I LOVE days like this... I slept really well last night, which helped today- Fenway is being good, loving and independently satisfied. It rained alot today, which destroyed the poinsettias outside and made getting to lunch a little rough, but is so nice- the weather is cooler and actually feels like December, we met for some wedding planning this morning that was really great and everything feels manageable. I would say under control, but that's never really true- manageable is definitely more accurate. Our plans and planning (for the wedding and for the months thereafter) is all going well and, if they don't happen, I feel good about whatever decisions we will make after that. That w will be able to make them, that we will be fine. And, for someone like me who worries constantly, it's a very good feeling when it all seems ok. When it all is ok- and when the possibility that something won't be ok is always fine. I don't know if that makes sense, but I feel like we are ready for it, that we can handle it. I am SO excited about Christmas, about being with my family and giving everyone their gifts and about my dad's gravy! We are also awaiting the arrival of Eric's brother, Justin and his wife, Julie's baby!! I am not sure if I am an aunt when he is born or when Eric and I get married, either way, I am beyond excited that this little guy will be here and for his parents and to be able to meet him in March!

Here's to knowing this feeling won't last forever, but the facts do...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

It's been a little while... I had my first bridal shower a couple of weeks ago and it was so wonderful. We had tea at the Grand Floridian at Disney and Eric and I got alot of really great stuff- I am so glad we are surrounded by family and friends during all of this. My good friend and bridesmaid, Juliana, came into town for the weekend and, being from Boston, wanted to do alot of things she can't do up there- eating at Sonic and Cici's, picking oranges, etc. and it was so nice to see her again. 

On to the list portion...

- Eric and I flew (yay!) to Houston to spend Thanksgiving at his grandparents' home. It was a little difficult to leave my own family, but we had a great visit. We stayed with Justin and Julie for a few day and then with my Aunt. It was really relaxing and we were still able to go to Central Market and the Body World exhibit (which is weird...). We did get stuck in Houston for an extra night when our flight was delayed and then cancelled- they put us up in a hotel and we went to see Four Christmases, which ended up being ridiculously expensive, but funny.

- Since Eric's vacation was this week, he was still here until this morning. We went to Lakeland to see where the new store might be and my grandmother's old house and eat at Jimbo's. On a side note, there were people's chairs lined up around the downtown area for the parade that started about 4 hours later... it was cute. We got the Christmas tree for Sector 7 with Colton and Jessica and decorated the house. It looks really great (still don't know how to add pictures, will probably put some on facebook) and we had very little incident- no broken ornaments and a new lighted, animated buck (Sooner) outside... I did try to take out a light that didn't work with my teeth, which obviously broke off immediately, so that wasn't good. All in all, though, things turned out nicely.

- All the presents are bought and wrapped and under the tree and Fenway hasn't torn up any packages!

- Our Christmas cards are in the mail.

- I had my first dress fitting! It wasn't all that exciting, but it was good.

- We have a mouse, Polly, living in the house and I still haven't gotten mouse traps. I will do that tomorrow. 

I guess that's about it. Eric is back to work in Tallahassee and I am back to worrying about... everything. 

Here's to the holidays. I love them.

A great couple of days...

Eric was here in Orlando for the past couple of days and it was really nice... we didn't have a lot we had to get done, so we could just hang out (and help mom move some furniture...) which was really nice- also really nice...

- It feels like we are a bit close to knowing where we will be living (after Tallahassee) and this means a bit more stability, a little less moving, and a better position for Eric

- When I got a speeding ticket on my way to Tallahassee last week (after I had been thinking how great it was to drive back and forth so much and not get a ticket...) the officer wrote the wrong license plate # which made the make, model, etc. all wrong- I didn't even notice this, Eric did- and when I called them today to fix it, they told me the officer would have to look at it and he might just dismiss it if he doesn't have notes on the right vehicle. I really hope that happens.

- Fenway, who is usually (sometimes...) a good dog, chewed up a pen on TWO separate occasions the other day on the couch, which left these horrible pen marks all over. I couldn't find the cleaner I usually use for the couch (which works miracles) and used Oxy Clean instead and it worked... it looks beautiful. So, I can once again love my dog. 

- My closet and bedroom are cleaned and (generally) packed... it was a bit sad packing up the pictures, but I feel so much better about that being done. 

- Our Christmas cards came today!! I absolutely love them and can't wait for Eric to see the printed version.

- We stamped all the wedding invitations, I got birthday and thank you cards in the mail, so I feel caught up with all of that.

- Most of my Christmas shopping is done!

- We get to have a cake tasting! We are having cupcakes at the wedding, and we were able to try different cupcakes, but I LOVE wedding cake... and now we are having the groom's cake at the rehearsal, which means we get to have another company make it and go try their cakes!

Things have been going pretty well. I get a little worried around election time... all the changes, etc. but, we do have to trust that things will work out. I voted. Eric voted. Now we just hope that this new president will be a good leader.  Also, there was a mouse in the house last night. Eric didn't see it, and we did look for it after I saw it and found no mouse, or evidence of him, but I am sure he was here... so I should get some traps. and I should clean...

I am so thankful for all of this, for how things are going, for what we are doing and for where we are going... 

Here's to being in the now and not worrying so much...

It's official!

I am SO excited about the wedding! I feel like so much is already done, our engagement pictures are in and I absolutely adore them, all the vendors are booked and my dress is here!! I don't start fittings for a couple of weeks, but I am so excited to know that it is in Orlando! All of this up and down and freaking out and being terribly excited is getting... old.  But, I'm hoping it will even out... eventually. 

