90? Over it!

If we reach 90 degrees outside (predicted high is 91), we hit 90 days at 90 degrees or higher. A new record that breaks the previous record set in the 1980's. Nothing about that is cool to me. Literally and figuratively.

Last week was a teaser for Fall. The high hardly got into the 70s most days, and the mornings and evenings were in the high 50s or low 60s. The epitome of perfect weather. The days were sunny with blue skies, but not hot. A nice breeze helped to keep the afternoon temperature just right.

Beautiful skies and colorful trees. Looking forward to seeing you both soon!

 This week, Mother Nature decided she needed to heat things up...ONE LAST TIME, I hope! I am so ready for Fall and everything that comes with it! Bring.It.On. My long sleeves, scarfs, hoodies, boots, etc. are ready for some action!



Big sweater. Tights. Boots.



The little sis and I - October in OHIO :) Ready to wear the North Face again!

 

Park with the nephews on a wonderful, cool day! Can't wait to do this again!







A Beautiful Day

Over the weekend we took our moms to see our wedding venue and meet with a local florist up in Cleveland, GA. I had been anxiously awaiting this day since it was planned weeks ago. Since the day Ryan and I saw Neverland Farms and fell in love (back in June), I couldn’t wait to show our moms, so this day has been much anticipated. We woke up to a gorgeous day, which I knew would be even more incredible in the North Georgia Mountains.

The one hour drive from Alpharetta to Neverland Farms is a beautiful one. However, if you’re prone to getting motion sickness, you don’t get to enjoy the scenery, and the drive becomes not so beautiful. Both of our moms were carsick halfway into the trip. We stopped along the way for them to take two minutes to get out and get some fresh air.

When we finally arrived and got out of the car by Dan’s Hall (where the reception will be held), both mom’s looked around to take it all in, and almost simultaneously said, “It looks even better than the pictures!” Phew- what a relief- they both loved it! Not that it would’ve mattered if they didn’t like it; our minds were made up (and the deposit is paid). J They both agreed that it was well worth the drive and the nauseous feeling they'd be stuck with all day.

As we walked the property to show them where the guys would hang out before the wedding, where guests are received and where we’ll say our I dos, tears were shed and smiles were fixated on all of our faces. It was a special time to share with just our moms.

After our tour and a brief meeting with Suzy (farm owner and wedding planner), we got back in the car to head toward Helen. We had a lunch date to make with Sherry of Gertie Mae’s Floral Studio. (Check her Facebook page out for pictures of her work!) Sherry and I had communicated via email and phone, but I couldn’t wait to meet her in person and talk flowers! Maybe it was the curly hair that is oh-so similar to mine, or her feisty personality, or just the fact that she is incredible at what she does, but I fell in love with her almost instantly. We talked way more than just flowers, enjoyed lunch, and ended the afternoon with a hug and a feeling of knowing each other for much longer than an hour. Fingers crossed that her pricing comes within our budget, so we can get her signed up for our big day next year!

Although it was a long day, I would call it a huge success. It was a reminder of how blessed we are to be able to plan this special day with both moms by our side.

Date- check! Venue- check!

We have a venue and a date! Back in May, I stumbled across pictures from some one's wedding. The scenery was breathtaking, everything I imagined a fairytale wedding would look like. Luckily, the photographer credited the location of the picture- Neverland Farms. Once I looked it up, I was in love. I found contact information through a Google search, and sent an email immediately. In no time, I heard back from the farm's owner, Suzy, and we were scheduling a visit to the site. On a Saturday in June, Ryan and I made the 1 hour venture north, into the beautiful mountains of Georgia, following directions Suzy gave us because any GPS will lead you astray. From the second the gravel drive lead us through the gates of the farm, we fell in love. Meeting Suzy, who is absolutely wonderful, sealed the deal for us. Neverland Farms would be our venue, and Suzy would help make all of our wedding dreams come true. We put it all in writing the following week, and the deal was sealed!

October 20, 2012. An evening ceremony and reception to follow at Neverland Farms in Cleveland, GA. It's still more than a year a way, but we are super excited! Let the countdown begin! Visit our wedding website for more details about our big day!

Without Further Ado

After almost 4 months, I have decided to venture back int the world of blogging! I would like to be able to say that my long break was due to laziness on my part, but that is not the case at all. I got so busy with work over the last few months that I've barely had time to think about our hectic life and everything going on. While I've only had time to go through the motions each day, or so it seems that way most of the time, I just couldn't justify time for blogging or even thinking about anything non-work related. I haven't even taken the time to keep up with my favorite blogs, so I've got a lot of catching up to do on that end, too! I've missed reading about what everyone else has going on, so I've got to make reading blogs and writing my own a priority again.

