Weekend recap and Bachelorette update!

I love long weekends. I wish every weekend was a long weekend.

I spent Friday doing grown-up things. Well mostly grown up things, I slept in then I cleaned my house then I went grocery shopping (and last night I paid bills- what I wouldn't give to move back into my mother's house somedays!). Then Friday night was the graduation ceremony for the high school here in town so I went to support my kiddos. They were so cute. And they made me want to go back to high school. I miss choir, I miss seeing my friends everyday, I miss living at my parent's house, I miss cheap(er) gas, I miss just about everything about high school.

After that the future Mr. and I went out for dinner then home to cuddle on the couch.

On Saturday we got up and the future Mr. put shelves into the closet in my guest room- it's slowly becoming my craft room :) And my dad has a table at the cabin that we're not using that he'll let me have. Now I just have to clean the room and try to start organizing things. Yay!!

Then we started the rounds of grad parties. We had 4 of them to go to on Saturday!! Off-da. But it meant that I didn't have to cook anything for lunch OR for dinnner!! At the first one they had roast beef, buns and salads. The 2nd had taco in a bag, the 3rd had 3 different kinds of soup, chips, and salad (and cheesecake!), and the 4th had pulled pork, but not just any pulled pork, they roasted the whole pig!! What?! Crazy, I know.

But then when we were coming back from the last party we hit a big pot hole on a gravel road. And my car started to shake. So we took it to the car wash and tried to pressure wash mud out of the tires. It still shook. Crap. I thought that it was the alignment and the future Mr. thought that it was just mud stuck in my tires. So I took it to the shop today on my lunch break and the washed about 3 pounds of gravel out of my rear drivers side tire along with 2 good sized rocks. It doesn't shake any more and it only cost me $3. Crazy that dirt can make your car shake like that.

Then on Sunday night we went on a party bus to see The Johnny Holms band for my friend Jen's birthday. I drank to much and I spent yesterday on the couch paying for it. I really need to learn when to say when. You would think I would know that by now! I suppose it doesn't really help that I haven't really been drinking any more.

Last night we had some pretty intense storms in this part of the country. Lots of lightening, some strong wind, and rain. Oh man did it rain! We didn't get pummled like Fargo/Moorhead did, but it was still intense.

But, because of the bad weather, I missed the end of the Bachelorette so I didn't get to see who Ashley sent home (it's ok, I looked it up today!). Incase you don't know she sent home Matt, Ryan M, and Stephen.

I loved her date with William in Vegas! A little weird that they did all wedding things on the first date though. I could not believe that they tested cake, looked at rings, and almsot got married!! And a little weird that people treated her like she's famous. Seriously- so many people stopped them to take pictures and get autographs! What?!

I'm jealous that they got to dance with the Jabawokeez from America's Best Dance Crew. How awesome is that? But Bentley makes my skin crawl. I could NOT believe that he told her he felt insecure about getting the last rose on the first show and then basically made her beg him to stay. He's so gross. I wish she would send him home. But I said that about Vienna the whole way through Jake's season and he ended up picking her (which worked out really well for him, huh?). And Ashley ended up giving him the rose at the end of the group date.

Mickey's date was a little weird. They left everything up to chance and made every decision by flipping a coin. (Side note: I felt so bad for JP that he didn't get the date) Ashley even left the rose at the end of the date up to the flip of the coin. Scary!

That was about all of the show that I got to see. Oh- except for when she was talking to Jeff (the mask) during the cocktail hour and he was going to show her who he was until someone (Matt?) interrupted them!! I so want to see that guy's face! She gave him a rose so hopefully we'll see his face next week!

Hope you're having a happy last day of May!!

Love, a future Mrs.

Weight Watchers

So, last week I started weight watchers. I've had friends (and my own mother!) that have had success with this program. I'm doing the online version whereas my mom went to weekly weigh ins and meetings. Part of me feels like I need the weekly weigh in to keep me accountable, but we'll see how this online business goes. Up until now I have have not had a bathroom scale. I bought one on Monday. I weighed myself this morning. Since my physical in April I am down ... wait for it... 6 pounds!! Whoop-whoop!! Hopefully doing weight watchers and going for nice long walks after work will get me ready for that wedding dress in Dec. My goal is that it needs to be taken in, a lot. Well not too much cuz then I wouldn't be able to wear it- apparently they can only take it in so far and it won't be in til Oct so that won't give us much time. We'll figure it out when we get there.

