Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Bride-to-Be BOOT CAMP

I have approximately 6 months to get in the best shape of my life!!

Don't get me wrong- I am a healthy person.  I drink tons of water, eat super healthy (minus that dang sweet tooth!) work out regularly & maintain a consistent weight/pants size, BUT...I want to step it up a little for wedding day.  I consistently weighed about 10 lbs less in college than I do now (naturally- I also ran about 50+ miles a week!) and would like to work back toward that.  I was a little disappointed in the dress size I had to buy.  It's the same as my pants size, but one size smaller sure would have sounded better!  I have a few reasons for wanting to drop the extra weight:

1. My body fat percentage is about 5% higher than it needs to be.  So, for my personal health.
2. Sometimes when I look at pictures of myself I notice areas that don't photograph well- & I don't want those areas to be an issue when I look back on my wedding album.
3. I want to make sure I'm comfortable/confident in a bathing suit on my honeymoon.

My game plan:
-Insanity!!

-bump up my cardio- TRY to get back into running!
-stay away from sweets (as much as possible anyway) & replace with protein.

That's all! Doesn't seem so bad, does it? We'll see! I've already started with the protein (called Gold Standard, 100% Whey, double chocolate!) & I can already feel and see a difference.  I've lost about 3 lbs in the 2 weeks I've been taking it.

Jonathan has also been working out pretty steady for a while now.  That's one of our favorite things to do together, which probably sounds weird.  But, we actually enjoy it.  We go on long walks (power walks- ha!) in the summer, practice hot yoga in winter, & lift weights all throughout the year.  He is really blessed with a great physique and his strength & size increase really fast. I'm a little jealous of how quickly he sees results because I really have to bust my tail, but maybe our kids will get his great metabolism!  And really, how can I complain?  My fiance is HOT!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Goals for Spring Break

I've heard if you write down your goals you're more likely to accomplish them.  There's something about the empowerment of being able to chceck items off a to-do list.  I make lists every day...I have a mini calendar on my desk & I LOVE the organization of that.  Here's my (scratch that- OUR!) SB to-do list!!

- Meet with a mortgage person about getting approved for a loan.

- Find OUR house! We'll start looking before then of course, but we need to get the ball rolling by with the paperwork by April 30th in order to be eligible for the $8,000 tax credit!  Of course I won't move in till after we get married, (so Big Jon's gonna be 'baching it up' for a while) but we'd be silly not to take advantage of the tax credit!!

- Find bridesmaid/junior bridesmaid/flower girl dresses & get bridesmaids to order them- it takes a surprisingly long time for the dresses to come in (like 3 months, and they need time for alterartions!).

- Don't do a SINGLE pitching lesson! Take full advantage of my week off!

- Start "INSANITY," my new workout program.  Google it.  I've heard it's AWESOME & I'm SO excited to start it!  One of my co-workers gave it to me as an engagement present!  Haha, I loved that!

- Finally have an opportunity to talk with Javon, our AWESOME photographer. He did my friend Em's wedding a couple years ago & is soooooo good! We're lucky to have him!

- Finalize the reception location & menu (definitely the toughest part of the planning for me).

- Get SAVE the DATES going...we should have some pics by then.

- COMPLETELY finalize the guest list (a way easier task than I expected!).

- Get my car cleaned with the fundraiser coupons I bought a couple months ago.

- Go to the movies. :)

- Go to lunch with friends I haven't seen in a while. :)

- Sleep in. :)

That's all I can think of right now.  I bet this post will be edited several times as I continue adding to that list.

Oh, & here's the bridesmaid dresses I wanna use! Is this supposed to be a secret? I can't help it- I wanna tell the world!  The one on the left, in fuschia!  My goregous bridesmaids all have great bodies, so they're going to look smokin' in these dresses! 

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

My 4 faves!

My four all-time favorite pictures of Big Jon & I!!
Oh how I love him!!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Mama & Daddy- 39 Wonderful Years

My parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on Friday, March 19th!
I'm sure she'll kill me for posting that, but I thought it was cute! :)
How did they celebrate?  A movie & Subway! Dad's still got it after all these years! Haha! 

Jonathan's parents, Jimmy & Donna, have also been married for thirty-something years. I love that both of our parents are still together & happy after all these years.  Gives us lots to look forward to!

The role of FAMILY

Everyone who knows me knows I have a wonderful, supportive, & loving family- and it is HUGE.  There are 21 of us when we're all together (& that's just "immediate" faimily).  I have 2 of the best sisters & a sister-in law who is just like a sister, & a brother I'm close to.  I love that I'm friends with all of my siblings- makes life so much more enjoyable.  And of course my 10 lovely/wild nieces & nephews.  Jonathan also has one younger sister, Jade, whom we have to thank for hooking us up.  Here's how they're all fitting in the wedding:

All my nieces are junior bridesmaids/flowergirls! It has been such a joy watching them grow up & I just can't WAIT to see them in their cute little dresses!  They are all such divas! (They get it honest-from their aunt! haha!)

