Breaking and Entering

Well as I have learned in the past, it would not be my life without a little drama every now and then. Last night Nate and I had come back to my condo from a lovely dinner at my parents house, just wanting to relax and enjoy the last bit of the evening before he headed to Indy in the morning for his interview (Yay Nate good luck!)

However, when we got home, while trying to open the front door, the key just would not work. It would go in, but wouldn't even turn. It was weird, considering it hadn't been giving me any problems that day or the day before. Nate's key didn't work either, so we were baffled. My roomate was out to dinner but guessing since my key and Nate's key didn't work- neither would hers. I started to panic as I started to hear my cat crying inside and wanting out/us let in. I thought about not being able to get to work in the morning seeing as my computer and everything else important was inside. Nate managed to calm me down somewhat and started calling some locksmiths. None answered. Then I remembered I had left my (TWO STORY) window open and thought we could get in that way. Well the window was way higher than I though it would be but Nate began scheming how he could climb up there anyways. I told him I didn't need a broken legged fiance....

Soooo as a last resort I called my parents house reluctantly because I knew they were in bed and wanted to prove I could handle being locked out like a big girl. My dad proposed bringing over a ladder for us to get in to the upstairs window. So he comes to my condo at 10pm last night in his pajamas with a huge 12 foot ladder hanging out of the back of their SUV. It was quite comical. We looked like a bunch of criminals breaking into my apartment but we managed to get through the window and viola we were in.

Nate, being the amazing guy he is, got up at 6:45 this morning to go to Lowes to buy me a new lock, came over to my apartment to install it all before I had to get to work. So we have a functioning lock with working keys....for now...

Blessed

Nate, my adorable soon to be nephew Evan, and I

Recently, I have been overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and extreme thankfulness for how blessed I am. I am all moved into my condo and couldn't have done it without my wonderful family and help from Nate! This is the seventh August in a row that I have moved- into either a dorm, an apartment, back to my house, condo, etc. Whew, thanks family for being patient and helpful during all of my moves.

I just got back from Wisconsin Dells with Nate's family and it was a great time with my future in-laws. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family who is strong in their faith to marry into. It was great to get to know them better and I was able to ask my future sister-in-law, Andrea, to be a bridesmaid!

Speaking of bridesmaids, I have officially asked them all to be in the wedding, and they have all accepted! I can't wait! Each girl has a very special place in my heart and in my life- each being from a different "time period" in my life. Childhood will be represented by my two lovely sisters, Audra and Kaley, who will both serve as my maids of honor. Technically, by the time I get married Audra will be the "matron" of honor! Next is grade school and middle school which I spent in California, and will be represented by my wonderful friend Bethanny Johnson, whom I have remained close to over the years despite the distance. Next is high school, and will be represented by the amazing Jennifer Smith, whom I met on the very first day of 9th grade when I was new and scared and we've been close friends ever since. Then comes college, where I met Lauren Hubbard in our awful psych class, and I admired her "where's waldo" sweater, and we bonded over our strange math teacher and other interesting characters in her dorm cafeteria. Moving on to grad school, I met the bubbly Krystal Fritcher in my stats class, and she quickly became one of my closest friends in such a short amount of time, which I find amazing and rare! And last but certainly not least, is my soon to be sister-in-law Andrea Kolb, whom I am looking forward to getting to know even better and sharing a lot of memories with.

So blessed to have so many amazing people in my life, and of course thats not limited to just the girls in the wedding! Today I can hardly contain my joy!

Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.

This weekend will mark the one year out date for the wedding! We have chosen August 6, 2011 here in Champaign, IL. It was a simple decision for us, since we met and went to high school and undergrad here, and it is where both of our families reside.

Since I have gathered the information that wedding gowns should be ordered nearly 9 months in advance just in case, AND the fact that both my sisters will be leaving for Texas for their upcoming semester, I had no choice but to go ahead and start looking for dresses. But what I have to admit is that the dress really found me, and it inspired an entire theme which will be....drumroll...Old Hollywood Glamour. Having never thought I could pull the old fashioned bride look off, I am ecstatic that the dress I have chosen was suggested to me and had everyone's jaws hitting the floor. It is completely opposite of anything I would have chosen, not to mention I never saw myself having any kind of "themed" wedding, but here I am already doing the opposite!

Without disclosing too many details to Nate (he doesn't want any dress details or to even see me before the ceremony) I told him we were going to do an old fashioned Hollywood wedding theme to which he immediately asked- "So does this mean I get to be your Humphrey Bogart?" And the funny thing is that my dress ended up being called the "Casablanca" so it was meant to be!

So far we have ideas like renting an old vintage car to drive away in and have picked colors and possible decorations that go along with the theme. I want everyone to be surprised so thats all I will share for now...

Nate has been wonderful helping with the planning! Since he will be heading back to Kentucky to start up his new semester and due to things getting booked up quickly, we've already got our venue, Photographer, and DJ booked, and have set up correspondence with the caterers and florist too. Its seems like a lot but every time I scratch something off the list, more things get added! All in all though, I've enjoyed the planning and can't wait to get closer to start thinking about decorations and registry and all that fun stuff! Thats all for today, thanks for checkin in :)