I was watching "How I Met Your Mother" the other night and it was the episode before Marshall and Lily's wedding. Lily tries on her wedding dress and it is way to big! She puts her arms up and the dress falls down. So then she tries to eat a lot over the next few days to gain weight so her dress will stay on. I hope I don't have to do that. I really really really don't want to have to eat to make my dress fit me. I think I would cry.

Then the next episode was the one with their wedding and everything went wrong. I would lose it. I would be a crying blubbering mess if everything went wrong that day. Seriously everything. There were problems with their photographer, caterer, his hair, her vail, an ex boyfriend was there porfess his love for her. No thank you. I hope our day isn't like that!

Hope you're enjoying today!!

Love, a future Mrs.

Wedding Wednesday!

199 days to go!

Location, location, location!

Like I mentioned last week, we are getting married at my parents church which is also the church I grew up in. I love it. It is a beautiful building and it has so many great memories in it for me.

Like during my freshman year of college I was really questioning my faith and I went home for Christmas. My family went to the candle lit service and the Pastor was greeting people and he looked at me and said "Welcome home." He didn't know that I was questioning who I was or who God was to me. He was simply welcoming me back from college. But it was so much more then that for me.

It also holds some sad memories, like being denied a job there, but those memories make me who I am just as much as the good memories do.

I can't find a good picture of it online but you can check out this link if you're interested. They've got a neat slideslow of pictures of the church and the people on their home page.

Then our reception is going to be at the Holiday Inn. Yay! I'm so excited that we are able to have our reception and dance at the HI and then people can just stay there too. So convienent. You can check out the HI here.

I am so excited for this day to come. I can't wait to be Mrs. K :) I get giddy when the future Mr. calls me fiance or when he makes a comment about me being his wife. Love it! (Almost as much as I love him!!)

*****

With going down to Missouri last weekend I didn't really get a whole lot of wedding stuff done this past week. But this weekend and I the future Mr. are (fingers crossed) turning the guest room into my craft room so then I'll have space to work on things. Hopefully that craft room will give me lots of motivation to get lots of crafty things done :)

Love, a future Mrs.

So What Wednesday!

Here's what I'm saying So What to this week:

*if I wouldn't have known about the bachelorette if it weren't for my mother-in-law to be

*if I made a list of who did what and who I did and didn't like during the bachelorette

*if I'm embarassed by how many points some of the foods that I eat are on Weight Watchers.

Guess that means I shouldn't be eating them

*if I really want to get my master's in youth and family ministry but I don't know where to find the time or the money to do

*if I wrote this list during the commercials during the bachelorette

*if I have 3 posts today. Apparently I have a lot to say

*if I don't know what to give some of the graduates whos parties I got invited to

They're living at home and going to the tech here in town. What do you give that person?

What are you saying "So What" to this week?

Head on over to Life After I Dew

to see what everyone else is saying "So What" to this week.

Love, a future Mrs.

tv

Yay! The Bachelorette is back!

I'm such a dork that I took notes during the show that I would remember what I wanted to talk about in this blog post. (Ps- sorry it's a day late, yesterday just got away from me!)

For starters I had two questions- 1.) why do people keep going on the bachelor and the bachelorette if the success rate of the 'relationships' is so low? Don't get me wrong- I enjoy watching it but I can't understand why people want to be on it. And 2.) where does ABC find these people? ALL 25 guys were hot and successful! What is that?

Now onto the guys :)

I LOVE Ryan P (1st to steal her away and talk to her and he got the first impression rose), Ben F.- the wine maker from Sonoma, and Ben C. who had the paper in the window a la "Love Actually" SO cute (sad that she sent him home)! I also liked that West gave her a compass that's broken and stuck pointing West so she can always find her way to him.

A little ackward? Matt calling his mom and her giving them fantasy suite advice. Jeff with the mask. I understand why but I'm a little concerned as to how long he's going to wear the thing. Tim, too much to drink, Ashley made the right decision by sending him home.

Needs to go home? Bentley. Someone called Ashley and warned her before the show even started! That should be a big red flag about this guy! I didn't like him during his bio/intro at the begining of the show. I didn't like him when he got out of the limo, I didn't like him during the previews of whats to come this summer. He needs to go.

