (because those are always more exciting than mentioning everything that went RIGHT): When we got to the cake, we noticed there were no utensils to CUT the cake. So we stood and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally we were able to cut the cake. A bit later the photographer tried to take Michael's and my picture and Michael accidentally stepped on my dress and broke the bussle. Leslie Horn and a safety pin to the rescue! And when it was time to eat the cake, we noticed that there was a strawberry cake--it was supposed to be chocolate! Other than that, I can't think of anything in the 4 hours we were there that was less than extraordinary. The food was great, the dancing was a blast, and we were able to walk to each of the tables and mingle with the guests, which was also fun. The only problem is that I had told myself, "Meredith, you can't go to the bathroom so just deal with it" (due to my dress) so I never went to the bathroom to check my makeup, hair, anything. And let me tell you, I should have! I've seen a few post-dancing pictures and they aren't pretty... :)
One of the great things about the reception is people STAYED! At 10:30p when we left, there were still a ton of people there! It was fantastic! Michael and I had our friendly limo driver take us to the Philtower loft, which was amazing. The view was great and we'll just leave the rest alone.
I was going to include the honeymoon but I'm starting to feel the beginning signs of carpal tunnel. I'll either continue this afternoon or perhaps tomorrow! :)
Wedding:
Our wedding was perfect! And by "perfect" I mean, we had an absolute blast and what mattered most happened: at the end of the day, we were married. Other than that, NOTHING went perfectly but it came together beautifully! The day before the wedding, several of us had pedicures and then most of my bridesmaids met up for lunch at In the Raw. Afterwards, a few went to have their massages (bridesmaid gift) and the rest of us went to decorate the Gilcrease. I was a bit nervous when we arrived, it was pretty desolate. But! The decorations, table linens, seat covers, etc., all made it look very pretty. The rehearsal was at 5:30p and everyone was there and on time (minus Annie who met up with us later). Dr. Miller was very friendly but to the point and we were on our way to the rehearsal dinner at Polo Grill! It was delicious!! My dad put together a video montage for us and it was fabulous. Michael and I have watched it several times since. :) After the dinner, pictures, and hanging out with friends, Michael and I went over to Justin and Michelle's hotel room for a bit so they could give us their wedding gift. It was good to have a few minutes with them before I attempted to go to bed. And that is the best word I can use because I ended up lying in bed wide awake from 1:30a to 5:30a. Ugh. Regardless, on to the WEDDING DAY!!!
I'm not going to lie, I did not bounce out of bed and sing with the birds the morning of my wedding. Instead, I felt like I did in college when I stayed up too late and had to go to class the next morning. Let's call it the most exciting class ever, but it was still a feeling of utter exhaustion. Michael and I met for breakfast at BBD and I managed to eat a few home fries and half of one pancake. He ate his entire meal and was ready for some more. You know that feeling you have when you're about to speak in front of a bunch of people and it's that sudden jolt of butterflies that makes you nauseous? I had that feeling in my stomach for about 7 hours straight. He, on the other hand, looked like he got married every day. The JERK! :) Regardless, it was great to see him. We had not had a chance to practice our first dance the entire week leading up to the wedding so when I dropped him off at the hotel, we practiced a bit in the parking garage. It was one of those moments where we felt absolutely ridiculous but we knew we'd remember it forever. :)
New paragraph! Kait and Melissa soon arrived at my apartment and ran in the room singing, "It's your wedding day! Hoooooray!" I love them. The 3 of us went and had our hair done at Iidentity Salon (my photographers met us there) and then came back to meet the girls and the makeup artist at my apartment. Several of the girls had their makeup done as a bridesmaid gift and they all looked beautiful. We shared some sandwiches for lunch (I had a piece of bread... yea I was still nervous) and then most of them took off to finish getting ready. I'd asked that we all meet at the church at 2:15 and everyone was there on time... except for me. I'm not sure what mom, dad, and I were doing but it was definitely not paying attention to the clock. So I arrive at 2:30 and decide it is TIME to put on the dress! Unfortunately, my photographers did not think it was time as they wanted to take several pictures of the dress BEFORE i put it on. So I sat. And waited. At 2:45, they finally decided it was time for me to put on the dress! I quickly did and mom had just started to zip it up when she yelled, "Oh no, it broke!" and then quickly followed it with, "It's ok. We'll fix this." What?! I kept asking what was wrong but she wouldn't tell me. I kept telling her "Mom, you keep secrets from the bride when she has no idea, but I already know something happened so there is no use in hiding it." Regardless, she wouldn't say a word. Long story longer, after 15 minutes of trying to decide what to do (the zipper was indeed broken and useless), my wedding coordinator at the church and my photographer ended up sewing me into my dress. Yes, that is what I said. One started at the top, the other started at the bottom, and they met in the middle. I kept it together pretty well, just got very quiet. I'd had full plans of sitting before the wedding with my dress unzipped to stay as comfortable as possible. Instead, I stood the entire hour before the wedding and was told not to move. The dress was finally completed at about 3:50, which was a good thing since the wedding started at 4p! Dr. Miller came in and prayed with the bridesmaids and then it was go time!
