Speed Blogging

Time to play a little catch-up, since my vacation from work turned into a vacation from all-things-internet last week. It's always nice to take a break from social media, but nice to get back to it, too! In the interest of time and your attention span, here's the past 10 days, each in 100 words or less (kind of like speed dating, but less creepy): 

Friday:

Made it to the gym early for the first time in forever, had a crazy day at work, then met Dan at the mall (my very least favorite place in the whole wide world) to do fun things like purchase a new suit and look at ties (yawn). Can’t really complain, since I was rewarded with Taco Bell for dinner. I call that a win. 

Saturday:

Worked out super early, then hit the road (in the snow!) for my college town. Met up with wonderful friends, had lunch, and checked into our suite. Freaked out upon discovering that the wedding ceremony was to take place outside in 30º temps, was incredibly relieved to find that a last-minute change had been made and I would not lose a limb to frostbite. Enjoyed a beautiful ceremony, catching up with friends, yummy cupcakes, and dancing with my hubby. Headed back to the suite to celebrate our friend’s birthday. Just as I was getting into bed, the terrible sickness began. 

love this picture!

Sunday:

The terrible sickness continued. The morning was rough. Dan, who left at the crack of dawn for a day of military training, was also sick and was sent home, I was still 2.5 hours away. My wonderful friend kept me company while I considered dying and helped me finally prepare for the drive home. Drove an hour without pulling over to be sick (miracle), stopped at Wawa for a slushie that made me feel a billion times better, finally got home. Hubby and I crawled into bed and slept for 15 hours straight. 

Monday:

Dragged myself into work, still feeling horrible. Didn’t get much work done. Struggled mightily to stay awake, not get sick, not hack off my aching head with a letter opener (that’s gruesome, sorry). Felt the best I had all day at 4:55, when I crawled into my car and headed home for another 15-ish hours of sleep. 

Tuesday:

Felt a bit better. Went to the gym after work for a slooooow recovery workout, then grocery shopped for “snowstorm essentials” (ice cream, wine, wheat thins). Made amazing pasta for dinner. Stayed up way too late, much like a kid bargaining for a snow day -- I was absolutely sure that I’d wake up to 2 feet of the white stuff and a day off. 

lemon chicken, capers, and chives over angel hair

Wednesday:

Woke up to 2 feet of snow, jumped for joy, promptly stopped when I discovered that my office was still open. Cursed under my breath while husband drove me to work over increasingly dangerous roads. Sat at my desk sad and alone, as everyone else was snowed in. Finally left around 1:00, fit in a quick workout, and finally plopped down in front of a beautiful fire to read and eat for the afternoon/evening. Snow day: salvaged. 

snow!

Thursday:

Slept late. Read in bed amidst husband/cat/puppy snores (heaven). Took Teddy for a long, snowy walk. Ventured out to pick up our favorite sandwiches for lunch. Spent another evening on the couch with a fire, a good book, and a glass of wine. Ate delicious breakfast for dinner, despite a sadly failed attempt at hollandaise sauce. 

Friday:

Got up at a reasonable hour, hit the gym for a nice laid-back workout. Stopped at Whole Foods for gorgeous tulips (on sale!) and Dunkin for a humongous coffee. Got some work done, took the pup for a walk, cleaned up the house a bit, watched some Netflix. Headed out to see wonderful friends for the evening. Enjoyed great food and even better company.

looks like spring!

Saturday:

Gorgeous day, took full advantage with a run outside. Ran into this guy also out enjoying the weather:

Cleaned like crazy all day. Happy to report that our bedroom carpet does still exist. Completed five loads of laundry, scrubbed the bathroom floor, and spent at least three hours doing dishes, I’m pretty sure. Ate takeout since I couldn’t look at my kitchen for one more minute, watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for the billionth time, and collapsed into bed.

Oh Andie Anderson, you get me every time.