I think that Bentley will end up being like Wes from Allie's season. It just frustrates me that she's giving him the benefit of the doubt. But that's her choice. I'll just watch and see what happens.

*****

Last night I was channel surfing and VH1 was having some sort of count down on. It was celeb's that have packed on the pounds and then shed them again.

One of the celeb's was Marie Osmund. My jaw hit the floor when they said that at her heaviest she was a robust 165. I'm sorry, that's not robust. It might be a little above the healthy recommended weight for a woman her size but robust was pushing it.

What does that say to young girls in our society? I'm all for making healthy choices (something that I'm not always good at) but there's a line. I'm nervous for my children. What will their world be like? What will the ideal body image be?

*****

Today is Oprah's last show. Are you going to watch? I am. And I'm excited. It's another one of those things that I just feel like I should watch (like the royal wedding, live). I've heard that it's just her and a trip down memory lane. No celeb's to interview, no big stories, just her. So we'll see.

happiness

Hi friends! Sorry I've been hit and miss for the last week and a half or so! I feel like my life has been in a constant state of upheavel. I'm looking forward to a weekend where I can just stay home (and maybe do laundry or clean my house...)!

Seriously, on the 9th I went to my parents (just for dinner), then on the 12th I went back to my parents, the 13th was my sister's graduation, the 14th was Synod Assembly, the 15th was senior recognition at church, the 15th was also the future Mr's cousin's confirmation, the 19th I went to mom and dad's then we left for my cousin's graduation in Missouri, back to mom and dad's yesterday and back to my house this morning. I'm so excited that I don't have to pack a bag this weekend and that I don't have to drive anywhere.

I know that sounds like complaining (and it is a little) but mostly it's happiness because I do have a full life and I do have people to go visit and those visits are GREAT!

While I was hanging out with my mom sometime during the weekend of my sister's graduation I made a comment about something and it hit me like a ton of bricks how negetive I sounded. Then later, when my mom said something about one of my sister's new roommates apparently I made a face and my mom said "Oh, I guess she isn't up to your standerds." That did it for me. I decided that I was going to do my best to not complain anymore, to only say nice things. You know that old addage your mom used to say, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." Well that's what I'm trying to do. I have thought mean things or negetive things but I haven't said them, or at least not as many of them.

I think it's going well.

Some things have tested my new experiment. Like spending a lot of time in the car with my fiance and my parents this weekend (9 hours one way, down and back in less then 4 days), spending the weekend with my cousins, having to be the designated driver on Saturday night, you get the idea.

So here I am, trying to focus on the good things in life, the things that make me happy.

I hope you're having a great day!

Love, a future Mrs.

bonfires

I went to my first bonfire of the season last night and it was wonderful. For senior high youth group we went out to David's house (one of the boys from youth group) to play and have a bonfire. We played frisbee and bocce ball then had a fire where we roasted marshmellows for s'mores... mmm.... summer :)

I love this time of the year. I love when life starts to slow down just a bit. It seems like during the summer time no one is in such a hurry to get everywhere, people stay out a little later, and they're just more relaxed.

The kids here in my Northern town still have 9 days of school left- they're not done til June 1st!!! That seems really late to me but I went to a high school where we were ALWAYS done by Memorial day and we NEVER started before Labor day. The kids are getting a little crazy with spring fever, it's a good thing that it didn't get nice like this a month ago. Then they'd be unbearable by now. But it's only been nice for a little while so they're just happy right now.

I also love this time of year because things slow down at church. I feel like I've been going 100 mph for the last month and now all of the sudden I have time to sit around and twiddle my thumbs! Just kidding, I still have stuff do to but the work load is greatly decreased. During the school year I have jr hi and sr hi youth group every Wednesday, we have confimation every other Wednesday, I do monthly events with the elementary school kids, the Post Prom party, confirmation Sunday, graduation Sunday, the rummage sale, Easter sunrise service and breakfast, Lenten dinners, weekend retreats, concerts, ect. ect. In the summer we do Vacation Bible school, I go to camp with the kids, and this summer we'll have a mini mission trip. I love VBS and going to camp because they don't take a whole lot of planning on my part, and their success doesn't depend on me. It's a big burden to be responsible for the success of youth group, or being worried about how many kids will show up for confirmation, or how to get more of them to go. I just have to take them to camp. All I do is promote it and drive them there. Bliss.

And this time of year means baseball. I love watching baseball. Now if those MN Twins could get their act together and win a game!!

