A post to kill two birds

Happy 24th birthday to the man who I will be able to call my husband one week (!) from today!

We will honor this special day with my mom's favorite from our e-pics.  She loves it because that is so much the Doug face.  While I've seen it numerous times myself, I'm guessing that's the face he probably also makes behind my back every time I'm saying something he doesn't quite agree with.  :)

Photo by Clary

Thankful Thursday #8

Keeping it short and sweet this week, I am thankful for his plan, his hope, and his grace.

I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

Songs, please

I would love to check our video form off my list.  However I am in desperate need of song suggestions for our finished video.  Tell me, what perfect wedding video songs am I missing?  Please and thank you!

If you're keeping score

Had wedding dress successfully zipped by only one pair of hands Saturday, Jamie 1 Wedding 0
Got through embossing about a third of the menus and realized there was a typo, Jamie 1 Wedding 1
Archiver's was 10 short of the paper I needed to complete assorted wedding projects, Jamie 1 Wedding 2
Completed table numbers, Jamie 2 Wedding 2
Favor cards done, Jamie 3 Wedding 2
Met with coordinator tonight only to discover the day of schedule I had been waiting on was sent forever ago and I just didn't get it, Jamie 3, Stephanie 0, Wedding 3
Officially input vacation time for our honeymoon into the system at work, Jamie 4 Wedding 3
Vendor proposal way off the mark but we are modifying and moving on, Jamie 4.5 Wedding 3.5
Found out coordinator didn't receive wedding or rehearsal invitations, Jamie 4.5, USPS 0, Wedding 4.5
Coordinator laying the smack down on a difficult vendor, Jamie 5.5 Wedding 4.5

Look out wedding to do list I still have a chance to take you down!

Two weeks

We will be getting married two weeks from today.  My to do list is nowhere near complete.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Thankful Thursday #7

I think I have officially had the longest week ever.  Training for your new job while training your replacement is exhausting!  Actually it might be better phrased as training your replacement while working the hardest week of the month in your new job after little to no training.  Either way you say it, while my bank account thanks my employer for the overtime, I'm physically and mentally drained.  If tomorrow wasn't Friday I'm not sure I'd be able to convince myself to get out of bed.

Therefore this Thankful Thursday is inspired both by my stressful week and that which got me through it.  I'm going to leave it at a bible verse and a list of things that helped me through this week.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)

Things I'm thankful for this week:
Funfetti cupcakes - give me all the homemade cakes in the world and I'd probably turn them down for this cake from a box
Bomb Pops - brings me back to my childhood and a nice (only 40 calorie) treat when I'm craving something sweet while still trying to stick to my calorie limit
Mail - see my Tuesday post
Bridal Solidarity -Brit's a girl after my own heart
Having a job at all - had a couple friends lose their jobs recently and I'm extremely thankful for mine even if it is difficult right now
Working out - Chalene makes my day better every time
A cuddly kitten
Sisters - both in the traditional sense and my bff in MI who is as good as, and yes I know I used them on my first TT but they've all helped me in some way this week and this is my post so get over it :)
Two (more) pounds lost!
Not having to study - there is no doubt that God knew the right time for me to rotate was during the month break I have from CPA studying, having to come home from working OT and then study would not have been possible

So this week, while I am thankful for the new challenges and learning opportunities that my new job have brought me, I am even more thankful for a God who knows what I need to enable me to get through what he knows I can handle (even when I'm not so sure).

Guestbook and review #3

Our guest book came in the mail today!

So first I want to say that any package that comes to me and says both "TA-DA!" and "I'm Here" earns major points in my book so kudos to the MyPublisher people.  I love getting mail and packages of all kinds and I don't discriminate.  However, packages with exciting writing on them may make me even more excited if that was even possible. :)

Cover

and a few pages...

and the back cover

Guests will be able to write anywhere there is blank space and I think it will be much more interesting than the traditional book of lines.

Here's my review of MyPublisher:  I am overall pleased with what I got considering what I paid (about $40).  I knew going into this that I wasn't getting a professional album for what I was spending.  This was completely practical for what we will be using it for.  However, if I were going to order again I would change two things.  First, I would order a book jacket instead of the photo finish cover.  You probably can't tell much from these pictures but the items on the cover are a bit flat in color.  Yes it is nice to not have to deal with a book jacket, but I think I would have preferred the glossy book jacket for its appearance.  Second, I would not have used the templates that are built into the MyPublisher program.  Next time I would probably design my pages in Photoshop and then import them into the software for it to get printed.  While I can imagine the software is very nice for those with limited or no knowledge of other programs, I just didn't find it functional for myself and felt quite limited as far as what I could do to make the book look like I wanted it to.  There were just not enough layout and font options as well as very limited places you could use them for those that were in the program.  I also told the software to make my book spine black and that is not what it did.  In summary, did it turn out perfect or exactly how I wanted?  No.  Is it ok for what we will use it for?  Yes.

Oh, Monday...

Today was one of those days that goes on forever. Just one problem after another and the only thing that was keeping me going was knowing that in just three weeks Doug and I will be here on our first vacation in three years:

 Wouldn't it be nice if there were always something like this to help get you through a bad day?

Engagement

This is how it began in early December of 2007.

And this is how it will end just 3 weeks from today, after nearly 2 and a half years.

With rings,

(This one is from Clary, all others are mine)

and vows, which you will have to wait to read.