30 Days to the Altar

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!

Wow.  I can't believe our big day is only a month away!  We've been engaged for six months as of last Sunday and it feels like it's only been half that time.  They say "time flies when you're having fun" and we certainly have been having fun!  I can't believe our "engagement" will soon be over; it's kinda sad.  We'll just have to make the MOST of these next 30 days to enjoy this engagement bliss before we say "I do" and dive into married life.

That's part of the reason I gave myself a deadline to have all of the major (and most, if not all, of the minor) tasks completed by the time we were 30 days out from Wedding Day.  Needless to say, I've been a tad stressed over the past week or so...and if you've been keeping up with my blog throughout all of this, you are well aware of that.  Add to that Matthew leaving for Cursillo midway through last week, and now I'm getting ready to head up the mountain myself in a couple of days.  Of course the week I head up there is the same week we hit 30 days before our wedding!  LOL

Most of the time, I work very well under pressure.  So I've actually been able to get a lot done since my last post (some of which has been with the groom's help even!) and I've had a lot of fun doing it!  Despite "Sparky's" best efforts to derail me!!

This week we have a couple of paperwork items that still need to be sent to the wedding coordinator at the church, and there are a few other time-sensitive tasks that need to be checked off before I can check out for the next four days.  Oh yeah, and then there's this thing called work in which I happen to have an important deadline to meet before the end of the week.  No pressure.  Oh, and did I mention I'm in a contest with my Beachbody team this month?  (Sometimes when I get involved, I REALLY get involved...ya think?!)  So I need points for this contest and YOU can help me! :)  If you want to help, please let me know!  I could use all the help I can get right now hee hee [shameless plug]

Dance, Baby, Dance

I thought it would be a fun idea for Matthew and me to take a couple of dance lessons before our wedding in preparation for our "first dance."  Mostly because I have two left feet and don't want to be embarrassed or step on his feet too much (or worse, step on my dress and have a major wardrobe malfunction!).  Matthew was skeptical about it but he went along with it...Little did we know how much fun it would be for us!  We had another lesson tonight and had a blast again!  Our instructor is the best; a really fun guy who "gets" sarcasm, which makes Matthew very happy.

More Music, Sweet Music

While Matthew was up on the mountain with God and lots of men last Friday, I scheduled a site visit at the church to check out the Parish Center with the caterer.  The only problem is the caterer didn't show up (Sparky).  Apparently he'd called me the day before to reschedule but I never got his message.  Nonetheless it was a productive visit for me, and after I met with Gerry (the parish hall guy), I met with the organist to discuss the organ processionals.  We met to review the music I selected for the wedding party and bridal processionals for the ceremony.  When she played one piece (the one I *thought* I wanted), it just moved me straight to tears!  It took me by surprise for sure.  As a comparison, she played a couple of other popular tunes, and...nothing.  I asked her to play the first one again...more teary-eyed silliness.  We agreed we should probably go with that first one!  I think sitting up in the choir loft overlooking the church sanctuary helped it kinda come alive for me.

Love & Laughter, Satin & Lace, and Red Velvet too!

Saturday was a busy day and FUN FUN FUN day!  It was the day of my bridal shower!  I woke up quite early that morning - partly because of excitement and partly because of the busy day ahead.  I started the morning with LOTS of time before having to leave the house and somehow managed to get a late start out the door.  Go figure.

My first activity of the day was to drop off Sophie at her boyfriend Bruno's house so they could play together all day.  From PB, I ran to North Park for my makeup trial.  I was excited and nervous about this one, and I ended up loving the makeup artist and what she did!  Bonus:  the feedback I got from everyone that day was extremely positive, reassuring me.  From North Park, I made a quick stop up in the UTC area for a wax appointment that was not exactly well-planned - because of my makeup being first, all she could do was pluck my eyebrows instead of wax them (oops!).  From there, it was off to PB again to Betty's house for my shower.