Hope you have beautiful weather and that you've been able to enjoy it!

Love, a future Mrs.

Wedding Wednesday

206 days to go!!

This week's topic: picking the date!

We got engaged on Feb. 11th and we knew that we didn't want to be engaged for a whole year or more so that meant that it would be happening in 2011. We figured that summer was to soon and we already had 5 weddings to go to this summer! So then we talked a little bit about Sept. but it felt like it was to soon. Plus Sept. is busy for me at work.

So then we talked about Oct. and I was so excited. How beautiful would a fall wedding be in Northern MN with the leaves all turning colors, we could have a bbq and bonfire for our rehearsal dinner. But then the Mr. remineded me that Oct is beet season and he, along with most of the boys that he would ask to be in the wedding haul beets. And to haul beets they need dry weather within a certain range of temp. So it usually takes a long time. Last year it was like 3 1/2 weeks on and off. So that meant that all of Oct. was out.

Then we were into Nov. Well the first two weekends are deer hunting in Northern MN so they were both out. Then the third weekend is always the synod Jr. Hi gathering which I have to work at so that was out. The 4th weekend in Nov. is Thanksgiving and neither of us were to keen on a holiday wedding.

So onto Dec. we decided that we were fine with either the 3rd or the 10th. I didn't want to be pick just one Saturday and get my heart set on it just to find out that the church or the Holiday Inn was booked. So we decided that we would be happy getting married either day. The church was open both days. And so was the Holiday Inn. The decideing factor was that the Holiday Inn had something in the morning on the 3rd so we wouldn't be able to decorate until later. That was what sealed the deal for me. Dec. 10th it was and is :)

*****

In other wedding news I checked some things off my "to do" list:

-I ordered the other 3 b-maid dresses

-I got the paper part of my favors

-I made 11 wine bottle/candle center pieces

-I got to show off my ring and tell the future Mr's family all about our wedding plans

Love, a future Mrs.

So What Wednesday

Here's what I'm saying "So What" to this week:

*if my car is 2,000 past needing an oil change. They've all be highway miles.

*if I miss being in high school. I love my life the way that it is right now and I wouldn't change anything, I just miss having my mom do basically everything for me :) and my friends

*if I thought synod assembly was totally boring

*if I hate packing, unpacking, doing laundry, and repacking

*if my house is messy, I live there alone, no one else sees it

*if I can't think of anything else to say "So What" to this week

What are you saying "So What to this week?

Head on over to Life After I "Dew"

to see what everyone else is saying "So What" to this week!

Love, a future Mrs.

driving

This weekend I put no less then 600 miles on my car. I'm sick of driving!! Granted all of the things that I drove to were fun and I'm happy that I got to go to everything. But that's a lot of miles, and with gas pushing $4 a gallon it was a hit on my checkbook!

But, because I did all of that driving these are all of the great things that I got to do:
*see my family
*see my friend Brianne from high school
*see my baby sister graduate from college
*see my grandparents
*see my bestie from high school, Tasha
*go to the Mexican Village
*go to Target (twice!!)
*go to Starbucks
*see a bunch of my LYO kiddos
*see Bishop Hanson, the presiding Bishop of the ELCA give a sermon
*spend time at my Alma Matter, Concordia
*see the future Mr's family
*have lunch with my friend Lacey
*get graduation gifts for the grad parties we've been invited to
*order the other 3 b-maid dresses we need
*catch up with Mariah, an old family friend

That's a lot!!

I made it through all of the big events that we had at church this spring. We are done with the big stuff. We made it through prom, holy week, Easter, confirmation, mother's day, and graduation. Now I feel like I'm missing things because I don't have 800 things on my "to do" list. Now I just have to figure out what to do for our last youth group of the school year then get ready for VBS and camp this summer. Whoop!!

I joined weight watchers online this afternoon. I'm a little nervous but after seeing pictures of myself from confirmation parties, and knowing how I feel in some of clothes, I knew I had to do something. And I saw how great some of my girlfriends from college are doing with WW online. So here goes nothing. (Well hopefully here go the pounds!)

I have a killer headache this afternoon. I know it's bad when all of the music on my iPod in my office is bothering me. I don't want to listen to any of it. But I know if I turn it off I'll have to listen to my clock go "tic-toc" and that is more annoying.

