BUSY!

So...time to vent a little bit. My job has been SO stressful for the past couple of months. Not only is this a super busy time of year (I've been working 2-4 nights/week the past few weeks) but it's also really frustrating.

We're going through a transition...the merger is complete. Now there are all of these loose ends that are getting tied up...meanwhile those of us who work directly with customers are left to answer unanswerable questions while things are getting tied up. Instead of just having ideas and then implementing them...we have to present the idea to our supervisor who then submits to to someone for approval...and so on and so on. It feels like it's taking about ten times as long to get anything done!

Anyhow, this on top of my dad having some medical problems and planning a wedding is a lot to handle! Needless to say I've got a little stress!

Parry and I are getting in gear on wedding planning. Yesterday was really productive. Mom and I went veil shopping, then we visited the inside of the reception hall (mom & dad hadn't seen it yet), then Parry and I met with a potential photographer. Check. Check. Check. Awesome!

Parry picked up our invitations today...I was hoping that we could get started addressing them tonight but I ended up being at work until 8:45. So...maybe Friday?

We booked most of the hotel rooms for our honeymoon. We're staying in St. Louis for the majority of the time. We found this awesome hotel using a cool website: Http://www.hotwire.com/. The website doesn't let you know the name of the hotel until you book and pay for the room...which is why it can be so cheap!

We found a hotel for $60/night...the sight would only tell us that it was a 3.5 star hotel in downtown St. Louis. We hemmed and hawed about pushing the "buy" button (I did most of the hemming and hawing). Check out the hotel we are going to stay in!

http://stlouishotels.explorestlouis.com/1034_hotel-photos_h21084.html

Isn't it amazing? We're so close to the arch it's ridiculous! I'm so excited for the wedding and for our trip. It will be the first time that I've taken a whole week off of work...with weekends before and after. And the first time that Parry and I take a trip where we don't try to find as many free things as possible and stay in the least expensive resting place (we're talking KOA folks...). This is going to be spectacular (and expensive)!

An Update - long time since last post

Okay…so it’s been a while since my last post. All I can say is that starting a new job and planning a wedding simultaneously takes a lot of time!!! Fall is a really busy time for my job, right around the time that school starts. Hopefully things will calm down soon.

We’re using a very valuable tool to help plan the wedding. It’s a website called “The Knot”. I’d recommend it to anyone who is planning a wedding. It’s the best! There is a checklist and everything!

So far for the wedding preparation we have:

Booked the site
Confirmed an officiant
Purchased my dress & shoes
Chosen colors (fall colors concentrating on red/green/orange)
Decided on a dress theme for the bridesmaids (They will be wearing black dresses of their own choice and drape a pashmina around their arms/shoulders.)
Purchased Parry’s suit
Picked out vests for the groomsmen
Registered for gifts
Purchased the rings
Decided on a honeymoon destination
Contacted a photographer
Sent the invitation design to the printers (I put something together on my computer and they will print it for us-we’re a couple weeks behind on this part.)
Purchased stuff to make centerpieces (just yesterday!)


There is still so much to do!!! We had been at kind of a stand still for the last couple of weeks with my job and spending time with our friends, the Matson’s, before they left for Ohio. But this weekend we got a few things done, so that’s good.

Sometimes I catch myself getting caught up in the stress of planning the wedding…making sure that everyone is pleased with the decisions and getting everything put together. Then I’ll stop and remember that this is the start of Parry and my life together…what a wonderful thing!

Check out our websites:

http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_main.aspx?coupleid=9110164679460281

http://www.gonnagetwed.com/ourbrides/index.php?id=&profile_id=11

Pictures from the Sleepover

Me and the girls

Bubble Fight!!!

Storagf? (This was a sign by the elevator.)

Ah, memories...this is the actual Ouija board used at many sleepovers in my teen years.

According to the Ouija's predictions that night, Parry and I will have 8.5 kids, at least one of those in the next year, and it's going to snow at our wedding! :)

MAKEOVER

Makeup, by yours truly...we're watching TV too... (Chris did my hair...isn't it amazing?)

Make up...done by Chris

Ta Da! April after out makeover efforts.

Thanks again ladies! What a fun night!