Sunday:

Got up in time to sweat a little before kicking off my mom’s day of (early) birthday fun. Headed out to a vineyard for tastings and a glass of wine in the sun, then stopped at a great lunch spot. Saw a local production of Into the Woods (one of our favorites) that was extremely impressive. Finished off the evening at our new favorite Italian restaurant. Happy (early) birthday, Mom!

 

   Love,

    Meg

The Luckiest

365 days ago, I woke up on my then-fiance's side of the bed. I slipped out quietly, trying hard not to wake my best friend M, who was still sound asleep, and laced up my running shoes. I made it through exactly 3.58 miles that morning before my nervous stomach and impatience got the better of me.
M and I drove through a huge downpour to meet my mom for breakfast, and then headed off for manicures and pedicures. We stopped downtown so I could check into a hotel room and stock the fridge with champagne, and made it back to my apartment ahead of schedule, leaving me an extra hour to occupy my anxious energy. I did the only thing I could think of... I cleaned the bathroom.
Hours later, as we drove through yet another thunderstorm in a desperate attempt to arrive on time, I muttered four words that made everyone else in the car roll their eyes: "I have to pee." Despite my mom's best efforts to convince me that I could wait, I was insistent. "Just stop at McDonalds," I pleaded, "there's one right there on the corner and I swear I will be fast." It was my stepmom who took issue with that solution -- "You are NOT going into a McDonalds bathroom in that dress," she warned. Instead, we swung into the parking lot of one of our favorite local restaurants and M held an umbrella while we darted inside. The high schooler at the hostess stand looked at us like we might have lost our minds, but luckily didn't try to stop us. As I stepped out to wash my hands, I looked in the mirror and burst into tears. M gave me a big hug, told me she loved me, fixed my eyeliner, and pulled me back out into the rain.
When we finally drove in, I caught a glimpse of my dad that is to this day the first image I see whenever I think of him. There he stood, in the middle of the parking lot, under a huge umbrella as the rain fell and puddled around his dress shoes. Normally a rather stoic and serious guy, the grin on his face that day was like nothing I had seen before. After one last dash through the storm, I switched my rainbow sandals for white heels, took a deep breath, and Dad and I headed inside.
The rest of the day was a blur of family, hugs, photo ops, and cupcakes. It was simple but perfect, small but sweet, brief but everything I had hoped. As excited as I am to wear a real wedding dress, dance with my husband, and celebrate with all of our friends in just a few months, the memory of our original little ceremony will always hold a very special place in my heart. One year ago today, I officially became the wife of a sweet, wonderful guy who loves me and puts up with everything I throw at him, and I honestly couldn't ask for a better reason to celebrate.

The past 365 days have not been easy. We have spent 210 of those days apart. Between the two of us, we have traveled over 7,500 miles away from each other... but luckily, we have also traveled over 7,500 miles to be together again. In the past year, we adopted a crazy puppy, rearranged our living room, explored several new cities, made lifelong friends, and got in a few arguments, but always figured out how to make each other smile again. Together, we supported each other through a deployment, the serious injury of a brother, and the loss of a parent. We adjusted to living on different continents, and then adjusted again to living under the same roof (both came with their own challenges). It has not been an easy first year, but today, having reached the end, I can truly say that I know him and love him even better than I did the day we got married. I could not be any luckier.

   Love,

    Meg

Silent Sundays: Wedding Pictures!

I still haven't made it through all of the pictures from our small wedding, but of everything I've collected so far, these are the best:

[Dan and the boys setting up our venue, my bestie M helps me get ready]

[the first kiss]

[husband and wife]

[my stepmom and I, cute cousin, my grandfather and mom and I, mom and I]

[all of our parents]

[the "wedding party" -- my bestie and Dan's brother, Dan's brother and his adorable girlfriend (on their way to prom after 
our ceremony), the four of us, me with my two new little brothers]

[my amazing best friend]

[champagne and cupcakes!]