I have so much house work to do! That's what happens when you leave for a few days, come home for one night and leave again. Not to mention that I'm leaving on Thursday for my cousins graduation. My house will never be clean, my clothes will never all be washed, said clothes will never all be put away. At least I made my bed this morning so it kind of looks put together.

Sorry this was really random. Blame it on not blogging for a few days and having a headache. Sorry. Tomorrow's will be better.

Love, a future Mrs.

friends

In the past two days I have been thinking a lot about friendship.

On Friday morning I got to see my friend Brianne, and catch up on life a bit. Which was fun. I hadn't seen her since just after Christmas when the future Mr. and I went to stay with her.

Then we went to my sister's college graduation and it was so cool to see her graduate and accomplish something so big. It was also very cool to see her interact with people as Katie. Not as my sister, not as Sue's daughter, just as Katie. Everyone in our home town knows each of us as a part of our family not neccessarily as an individual so it was very cool to see her get to just be her.

After graduation it was off to Fargo for a celebratory dinner at the Mexican Village. The future Mr. and I stopped and picked up one of my besties, Tasha before dinner. I love being able to spent time with people that have been so important to my life for such a long time. It makes my soul happy.

Now today I'm at the Synod Assembly. I'm learning all about how things work within in the synod and it's kind of boring. But it has provided me with some time to visit with some friends. Two of my really good friends in ministry are here and all of my kiddos from the LYO board are here too. It's been fun to catch up on their lifes and to just relax together.

Tomorrow will be filled with family time. The future Mr's cousin is getting confirmed so her parents are having a party. I'm excited to see his family. I haven't seen most of them since we got engaged.

I hope you're having a great day!

Love, a future Mrs.

So What Wednesday

Here's what I'm saying "So What" to this week:

*if I prefer pita chips to Doritos and hummus to cheese dip

*if I bought a tanning package at the place farther from my house and made myself promise to walk there whenever I want to tan

*if I get sucked into Law & Order: SVU marathons

*if the best part about the new TV in my office is that I get to watch Twins baseball in HD

*if I prefer having a ton to do at work. It beats having nothing to do

*if I'm not looking forward to all of the driving that I have to do this weekend but I'm excited for all of the events that I'm going to

What are you saying "So What" to this week?

Head on over to Life After I "Dew" to see what

everyone else is saying "So What" to!

Love, a future Mrs.

Wedding Wednesday!

Yay! Another Wedding Wednesday!

Only 213 days to go!

This week's topic: the future Mr's proposal.

You can find the whole story of his proposal here and here but I'll give you the short and sweet version of WW this week.

So for Valentine's day 2010 the future Mr and I decided that we weren't going to give each other gifts. He sent me flowers at work. I felt like a terrible girlfriend because I hadn't gotten him anything. Then when he got to my house that Friday night he asked me if I wanted my gift now or later.

I said, "I thought we weren't doing gifts".

Him: "Well I got you a little something anyway. Do you want it now or later?"

Me: "Fine, I'll have it now."

He started to get down on one knee, I started to cry, his knee got almost all the way to my living room floor and he stood back up and said...

"Just Kidding!!"

NOT FUNNY!!!

Fast forward a whole year, it's Valentine's weekend again. He got to my house as I was making dinner. He asked me to come into the living room for a minute so he could give me my present. So I turned the things on the stove down so they wouldn't burn and followed him to the living room. And this is the converation that followed:

Him: "I love you"

Me: "I love you too"

Him: "Forever"

Me: "Oh, that's nice"

Then he started to get down on one knee

Me: "Are you serious this time? Because I will not think that this is funny if you are joking"

Him: "No. I'm for real this time!"

Him: "And you're the only woman that I'll ever love."

He took the ring box out of his pocket, opened it, and said

"Will you marry me?"

Me: "Yes!"

This story makes me happy.

In other WW news. We have gotten invites to 3 of the 5 weddings that we have this summer. Why does everyone else have to get married at the same time as us?? This is going to be an expensive summer!

2 of the invites have postcard RSVP cards and the postcard stamps are old, meaning I have to put 1 cent stamps on both of them. Stupid post office! Don't they know that brides send out RSVP postcards? That wasn't very nice of them to change it!

The other invite has an RSVP letter & envelope. It's fancy. Well fancier then ours will be.

Love, a future Mrs.

buddy

Last night my friend Amber who sell Premier Designs jewlery had a meeting in my parents town so she asked me if I wanted to ride along. Of course I did!

