Selected journal entries from during the engagement...

My life will finally be complete on Saturday, January 8, 2000.  There is nothing I want more than to marry Paul.  It just seems so right.  He is my best friend.   I love who I am because of him.  We've been though thick and thin in our 7+ years together, and I'm looking forward to growing old with him.  He has taught me so much about computers, physics, and life.  He's been by my side for all the greatest times in my life so far, and he's been there during the worst time in my life.  I can't think of anything worse than the death of my mother; and I have no idea how I could have gotten through it without Paul.  I know he'll be a great husband and father.   I can't wait....

The past few months have been amazing.  Every little girl dreams of her wedding to a fairytale Prince, but she never thinks about all the little details that go along with that fairytale wedding.

Paul and I decided in late April that January 8th was gonna be the magic day.  I knew that we needed to reserve a place for the ceremony and reception ASAP considering we had only 8 months until the wedding.  I was already in a panic.  Everything I had read in books and on the Internet said that we should have had our sites chosen and reserved 4 months earlier!!  Fortunately, I found the Vista Optimist Club within a week or so.  Paul's reaction to it was the same as mine: love at first sight.  Paul really wanted to have the ceremony on the front lawn, and when it became clear that finding a actual church-type building was not going to be feasible, the choice was obvious.

Finding a caterer was just as easy.  Our friends, David and Kimberly got married on Memorial Day weekend.  We had heard great things about their caterer, Ranch Catering, and when I was talking with Kimberly two weeks before their wedding I realized I had been to another wedding done by Ranch.  I had told my mother during that wedding that if I could have something like the spread we were enjoying, I would be thrilled.

Paul and I, along with Tom, Jeanne, and my dad went to try the fare at Ranch on May 21st.  We tried everything on the menu we were looking at.  (Can you say 16 types of entrees?)  Several types of salads and side dishes, plus CAKES!  We had a ball.  There was no contest, Ranch would be our caterer.  Paul and I went back 3 weeks later to sign a contract and taste more cakes.  Oooh boy, it was fun!   Our cake will have 3 layers, and 3 flavors.  (You'll have to wait to find out what they are...)

After getting those two big things taken care of, I pretty much stopped looking for things.  Paul needed some time to get used to the idea of having an actual wedding date, and then needed to buy the ring.  (See Groom's Corner)  We had agreed not to tell anyone other than immediate family (and David and Kimberly, because I needed someone to ask questions of...Kimberly was a great help) which was VERY hard.  I wanted to sing...to shout from the mountain tops that I was getting married to the most wonderful guy in the world!  But we wanted it to be official before we spread the good news.

Paul proposed to me on Sunday, June 13th.  It was kind of odd.  I knew he was going to propose at some point...but I honestly had no idea it would happen when it did.   I love my ring.  Paul had it made just for me.  See My Happiest Moment for the full story.

July 10, 1999:  There is no better feeling than to finally be able to seek out all the things for the wedding, like a real engaged person.  In the last month and a half, we've picked a photographer and a DJ, bought everything for our table centerpieces, bubbles, and some of our favors.  We still need a florist and a person to perform the ceremony.  I think I found a florist yesterday.  I've been fortunate to have lots of referrals from friends and other vendors (our photographer, Heidi Hopp, has been a great help.)

I start looking for my dress next weekend.  Lisa, my Maid of Honor is coming with me, to help, offer opinions and take pictures.  I can't wait!!!  I'm starting at David's Bridal.  They just brought out their Fall/Winter catalog, and I have fallen in love with one dress in particular.

Paul and I bought all our Bridal Party gifts last night.  We also spent 3 hours at the Hallmark store looking at 12 huge binders of invitations.  Paul put up with it very well.  I'm having such fun looking at all this stuff.  I've dreamed of being able to do this stuff, and now I can!