[a few honeymoon shots: heading out with Dan's truck decorated, reading on the beach, Dan and his beloved truck, and the gorgeous 
sunrise we enjoyed on our last day]

   Love,

    Meg

Friday Favorites

Let me tell you, it's mighty hard to complain about a week in which you A) get married to the love of your life, B) spend a few days relaxing at the beach with said love of your life, C) eat several metric tons of seafood and wedding cupcakes and peach rings and the best hot dogs on earth and ice cream and oh, the list goes on... and D) spend only two days at work. Even as annoying as those last two days can be (think sand in your bathing suit, another little annoyance to which I've been recently reintroduced), they really just can't produce a big enough stormcloud to overshadow the rest of such an amazing week. And what better way to celebrate than to share a few of the things that made this week so perfect? I'm truly over-the-top grateful for sooo many things this week, but here are some of the very best parts:

Did I mention that I ate enough seafood in three days at the beach to sink a relatively large, relatively water-tight cruise liner? Poor hubby has never been to the beach with me, and since he's such a nice guy (and had no clue of the damage I can do when presented with plate upon plate of crab legs), he agreed to take me to one of those all-you-can-eat (or eat-all-you-can) seafood buffets. It wasn't exactly a pretty sight, as I cracked and ripped and clawed and dipped and went back for more.... and then groaned all the way back to the hotel and basically all night about how incredibly, awfully full I was. Dan was such a good sport about it though, just shaking his head and laughing at me as I continued to stuff myself full of crabmeat. This is the point where I remind him, gently, that he did marry me, seafood-obsession and all.

I have said it many times before (and even included her in a previous FF post), but I just have to repeat myself: I would be totally lost without this amazing girl. She is the best best friend you could possibly ask for, and getting to spend so much time with her preparing for the wedding was beyond wonderful. She (and her awesome boyfriend, who kept Dan company) got in Friday morning just as I was getting home from a run, and we spent the next 30-ish hours running around like crazy trying to get everything ready (except for Friday night when we were able to take a break and enjoy a great dinner together, and Saturday when we sat down for 90 blissful minutes of spa pampering) Despite the chaos of those two days, the quality time we got to spend together was fantastic and I am so so lucky for her help and support. She always gives the best advice, made sure my hair and makeup looked amazing, and kept me laughing right up to the door of our venue. I honestly don't know what I would do without her!

(that's greek yogurt with granola in there, not some weird thick and chunky drink)

I mentioned my love of bowls a while back, but I don't think I've yet confessed that I also have a thing for mugs. Over the past few years, I've developed a rather large collection and I love each and every one of them much more than anyone should ever love a mug. This week was a good one for my little love affair, as I added two more mugs to the collection: the one above from the beach (which, since you can't tell from my sad phone pic, is a gorgeous shade of coral), and the most adorable set of "mr." and "mrs." mugs from my mom (only one of which is mine... apparently... sigh). I'm going to be making tea all weekend just to have an excuse to drink out of these two lovely new friends. Should I be worried about my unhealthy attachment to dishes?

Sadly, this is the best picture I have of the brand new diamonds that now call my left ring finger home. Speaking of love affairs, though.... I can't lie: I'm pretty sure I fall more in love with this little bit of bling every day. I've caught myself so many times in the past week just sitting there staring at it, completely oblivious to the world around me. Dan would likely blame this on my (blonde) hair, but I'm really just mesmerized by the added sparkle. It was the only wedding band out of about a gazillion I tried on that really worked with my engagement ring, which made my final choice pretty simple. You can tell in this picture that, since it's a wrap, it fits around the solitaire to make what looks like one ring, and I'm probably going to get them soldered so that I don't have to fit them back together at least a thousand times a day. Have any of you done this with your rings? Advice for or against?

It just wouldn't be right to end a post about this wonderful week without including this amazing guy. One would think that this would be a perfect time to give you a little wedding picture teaser, but the sad reality is: 1. I haven't looked through even half of the pictures that were taken yet, and 2. of the pictures I have gotten my hands on, not a single one of them contains just me and my new hubby. I know that we had at least one picture taken of the two of us during the whirlwind of flashes that followed the ceremony, so I'm crossing my fingers that I will find it soon! For now, though, you'll have to be content with this picture and the assurance that we looked pretty nice for the big day. 

