single-hand countdown!

I can count.  On one hand.  The number of days until our wedding.   !!!!!!!!!

Yep!  You read that right.  5.  Freaking.  Days!

Let's all just keep our fingers crossed that even though weather.com has said there will be a "couple thunderstorms" on June 1 for the past 5 days, that it is wrong.  Ain't nobody got time for rain on your wedding day!  This girl does NOT care about the luck ;)  I care much more about not ruining my dress on the wet ground during outdoor pictures!

We are in the homestretch with all of our details.  It still feels like there is a ton to do, but we are making some progress!  Earlier this weekend I finished up our programs!  I bruised my freaking hand using the single hole punch trying to punch through 4 sheets of cardboard over 300 times.  So that was fun times.  Overall, though, I am pretty happy with the result!

Last night, I made our "guestbook."  I have been going back and forth on what I wanted to do for a guestbook.  We have a shutterfly photobook from our photographers, which was my original plan, but when I saw it, I decided I didn't want people writing all over it.  Then I was going to look for a big frame with a large mat to have people sign, but when I was at the store, I thought of something I had seen on pinterest and changed my mind again!

I had the fiance take the labels off of 6 old wine bottles that we had been saving for a rainy day.  Then I hand-wrote some labels for 6 different anniversaries - 1, 5, 10, 20, 35, and 50.  There is a frame that says "please leave us a note to open on one of our future anniversaries."  We will leave some silver sharpies and colored paper so that people can write out little messages and chose an anniversary to leave it in.  The bottles say "best opened on June 1 [corresponding anniversary year]...vintage 2013"  (the vintage 2013 was Dan's request...)  Then I wrote a monogram with our initials.  I have horrible handwriting, so these are far from perfect, but I am happy with them!  I think it will be super cute to have people decide which year they want us to read a message.  It will be so sweet to open them on later anniversaries and remember who shared our day with us!

In other news - I have been trying to break my shoes in.  I never wear heels, so the balls of my feet start to hurt, but for the most part, they don't hurt TOOOOOO bad.  No blisters, yet ;)

11 days and counting

I can really barely believe there are only 11 days until Dan and I are married.  When we got engaged, 14 months seemed like such a long time to wait for our wedding, but the last 14 months have FLOWN by.  Currently, I am understanding why people always say that they are just ready for the planning and wedding to be over.  It seems as though each time I cross something off my "to-do list," I add something else.  There are so many details to finalize.  There are so many bills to pay.  There are so many "extras" to plan.  There is just SO. MUCH. STUFF.

But.  This is the one time I get to do this.  Until our kids our born, this will be THE happiest day  of my life.  I fell in love with Dan so long ago, and I really can't wait to finally be his wife.  He drives me absolutely crazy, but I wouldn't want anyone else to play that role.  Our wedding is something I have looked forward to for a LONG time, so I will not let the details make me resent it.  I will not allow myself to get angry or stressed about things that don't really matter.  I will enjoy the days leading up to the wedding, and I will enjoy OUR day. 

I can't wait to go get pampered on Thursday.  
I can't wait for my actual final dress fitting on Friday.  Seeing that dress actually FIT me will probably take my breath away :)  
I can't wait for our rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.  
I can't wait to go get my hair done and get ready with my best friends.  
I can't wait to put that dress on, get it tied up, and go see my dad and brothers for our "first look."  
I can't wait to see Dan for his "first look."  
I can't wait to spend some "romantic" time taking gorgeous pictures of us.  
I can't wait to stand there with my dad.  
I can't wait to walk down the aisle.  
I can't wait to see Dan's face as I do.
I can't wait to say our vows.
I can't wait until he puts that band on my hand.
I can't wait until I get to put his on.
I can't wait for our first kiss.
I can't wait for all of the fun wedding party pictures.
I can't wait to be introduced as "Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cleinmark."
I can't wait to hear the toasts.
I can't wait to cut our cake.
I can't wait to eat that delicious cake!
I can't wait for our first dance.
I can't wait to dance with my daddy.
I can't wait to dance with my girls!
I can't wait to hug our family and friends.

So even though it is stressful and money is tight, I won't let any of that get in the way of my excitement and make me wish time would hurry.  I want to enjoy every minute of this.

I can't wait to marry my best friend.

school...wedding...school...wedding...

Year one is a wrap!  (Almost.)  After I finish my prac hours tomorrow, I will officially be DONE-ZO with second semester!  It seems like school just began, so it is hard to believe I am here already.  We have a summer class this year and two classes in the fall (along with prac and thesis hours), and I will have my MA in Clinical Child Psych.  Woot!  Beginning next spring, we will begin our specialist degree program, which will include 3 more classes in the spring (with thesis and prac hours) and a summer class before beginning our internship year for the 3rd year.  If this year is any indication, it is going to fly by!  It has definitely been challenging, and it will continue to be A LOT of work, but it is exciting to know that I am getting a ton of wonderful experience and that I will be prepared to be an amazing school psych, when the time comes!

On the wedding front - Dan and I are wishing we eloped.  He is pretty convinced that any couples that can actually make it through wedding planning should have no trouble staying married!  There has just been way too much unnecessary stress, which is really frustrating.  Planning the rehearsal dinner was more difficult than planning the reception due to disagreements about the guest list and just not being heard when we expressed our opinion on food, etc.  Thankfully it is worked out, and we will be able to catch up with all the people that we really want to spend extra time with at the rehearsal.

RSVPs are the next stressor.  1 - how hard is it to FREAKING MAIL an RSVP that WE STAMPED for you?!  I don't even want to add up how much money we legitimately WASTED on that.  Plus, we had invites go MIA, so it has just been a mess!  And then you have the people who RSVP that they are coming, along with people NOT ON THE INVITATION.  Are. You. Kidding. Me. ????  It is unbelievable how RUDE people can be.  Here's the thing.  Dan and I want to get married.  We want to celebrate with those we love, but to say that your kid's significant other is coming is so absolutely ridiculous.  I can't wrap my head around it.  I will never be that person.  Making that promise now.  I will NEVER force my children to invite people to a wedding, and I will NEVER RSVP to a wedding with more people than included on the invite.  For multiple reasons...1 - space!  There are limitations to how many people can fit in a room, people! and 2 - those getting married should not be required to pay  A LOT of money for people they don't even KNOW to eat and drink.  It is just rude, people.  RUDE.

I hate that I have so much to complain about in regards to the wedding.  It should be only happy, but I guess sometimes people just like to make things difficult, and we just have to roll with it.

In other news - my bachelorette party is SATURDAY!  I am very excited about this!  My bridesmaids have been so great to me.  They put up with my venting sessions, and they still love me!  There will definitely be pictures :)

The following weekend, I have my second fitting for my dress.  I am super nervous about this because a different seamstress took my measurements than is doing the work -- eek.  Also, I have lost probably about 10 lbs since the first fitting.  Fingers crossed that it fits, y'all!

We are also beginning to finalize everything!  We are working on music with the DJ, paying off some stuff (ouch), getting transportation figured out.  It isn't the most fun stuff, but I guess it all needs done ;).  Next step is figuring out a seating plan and getting our program put together.  I also need to start writing names on all of the escort cards.  blah blah blah.

Hopefully I don't go crazy after the bachelorette party.  It is the last really fun wedding thing before the wedding, so hopefully it is close enough that I will still be excited about getting married!  haha!

Also.  Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep my mouth closed so that I don't ruin any relationships...