The Best Surprise Ever!

I've recently come to accept the fact that my life is crazy. And it will continue to be crazy for another week or so.

In the midst of the craziness, though, there have been a few brief moments where I could just sit back and breathe a sigh of relief.

Last night was one of those moments.

I've had my own home for just over a year now, and I love it. The problem is, I'm never there. I mean never. Before Adam was down here, I would typically choose to spend many (most) evenings with friends or at my parents' house simply because I didn't want to spend every evening in my house alone. And because I was there by myself, I didn't mind if things got a little cluttered....I was never there long enough for it to really bother me anyway.

And then Adam came. It has been so wonderful having him here, and adjusting to us spending so much time together. I've never been happier. But Adam brought a lot of stuff with him. Not any more than a regular person, mind you, but stuff nonetheless....

And I had 3 bridal showers, which provided even more stuff.....stuff I love, and stuff I'm grateful for, but again, stuff nonetheless.

And in the busyness and chaos of wedding planning, I still haven't been home much. It seems like lately I haven't gotten home until after midnight usually, and by then, I'm just ready for bed and not in the mood to work on cleaning.

So my poor house has been neglected as we just keep piling more and more stuff in it.

I had double booked myself this weekend....I was somehow going to be in Bloomington on Saturday, Flanagan on Sunday, and still manage to get my house clean and all of the laundry done, AND get myself packed for the honeymoon before Monday rolled around!

Yeah. Right.

I actually had just realized that I would not be able to be in two places at once yesterday while I was at work.

Then Adam texted me and asked me where he should put something at the house. That's when it hit me...I thought he was tidying up a few things around the house to surprise me.

I was so excited, and I asked him if he was. He told me not to get too excited because he wasn't doing that much...he was just picking up a little.

Later that evening I walked in to the house in total shock and amazement! Adam, my mom, and my brother's girlfriend, Katherine had conspired together to get my house absolutely spotless!

The house has never looked better and it is such a relief and a weight off my shoulders to know that the BIGGEST job I had to do this weekend has now been taken care of.

And Katherine is going to bring some pretty potted flowers to my front entryway since everything I had was dead.

What an amazing gift they have all given me! I know it was really, really hard work. And I know they must have really busted it to get done so quickly. But I am so appreciative and I don't even have the words to thank them all enough.

Needless to say, I was an emotional basketcase when I got home, and I still am, just thinking about all of the hard work that went into the day for them.

It was such a special treat. Now instead of feeling like all of the stuff that is lying all over the place is suffocating me, I can feel relaxed and at peace in our home. And that is a precious, priceless gift!

Oy!

You know you're in for a heckuva day when you realize mid-morning that you've put your underpants on inside out.

That is all.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday To Me!

Today is my twenty-eighth birthday. It doens't feel like it, though. I'm not complaining...birthdays become increasingly less fun as you get older. And this particular birthday has gotten lost in the shuffle of wedding planning and chaos!

My blog has gotten lost in the shuffle, too. Ten days of absence have made me a blogging failure! And I apologize to anyone who has been checking in periodically. Unfortunately, blogging has not been my priority over the last week and a half, and it's brought me to this realization: daily blogging is really hard!

I really thought I would stand the test of time. I thought I would make it to the finish line of the six month goal I set back in March. I came pretty close, I guess. But not all the way.

You'll notice I didn't put a day number at the front of this blog post....That's because I'm not going to even attempt a blog every single day anymore. I do plan to write on a regular basis. I love writing and I count it one of the things I'm pretty good at.

So I'm going to keep writing. And telling my story. And getting my thoughts on here. But I just don't have it in me at this particular time in my life to stick to a regimen of writing something every single day.

So I hope you'll forgive me (you kind of have to because it's my birthday, you know....).

And keep checking back. I'll post a link of facebook when I've written a new blog post, so it will be easier to check!

I'm very much looking forward to going to D'Arcy's Pint tonight with my family and my future hubby! One more buffalo chicken pony shoe before I start trying to eat healthy again! I don't want to pop a zipper on my wedding gown!