I'm not sure what I can say about the wedding except that it was fantastic. There were a few mess-ups, Dr. Miller started to call me Heather (Michael and Heather work at our church and are good friends of ours) and he also told everyone the wrong hymm. But other than that, it was beautiful. I loved every minute of it, especially when our parents stood next to us and promised to support us and welcome us to their family. It was very moving for Michael and I, and I think the entire congregation as well. :) Michael Homan and Julie sang "The Prayer," which was gorgeous, and Michael and I NAILED our vows (we said them from memory). All in all, we felt SO GOOD when we walked back down the aisle!!
Gosh this is getting long. I really don't expect anyone to still be reading this except for my dad, so HI DAD!!! Moving on to the reception. It was a blast! We had about 200 guests and as soon as we got there we sat down to dinner. The few mishaps (because those are always more exciting than mentioning everything that went RIGHT): When we got to the cake, we noticed there were no utensils to CUT the cake. So we stood and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally we were able to cut the cake. A bit later the photographer tried to take Michael's and my picture and Michael accidentally stepped on my dress and broke the bussle. Leslie Horn and a safety pin to the rescue! And when it was time to eat the cake, we noticed that there was a strawberry cake--it was supposed to be chocolate! Other than that, I can't think of anything in the 4 hours we were there that was less than extraordinary. The food was great, the dancing was a blast, and we were able to walk to each of the tables and mingle with the guests, which was also fun. The only problem is that I had told myself, "Meredith, you can't go to the bathroom so just deal with it" (due to my dress) so I never went to the bathroom to check my makeup, hair, anything. And let me tell you, I should have! I've seen a few post-dancing pictures and they aren't pretty... :)
One of the great things about the reception is people STAYED! At 10:30p when we left, there were still a ton of people there! It was fantastic! Michael and I had our friendly limo driver take us to the Philtower loft, which was amazing. The view was great and we'll just leave the rest alone.
I was going to include the honeymoon but I'm starting to feel the beginning signs of carpal tunnel. I'll either continue this afternoon or perhaps tomorrow! :)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
10 days!
I am going to apologize right now for the boring, bland, unoriginal, and very unfunny post that I am about to write. My excitement for the upcoming nuptials is at an all-time high but I'm not so sure you could tell that by looking at my face--it is one of complete bewilderment and exhaustion!
Michael and I went to our own homes this weekend--he was able to take a mini break from the wedding and his future bride, and I dove full-force into last minute plans. I found some shoes and a necklace for the rehearsal dinner, and we also finalized plans with Confectionately Yours. (Shameless plug for them--they are amazing and SO NICE--use them for all of your cake needs. I promise you won't be disappointed!)
Mom discovered on Monday what she has been missing out on for so many years: chair covers. She went to a store to simply reserve a cake stand and left with chair covers on the brain. She drove to Tulsa yesterday to finalize plans with the museum and had about 45 different table linens that we could mix and match. We finally settled on an arrangement that I think is going to look very nice, and I must say, the chair covers did "take it to the next level." Now I'm praying that these leaves will stop being so stubborn and let go of their green coloring. Stupid chlorophyll. :)
If the rest of this doesn't just scream exhilirating, Michael, mom, and myself spent last night separating M&Ms by color. I really can't think of much that is more exciting than that. We also pulled out all of the centerpieces to make sure we had them all here and in place. The apartment looked like a tornado (a beautiful tornado filled with love and marriage no less) had covered every square foot of the place. It doesn't look much better today but mom did a good job cleaning everything and putting it all away.
