More Planning

However confusing details may be, the overall wedding planning has been going very well for this early stage:

I know the weekend I want to get married. We both have our attendants. I have colors picked out. I know the song I want to walk down the aisle to. The first place I looked at I really liked and will probably go back next week to see it again. I already have my photographer lined up (pending on when I get the place). The first dress I tried on I am absolutely in love with. (I'd love to post a picture but I don't want the groom to see it...) I went to try on more dresses today and one or two others were nice but didn't really compare to the first one.

Not too bad for just over a week...

2 and a half more weeks before I can pack my planners/notebooks and head to Seattle for 3 weeks, yay! Looking forward to convs. up there (Milltown 2). Maybe I'll see you there!

Buffet or plated? Linen swatches? Wall texture??

Who thinks of these things until you start planning a wedding? Thank goodness I have help!

I do realize I have 9 months before the wedding but the rush is finding a place so that I can book a photographer so that I can have a final date! This seems to be the most common question people ask... When is the date? I'd like to know myself.

Early April isn't exactly into wedding season but it's still beautiful down here (average 75 degrees or so) and I'd like to get my spot before someone else takes it.

This means I've been calling, going to see places, emailing people... The lady Renee and I met with yesterday really did explain the texture of the wall in one room! I've never done all of this before but I guess that's important...

It's a bit tough with Kyle up in Seattle... Looking online at a place is not the same as looking in person.

I did get a bag of goodies just for going to look at the place though... a magazine, keychains, a picture frame, bath salts... I think just when I get used to all the fuss the wedding will be over! Oh, well, there's always the honeymoon....

Engagement Party

Sunday after gspl mtg Jan had an engagement party with family and a couple of friends for Kyle and I. When she told us we were having a party we thought she meant eat nachos and stay up late talking but we should've taken her more seriously!We were referred to as "the happy couple" all night. I can't argue that!Jan had delicious ham and salads, fruit, veggies....And a cake decorated in my colors! (Honeydew and Latte)All of the decorations were in my colors, too! The Kids Table- Kyle and I, Kyle's sister Tia, his cousin Kirsten, our friend Roya, his cousins Aaron and Jace and our friend Katie. Katie, me and Roya The two bridesmaids: Tia and Kirsten! (Kirsten is my maid of honor and Kyle has his buddy Scott as his best man and his brother Ty for his other groomsman.) Kirsten and I went into Davids Bridal and got some shirts, "Just Engaged" with a ring for me, "Bridesmaids" for Kirsten and Tia and a hat that says "Groom" for Kyle. This is the problem with having bridesmaids who you grew up with that are related to the groom.We even got presents! Here are Kyle's parents and sister...Right to left my aunt, Kyle's aunt and uncle and cousin, and my uncle...Jan, Kyle's great-aunt Maxine, Roya and Kirsten, my aunt...Jace got us Special K cereal because we are Kyle and Kari and also because it advertises losing one inch in 2 weeks. Kinda early before the wedding but never too early to start?Kirsten, Katie and Roya decorated our car. We reminded them this wasn't actually the wedding but I guess they wanted the practice...

Christian the Lion - the full story (in HQ)

This youtube video was featured on MSN on the TODAY show... Thought it was kinda cool. Loving the hair and clothes haha...

Engaged!

So if you don't know already from the spreading wildfire of news... Kyle and I are engaged!! I flew in to Seattle last night (after an annoying 2 and a half-hour delayed flight) and we drove up to this park overlooking Seattle and the water and he got down on one knee and presented this very beautiful ring:

Then we went to The Melting Pot for dinner, where he had called ahead and surprised me with rose petals all over our table and seats. Very romantic!

We are hoping to get married in early April, when I'll move to Washington (at least for awhile).

Storms

Monsoon season seems to be here a little early this year but we aren't complaining- it makes normally oven-hot July a bit more bearable...
We've had quite a few thunder storms this week with two really good downpours.
Sidewalks are normally for walking, not swimming.When we see thunder, lightning and rain, we all run outside. Sometimes we stand under trees. Usually we stay away from trees and just sit under cover and enjoy the warm rain.Raj does not enjoy the thunder, lightning and rain. The first storm we had nobody was at home and he got scared and jumped on the back door and tore down the weather strip Dad had just put there... Whoops.... Now he goes in here for storms.Our neighbor's car...It was fun to stand and watch from the front door. When the rain started to calm down, more neighbors came out. We saw three people ride by on bikes in their shorts and tanks and another neighbor splashing through the puddles.

The flash flood warning said we got 3/4 of an inch in a half hour with this one (the first one was a half inch in 20 minutes). August is when we get our bigger ones- most of our 4 inches of annual rainfall comes in August.

Bree

On Sunday we had a late birthday party with family for Kevin. Bree and Carter found this giant wolf in my room (next to my giant penguin) and wanted rides from Auntie Kari. (Jess took pics of that- maybe I can steal some pics from her later.) Auntie Kari getting tired was not acceptable and it was "more! more!" until I dropped... After all, who could say no to this look??

The 4th of July

....Posted on the 13th. Buut better late than never...

Independence Day...

Freedom to...

Swim in the big pool with water wings and boats.....Play in the kiddie pool. Just enough room!...Be who you want to be......Have Bocci ball competitions......Blow bubbles at each other......Play on the slide......And eat lots of food!Freedom to fly a flag...And celebrate your freedom with fireworks.

That's what Independence Day is all about!

Hike to the hot springs

The weeks are flying by so quickly I can hardly keep up my blog!

July 2nd I went with the Johnstons and one of their friends, Anne, to the lake. The lake for the Johnstons means wakeboarding. For wakeboarding it's nice to have smooth, undisturbed water and it's best to go before the day is hot... which means 5:30am!

I have to go with them every once in awhile just to remind myself what the sunrise looks like!

Unfortunately we had the boat halfway out in the middle of a cove, almost out to the lake when we ran aground. Luckily we were in a no-wake zone and going very slow but we still chewed up the prop pretty good.


Here is Brent standing in the middle of the cove in knee-deep water trying to push the boat off the sandbar... It was kinda weird.

So we decided to hike to the hot springs instead, which I'd never done before. We weren't even on the trail yet when we saw these desert bighorn sheep run across our path.

We also saw a big wall (which John tried to climb)...

And a cool-looking bridge....

And then we really got out into nature.

A couple of miles following a path, climbing over some of these big rocks...

And finally the hot springs! As we were nearing the springs a couple jumped out to put some clothes on which gave us all a laugh (after they left of course)... It's amazing they didn't hear us as we hiked up; the four of us weren't exactly a quiet group. The amazing part to me was after they had put their clothes properly on they stayed around long enough to ask us for a picture on their camera...


The hot water springs from under this rock in a tiny little trickle...

...And little dams were built to make these pools. The top one (nearest the camera) is hotter than a hottub, too hot to swim in. But by the time the water gets to the next pool it's about 90 degrees which felt just about right!

On the way back we ran out of water and I got what probably was mild heatstroke... I was shivering and sick by the time I got home with a headache the size of Russia but I slept for about 6 hours, drank at least 8 water bottles and lived to tell the tale.