Day 136: And They All Lived Happily Ever After

It's been a little bit of an adjustment for Adam and I getting used to living in the same town. It's weird to factor in another person when you're making your day-to-day decisions (what to eat, where to go, what to watch on TV, etc.).

Adam and I have sort of had a wake up call this week just realizing that we do things differently. A lot of things. Very differently. And I think both of us are beginning to realize that doing something differently doesn't necessarily mean they're doing it incorrectly.

It's kind of a surreal experience learning all of this. You would think dating someone for almost a year would give you a pretty good indication that you know the person. But I think you really don't know someone until you live with them....which means for us that the learning curve really hasn't even begun yet.

That's scary and exciting at the same time. I'm looking forward to it.

By looking at the loving marriages I see in my life on a regular basis, I would assume that you eventually figure all of that out. But it's just interesting to me that I never thought about how it would be to make decisions with someone else.

I don't know if I'm articulating this well or not, so I think I'll hang it up for the day.

Suffice it to say I'm thrilled that Adam is here and that we get to learn all of this stuff together. I am very excited that in 3 weeks he will be my husband and we have our whole lives to figure it out.

Day 134: Wedding Wednesday

Whew! I am in the process of printing off 150 programs. It is complicated. I have to stay organized.

I am very pleased with how these programs look, though....I wanted them to be something special. I really think they are. I hope you all do, too, when you finally get to see them!

That's about it for today....I have another paper jam that I need to tend to. Forgive the length of this blog, please.

Day 133: Let the Games Begin!

You may have noticed that I have been absent from my blog for the past two days. There are three reasons for this:

1. Partially because blogging has recently taken a back seat to wedding and marriage planning.
2. Partially because I know this blog started out as a health and fitness blog and has somehow wandered off the beaten path, so I'm not as motivated to write.
3. And mostly because my life has been a little chaotic and stressful over the last two days.

I'll address the last point first: I spent all day Sunday cleaning and organizing my house. I had a front porch filled with gifts from people, and even more in my car. So I began slowly weeding through all of it and giving each new little treasure a home in my home. I was also the enamored recipient of a 50lb. bag full of dirty clothes from my fiancee that needed tending to. I kid, I really don't mind doing laundry.........I wouldn't say I enjoy it, but let's put it this way, I'd rather do laundry than go for a jog!

And after my Sunday of frantic cleaning, unpacking, organizing and washing, Monday rolled around and I drove my dad's pickup truck to Adam's residence and we moved him to Decatur!! I should note that while Adam's stuff is currently living in the house, he will not be living there until after the wedding. Just so you know....

So last night was a doozy! Thankfully my younger brother has many, many strapping young lads as friends who are blissfully and willingly able to lend a hand at the drop of a hat. They moved everything in to my house so quickly I could not believe it was all done.

Now Adam and I are left with the simple task of finding the proper places for a person's whole life in a house where another person's whole life has already been happening for a year. We're up to the challenge, though.....even if we end up with a basement full of unopened boxes for now. That's what the cold winter weather is for.

I'll address the second point second. My blog has somehow gotten off of its diet. I don't know exactly how or when this happened, but I am doing what I can to try to get it back on track. My blog needs to learn more discipline and perseverance when my blog doesn't see the results it wants to see on the scale...or when my blog drives past a McDonalds and begins drooling at the thought of French Fries.

And I'll address the first point tomorrow.....come back for Wedding Wednesday!

Day 130: Blessed by the Generosity of Others

Today was a wonderful day.

Before I explain why, you need to know a few things:

1. Adam lives about 90 miles away from me in a very rural area.
2. He goes to a lovely rural church called Salem.
3. Adam and I very rarely spend weekends together because our schedules are opposite.
4. Because of this, I have only attended his church with him one time on a Sunday.

This is why my day was wonderful:

The ladies of Adam's church got together and planned a bridal shower for me. They don't know me. A few of them have met me a few times, but to most of them I am a complete stranger.

