Tis the season!

I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving! Where has the time gone? I absolutely LOVE the holidays & love them even more because L will be able to spend them with me, finally.  

L will be here on Tuesday and I'm sooo looking forward to that.  My cousin and I are going to attempt to bake these cake pops that I found on Bakerella's site.  They're turkeys!! Looks so fun.  So my cousin and I are going to do that with little LS and then if it works properly, we are going to bake the real thing on Wednesday with both LS and SC.  

I have to work on Wednesday- boo! If Tuesday's turkey cake pops go well, then I will be baking them for Thursday.  SC is out of school on Thanksgiving break, so she will be able to help us. Wednesday evening, L and I are going out with a married couple that we are close with and seeing Twilight: New Moon.  I am soooo excited.  I have wanted to see this movie so bad & now I get to. It's going to be so good, I can't contain myself!!

This year, like any other year, we are doing lunch in STW with mom's side an dinner with dad's side back home.  L and I are going to try and go camping after dinner- but I don't know if we'll make it.  

Wedding Planning. Shmedding Planning.

So far everything about wedding planning has been miserable.  Okay, well not everything-- but damn near.  I was told it was supposed to be so much fun and the time of my life.  It has actually turned out to be an awful experience.  I don't know if it's because my mother has completely taken over or if I'm just really not that into it.  Don't get me wrong-- I've always wanted to be the princess and have a huge wedding, but I'm just having a really hard time getting into it. I don't know, I better get into it because wedding countdown is like 186 days away. Oye vay. That makes me flustered.  I still don't even have a dress. Ahhhhh.

I know it isn't just my mom that's like this, so are there any other past or present brides that have mothers out there that are absolutely driving them crazy?! My mother is making me want to elope.  

Background info:  My mother is "Presbyterian" and my father & myself are Catholic.  I use quotes to describe my mother's religious beliefs because her church is Presbyterian but she attended a Methodist church for almost twenty years.  So I'm not sure what she is.  Let's just call her Non-Denominational.  Moving on, I'm not a practicing Catholic, per  se.  I am definitely Catholic though.  I went to private Catholic parochial school from Kindergarten until 8th grade.  I went to Mass every Sunday from the time I was an infant until the Sunday before my high school graduation.  I stopped going to Mass to solely spite my father.  I consider myself Catholic and I have completed all of the Sacraments to date.  With this being said, my mother is basically an anti-Catholic person.  I'm not entirely sure how she could be this way-- seeing as her husband and daughters are Catholic, but whatever.  She is 150% AGAINST having a Catholic wedding.  My dad, the person PAYING for the wedding, would like for me to have a Catholic wedding.  She has completely made her opinion crystal clear that she does NOT want me to have a Catholic wedding.  This puts me in such an awkward position.  Dad's paying; Mom's planning.  What's a girl to do?! The advice that I have received so far is that it's MY wedding day and I can choose whichever ceremony type I wish.  I have chosen a Catholic ceremony.  To please my mother-- I have opted to not have a full Mass.  I feel her getting pissed off at me as I type this.

My bridesmaid issue that I posted about earlier.  I think I've just decided that I'm not going to tell her she's NOT a bridesmaid-- but I'm also not going to tell her she is one, anymore.  We haven't spoken in nearly a week.  She is so like that anyways, very scattered, very..."I talk to you when I need/want something.."  Therefore, I feel no obligation.  It will be much better this way anyways.  I am looking forward to Christmas break when my cousins will be in town. We will be able to go look at bridesmaid dresses-- very exciting.  Then I can go with my MOH (my sister) and one of my other bridesmaids will just have to get hers whenever she can.  And I can personally go with my last bridesmaid.

Wedding stuff makes me want to go: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Tendonitis + Netflix = Not a bad day after all.