So now we are at 10 days and there really isn't (and I mean it this time) much more to do until next Thursday. I'm hoping I can enjoy the next week and stop thinking about all of the particulars that are out of my hands. Michael has been able to manage that quite nicely so I'm hoping to model myself after him.
There you have it, my pathetic attempt at a post. I hope I didn't forget anything but I'm sure I did. Oh yes! When I came back Sunday evening, Michael surprised me with a new, beautiful quilt for the guestroom bed. He and his mom picked it up this weekend and it was such a great surprise! So now both beds are fully (and apppropriately) clothed and I no longer have to keep the guest bedroom door shut out of sheer embarrassment. The apartment is turning out to be quite the cozy place. Come November you are all welcome to stop by and stay awhile. :)
Pray for those leaves!!
Michael and I went to our own homes this weekend--he was able to take a mini break from the wedding and his future bride, and I dove full-force into last minute plans. I found some shoes and a necklace for the rehearsal dinner, and we also finalized plans with Confectionately Yours. (Shameless plug for them--they are amazing and SO NICE--use them for all of your cake needs. I promise you won't be disappointed!)
Mom discovered on Monday what she has been missing out on for so many years: chair covers. She went to a store to simply reserve a cake stand and left with chair covers on the brain. She drove to Tulsa yesterday to finalize plans with the museum and had about 45 different table linens that we could mix and match. We finally settled on an arrangement that I think is going to look very nice, and I must say, the chair covers did "take it to the next level." Now I'm praying that these leaves will stop being so stubborn and let go of their green coloring. Stupid chlorophyll. :)
If the rest of this doesn't just scream exhilirating, Michael, mom, and myself spent last night separating M&Ms by color. I really can't think of much that is more exciting than that. We also pulled out all of the centerpieces to make sure we had them all here and in place. The apartment looked like a tornado (a beautiful tornado filled with love and marriage no less) had covered every square foot of the place. It doesn't look much better today but mom did a good job cleaning everything and putting it all away.
So now we are at 10 days and there really isn't (and I mean it this time) much more to do until next Thursday. I'm hoping I can enjoy the next week and stop thinking about all of the particulars that are out of my hands. Michael has been able to manage that quite nicely so I'm hoping to model myself after him.
There you have it, my pathetic attempt at a post. I hope I didn't forget anything but I'm sure I did. Oh yes! When I came back Sunday evening, Michael surprised me with a new, beautiful quilt for the guestroom bed. He and his mom picked it up this weekend and it was such a great surprise! So now both beds are fully (and apppropriately) clothed and I no longer have to keep the guest bedroom door shut out of sheer embarrassment. The apartment is turning out to be quite the cozy place. Come November you are all welcome to stop by and stay awhile. :)
Pray for those leaves!!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Happy OCTOBER!!!
I said something to myself this week that I haven't said once in the past 11 months: The days are flying! For so long I felt like snails were lapping the pace of each day and now I can't tear off the pages from my desk calendar fast enough. I love how my mom put it: We are teenagers again (19 days until the wedding)! :)
This weekend was a lot of fun, we went to the TU vs SMU soccer game on Friday night--it was a great game. We ended up tying but I don't think anyone walked away disappointed--the boy's played really well. Saturday was very low-key, which was nice because yesterday was quite eventful. We went to the 9:30 church service for Andrew Homan's baptism. Afterwards we went to the mall to return a few things and then had a quick lunch at Panera Bread (I finally found something there that I LOVE so my hatred for the restaurant has dissipated quite a bit). At 1:30 we met Bryan (our DJ) for coffee at Utica and we went over some of our ideas for the big day. He is a senior at TU and has his own DJ business. He seems like a great guy and very professional. I let him know that YMCA, Sean Paul, and anything from Grease have no place at our wedding. :)
Let's continue with the day... At 3 we went back to the church for Michael and Vince's ordination. It was a great service and I was proud of them both. We had a small break between that and their post-ordination party at 6p at Vince's house. We went there for a few hours and made it home just in time for the season premeire of Desperate Housewives--Michael was thrilled! :) He had a soccer game late last night that I chose not to go to due to the ridiculously long day we'd just had. He has much more energy than I do!