I text my mom to see if she had to work, she didn't (yay!!) and she told me that if they weren't home when I got there that they (mom & dad) were meeting at Lakeside (a bar by their house) for a drink after work. So Amber dropped me off at home, no one was there, so I walked down to Lakeside to have a drink with them. Then the future Mr. came and met us there too. While we were there, Dad told us that he had cried that afternoon. My dad is not a crier. So we looked at him kind of funny and asked why. He told us that he had called the vet and made an appointment to have our dog, Buddy, put down on Thursday afternoon at 1:30. Then dad started to cry in the bar. Not like sobbing and gasping for breath, but glossy tears in his eyes and rosy cheeks. Then we went home to grill burgers for dinner and I was petting Buddy and I lost it. I just started crying and couldn't stop (and I'm starting again as I write this).

You should know that Buddy is a 15 year old black lab. Labs don't norally live that long. He is an old man. He has trouble standing, Dad told me that he has had to pick the dog up at least once a day for the past week. And that sometime's Buddy back legs will go out and he can't stand back up, and then we're not sure if he gets frustrated or what happens but he loses his bladder control and goes #1 and #2 wherever he happens to be. He can hardley see or hear any more. It is time to put him down but we were all hoping that the would go naturally this past winter.

I didn't think that I would cry when this day came. I didn't think that I would be that attached to our dog. But serioiusly, how can you not cry when you realize that this cute face won't be a part of your life any more?

How cute is he in the sidecar of the Harley? He loves to ride with Dad. He even had Doggles to keep the wind and bugs out of his eyes. A few winters ago Dad took his motorcycle down to Mississippi for a mission trip and he hit a deer on the way home. The original sidecar was ruined (the dog wasn't in it, Dad was by himself) so instead of ordering a new sidecar from Harley, Dad built one out of wood that has a door and a step stool that hooks onto the side so that it's easier for Buddy to get in and out. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

Or how can you not cry when you know you won't see this face any more?

He was convinced that the ice cream man had a treat for him too.

I told Mom that they should grill steak for dinner on Wednesday and make sure that they share with Buddy. And Buddy's favorite is hamburgers from fast food joints. Just the burger. He wants nothing to do with the bun (cuz those carbs will get you!!), all he wants is the burger. So that's where Dad is going to take him before they go to the vet on Thursday. Might as well make his last few meals good ones.

It's been a great 15 years Buddy. We'll miss you.

Love, a future Mrs.

fundraisers

Working in youth ministry means that I have to work with fundriasers. I'm not really a fan of doing them. I think it's great that people in the congregation and community are willing to support these kids so that the kids can go to camp or so they can go to youth gatherings. But if it were up to me, these generous people in our congregation and community would just donate their money to us. I don't want to have to sell anything, make anything, cook anything, or organize anything.

Yesterday we started what is arguably our biggest fundraiser of the year. Our rummage sale. Every spring we do this rummage sale where we ask people to donate things that they would like to sell, then we sort and price them, then on Saturday people come buy things. Just like the regular rummage sale you go to in someone's garage or yard but on a bigger scale. Last year we brought in just shy of $1,500 and we took 4 or 5 truckloads of stuff out of the church that didn't sell. It's overwhelming and it's a lot of work.

So last night we started sorting through the donations that have come in already and the kids were not working! They sat in the kitchen and played truth or dare on someone's iPod. I kept asking them to do things and they would do the one thing I asked then go sit back down. I'm sorry. That isn't how this works. I'm not going to bust my but with your mother while you sit there. Grr.... There were a few kids that were working and doing what needed to be done, but not many of them.

Now today I have to keep working on stuff for that. I have to order food to make bbq's, I have to go to the grocery store to buy chips and lemonade mix, I have to make sure that we can take our left overs (items that don't sell- not food) to the same place we did last year, I have to make sure that our add made it into the daily flier that the radio station does, and I have to keep sorting donations. All of this on top of my regular office work.

On a happier note- my 100th post is coming up soon and I'm brainstorming some fun ideas on what to do to celebrate! Maybe a give away??

I hope you're having a great day!

Love, a future Mrs.

Wedding Wednesday!

Welcome to the second edition of Wedding Wednesdays!!

220 days until our big day!

Today I'm going to talk about ring shopping.