They love Adam so much, and they are so filled with generosity and kindness that they decided to give me a bridal shower.

It was beautiful. There were so many people who put a lot of time, effort and money into making the party happen and I am very grateful.

The decorations were magnificent. The food was incredible. And I was given so many things that will be so helpful as we begin our life together.

More than any of that, though, I was blessed with the godliness displayed by these women. They were so friendly and caring. I felt like I was enveloped in God's love while I was sitting in that fellowship hall this afternoon, and it was a wonderful experience.

A very challenging devotion was given by Tracey, a lady I've gotten to know from my visits to the ranch where Adam works. She busted many of the myths we hear about marriage and helped to paint a picture of what 1Corinthians love actually looks like when it's played out in a marriage. I appreciated hearing that, and I think her advice and wisdom will stay with me for a long time. And that's a good thing when you're at the stage in your relationship where it's easy to get caught up in the lovey-dovey of it all and forget that there will be times when you feel like screaming at each other.

I just want to thank the ladies of Salem Church for their generosity and kindness today. It meant so much for them to give me this shower, and I can't express my gratitude enough. I hope there are a few Sundays in the future in which Adam and I will be able to come up and visit with you all again.

Day 129: The Dress that Will Change Your Life!

My fiance doesn't understand the importance of a dress. A dress can celebrate an occasion. It can give you a little pep in your step. A dress can make a girl float on air. In preparing for our wedding and all the parties that go along with a wedding, I've faced a dilemma: I want to have a different dress for every event I'm attending. Unfortunately, that's not great on my pocketbook...and it stresses out my beloved future husband.

However, I have found a solution to my problem. I found it on Etsy.com (check out my previous post on Etsy HERE) and it's made by The Radical Thread Co. by seller Katesy. It has made all of my dreams come true. Well, that may be a bit of an overstatement, but this dress is seriously something to blog about.


The dress is called "My Wrap Dress" in Katesy's shop. It is a versatile dress that can be worn in at least 100 different ways. And it was custom made just for me.


The dress has a twirly skirt with a stretchy waistband that fits to your body. Attached to the waistband are two very long (probably 10 feet each) straps that hang down.


Here comes the fun part, you can get creative and wrap and twist the straps in whatever ways you want to, and create a look that fits your event or mood.


Want a tube dress? Just wrap the straps around your bust and waistline over and over again and tie at the waist.


How about a halter? Bring the straps up and around the neck and wrap around the waist.



You can do a Marilyn Monroe look, thick straps, thin straps, one shoulder, or even wrap it as a skirt only.


If you don't feel like showing your arms, you can even make sleeves out of the dress! Long, kimono-like sleeves, or little cap sleeves, and probably anything in between.


The dress usually comes in a tea-length, but I requested that mine be a little shorter, about to my knees. By doing this, I can also wear my dress as just a top with jeans or leggings by pulling the waist band up to my bust and tying from there...which doubles the number of looks I get with just one garment!

Kate can make this dress in any color or fabric you want, plus size, patterned, whatever your little heart desires. AND for a little extra she'll make a matching tube top to wear under the dress for modesty and to give you more options and comfort. I highly recommend the tube top....it's worth the little bit extra.


I ordered my dress in a beautiful smoky blue shade and I couldn't be happier. I have had so much fun playing with the different looks and figuring out what the dress can do.


Expensive boutiques make dresses very similar to these, but they're not custom and they're more expensive. However, feel free to steal ideas from the boutiques on exactly how to wrap the dress. Check out the Butter by Nadia collection on You Tube.


I am really wishing I had found out about this dress earlier. They would have made great bridemaid dresses! They're cheaper and they can definitely be worn again (and again). I know my bridesmaids will look beautiful in whatever they have on for my wedding, but these would have been so cool!


If you are interested in getting 100 or more dresses for the price of one, head on over to Kate's shop. Katesy.Etsy.com. And be sure to tell her you heard about the dress on this blog! Mention my name or the blog name.