So much has happened in the last few months... I can't wait to share all of the excitement! I'll be posting like crazy to get caught up. So, without further ado, I'm back!

decisions, decisions...

So in the last 4 weeks or so, Ryan and I have made some big decisions. Decision #1- we’re waiting to buy a house, which is directly related to Decision #2- we set a date and we’re (finally) planning our wedding. I’ve already told you about the latter, but have had some questions about the house. Time to clear the air!

When we started looking for a house, we thought it was the right thing to do. The market is great, and we’re just blowing money renting each month. After spending some time searching for our perfect house, we failed to find anything we really, truly loved in our price range. We spent a lot of time talking and thinking about the decision, but ultimately decided it would be best for us to wait a while to buy a house. It’s probably the smartest thing to do, considering we’ll have more money and less debt in another year and a half or so, plus we’ll be making more money (if all goes well with work). Better debt-to-income ratio means we’ll be able to afford a nicer house in a price range that will have more options for us! PLUS when we really crunched the numbers, we discovered that there is no way we can buy a house and continue to save what we’re currently saving each month. That is critical because we are counting on our savings for a wedding. Well, there is no way we could buy a house now and still be able to afford to get married next fall. We’ve waited long enough to get married as it is, and we didn’t want to have to put it off even longer! It certainly was not an easy decision, but we feel like we made the right one. The dogs will have to live the apartment lifestyle with us for a while longer, but it’s not so bad. Besides, we’ve really settled into our apartment, anyway! I’m not quite ready to paint every wall back with primer and pack up all our stuff!

One Year Later.

Friday, April 30, 2010. This time last year Ryan and I were arriving in Statesboro for the Tim McGraw concert that was held at GSU. At the hotel getting ready, I had such short patience because I was rushed. Rushed because Ryan's mom called and asked if we could swing by Sweetheart Circle and take a few pictures (before our event) so she could have them for her frame. I didn't calculate that extra 15 minutes into the time I calculated to get ready and be at the event  by 6 PM, so I was not a happy camper. Little did I know that the extra 15 minutes required to go take a few pictures would lead to the biggest, happiest surprise of my life... our engagement!...

When Ryan's mom called to ask if we could run by Sweetheart Circle to take a few pictures, I agreed, but had no clue who would take the pictures. At the time, one of my best friends worked in one of the buildings on Sweetheart Circle, so I called and asked for the favor. Heather agreed, and met us there to be our photographer. She had no idea she was volunteering to photograph Ryan proposing!



The 2nd Picture
Still thought we were just taking pictures for his mom


After Heather took a couple of pics, Ryan asked her to take a "tall" shot. While she was adjusting the camera, he started moving... I thought he was just fixing his shirt and changing positions. When I turned to look at him, his hand came from his back pocket and I saw a ring box. I immediately screamed, "Ryan!," and turned around with my face in my hands... I was already crying and completely shocked!! When I turned back around, Ryan was down on one knee. He took my hand, told me how much he loved me, and said, "Will you marry me?" I, of course, said yes, and he slipped the ring on. I was sobbing, and I couldn't stop saying, "I can't believe this." 

The "tall" Picture
I turned around when I saw the ring box...



Then I turned back around...



Then I said yes...

 
When I finally turned to see Heather, she was crying, but still taking pictures. I am so glad that one of my best friends could be a part of it; I know she is, too. She took amazing pictures, caught every moment, and we are so thankful she was there!

Shocked! and saying, "I can't believe this!"

Right after I said yes, we enjoyed a night of Tim McGraw... perfect way to end the most amazing evening!



At the concert


We met and graduated together at Georgia Southern, so it was the perfect place to pop the question!

As I relive that story, it brings tears to my eyes. I never thought he would be able to surprise me... he completely shocked me!

It was the best day of my life...so far!

Happy Year Anniversary of our Engagement!!

Happy Planning!

Ryan and I have been putting it off for almost a year now, but we’re finally ready to start talking about a wedding! Our financial situation is different than most, and because we’ll be paying for every penny of our big day, we’ve been more hesitant about planning. Well, we think we’re at the point where we can start putting the time (and money) into our dream day.

We’ve always been set on an October wedding, so our goal is October 2012. We haven’t nailed down a particular date yet, but we hope to do so soon.  Eighteen months seems like it’s still so far away (especially since it’s already been a year), but it will be here before we know it. So, we’ll start a little early to make sure we have plenty of time to nail down every last detail.

So, we’ll soon be taking the time to visit several venues and hopefully begin to put the pieces together!

Let the planning begin! J (and yes, I'm sure I'll need loads of help!)