Erie Bridal Shower

was amazing!  I'm so thankful that Holly, Sally, and Liz worked so hard to put together a great bridal shower for me.  When I first got there, they were setting out the food, had a card box and gift table set up and also had a plate that everyone got to sign that I had to bake when I got home but now it's safe to wash and use for food and stuff.  Kinda cool!

I was so excited to greet all of my 30+ guests.  My mom, sister, and Grandma H were able to come up.  That was very nice.  I got to see some friends I haven't talked to in a long time: my friend Michelle who I used to spend Thursday evenings with until I got really busy with wedding planning, Ramonita and Jean co-workers from CCDS, my cooperating teacher from student teaching, my boss and the children I nanny (I don't know what the correct verb would be so I just made it into a verb), one of Aaron's professors.  Also there was Aaron's mom, sister Court, Aunt Sally, and some of the family from his dad's side of the family. 

The first thing we did was eat lots of yummy foods: Holly's chicken, cheese, rice, broccoli casserole, bagels from Panara, a breakfast casserole, muffins and more.  Yum Yum Yum! While we ate, I tried to visit with lots of friends, family and those that care about me.  It was a great time.  Then we played a game that was also fun but crazy for most of us.  It was so HARD.  We were given the last name of a tv couple, you had to name the husband, wife and tv show.  Out of a possible 75, I think the highest score was a 46.  Pretty challenging.

Next we played make one of your five team members into a bride using TP.  Which is a classic game.  I didn't want to participate but Aunt Sally and Courtney stole me as their bride.  There were some really good ones though.  Aunt Sally told me I looked like a cross between a nun and a terrorist. YAY!  I believe our friend Carolyn Schuler won the contest YAY!

Then it was time for opening gifts.  I got lots of wonderful gifts: hard-anodized cookware, new flatware, towels, a wedding hand making kit thing that I'm uber excited about, and lots more.  Holly took pictures of me with my guests whenever I opened their gifts.  That was a very nice touch as well! Did I mention I have wonderful friends and family?  I love them all! 

 

Aaron and his mommy before

We had a great time! 

 

Playing the first game/talking
 

 

Greeting Michelle, not a great picture but one of the few I have of me from that day.

Dollar Dance???

Aaron and I think we would like to do a dollar dance, but typically, you pay a dollar to dance with the bride/groom and get a shot. . . we aren't having alcohol.  Do you think this would still be acceptable?  Do you think it is a waste of time.  I think sometimes people like this because they get a chance to dance with the bride and groom and talk to them a little bit more.  I'm just trying to get a feeling for what's acceptable/what's not when there's no alcohol involved.  Maybe we could have an alternative like chocolates or something?  I am open to suggestions.  Thanks,

Toaster

Long time

No post.

I realize I haven't posted anything in a long time.  The main reason for that is: I'm planning a wedding! YAY!  I can't believe it.  The wedding is 2.5 months away! Amazing!  Aaron and I seem to be getting most of the things done that we need done.  I still need to call back about the cake and tell them what we want on it. 

We have our first bridal shower 1 week from today!  I'm so excited.  I can't believe it's here already!  I don't really know much about it either.  I just know that I am very excited to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time.  :)  

Aaron and I are working very hard to get everything to come together.  He's working very hard at school and work right now.  He's taking 3 online graduate level classes and working 4 days a week thus leaving him with little time for wedding planning but he still tries so hard to make it work. 

We have started our premarital counseling and that is AWESOME!  We love it.  Our pastor and his wife are just amazing.  We love them so much.  They were so much fun to talk to during our 1st session that we can't wait for me.  We are going through a book called "Before You Say 'I Do.'"  It is taking a long time to go through it but that is quite alright.  It asks a lot of good questions.  Although to be honest, so far Aaron and I have talked about most of these topics.  As we get further into the book I'm sure that will change. 

Sally, my friend and MOH (matron of honor), has been helping me with the flowers.  We have almost all of the bridesmaid flowers done, we have the corsages put together we just need to put ribbon on them.  I need to buy one more flower for a bridesmaid because I apparently can't count.  I still need to wrap my bouquet in ribbon, but it's at least assembled.  I also need to buy the flowers for the boutonnieres (hardest word for me to spell, never get it right btw).  I'm having a hard time finding the flowers that I want, which is slightly frustrating but I also don't get to go to the store much so we'll see when I actually get out there what I find.  So far no luck.

Hopefully in the next month or so I will be having a favor making party and inviting some friends to help us make the favors.  Many of my bridesmaids aren't in Erie so I might be relying on a few friends for this area. 

I also still need to make the centerpieces, I just haven't quite figured out how to do it yet. *bites nails*  I'm sure it will come together and Aaron gets done with classes March 20 (ish) which will also help.

March 20, is also the date of my second bridal shower (the Pittsburgh/my side of the family/people who live in Pittsburgh one).  I'm also excited about that.  Apparently mom, Aunt Susan, my sisters, my aunt Marie and Aunt Shirley have been working pretty hard on it.  It's nice to hear my family is working together on this.

Also because of wedding planning, mom and I get to talk more.  I think that she really likes that.  So that is a good thing.  I know she feels bad because she's not in Erie to help out more but, it's ok.  We really want to do as much as we can on our own anyway. :) It's tricky trying to find a balance of showing you're responsible and paying for your own wedding, and letting your parents feel like they are helping you on the last shabang or whatever.  I guess some parents feel like it's the last thing they'll really be able to help their daughter with so they are very glad to help.  But I also don't want my parents to take out a loan to pay for my wedding (BAD IDEA).

The wedding website seems to be going over well.  We've had quite a few people respond via the website and that's AWESOME!  It makes me very happy.  I was very happy to put so much of Aaron and I into our wedding.  I got to design our invitations, Andrew helped us to design the wedding website, but it's really still very much us.

The only thing that is making me sad right now is that I'm having some issues with my grandparents about whether or not they will be coming to the wedding.  If you could be praying about that I'd appreciate it.  I really want them there but the reason they give for not wanting to come is rather silly and childish and makes me upset.  I don't want to cave to their wishes (because we can't afford it) but, I also want them at my wedding.  So please be praying about that. 

I think that is probably all for now.  Hopefully I'll be better at keeping you updated in the future.