Who knew door knobs were such a big deal...

Well, we finally have a place to call home! Saturday, we bought some new door knobs to put on the house so that we could have keys to all the doors and we labored for hours trying to get the old ones off and the new ones on. After 4 hours, we only managed to get one on. But we had finally figured out how to get the old ones off (not your typical door knob, and it was old). Patrick and his parents returned there on Sunday while I was at work and put the rest of them and the deadbolts on.
I got my first piece of mail at the house, a welcome letter from DTE (which I thought was already a bill). It sort of made it feel real, but I'm not quite there yet. It's going to be a slow process moving in, (as of today, the only pieces of furniture we have are 2 lawn chairs). Hopefully, we'll be able to move some stuff in this weekend.
This weekend is going to be busy though. Saturday, for me, is work, Aaron's birthday party, & Ruthie's bridal shower. Sunday is packing and moving and Gabe's wedding. Monday is more packing and moving hopefully.

As far as the wedding goes, we have picked a photographer!! Yay! We should be getting the contract today to review and we'll be signing it on Wednesday. I'm pretty excited about it. That's one big check off the list. Now, if only we could decide on that elusive ceremony site. I'm giving us until June 1st to have one picked or else I'm just going to go with the Royal Oak Church and call it a day. Hopefully, they will still be available for our day. I went to JoAnn's yesterday to check out DIY invitations and I'm still a little torn. I'm also working on getting the honeymoon booked (Jamaica!!) and having a special cake topper made. I have a checklist and I'm hoping to follow it and get things crossed off.

All in all, things are moving along and hopefully, we'll get everything done in time.

Updates...

Wedding related:

• Well, we're still lacking a ceremony site but that may not be the case by the end of the week. Patrick and I have meetings set up with a couple venues tomorrow so I'm crossing my fingers that something works out. If we could just get a site booked, all this planning will be so much easier.
• I've got invitation samples coming in the mail and I have to say I'm very excited about their potential. I'm pretty decided on DIY invites so that they turn out exactly as I (read: we) want them. Patrick says he's okay with it cause he has no problem contructing things. Which is definitely what will need to happen and we'll need lots of help when it comes to that. Luckily, we've still got some time before they have to go out (I'm thinking somewhere around my birthday).
• I'm also trying to look for shoes, a veil, a tiara, and a garter. Hopefully, I can find some that aren't too expensive!!
• Most importantly, I've been working on getting hotel room blocks for guests who are coming from out of town for the wedding. As you probably know, I work for an area hotel and I was able to get a great deal for guests. It will be at the Hampton Inn Madison Heights featuring a great rate of $59/night plus tax! This hotel not only includes the newly renovated rooms (renovations currently taking place and they look great!!), complimentary hot breakfast each morning (delicious!), high speed wireless internet, a newly renovated fitness center with dry sauna and the addition of an outdoor pool! Anyway, I'm really excited to share part of my life with you, especially with the amazing staff we have that will make sure you get great customer service! (I'm quite the sales person, eh?). Reservations aren't quite available yet, as we still have some paperwork to sign, but more details will be on the Important Information page of our website when details have been confirmed.

House updates:

We are getting so close to a closing date on this house in West Bloomfield. We're hoping for May 15th, but we will see. It's both exciting and daunting the prospect of soon becoming a home-owner!!

Well, that's all for now. Until next time!

Dress.... check!

I finally decided on my wedding dress. It's a gorgeous all white with metallic beading Alfred Angelo gown that really compliments my figure. I'm very excited about it. It should be here in June and thank goodness that's one more thing out of the way. Theresa and I went out shopping for other wedding stuff this past weekend (even though I've been so sick!).

Now we just have to find that elusive ceremony site...

...like spinning the tires in mud.

Well, over the past two weekends we didn't get much done. We've had an offer on a house sit and wait for the bank, and Shauna's been pretty sick. Moreso, the place that we were going to have our ceremony, after telling us several times that they were open, has magically discovered that they're not going to be available for our weekend, which leaves us hanging out to dry, again. Shauna tried to contact another site but, as far as I can tell, they have not even responded to her. Not an auspicious start!

I think that I'm going to to try and get some of the "Save the Date" cards out in the next couple days...I'm sure that some people would appreciate the signs of life...

