Please send money......

or time....
money or time - I'll take either today!  LOL

Peace out!
I'm outta here! (wink)

GoodNESS!!!!!!
who KNEW?!?!!!!!!
I'm all about doing a "budget" wedding - but GOSH stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!
we are still 8 weeks out and it just keeps adding up.
I had NOOOO idea!!!

The courthouse is looking more and more tempting!!!
(nahhhhhhhhhhhh)

here's the update
things are moving right along ..........
Got my dress on Saturday (which I can't POST because it's a SECRET!) and T is ALL ABOUT trying to get a glimpse of it... sheeeesh!
Bridesmaid dresses are almost all ordered....just one to go after today!
Got dresses for T's girls (hope they fit, they haven't tried them on yet)
Met with my my flower man!  Have some AWESOME ideas for centerpieces (crossing fingers that it works out!)
Meeting with photographer today after work!

Still need to finish putting together invitations, & get those mailed out.
Need a piano player....??  anyone?!
CORRECTION:  update to the UPDATE - we DON'T need a piano player...  we have a GUITAR player!  (Yay!)  Actually - we have TWO!  ;-)  *I think?*
Need "engagement" pictures (just a couple to use for the paper and the house of course!)

Need MONEY!  ha ha

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
got the church - check
got the reception hall - check..........

What. Am. I. Missing????????
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

OHHHHHHHHHHHH - what about a MINISTER to do the ceremony?!
yup - don't have one of those yet?
T offered to play both roles...... the groom AND the minister.
He even said he could even "RECORD" it so he could stand in the same place the entire time... and he'll just leave pauses in the tape for times we need to speak! 
LOL

ORRRRRRRRRR........
here's another idea..........
a few weeks ago - we met Billy Gibbons...... (ZZ Top)
word on the street is that he is ordained in 49 states?  wonder if KY is one of them?
REALLY?!!!

so I'm thinking - what if I let T ask BILLY GIBBONS to do the ceremony??????

What do you all think???!!

How do we look?????????????????????

and without further adieu.....

GUESS WHO'S GETTING MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody been wondering where I've been hiding???

under a rock?

at the funny farm?

in jail for killing my TEENAGE holy terror???

NOPE!

I've been getting engaged!!!!!!

yup!

That's right!

Preacher T proposed!

Anybody wanna know about it??????

huhhhhhh - huuuhhhhh.....any....one....??????

So here's how the story goes

{hope he doesn't kill me!}

Last Saturday I spent the day with my girls laying out in the baby pool

Yes.  That's right.  You read that right.  BABY pool...... yeah - you "might be a redneck" if..  ha ha.

It was HOT though.....  a girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do to get some TAN on!!!

Anyway - T had his daughter with him and when I talked to him - they were shopping.  Remember this was the Saturday before Father's Day so I assumed they were shopping for T's dad and for T ;-)

I had to work at the restaurant that night so I didn't really expect to get to see T that day.

But I was pleasantly surprised when I got a text from him telling me that he was coming downtown later.  Now - for the record - T NEVER goes out anywhere when his daughter is with him.  So while I was thrilled to get to see him later, I found it rather strange.

I worked all night that night - and later realized he had sent a text saying that he wanted to see me later, to "take a walk down memory lane"

Awwwwwwww.......

I couldn't wait to get off work to see him.

So when I FINALLY did......it was by then around midnight!

I sent T a text and told him I was finished  (at this point expecting to meet up with him outside work downtown somewhere)

But I got a reply back saying to meet him at church.  (ODD?)

but no big deal.....I thought it was rather sweet and expecting that he just wanted to sit around talking about the good times.  {{he's sweet like that.... but don't tell him I said that!}}

So I leave work and meet him at church (reminder:  this is his church... where he is the preacher.  And the church that he started 2 years ago...)

When I go in..... I won't go into all the details, but those of you who have been following around for a while - know that we've had some ups and downs lately.  He then spent a little time apologizing for any pain he had caused...

but here's the thing... Pain or Not - we came through STRONGER than ever and I'm lucky to have him.  I'm lucky to have him in my life!

So after we talked (or really I guess HE talked) he walked up and picked up his guitar.  and said "this song says it best"

And he played this.......

