{maybe}

i just might have bought all the bridesmaids tote bags with their names on them...and they just might be awesome! guess you'll have to wait and see!

{the marrying man}

I almost forgot to post about this! We met our minister, Rev. Fair last Sunday before our waterfall hiking adventure. He was great! I really like him and am very comfortable with everything he said and his experience. He had a really fun, dry sense of humor that should fit right in with the style of our wedding.

Oh, and he gave us the best advice ever: he said, "don't ever do anything until you are both mutually excited about doing it"...(unfortunately this is probably why dishes take forever to get done in our house, haha). I'm really excited and happy about having picked him...again it seemed like perfect luck!

{just a week}

In just a week all my sisters and best friends will be in the same place at the same time...how ridiculously exciting is that!? The crazy thing is that it might not ever happen again (I mean, I hope not! But some of us live far away from the others!).

So speaking of the girls, just one quick update: I had a bridesmaid switch out. My good friend Rachel realized that due to unforeseen life events that being a bridesmaid was just too much for now (but at least she's still coming to the wedding thank goodness!!). I'm really sad, but we know it's both for the best! So, about a month ago, we switched in Jaime! Jaime has been my friend since freshman year and we shared an apartment my senior year. We've spent many late nights talking our hearts out and she is totally responsible for getting me addicted to One Tree Hill. Jaime got married last summer and has had amazing advice from the start. It's kinda like she was a bridesmaid all along.

And best of all, thanks to her incredible flexibility, we found her a dress that fits in with the wedding in less than an hour (seriously just 3 or 4 weeks ago) and she's jumped into everything as if she had never missed a beat and was there from the start.

How lucky am I, right? It's like switching a bridesmaid a month before the wedding is normal...I couldn't have done it without the seamless support of the girls (all my love girls!).

(ps. love this fun photo!)

{the final countdown}

here we are...almost there...with only 10 days to go. it's really silly, but i've been thinking about this post since i started this blog because i love the title (and especially the song it's been taken from). i always wondered what i would actually write in this post and a few minutes ago, i finally made up my mind:

t minus 10: moments of clarity

with only 10 days to go and everyone asking if we are nervous yet (asked at a frequency that has nearly induced nervousness...) we are nothing but completely excited. maybe it's the excitement that has caused it but i feel, all of the sudden, more alert...leading to moments of clarity. here's what i've figured out today during my occasional moments of clarity:

1. there is no reason to be worried that our wedding won't be any fun, everyone who is coming is a fun person and it would be impossible for us not to have a really good time at our wedding.

2. there are little things that will go wrong. it's a good thing to accept that now and just move past those when they come.

3. no matter what, we are going to get married that day and that is amazing.

4. dogs, a devoted funny fiance, adventurous trips and chocolate squash any nerves that even begin to rise.

and lastly, my tip to any future or current brides: get distracted. yes, there is a to-do list and things need to be done, but instead of letting yourself over-focus on it and go into crazy-mode...why not just take a break and go climb a waterfall...barefoot... (we did this sunday. it was awesome. i heavily suggest it to anyone who needs a break!)

{hello september}

we are getting married this month....

{in a month}

a month from today, kail and i are getting married...

i can't believe it's only a MONTH away. where did time go? what happened to june and july?

i'm really excited though...and i (luckily) am still not feeling stress. we're still battling some missing rsvps but are much closer than just a week ago. and life has been good to us.

i have minor things left to do: menus, aisle decorations, table numbers and seating cards...a final meeting with our minister...but really that's sort of it. it's almost done.

i wonder if we'll get nervous instead of being as excited as we are or stressed out like everyone keeps asking if we are? i hope we'll just stay blissfully excited and avoid all the stereotypes of people about to be married. that's my t minus 31 days and counting wish.

{bachelorette party!}

I completely forgot to post about an amazing part of being engaged: the bachelorette party! my awesome bridesmaid jenna threw me a bachelorette party a few weeks ago and it was fantastic! it was not a typical bar-hopping, embarrassing moment bachelorette party that everyone on facebook would laugh at once pictures were posted...i guess in that aspect, it was really tame! but there was really good food (think peanutbutter truffle brownies and cheesecake filled chocolate covered strawberries!) and hilarious games. it was a small party but that was a good thing! we played games, made "crafts" (we were RA's and such in college, it's just in our nature) and continued fun traditions started last year when our good friend Jaime got married. and of course there were lots of presents!....of the uh...honeymoon wardrobe sort...It was an amazing time with some of my most amazing friends (and future sister in law!!!).