Saturday, July 17:  I bought my wedding dress today!!  Lisa and Jeanne were a great help.  Lisa brought cameras, a hand-held motorized fan, and a great attitude to David's Bridal.  She was great, hefting those heavy dresses over my head, having disappeared under them trying to find where my head would go in the first place. 

Tom and Jeanne came right down to the store when I called to explain that the dress that I had fallen in love with was a one-of-a-kind, discontinued style that could not be held for me.  Jeanne helped me see how alterations would look, and used her critical, experienced eye to assess whether the dress was *the one* for me.  It was.

Jeanne approved of my choice of veil, and bought that for me.  It's the first thing someone has bought for me for my wedding.  (well, except for my engagement ring...)

It was so exciting.  Now we just have to find the Bridesmaids dresses....

Sunday, July 25:   I've decided on the Bridesmaid's gowns.   All my girls liked the one Lisa helped me find.  Fortunately, the picture in the magazine is in the correct color, so it wasn't too hard to imagine the dress in "real life" (i.e. not on a perfect model with perfect make-up and lighting)   It could take as long as 18 weeks to get them in, though, so I have to order them this week.  (18 weeks from this weekend is the first week of December.)   Needless to say, I'm hoping that they come in closer to the 14 week side of the shipping range I was given.

Paul and I have decided on the invitations.  I'll probably order them this week, or by next weekend...once we solidify the wording. It will be nice to get all the pieces purchased at once.  I'm still looking around for the design of the programs.  I keep reminding myself that I need to have a clue as to what will happen during the ceremony before I can work up the program. <minor details>

We still don't have an officiant yet.  We have an appointment this Wednesday evening with our most highly recommended one.  There's a few others we're going to check out.  I know we need to find someone, but I'm not stressing yet.  I decided on a florist, so the last vendor we need is the officiant.  I'm feeling *almost* ahead of the game. 

I'm looking forward to our engagement photos.  We'll probably have them done in the last week of August.  Heidi says that the closer into Fall we wait, the better the sunsets at the beach will be.  But I want to have the announcement in the paper by October, so we need to get a move on...    <sheepish grin>   I'm on my second "tooth whitener" set.

I'm glad I've gotten so much done in the last month.  School is demanding more and more of my time, so I'm glad to not have so many MAJOR decisions to make.  I'm still having a ball, though...

Saturday, August 7:   Things are moving along swimmingly.   I've made our reservations at Walt Disney World.  We'll be staying at the Coronado Springs Resort Hotel.  Now I'm working with the travel agent(s) to find airfare and hotels in New York and Washington D.C.  I know, Paul is supposed to do this Honeymoon stuff, but I know if I left it to him, it wouldn't get done.  He hates planning stuff like this.

We still haven't ordered the invitations yet.  It's just down to a choice of font.   Everything else is set.  I still haven't a clue for the ceremony programs.   I figure I've got time still for them...

I found a florist.  She was highly recommended by the photographer.  It's a (I'm not kidding) shack on Mission Road out by the diary.  But inside, the place looks more like a flower market than a flower shop.  She had the most beautiful flowers and the best prices I'd seen.  Plus, I talked to a bride and her mother the day I went in to check the place out, and they couldn't stop singing the praises of this place.  I'm so glad to have that part taken care of.

We hired an officiant.  We went to meet her last week, and after 2 hours of talking about ourselves and why we want to get married (Oin was with us and was about to be sick from all the lovey-dovey talk going on) we decided that Lois was our gal.  She will meet with us as often as we wish, and is helping us look for a "engagement retreat" to go to before the wedding.  She is a reverend who felt her calling was not to "shepherd a flock" but to help individuals through teaching and by performing weddings and helping couples prepare mentally and spiritually for the commitment of marriage.

The engagement session will probably be in September, as will registering for things.   There's just so many birthdays and important SCA events in the next few weeks...   We'd rather put things off for a week or two so we can give them our full attention when we (finally) get around to them.  Plus, Heidi (our photographer) says the longer we wait, the better the sunsets will be.