Let's backtrack.  It was when I was a sophomore in high school I got in a wreck on the way home from school.  I was riding with my then-best friend and her boyfriend.  We were in a five car pileup crossing the bridge. Before anyone gets too concerned, it wasn't bad at all.  As all fender-benders happen, someone stopped suddenly and then one car rear ends another and it's a domino effect.  I felt a jilt in my body - but at the time I was thinking that was perfectly normal.  I went on with my day and went to the mall with my friend.  Um fast forward a couple of weeks and I come down with strep throat. I head off to the doctor to get some antibiotics. She noticed that I had been favoring my shoulder -- she did her strep test (which came out positive, by the way) and then she sent me to a different doctor to have my shoulder checked out.  After having an examination full of manipulation... my diagnosis was as follows: deltoid tendonitis.  For those of us who aren't  in the medical field, your deltoid muscles sit on your back and are your shoulders muscles, basically.  Well, because of that wreck I now have tendonitis.  I thought that it was pretty weird because every since the wreck I haven't had a single problem with it - until now.  I am in such an immense amount of pain... it's ridiculous.  It hurts to breathe in or even lift my arm. 

Now, Netflix.  I'm sitting here on the couch with little LS running around in a tutu - pictures will ensue. I am using my parents Netflix account.  (Good thing my mom has the same password for EVERYTHING) My favorite thing to watch on Netflix is Law & Order: SVU.  I am obsessed.  Seriously obsessed.  I could watch these episodes all day every day.  Okay, maybe not all day - but definitely a lot.  I don't even care if they're a re-run. I love that they can stream to a PS3, XBOX, or even my MacBook!

Holidays:

I can't believe Halloween is already over and Thanksgiving is around the corner.  How is it that the year is almost over, again?! This time has been flying.  I will have to keep this in my head when L deploys.  If this year has flown by so fast - so will the next year. This is the first time that L will be able to spend the holidays with us.  His family has all these trips planned and he has opted not to go. So I'm very excited that we will be together.  However, the holidays mean FAMILY OVERDOSE.  I don't know how I will be able to handle it. I never have a Christmas list.  Everyone always has these huge Christmas lists.  I always ask for the same thing - money! I feel like I need to get L a couple of gifts because he won't be getting to open them with his family.   Maybe I can get him some stocking stuffers and some matching PJs or something fun! I am looking forward to really shopping this time. 

That is all, for now.

I'd like to end with a picture of my love, L.  He's flying an SH-60, I think? In San Diego.

confessions.

so, I must confess. I spent $2.99 on the blogpress app so that I am able to blog from my iPhone whenever I need to. I don't have auto-capitalization on so you must excuse my lack of proper capitalization and possibly grammatical errors. anyways, I sit here...thinking that I need to blog - but once I start, I have nothing to say. pretty typical!


first things first. I walk in this morning to see LS and from a distance it looks like she has a huge bruise smack in the middle of her forehead. I get closer and it appears to be a rug burn. I shout for KP (her mother) she mentions that her sister, SC, drug her around on her forehead throughout the entire house. I have to admit, I chucked. and mid giggle - she stopped me with a serious face saying that this was a pretty serious situation. I urged her to elaborate. she began to telle that SC grabbed her sister's feet, started to drag her around the house - insert problem here - LS wasn't enjoying it, at all. in fact, she was screaming bloody murder and KP had to literally peel LS's little toddler feet out of SC's hands to relieve LS. KP ended up spanking SC. something she's never done in SC's life. but her rationality, in which I totally agree with, is that if you deliberately cause someone pain your punishment should be pain. a tear for a tear; an eye for an eye. in moderation of course.


so this leads me to my current issue: what to do if something like this occurs. I've cleared it with KP that I do not, under any circumstances, feel comfortable spanking or being physical with the girls. and so my next solution would be to just put her in timeout & then leave it for when KP returns home from work. SC is only 6 years old. and while, yes she does understand right from wrong - will she have a total understanding & learning experience if I leave the punishment for whenever her parents return home? I'm
very conflicted because something like this should never happen & when it does, it should be handled immediately. picture of LS and her battle wounds from said dragging.