Ceremony sites, wedding dresses, and house frustrations

We, once again, have been outbid on a house. It's getting very frustrating to keep looking at houses and finding ones we like and not being able to buy them. It adds on to the pressure of wedding plan. So hopefully, we can find one soon, so that we can stop splitting our efforts so much.

We are also still having trouble finding a ceremony site. I found a list of all churches in the city of Warren and we were going to start calling them, but Patrick's mom found a great advertisement in the magazine Newsbeat that mentioned renting out the atrium at Warren City Hall. So I'm going to call them today to check on prices, logistics and other such things. It would really be a perfect location because not only is it pretty, it also is super close (within a mile) of our reception site, Royalty House, and it provides a place for very nice pictures in front of the new fountain. With any luck, we'll have our locations picked out by the end of the week and we'll be able to really start looking into other vendors, like photographers and cakes.

It's getting close to the 6 months to go mark and I still haven't picked a dress yet! It's so hard to decide!!

All-Inclusive Resort for free!

Patrick and I just won an all-inclusive honeymoon package to Mexico or the Caribbean. How exciting!! The only problem now is figuring out where to go!!

Progress!!

The Save the Dates have arrived!! I'm very excited to get these babies out! Hopefully I get all the addresses of all the invitees soon.

Our website is nearly there, and pending a possible overhaul decision, it should be up and running by the time the cards go out.

I guess it's a good thing I got the day off on Saturday, I can now spend that time addressing the cards!! :)


225 days til the wedding!

Para Tu Amor by Juanes

This is a simple and gorgeous song that I love by Latin rocker Juanes! (I've provided a little more than a literal translation).

Kinda explains how I feel about Patrick!

Para tu amor lo tengo todo (For your love, I have it all)
Desde mi sangre hasta la esencia de mi ser (From my blood to the essence of my being)
Y para tu amor que es mi tesoro (And for your love, which is my treasure)
Tengo mi vida toda entera a tus pies (I have my entire life at your feet.)
Y tengo también (And I also have)
Un corazón que se muere por dar amor (a heart that dies to give love)
Y que no conoce el fin (that doesn't know an end)
Un corazón que late por vos (A heart that beats for you)

Para tu amor no hay despedidas (For your love, there are no goodbyes)
Para tu amor yo solo tengo eternidad (For your love, I only have eternity)
Y para tu amor que me ilumina (And for your love that lights me up)
Tengo una luna, un arco iris y un clavel (I have a moon, a rainbow and a carnation)
Y tengo también (And I also have)
un corazón que se muere por dar amor (a heart that dies to give love)
y que no conoce el fin (that doesn't know an end)
un corazón que late por vos (A heart that beats for you)

Por eso yo te quiero (That's why I love you)
tanto que no sé como explicar lo que siento (So much so that I don't know how to explain what I feel)
yo te quiero (I love you)
porque tu dolor es mi dolor (because your pain is my pain)
y no hay dudas (and there are no doubts)
yo te quiero (I love you)
con el alma y con el corazón (With my heart and soul)
te venero (I worship you)
hoy y siempre, gracias yo te doy a ti mi amor (Today and always, I thank you my love)
por existir (for existing)
Para tu amor lo tengo todo (For your love, I have it all)
lo tengo todo y lo que no tengo también (I have it all and also what I don't have)
lo conseguiré (I will get)
para tu amor que es mi tesoro (And for your love, which is my treasure)
tengo mi vida entera a tus pies (I have my entire life at your feet.)
Y tengo también (And I also have)
Un corazón que se muere por dar amor (a heart that dies to give love)
y que no conoce el fin (that doesn't know an end)
un corazón que late por vos (A heart that beats for you)
Por eso yo te quiero (That's why I love you)
tanto que no sé como explicar lo que siento (So much so that I don't know how to explain what I feel)
yo te quiero (I love you)
porque tu dolor es mi dolor (because your pain is my pain)
y no hay dudas (and there are no doubts)
yo te quiero (I love you)con el alma y con el corazón (With my heart and soul)te venero (I worship you)
hoy y siempre, gracias yo te doy a ti mi amor (Today and always, I thank you my love)
por existir (for existing)

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! It's intended purpose is to keep you updated on what's going on in our lives right now, particularly in relation to wedding plans, but I'm sure there will be a little of every thing in here.


226 days til the wedding!!