Next up?  The guy's formal wear. 

Sunday, August 22:    Haven't done much in the last two weeks.  School has been really demanding.  We've decided on the stuff we're gonna use to decorate the aisle, but I'm having a hard time finding all the pieces in large enough quantities.  I'll find them eventually...

We still haven't ordered the invitations.  The font still needs to be decided.   Paul's been working such long hours at work (and working on the weekends too) that he's not much into working on wedding stuff when he gets home.  Thankfully, he will be done with everything and back to a 9-to-5 job (or something thereabouts) at the end of the month.  Ordering the invites will be first on the list once things get back to normal.

The formal wear for the guys will probably get pushed into October.  Not that Paul minds...

Saturday, August 28:    I ordered the invitations this week!!!  Paul and I decided on the font and a few last details.  It was really exciting to be working on the order form and actually talking to someone to order the invites.  It seems so final now.  I mean, yeah: I had my dress already, but actually ordering the invitations was a big step.  It's moved from Paul's and My party to incorporating everyone.  (does that make sense?)

I ordered a CD of wedding music and have picked the ceremony music.  We already had our recessional picked out, but had to work on the processionals.  There will be a separate processional for the bridal party, and then one for me.

I'm really looking forward to checking out registry stuff with Paul.  He's been good about this planning stuff, but there haven't been many things that he and I can do together.  We're finally getting into parts of the planning where he can be with me, helping and giving opinions.

I'm thinking more and more about the ceremony and what getting married means to me.  Sometimes I get all choked up just thinking about it.  I really am looking forward to our big day, and celebrating with all our friends and family, but there are definitely times when I'd be happy to run off to Las Vegas just so I could already be Paul's wife. 

I'm falling in love with him all over again, for so many more reasons than before.  I think that's why it's so great that we've been together for so long.  We know each other so well.  There's so many reasons why I not only love Paul, but I really like him too.  I'm thrilled to know that I'll have him as my husband for the rest of my life, but I'm quietly tickled that I'll have my best friend by my side too.

Monday, September 6:    The invitations came on Tuesday.  I was impressed with the 5 day turn-around.  But almost the entire order had to be redone.  There were some significant typos on the envelopes and the invitations themselves.  The company was really nice about it, (and quite flabbergasted at the errors) and had the replacements out to us on Friday.  So now I get to start addressing and figuring out how the heck to put these things together.   : )

Paul and I are going to check out registry stuff next weekend.  There's so may options in towels and china and stuff...we're gonna go check out the selection a bit before we go to register in two weeks, so we don't spend all day mulling over 4 million china patterns. <grin>

Monday, September 13:    What a weekend!  Paul and I joined Heidi, our photographer on the beach in Carlsbad on Saturday evening to take our engagement pictures.  We had a blast!  Heidi is so creative and fun to be with!   She did some close-up shots, some far away shots, some silhouette, and some fun ones with us in the water.  (She had to get in the water with us to get the pictures!)  Brrrrrr!  That water was COLD!  But the beach at sunset was a great backdrop for what will be (I'm sure) some very romantic pictures.  Paul and I are really looking forward to working with Heidi at the wedding.  She's such a fun person to be around, she makes us feel so relaxed.  We know our wedding photos are gonna turn out wonderfully!

On Saturday afternoon, Paul and I went to J.C. Penny to check out china patterns and other stuff to register for.  I'm glad we went ahead of time.  There were so many patterns to choose from, and Paul & I started out with some very different opinions about what we each wanted.  We were able to settle on one china and one crystal pattern, so it won't be so hard when we go register this Saturday.   We headed over to Target too so we could check out things like vacuums and coffee makers.  What a selection!  Who knew there were so many ways to suck kitty hair off the floor or brew the perfect cup of java...  (Built in water filters?!?)

