After all the weddings lately (which I'll post in my next post) it's really got me geared up for my wedding. Josh is so relieved to have his best man job over for Jordan & Sarah's wedding, and now feels like he can start focusing on our wedding. I have absolutely LOVED being a part of all of the weddings so far, and to go to a few more this summer. Once I get done at the wedding though, the next day (amid a small hangover), I want to get going on all of my own wedding things!
On my to-do-list for next month was to order Josh's wedding ring. Now, mind you, I've had a REALLY hard time wrapping my mind around dropping $300+ on a ring that, let's face it, Josh isn't going to wear. Because he's a mechanic, I don't want him wearing at work, because he could obviously scratch it, but mostly because if his finger gets caught on something it could rip his entire finger off. We have talked about it, and we both agree that unless we're going out and doing something, he probably won't wear it that often. That's why, when I was surfing around online, I found this great website, Larson Jewelers. They have all of the rings I had looked at in the big jewelry stores, at GREAT prices! AND they also engrave, which was something I wanted done as well! I went ahead and ordered his ring today because I was so excited AND they were running a great summer deal! Plus, shipping was free!! I'll post a picture once I get it, but it should be here by Wednesday and rumor is they ship with a sweet ring box. ;) If you or someone else you know is getting married soon and you're in the same boat, I highly suggest ordering though them!
Tungsten Wedding Bands
Gah. I know, I know. No updates in, what, two months? I check in on friends' posts from time-to-time, but couldn't ever catch a break to update my own. Track finished up and the weather was SUPER crappy. It was more like winter than spring the entire time and we were only able to get 4 meets in, and 3 were regular season. It even snowed on May 3rd! It wasn't that nice out and the weather was absolutely terrible through most of April/May. It's just now starting to warm up, after a LOT of rain. Blah.
I've been trudging along on the wedding. For the most part, most of it is planned, paid for, and ready for the big day. I just have some little things to get done and some lose ends to tie up. I'm glad I'm getting it all out of the way and have been doing it a little bit at a time. I won't lie when I say that honestly though, I'm tired of spending money on it. I'll be happy not having to think about what I need to buy next month for the wedding or if something is in the budget. I'll just be freaking happy it's DONE. I'm honestly ready for the big day to be here, but even more excited for October 13, when I'm just Mrs. Meckley and we can start enjoying life being married. Yeah...that will be nice.
Danielle and Jake got married a few weeks ago, and it was a really great wedding/reception. I was so happy to be apart of their special day, and it was even more exciting because I was planning my own wedding. Jordan & Sarah are getting married this weekend and Josh is the best man so he's been preparing that speech like crazy! He's ready for it to be here so he can get his speech behind him and get to celebrating. He's been stressing about it, ha.
On a sadder note, we had to put my parent's dog Angel down this past week. She was 13-years-old, but it doesn't make it any easier. So hard to lose a pet when they've been with you for so long and are like family. She'll be missed, but I know she's up chasing squirrels with Lacey on Rainbow Bridge. <3
And FINALLY...we got some of our engagement pictures done! It was up in the air because the weather was so crappy lately, but we managed to sneak in a session with Melissa @ Fairy Tale Photography and it was GREAT! LOVE them (I've already ordered several copies and even had one aluminized haha). Here's a few of my favorites (and Josh even agreed to get a few with the puppies! YAY!)
I'll try to get a few more sporadic posts in here leading up to the wedding! I'm taking two more Drake classes this summer so trying to get through that as well. :)
Gah. Where has the time gone? I think that for the most part, things just keep being crazy and hectic and I have no time to breathe. Track started and it just seems like every night I am exhausted so I come home and sleep. As my Drake classes are winding down, it's hard to find time between all the papers and projects. Wedding planning is kind of at the point where there's nothing to really "plan" but plenty of things to buy! We really have everything knocked out...now I'm just ready for summer so I can start putting my invites together! We got the materials in the mail the other day, and Laura sent me something to get me started, so they're coming together and it's EXACTLY what I wanted! I've never been so happy with them! I will post a pic after we send some out; don't want to spoil the surprise ;)
Yesterday was my 26th birthday and I think it's actually safe to say it has been the best one yet. I loved my birthdays like 21, 22, 23 etc where we all went out to the bars and what not, but honestly, just the intimate, close birthday that I had this year was breathtaking. Josh and I had talked about him not getting me a present because he was paying off my ring this month, and honestly, that's the only present I need! But we wanted to do something to celebrate anyway, so last weekend we went out to eat and went and saw Jurassic Park in 3D (I LOVE dinosaurs! And about a month ago we went and saw Sue the T-Rex at the Science Center, so cool!). On Monday he said he was going to pick me up a card, but ended up surprising me with a cake and candles as well! Then on my birthday we went out to Ge-Angelos (my new favorite restaurant!) and it was honestly just so great. I will be the first person to admit that ever since Josh & I got engaged, I love him even more, and I actually feel like he loves me even more. I lucked out tremendously with this guy; he's amazing and I can't believe I'm honestly marrying my best friend in 6 short months!
birthday cake
New shoes! LOVE them!