I took Thumbs back to the vet this morning for a check-up. She seems to be doing really well--she does not live to eat right now (who knew?!) but she still has an appetite and is drinking water regularly. She purrs a lot and has been quite the snuggler lately so I think she's doing just fine.
Work has been pretty crazy lately--everyone is needing me to do stuff for them before I leave for the wedding/honeymoon. It's keeping me pretty busy, which adds to why the days are flying by at such a rapid pace!
Michael is going to Coppell and I am going to Fort Smith this weekend to take care of some last minute wedding plans. It is weird to think that this will be the last time I go home as Meredith Besancon! I have a feeling it will be a very sentimental weekend for us both! It is also weird to think that at the end of this month we will be married and back from our honeymoon. Talk about everything changing in a moment's notice!!!
This weekend was a lot of fun, we went to the TU vs SMU soccer game on Friday night--it was a great game. We ended up tying but I don't think anyone walked away disappointed--the boy's played really well. Saturday was very low-key, which was nice because yesterday was quite eventful. We went to the 9:30 church service for Andrew Homan's baptism. Afterwards we went to the mall to return a few things and then had a quick lunch at Panera Bread (I finally found something there that I LOVE so my hatred for the restaurant has dissipated quite a bit). At 1:30 we met Bryan (our DJ) for coffee at Utica and we went over some of our ideas for the big day. He is a senior at TU and has his own DJ business. He seems like a great guy and very professional. I let him know that YMCA, Sean Paul, and anything from Grease have no place at our wedding. :)
Let's continue with the day... At 3 we went back to the church for Michael and Vince's ordination. It was a great service and I was proud of them both. We had a small break between that and their post-ordination party at 6p at Vince's house. We went there for a few hours and made it home just in time for the season premeire of Desperate Housewives--Michael was thrilled! :) He had a soccer game late last night that I chose not to go to due to the ridiculously long day we'd just had. He has much more energy than I do!
I took Thumbs back to the vet this morning for a check-up. She seems to be doing really well--she does not live to eat right now (who knew?!) but she still has an appetite and is drinking water regularly. She purrs a lot and has been quite the snuggler lately so I think she's doing just fine.
Work has been pretty crazy lately--everyone is needing me to do stuff for them before I leave for the wedding/honeymoon. It's keeping me pretty busy, which adds to why the days are flying by at such a rapid pace!
Michael is going to Coppell and I am going to Fort Smith this weekend to take care of some last minute wedding plans. It is weird to think that this will be the last time I go home as Meredith Besancon! I have a feeling it will be a very sentimental weekend for us both! It is also weird to think that at the end of this month we will be married and back from our honeymoon. Talk about everything changing in a moment's notice!!!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Now THAT'S what I need to hear 1 month before the wedding...
The past week has been quite eventful but I am happy to report that Thumbs is doing much, much better. She is still at the vet and Michael and I have been visiting her every other day. Each time she has been a little stronger and a little more playful. Today I went to visit and she actually purred the entire time I was in the exam room--it was great! I haven't heard her purr in so long! They told me at 1:30p today that they took her off "dialysis" 24 hours prior, so she is making it on her own at this point. I never knew the lazy girl had it in her to be such a fighter, but it really looks like she will be just fine and back to normal (at home) tomorrow! Thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers, I don't think I ever realized how much I cared for that furball until I almost lost her. :)
In other news, Michael and I left Friday morning to drive to Kansas City for Scott Kincaid's wedding. It was a full Catholic service so we spent most of the 1.5 hour ceremony very lost, but it was a beautiful service and very sentimental. :) The reception was held at the Carriage Club and was a blast. The band was fabulous and even Michael wouldn't get off of the dance floor. :) We tried the foxtrot when we thought no one was looking and I must say, we didn't do half bad! We shopped all day yesterday on the Plaza and decided that we could live in KC if we ever decide to leave Tulsa--it is a beautiful city and has so much to offer!