{and NO "you might be a redneck if" comments here.....   I LOVE THIS song.... and it's soooo my man!}

After he finished the song  (never looking at me during the song...  probably a good thing because by THIS point - I was a gushing crying mess!  which is why he couldn't look at me.  SOMEBODY had to hold it together here!)  ha ha
After he finished.... he walked over and picked me up from the chair and held me.  We just stood there.. holding on to one another and well... just crying....  (SOOOOOOOOO sweet!)
{he was a blubbering mess....hee hee.... bless his little heart!}
and then......
he told me he loved me and that's why he wanted me to know he didn't want to go through another day without me....
and he dropped down on one knee and got a ring out of his pocket.....
and asked me to marry him  =)

Of COURSE I said yes.
Right there in his arms... standing in the church - where we began another new journey together.... walking together hand in hand.....in God's will.  The entire journey  =)

So - I could not BE any happier.

And get this....... so cute.  He had left his little girl, who had spent the day with him shopping for my ring, and when he left her - he told her what he was going to do.  When he got back home that night, his little girl was waiting up to see what I said....  because she had asked him before he left what he would do if I said no.  He proceeded to tell her he would just have to punch me in the face!!  ha ha    I'm sure she was relieved to know he didn't have to do that!  LOL

Since that night - we have set the date, booked the church, booked the reception hall and are in the process of getting together the guest list.  (We've been busy little bees!)
I'll catch you up on wedding updates as they come along...

but for now - the most important thing is this....
in approximately 8 weeks, I will stand in front of God, family & friends and promise to love this man and EVERYTHING that comes with loving him, until the day I leave this earth.

It's hard to imagine that God will bless me any more than he already has......but I believe that he will.  I believe there are many many many MORE good things and blessings to come in our life that we will share together!

and I can't WAIT to see what's in store.....

{{stay tuned for Wedding updates....  August 21st is the BIG DAY!}}

Unrealistic expectations...

**REPEAT** and then some!

This is gonna be a short one because it's midnight and I have GOT to get some sleep, but I do want to throw this out there.......
I have been told on several occasions recently that I might have unrealistic expectations when it comes to dating. I was told this by male and female! And at first I was completely thrown for a loop. BUT - through a LOT of talking and soul searching with one of my girlfriends this weekend - I am now beginning to question myself.
DO I HAVE unrealistic expectations??

I'm a pretty simple girl. I'm really easy to make happy. Love, respect, trust, adoration... are those things REALLY that much to expect and ask for?
Yes - I do joke about being high maintenance, and in some respects, maybe I am, because I have waited 33 years to be LOVED! And I guess I do hope that when I FINALLY meet my future husband that there will be fireworks! and I don't mean fireworks all the time, or immediately after the first date, and I don't mean that everything has to be perfect! BUT I do mean I need that feeling in your stomach thats all butterflies and nerves but at the same time - can't wait to hear from him again - kinda feeling!
I know that love and dating is not ALL sunshine, but don't you think that in the beginning - when things are the easiest that there should be some sort of romance and pursuit and I don't know, making plans based on what might make someone else happy?

I was also recently told that "chick flix" are what give women false expectations about dating... I also beg to differ on this point. I DO know that girls get all sappy and teary eyed over movies like "Pretty Woman" and "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Wedding Date" - but I can also tell you - that I don't think that living life as a hooker and having a millionaire falling in love with you is realistic or what women expect. I don't think women expect to pay for a HOT escort for a wedding and the man fall madly in love with them. (NOW - don't get me wrong - the thought DOES cross our mind.... but it's not realistically expected!  OH the scene where he leans her up against the car and tells her to close her eyes....H.O.T.)  uhhh...yeah.... moving on.....As much as we love those movies, we KNOW this isn't REAL LIFE.
I WILL say this though : women DO expect a guy to call - ESPECIALLY when they say they will call; women DO expect a guy to make plans that involve them and are all about them from time to time; women DO expect to be treated with respect; women DO expect to be "courted". Women DO expect and deserve to be a priority!  So sure - we HAVE expectations
but what makes them SO unrealistic????

One of my favorite lines from a movie is from "Wedding Date"
Kat Ellis: You know what pisses me off? I've been spilling my guts all weekend and I don't know a thing about you.
Nick Mercer: [pause] I'm allergic to fabric softener. I majored in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we never met.