Even though it still feels kind of strange to be a wife (I still don't feel old enough to drive or pay rent, much less choose a soulmate), I could not be luckier to have married the man I did. It's funny to think back to my junior year of high school and realize that I was meeting the guy who I will spend the rest of my life with, but I absolutely wouldn't have it any other way. He has proven to be the bravest, kindest, funniest, and most loving boyfriend/fiance/husband I could ever wish for, and I am thrilled that we get to embark on this next stage of our life together.

On that note, I am off to spend a busy but fun weekend with my new hubby. We have lots of family celebrations to attend and I'm pretty excited to go to each as a married couple! Hope that all of you have a wonderful weekend and an Easter filled with lots of chocolate bunnies (the best part)!

   Love,

    Meg

Checking In from a Whirlwind

Oh hey there, real life -- nice to know that you kept up with everything while I've been off basking in newlywed bliss! I do apologize for the deafening silence from my end lately -- last week's to-do list got a tiny bit ahead of me and every time I tried to sit down and write, I was interrupted by at least 3 more things that needed to be done rightatthatmoment. Needless to say, the days leading up to Saturday's festivities were absolutely filled with stress, over-commitment, painful credit card swipes, and butterflies. Thankfully, though, there were lots of fun moments with friends, incredibly helpful family members, an overwhelming abundance of pretty flowers, and a few glasses of wine thrown into the mix to keep me sane. Despite all the chaos of the preceding days, every last detail went (surprisingly) perfectly, and I was lucky enough to be able to relax and just enjoy the day. 

The next time I take a vacation, though, please remind me to take the whole week, because there is truly nothing more sobering than coming back to work on a Thursday to a chorus of "Congratulations!" followed quickly by "Here's the pile of work that I could have done, but decided to save for you!" Top that with a few versions of "While you were gone, we decided that you'd be the ideal person to take care of this new project," and you have one seriously swamped new bride. Especially since all I can think about is how much I'd like to be at home with my sweet new hubby and our fluffball, who we both missed an obscene amount while we were gone. Trust me, I have never been so thrilled that it is Thursday and the weekend is right around the corner!

As you can tell, I'll be playing catch-up for the next few days -- on work, all of your wonderful blogs, and the laundry, which is again threatening to swallow poor Toby alive. Regular posting will return soon with wedding pictures and other exciting things!

   Love,

    Meg

A Wedding Dilemma

Brace yourselves, dear readers, because I'm about to let you in on a little secret about me. Except really, it's no secret at all, I just like to pretend that not everyone I've ever come into contact with has picked up on this itty bitty... character flaw. You see, when it comes to making big important life-changing any choices, I can be incredibly, awfully, annoyingly indecisive. It's a personality trait that has driven my parents crazy for years, and now, they are (quite graciously) handing over the frustration to Dan. Who has approximately the same amount of difficulty making decisions. It's truly a wonder we ever eat dinner when we are together, if one is to judge by the number of times "I don't really care, what do you feel like?" is repeated.

Surprisingly, though, when it came to wedding planning, I had pretty solid ideas about what I wanted (and what I definitely didn't want). Luckily, those ideas were, for the most part, fairly easily realized. I knew what kind of dress I wanted, and I found it. I knew what kind of shoes I wanted, and I (finally) found them. I knew what I wanted the flowers to look like, (generally) how I wanted the ceremony to go, and even what I wanted to ice the cupcakes (cream cheese frosting, what else?). So now, with 3 days to go, almost everything is locked and loaded, leaving me with just one more major decision. Only this particular choice has been plaguing me for weeks, keeping me up at night, and monopolizing my thoughts during the day: the music. The processional, specifically. Dan and I have picked the perfect "recessional" -- even though we won't really be leaving, it will just be played when the ceremony is finished. I am thrilled and can't wait to see everyone's faces for that one. But after hours and hours of searching for a processional, I am still completely and totally... indecisive. 