The drive home was tiring, but we were SO EXCITED that we had one day left of the weekend--we've decided there isn't anything more depressing than driving home on a Sunday afternoon. We have been desperately trying to catch up on "The Office" before Season 4 starts this week, so we watched several episodes of season 3 late last night. We finished the season today, which means we've watched 44 episodes in 1 week (season 2 and 3). I'm not sure if that should be bragging rights or reason to make us think about our lives, but regardless, we enjoyed it immensely.
We hit the one month mark and now we're at 27 days--can you believe it?! Less than 4 weeks and I'll be signing my name Meredith Haynes! I can't wait!!!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Pictures, a birthday, and poor thumbs magee
This post is going to be a bit difficult for me but this blog was created to account for all happenings leading up to the wedding, not just the good things. To start on a happy note...
I had my bridal portraits taken last Thursday at Philbrook Museum. They turned out really great. I had my makeup and hair trials before so it was nice to see it all together. The only sad part was that Michael could not participate in any of this!
Speaking of Michael, this past weekend he turned the grand old age of 25. We didn't do much since we have been going and going for the past few months. It was a beautiful day so we strolled through Utica Square and the Riverwalk and then ate at Doe's Eat Place for dinner. He received a lot of calls throughout the day from friends wishing him the happiest of birthdays. It was a great weekend indeed.
As for the sad news... Thumbs had not been eating for several days so I took her to the vet yesterday morning. He was afraid of liver problems (pretty prevalent in larger cats who stop eating) so he hooked her up to fluids and food and ran some blood tests. I called yesterday afternoon and they reported she was eating and doing well. I was thrilled with the news and was able to let the tear ducts rest for several hours. The tears returned, however, when I talked to the doctor last night. After briefly viewing her blood results, it appeared she was suffering from kidney failure. :( He made the decision to up the fluids even more and re-test her in the morning (today). I decided late last night to go visit her so Michael and I went to the vet around 9:30p. She looked great, seemed to be very active and vocal. They said she was doing really well and everything APPEARED to be great. It definitely helped me sleep better, but I don't know how many times I woke up last nite and expected her to be cuddled up next to me. My heart is so sad right now and I am continuously praying for better results today. She has been with me through the best and worst of times and has been such a trooper throughout our 3 years together. I'm not dealing with this well but Michael and my mom have been so helpful and encouraging. I know Michael's having a hard time with this too but he's been very strong for me. So if you wouldn't mind saying a little prayer for Thumbs, I know we'd both really appreciate it....
I had my bridal portraits taken last Thursday at Philbrook Museum. They turned out really great. I had my makeup and hair trials before so it was nice to see it all together. The only sad part was that Michael could not participate in any of this!
Speaking of Michael, this past weekend he turned the grand old age of 25. We didn't do much since we have been going and going for the past few months. It was a beautiful day so we strolled through Utica Square and the Riverwalk and then ate at Doe's Eat Place for dinner. He received a lot of calls throughout the day from friends wishing him the happiest of birthdays. It was a great weekend indeed.
As for the sad news... Thumbs had not been eating for several days so I took her to the vet yesterday morning. He was afraid of liver problems (pretty prevalent in larger cats who stop eating) so he hooked her up to fluids and food and ran some blood tests. I called yesterday afternoon and they reported she was eating and doing well. I was thrilled with the news and was able to let the tear ducts rest for several hours. The tears returned, however, when I talked to the doctor last night. After briefly viewing her blood results, it appeared she was suffering from kidney failure. :( He made the decision to up the fluids even more and re-test her in the morning (today). I decided late last night to go visit her so Michael and I went to the vet around 9:30p. She looked great, seemed to be very active and vocal. They said she was doing really well and everything APPEARED to be great. It definitely helped me sleep better, but I don't know how many times I woke up last nite and expected her to be cuddled up next to me. My heart is so sad right now and I am continuously praying for better results today. She has been with me through the best and worst of times and has been such a trooper throughout our 3 years together. I'm not dealing with this well but Michael and my mom have been so helpful and encouraging. I know Michael's having a hard time with this too but he's been very strong for me. So if you wouldn't mind saying a little prayer for Thumbs, I know we'd both really appreciate it....