On Sunday Oin joined us for an afternoon with my dad and grandmother.  I built them a new computer (I'm so proud of myself!!) so they could get on the Internet.  We set it up and did a little demonstration for them.  We all had a great time, and went out to a nice dinner.  I'm really glad that Paul gets along with my family so well.   It really warms my heart to see my grandmother hug him just like he's always been one of the family.  I'm really looking forward to officially joining our families, and to many years of Thanksgivings, Easters and Christmases (Christmasii?) together.

I'm going full steam ahead on all my craft type projects.  The favors are going to require a bit of work, but I can do it in stages, so it's easy to tackle one or two parts at a time.  The invitations loom in the near future, but I'm looking forward to getting them ready to send out.  There's lots to do, but as long as I stay on track, I'll have it all done well in advance.  (Yeah, Right!)

Sunday, September 26:    We got our engagement pictures this week!  They turned out really great.  It's going to be a tough choice to pick a picture for the announcement in the newspaper.

We had a blast registering last weekend.  I got really good with that little gun thing.  Shooting barcodes through display cases and at weird angles!!  Our registry consultant was impressed.  : )  It was really neat to be choosing the way we're going to decorate our life.  We were trying all sorts of different combinations of linens and things, and he was right there, choosing patterns and colors.  Even for a guy, he's got really good taste!  I can't wait to buy a house with him.  (Maybe we should have put that on the registry.  HA!)

I'm still plugging away at the favors.  My hands were speckled with green yesterday because I forgot to put on latex gloves before I started spray painting.    Oops!  Good thing I remembered to take off my ring!

Sunday, October 10:   The past two weeks have been interesting.  I've learned quite a bit about underpinnings and that marvelous contraption, the hoop skirt.  Lisa and I drove all the way up to Pasadena to a place called AlterYears so I could try on a hoopskirt with my dress.  It looks great!   So I bought it.  AlterYears was the only place I could try on a hoop skirt that was made to be my size before I had to buy it.  Other bridal salons were willing to order me a plus-sized hoop skirt, but I couldn't try it on, and wouldn't be able to return it if it didn't work.  Plus, I had no idea the difference between a 4-hoop and a 5-hoop skirt.  (20 inches to be precise)

I also got my longline bra in the mail.  I ordered it off the Internet and saved almost $40 from what I would have paid through one of the bridal salons.  I needed to try it on with my dress (and the hoop skirt) as soon as possible, so I went over to my brother's apartment (where my dress is staying right now) to get into the whole getup.   Problem was...  I needed help getting into the bra.  It totally fits and does it's job, but it's a two-man operation to get strapped into it.  But, after living with two women the house for so long, Oin was quite a trooper.  Actually, it was just snapping it up the back I needed help with. 

So with my satin slippers already bought, I've got just about everything for my outfit for the Big Day.  I'm still working on jewelry.

But since I was nearly finished with my outfit, we felt it was time to start playing dress-up with Paul.  We started at one tux shop in the mall.  Big Mistake.   16-year-old guys have no idea what the word "Traditional" means.   They asked Paul if he wanted the Zoot Suit like 4 times.  Plus, this first store had nothing to try on.  Tuxedos are picked out of a catalog and shipped in the week of the event.  Paul and I were floored.  How on earth are we supposed to pick the most important clothing Paul will ever wear without having him try it on?

The second tux shop we went to was much better.  We made a new friend in our consultant.  (Actually, we want to fix her up with Oin)  Courtney was fun to work with, and had a really great sense of style.  She set us up with an appointment early next week to come try on 2 different styles of tails in Paul's size.  If we don't like those, we can come back in a few days to try on a few more.  But the stuff Paul will try on will always be in his size.  No guesswork here.  Plus, they're running a great discount special that we can take advantage of.

With less than 3 months to go, things are really getting into full swing.  The invitations loom large on the horizon, as does writing the ceremony, and getting the programs written.  And there's still all the favors and decorations.  I've written out a list of everything that needs to get done step by step, so I can cross off steps as I complete them and feel like I'm getting something done.  : )  With school getting more and more demanding and Christmas coming up faster than I like to think about I'm gonna be very busy for the next few months.