Part of my problem is that I have, actually, had this gorgeous piece selected for over a year, but when confronted with two weddings, I decided I wanted to save it for the big one. Since the processional will be quite short this time around, I didn't think it would do such a beautiful song justice... and thus began the hunt for something else. For a while, I was set on this Mussorgsky piece, but even I had to admit that it would probably be more appropriate for the future princess Middleton (can I make a suggestion, Kate?!) So here I am, back at square one, googling and scouring YouTube like mad in search of an ideal musical addition to our ceremony. Hunting for the perfect combination of unique and familiar, soft and harmony-rich, whimsical and situationally appropriate. I've found several possibilities, and this is where you, dear blogging community, come in:

[I love this song, but I'm worried that the instrumental version sounds a little like a movie trailer]

[from The Princess Bride -- this theme is so simple and cute]

[Again very simple, and this is one of my mom's and my very favorite artists, meaning that I would definitely cry....]

[from Finding Neverland]

[a little more traditional, but still very pretty]

What do you think of these options? Do you have any more perfect ideas that I just have to try? 

Please, please lend me your wisdom!

   Love,

    Meg

How Was Your Weekend?

Mine was beautifully, fantastically, fabulously.... boring. Which is, considering the extreme speed of life lately, exactly how I like my weekends served: laid back and stress-free, with an extra side of sleep. I'm pretty sure I did get more sleep in the past three days than I have in several weeks, which in itself would have been enough to make it a glorious weekend. 
Luckily, though, it did get slightly more exciting than the hours and hours I spent fighting the cat for at least a corner of the pillow (he's a persistent one). On Saturday I went for a very long, very cold run around our local university campus (and then spent about two hours trying to coax feeling back into my fingers), and Dan and I headed out with a good friend to the brewery where I used to work. I'm relatively certain that I gained back all the weight I've been working on losing during that single meal, but it was absolutely worth it: such amazing food!
Sunday I ran and then met up with my little from my college fraternity, who was in town for the weekend. We had a yummy breakfast and it was so great to catch up and hear all about her recent international travels. I spent the afternoon by the pool (white wedding dress + white bouquet + white walls = someone needs a tan) with the April issue of Food Network Magazine and a list of recipes I want to try, which is rapidly growing beyond the bounds of what is possible in the next oh, say, 5 years. Law school = 0, culinary school = 1. 
Dan and I also went out to see this movie last night:

Dan was dying to see it because the previews made him tear up with laughter, and I kind of love Natalie Portman, so I was a willing date. Plus, there was popcorn. And cherry coke. I don't turn either of those down. Surprisingly, neither of us were disappointed -- definitely not a movie to see with your parents, but if you're prepared for questionable, and at times downright horrible, humor, then it's not so bad.
For those of you keeping track, you're absolutely right: unless you count tanning or running, I did absolutely nothing this weekend to prepare for the wedding. Actually, that's not totally true -- I sent a few emails and talked through a few things with the groom-to-be, but definitely nothing terribly productive. I do have a list of things I need to finish up this week, but thankfully it's pretty short and definitely doable. At this point, I'm just ready for this week to go quickly so that I can enjoy a few days off work with my new hubby!
Hope that everyone else had a lovely, relaxing weekend too!

   Love,

    Meg

Silent Sundays, Crazy Wedding Style

I have spent an incredible amount of time this week researching anything and everything wedding: readings, flowers, music, shoes, decorations, invitations, cakes.... you get the idea. I've seen enough ruffles and lace to last me for at least the next 10 years. Some of the pictures I have run across, though, were just too ridiculous not to share:

Yep, ladies and gentlemen: that's all train. A mile's worth. Think about this for a second: when this bride was standing at the altar, the end of her train was a few blocks down the street!

I really hope it's just the light that makes this dress look pink. It's bad enough without being the color of cotton candy. This poor girl looks like she's in danger of drowning though.

