We did it!!!

And what a day it was! My sister had told me that we would not have the wedding we planned, but we would have the wedding we would have, simple as that. I had no idea how true this would be. Despite the confusion over the gazebo, despite the thunder storm with rain and hail, the day could not have been more perfect. Our friends and family were incredible. In fact, they were the ones who made the day happen, from setting up to tearing down. Trevor and I have never felt more loved in our lives and furthermore, never knew we could love each other more than we did the day before. But we did and we do and we are incredibly excited for our future together. The wedding was truly just the beginning - I love this man and he loves this woman, and we are ready to take on the world, one day at a time. 

He's here to stay!!!

Yes, you heard me right! Moo the cow dog has moved in permanently. Some may say this was 100% predictable, but I tried not to love him, I really did. Sure that lasted for about 10 minutes, but it was a valiant effort. And as you can tell from the picture of my boys, Trevor doesn't seem too upset about it. Moo, welcome to the family!

Moo Cow, Don't Bother Me!

Look what I found roaming the halls of my high school yesterday.  No, I'm not joking. I am not sure what came over me, but somehow he ended up in my classroom and somehow Trevor came to pick him up and somehow he is presently sleeping in our living room. Let me introduce you to Moo, the cow dog. I am pretty sure he is half cocker spaniel, half cow, so Moo it is.

Have I mentioned all that I have to do in the next week and a half? You know, like finishing the school year, grading a million finals, attending some English department trainings, and oh, yes, GOING TO MY OWN WEDDING!!! With that said, I am pretty sure this is the absolute most inopportune time for, how shall I put it...a freakin' lost puppy! While we wait for any takers on our newspaper ad, Moo has made himself at home by chewing on Powder's ears, barking at the kittens, and of course, pooping underneath our bed. And to make it even more complicated, I think we kind of love him. God help us all.

Stop and smell the roses

We grew these in our very own front yard. Before I take too much credit, let me make it very clear that we had absolutely nothing to do with it. The rose bush was here when Trevor bought the place. Furthermore, we have literally done nothing to aid in its growth, besides an occassional pruning. And yet, the roses are amazingly beautiful both in sight and smell. They greet me every morning as I pull out of the driveway to go to work and every afternoon as I pull into the driveway to come home. Perhaps some of life's most beautiful offerings have little to do with what we can do, but rather have much to do with simply what already is.

The Sunset Suite, Dairy Queen, Italian Food, and Karaoke...

...put it all together and what do you get??? Only the BEST bachelorette party EVER!!!

I have literally been sitting here typing sentences in an attempt to express what I enjoyed most and I keep erasing them because I truly don't know how to put into words what it meant to me to have all these women who mean the absolute world to me, celebrating of all things, ME. It truly is overwhelming to feel that loved and that adored and that supported by the women who have been my best friends in some cases, since birth. My mom, my sister, my niece, my Melanie, my Bonnie, my Natalie, my Alissa and my Katy all joined forces to treat me to a hotel suite with a double-shower head (we'll leave it at that), a trip to good ol' D.Q. for afternoon Blizzards, an amazing feast of the best eggplant parmesan I have ever had in my life, and late night karaoke which consisted of a lovely duet of "La Bamba" performed by the Cuban sisters. We laughed, we ate, and we sang. I am not sure there is much else anyone can ask for. Thank you, my friends, for an evening to remember. I love you all dearly.