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Why couldn't it have been a bird or a plane?
I might look back on this post one day and laugh, but I am going to make a very bold statement: Thumbs is just as difficult as a baby. A few examples:
1. I have to clean up her poop and pee
2. She wakes me up AT LEAST once every night, usually between the hours of 2-4a for her morning feeding. If I don't feed her, she cries until I do. And even when I DO feed her, she continues to need attention for the next 30 minutes.
3. She can't clean herself! I watched her attempt to do this today and she fell over. She requires "professional" cleaning every 3 months.
4. She doesn't play nicely with other animals, cats included. In fact, she downright hates them. Therefore, she must always be separated from anything that has paws. It is her way or the highway.
And the big whammy. The doctor asked that I put Thumbs in a secure place for the next several days so she would not hurt her paws by jumping on and off large things. As instructed, I put her litter box, food/ water, and (obviously) the cardboard lid in the shower of the guest bathroom and shut the glass doors. I receive a call from Michael at 11a and he asks why I shut Thumbs out of the shower. What? Turns out Thumbs is either (a) a pole-vaulter that doesn't need a pole, (b) Spiderman, or (c) a magician. She somehow got out of the shower. And what makes it borderline creepy is that the doors were still shut. What?! The glass doors are about 8 feet high and pretty difficult to move.
I wish that was the whole story but it looked like we'd walked in on a CSI set with all of the blood that was in the bathroom: counters, carpet, and door were covered. I didn't even know cats had that much blood IN them. :( Thumbs seemed to be ok once she was let out of the bathroom but her mom was being a typical mom and freaked out. I called the vet and they said, "oh... yea, that'll happen" so I guess it's more common than I thought. I did some research on blood stains and am going to pick up some hydrogen peroxide after work.
So, not only do I have a cat with extra phalanges, I have one that can either jump 8 ft or transport herself through glass doors. Long story short, my cat is better than yours (but sometimes I wish I had yours).
Not a fan of the paparazzi. Perhaps she IS spiderman...
1. I have to clean up her poop and pee
2. She wakes me up AT LEAST once every night, usually between the hours of 2-4a for her morning feeding. If I don't feed her, she cries until I do. And even when I DO feed her, she continues to need attention for the next 30 minutes.
3. She can't clean herself! I watched her attempt to do this today and she fell over. She requires "professional" cleaning every 3 months.
4. She doesn't play nicely with other animals, cats included. In fact, she downright hates them. Therefore, she must always be separated from anything that has paws. It is her way or the highway.
And the big whammy. The doctor asked that I put Thumbs in a secure place for the next several days so she would not hurt her paws by jumping on and off large things. As instructed, I put her litter box, food/ water, and (obviously) the cardboard lid in the shower of the guest bathroom and shut the glass doors. I receive a call from Michael at 11a and he asks why I shut Thumbs out of the shower. What? Turns out Thumbs is either (a) a pole-vaulter that doesn't need a pole, (b) Spiderman, or (c) a magician. She somehow got out of the shower. And what makes it borderline creepy is that the doors were still shut. What?! The glass doors are about 8 feet high and pretty difficult to move.
I wish that was the whole story but it looked like we'd walked in on a CSI set with all of the blood that was in the bathroom: counters, carpet, and door were covered. I didn't even know cats had that much blood IN them. :( Thumbs seemed to be ok once she was let out of the bathroom but her mom was being a typical mom and freaked out. I called the vet and they said, "oh... yea, that'll happen" so I guess it's more common than I thought. I did some research on blood stains and am going to pick up some hydrogen peroxide after work.
So, not only do I have a cat with extra phalanges, I have one that can either jump 8 ft or transport herself through glass doors. Long story short, my cat is better than yours (but sometimes I wish I had yours).
Not a fan of the paparazzi. Perhaps she IS spiderman...
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
What's up with these heart flutters?!
Michael and I have pronounced ourselves the Shower King and Queen. I am wearing a crown and a white sash as I type. No I'm not, but I would be much happier if I was.