I get that every bride should feel like a fairy tale princess on their big day. Dressing like one? Not so much.

The blue cowgirl-esque dresses, the flowers, the headpieces, the half naked woman in the background... there is just so much wrong with this picture!

I really have no words for this. Just... ick.

What happens when you tell the cake designer that you'd like "a little of everything?" This disaster.

Of all the awful wedding pictures, though, this one really just takes the cake (I know, I just couldn't pass that one up). This lovely and oh-so-modest bridezilla had a cake made of herself... complete with sunflowers adorning her busom. What wedding guest would be willing to eat this?!

   Love,

    Meg

Thoughts on a Thursday

Sorry it's been so quiet around these parts lately, life has gotten incredibly hectic as the wedding creeps closer and my blood pressure silently goes through the roof. Who knew that planning a "small" wedding could be so stressful? Every time I feel like I've gotten something major finished and I remind myself to keep breathing, someone reminds me about three more things that need to be done rightthissecond. My to-do list for the next few days looks a little something like this:

...and I started adding to the back of it this morning. As excited as I am about this wedding (and as sure as I am that it will all be worth it in the end), just looking at this list makes me want to crawl back into bed and ask Toby to breathe his awful cat breath in the face of anyone who comes close. Unfortunately, though, these things aren't going to cross themselves off... and as my father reminded me this morning, the excuse that the wedding "isn't until next month" only works for another 8 hours or so.

Thankfully, I'm not in this completely alone: my mother and best friend have been so wonderfully helpful, and I've had at least 15 other friends offer to help out with all kinds of things. Dan has been doing absolutely everything he can to help, despite the fact that he spends most of the week out of town and has a pretty serious day job with which to contend. Everyone else I've worked with so far -- the caterer, the people who are in charge of our "venue," the ladies who made and printed our invitations -- has been incredibly sweet and attentive. I am so grateful for all of this help and I know that without it, I probably would have already cracked under the pressure. At this point, though, most of the things left to do are not so easily delegated, meaning that the entire list up there is filled with things that I alone need to take care of... pronto.

As if this weren't enough to think about, I'm also in the midst of the "my wedding is in less than a month and I have to look fabulous in this dress or I'll never be able to live with myself" freakout. Add that to the "my soon-to-be-husband is leaving for a war zone in approximately two months and I have a tendency to eat my feelings" syndrome, and we have some major issues. I've been pushing myself really hard lately to eat right and work out as much as possible in an effort to combat both stress and pudge. I've never before understood how people could claim that running calmed them down (nothing about sweating profusely and struggling to breathe really says 'calm' to me), but now I'm starting to find that 45 minutes on the treadmill each day acts like mental housekeeping, sweeping up the mess left by the billion thoughts zinging around my brain. I leave the gym refreshed, relaxed, and simply too tired to think about anything important. There are other reasons (for another post) for the fact that I am pushing myself harder than ever before to get in these miles, but one of the biggest is that provides a much needed reboot to my weary head. That and because the more I work out, the more I can eat, even though we're rapidly approaching Def-Con 2 for wedding weight loss and toning.

Luckily, there is a big bright light at the end of this tunnel: I have an amazing best friend who has booked us massages and pedicures for this weekend. I am so incredibly excited to relax a little bit, spend time with her, and get cute toes out of the bargain!

   Love,

    

    Meg

Rhymes with Wednesday

This week has been beyond ridiculous... and even that's really an understatement. I've been super productive, but my to do list continues to grow at an alarming rate. We have less than a month until the little wedding, so I am scrambling to get all the details figured out, which could be a full-time job in itself. Add to that my actual full time job, plus family obligations, gym time, and taking care of the little furball, and we're running out of hours to sleep here. Anyone in my family can tell you that a tired me = a cranky me, so I'm working extra hard to suppress the crazy and embrace the phrase "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

Monday Dan picked me up from work a little early and we headed out to meet with our caterer. She was really sweet and so flexible, and we got to share two of the yummiest cupcakes I've ever devoured eaten. We're keeping it simple and going with hors d'oeurves (there will be smoked salmon, and that's all that really matters to me) and, of course, the cupcakes. My stomach is counting the days. After that, we headed to FedEx to work on our invitations (yes, it's a little late, but these are too adorable to pass up) and then grabbed dinner at Chipotle before grocery shopping. When we finally made it home, I spent about two hours cleaning and reorganizing the kitchen before collapsing into bed.

