The Lady Bugs are Touching

.....which means that we are soo close to the actual day! I can't wait! Dru and I are ready to say "I do"!

Family members are starting to arrive and it's been nice to have them here before the big day! I had my final dress fitting last week and I felt so pretty! Krista is going to pick it up tomorrow and keep it at their house in an un-disclosed location so that Dru doesn't peak!

Everything is coming together!!!

In Dru news - he has an endoscopy set up for next Monday and more liver and spinal punctures when we get back from the honeymoon. The doctors are working hard to get him healthy and I am so thankful for the team of professionals that the Lord has placed in our lives. This whole experience deepens my love for Dru and he has said the same about his love for me. Going through something so unknown and so frightening really has given us a stronger bond.

This may be my last post until I get honeymoon pictures back. So - I love you all and thanks for reading all my post-wedding blogs! See you on 10/10/10!!!!

Bridal Shower

This weekend was great! I had my bridal shower on Saturday and it was just amazing! The decorations and food were unbelieveable! I couldn't believe that it was all done in my honor -- and Dru's :o)

Dru and I received a lot of very nice gifts. When I got home, mom and I went to cleaning the house and re-organizing the kitchen so that I could display most of the gifts! I was in my element at that point! We had a blast!

Did I mention that my mom came in from BC just to be with me on this day!?! Well - she came for other events too (like Amy's b-day and H&K's 2nd b-day) but - I'm being selfish and saying it was all for me :o)

We are having a blast and I wish I had more time to spend with her while she's here. We are soon going to make rappie pie (can't wait)!!!!

In other wedding news - Krista is really pulling things together. We met with Mary Z. who is going to do all of the flowers for the wedding and I can't thank her enough. We met with the D.J. and gave him all of the songs we would like to hear at the wedding, and candy is starting to be purchased!

In Dru news - he is still hanging out at 20ml/prednisone. We were hoping to have him off of that b/f the wedding but the doctors are affraid to push his body into taking 20 or less. Dru is going thru another set of tests and may have to have another liver biopsy (ouch) soon. He has requested that this be done after the wedding but it is really in the hands of his doctors. We pray everyday that he gets better and that we can move past this and have it be something we reflect on years from now. I remember when people use to say to me "your health is the best gift you've every had" I would usually just agree and go about my merry way. Well - after dealing with Dru's medical mystery I can't help but appreciate my own health and the health of my family members. Anywho - just something I've been really thinking about lately.

Love you all and if you haven't sent in your response cards - DO IT NOW :o) ...or at least by September 10th!

Bachlorette Party

This weekend was my very own bachlorette party!!!! I had such a great time and I felt so honored to have such an extravagant event. When I was single I couldn't wait until it was my turn. I wouldn't have asked for anything different. It was perfect!

The girls took me to the nicest resort I'd ever been to - Hammock Beach Resort near St. Augustine. We got there on Friday night. When we got to the room we looked in and realized that this luxury x 10. Four rooms, several bathrooms, a kitchen that had Henkel knives (ok- maybe that only impresses me), and an amazing view of the ocean. In one word - AMAZING!!!! From there we went to Delfino's which was an Italian restaurant at the resort. It was great and we had so much fun.

The next day, Krista, Amy and I watched the sunrise and it was spectacular!!! We all got up and headed to the pool. We had such a great time and couldn't've asked for better weather. I also went and had a spa treatment which was soooooo relaxing and was one of the highlights of the weekend!!! That night the girls and I put on our jeans and black shirts and went out for a night of fun in st. augustine. I ended up having to wear a few more items like....pink elton john glasses, a boa, beads, a rather large ring, and a veil. Elizabeth was the pusher of these items (sorry Liz, I had to call you out so that someday I can get you back)!! :o) St. Augustine was beautiful and we ate at A1A steakhouse. Yummy...I had steak and crabcakes!!! After that we hit the streets for some window shopping and after a good night we went home and laughed and talked until the late hour.

Sunday morning was bittersweet. I knew that the bachlorette party that I had waited for for my entire life was nearly over. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. We all got up, packed and then went to an awesome breakfast at the resort. I can't wait to go back again with Dru. It was such an awesome experience and I felt so loved.