I know you're going to love this little gem just as much as I do!

Day 128: A New Phone and a New Look

Don't worry, you're not at the wrong blog...I've decided to do a little mini makeover. I'm not in love with this look yet, so don't be surprised if the appearance continues to change a little over the next couple of weeks.

I just thought it was time for something new and fresh...I don't know about you, but I got sick of looking at that same green background every day.

What do you think of this look? Should I switch to something else? I was hesitant to choose this particular background image because the color scheme is similar to what I had before. I think it's different enough to offer a fresh perspective, though. We'll see.

I got my new iPhone yesterday! I'm not too much of a technology geek, but I can appreiciate a fine piece of workmanship. And the iPhone is just that. The picture quality is astounding! Everything looks so crisp and clean.

And I'm glad to now have a phone that has 3G....my old iPhone was the first generation one that didn't have any G's (Adam likes to make fun of me for saying it like that, but it's how my brain works).

Supposedly the screen resolution on the iPhone 4 is better than the human eye can even perceive. Whether this is true or why this is necessary, I will never know. But I can tell you that the screen is about a million times better than my old phone. And I never thought my old phone had a bad picture or anything.

I was surprised about a few things with the phone:

1. I couldn't believe how heavy the phone was. To me, it seemed like the new iPhone, even though it is 25% thinner than the old phones, was significantly heavier than the old phones. Adam said this may be due to the fact that the battery is larger. I don't know. It's not painfully heavy or anything; it just feels very different.
2. Maybe this is an Apple thing, and since I'm just starting to join on the Apple bandwagon, I don't know. But I was a little disappointed that there weren't any new ringtone options on this phone. There also weren't any new signal noises, either. I don't know why they didn't include any. Again, maybe Apple exclusively uses one set of sounds for all of their iPhones. I don't know.
3. I was also shocked at how easily the phone smudges. I had the phone for approximately one hour before I went to Best Buy to buy a screen protector, and it was completely smudged on the front and back. I'm not sure why Apple would design something that can't stay clean. If we can put a man on the moon, and create a screen that's better than the human eye, surely we can invent a smudge-proof glass to go on the iPhone.

Those are my only complaints so far about the phone. There are many more pros than cons I would say. From the HD camera and video camera, to the front facing camera for video chatting (called Face Time on the iPhone), to the crystal clear screen and the thinner, sleeker look of the phone, to the longer battery life (I've had mine operating for almost 24 hours now...using it A LOT and I'm still over half of my battery life), to the speed of the phone and the ease of the use, it's a great phone to have. There is a new feature on the phone where you can multi task. I haven't explored that option yet. And there is also a way to organize all the apps on your phone into various folders, much like a desktop computer. I haven't experimented with that one, either.

But I am a happy girl with a 3G Smart Phone and I am looking for opportunities to use it. So maybe you should expect a call from me soon!

Day 127: Wedding Wednesday

Our wedding is exactly one month from today! It seems like the ball is really starting to roll now, and we're getting a ton of stuff done.

Wedding invitations are mailed out! I am so elated with how they turned out....they are stunning. Reception invitations will go out a little later. My cousin Karie made them and they are exquisite! Let me know how much you love them when you receive yours in the mail. Hopefully you'll get it today or tomorrow.

We're working on some decor ideas I've found. They're going to really make the ceremony and reception pretty. I'm very excited about these, but I don't want to give anything away unless you're going to be helping me make them.

I have bridal showers the next two Saturdays and I'm very excited about them. I forgot to mention yesterday that Adam's family threw us a surprise mini shower and brought us some really nice gifts for our home. For me, that's the part that makes it all seem real is that people are giving us things we'll need for our life together.

My mom and I are going to get started on making the favors for the wedding in the next couple of days. It will be a little bit of a daunting task, but if anyone can handle it, my mom can. She keeps me sane sometimes.

I'm hoping to get the programs designed, printed and cut within the next week or so, so that's my next big project.