I was absolutely overwhelmed by all the love!  Ya know, bridal showers are funny...and I never thought about it until I finally experienced one on the "Bridal" side of the shower.  Birthday parties are one thing. They're fun, your friends and maybe some family all come together to celebrate the day you were born...and usually you have more than one of these during your lifetime.  In fact, if you're lucky enough, you had these kinds of "all about me" parties when you were little - in some way, shape or form.  But it's a different kind of "all about me" gathering than a bridal shower.  This (you hope) is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event. It's almost a rite of passage.  People aren't gathered to celebrate an event that occurs in your life every year; they're gathered to celebrate a VERY significant event in your life that will only occur once. Ever.  And to celebrate the love of you and your fiance that will soon be solemnized through marriage (and in our case, a Sacrament of the church).  So admittedly, it had a bit of an "odd" feel to it - in a GOOD way, of course.  I'm having trouble articulating this feeling; perhaps those of you who've had your own bridal showers can somewhat understand this feeling that I'm struggling to put into words?

Anyway, I think everyone present had a grand time, and I got a little taste of what the wedding will be like - at the end of the party, I felt like I hadn't had a chance to really talk to anyone!  In fact, so much fun was being had that my MOH (who many of you now know!) decided to forgo the games that typically accompany a bridal shower because we were all busy having fun already, and she felt the games would only interfere with the fun (or something like that).  I remember at one point, after having only eaten half of my lunch, my plate was taken away and replaced with an adorable cake for me to cut.  (And strangely, I felt like I should be blowing out candles before cutting it! LOL)  It was a yummy red velvet cake (my favorite) shaped into a double heart with "Laticia & Matthew" on one heart and our wedding date on the other heart.  It was from a bakery close to my house.

After cake, we gathered in Betty's family room for the opening of presents.  Okay, so this was kinda weird at first.  I mean, when was the last time YOU sat there and opened all of your presents in front of everyone while they just sat there and watched?  Not Christmas. Nope. And probably not since you either had your first baby, had your own bridal shower, OR were a LITTLE KID, right?  Yeah, weird.  Again - in a GOOD way.  It was actually super fun!  I'm sure it was a lot more fun for me than it was for everyone watching, unless I happened to be opening the gift they brought.  The theme of the party was "linens and lingerie."  Well, most people forgot about the linens part and stuck with the lingerie - not that I mind!  I LOVED everything!!  And I can't wait until the honeymoon!  Those of you who contributed all of that satin and lace can rest assured that Matthew is going to be One. Very. Happy. Husband!! So thank you! :)

To Top It Off...

The last exciting thing I want to share from this past week is our custom cake topper!  The designer has been working on it these past few days and has been sending me progress pics along the way.  I don't want to spoil the fun entirely, but I just HAVE to show you this one pic she sent me.  I absolutely cannot WAIT to see the full piece in person!

Does this look like anyone you might know? ;)

My Last 30 Days...

So tomorrow (or today if you are reading this on Wednesday) I am starting a very special challenge I'm calling "30 Days to the Altar" with my friends.  I've invited everyone to join me in my final days as a single woman for a fun challenge that will make us all stronger by Wedding Day.  We'll be doing various exercises everyday for the next 30 days, increasing in number as the days progress.  I'm really excited about this and a lot of my friends have agreed to join me, which is probably the most exciting part for me!  It's not too late if you would like to join in on the fun.  Just find me on Facebook or send me an email and I can send you our schedule so you can follow along with us.

Lastly, if you've received an invitation and have not yet sent in your response card, PLEASE DO SO ASAP!  Thanks :)

Until next time, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the man responsible for giving us the Happiest Place on Earth...quoted in what I think is the greatest Disney movie ever:

"Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”  - Walt Disney

40 Days....

In the Bible, 40 is pretty significant, particularly 40 days.  (So significant in fact, there is a website devoted to it! See for yourself here.)  For example, after Noah built the ark and loaded up all the animals two-by-two, it rained for 40 days; likewise, Moses spent 40 days up on the mountain with God; Goliath came for 40 days before he was slain by David; Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness and walked the earth for 40 days after his crucifixion.  Pretty significant, wouldn't you say?

If you notice, those 40 days were always followed by something very significant.  The Earth was restored and renewed; Moses' face shined; "little" David slayed a giant; Jesus was tempted by Satan; the apostles were sent out to share the Good News and grow the church...

