Monday
Decorated the church with Maria
gave reception decorations to Deina
went to dinner with Fan and Ghouyu (Michael's parent's chinese friends)
Tuesday
got candelabras for the church
cut my leg on candelabras
Wednesday
Decorated church more
had a nice evening with Michael
counted coins
Thursday
got really really excited about the wedding!
Went with aunt Deb to pick up wedding flowers
Had lunch at Rockys with dad
Got some last minute shopping done
Thats what I have been up to. I am currently wound up and so excited that sleep may not come to me for awhile!
Crazy Caruso's do Chicago!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Mom's blog!
I AM GETTING MARRIED IN SEVEN DAYS!!!!!!!!!
On another not I made my mom start a blog, so when I move to West Lafayette I will be able to keep up with her daily life. Check hers out here.
On another not I made my mom start a blog, so when I move to West Lafayette I will be able to keep up with her daily life. Check hers out here.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
RARAH!
Smokey is our family's pet cat. She is thirteen years old. Over the years she has learned some interesting tricks. When we lived at our old house she stayed in our screened in porch while we were gone, and was allowed in the house when we were home. In the screened in porch she would do a "flip" off of the step leading in to the house on command.
When we moved into our current house she took up residence in our unfinished basement when we were away, but as always was allowed into the house when we were around. We guess she didn't really like the basement because less than a month after we moved in she learned to open doors by jumping, and hitting our lever-style doorknobs.
We have taught her how to weigh herself, by saying, "let's see how much you weigh." She always obliged and was promptly rewarded with a treat.
She comes not only to her name, but also to the word TURKEY!
However, the most interesting thing that this cat has ever picked up on is this:
My mom has always called my name LAURA! when she needed me. About 3-4 years ago Smokey began to pick up on this and began yelling my name when she was hungry, upset, needed to go downstairs, or wanted attention, it sounds like this RAHHHRAAAA!!!! It is always said as an almost scream.
Michael refers to me as RARA when I say or do something silly, and now it seems as if Luke might be catching the RARA fever. I have a feeling I will be known as Aunt RARA to my nephew.
When we moved into our current house she took up residence in our unfinished basement when we were away, but as always was allowed into the house when we were around. We guess she didn't really like the basement because less than a month after we moved in she learned to open doors by jumping, and hitting our lever-style doorknobs.
We have taught her how to weigh herself, by saying, "let's see how much you weigh." She always obliged and was promptly rewarded with a treat.
She comes not only to her name, but also to the word TURKEY!
However, the most interesting thing that this cat has ever picked up on is this:
My mom has always called my name LAURA! when she needed me. About 3-4 years ago Smokey began to pick up on this and began yelling my name when she was hungry, upset, needed to go downstairs, or wanted attention, it sounds like this RAHHHRAAAA!!!! It is always said as an almost scream.
Michael refers to me as RARA when I say or do something silly, and now it seems as if Luke might be catching the RARA fever. I have a feeling I will be known as Aunt RARA to my nephew.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
What-a-week!
Tuesday- My mom and I went to the reception hall with our chief reception hall decorators, Marlena and Deina. Michael, my mom, and I had gone to the hall about a year ago, and we loved it! Lots of open spaces, clean walls, and best of all NO SMOKING! That is relatively rare for an American Legion. Anyway, back to the present. We walked in and noticed 5 things right off the bat:
1. Bingo board on left wall
2. Bingo board on right wall
3. Bingo table in front of room
4. Smelled of smoke
5. Walls were terribly scuffed up
We were shocked to say the least! We had no idea that they were using the place as a bingo hall now! I hate the smell of smoke, so I was immediately sent into a bridezilla shock! I was nearly in tears. Then we started brainstorming how we could make the hall what I had envisioned. We have nearly everything covered, and Tawana wonderful Tawana said something today that made so much sense, she suggested that we plug in some air fresheners in the night before the wedding, so that the smell would at least be toned down for the next day. Thank goodness she said that, or I would still be freaking out.
I also got yelled at by a customer at work for something that wasn't my fault...some people!
Wednesday- I slept very little Tuesday night and when Michael called me at 6:20 this morning I knew that sleep was going to be difficult for me to find again, so I went downstairs to see if my mom was awake, she wasn't but her bed sure looked inviting, so I decided to give her bed a try, and it worked I slept until 9:30! Ahhh sleep! Then I called Megan Birke, to finalize lunch plans at Cici's. Lunch was amazing as always...Whatcha doin' next week Megan? :-)
Anyhow, my mom banned me from doing wedding stuff for the day. She told me that we were getting too stressed and that a day off was in order. So other than meeting with Brian for our final premarital counseling session today was weddingless for me!