on to more positive things! I took little zooey to the bark park a few days ago and it went wonderfully! for those of you who know zooey or even know dachshunds...you know that there's a whole lot of bark, not so much bite. however, sometimes there could be some bite - well, I was terrified that she would bark and bark and...well, bark some more! so, we arrive at the bark park and to my delight, there's a lady with three dachshunds. and OF COURSE she would have to keep one of them on their leash. but zooey was perfect and she only barked a few times. she was actually more interested in going over to the side with the big dogs & playing with them. I had to explain to her that she would get her tail beat...pun intended. she did meet her twin tho! I kid you not, they were mirror images of each other. that first picture is zooey and second picture is sugar and the dog in the background was one of her babies.














- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Houston, We have a problem!

Well, I have a problem. I'm sure all past, present, and future brides will have this problem... The "friend" that thinks she's entitled to being a bridesmaid. First of all, that's rude and I'm not really sure where this feeling of entitlement comes from. But of all my friends, I've never felt entitled to be their bridesmaids. Maybe it's because I don't really care for it much - but it's just really rude to me those friends that are like "I better be a bridesmaid!" What am I supposed to say to that? Well, too bad you aren't going to be one? I mean, don't get me wrong, I may be the one of the most straight forward people you ever come in contact with... but when it comes to confrontation like THIS, I cower. Anyways, does anyone have advice as to how I can explain to someone that they are not going to be in my bridal party? I guess first I should elaborate.

This friend of mine has been in and out of my life since I was in the second grade. Now, let me explain even more. She actually started out being my sister's friend. Seeing as they were the same age, grade, etc. Well, somehow we ended up becoming closer than her and my sister were and became best friends. There was a time when we were super close and the best of friends. We went to our small Catholic parochial school together from 2nd until 8th grade. Then I switched to a public high school - thus later on she did the same. We were close there as well. Upon her graduation, we pretty much lost contact. Every now and then she would pop into my life and pop out. I always loved her very much & felt that we were always close. But her inconsistency in my life was starting to take its toll. I can't remember but over the next four or five years she did a lot, and I do mean a lot, of questionable things. Something happened to her and she began making choices that I not only disagreed with - but I flat out would have never associated myself with if she had not already been a friend of mine. Does this make sense? In our time apart - she got married, to someone she says she married SOLELY for him to get more housing allowance ( he was enlisted in the Army) and to get health insurance (she claims to have horrible health and was in need of health insurance due to her lack of money AND college enrollment). Well, when we 'reunited' she claimed she was engaged - I was very happy for her, of course. But as I previously stated, she was already married. Lied. I cannot stand lying. Not only did she lie to ME about marriage, but she was lying to everyone else. She actually was STILL dating/living with her high school boyfriend out in another state. She would tell him she was going home to visit family for a month but in turn she went off to the army post to visit her 'husband' and see him off for deployment. Right there - plain and simple should be the reason why I don't want her to be a part of my wedding. Someone who has such disregard for the Sacrament of marriage. They have since divorced and she has since broken up with high school boyfriend.

I can't even remember everything else that falls between high school graduation and present day. However, she has again started with the questionable behavior. I just cannot have someone like that in my bridal party. Now, I'm not saying that because she's divorced ** she can't be in my wedding. But I am saying that someone who doesn't value the concept of marriage, at all, does not need to be IN a wedding. See my point? It's like why do they want to be in a wedding if they don't believe in the concept? Probably a self-esteem issue. I'm not sure. Am I doing the ring thing? The worst part of all of this is that growing up and not too long ago, we were discussing my upcoming nuptials, as it's inevitable to marry Mr. Perfect, I did at one point say she would be a bridesmaid. But I thought she was past all of that poor behavior. Basically, I am asking, how do you UN-TELL someone they're going to be a bridesmaid? Am I secretly hoping that she will stumble upon this blog that she does not know about? No, not at all. I am not that much of a coward. I plan on telling her straight out. YOU. ARE. NOT. IN. MY. WEDDING. But I just don't know when. Maybe I should wait until I have a ring on my finger.