Madison- Junior Bridesmaid
Morgen- Junior Bridesmaid
Gracie- Flower Girl
Carsyn- Flower Girl
Chloe- Flower Girl

All the nephews are ushers- I am so proud of these boys!
Kevin
Dustin
Tyler
Trey
Zachary
Jonathan's sister, Jade, is making the groom's cake!  He also has some family that own an awesome restaurant in White Co (I LOVE eating Christmas dinner @ their house!) & they're going to help with the cooking at the Rehearsal Dinner.

We're so blessed to have such GREAT families!

Love,
The Happy Couple


Mission Trip: Postponed

Jonathan & I were all set to go on a mission trip to an orphanage in Monterrey, Mexico during Spring Break.  We were both SO excited about what God was going to do during this trip, & to make it even cooler, several of our really good friends were also going.  Unfortunately, we got some bad news today.  There has been an outbreak of violence in Mexico related to the drug cartel, & several were killed today in the area several of our team members were going.  As a result, our church leaders decided it's in the best interest of the team to postpone the trip.  I think this was a really wise decision considering the circumstances and  I have a peace about it.  I guess it obviously wasn't God's timing, and I'm thankful the Lord gives us the wisdom to listen to Him and wait on His perfect timing.  I know this trip, whenever it may be, will be a blessing and I am still so excited about the opportunity to serve with some of my favorite brothers and sisters in Christ.

What to do now?

This mission trip was going to take up the entire week of Spring Break, so now I have all this free time! I have to admit, as disappointed as I am about the mission trip, I am SO looking forward to the much needed rest and free time!!  My days typically run from 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m., every...single....day!  (I even do pitching lessons on Saturdays!) Jonathan & I decided this would be a perfect opportunity to meet with a mortgage broker & go house hunting! So fun!!  I'm also going to finalize some wedding plans....make a decision on bridesmaid/flowergirl dresses, determine reception site (I'm deciding between the banquet hall at Hopewell & the Gwinnett Environmental Center), finally find time to talk with my photographer, & work on that guest list.  Looking forward to it...only 11 more days!

P.S. What is up with the snow flurries in Spring? I need some sunshine in my life, please!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Bridesmaids

Talk about some wonderful, beautiful ladies....My bridesmaids are some of the best women I know! Beautiful, smart, successful, Godly, & fun! I saw this collage/invitation idea on someone else's blog, so I printed these out, glued them onto a super cute card/invitation, and wrote each girl a message on the back about why I wanted them to be a part of my special day.  Here they are, my 8 beautiful bridesmaids! (If I could have more, I would...I have LOTS of very dear friends!)

Meet my bridesmaids:

Chelsi and I have been best friends since 6th grade!  We grew up doing each other's make-up, writing notes to each other in class, spending the night with each other every weekend, going on vacations, etc.  We spent hours on the phone together.  She is so loyal and has been there for me through everything...She is a great listener and gives the best advice.  Chelsi is super independent and successful...she is truly a role model! And a GREAT cook! I love me some Chelsi!!

I met Dana in college, & thank God for her! She helped me make it through the education program, and we became best friends in the process.  I love her creativity & that she is genuinely one of the sweetest people I know....She's just as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside!  She had an awesome wedding last October & was such a BEAUTIFUL bride!  I love me some Dana!!

I acutally met Emily on the bus in 5th grade, but we became good friends in high school our senior year.  We have become even closer since then, & I am SO excited to have her help me plan this wedding! She is such a brilliant planner- detail-oriented, creative, & a deal finder! And of course I LOVE our Danielle/Emily nights where we get to catch up & talk for HOURS!! She really gets me.  She's also a great wife & mother! I love me some Em!

God placed Laura & I together at Davis, & as soon as we broke the ice and started talking, we became instant friends.  Our friendship grew quicker than any I have ever had.  We spent a lot of time together last year and this summer, & we always have so much fun together.  I talk to her about EVERYTHING.  I LOVE that we get to spend time together at work & church.  She's a great accountability partner! I love me some Laura!!

Tay-Tay (sorry, had to bust it out!) & I were best friends in high school.  We spent almost every day and weekend hanging out with 'the crew.'  We typically got in trouble together, but have grown out of that! :)  Although we don't get to talk much anymore, I still consider her a great friend.  Every time we do talk & catch up, it's like we never missed a beat.  Taylor is the prettiest redhead I know! I love me some Tay-Tay!!

Katie was my catcher in college and one of my best friends.  Talk about a FUN girl!  OMG! Seriously, we spent all of our time together laughing hysterically until we almost peed out pants, running/working out like you've never seen, and of course, our favorite pasttime, eating.  She is the most multi-talented person I know- she can do everything!  My very favorite memories with Katie are from our trip to Hawaii!! I love me some Thrash!