I can't wait!

Day 126: I'm Baaaaaaaack

So I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to daily blogging. I am going to chalk it up to being out of town and out of my normal routine. Now I'm back to life and back to my schedule and I should be able to get a post in every day at least until the wedding....hopefully.

After the wedding we'll be out of town, out of the country, and we'll have other items on our agenda, so please don't give up on me if I miss a week or so. I sincerely hope you will understand.

Vacation was wonderful! If you've read my last couple of posts you know that Adam and I traveled to Kentucky to return my cousin to my aunt and uncle. They have a bustling and beautiful house full of love and screaming children. I love being there and spending time with them. They have a brand new baby in the family and she is just as sweet as can be. I had such a great time with my family and I only wish I got to see them more often.

After Kentucky we drove down to Tennessee to spend some time with Adam's family. I am so grateful we were able to go. I had a blast. I really love his family and I'm glad that I've been welcomed with open arms and southern hospitality. I can't wait to see them all again in a few weeks when I officially become one of them! I'm very excited about that.

Monday morning we had engagement pictures done at Centennial Park in Nashville. I really feel like they turned out great. Our photographer is amazing and I can't wait to see the finished product. We'll have them ready in time for everyone to see at the wedding and receptions!

When we were done with our pictures, we went back to Adam's parents' house and I wasn't feeling very well. I got physically ill (broke what was probably at least a three year streak). I think it was from the combination of being out in the heat with a really bad migraine and then taking migraine medicine without having any food in my belly. I took half a pill to help with the nausea, though. That pill ended up knocking me out! I slept for at least half of the car ride home,and I felt terrible for leaving poor Adam to fend for himself on the open roads. I wish I would have been a better travel companion.

Last night when we got home I was still groggy from the medicine...and even today as I was getting my hair done, I was overcome with sleepiness.

I think the stuff has finally worked its way out of my system, though. It was weird. My mom actually thinks the exhaustion has less to do with the medicine I took and more to do with the gigantic spider bite I have on my leg....that could be,too, I suppose.

That's about as concise as I can get in describing my wonderful weekend getaway. Thanks for putting up with me when I missed a few days!

Day 123: Summer Vacation

I missed yesterday because we were in the car all day, then we didn't have Internet service when we got to the lake. We're staying at Lake Tansi with Adam's family for a long weekend. It has been great so far.

The scenery is beautiful; the water is crystal clear; the mountainous backdrop is breathtaking. I was just told, however, that they're not mountains and I only think they are because I'm from Illinois (there you go, Adam!).

I actually went for my first swim in the lake today. I was a little apprehensive about getting in the water, but Adam graciously helped me out by giving me a little push. I ended up enjoying myself. The water wasn't murky. And it was warm and nice. I had a lot of fun.

We've just had a relaxing day with each other, which has been really nice. We don't often get to spend consecutive days together, so we're enjoying this little taste of what married life will bring. I love spending time with him and I can't wait until we can spend most of our time together.

We have one more day of this nice relaxation until we have to head back home...actually we're going to Hendersonville on Monday to take some engagement pictures....I am SO excited about those! We're going to have them ready by the time the wedding rolls around so everyone can see them. Monday afternoon we're heading back home to get back to the daily grind. Adam has just over one more week of work and then he'll be coming to Decatur for good!

Things are starting to move along quickly now...I can't wait!

Day 121: Kentucky Kids

Adam and I left Illinois last night to drive to Kentucky and stay with my aunt and uncle for a couple days. They have a new little baby and we wanted to come see her (and I wanted to hold her before anyone else in my family got the chance).

We always have fun here in Dry Ridge. There's a house full of excited, energetic kids waiting for us every time we come and they love to love on us.

It's nice being here and seeing my family that I don't get to see very often.

We had a little glitch in our invitation process....I tried to do a mail merge and printed my labels yesterday for all of my invitations. My plan was to get everything put together in the car and have them ready to go, however we ended up with labels that had no city or state line on them. So today I'm going to have to go through that process all over again. We're getting ready to go to Wal-Mart in a little bit to get some more labels...so we'll see how they turn out.