Thursday, October 21:   My hands are gonna fall off!   The invitations are finally done, and ready to be mailed on Saturday.  I had no idea what an undertaking it would be to get them all ready.  Paul tried to help, but this apparently isn't a "guy thing."

With Oin's help last weekend, the painting of favors is almost done.  Then it's off to the more fun (dangerous) steps.  Whee!!  Jeanne turned out to be a genius at wrapping bubbles, so next time we go up to Menifee, Jeanne and I will finish wrapping the bubbles.  I have a friend coming down from Orange County this weekend to help me with some of the favors and decorations.  The projects are flying by with a little help from my friends.

Paul and I are going to start writing our ceremony next week.  We need to have it done soon so we can start fine tuning it with Lois, our officiant.  We also will be checking out limousines soon.  Since neither Paul or I have ridden in a limo, we can't wait to find our "prefect ride."

Tuesday, November 2:    The biggest project of the favors is done!  This weekend my Maid of Honor, Lisa and my good friend Erin came over to help me finish the project.  Paul took lots of pictures, and helped a bit.   It feels really good to have such a big project taken care of.  There's still plenty to do, though.

Respond cards are steadily flowing in.  Last week we got 6 in one day.  I hope we get them all before December 8.  I really don't want to have to call people, I think it would make everyone uncomfortable.  But I'm confident that everyone will send in their little card, whether or not they're able to attend the wedding.  So far we're up to 24 people.

Paul and I are in a wedding fashion show next weekend.  It should be a blast.   It will be held where we're having our big day, so it will be nice to see the place all decked out.  Maybe I'll get some ideas for how to set things up for the reception.  Plus, Paul gets to see me in wedding dresses.  He's *very* happy about that.

We haven't been able to start working on the ceremony or look for a limo.  School is becoming so demanding.  There's so much homework and so many projects.  I'm doing the best I can, but I'm glad that I have 3 weeks between graduation and the wedding.   I can get things done then if I have to.  I'm asking Santa for a couple of 28 hour days...maybe that will help!  No matter what, I'm having the time of my life!   I can't believe that in just over 2 months, I'm getting married!!!  I can't wait!

Friday, November 5:  Yeah!  I found a place to have my Bridal Shower!!  It's been quite a challenge.  No one involved in the wedding has a place that's big enough to have the shower in that's close to everyone.  I didn't want everyone to have to drive a long way, and since more than half of the people who will be invited live in Escondido or North County, I wanted to have the shower in Escondido if at all possible. 

I ended up taking Jeanne's (Paul's mom) advise and asked a few friends who have houses in Escondido if we could "borrow" their house.  As it turns out, my good friend from Charter High School, Michele has a wonderful mother.  Michele's mom, Jane is going to let us use her Beautiful house near Felicita Park!  I'm so happy that I don't have to worry about this anymore.  I know that Lisa (my Maid of Honor) is gonna do a fabulous job with some help from my friends.

Friday, November 12:    This has been quite a busy couple of days since I took my finals. I took my first deep breath in 2 weeks... it was nice! (Unfortunately, when my mouth was open to take that deep breath, the dentist molested my gums...wah!)

I booked a room for Paul and I on our wedding night at the Wyndham Emerald Plaza in Downtown San Diego. Our good friends David and Kimberly stayed there on their wedding night and highly recommended it.  David is the Best Man.

Oin and I scoped out limos today, and I made our reservation for that too. I've been having a very hard time finding a 6-passenger (the smallest kind) 1999 limo in black. (we don't like the "wedding white": black is much cooler) No one has a black one that wasn't already reserved!!  But I found a company that had GREAT rates and a "tuxedo" limo. It's black and white and looks so cool!!