November 4, 2009

The Starter Wife

So, I’ve been reading all of these blogs lately. It’s so great how clicking on one blog leads you to a new blog and that one leads you to another one. I absolutely love it. Anyways, my point is that all of these blogs that I’ve been reading lately are about women who are married. Some have been married for a few years and some are newlyweds. I haven’t yet stumbled upon anyone that’s been married for more than three years. However, reading their blogs about marriage has really given me some insight AND comfort for knowing what’s coming for me in six months. Wow… SIX months.

I want to be a good wife — well I’ve always wanted to be a “good” wife per se. I mean, who goes into marriage saying/thinking “I want to be a terrible wife?” What I really mean is that I really want to go that ‘extra mile’ if you will, to be a good wife. I want to cook dinner and have it ready by the time he’s home from work and I want to have the house clean for him when he gets home and I want to snuggle up together on the couch watching his shows (and then mine after). I’m so excited for this next step in life. Since I’m not going to have a full-time job, I feel like it’s only right that I take care of the household, right? I’m so excited.

I’ve also taken notes of all these ideas that these women have recommended for things to do. One of the things that sticks out in my mind the most (I’m not looking at my notes) is to try to save money at the grocery store. She said that the thing she read told her to try and only spend $30 a week at the grocery store. Well, I’m not all about eating pasta aka ramen noodles and tuna all the time… so I may go with something like $75 a week or something. One important thing is that I’m going to clip coupons. There’s no reason why anyone should have to pay full price for anything these days. Signing up for these sites to get coupons emailed once or twice a week is totally worth it. I will probably create a “coupon-only” email address so that I am not inundated with junk. On an epsiode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 circa the happier days, Kate went to the grocery store and spend something like $350 but used so many great coupons and specials that her total was down to around $275, that is definitely worth it. I love good deals:)

All in all, I’ve very excited to get married and start my life as a wife. However, I am not looking forward to all the planning details that I have to do right now. Moving on…

Work is good. I’m still loving it. I absolutely love working with the girls. They’re so sweet, but unfortunately they’re going through something really hard. I feel for them. Well, I don’t feel-feel for them, seeing as I’ve never gone through it — but I definitely do want to be there for them and comfort them in every way possible. Programming is going well too. Our product is almost ready to be launched and I’m looking forward to that too. I am not looking forward to leaving the girls in six or seven months. It’s not something that I want to do… and I wish Logan could ask for an extension on flight school, but that would be the unselfish-selfish thing for me to ask of him. Moving on is what I’m supposed to be doing; taking the next step in my life is what I’m supposed to be doing. I will just miss those girls so much.

November 1, 2009

So here I am, sitting here at 8PM and I feel like it’s like 10PM. I really do love daylight savings time… when it’s fall back & not spring forward. Anyways, let’s recap the last few weeks.

L booked himself a flight home for Thursday October 29, 2009. Unfortunately the weather had been so awful in both Houston and Tulsa that his flight was super delayed… by almost five hours. He got in at like 12:30AM on Friday. Ew. But we came home and chatted and then fell asleep.

Friday I had to work and I brought LS home so we could spend time with L. I took her home at 3:30 and then met L and my mom at Harwelden to show him the wedding venue. I am so lucky to have him because I had already put the deposit down without L even seeing it. He got there and we looked around for about thirty minutes and he said he liked it and approved of it all. Thank gosh:) My mom wanted us to stand together to figure out where we should have the ceremony… I felt like that would jinx us, so only one of us stood there. Ha. After that, L and I headed down to TU to visit my cousin. She’s a freshman on the woman’s tennis team. I wanted to check out her dorm and catch up with her. We haven’t really gotten much time to talk since she moved into the dorm in August. Ah… then L and I were off to Fuji’s for sushi. Mmmmmmmm mmmmm good!! Sushi was amazing, as usual. But we ate so much. The two of us got like five rolls plus shrimp chips and crab cakes. Just thinking about it makes me very, very hungry for it. Maybe I’ll get it to-go tomorrow?