The future Mr and I had talked about looking at rings and finding out what size my finger is for quite a while. For our 3rd anniversary we went to Red Lobster in Fargo and then to do some Christmas shopping at West Acres (the mall in Fargo). While we were walking through the mall we stopped to look at Santa's village which is right in the middle of the mall- where all of the jewlery stores happen to be also. So the future Mr said, "Let's just go see what size ring you'd need." So we went into Helzberg's and the lady sized me. Then she asked if we wanted to look at e rings. How can you say no to diamonds?

So we looked.

For a long time.

I probably tried on 40 rings that day.

The future Mr. was bored!

We left without a ring that day.

The future Mr. made some phone calls and realized that Helzberg only sells semi-sets, so you don't actually buy the diamond already in the ring. You have to buy the setting and the diamond seperate. He wasn't so keen on that. And he found out that it would take a minimum of 7 days to get a diamond set in a setting.

So then right after Christmas we went to visit my grandparents in Southern MN (I probably should have told you our anniversary is Dec. 15th, so that's when we shopped the first time). After visiting G & G we went to the Mall of America in the Twin Cities and we went to Helzberg's there too. This time we got to look at a few diamonds under the microscope and we found out what size diamond we would need for the settings that I liked.

He was still really uncomfortable with having to buy the setting and the diamond seperate. And I don't blame him. It can get crazy expensive!!

A few weeks later we had gone over to Grand Forks to return some Christmas gifts and we went to look at rings at Zales. I fell in love with a beautiful ring. It had a bigger stone in the middle with a halo of smaller diamonds, the center stone sits up off of my finger, there are diamonds down the side, and it had a matching wedding band.

And it was less then the rings I liked at Helzberg's.

We still walked out of the store without a ring.

We talked about price and what he was comfortable spending. I told him that I wasn't going to say no because of the ring and that I didn't want to pressure him into something that he couldn't afford.

If you didn't guess yet, the ring from Zales is my ring. It's the one that my future Mr. propsed to me with, and it is the ring that I will wear forever.

And I love it, almost as much as I love him :)

This is a picture of my ring from the Zales website. I still can't seem to get a good picture of my hand. As soon as I can get one, I'll share it with you.

Obviously, I'm only wearing the top ring right now. The bottom row of diamonds is the wedding band.

I can't wait to wear both of them all the time :)

Next week: the proposal!!

Love, a future Mrs.

So What Wednesday

Here's what I'm saying So What to this week:

*if I made a Wedding Wednesday topic list. I needed to know that I had enough to talk about and how much I should cover each week. Yes, my list covers today through the end of the year.

*if I forgot that I had to pay my rent until I looked at the date on the church bulletin on Sunday morning and realized it was the first of May already

*if I was secretly excited to be asked to take pictures with the confirmation kids this weekend. I want them to like me!

*if I check my comments and stats before I read other blogs

*if I love trying on my wedding band with my engagement ring

*if I'm writing this on Tuesday night and scheduling it to post on Wednesday morning. Wednesdays are crazy busy!! And so what if it doesn't work the way that I'm hoping, this is the first time I've scheduled a post.

What are you saying So What to this week?

Head on over to Life After I Dew to see what everyone

else is saying So What to this week.

Love, a future Mrs.

tuesday.

Original titles. I know. My brain is kind of mush right now.

I've made it through most of the big things this spring, just 3 things left for church (and 1 of those I don't have to do anything to prep for- yay!!) and a couple big family things. Then...  SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!

I went to GF today to JoAnn fabric and I got 6 different colors of jersey knit fabric (1/2 yard of each) to make those bracelets I told you about last week (on Wednesday). Now I just have to figure out how to make the breacelets so I can teach my youth group kids tomorrow. I think I'll also give them the option of braiding the fabric or loading it up with beads (which we already have at the church). But I want to figure out that finger weaving thing!!

The weather is beautiful here again today!! Blue sky and no clouds, and I spent most of the afternoon in my car :( and I paid $3.99 for gas :( The most I've ever paid is $4.12 and I have a feeling that I'll pay more then that in the near future. Gross. It makes me walk places when I can.

