#MeetTheMendelsons - Getting Ready

The wedding is over, we have honeymooned and the pictures are in….Time to blog about the wedding.
I can’t even begin to put into words how perfect the day was. Perfect weather (minus the wind that kept us on our toes), everything I dreamed in my head was executed to perfection by my mother and my friends. It was PERFECT.

The house had two amazing areas for the bridal party to get ready – the man cave – with a bar, pinball machines and tvs and the beautiful bride’s suite with amazing windows and a huge mirror. 

Eric and I choose not to see each other the day of until the first look – we had some close calls, and for a while it seems like every time I walked into a room I was darting back out and sending someone in to shoo him away. Finally I parked it upstairs and let him be :-D

Now for the pics First up the guys – I had reminded them all that there would be no staggering down the aisle – and if they did drink too much, they hid it well :-D

I got Eric and LCD screen for his GoPro,I knew this would be good for his diving on the honeymoon. It was my back up gift – my first gift was back ordered….I got it the day we got home from the honeymoon – fantastic.
 







Dad playing a little Pac-Man

Gunner and his daddy


I love this one of G-man and Uncle Eric playing


They played and waited until I was ready for the first look.


Eric worked on his note to me before the wedding – I was writing it the day of…talk about role reversal.

 That was fun to brush the next day

Sweet June was 2 weeks old - such a good girl

Eric gave me a necklace with Enzo's paw print and a long sweet note

one thing mom and I didn’t do was practice getting in the dress without destroying hair – so we got recruits to help!

This is my excited face - the "its real" face

By the point I knew we were behind schedule and I was ready to see my dad and then get to Eric. I was a bundle of nerves and getting super anxious to see him.

And that is where I will leave you…

Vendor Information:
Dress - Mori Lee
Dress Shop and Tuxedo Rentals- J and B Bridals
Hair and Make up- Cindy at The Cutting Edge Salon
Photography - Beth T Photography

Linking up for Wedding Wednesday

Currently...

Doing it again this week...

Feeling... tired with a side of stress. I have a lot of loose ends to tie up at work, and I can’t seem to get the uninterrupted time at work to do the work. I am breaking a rule of mine – and taking work home with me this weekend with the hopes I walk in Monday much closer to leaving things in a way I am comfortable (hey! I took work home maybe twice in my two years working here!)

Reading... I haven’t been doing a lot of reading this week… I read a little on Sunday at the spa while waiting for my massage

Watching... We caught up on all but the finale of The Walking Dead this week, and some of The Voice last night. I wrote thank you notes while watching – too much to do and not enough time to do it!

Listening to... Sam Hunt – I got an email from Jill this am, which put me in the mood for out road trip staple….Made me miss the roomies!

Drinking... Diet Mt. Dew – DANG IT, I was doing so well giving it up- and then I have had a few weeks with restless nights and it became a survival thing for me…I will quit again….maybe…

Thinking about... How extremely blessed I am. My Bridesmaids threw me the best shower and bachelorette party this weekend. I am going to bug them for pictures and recap it here soon! They were amazing. It was perfectly me….

Working on... getting ready for change. Getting things at work completed, getting appointments made for my new job, getting things for the wedding completed and getting my house in order so that when I am working at home I am not stressed.

Needing... A tan! The wedding dress doesn’t need a tan, but it would sure look better with one…I am more worried about the honeymoon. I typically get sunburned (no matter how much sunscreen I use) when we go to Bethany Beach for the first time of the summer, I can’t imagine what being closer to the equator will do to me! I am so not ok with tanning beds…praying for some warm days I can sit outside and soak in some rays and investing in stronger SPF

Loving... Warmer days. We walked the dog last night and I didn’t wear a coat! Windows were open in the house yesterday. Days when the windows are open all days (and night) are my favorite!

Excited about... Passover Seder tonight and my Hair and Makeup trial tomorrow! (Plus a dress fitting right after! I get to see the whole look!!!!)

Currently....

One of the blogs I really enjoy Planes, trains, and running shoes always does these posts. In an effort to blog more and get back to my happy place writing, I am going to copy her idea!