Dan had to leave really early yesterday morning, and I also got up over an hour early so that I had time to run, shower, stop by to check the invitation proof, get gas, and grab coffee before making it to work (early, no less). My department has been swamped lately, and yesterday my whole day revolved around three massive spreadsheets, so by the time I walked out my eyes had kind of glazed over. I then headed over to Dan's parents to help his mom paint her living room and ended up staying there most of the evening. It was exhausting but we got a lot done. I'm heading back over today after work to keep going -- I can't wait to see the finished product! I finally picked up the finished invitations on the way home and made it back to the apartment just after 10:30, at which point I parked myself in bed, ate a cupcake, and was asleep by 11:15. 

This morning I got up early again to fit in some time at the gym before work. I never thought I'd say it, but I've actually started to enjoy these early morning workouts -- the gym is always quiet and I sort of like watching the sun rise from the treadmill. The only problem is that if I do it too many mornings in a row, it starts to make me sleepy at work. Case in point: today. I need a nap.

The rest of the week looks like more of the same: more painting, more runs, more crazy days at work, more whirlwind wedding planning, more coffee. Tomorrow night my family is going out to celebrate my mom's birthday, at some point I need to find time to shop for wedding shoes. Oh how I wish I could afford a pair of these beauties:

{kate spade} and {louboutin via here}

Hope everyone else's week is going splendidly!

    Love,

    Meg

Spring Has Sprung

Spring in college was a magical time. During the winter, we all seemed to exist in a sort of frozen discontent, but as soon as the weather got warm the whole campus started to smile again. Even all the piles of work seemed a little more enjoyable. Springtime meant...

Pretty flowers all over campus (that's really a picture from campus) 

and fun with statues (Dan and Thomas Jefferson get a little up close and personal)

Wine and yummy sandwiches outside with friends here, the incredible stuffed sno-ball from here, way too many late night treks to Wawa, and wonderful coffee dates on the front porch here

More sunlight and classes coming to an end, which meant less time in the library's Starbucks 

and more time "studying" (ahem) outside with friends

Formals with lots of wonderful people

This spring, however, is going to be a little a lot different. I miss so much about college, but I'm looking forward to this season and experiencing spring out in the "real world," full of...

Adorable skirts (I'm kind of in LOVE with everysingleoneofthese)

Taking advantage of all the sunlight with lots of trail running and some serious spring cleaning

A wedding!

A teeny tiny vacation (think 4 days) with my hubby-to-be. I don't actually know where we're going yet, but I'm hoping it will be warm!

Unfortunately, my spring will end on a sad note, as my sweet first lieutenant and I will have to say goodbye for a while. Luckily, though, this means that I have the next few months to spend with him, and I'm hoping to enjoy every single moment that we can together. As Dan texted me about two months ago:

"I can't wait until the spring time.  I have so many ideas bouncing around in my noggin.  

This is going to be the best spring EVER."

Love that guy!

Happy spring, everyone!

  

   Love,

    Meg

The Big Wedding Tell-All

It's been a long time since I talked about anything wedding related here around the ol' blog, and there is quite a lot to talk about. I've kind of been procrastinating because I didn't want to write about it until all the little details got worked out, but at this point I'm starting to wonder whether that will ever happen... there are so many balls up in the air right now and at some point they're all going to drop -- probably all at the same time. And I am not a juggler.