We came home on Friday night and watched my favorite movie, Tell No One. I have only seen it once, but read the book two or three times. Annoyingly enough, the movie was only in French therefore had subtitles. L isn’t a very good reader so I had to read them to him. Reading at night always makes me tired so I fell asleep… and so did he. That sushi was just so wonderful that we could barely stay awake.

Saturday (Halloween) morning rolls around and we always have a family breakfast. L couldn’t make it though because his grandparents were in town from Kansas so he went to breakfast with his family. So he spent about three or four hours with them and he came back and brought his precious dogs with him. I just love those little (big) girls… Diva and Daisy. They are both chocolate labs. We were hungry so we headed to our favorite bagel shop to grab some bagels… low and behold we drive all the way there and they were CLOSED. So we trucked it back to South Tulsa and got a phone call from my parents that they had a flat tire and needed us to pick them up in WEST Tulsa. So we did that and headed to the bark park, Biscuit Acres. The girls had a blast. There were so many dogs there. We counted six, SIX great danes. So amazingly beautiful. We also saw a chocolate Labradoodle. I just love dogs. L and I decided that we’d get a black lab and then later when he’s retired from the Navy, we will get a great dane.

We didn’t do anything for Halloween except we had Pei Wei (yum yum) and we went to see The Stepfather. It was pretty good, although it was very predictable. I am looking at buying a car since I sold mine and I had been looking at: Cadillac CTS, Volvo S40, Jetta, and Infiniti G37’s but I think I really like the new Toyota Camry’s. What the heck? Since when am I an old lady! Okay, I guess I’m not… the new ones are like super nice and luxurious.

Today we woke up at like 8 and had a bagel from our favorite bagel shop, finally!! Then we played some wii. We got hungry and had a late lunch at Los Cabos. Afterwards we went and looked at cars and came home and took a nap… well he took a nap. I watched the Premonition. It was good. Sadly, shortly after I had to take Logan to the airport at 6.

That was my weekend. It’s now 8:30PM. I’m off to get a snack and straighten my hair.

October 22, 2009

So I’ve started this particular blog, same title and all, about five times now. Each time I find something better to do. Now as I typed that I just thought of something better to do. But, I’m going to keep blogging or tumblr-ing? I don’t know. So let’s recap everything that has happened in the last twelve days. Most importantly, I haven’t freaking made ANY wedding progress. I know, I know, WTF?! Because I don’t know why I haven’t. That first week I did a lot of looking on the internet, but now I am in a standstill. Tomorrow I have to go put the deposit down on The Harwelden Mansion. Oh! Oh! One thing that I did make a decision on is the invitations. I’m going to sortof do it myself/order the pieces. I’m so excited. When I get one completed I will post a picture. They’re going to be VERY memorable. My grandpa had a gall bladder attack… and he had to have emergency surgery. So my mom had been staying with him for the last week and so that’s one of the main reasons why I haven’t made wedding progress. What else? Oh, L and I have been bitching at each other a lot lately. It’s so annoying because when we do that, it’s an every day occurrence. It takes almost a week or two for it to go away and by that point, we are both so exhausted from fighting. On the bright side, he’s coming home a week from today:) Thank gosh. I love when he comes home for holidays! (Halloween) Woohoo!! So, I’ve started a website, but I haven’t got it up and running yet. Obviously it’s going to take a little bit before I can get it running. I need to get a server, so much to do. Tomorrow I’m going to get sushi with a girlfriend, yum! It’s been a while since I’ve had sushi…. it’s way overdue. I’m too caught up with my site right now. So I’m going to go work on that.

Traitor.