Feeling... A huge mix of things – one I am tired, I have been exhausted all week. I think due to the stress of making a huge life decision. I am currently feeling sad and excited. About an hour ago, I put in my notice that I am leaving my current position. It was really a difficult decision but I am also excited about the new position. I will have normal hours, and no commute. Pretty much exactly what I have been praying for

Reading... Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. My goal is to get our financial life in order and pay off debts and save for our future!!

Watching... I haven’t watched much TV this week. Our DVR is super backed up too… maybe I will get some time to watch some stuff this weekend (HA)

Thinking about... How in all that is holy is it SNOWING on the first day of spring? Makes me so mad!!!

Working on... Getting my files updated and all my ducks in a row so that I leave the next person with as little extra work as possible.

Needing... Sleep. The dog has been having sleeping issues (I am taking the blame and I think he is allergic to the almond butter I used to give him his pill so he got an ear infection) Luckily I stopped with the almond butter and put the ointment from last time in his ear and it’s much better, of course last night he slept perfectly – you know, the night I go to bed at midnight and get up at 5:15.

Loving... all of the great things coming down the pike for me. Bestest is coming Friday, and my bridesmaids are planning a fun weekend that they won’t tell me about. The wedding finally feels like it is close and I couldn’t be more excited!

Excited about... Getting RSVPs back, I have had  many texts and messages that the invitations have hit the mailboxes – so now I am just eagerly waiting on their responses

In Happier News - Wedding update

This weekend I checked off a lot of things on the wedding to do list.

Friday I took my mom's veil to her friend's house, and discussed how she was going to make it into a thing of beauty fitting for 2015 (right now it is super 80s).

Saturday Eric and I went to the mall and looked at his ring. He picked out what he liked so that I could go order.

Sunday I went to mom's and let her show me some things she is working on for the unity candle and a few other décor items.

Monday I went to Eric's mom's house and began sewing the bridesmaids gifts. I am fully finished one project, and we started another. One more day there and I will be finished with the girls' presents. Eric and his dad created the bases of the Chuppah for the wedding and they are ready to go to our friend who will plant flowers in them.

Tuesday I went out in the afternoon in search of a bra/corset for my fitting on Saturday. (nothing like waiting to the last min) I didn't find anything, I am hoping I don't need it after all.
I also ordered Eric's ring while I was out.

Last night we were working on the wording for our Ketubah - the Jewish Marriage contract, and basically wrote it so it was unique to us. We decided to use the saying on the Ketubah as our vows, so our vows were written last night as well!.

Plus, last week Jan finished our invitation and is working on the RSVP cards. We booked the venue for the rehearsal brunch, and I figured out the escort card/favors.

So much done, yet so much to do.

I need to figure out the little people's gifts, create the escort cards, create the programs, create some signs for the wedding and get the invites out the door next month.

Eric needs to figure out his gifts for the boys, and make sure they order their suits! We also need to make the corn hole game.

We are in double digits- 96 to be exact. There is still so much more than this list has on it, but its a start. I am just excited how much we accomplished this weekend!

There is so much more that I haven't blogged about, that I want to blog about, and yet, the only thing on my heart is something pretty sad.

You may or may not know, my grandfather is battling lung cancer. He did radiation and tests now show there is a 2nd spot.

When I found out he was first diagnosed, I didn't know how to handle it.

I am blessed beyond measure. I am 30 years old, and still spend holidays with all four of my grandparents. It is not lost on me how rare that is.

I found out in August. All I could think about was my wedding, how sad I would be if my grandfather wasn't there. I got angry because that felt so selfish.

We knew that radiation wouldn't do much, there was not going to be a story where Grandpap, beat cancer. Now with the 2nd spot, it is more like when.

At Christmas, it was in the back of all of our heads, that this was probably the last Christmas with him, but there was hope that it wouldn't be. Now it seems as though it really was the last one (though I pray the doctors are wrong)

Now it is bigger than my wedding. I am selfish, I don't want to spend a family dinner, birthday celebration, thanksgiving, Christmas without him. I don't want there to not be the latest joke from readers digest being told.

I haven't had to deal with this before, and I don't want to. This pretty much sucks and I don't know how to handle it.