The other reason that I've been putting off writing about all of our plans is because they are slightly... untraditional. Life (and the Army) have thrown us a few curveballs as of late, and we are having to adjust and make the best out of things. While the "plan B" that we have come up with isn't quite what I always wanted, I'm pretty darn determined to make it work and to make it wonderful. Dan has been amazing and even though it's not exactly his first choice either, he knows that this is really important to me. 

We've gotten some conflicting opinions from those closest to us about the way we've decided to do things: most people have been incredibly supportive and understanding, but a very few have been slightly... less than that. Ahem. Because of this, the idea of writing to the world about our plans has made me a little nervous. It's hard to explain in a blog post all the thoughts and emotions that have gone into such a big decision. I am, however, constantly amazed by the things I read and the support I see out there in the blogging world, so I'm taking a little leap of faith and crossing my fingers that some of that support might find its way over here. So without further ado...

Dan and I are getting married twice. 

Yep, go ahead and let that sink in for a second. It's not normal, it's weird, it's ambitious, it's too much, it's pretentious, it's asking a lot, it's downright crazy. Trust me, I've heard it all. But what it comes down to? It's what works, and it's what we both need and want to do.

I was a little bit upset when I realized that my dream wedding (the gorgeous dress, the friends and family, the delicious food, the wonderful pictures, the singular ceremony) was not exactly going to be possible when Dan's deployment was added to the picture. To be fair, actually, it would have been possible, but we were faced with a few options: wait and have the wedding after he came home, try to cram planning into a few months and have it right before he left, or make some sort of compromise. The first two options came with their own sets of risks and challenges attached, and when it came down to it, I knew that two things were true. First, I knew that I did not want him to leave, however long he could be gone, without getting married. Neither of us wanted that. Second, I knew that I did not want to try to pull off the dream wedding in such a short time span. This was a little more selfish, but I could just picture it -- things wouldn't be perfect, we would have to make concessions because of time, and I would look back on the wedding as "nice, but if we had only had time to...."

So we made a compromise. We would get married before he left, officially. We'd have a tiny little ceremony with our immediate families and we'd make it legal. Then, when he came home, we'd have the "normal" wedding. The big one, with both of our (rather large) families and all our friends and the gorgeous dress and professional photography and massive amounts of food and amazing honeymoon. Call me selfish, but the little girl inside me who has been dreaming of that day for oh, about 23 years now was just not willing to give that up. And don't get me wrong -- even the big wedding is not going to be a massive, lavish, bank-breaking event. In the end, to get around the little minor detail of us already being legally married, it will probably be kind of like a renewal of vows. But it will be a day that we get to spend celebrating with everyone, and that's what counts.

But for now, the "big wedding" is kind of on the backburner (can you tell how I'll be keeping busy while Dan is overseas?) and planning for the "little wedding" is in full swing, because it is now (gulp) a month away. We are getting married April 16th, at a cute little neighborhood "pavilion" (which sounds so much better than clubhouse). It's an afternoon-type affair, with a short ceremony, some yummy hors d'oeurves, and our close families. My motto is "we're not doing anything twice," and with a few obvious exceptions we've been able to stick to that. The cocktail hour, dinner, professional flowers and photography, dress, wedding cake, dancing, and tropical (my fingers are crossed) honeymoon will be saved for the big wedding. We're keeping this one tiny (and affordable -- as it is coming from our pockets) by doing our own flowers, drinks, photography, and decorations. My dress is cute but casual. 

In the end, my concern is that I don't want to be accused of trying to benefit from having two weddings -- my goal was never to milk this for all it's worth or to act spoiled or entitled. This is simply a plan that seems to work the best for us, allowing us to be married when Dan heads out but also for us to have wonderful memories with our favorite people from both events. 

I am so thankful that I have a fiance and a family who have supported this crazy-wonderful idea and helped so much already. It is ridiculous to realize that in a month, I will be married, but I know that I couldn't be making a better decision -- I am marrying my best friend and the one person who can always make me smile. I'm just lucky enough to get to do it twice!
  
   Love,

    Meg