Paul and I are going to continue working on the ceremony and hopefully go purchase his wedding ring on Saturday.  We're going to the jeweler who made my ring.  Paul thinks he wants a ring just like mine, but wider.  We'll see when we get there.

Time is beginning to run short.  It seems that there's something to do every weekend.  Between Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays coming up, we need all the time we can get to make sure everything gets done!

Sunday, November 14:    What a wonderful day!   Paul and I were models in a Bridal Fashion show at the Optimist Club.  There was a wonderful bridal fair, which included all but one of our vendors.  Paul and I had a great time.  It was really nice to have a "dry run" for our big day.   I got to practice walking in my hoop skirt, and Paul got to oogle me in a wedding gown. (which looked NOTHING like my real dress)

Tom, Jeanne and Oin came to the second fashion show of the day to see us in our finery and take some pictures.  They got to check out our site, and meet our officiant and our photographer.  Paul was thrilled that his parents finally got to meet Lois and Heidi.  All in all, we had a wonderful time. 

Sunday, November 26:    Lots of things have happened in the last two weeks.  We've found out that I need to have my gallbladder out before the wedding.  I'm meeting with the surgeon on Monday to find out when I'll be having my surgery.  I'm not looking forward to it, but the recovery isn't too awful, and if I have it soon, I'll be right as rain in time for the wedding.  I'm afraid there's no way to avoid something on the "wedding schedule" getting bumped or moved: the Family Luncheon or my Bridal Shower are the most likely targets.  I'll just have to see what the surgeon says.

Paul and I ordered his ring.  It's exactly the same as my wedding ring, only twice as thick.  We should be able to pick it up this week.  We'll take it to be engraved right after we pick it up.  I'll have to give up my engagement ring 3 or 4 days before the wedding to have it attached to my wedding ring and then have it engraved.   I'm bummed, but there's not much I can do about it.

I went to my dress fitting last weekend.  They pinned and pulled and tucked all over the place.  The bustle (a method for bringing up the train and spreading it across the hips to make it possible to walk and dance without tripping over or stepping on the dress) is beautiful.  Lisa (my Maid of Honor) will go with me to my second appointment on December 18th to learn how to "bustle" my dress.  If any further alterations need to be done, they'll pin them up during that appointment.   Either way, the dress stays in the alterations shop where it will be steamed the day before we pick it up.  (I'll probably ask Paul's dad, Tom to pick it up and deliver it to the Optimist Club the day of the wedding.)

The honeymoon has been booked.  We had quite a scare when we realized that the travel agent who had a copy of our itinerary since August hadn't done a single thing!!!   I sat down with a different travel agent and in 3 hours found and booked air and train passage for the entire trip.  We even found a reasonably priced (Ha!) hotel in New York City.  The grand total was about what we expected, so everything worked out fine.  I had done some research before going in, so I know we got a good deal.   But we nearly had heart attacks contemplating booking our flights during the holiday season.

The ceremony is still being worked on, but hopefully will be finished very soon.   I need to start working on more of the craft-type projects, but I think they can wait 3 more weeks until after I graduate.

Tuesday, November 30:    Well, I'm having my operation tomorrow at 2:00.  I'll be home the next day, but won't be up and around for a few days.  So unfortunately, the Family Luncheon has been canceled.  We'll have a big family get-together once we come home from our honeymoon to share photos and stories.

I'm hoping that Paul and I can get the ceremony written while I'm laid up in bed.   We've got to get that finished so we can start working on it with our officiant, and so I can get going on the programs.  We need to finalize our music too.  I'm not so sure I like the choices we've made already...

I can't believe we've got barely more than a month until the wedding.  I'm not nervous, I'm just realizing how much there is left to do.  But there will be time to sleep after the honeymoon, right?

Saturday, December 4:    Recuperating from surgery isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  I feel terrible.  Everything is on hold until I start to feel better.  For now it's laying quietly on my back, and not much else.  Hopefully I'll feel better soon.