Beth, Beth, Beth-a-licious! I love this girl! If you know her, you love her! She and I were pitchers together at North GA (Well, mostly she did the picthing & I cheered her on- ha!).  There was never a dull moment in the "pitcher's circle" with Beth around.  She is hilarious & so much fun! I love that she is always up for anything! She's really easy to get along with and super easy to talk to.  I have a lot of really fun memories with Beth- especially from our girl's trips with some of our other softball friends! I love me some Beth!!


I met Chels about 6 months ago (I work with her hubby & we go to church together) & we hit it off instantly and became great friends really fast! She is so honest, so humble, so real, & so fun! I love that she is always laughing and smiling, and she makes everyone around her feel at ease.  I thought she might think it's weird that I'm asking her to be a bridesmaid & I haven't known her that long (even though I already feel like I've known her my whole life!), but I feel like weddings are just as much about the future as they are the past- and I know she and I will continue to be GREAT friends!  I love me some Chelsea!!

******************************************
Aren't they goregous? I can't wait to have 8 of my best friends standing next to me on one of the most important days of my life! I am so blessed with each of their friendships.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Dress, Dress, Dress!

On Saturday I found THE dress!!  I had a picture in my head of what I wanted and I expected this is what THE dress would look like. I was wrong.  Funny how things can end up so differently than you plan or expect.

My mom, sister, niece, future mother-in-law & sister-in-law, & one of the bridesmaids met with me at Affordable Bridal in Buford.  I tried on about 15 dresses.   We narrowed it down to 2 dresses at Affordable Bridal, but I never had that WOW feeling about any of them. I was getting hungry & a little tired, so we left and went to Charme Bridal at Hamilton Mill.


They have SO many beatiful dresses! And I love how elegant yet personal the boutique felt.  I think I tried on about 4.  When I saw the fifth one on the hanger I was thinking, "Ehhh, this one is not really my style."  I STRUGGLED to get in that size 6, so once I got it on I was starting to sweat & my face was splotchty- ha! As soon as I saw it I instantly felt the "This is the one" happy butterfly feelings people talk about on tv.  It reminded me of Wedding Barbie- which is not at all what I was going for, but it was BEAUTIFUL.

Everyone agreed that while the other dresses were pretty, this one was stunning!!  We called my dad to come check it out, & he loved it, too.  We were all wondering who had picked this dress out, but none of our crew could take credit for it. Turns out, the awesome sales associate, Lisa, (I loved her!) had picked it out! I guess she really knows brides!!

We ordered the dress that day and it'll be here in 5 months! I'm SO excited!!  I wish I could post pics or at least a link, but Big Jon reads this blog too (even if he won't admit it!), so I guess you'll just have to come see it for yourself on October 2nd!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Our Proposal Story: Jon's Point of View

I asked Jonathan to write a blog entry so we would remember this special day from his perspective, too....Here's what he had to say about March 6th!

I was debating about whether to ask her on Saturday or Sunday, and when I woke up on Saturday, I knew it was the perfect day.  It was the first warm day in 6 months it seemed like, and we already had plans to spend the day outside at Atlantic Station. Golden opportunity.

Once I decided that was the day my nerves kicked in big time.  I was trying my best to act normal so Danielle wouldn't suspect anything.  She always tells me I'll never be able to surprise her cuz I always give everything away.  While she was making breakfast I went out to my truck acting like I was getting something and made a few phone calls.  First I called her mom and told her my plan.  Then I called her dad to make sure that day was okay (I got his permission awhile back).   They were both excited for us and couldn't wait to see us that afternoon.  Of course I called my parents too.  After eating breakfast and getting the phone calls out of the way, I got Danielle in the truck, ring in my jacket pocket (ring box was too big to fit in my pants pocket), and we were Atlanta bound.  By this time my nerves were really setting in, and you couldn't help but tell I was acting a little suspicious.

I had talked to Danielle's sister-in-law, Ragan, about a pretty place in Atlantic Station called the Millenium Gate- we thought it'd be a good place to pop the question.  My plan was to go there first thing to get it out of the way because my nerves were getting to me and I had my jacket on in 75 degree sunny weather, so the quicker the better.  But, it didn't go as planned.  Danielle was all about finding a dress, so we shopped around first.  After walking around for a couple hours....and  looking at several mall maps....and sweating through my jacket, I realized I couldn't find "the place."  I texted Ragan frantically while Danielle was trying on dresses to figure out exactly where this place was.  Another hour passed.  Still couldn't find it.  By now it was lunchtime so we decided to grab a bite to eat at California Pizza because we love some veggie pizza. 

