March Showers

The month of March has been crazy busy with basketball and of course wedding stuff! We have had two showers this month. The first was our Starkville Kitchen shower which was super fun considering it ended with karaoke! Then I went down for the Meridian shower while Matt went to New Orleans for his bachelor party! I think that we both had a great time in different ways! :) The weekend in Meridian was very productive for me. I stayed with Matt’s mother and she helped me put together all of the wedding favor…whew!

I was finally able to pick up our marriage license this week! When I tried before the printer was broken, thankfully I like to get things done ahead of time or we would have been in some serious trouble! Matt and I have not received our passports for our honeymoon yet, but they should be coming in the mail any day now. Matt and I also picked out the readings, etc for the wedding ceremony just this week! Now I just have to start making the programs…fun!

On a side note…I hate airlines! We were originally going to be flying out of Columbus, then that flight got canceled so we were going to fly out of Tupelo. Three days before our final payment was due, I get a phone call stating that the Tupelo flight had been canceled! So we are now flying out of Memphis for the same price that we were paying to fly out of Tupelo! No refund/reimbursement because of how late the change was. They said that they must go with current booking prices! Why are we suffering when we are not the ones who canceled the flights in the first place! The one thing that has been great with all of this, is that we went through a travel agency who keeps me informed when the airlines change/cancel their flights. If not for them, the airline could have put us on a flight leaving anytime they wanted that day!

All and all things are going really great and no I’m not stressed! We meet with Old Waverly next week to go over the final details for the reception. Also, in 1 week from today, I’ll be going down to New Orleans for my bachelorette party! It’s hard to believe that our wedding is 29 days away! It seems like it was just yesterday when Matt proposed!

Tampa Shower

I flew down to Tampa last weekend for my shower. It turned out really great and everyone had a really nice time. I would also like to add that everyone was on their best behavior, which was a big relief for me! While I was in town, the girls and I were able to pick out their shoes and jewelry, so they are set! I just ordered my shoes today and elected to go for comfort, yeah!

Matt and I have both been very busy getting all the paperwork finished. In less than one week we took our blood test, applied for our marriage license (which we can pick-up Friday), ordered our passports, and met with the priest to go over the ceremony order. We have also started addressing invitations which is a bigger process than I originally thought. I also never understood why everyone suggests getting extra envelopes until now!

As of today, Matt and I are at the 2 month mark/count down! I’m sure these last two months are going to fly by and the big day will be here before we know it!

My Birthday and CEE Weekend

WOW! I don’t even know where to start! Things have been so crazy and busy over the past few weeks. To start, I have turned 30 and love it! I’m a firm believer that you are only as old as you feel and act for that matter, so I think I’m pretty safe for awhile.

As far as wedding stuff goes…we have booked a DJ finally, which is the last of the bookings that we needed to do! We have got our favors in and just have to put them together at some point in time. We purchased the rest of our attendant’s gifts which should be arriving today. We ordered invitations which should be coming in tomorrow depending on the weather! Finally, we picked out tuxes this weekend! What a relief to get all of these things done!

Matt and I had to attend a Catholic Engagement Encounters Weekend as part of our per-marriage counseling. So this past weekend we made the trip down to Jackson and spent the weekend listening, writing, and discussing. The great part is that Matt and I passed with flying colors (so we say) because we had previously discussed 98% of the presented topics. It was nice to revisit the topics and make sure that we were still on the same page!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The two week Christmas break was very nice and well needed! For the first week, Matt and I went down to Jackson to spend some time with Matt’s mom before making our way to Meridian to see the reset of the family. Besides eating too much, the week was relatively stress free which is always a plus! The second week we were back in Starkville, where we spent New Year’s Eve and had a lovely dinner with great friends!

Throughout last week Matt and I were able to accomplish tons of wedding stuff! From arranging the transportation to getting reception items in to ordering our cake at 930 in the morning! We were disappointed that we did not get to taste the cake, however very pleased that we were able to get what we wanted without going that far over budget! We were even able to get our Starkville shower scheduled around b-ball! Way to go team!

It’s hard to believe that it's already 2009 and the wedding is less than 4 months away! I’m sure the time will fly by, but I will do my best to keep everyone updated!

Thanksgiving Trip and Exciting News

We went down to Tampa for Thanksgiving this year and had a really nice time, well most of the time. We really didn't get to do all of the wedding things we had planned thanks to a certain professor who had Matt sitting in the back of the car while I was inside spending a few hours with family…I’m not bitter or anything. However, I feel that Ashlee has forgiven me and I hope to be able to make it up to her in February. That’s right! I’ll be back in Tampa because Julie, Tracy and I were finally able to set a date for the shower that will be held down in Tampa!

I'm also currently looking at DJ's for the wedding reception. If you can recommend anyone, feel free to drop me a line!

Exciting news about Matthew! He successfully defended his thesis last Friday and is waiting for minimal corrections to begin the submission process to the library. He took his last final yesterday morning! Also, he signed an offer letter for temporary employment until his research position is posted and goes through! DOUBLE YEAH!!!

Honeymoon Booked

Last week was a very busy week for us! As many of you know, I have changed jobs and took an extra long weekend between jobs! During that time, I was able to book our honeymoon! We are officially going to an all inclusive resort in the Mayan Riviera of Mexico! We have heard lots of wonderful things about this resort and we are very lucky to have booked a room with a balcony overlooking the gulf! We are both very excited and looking forward to seeing the sights and relaxing!

Also, my last day at CCS (my old job) Matt was able to come over and have lunch with me. We planned to go to Jubilation's to taste test cheesecake for his groom’s cake. All I can say is Yummy! Yummy! And that we found one that was delicious! That was a hard day, glad it’s over! haha!

The Wedding Party

Julie - My Maid of Honor and my oldest friend. We met in 5th grade at Mitchell Elementary School. She has really kept me on track and been a blessing to help me get things ready for the wedding!

Tracy – My Bridesmaid, former roommate and the reason how I ended up in Mississippi. We went to high school together, but really became friends in junior college then came to MSU together. She keeps me laughing and I will be putting her to work soon!

Ashlee – My Bridesmaid and oldest niece. The child I would carry around when she was first born and call her mine. The young lady who still acts more like me then her mother at times!

Kayleigh Ann – Our Flower Girl and former little Miss Sweet Potato. I was in her parents wedding, her mother is a close friend, and her father will be an usher in our wedding.

Josh – Matt’s Best man and older brother. Let’s just say that you would want him on your side!

Wes – Matt’s Groomsman and college friend. All I have to say is that we spent some long nights and great times at The Grill!

Jamie – Matt’s groomsman and my oldest nephew. I worry about this young man, little mister trouble maker who loves his bb guns!

Ethan – Our Ring bearer and Matt’s nephew. The little heart breaker who loves his books that Uncle Matt and Aunt Monica gave him!