We're going to see my cousin and his wife tonight, along with their two baby girls, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Gotta run, now things are crazy around here, but in a good way!

Day 120: Wedding Wednesday

Since my sister's wedding is over, my life has taken a turn for the chaotic. With less than 6 weeks before the wedding we're going on a mini vacation!! Yikes! But I'm sure things will be fine and we'll get everything squared away when we're back in town.

This week I have been working on getting my invitations ready and my programs all typed up.

My cousins are working on our invitations for us, and I'm going to stuff envelopes, stamp, and address them during the 19 hours we'll be spending in the car this weekend...I'm really hoping I can get them mailed out by Monday at the very latest.

And I've been trying to figure out how I want to do the programs for the wedding. I feel like one thing I'm really good at is creating pretty things on the computer, so I really want our programs to look special. I have some fun ideas that will look really nice if we can execute them properly. We shall see.

This week I've realized just how difficult life becomes when you have children. I've been splitting time with my mom watching my six-year-old cousin who is dear to my heart and probably about the cutest kid ever made....but I now know that there is absolutely no way I can ever expect to have a daily blog...or possibly even a daily shower, when children come into the picture. I think it will be worth the trade-off, though, because Joshua has been so much fun to have around.

Day 118: A Gushing Post that Could Likely Make You Puke (Sorry)

Sometimes you just have to dote on the one you love. It's inevitable. And some people love hearing about it....and some people think you're dithguthting (as my little cousin Joshua would say).

I've learned that love makes you turn into a person you never thought you'd be. In my case, that's a lovey dovey mushy gushy girl with stars in her eyes. It's not that I'm a hypocrite...just that I didn't know myself as well as I thought I did.

I just have to say that Adam is wonderful. I've known this for quite some time, but it was made abundantly clear this weekend amidst all the chaos and stress of my sister's wedding.

He takes such good care of me.

Whether it's the 2 bouquets of flowers he brought me Thursday night when he came to town....that's right...two bouquets!

Or the way he willingly took on the responsibility of parking approximately 90 cars in a space built for 5.

Or the way he stood out in the humidity and heat for at least a good 9 hours total directing traffic and parking cars and making sure operations were running smoothly.

Maybe it's the fact that he voluntarily cleaned my house the day after the wedding, after a bunch of guys had stayed there the previous night. Just so that I could come home from an exhausting weekend to a spotless and stress-free environment.

Or perhaps it's the way he lovingly played with my six year old cousin last night and tolerated being jumped on and climbed on for hours.

Or even the way he allowed me to lean on him and take a little nap on Sunday afternoon, even though he was more tired than I was, and he wasn't in a comfortable position to fall asleep himself.

All I know is that I'm going to be well cared for by my husband for the rest of my life, and I don't need to worry about a thing. He makes me so happy and I am so grateful that he has chosen me. I can't believe I get to marry him and I am so excited for our wedding....SO excited!

Day 117: Nap Time!

Today I am feeling oh-so exhausted! The wedding was perfect and beautiful and....sweltering.

We were up until about 1:00 in the morning cleaning up and visiting with friends and family. Then we got up and spent a couple more hours in the humidity today cleaning up.

I know that I'm going to sleep like a rock the next few days because I am so tired!

And I really hope I do get some rest because Adam and I are taking a long July 4th weekend and visiting family, so I'm going to need some energy!

Day 116: My Sister's Getting Married!

Today is the day! Ten months of preparation and planning have gone into making this day happen, and I'm very excited for my little sister.

We had the rehearsal last night and everything is going to be absolutely, breath-takingly beautiful.

I teared up during the rehearsal, so that means I need to be sure to bring some kleenex with me as I walk down the aisle. It's an emotional day, but a wonderful one.

To Rachel and Karsten, I wish you all the happiness in the world. And I'm glad you can finally be together as husband and wife forever.