I ordered my mom's birthday cake and shopped for her present a little bit. Michael and I went to the fair after counseling and I got the BIG BAG OF COTTON CANDY! I got my flip flops that have been pining for all summer! They came in from LL Bean today!
Tomorrow is back to weddingworld around here, but I am promising myself that I won't allow too much stress to build up! Good luck with that...
1. Bingo board on left wall
2. Bingo board on right wall
3. Bingo table in front of room
4. Smelled of smoke
5. Walls were terribly scuffed up
We were shocked to say the least! We had no idea that they were using the place as a bingo hall now! I hate the smell of smoke, so I was immediately sent into a bridezilla shock! I was nearly in tears. Then we started brainstorming how we could make the hall what I had envisioned. We have nearly everything covered, and Tawana wonderful Tawana said something today that made so much sense, she suggested that we plug in some air fresheners in the night before the wedding, so that the smell would at least be toned down for the next day. Thank goodness she said that, or I would still be freaking out.
I also got yelled at by a customer at work for something that wasn't my fault...some people!
Wednesday- I slept very little Tuesday night and when Michael called me at 6:20 this morning I knew that sleep was going to be difficult for me to find again, so I went downstairs to see if my mom was awake, she wasn't but her bed sure looked inviting, so I decided to give her bed a try, and it worked I slept until 9:30! Ahhh sleep! Then I called Megan Birke, to finalize lunch plans at Cici's. Lunch was amazing as always...Whatcha doin' next week Megan? :-)
Anyhow, my mom banned me from doing wedding stuff for the day. She told me that we were getting too stressed and that a day off was in order. So other than meeting with Brian for our final premarital counseling session today was weddingless for me!
I ordered my mom's birthday cake and shopped for her present a little bit. Michael and I went to the fair after counseling and I got the BIG BAG OF COTTON CANDY! I got my flip flops that have been pining for all summer! They came in from LL Bean today!
Tomorrow is back to weddingworld around here, but I am promising myself that I won't allow too much stress to build up! Good luck with that...
Monday, July 14, 2008
A real update
So I just posted a fun list of things that a friend sent me for "why people get married," if you need a good laugh see the post before this one.
Since last Wednesday night Michael and my parents and I have been moving things out of my room. We got my mom the new headboard that she wanted in my room, and we are in the process of moving in a new TV stand, and end tables downstairs. So tonight the house was buzzing with activity. My parents got one of those LCD tvs to replace our old, failing tv. The tv is very nice and very different. My dad got surround sound stuff for the new tv and it sounds very realistic. YAY!
Michael and I spent Saturday getting stuff ready to be moved to my parents house, which is the "staging area" for all of the things that will be going to mine and Michael's apartment. We got a lot of stuff moved over and I am very pleased with the progress that has been made. Also, we got our first big wedding gift in the mail. We registered at Dillards kind of at the last minute, so not very many people are aware of that. But we found these plates that are kinda expensive, $8 a plate, I believe, but we both fell in love with them. So, anyway, Michael's aunt and uncle from California bought us 8 dinner plates, and 8 salad plates! I love them, and I am hoping that we will get more from that set! You can see them here, because my pic would not load :-(
Anyway we are less than 3 weeks away and I am more than ready!
Since last Wednesday night Michael and my parents and I have been moving things out of my room. We got my mom the new headboard that she wanted in my room, and we are in the process of moving in a new TV stand, and end tables downstairs. So tonight the house was buzzing with activity. My parents got one of those LCD tvs to replace our old, failing tv. The tv is very nice and very different. My dad got surround sound stuff for the new tv and it sounds very realistic. YAY!
Michael and I spent Saturday getting stuff ready to be moved to my parents house, which is the "staging area" for all of the things that will be going to mine and Michael's apartment. We got a lot of stuff moved over and I am very pleased with the progress that has been made. Also, we got our first big wedding gift in the mail. We registered at Dillards kind of at the last minute, so not very many people are aware of that. But we found these plates that are kinda expensive, $8 a plate, I believe, but we both fell in love with them. So, anyway, Michael's aunt and uncle from California bought us 8 dinner plates, and 8 salad plates! I love them, and I am hoping that we will get more from that set! You can see them here, because my pic would not load :-(
Anyway we are less than 3 weeks away and I am more than ready!
Reasons to get married
A Friend emailed me so reasons that people get married:
No one will ever ask you again—so, why aren’t you married yet?