Now that most of the wedding list is almost completed I can start getting things in the house ready to leave.  I was terribly sad when it hit me that I would be moving out of my house (I will have lived here 4 years exactly the day after the wedding)... but now I am getting excited.  Even packing up Eric's house was a little sad... I know it's only been a few months of memories there, but they were there... and I've always had a hard time with things like that. Anyways, I need to go through photos and clean out my closet and figure out what books I want to take with me... it's just so strange. I know it will be hard when I actually leave, but I am excited about it. About where we're going...

We got Eric moved... the house is lovely, he still has a lot to organize but I think alot of it might be staying in boxes since we will be moving again in (or before) 5 months... still no word on where, exactly. 

The cold(er) weather is such a tease... I wish it would just go ahead and get cold.  It would be so nice to use the fire pit in the backyard. And to have some Pumpkin Spice Latte. 

Our family is headed to San Francisco/ Napa Valley Thursday morning for dad's 50th birthday celebration and I am so excited. A long flight, so I can read and sleep and I think the weekend will be so much fun.  Poor Fenway has to go stay at the vet again, but she does get tons of treats there (which she doesn't get at home...) so I think she'll be alright. 

Here's to the fact that I get to spend the rest of my life with the best thing that's ever happened to me...

The newest news...

So... Eric was in Orlando last week, from Monday night until Thursday morning.  On Monday, before he got here, I got a call that my 15 year old cousin had run away.  She has been having some problems for a little over a year now and it just seems to be such a cycle.  Needless to say, Monday was absolutely terrible, her and I are very close and all the unknowns while she is gone seems so desperate... by Monday night, we had no idea where she was but we did know that she was ok, so that was reassuring.  She ended up coming home on Thursday night around midnight... it just seems to be such a struggle- so heartbreaking with every day, every moment, that we don't know where she is. I don't know how this is all going to play out- but, for now, she is home and she is safe.

On Tuesday, we had our tasting at the Ritz.  It was absolutely wonderful! The food was great, they were open to anything we had to say about taste or presentation and my dad was FINALLY able to see the rooms we will get married and have the reception in.  He is so excited now about the wedding... which, of course, makes me more excited about the wedding.  I got some wedding related items engrave, registered at the tux place so the boys can go get them, ordered the bridesmaid's jewelry, found THE perfect fabric for the ties and sashes and figured out ALL of the vendors we are using.  Napkins and labels and gifts are ordered and should be delivered very soon... I feel like the next couple of months are going to be fantastic- that we can relax and not worry about all these details.  

I am heading to Tallahassee on Monday afternoon... having a dog really limits the times I can just take off and leave... which, by the way, she has been SO good the last week, it's been really nice.  Anyways, Eric will be moving this week, so I'm going to help him.   Hopefully, we will be able to figure out where we will be living after the wedding. 

I think I'm going to go and read for a while.  

Here's hoping we can get everything done...

An update.

It really seems like so much is going on... and yet, things are getting back to normal (at least a little... whatever that is.) Anyways, Eric and I are just going back and forth to see each other and finish up wedding plans.  Eric will be looking for an apartment in Tallahassee within the next month or two- so that will be really nice. He can totally move in and I can start taking boxes so it's not a huge concern right before the wedding.  That's actually really exciting to me...

My parents had an engagement party for us on Friday night and it was a really good time. So many people had advice about being engaged and getting married... and my cousin said that one of the best parts is seeing all the friends and family that you don't get to see very often and that has been so true.  Eric's dad and Dorothy along with his grandparents were able to come in from Texas and spend a few days, so that was fantastic.  

We'll be sending out save the dates this week, so yours should be there soon (:

Fenway has been acting weird the past two days... just a total shift in her personality- she's been wanting to be alone, walking slowly, hiding, and if she isn't back to normal within the next couple of days, I think I'm going to have to take her to the vet... it started last night and then she was fine for a couple of hours today and now she's back to being "off." So, hopefully nothing isn't seriously wrong. 

Ok, I guess that's about it... 

Here's to the next post being much more interesting.  

The Beginning...

Since this is the first post- I figured I would write about a few things.  First of all, we're engaged! The wedding planning is well under way, most of the big decisions are made, so now it's just a matter of getting all the details lined up. We have about 8 months, so I think it's pretty manageable.  Eric and I see each other as much as we can, being that we live 4 hours away from each other... and we are also still figuring out where we will be living after the wedding.  Fun!  

The last couple of months have been pretty exciting, and all gone by really fast.  I'm sure I (or probably Eric) will post some pictures of everything... but here's a quick rundown.

In April, we went skydiving to celebrate Eric's birthday.  Neither one of us had ever been before, so that was really exciting.  In May we took a trip to Houston, TX.  Eric was able to meet my Aunt Cynthia and Martha, as well as spend some time with my Nana who was out there with me.  Then we stayed with his brother and sister-in-law, Justin and Julie, and met his mom, who was visiting.  We also went to meet his dad and grandparents (Anderson's).   It really was such a nice trip and I loved being able to meet his family.  

June was another trip... a road trip up to Nashville, TN (good old rocky top...) and Kentucky.  Eric met a ton of my family- grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins, and the drive was so nice.  We went camping for a night on the way back, a first for me, and had a really great time.  While there, we took my cousin to a shooting range, which seemed a fitting thing to do in Tennessee, so that was interesting.  

    On July 8, Eric proposed! All the details are on the wedding website- ericandjoanna09.com- and it was just so perfect... 

We have the rehearsal, ceremony and reception site all lined up- as well as the florist, caterer, cake, invitations and dress... so I think we're doing alright as far as planning.  

I guess that's about it... it's been a crazy couple of months, and I am sure it's only going to get crazier... with time moving so fast and so many changes on the horizons.  I think taking it all one day at a time and really enjoying it is some good advice I've gotten recently.  

Here's hoping we can...

Joanna