Mom drove up on Friday and met us in Tulsa. After our session with Dr. Bill Buker, the 3 of us joined forces to drive to Coppell. The weather was less than pleasant and our trip did not begin until almost 6:30p. After a less than extraordinary dinner from McDonalds, we were on our way. The drive was non-eventful and Michael made great time. It was good to see his parents again and the 5 of us stayed up pretty late chatting.
Saturday I awoke to the smell of Phil's pancakes, which alone are worth a trip to Coppell. After breakfast, we returned a gift at Crate and Barrel and poked around the Galleria mall for a bit. We made sure to leave in plenty of time to change before the mom's shower at 2p.
It was beautiful! Craig's (Michael's best man) mom opened her house to all of us for the shower and it was so much fun. The flowers were beautiful, the cake was delicious, and all of the women made my mom and I feel right at home. I love southern hospitality! Michael and I were given several wonderful gifts and I was glad I was able to meet so many of the women who knew Michael when he was young. I heard several, "Before you knew Michael" stories and it was great. Turns out he has ALWAYS been nice and ALMOST ALWAYS been handsome. I guess he really did have one awkward stage, which lasted approximately 7 minutes. :)
After the shower, we picked up Phil and went back to Mi Cocina for round 2. Still a fantastic place, and still wishing it would consider opening a restaurant in Tulsa! After dinner, Linda, my mom and I made another dash to the Galleria in hopes of finding a rehearsal dinner dress for yours truly. I found several gorgeous dresses that did not look gorgeous on me. Oh well, I'm continuing to keep a lookout for the perfect dress!
Sunday was moving day! We picked up the U-Haul and loaded several pieces of Michael's furniture into the huge beast of a truck. The weather was PERFECT for moving: 95 degrees and felt like 115. Talk about a cheap sauna! After everything was loaded, the 3 of us took off in our 2 cars and followed each other until the roads diverged and mom took the one less traveled by (it indeed made all the difference).
Another great weekend!! The apartment actually looks furnished now and there aren't TOO many holes that need to be filled with stuff. We put all of our gifts away and I sat down at our new table and wrote thank-you notes. We're close enough to the wedding that I get little heart flutters occasionally when I think about it. I thought the heart flutters were reserved for Michael but I guess nerves can bring about them as well. :) Michael still seems to be as cool as a cucumber, so he is a good one to have around!
A bit of sad news: I took Thumbs into the vet on Monday morning to have her claws removed. Poor Thumbs. I never wanted to do this but with all of our new furniture it was pretty necessary. If she'd just keep her paws to herself we'd all be happy!! Michael and I are going to visit her tonight and then decide whether I am going to pick her up tomorrow or let her stay one more night at the vet. She is definitely a sick patient and will have to be watched pretty closely for the next week. To end on a lighter note, she has found a new home/toy that she loves: a box lid. As you can see, she is a little too large for it--Michael and I gave her her own "Thumbs-sized" lid but she prefers this one. If you look closely, you can see that the edge she is leaning on is about to break. Pooooor thumbs. :)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Busy Times!
I told a bold-faced lie in my last post--turns out this post WILL include the word "wedding." Please forgive me...
Michael and I received our test results from our marriage counselor on Friday and we passed (WITH flying colors... but I don't want to brag)! We had a great session and mentioned topics that we thought would be worth discussing in the upcoming sessions. We meet again tomorrow and I'm excited to delve into the blessings and controversies of a successful marriage. :)
We left for Grand Lake early Saturday morning. It was such a beautiful weekend! Michael and I have had continous bad luck with the weather at Grand and this weekend made up for the past failed attempts. There were 7 of us who made the trip and as expected, the lake was packed. We managed to go out to Dripping Springs where all of the "cool kids" hang out and it was Spring Break 2000 all over again. I might as well be 75-years-old with the way I felt about the scantily clad girls and the fratastic guys. As most of you know, I am NOT good at hiding my feelings on my face so the 10 girls I made eye-contact with were (I'm sure) happy to see us go. :) Monday was a bit overcast but with our skin having a nice red glow, we figured a day of rest would be in our best interest. We drove back to Tulsa Monday afternoon and spent the rest of the day organizing the apartment.