You can bring into this world your future wheelchair pushers.
You no longer have to be the target audience of pet products commercials; you can join a whole new demographic group.
No one will ever try to set you up again with their awkward niece/nephew.
Your parents will only have one thing left to complain about—when are we getting some grandkids?
(10.) A marriage license is a fast track to higher limits on your credit cards.
(9.) The Bride thinks that the Groom has a "cooler" last name than she has.
(8.) You want a free bottle of cheap champagne the next time you register at a hotel.
(7.) It's the only way your boss will give you time off at work.
(6.) You want to receive lots of mail from wedding vendors.
(5.) You've won a free hour of limousine service and can't think of a better way of using it.
(4.) Grandma needs a vacation, and she only leaves her house for weddings and funerals.
Weddings are a whole lot more fun.
(3.) The Bride is tired of being laughed at wearing goofy Bridesmaid's dresses at friend's weddings,
and has decided that it's now "payback time!".
(2.) Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Mickey Rooney have been married eight times each.
You have a lot of catching up to do.
(1.) Lots of free presents!
No one will ever ask you again—so, why aren’t you married yet?
You can bring into this world your future wheelchair pushers.
You no longer have to be the target audience of pet products commercials; you can join a whole new demographic group.
No one will ever try to set you up again with their awkward niece/nephew.
Your parents will only have one thing left to complain about—when are we getting some grandkids?
(10.) A marriage license is a fast track to higher limits on your credit cards.
(9.) The Bride thinks that the Groom has a "cooler" last name than she has.
(8.) You want a free bottle of cheap champagne the next time you register at a hotel.
(7.) It's the only way your boss will give you time off at work.
(6.) You want to receive lots of mail from wedding vendors.
(5.) You've won a free hour of limousine service and can't think of a better way of using it.
(4.) Grandma needs a vacation, and she only leaves her house for weddings and funerals.
Weddings are a whole lot more fun.
(3.) The Bride is tired of being laughed at wearing goofy Bridesmaid's dresses at friend's weddings,
and has decided that it's now "payback time!".
(2.) Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Mickey Rooney have been married eight times each.
You have a lot of catching up to do.
(1.) Lots of free presents!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Just what the doctor ordered
I called Megan Birke today while I was out running a few wedding errands, because I was contemplating where I would get my lunch from. I asked Megan if she was interested in having lunch, she said yes. I felt kind of silly for calling out of the blue, but I am really glad that I did. Megan is one of those people that exudes happiness, and every time I leave her company I leave with a more positive outlook on life. While I won't say that I have been unhappy lately I will admit that my stress level is slightly...elevated.
Spending a few hours with Megan ended up being just what I needed. She knows exactly the emotions and stress that I am feeling. We are both relatively young "brides" who have/had never lived away from our parents. Also, Megan and Chris got engaged only a few weeks before us, so we have kind of been going through the same things from the get go. It was a fantastic lunch and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful friend in my life.
Spending a few hours with Megan ended up being just what I needed. She knows exactly the emotions and stress that I am feeling. We are both relatively young "brides" who have/had never lived away from our parents. Also, Megan and Chris got engaged only a few weeks before us, so we have kind of been going through the same things from the get go. It was a fantastic lunch and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful friend in my life.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Hammond Family Reunion
July 5th was our second annual Indiana Hammond family reunion. There is a big family reunion in New York State, but as grandma and grandpa get older it is getting harder and harder for us to all make the twelve hour trip. So we decided to keep traditions and such alive we should have a local reunion.
I had never been out to Maria and Brian's before. It is really farrr out in the country. It was really nice! There was plenty of room to roam about, a "zip line" for the kids, and a turkey in the back of Brian's parents house. I was thrilled that I got the turkey to gobble at me! I had never heard a turkey gobble. They are also really not very pretty birds.
We feasted on pork, hamburgers, and hot dogs. There were also a plethora of other side dishes. I personally enjoyed a hamburger and a chip salad.
After the family reunion we back to Michael's house to paint the hallway for Michael's parents. We also got his parent's christmas gift updated lights for the hallway, as the other lights were straight out of a 1976 horror movie, I swear!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Things that make me happy
Lately I have been finding myself happy in different ways than usual.
1. Normally I try to spend as little time as possible in our basement. There is nothing down there other than the cat pan and storage. However, Michael and I are using my basement as a sort of home base for all of the new stuff that we will be moving in just about a month. Lately I have been finding myself in the basement more and more, looking at our new "toys." I have even caught myself sitting on our plastic wrapped couch on more than one occasion.