I am a traitor. Indeed I am. I have been bouncing back between blogs and after much deliberation, I've chosen to use blogspot/blogger. I had been testing out tumblr but I don't like it as much. I am trying to make a cool trendy-looking blog. Unfortunately, I'm not so crazy on spending money to have a cool blog. One thing that frustrates me so much about this blog-making ordeal is that I am IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT!!! I know HTML and I know the coding. However, I do not have the time to sit here and mess with this jazz right now. Okay, so with that being said-- I'm going to bring in my posts from tumblr and delete it and ONLY use blogger from now on. They will be brought in separate posts.

Wow, it's Wednesday.

I can't believe it's already Wednesday. This week has definitely been a long one. Mostly because I have had the girls past seven every night so far, and on top of that I've been doing some programming for a couple of hours each night.

I really do love the girls, except today they threw temper tantrums like they were going out of style. One just cries and cries and tries to make you feel sorry for her and the other literally screams at the top of her lungs until I have no choice but to put them in timeout. Separately of course.

Ugh. WTF.

WTF.

That seems to be the theme of my life right now. WTF, for so many reasons.

I have this friend that I don't see frequently because she does not live close. But we caught up today and she has just changed. Changed completely. I wish I could say that I can't believe it... however, that wouldn't be the truth. I'm not surprised at all, she has always been on the verge of being 'that girl.' Ya know, the one that's rude to sales people, puts down EVERYONE around her, but still thinks that she's so wonderful? I just can't handle it anymore. I can't be faux like that. Okay, moving on before I get too flustered with her...

Second WTF.

L put a pass code on his phone last night while he had been drinking. He woke up this morning and couldn't remember the pass code. Seriously.... WTF. This drives me crazy. L called me and asked me to help him and I told him that he needed to restore his phone, as I tried to walk him through it, he started yammering away saying that he knew what he was doing, already had it done, and was fine. So we got off the phone and I went on my way. So, I go watch the OSU vs. Texas A&M game and I check my phone and I have all these emails from L saying that he couldn't do it. So I tried to tell him how to do it again... and I get more yammering. Annoying. Well, then he just tells me that it doesn't work. Okay, but it does. I know what I'm talking about, I've done it before... but he just won't listen. So... he's stuck in College Station, without a cell phone and I'm beyond annoyed. Now, I have no way to get ahold of him... my favorite.

Third WTF.

Can't find a wedding dress. Need I say more?

Whelmed. Is that a word?

Well, I am feeling a bit relieved. Last night I made my way to Barnes and Noble Bookstore and I got a ton, and I do mean a ton, of magazines... and also purchased a wedding planning/organization book. I sat down at the Starbucks and thumbed through every magazine. I've picked a color scheme, finally. I need to make my invitations and save the date cards. I'm not sure what I'm going to do though as far as those go. I might just end up getting them done professionally, but I'd love to do them myself. Hmmm... decisions, decisions.

I still need to find a dress. Oh my gosh. I have found a COUPLE that I don't hate. I just need to make time to go try them on and make the big purchase. I'm feeling overwhelmed again. WTF.

Stressed to the Max.

A number of things have changed this year. We will start with the order in which they happened. I sold my car. Yep, I finally parted with my precious Jeep Grand Cherokee. *Tear* Oh well. I'm looking for a new car and I can't decide between three cars: Cadillac CTS, Volvo S40, and an Infiniti G37. I'll probably complain about that many more times in this blog. Next...I got a new job. Well, I got ANOTHER job. I'm still in software development... but I am now working from home so I can do that at anytime that I want. Right now, I'm a nanny for a WONDERFUL family. They have two girls. Let's call them LS and SC, they are ages six and two and a half. I absolutely love it... though sometimes it tests my patience, I love those girls... and I'm going to be very sad to leave them next year. And lastly, I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!

After being in a relationship for five and half years, I know this is truly the right thing for me. We are on the same wavelength and we are so compatible... I realize everyone says this, but I know it's true. He and I have been through so many terrible obstacles and wonderful times together, that we KNEW, if we could get through those, we could get through anything together. I love him so much & I can't wait to officially be his wife and spend the rest of my life with him. He's truly my best friend and my soulmate.

