Its been a while...

but I have been so super busy with classes and even now I shouldn't be typing a blog, I should be finishing all of the work I have due tomorrow and then studying for the tests I have next week and working on the project I have due.... my head is spinning like crazy just going over that much in my head!

So as I mentioned, we got our wedding bands over the weekend and I absolutely LOVE them! Mine is a vintage looking diamond guard that fits all the way around my engagement ring and Josh's is a tungsten ring with a single diamond in the middle. It suits him very well. 

Sunday we're going to look at wedding dresses and I am so excited! I hope we find a perfect one! 

In other news, I am so proud of myself because I actually got up and worked out this morning, I was so proud! It felt really good. I really really want to try to start doing that three days a week. I only have to get up about 30 minutes earlier than I would normally. 

Oh, so Belle has started eating her poop. We think she's trying to hide when she has accidents in the house so she has decided that the best way to do that is to eat her poo... its pretty gross and she is no longer allowed to lick me. It makes me a little sad to know that she feels she has to eat the poo..... If anyone has any advice on how to discourage poo eating let me know. 

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wedding update

We got our wedding  bands!!!! YAY!!

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Time for a Change.

I just finished watching the Inauguration coverage on CNN.com and I must say that President Obama's speech gave me chills. He is such an amazing public speaker I am in awe listening to him.

I am excited and hopeful for the future of the United States. I believe that we have a vision and ambition in the White House and that change will come. I'm not sure that all of the goals that have set can necessarily be achieved in the 4 years that President Obama will be in office because somethings take time, but I feel like America has elected someone who is proactive and will give our country what we need.

I'm sure many of you have been nervous throughout the campaign and were biting nails during the election and are now wondering about the outcome, if this new and historical day is an ominous one warning of dark times to come but I urge you to keep an open mind. To allow change to come, because in reality America needs a change. At this point, the best thing that everyone in our country can do is to pray, pray everday and pray hard. Pray like you have never done so before, because no matter what prayer is the only thing that can truely save our country from any threat we may face.

As citizens of the United States it is our job to support our President, our Commander and Chief. More importantly, as Christians it is our job and duty to pick up the Armor of God and to pray for our President. Pray for his protection and that of his family, pray for wisdom, and courage in the face of our foes, pray that he will turn to God for guidance and direction.

The United States has always served as a lighthouse in a dark world to those less fortunate, now is no different. Together we can be the beacon that our forefathers intended us to be. The world is looking and watching now, to see how the United States can handle change, to see if we really and truely have came has far as today's events show.

Listening to President Obama and watching him with his family, I can honestly say that I am proud to be an American and I am proud to support our 44th President and I pray that he will lead us, under God, into a new and glorious era.

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Another update!

Only have a few minutes before class, but I wanted to share with everyone that we finally book the wedding location and coordinator last night! I'm so excited cause that is a huge load of stress lifted off of our shoulders. I will post more details later!

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Wedding Update #5

I confirmed my bridesmaids today, Shannon and Becca and Josh's cousins Natalie and Jennifer. I'm pretty excited, we're going to David's Bridal next Saturday to look at dresses so that is going to be fun!

The house fell through that we were going to get so it looks like we are going to have the wedding at St Andrew's State Park, which will be just as pretty... it will be more secluded. I know that mamma will make it beautiful no matter what, she could have been a wedding planner, lol. 

One thing we do have to accommodate is that it is turtle season so we can't do anything that would disturb the turtles or their nests..... damn turtles.

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How to hug a baby...

Josh's aunt Lisa sent this to us and I just had to share!

Instructions for properly hugging a baby:

1. First, find a baby

2. Second, be sure that the object you found was

Indeed a baby by employing classic sniffing techniques.

3. Next you will need to flatten the baby before actually beginning the Hugging process.

\

4. The 'paw slide'

Simply slide paws around baby and prepare for possible close-up.

5. Finally, if a camera is present, you will need to execut e the difficult and patented 'hug, smile, and lean' so as to Achieve the best photo quality.

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Wedding update numero 4!

We finally set a date!

1 August 2009

now the fun begins!

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Wedding update and Finale of the Hampton Inn Saga...

First the Hampton Inn finale.... wait for it..... I get my money back!!! Plus $25 for fees charged by my bank at the fault of Liberty at the Hampton Inn..... so once again, I will recommend Hampton Inn for all of your long distance traveling needs.... just make sure you really look at and double check your reciepts.

And now for the wedding update....

My mom had a wonderful idea the other day about our wedding bands and to make a long story short, I think I am going to have my mother's original wedding band with my father melted down and made into a custom ring that fits around my engagement ring and Josh is going to use my Daddy's wedding band. And this way all of our rings will have very special meaning to us... I'm excited.

In other news, Mamma got the chairs for the wedding rented and got a great deal on them, we've pretty much decided on 1 August, and I think soon I will be making an appointment at David's Bridal to go look at dresses, I have a few ideas so hopefully (keeping my fingers crossed) this will be a fairly easy process... I do have to go and get some sort of corset or garter or something to hide my tattoo under the dress (this is mostly so my mema won't see it as she has yet to find out about my hip tat.... literally the tattoo on my hip, not "hip" as in cool... although it is....)