2. Normally I am not a "neat" person. I don't mind if my room gets more than a little messy. Lately though I find myself longing for things to all be in there rightful places. This doesn't always happen, but I at least have the urge, which should make my mom very happy!
3. I want to cook, and I want to try new foods. For those of you who don't know me very well you probably don't realize that I like only a handful of foods. I have been trying to like new things, because I want to be able to cook for Michael, but also for me.
4. Response cards to the wedding are just about the most exciting things in the world! (If you didn't receive a response card, don't worry we didn't send out responses to family or people that we pretty much knew were coming.)
5. I love having a tan. I can't remember the last time I felt this good about my skin color. I know it sounds superficial, but being just a little dark makes me feel very good about myself, and I'm not really dark at all!
6. As crazy as this sounds...I like packing my things! I can't wait to be Michael's wife, so this shouldn't be as surprising as it is, but I am really enjoying packing my things and labeling them!
I don't know why these things seem so exciting to me, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my upcoming "nuptials" have something to do with all of my slight oddities!
Now on a wedding front I will fill everyone in on what wedding stuff has gotten accomplished...
We picked out our cake design.
We ordered our favors.
I chose what flowers I want to use.
I got some necessary underthings for my dress.
We have complete database of wedding address information.
Invitations are out.
Thank You cards for the shower have been completed.
I am meeting with our DJ today.
I think that covers just about everything!
1. Normally I try to spend as little time as possible in our basement. There is nothing down there other than the cat pan and storage. However, Michael and I are using my basement as a sort of home base for all of the new stuff that we will be moving in just about a month. Lately I have been finding myself in the basement more and more, looking at our new "toys." I have even caught myself sitting on our plastic wrapped couch on more than one occasion.
2. Normally I am not a "neat" person. I don't mind if my room gets more than a little messy. Lately though I find myself longing for things to all be in there rightful places. This doesn't always happen, but I at least have the urge, which should make my mom very happy!
3. I want to cook, and I want to try new foods. For those of you who don't know me very well you probably don't realize that I like only a handful of foods. I have been trying to like new things, because I want to be able to cook for Michael, but also for me.
4. Response cards to the wedding are just about the most exciting things in the world! (If you didn't receive a response card, don't worry we didn't send out responses to family or people that we pretty much knew were coming.)
5. I love having a tan. I can't remember the last time I felt this good about my skin color. I know it sounds superficial, but being just a little dark makes me feel very good about myself, and I'm not really dark at all!
6. As crazy as this sounds...I like packing my things! I can't wait to be Michael's wife, so this shouldn't be as surprising as it is, but I am really enjoying packing my things and labeling them!
I don't know why these things seem so exciting to me, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my upcoming "nuptials" have something to do with all of my slight oddities!
Now on a wedding front I will fill everyone in on what wedding stuff has gotten accomplished...
We picked out our cake design.
We ordered our favors.
I chose what flowers I want to use.
I got some necessary underthings for my dress.
We have complete database of wedding address information.
Invitations are out.
Thank You cards for the shower have been completed.
I am meeting with our DJ today.
I think that covers just about everything!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Bridal Shower
Last Saturday was my bridal shower, and I had been looking forward to it for weeks. I went about last week as usual I worked Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. When I got home from work I ate some leftover Papa Johns cheese stix. I went to bed a few hours later and was rather looking forward to helping Julie (my maid of honor) get things set up at the church the next day. I woke up around 3 AM feeling very ill. I thought it was just nerves or something, but it ended up being much more than that. I ended up being sick all day on Friday with a whole gambit of wonderful symptoms that I will spare you. Anyway I ended up going to the doctor and getting a phenergen shot to stop my vomiting. I got home and slept the entire rest of the evening with a few trips downstairs for Gatorade and crackers. I was so worried that I was going to be unable to make it to my own shower!
I woke up Saturday morning feeling weak but otherwise ok. I got up and went to my shower, which was a miraculous thing in and of itself. Julie, her mom, and my mom had done a fantastic job decorating! I got tons of wonderful gifts, and Michael was really excited to come over and see my loot! We went through everything together that evening, and stored things to be moved to our apartment in August.
Me with my other Maid of honor Alicia
I woke up Saturday morning feeling weak but otherwise ok. I got up and went to my shower, which was a miraculous thing in and of itself. Julie, her mom, and my mom had done a fantastic job decorating! I got tons of wonderful gifts, and Michael was really excited to come over and see my loot! We went through everything together that evening, and stored things to be moved to our apartment in August.
Me with my other Maid of honor Alicia
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