I've decided that I'm going to blog about lots of different things... but highlights would be wedding planning (the actual ceremony and reception), pre-wedding preparations and then married life.

So far, L and I have only had a couple of tiffs over wedding details. A few to name are: Catholic ceremony and dancing or no dancing. Well, those are the only two that come to mind. It's so silly when we look back. Of course we'd have a Catholic ceremony, I'm Catholic... he doesn't have a religion. He wants dancing and I'm not entirely for that idea, but I know that if he's compromising having a Catholic ceremony, we can have dancing.

As soon as I knew we were getting married, my mom and I set out to find a reception hall and place for the ceremony. It was a no brainer that I'd choose Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa. It's absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else and it's an absolutely gorgeous church.

Here's a picture of Holy Family Cathedral:

Now, for the reception hall, my mother and I started looking at popular mansions and venues in Tulsa and the greater Tulsa area. We looked at: The Harwelden Mansion (absolutely gorgeous), Chapel in the Woods (ghetto), Tarp Chapel (didn't like it), Sharp Chapel (University of Tulsa chapel located on campus, my parents were married there 32 years ago... too plain), Drescher Mansion (too expensive), McBernie Mansion (don't like the outside), and The Kennedy Mansion (not my cup of tea...). We decided that Harwelden Mansion was our place. We were told that we could get at least 150 for a reception so we were sold on that idea.

This is Harwelden Mansion:

Hopefully all 255 of my guests can fit in both of those places. Well, I know they can the cathedral, but Harwelden, I'm not sure. *Fingers Crossed*

People always say not too get too wrapped up in the wedding, but to remember that it's just a party and it's actually the marriage we should focus on. I'm trying to keep that in mind when I'm stressing out.

Wedding planning has been a bit tasking. I'm totally stressing out. My wedding planner has appointments for me to meet with caterers and florists this week. Tomorrow I'm going to look at dresses and on Thursday I'm going to go get bridal books and magazines.

As far as MOH and bridesmaids go... I've officially settled with: My sister as the Matron of Honor; and three of my cousins, who also happen to be some of my very best and closest friends, my God sister, and a long-long-long time friend as bridesmaids. My flower girl is going to be my sister's daughter, babyJ.

Best man and Groomsmen are: L's friends and fellow cadets from college. The ring bearer is going to be L's baby cousin! We are thrilled.

Honeymoon destinations are being discussed. We are thinking something beachy. Definitely all-inclusive. So it's either: The Cayman Islands, The Virgin Islands, Atlantis to the Bahamas, or Tahiti. I've been to all of those except for Tahiti. So we will try and find a 5 star resort and all-inclusive packages so we can book a honeymoon.

Wedding To Do List:

1) Pick Colors

2) Pick Flowers

3) Pick Foods

4) Pick Florists

5) Pick Caterers

6) Find Bridesmaid dresses

7) Find wedding dress.

8) Dress Accessories

Tons more things... but those are the top of my lists that I need to do within the next few months. Whew.

First Blog

I'm always thinking and talking about blogging and I never get around to it. Today I decided that I was going to blog, no excuses. Here I am, blogging away. Well, this isn't my first blog, EVER... but it is my first blog in a really long time. I've had several other blogs but none just about me and my life.

And well, I realized that if there are people reading my blog, which I highly doubt, then I should let them get to know me. So, I'm going to post some fun facts about myself. I'm a twenty something software developer that is semi-engaged to the man of my dreams. I know what you all are thinking... "semi-engaged" what is that?! Well- let me elaborate. We are engaged as far as... I love you, you love me, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But when it comes to the whole: down on one knee, a ring, and popping the question - we are missing that. Many of you are thinking to yourselves, "THAT is being engaged, not just knowing you both love each other." I completely agree. We both have picked our venue, date, and started interviewing caterers and florists and I've started to look at dresses. This all comes in stride because of two things: said man of my dreams is about to graduate college this May and take a commission as an Ensign in the US Navy. Shortly after, our wedding will be here and then we will move to Pensacola NAS so that L may attend flight school. Since the military is so scattered, I've got to plan for the future and get my dream wedding that I have always wanted. Some background on my lover and myself... We have been together for almost six years and we have known each other for eleven years. We grew up in the same neighborhood and have been friends for a really long time. We are best friends, very best friends. I absolutely love him. Below is L on the far left, with three classmates from his college. Pardon their 'drunk faces.'