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Wedding Update numero dos

We're starting to think of all the little details for the wedding and I can tell that my mom and I are going to be majorly butting heads a lot until the day of the actual wedding... and probably during that day too. But I love her, she is busting her a$$ trying to make sure that I have my dream wedding, where I begin to get frustrated is how she wants to make or do everything herself instead of just buying or hiring.... I know we are on a budget and money is tight and believe me I get that, I just feel like we will wind up spending just as much or more trying to do it all ourselves, not to mention have one giant headache....but we'll make it. I know that it will be the most special and beautiful day ever no matter what!

Josh and I started looking at honeymoon places... we like the Sandals all inclusive resorts we just have to talk to his uncle to find out what our honeymoon budget is.

ps. no action yet from Hampton Inn... they have until tomorrow at 5.

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Still waiting on word from the Hampton...

Mamma and I called the corporate office today and talked to a nice lady and she told us that the hotel would have 3 days to make this right or she would take care if it herself... it sounds like maybe there is a chance I'm going to get my money back... keep your fingers crossed.

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The one where Hampton Inn screws you over on your engagement night...

As everyone knows, Josh and I went to Hampton Inn in Helen for New Year's Eve when he proposed to me :D 

When I made the reservation I held the room with my debit card and very clearly told them NOT to run this card that I would be paying differently when I got there. I was assured that the card would not be run that payment would be settled upon checkout. Relieved, I hung up. 

When Josh and I checked in, I used the $100 gift card that his aunt and uncle gave us for Christmas to pay for the room and then we paid the remaining 10 in cash. I watched the girl swipe the gift card in there machine and we told her she could throw it away because we used all the money that was on it. We had a magical night and all was well....

Until yesterday when I went to check my bank account and saw that I was overdrawn due to a $100  debit from none other than Hampton Inn.... Josh and I and my mom have been on the phone all morning trying to get everything straightened out and we still have to wait to talk to another manager in the morning but its looking like unless his aunt and uncle happened to have kept the receipt for about 30 different Visa gift cards..... so anyway I will know tomorrow if I'm out about $200 or not.

keep your fingers crossed.

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Engagement Update numero uno...

I figured this would be the perfect time to post consistent blogs and keep everyone updated on the engagement and wedding planning. I'll try to keep everything short and sweet :)

We are still thinking about dates, right now the first of August is in the lead (sorry to the summer haters.... that means you Shannon). But nothing is official, except for the fact that school seems to throw a giant monkey wrench into most good plans.... i'm either going to have to juggle school and planning or plan during the summer and get married in fall and not be able to take a honeymoon because of school.... so it seems that juggling planning and school is the only realistic option. 

I did get some good news today, my mema remember that she has a first cousin who lives in PCB and will let us us her house and private beach area.... YAY. That part is very exciting since a wedding on the beach is my dream.... guess they do come true after all :)

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The one where I confess my clumsiness....

The morning after Josh proposed, I was going to get into the shower and slipped as I was getting in. (In my defense it was a really big step because it was a whirlpool tub) 

The bottom was slippery from the night before when we used it so right as my foot hit the base of the tub it slipped and slams into the drain (one of those that twist down or you can remove it all the way out... which my foot did, btw) all of that happened simultaneously as my face slammed into the wall of the shower. The very loud noise alarmed Josh who yelled from the bedroom to see if I was ok. I shout back yes (as I'm spitting blood out of my mouth)

Now I have a nice half moon shaped cut and big black bruise in my cheek. And the bottom of my foot is SOOOOO sore, I have a feeling I'm going to develop a pretty nice bruise on that too.....

Pray for our kids.

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The one where Josh and Gretchen get ENGAGED!

Last night Josh and I went to Helen to celebrate New Year's. We had a suite at the Hampton Inn, it was really gorgeous...2 room, whirlpool tub, and a fireplace... the only thing it was missing was a balcony but we were very happy with it. 

Mamma made us a little gift bag with chocolate dipped strawberries, cheese and crackers, peanut butter balls, a bottle of wine, and some candles. (don't tell me that she doesn't know we're having sex, or that she has a problem with it... you don't send a couple off to a hotel with a bottle of wine and candles and strawberries and think they are not going to make love) When we left the house, Josh told me that Mamma had given him a letter and told us not to read it until midnight, which didn't set off any alarms with me because my mom does cute little quirky things like that. So we get to the hotel and settle in and go our and get some Wendy's, after we ate we were checking things out and deciding when we wanted to get in the whirlpool and I get the bright idea around 7:30 that we should go ahead and read mom's note, I mean who's going to know that we read it 5 hours early? 

Little did I know that what mom had actually told Josh when she gave him the note was for us not to read it until he had asked me. So Josh kind of reluctantly agreed to get the note so we can read it. I was standing in the living room near the fireplace when I heard Josh come out of the bed room, I started to walk towards him when I noticed he had the ring box in his hand....

He dropped down on one knee and said before we read this there is something that I've been wanting to ask you for a long time, then he told me how much he loved me, and how he wanted to have me forever, and asked if I would take him as my husband, he started to tear up and so did I and of course I said yes!!! 

So we sat on the couch and read mom's note and talked about everything and then started sending the text messages and then we enjoyed a very wonderful night together!!!! 

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