I don't "EXPECT" a guy to QUOTE wedding date to me - I don't expect anyone to actually say that they would miss me if we had never met - but I DO expect a man to feel that way about me before I choose to let him in and spend the rest of my life with him.
is that REALLY so unrealistic? :(

**I originally posted this in September of 2009.  I would like to say now......to all you single ladies out there - DON'T ever lose those "unrealistic expectations" cause they are NOT unrealistic!!! 
DON'T settle!  just don't do it!!!!!!
We do deserve to be treated with respect and adoration and to be made to feel special.  You should ALWAYS be a priority in a man's life... not just something sitting on a shelf or simply a convenience on his time.
THAT is not unrealistic!
I waited 33 years and although I did finally give up on finding someone and gave all the worry and fret to God, I NEVER gave up believing that IF God had someone for me, he would possess all the qualities that I deserve!  And guess what..... He DID bring me someone that is EVERYTHING I have ever wanted and even some things that I didn't even KNOW I wanted!!!!  {Some of those things I think I might want to trade-in later for something else!!!  ha ha}
someone will be perfect for you.... don't settle for anything less   =)

Another of my favorite quotes from a movie is from "As Good as it Gets"
Jack Nicholson looks at Helen Hunt and says "You make me want to be a better man"

THAT my friends is what love does
you just make each other better!
(Also if you missed it the first time around, I also did a post on Love v. In Love - check it out!  It's a VERY intense good post - one of my favorites!!  tell me what you think!!!)

and...ONE more quote:
from the recently released "Valentines Day"
"When you love someone, you love ALL of them, because that's the job"
LOVE IT!

You will never convince me otherwise!!!!!!!!!

Unrealistic expectations

This is gonna be a short one because it's midnight and I have GOT to get some sleep, but I do want to throw this out there.......
I have been told on several occasions recently that I might have unrealistic expectations when it comes to dating. I was told this by male and female! And at first I was completely thrown for a loop. BUT - through a LOT of talking and soul searching with one of my girlfriends this weekend - I am now beginning to question myself.
DO I HAVE unrealistic expectations??

I'm a pretty simple girl. I'm really easy to make happy. Love, respect, trust, adoration... are those things REALLY that much to expect and ask for?
Yes - I do joke about being high maintenance, and in some respects, maybe I am, because I have waited 33 years to be LOVED! And I guess I do hope that when I FINALLY meet my future husband that there will be fireworks! and I don't mean fireworks all the time, or immediately after the first date, and I don't mean that everything has to be perfect! BUT I do mean I need that feeling in your stomach thats all butterflies and nerves but at the same time - can't wait to hear from him again - kinda feeling!
I know that love and dating is not ALL sunshine, but don't you think that in the beginning - when things are the easiest that there should be some sort of romance and pursuit and I don't know, making plans based on what might make someone else happy?

I was also recently told that "chick flix" are what give women false expectations about dating... I also beg to differ on this point. I DO know that girls get all sappy and teary eyed over movies like "Pretty Woman" and "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Wedding Date" - but I can also tell you - that I don't think that living life as a hooker and having a millionaire falling in love with you is realistic or what women expect. I don't think women expect to pay for a HOT escort for a wedding and the man fall madly in love with them. As much as we love the movies, we KNOW this isn't REAL LIFE.
I WILL say this though : women DO expect a guy to call - ESPECIALLY when they say they will call; women DO expect a guy to make plans that involve them and are all about them from time to time; women DO expect to be treated with respect; women DO expect to be "courted". So sure - we HAVE expectations - but what makes them SO unrealistic????

One of my favorite lines from a movie is from "Wedding Date"
Kat Ellis: You know what pisses me off? I've been spilling my guts all weekend and I don't know a thing about you.
Nick Mercer: [pause] I'm allergic to fabric softener. I majored in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I'd miss you even if we never met.

I don't "EXPECT" a guy to QUOTE wedding date to me - I don't expect anyone to actually say that they would miss me if we had never met - but I DO expect a man to feel that way about me before I choose to let him in and spend the rest of my life with him.
is that REALLY so unrealistic? :(