Amy, Krista, Lauren, Becky, Marsha, Amanda, Lauren and Elizabeth - thank you so much for all the laughs, fun, food, memories, and good company this weekend!!! I feel so blessed to have each and every one of you in my life. Each one of you has given me encouragement through the years and have added joy to my life. I love you all and I'm truly thankful for this weekend. What a blast!!!

3 Months and 2 Days Left

Well - not much new is happening with the wedding plans. 3 of my girls got their dresses in and they love them! I'm excited! I've also purchased their gifts and Dru has purchased the gifts for his guys.

I've decided to do all of the flower arrangements instead of hiring a boutique to do it. They were going to charge a fortune for something that I think I can handle. Of course I will have help - I'm not that crazy!

We booked our caterer too. Still Spanish food - but we got such a better deal with The Latin Cafe in Bloomingdale! I'm super excited to have them on our team!

We also booked the DJ. We are using some church friends and I'm very confident in their abilities!

Dru is going to find his tux next weekend and then get with the guys to get them all fitted. I still need to find the outfits I want for my flower girls. It's a challenge because one of them is up in Canada. We will get it done though. I'm not worried about it.

I'll be sending out my invitations soon. Within the next couple of weeks or so. I'm really excited to get those out the door!

Dru and I are getting really excited to be husband and wifey!

That's it for now! Love you all.

Planning Planning Planning

This weekend was a lot of fun! On Saturday, I went over to dad's house and saw the girls! They were so adorable in their little swimsuits. They have so much personality. I love it!

The main reason why I went over to dad's house was that Krista and I were going to crack down on some wedding planning. We got A LOT done! We started making calls to various people and to several rental companies. At noontime, we went over to Le Semptima - a local spanish restaurant - to sample their food for the wedding. Yes, we already had food taken care of but, we are worried because everytime we tried to see our caterer the doors were closed. So, we are going to get some quotes from several other spanish restaurants and go from there.

We also booked the inside room at the Palmetto Club. Originally, we were going to do everything outside. I started feeling a little panicked about that decision since I will be in a rather large gown and sweat will be inevitable! So, the ceremony will be outside in the garden and the reception will be inside in the Magnolia room!

Krista and I also went shopping for more decorations. We went to Pier One and bought a ton of candle votives. We needed gold ones too so we purchased them from a store in New Port Richey.

On Sunday, after family lunch, Dru and I went to the Publix over near the Palmetto Club and purchased our wedding cake! YAY! They are going to let us taste test tonight. Can't wait! Once we finished with them, we went back to the house and stewed around wondering what to do with the rest of the day. So, we went to New Port Richey to pick up the gold candle votives.

So - everything is coming together. I feel so much better knowing that we have the inside room at the Palmetto Club and I'm really excited that we finally bought the cake!!!

The DJ is in the House

I have FINALLY caught the attention of my DJ. So happy about that. Now I just need to get under contract with him and plan the wedding reception music. Any requests?

Drum Roll Please

And the results are back - Cancer FREE!!!! Thank you, Lord!!!!!

Marrow Me?

Today, I sit beside Dru as he gets the IV put in his arm - awaiting his bone marrow biopsy. He's in pain...a lot of pain, but he shows no fear. He hasn't had anything to eat or drink since last night. No medicine or sleep either. I can't imagine what he is going through. Makes me think that kidney stones are a walk in the park. The nurse just told us that "if we can make it through this we can make it through anything." I agree. I don't think I've loved Dru more than how I love him now. He's perfect. Even in his misery.

I pray that this procedure today gives us an answer. But, if not, we will continue to press on and put our faith in God.

I wouldn't want to marry anyone but him. He's my bestfriend and I love him "in sickness and in health."

5 MONTHS - WHAT?!?!?

Okay - I'm not freaking out.....I repeat....not.....freaking.....out!!!!!!!!

Where did month 6 go? I looked at my ticker and I've completely skipped over the 6th month!!!! I realized that I literally have to get my behind in gear. I'm on a 5 month mission to lose the caboose and have Jennifer Aniston arms! In addition to the foregoing, I will also need to:

1) Get a DJ
2) Get fitted (oiy)
3) Finalize flowers
4) Finalize food
5) Find flower girl dresses
6) FAVORS
7) Get Justin, Amanda & Suzanne the music for ceremony
8) Make CD's of music for reception
9) and all the rest....etc etc etc.....