Day 115: I'm a Failure Because I Haven't Got a Brain

Fifteen points to anyone who can name what movie script that line is from without Googling!

So, I forgot to blog yesterday. Woopsie! I am not planning on this becoming a growing trend, although I should warn you that I will not be blogging (or using any Internet) from our cruise ship on our honeymoon....so there will probably be a week's worth of no posts on my behalf. But that's still 6 weeks away (YIKES!) and I'm still here....so let's get to it.

This is going to be a chaotic and wonderful weekend. My baby sister is getting married! Today we have bachelorette pampering, followed by the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and a bunch of girly pajama party time with the bride tonight. It should be a lot of fun...hopefully my sister will enjoy herself.

She needs a little bit of a breather because some of the companies she's working with have not pulled through like anyone would have hoped or expected. But I hope she can take it all in stride and just enjoy the day.

That's about all I have for today, folks...I'm already tired and the real crazy stuff hasn't even started yet!

Day 113: Wedding Wednesday

The wedding is fast approaching, but we still seem to have gotten most things accomplished (or at least figured out) as far as this wedding goes....Here are some things we've taken care of in the past week or so.

1. Ordered ties for the groom, groomsmen, and ring bearer. I don't want to give anything
away...but I will tell you that they're blue...and they're awesome!
2. Figured out what we're going to do for wedding favors: Did you really think I would tell you?
The wedding and the Illinois reception will have a certain kind of favor and the Tennessee
reception will have something different. They're going to be quite a bit of work, but I know
we can pull it off (thanks, Mom, for your help!). I imagine we'll get started on them next
week.
3. I got my dress for the rehearsal. Adam thinks it's silly to buy dresses for every separate
occasion of the wedding, but he just doesn't understand....he's been gracious, though, even
though it doesn't make sense.
4. Adam is in the process of figuring out how we're going to valet cars at our wedding. He'll get a lot of practice since he's in charge of parking for my sister's wedding this weekend.

And that's what I really want to talk about on this post....a different wedding! My sister is getting married this weekend and I'm so excited for her! Her wedding is going to be beautiful and I can't wait.

I know she and Karsten really make each other happy, and I'm very glad that she gets to spend the rest of her life with the man she loves.

I'm going to miss her, though, because he's taking her to Chicago. But I'm sure they'll be back to visit frequently.

I'm really looking forward to celebrating their marriage this weekend and to welcome a new brother into the family. This is a really special time for her, and she's worked really hard with putting everything together for her wedding and I know it's going to be perfect.

For those of you who are coming, I can't wait to see you Saturday!

Day 112: Tuesday Treasures - Uni-Ball Jetstream Pens

Today I will reveal something about myself that you may or may not already know: I'm a geek about office supplies, which makes me a nerd in general, I believe. If you want a breakdown on the whole nerd versus geek thing, you'll have to ask my fiance.

I get a thrill out of walking into Staples and perusing the aisles for the latest and greatest innovations for the office. And my favorite time of year is Back to School because you can smell the school supplies from 100 feet away at Target.

A couple years ago I came across a writing utensil that has changed my life....or at least my writing.

See: the Uni-Ball Jetstream pen. This pen writes so smoothly. It's almost as if you're writing with a gel pen, only without the risk of goopiness or smearing that comes with gel ink. The ink writes like a gel pen, but it has the consistency of a ball point.

They are a little on the expensive side when it comes to disposable pens...they're going to cost more than your standard Bic or Papermate, but I contend that it's worth the extra to not have to constantly scratch the pen on paper (or on the bottom of your shoe) to try to get it to work.

These pens last a very long time, too. I would say a person who writes a fairly average amount could make the pen last a good four months or so.

You can occasionally find these pens at Target, but you're more likely to find them at Staples or an office supply store. You can always find them on Staples.com.

I urge you to check out the Uni-Ball Jetstream the next time you are in the market for a new writing utensil. Your life will never be the same.