I'm supposed to go to back to school on Monday, but I'm not sure I'll be up to it.   I'll have to see when I get back if I've missed too much of my last 5 weeks.   I may have to repeat this last MOD in February.  It's frustrating, but if I can't sit up at the computer long enough to do my homework, I don't see I have much choice.  I'll just have to wait and see.

Tuesday, December 7:    Paul and I wrote our ceremony last night.  It was really exciting to be piecing it together from all the material I've found on the Internet.  I'm fine tuning it this week, but we will have the final product done by this weekend.  We need to start meeting with our officiant to begin going over how the ceremony will run, and getting used to repeating after her.

I've made the decision to wait until after the honeymoon to go back to school.  My recovery isn't going as quickly as planned, and after several talks with Paul and my family, it became clear that my priorities need to be my health and the wedding.  So now I have almost 2 weeks extra to work on wedding stuff.  (and to get the house in order for Holiday parties...)  But first I gotta get strong enough to pick everything up before I can push that vacuum around.

Tomorrow is D-day for the respond cards.  We've heard from quite a few people, but we'll be making phone calls starting next week to those who may have forgotten to send in their RSVP.  Hopefully we can get a hold of everyone before Christmas.

My Bridal shower is this weekend.  I can't wait.  Lisa, my Maid of Honor, has been putting it all together, with the help of one of my friends from Escondido Charter High School, Michele.  I've received a few cryptic calls inquiring about my sizes for various pieces of clothing...I'm curious to see what my friends have come up with.   I'd be concerned about embarrassing my grandmother, but she's had one of the biggest smirks for a couple of weeks now, so I guess I should be concerned about my grandmother embarrassing me!  Paul's mom, Jeanne, has been taunting me for weeks now that she's already purchased my gift.  Her Cheshire Cat grin has me very wary of opening her gift in public!!  I'm sure everyone will have a blast.  Especially me!!

Monday, December 13:    My Bridal shower was wonderful!!  Lisa and Michele did a fantastic job!  Food, Friends, Games, Gifts... what more could I ask for?  It was really nice to have so many of my friends together in one place.  My surrogate mom called when I started opening my gifts from her, so it was almost like she was there with me!  I got gifts ranging from lingerie to kitchen stuff, bath goodies to candles.  And we got our everyday silverware from Paul's mom.  I'm thrilled with everything I received.

Well, the days are truly counting down. We have something going on every weekend from now until the wedding!!  I'm so excited.  I'm taking care of everything on my list in due time.  There's still lots to do, but I'm confident that I can get it all done in time.

I'm still waiting for quite a few people to respond.  I've started contacting people, and will hopefully have everyone tracked down within the week.  I need a final headcount to do some of the things I need to get done.

Friday, December 17:    What a week!  Christmas is coming up faster than I like to think about.  I'm not stressing about the wedding, I'm stressing about finding the perfect gift for everyone in time!!

Paul and I found the perfect version of "Sunrise, Sunset" for our dance with our parents.  The song means a lot to Paul's mom, but I was having a hard time finding a version I liked.  I didn't want the version from the soundtrack of Fiddler on the Roof, but all the other versions we were finding (and having a hard time finding, let me tell you) were either too garbled or too fast.  Just when we were about to give up and use a semi-garbled version, we found a CD called Knitting on the Roof.   It has a beautiful version of the song done by a female!  It's full of beautiful harmonies and gentle acoustic guitar.  We called Paul's mom and held the cell phone up to the headphones we were using at the listening station.  She loved it!  We love it!  I put the full song up on another page so she could download it and listen to the whole thing.  (I'm so relieved to have that taken care of.)

We met with our officiant tonight to have dinner.  We went over our ceremony, and started working the the details of who will walk out with whom, and where everyone will stand.  We'll fine-tune it at the rehearsal, but it's very nice to be working on these type things.  I've been contacting all our vendors, and will continue to do so next week to set up meetings with them.  Now we get down to the nitty gritty of the planning.