To avoid sounding so sappy we'll move on to more things. It has rained buckets here and hasn't gotten above 50 degrees the past two weeks or so. We've only gotten in one track meet the entire season and out of the 7 meets we normally go to, we'll only be able to attend 5 (that's if none of the rest of them get cancelled after this!). It's made for a VERY. LONG. SEASON. I do really enjoy track, but I'm definitely a fair weather fan and this weather...sucks. Ugh. Come on 70 degree weather!
Not much else - we've done the standard things over the past few months. My friend Danielle had her bachelorette/bachelor party over St. Patrick's Day and it was a lot of fun! Probably the most traumatic thing that's happened is that we took Taytum to the groomer's over Easter break and she came back....hairless. Literally. They shaved her hair off! I couldn't believe a "groomer" would even consider puppy cutting a Sheltie. Her beautiful, beautiful hair that had been growing for over 7 years. I cried. Josh was so upset. My mom was really upset. It was traumatic to say the least. It's been almost a month now and it still hasn't grown back much...but we're used to it. She's been pretty chilly lately though!
The future Mr. & Mrs. Meckley for St. Paddy's Day!
Taytum before & after :(
Only 5 weeks left of school! So ready for summer! Not that I don't have a great bunch of students, I'm just excited because once summer hits I feel like we'll be getting so much closer to wedding and honeymoon and becoming Mrs. Meckley! YAY! :) Fingers crossed for warmer weather. Where the heck is this "In like a lion out like a lamb??" We're having lion only weather! Come on May!
Hello again! Seems like it's been so long, but it seems like the weeks just fly by. Pretty soon track will start and I won't have time to breathe. March is coming up though, and then only a few more weeks until summer break. I really cannot wait for summer break - not because I'm tired of my job or the students, but because it just means I'm so much closer to marrying my best friend. It's all starting to come together; really just a few lose ends to tie up. I am getting more and more excited as the days go by. It will be here before we know it! There could also be some changes that could be coming our way; I will keep everyone updated!
So backing up a few weeks, we've been busy on the weekends as well. A few weekends ago it was Alex's birthday, but she wasn't planning anything because she was having a big birthday party the weekend after. We'd been e-mailing and she was kind of bummed out about a few things, so she wasn't expecting anything. My friend Rachel and I though drove to Omaha and ended up surprising her when she least expected it! We actually had her roommate Robbie talk her into meeting him at the bar and then when she showed up we jumped up from behind the bar with balloons and surprised the crap out of her! She was really happy and we all ended up going to dinner and had a night out. It was a really fun, needed time. Then the weekend after Alex and her friends came back to Des Moines and rented a bus and we drove around to various bars for the night. It was two back-to-back weekends of fun!
That's kind of the most excitement we've had. Josh got tickets from me for Baconfest for Christmas so he went there the weekend I had Alex's birthday. I think from all the guy stories I heard, they had fun! Now we're gearing up for some weddings starting in May and getting ready for spring! Although the meteorologists predicted an inch of snow...and we ended up with about 8"! So hopefully it warms up soon!
And anyone wanting to keep up on our wedding activities, you can visit our website: http://meckleykauer.ourwedding.com to see registries, ceremony, reception, etc. Sign the guestbook if you'd like, too. :) Stay warm!
What a better day to catch everyone up on up-to-date things than the third snow day of the year! (does anyone even want to catch up anymore??) I took a J-Term class for my Master's, which basically just means it was a semester class condensed into two weeks. Talk about crazy! A lot to do, a lot of class time, and out of class time (even going and doing sessions all day Sundays). Needless to say, I'm pretty happy that class is over, although my spring semester classes start this week. It's definitely worth it; I'm so excited on this journey of becoming a school counselor, and I've actually learned so much about myself as well along the way! Really eye opening - I love it.
Well, the big thing I've been doing has obviously been doing as much wedding planning as I can. I am getting so excited, and I've been "on the ball" for just about everything. People say there's a time where you don't really have "much to do so you sit around" but I haven't done that yet. I've been planning, designing, and ordering every month. I'm down to the little details now, but I'm still doing those whenever I can. I know you don't send out invitations until three months before the date, but I'm already on the ball getting the help from the great Laura at Sometimes Crafty so I can get them all put together and they're ready to head out in July. We are putting the final touches on chair covers and things. I've been getting a lot of great things for centerpieces as well. The only thing kind of daunting at this point, is decorating the reception place. I'll need a backdrop and some things for the side walls. Not sure what to do...but hopefully some great crafty people will help when the time comes!