Tuesday was an exciting day--mom drove to Romance, Arkansas and mailed the invitations! She brought her friend with her and they had an enjoyable time. I'm thinking everyone should get their invitations today or tomorrow--woooohooo! I guess now we sit back and hope for positive responses (or responses at all)!
Continuing the week, I picked up my dress yesterday and it fit perfectly. She did a great job and I'm so excited to wear it next week for the bridal portraits! I really do understand that episode of "Friends" when all of the girls are sitting around in wedding dresses. It's going to be hard to have it hanging in my closet and not wear it on a random day. Watching television in a beautiful gown is much more fun than sweatpants and a t-shirt.
And my last bit of fun news--Michael and I put together our new dining table the other night (thank you mom and dad!) and had our first meal on it last nite. Jambalaya with chicken, corn bread, and a 2-layer cake for dessert. No need to start calling us Martha Stewart and Emeril just yet (wouldn't they make an odd couple?) but we had a great time in the kitchen and the product was delicious. Even Thumbs gave a few meows of approval.
Tonight is our first dance class at the church. By the end of September, we will be trotting like foxes. Honestly, I have no idea why it is called the Foxtrot, but I'm excited to learn it. Lucky for us, we do not have 3 judges giving us scores afterwards and letting us know in a stern British accent that it is our time to go.
We leave tomorrow for Coppell for our final wedding shower! We rented a U-Haul for Sunday to bring back several pieces of furniture fom Michael's house. I know Michael is a bit nervous about driving such a big truck, but I know he'll do a great job--he's fabulous with the Exploder!
44 days! HOOORAY!!
Michael and I received our test results from our marriage counselor on Friday and we passed (WITH flying colors... but I don't want to brag)! We had a great session and mentioned topics that we thought would be worth discussing in the upcoming sessions. We meet again tomorrow and I'm excited to delve into the blessings and controversies of a successful marriage. :)
We left for Grand Lake early Saturday morning. It was such a beautiful weekend! Michael and I have had continous bad luck with the weather at Grand and this weekend made up for the past failed attempts. There were 7 of us who made the trip and as expected, the lake was packed. We managed to go out to Dripping Springs where all of the "cool kids" hang out and it was Spring Break 2000 all over again. I might as well be 75-years-old with the way I felt about the scantily clad girls and the fratastic guys. As most of you know, I am NOT good at hiding my feelings on my face so the 10 girls I made eye-contact with were (I'm sure) happy to see us go. :) Monday was a bit overcast but with our skin having a nice red glow, we figured a day of rest would be in our best interest. We drove back to Tulsa Monday afternoon and spent the rest of the day organizing the apartment.
Tuesday was an exciting day--mom drove to Romance, Arkansas and mailed the invitations! She brought her friend with her and they had an enjoyable time. I'm thinking everyone should get their invitations today or tomorrow--woooohooo! I guess now we sit back and hope for positive responses (or responses at all)!
Continuing the week, I picked up my dress yesterday and it fit perfectly. She did a great job and I'm so excited to wear it next week for the bridal portraits! I really do understand that episode of "Friends" when all of the girls are sitting around in wedding dresses. It's going to be hard to have it hanging in my closet and not wear it on a random day. Watching television in a beautiful gown is much more fun than sweatpants and a t-shirt.
And my last bit of fun news--Michael and I put together our new dining table the other night (thank you mom and dad!) and had our first meal on it last nite. Jambalaya with chicken, corn bread, and a 2-layer cake for dessert. No need to start calling us Martha Stewart and Emeril just yet (wouldn't they make an odd couple?) but we had a great time in the kitchen and the product was delicious. Even Thumbs gave a few meows of approval.
Tonight is our first dance class at the church. By the end of September, we will be trotting like foxes. Honestly, I have no idea why it is called the Foxtrot, but I'm excited to learn it. Lucky for us, we do not have 3 judges giving us scores afterwards and letting us know in a stern British accent that it is our time to go.
We leave tomorrow for Coppell for our final wedding shower! We rented a U-Haul for Sunday to bring back several pieces of furniture fom Michael's house. I know Michael is a bit nervous about driving such a big truck, but I know he'll do a great job--he's fabulous with the Exploder!
44 days! HOOORAY!!
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