We get to pick up Paul's ring tomorrow.  I think he's as excited about it as I am.   I think it will make it much more real for him to have his own ring.  He's told me several times how envious he is of my ring.  I can't wait to see it on his hand, even if it is just to test the fit.

My final dress fitting is tomorrow.  My Maid of Honor will be there to check out the dress from every angle and to learn how to fasten up the bustle.   I'm so excited!!  I can't wait to see how my dress really looks on me, with the alterations making it look like it truly was made for me!!

Sunday, December 26:    Less than 2 weeks to go!!   This week has been really exciting.  I only got to do wedding stuff on one day, but I got a lot done.  I met with Randi, the site coordinator at the Optimist Club, and have nearly all the details worked out.  She was very impressed with how well organized I am.  I already had a timeline for the big day done up when I met with her.  I knew exactly how I wanted the tables set up, and with her help, we shaved a few bucks off the rental budget.  I'll be meeting with her again as more and more questions pop into my head, but so many of the things I was worried about have been taken care of.

I met with Lance, our person at Ranch Catering that same day.  I found out that the caterers will do things that I didn't think they'd do, like setting our centerpieces and lighting the candles for us.  They're very accommodating.  I'm so glad we're going with them.  It's very reassuring to meet with our vendors now so late in the game and still be thrilled that we're going with them.  Takes a lot of the stress off me.  I have every confidence that our vendors will do a bang up job.

I've had two final fittings now for my dress.  The one last weekend went well, but it was apparent that my dress needed a couple more bustle loops.  So Lisa and I went back on Thursday so she could get some more practice doing the bustle herself, now that the bustle was truly complete.  I've got to be careful.  I'm slowly but surely losing weight.  If I loose much more, we're going to have to re-alter the dress.   That would be truly annoying.  (Of all the times to start losing weight....)   But the dress looks wonderful.  I can't wait to wear it for real!!

Christmas was special.  We had Christmas dinner at Paul's grandparent's place.   Paul's grandfather said a special blessing before dinner, and talked with us after dinner about his hopes for Paul's and my marriage.  It was a very special evening for us.  I got to open one of the sets of china we're receiving as a gift from Paul's grandparents, aunt, and uncle.  They wanted to make sure they right pattern was sent, and let everyone see what we picked out up close.  The rest of the sets will stay at Paul's grandparent's house until we come home from our honeymoon, just for safe keeping.

So this week I really have to get down to business.  I've got some pretty major projects to get done.  I'm fully confident that I can handle this, especially with so many friends who have offered to help me.  I'll be really busy though.  We're throwing a New Year's Eve party, so I'll have to be making sure we're all ready for that.

No, I'm not nervous.  Maybe next week.  : )

Saturday, January 1, 2000:  ONE WEEK!!!!  Oh my gosh!!   I can't believe it's so close!!

I've gotten quite a bit done in this last week.  My good friend Erin came down twice this week to help me get my projects done.  So I'm feeling kinda ahead of the game.  There's still plenty to do, but I'm not stressing.  There's still plenty of time.

We're keeping our fingers crossed about the weather.  It rained last night and a tiny bit today.  The forecast at this point is for cold and partly cloudy days all week, with a small possibility of a small shower on Thursday.  Needless to say, we'd be loving those 80 degree temperatures we were having last week.  We'll keep our fingers crossed.

We're also keeping our fingers crossed that I'll get my voice back.  I managed to pick up a cold 2 days ago, and have completely lost my voice.  This will be quite a pain when I start making phone calls to my vendors on Monday...  I'm resting as much as feasibly possible, and talking as little as I can.  I HAVE to get my voice back!!

Paul goes to work on Tuesday this week and that's it.  He'll be around to help me with the final details and all the appointments we have to get ourselves ready.  Paul is getting his eyebrows waxed and his nails done right along with me.  He's gonna look like a million bucks!!