I was able to accomplish one thing....we got Dru's wedding ring this weekend! Men are so simple. Our rings are so extravagant and expensive and their rings are so simple and cheap!

Where did the wedding custom of "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" come from?

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. "Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.

Thanks Yahoo! :o)

Bridesmaids Dresses - CHECK!

I'm sorry that this blog of mine has been stale - I just had not done anything that interesting! :)

I was able to go with a majority of my bridesmaids and my maid of honor (Amy) to look at dresses yesterday. We had a great time. I had a list of dresses that I liked but the dress that won was one that Amy picked out. It's perfect! My girls were great. They helped me decide on the dress and the color. They can attest that the color selection was hard for me. It was my first real major decision on wedding colors. The dress below is not a good representation of the color I selected but it is close enough.

I've been looking at my wedding binder and we are now at the 4-6 month list of "things-to-do." I need to book honeymoon, book hotels (for wedding night and for out of towners), get a D.J. (I'm still deciding on that), get my flower girls dressed, finalize the florist arrangements, yadda yadda yadda....the list is getting bigger and bigger and bigger...

If you are wondering about Dru and his health, we have been on hold. The doctors are not certain that he only has sarcoid. They believe that he may have something in addition to the sarcoid that is causing him the majority of his pain. I don't want to disclose the "something" at this point because I don't want to get anxiety over it. Dru needs to have some tests done soon and then we will meet with another set of doctors to decide what our next steps will be.

For now - enjoy the pic of the bridesmaid dress - :o)

6 MONTH MARK

OK...time flies....when you are planning a wedding! I cannot believe that I'm only 6months away from marrying Dru! I just purchased my wedding dress and I can't wait to wear it!!!!

I need to find a D.J. if anyone knows one. That's my next big step. I also need to get my bridesmaids all dressed up! I think finding their dresses is harder than finding mine!!!

OH - and I booked the photgrapher! THANK-YOU ABBEY for taking that off my plate!!!!

I can't wait to see everyone this fall!

Update on Dru

Well, Dru and I went to see Dr. Rumbak the other day and it was a good appointment. Dr. Rumbak is going to start taking Dru off the prednisone in incriments of 5mgs each week until he is down to 40mg for next month's appointment. My prayer is that the prednisone is something that Dru's body will not need.

In wedding news...flowers tomorrow and then Dru and I are off to Disney for the day (we got the 4-day park pass for FLA residents). We even got a dinner reservation to Les Chefs de France which is in Epcot. So excited! Can't wait!!

Dru's Follow up Appointment

I'm leaving work early today to take Dru to his follow up appointment with Dr. Rumbak. Please continue to pray for Dru. He is still dealing with a great deal of pain on a daily basis. We are hoping to ask Dr. Rumbak today if he'd be able to take Dru off the prednisone.

On wedding news, I'm going to an appointment this weekend to look at flowers! YAY!

Does anyone know how to make tulle skirts?

Body Pump is Great!

OK - so I've started working out again for the hope that when I walk down the aisle it will be sans jiggly arms. :o) The YMCA offers this new class that is very challenging. My good friend Elizabeth and I are doing the classes Monday and Wednesday and on Tuesday and Thursday I have a personal trainer. I am excited to see weight come off. Although, I've noticed that you go up in weight before you ever come down....oiy! That is painful when you see the scale go up when you are working out soo hard. I'll post pics when I feel like I've accomplished something!

Also in Erin's world, Elizabeth and I are going to see Wicked on Friday. I can't wait!!!!

The Dress

Over the weekend, my step-mom, sister and good friend Lauren went wedding dress shopping. Initially, I was not ready...but after a few try-on's I didn't want to stop.

We went to C C's in St. Petersburg and had a great time. I tried on tons of dresses. Only one made me excited.

I decided to leave the store that day to sleep on it and to do some more searching. Really, I could be happy with the one I saw at C C's and, chances are it will be the ONE! :o)

Next weekend I am heading to Olga's for round #2 of the dress hunt. I already called in to make sure they had my dress there so that I could try it on again.

Next up cake selection!