I went in first to put our name down & use the bathroom, and while I was in there I found a guy and asked him about the Gate.  He told me where to find it, so after lunch we got coffee & a  piece of cheesecake to go and I led the way.  By this point, with coffee in my hand and winter coat on, I didn't know if I was going to make it. (It was really hot.) But I kept on keepin' on and led the way.

Finally the Millenium Gate was in sight so we stopped at a bench and ate our cheesecake.  I ate it as fast as I could so we could hurry because I was excited and nervous all at the same   time.  We headed over to the park and I spotted the perfect place in the archway, but there was some random guy standing there and he wouldn't leave, so I had to think quick like a ninja and figure something else out.  We walked around for a few minutes and made our way to the bridge.  Showtime!  Halfway across I stopped Danielle and told her I had something to tell her. 

Then I blacked out.  Haha, just kidding.

After telling her how much I love her and how much she means to me, I FINALLY got to reach in that jacket pocket and pull out the ring box.  I dropped to my knee and I could see her tears swelling up.  I asked her to marry me, and through her happy tears she said yes! I finally took my jacket off.

There it is.  She loves the ring and she loves me.  Enough said.

I love me some Danielle.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A few more pictures!

Although the pictures don't really do it justice...here ya go! My mom loves it just as much as I do, so we had our own little photo shoot before we went to the wedding.
 
And this is my excited face!
I'm glad I got my nails done!
You can see part of the Christian fish I was talking about here....
Isn't it goregous??

My favorite compliment:
"I have never seen anything like that!!"

I'll have to agree....I love that it's so unique.


And here's some of my inspiration as we begin the planning....

All I really know is LOTS & LOTS of PINK!!

Still got a long ways to go.  Well, everyting actually.  (And only 7 months to do it!) With a full time job, working out, pitching lessons, yearbook, looking for a house, teaching Sunday school, & starting my Specialist's in August, all I can say is THANK GOD for my Mama!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Our Proposal Story

Jonathan and I went on our very first date to Pueblo's back in August of 2006, so this has been a long time coming.  We are both SOOOOOO excited!!

So, here's how it happened....

On March 6th, we started out with what seemed to be a normal Saturday.  Jonathan came to my house & I made breakfast- whole wheat french toast, egg whites, & turkey bacon.  Healthy, of course.  We went to Atlantic Station so I could buy a dress for our friends' wedding that night. We spent the day shopping, laughing, making laps around the mall because he didn't know where he was going.  (The best gift I've ever given him was a Garmon! Ha!)  It was SUCH a beautiful day; the first pretty day in a really long time.  Actually, it was quite warm, so I guess the fact that Jonathan didn't take his jacket off the ENTIRE day may have been my first indicator something was up. 

We ate lunch at California Pizza Kitchen at about 1:00.  Both of us being big coffee lovers (& me having a sweet tooth!), we decided to go to Copeland's for to-go coffee and chocolate chip cheesecake. Jonathan wanted to take it over to the park near Target, and was pretty insistent about this- sign # 2 something was goin on!   After we ate the cheesecake, we walked over to the Millenium Gate...



There is a beautiful courtyard and park on the other side...pond, fountains, bridge, the whole deal.


As we were walking across the bridge, Jonathan stopped when we got halfway across.  You can sorta see the bridge in this pic....but don't worry, we're going back with one of my best friends, Dana, soon to take pics & "recreate" the special day. (Check our her site- she's AWESOME!)


He told me how much he loves me and that he wants to take care of me forever, so I never have to worry about anything.  He told me how much he loves my smile.  Then he dropped down to a knee and asked me to marry him!!  I didn't think I would, but I started crying.  Of course I said YES!!! 

Now as sweet and perfect as the day and propsal was, my favorite part of this story is when he opened the ring box!  Oh....my....gosh!!  The ring is GOREGOUS!! The band is SOOOO unique, and I love that it looks like a Christian fish on the side.  It glistens/glitters/shines more than any I've ever seen.  I told him it's by far the most beautiful ring I have ever laid eyes on!!  He and his mom had picked it out earlier in the week.  Donna is a jewelry expert- she loves jewelry & knows a lot about it, so I'm glad he chose her to go with him.  He definitely picked it out on his own though and I couldn't be ANY happier...I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! And I feel like it is very "me" if you can say that about a ring.  He said he spent a lot of time praying he'd pick the perfect one...and that prayer was surely answered.

I'll upload more pictures later. 

Now we (we meaning Mom & I....haha, not me & Big Jon) are starting with the wedding planning.  WOO HOO!!  I'm looking forward to lots of help from some very dear friends...

Even more important than the wedding though, I'm looking forward to actually being married to my best friend and spending the rest of my life with him.  I am SO thankful God had it in His plan for us to be together...what a blessed, blessed girl I am.  And he's a pretty lucky guy too, if I do say so myself! :)