It's rummage sale week here at the church. We have a huge rummage sale as a fundraiser every spring and I hate it. It is so much work to put on. And it's hard to get help at a church. We get some and I'm very thankful for the ladies and families that do come help but it makes for 3 pretty late nights and then one early morning which makes for a tired youth director. So, sorry in advance if I'm space-y later in the week. It wouldn't be so bad if it was just rummage sale stuff. But I also have to find/write a children's sermon for Sunday, work on baccalaureate, and work on Senior recognition for church (which is the 15th!! That's so soon!!). And just before that my sister graduates college (the 13th), then on the 15th the future Mr's cousin gets confirmed, and the week after that my cousin graduates high school (his party is the 22nd). And none of those events are less then 100 miles from my house. And gas is almost $4 a gallon. Gross.

Sorry for the pity party today. I'm just running on fumes and ready for a break from work.

I hope you're having a great day! And enjoying the spring weather!!

Love, a future Mrs.

monday.

My friend Katie from high school posted this on her facebook today and I wanted to share it with you.

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

- MLK Jr.

Last night I was watching CSI:Maimi when CBS interrupted the show to bring us a news break from the white house. It soon came out that Osama Bin Laden had been killed and his body was in US custody. For a moment I felt a weird sense of relief. I'm not sure why though. I know that he was the head of Al-Quida, and that they were responsible for many terriost attacks all over the world. But right now, he was not a big threat to my daily life.

It took an hour and a half for the President to come out and address the nation. I loved that in his address he said "One nation under God indivisable with liberty and justice for all" and he said "God Bless America". It makes my soul happy that he acknowledges God on TV.

This morning when I woke up it was still all over the news. People seemed happy. Heraldo on Fox News said that he was positively giddy. How can you be giddy about someone's death? I understand that this man was responsible for 1,000's (if not more) deaths but I can't be happy about killing him. I think this quote by MLK Jr. that my friend Katie put on facebook really captures how I feel about the situation.

*****

On a totally unrelated note: It is finally beautiful here again!! It rained most of the day on Saturday and then it snowed, yes you read that right SNOWED on Sunday. What is that? Why was there snow on May 1st? I was not happy when I got up yesterday.

But today it is sunny. So I walked down to the newspaper office to order some cardstock paper for our wedding favors, then to the bank to deposit my tax refund check (*side note: what a feeling of satisfaction, getting that check after filling out all of the paper work!!), while at the bank I talked to a banker about a new savings account where you can get 3% interest instead of the 0.5% my saving account was at. Yes please! I'm all about having my money make more money for me. Downside: the 3% only counts on the first $500 that you put in the savings account and the rate is only good for like 13 months.

Then I went to the post office to mail the deposit to the photographer for the wedding and to take back a letter that I got in the mail. I've gotten this letter twice that is addressed to a man in St. Paul. I live nowhere near St. Paul. His street address was the same as mine but that was all (well the state is the same too). Our names our different, our towns are different, and our zip codes are different. I've already taken this letter back to the post office once. I probably sounded pretty annoyed when I was in the post office today.

After the post office I headed to a different bank in town which is where my landlord works to drop off my rent. Then we chatted about wedding stuff for a while and one of the other tellers working told us that 3 days before her wedding one of her bmaids ended up in jail for writing bad checks and her (the teller/bride) dad had to bail out the bmaid!! I would be so mad! Hopefully none of my girls end up in jail!!

Then I headed to this store in town call the Curiosity Shoppe and they had an assortment of home decor, specialty foods and craft supplies. I was looking for fabric for the bracelet project that I shared with you last week. They didn't have any that I liked/that would work/that is in the churches price range. I'm still contemplating driving to Grand Forks to JoAnn fabric to get something there. It isn't a bad drive and my car gets good mileage but I don't know if I want to go. I really want to do this project with the church kids and I won't be going home or to Fargo or Grand Forks until NEXT weekend so we wouldn't get to make the bracelets until the 18th if I want and that's the last day of youth group for the year. And I don't think I want to do this project on the last day of youth group. So maybe I'll end up making the hour long journey (one way) to get fabric.

Anyway, now I'm home again and enjoying my relaxing day off. I slept in, cleaned a little, talked to my sister, had a nice walk, got some errands done. Now I have to run to Wal*Mart (which does NOT have fabric, sad day) and maybe go tanning. On Easter when I wore my dress to church, I was standing next to one of my senior high girls and my legs looked SO white! Ah!! And less then two weeks from now is Katie's graduation and then the following week is my cousin Austin's graduation and I'm planning on wearing dresses for both and I don't want to look like a ghost. So tanning is in order.

I hope you're having a great day!

Love, a future Mrs.