Everything has been going so fast, and pretty soon it will be track season I'm sure. Not sure when I'll have time to breathe once track starts...but hopefully that means it will fly by and then it'll be May! I feel like once May gets here I'll be able to breathe easy and coast through the summer doing more wedding things. :)
Nothing much else to post I guess. On one last note, if you haven't had the chance to read If You Get There Before I Do by David Hoeksema, please do. Kjrsten was a freshman when I was a senior in Baxter, and I can remember the next morning find out the horrible news that she had been killed in an accident. I can remember seeing her in the halls and thinking, "What a quiet girl, but she has the most beautiful hair and eyes." I wish I would have gotten to know her more, but through the book I do feel like I learned more about her. On top of knowing and sharing Kjrsten's story, it's also an amazing story of faith and the power of our Savior. I have this deep want now to know my Lord in a deeper way, and be able to find comfort when loved ones pass on that I know exactly where they're going. I do believe in Jesus Christ and Heaven, but I just have this want to really KNOW Him after reading this book. Their story of hope, faith, and forgiveness is so inspiring. Please read! Enjoy the winter weather still and stay safe! :)
Wow...I'm just not sure where the time went! It seems like you get one second to breathe and "poof" it's gone! We've just been so busy since the last post with holidays, Master's, wedding planning, teaching, etc., that there hasn't been enough time to actually post anything. I'll try to back-up as much as I can to catch everyone up to speed.
Thanksgiving was great for us! The usual great family time. It seemed like everything snuck up on us this year because it was so warm out. I got a few outside decorations up while it was nice outside, and after Christmas I bought a ton of lights to go outside because Josh said he'd hang some (he's getting softer in his old age). We, of course, are blessed and got a lot of great things for Christmas! I think Josh's favorite has been the TV I bought us. It was a great deal right before Christmas and I couldn't say no. :) Other than that, I had two snow days on the last two days of school so my break was an extra two days long this year - yay but I'm sure I'll think otherwise come the end of May.
My Master's classes have been very challenging and time consuming, but so full-filling. I love going to class and I love learning about new things. I've really enjoyed it and have put a lot of effort into it - I finished with a 4.0 my first semester! This time two years from now I'll be graduating and ready to become a school counselor; can't wait!
Wedding planning is coming a long. Again, we've had so much help and we're so blessed with all the love and support. I bought my dress and I am absolutely in LOVE with it. I saw it again at the Bridal fair this past weekend and I remembered how much I loved it. I can't wait to wear it. In two weeks I'm going bridesmaid shopping with the girls to get dresses for them. Not entirely sure what I want yet - will have to look once we get there. There isn't a whole lot left to do for the wedding; just little things. Even my centerpieces are coming along which is a relief! Now just to decorate...YAY! haha.
So that's basically it. Sorry no pictures - just trying to catch everyone up. Hope everyone else is doing well - I'm sure I'll post again about how fast time is flying. xoxo
Wow...where has time gone?? Between teaching, Master's and now wedding planning, it seems like there's barely any time to breathe in there! We've been really busy lately, and my nights quickly fill up meeting with florists, cake decorators, etc., and trying to just get the necessary items done as well. But, it's been going by SO SO SO fast and I cannot believe this week starts November! Then getting close to my favorite time....Christmas! YAY!
So, to catch up on all things, I'll start from where we left off - the engagement. Since then Josh and I have picked a reception place, gotten save-the-dates made, chosen colors, picked bridal parties, designed our reception favors, I have an idea on invitations, chosen a florist, caterer, and a DJ. WOW! It seems like we've gotten so much done, but I know there's still a lot to do! I'm still looking for a good place to rent linens (table and chair covers), so if anyone knows a good place please let me know! I'm going dress shopping next weekend and I cannot wait - obviously it's the most exciting part. And I've been contacting churches. Then we'll have a little breathing room for a while. Phew!
My Master's is moving a long at a nice little clip. Next year I'll get the bulk of my classes out of the way (10 classes finished by the end of 2013; as long as they don't get in the way of a wedding/honeymoon ;)). So I'll only have 4 left to finish before 2014 ends and I'll officially be a school counselor! So excited to reach for my goal. It's been some work, but definitely informational, rewarding, and exciting so far. Yay!
A few weeks ago I did another 5K (two in one year!). It was The Color Run and while it was fun, it was REALLY, REALLY cold that day. And it was very well organized; just not as much fun as Color Me Rad. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the way Color Me Rad was done, I'm not sure. Either way though, it was fun; I'll just know next time to ONLY do 5Ks when I know the weather will be nice!
I've also done a little Halloween decorating this year. I did my usual Halloween tree and then put lights in the windows and around the deck. But then I made a little ghost. So simple and SO cute!
Halloween is this Wednesday and Taytum is going to be a squirrel and Tyson is going to be a dinosaur.
I went out for Halloween this weekend and I was a bath loofah! I was only out for about an hour and a half, but still got to see some people, talk some wedding, and was home and in bed by midnight; and these are quickly becoming my favorite nights!
I also had a date with Kayden yesterday. She was such a good girl - we went to Wal-Mart to finish my costume and then got some McDonalds. We came home and she played outside with the puppies, we took a walk, we played inside and watched some T.V. She's turning into someone SO fun to be with - we actually just had a blast! I was pretty tired when she left, but it was worth it. She's pretty cute. :)
Other than that we've just been trying to make time to have fun and still spend time together. This week there were only two nights I got home before Josh went to bed, and he was getting ready for bed when I did get home! It's been so beautiful lately (80's last week!). So it doesn't seem like it's almost November. Almost time to get that Christmas music going....I can't wait! Until next time...xoxo