I am currently software developing for my dad's company. About five or six years ago my dad and some of his fellow developers created a computer program, if you will, to hold information for adoption agencies. Short story, my sister and I are adopted from South Korea and we have been here since we were about 4 1/2 - 5 1/2 months old. My dad started this initial computer program as a donation packet for the adoption agency that my parents went through. Upon completion of that, many other adoption agencies got word of this wonderful software and propositioned to my father to purchase it from him. So now my job is to maintain and develop new reports and programs to better assist these adoption agencies. We have over twenty agencies nationwide. Also, I am nannying part time for these two precious little girls. Let's call them LS and SC. LS is two and a half and SC recently turned six. SC is in kindergarten everyday and I only see her on Monday and Tuesday's when I pick her up from school. I have LS all day every day Monday thru Friday. We do such fun things like baking cookies, rice crispy treats, cakes, and we go to the park, zoo, aquarium... everything! I love these girls so much. I wish them the world.

I have a miniature dachshund. She's black and tan. Her name is Zooey Elizabeth Bug (Bugelah - Yiddish) Burns. I am that crazy dog lady. She has clothes and sleeps in my bed with me every night. Since she's so small and her legs are so short - she has a ramp to get up into my bed. I love my little angel so much. I mean who gives their dog a first, middle, & last name? Not to mention a nick name is both Christian and Jewish versions. She's my sweet little girl - five years old and definitely not potty trained. That would be my little Bugelah and then my sister/grandpa's little dapple dachshund, Kya.

I have two horses... I love them. They're both geldings and one is an old man and the other is a youngster. Dan (the old one) is about 26 or 27 years old? In horse years that's old and in people years, that's even older. I think you multiply by 4? 108 years in people time? Not sure... Dakota is the youngster. He's fat, lazy, and a bit of a wild man. But he's beautiful in the summer when he's all slicked out. They're both Tennessee Walking Horses and they're two of my true loves. Unfortunately Dan has a growth in his esophagus and it will continue to grow until it blocks his throat completely and he suffocates to death. I realize this sounds totally morbid, but he's 27 years old and when that time comes, it will be his time to go. I am truly saddened by this - but he has given me 15+ great years with him... off to horsey heaven he will go. Dan on the left and Dakota on the right.

iPhones. iPods. MacBooks. Those are a very, very unhealthy love of mine. I stood in line on June 29, 2007 to buy the original iPhone. I stood in line on July 11, 2008 to buy the 3G and I pre-ordered the 3G S on June 19th. In between there, I've had at least 2 or 3 first generation iPhones, I had 3 3G's, and I've had 2 3G S's. I have three iPods and I've had two MacBook's within a short year time frame.

Another important aspect of my life and who I am is my family. I am extremely close to my family. I have a million aunts, uncles, and cousins - not to mention my wonderful parents & sister + niece, my grandparents are still living. My mom and I have our moments, but we are really close. We have had a number of random people tell us that our mother-daughter relationship is one of a kind. My dad is a wonderful man... he's seriously amazing. There is nothing that man wouldn't do for his family. My sister and I weren't close at all as children but ever since we got older we have become very close, I like it. I loooooove my cousins. They are like sisters to me & my best friends. We talk every day and love getting together when everyone is in town. My grandparents are amazing individuals and each of them have been married for over 50 years and are a true testament of true love and the sacrament of marriage. My beautiful niece. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of my sister, dad, mom, etc on my iPhoto. Bad daughter/sister!!