As I reflect on this concept of "40 days," it appears God intended this 40-day time period as a time of reflection, contemplation, and preparation; a "holding pattern" leading into a time of renewal or new beginnings; a kind of transition period or "bridge" before a significant event or conversion experience.

I occasionally half-joke about the four years I spent in Arizona as my "40 days in the desert" because it was a very significant time of conversion and renewal for me.  As I reflect on my life since returning from Arizona, I see how much my time there truly was preparation for my life back here in Cali.  It truly was a major turning point - my life has been significantly different as a result of my experiences in the desert.

So here we are...40 days before our wedding.  Similar to the Bible, a significant event will follow these next 40 days.  Perhaps unlike Noah and Moses, we are fairly certain of the event - God willing and all goes according to plan, Matthew & I will become husband and wife..."and the two shall become one."  Beyond that, I suppose we truly do not know what is in store for Mr & Mrs W other than we will begin a new chapter in our lives.

While these next 40 days will certainly be busy with preparatory tasks such as check writing, tux and gown fittings, parties, etc - it will also be a time for Matthew and me to get closer to God as we reflect on our lives up to this point and think about our future together as husband and wife.  Many people thought we were crazy for agreeing to serve on Cursillo weekends a few weeks before our wedding.  We know who is in control, though, and we said "yes" in full faith.  As it gets closer (Matthew leaves for his Cursillo this Thursday), I can see now that we are both being given a wonderful opportunity to experience one last Cursillo as unmarried children of God.  Another weekend up on the mountain with Christ.  And those of you who have experienced Cursillo KNOW what it's like after one of these weekends!  The fact that we will be experiencing the Sacrament of Marriage just a few short weeks after Cursillo is no accident.  God has been preparing us for this from the very beginning, and I look forward to us both being filled with the Spirit ("on fire" even) as we stand before God and celebrate this once in a lifetime Sacrament together.


And now for a little wedding planning update...
I actually got a lot done last week in spite of all the stress I was feeling at the beginning of the week!  I think I got all the accessories ordered.  (Oh man, stay away from those wedding websites!  Seriously cute stuff all over!)

On Thursday night, we had dinner with Deacon Dennis and Colleen for our last "official" marriage prep meeting to take care of all our "Sacramental" paperwork needed for the ceremony.

Saturday morning I had my hair trial which was a lot of fun!  My MOH Heather came with me, and my cousin Roselyn dropped off some awesome family pictures for me, including one of my grandparents wedding!  After I got my hair all teased, curled, sprayed and played-with, Heather & I went shopping to find my rehearsal dress.  It came down to two dresses, and neither of us could decide between them. So I texted pics to my Mom and a handful of other girlfriends.  ALL of them said the same thing "I like them both."  Gee, thanks ladies. You're a lot of help! LOL  Well, I ended up getting both because they were so great, and with a coupon and the sale going on at Macy's, I basically got a 2-for-1 deal.  One dress will be for the rehearsal and one dress will be for the honeymoon.

Saturday evening, we had friends over for some white wine tasting to help us select our white wine for the reception.  We had some appetizers and Matthew made crepes for dessert (yummy!!!).  It was a lot of fun and we found our winner(s)!

Finally, on Sunday we went to the jeweler and selected our wedding bands.  Our "regular" girl was on vacation, so another lady helped us.  As we started looking for Matthew's ring, she told us most rings take 4-6 weeks to be ready - WHAT?!  (Oops...)  Once the owner saw us (and recognized Matthew), though, he promised us he would get them done in 3-4 weeks. (PHEW!)  I had a lot of fun helping Matthew choose his band, and the one we chose for me reminds me of my Grandma Sarah's wedding right for some reason.

After such a fun weekend, I am now fighting a nasty cold today.  (Boo!) Oh well, better now than later, right?!

And with that, I shall put myself (and hopefully this cold) to bed. Please keep Matthew in your prayers this week as he prepares to head up the mountain for 40--- I mean 4 days :)

Just Another Manic Monday, so Take a Chill Pill

Please, Mr. Postman

Well, as of Friday 9/27 (which happens to have been the first date we had in mind for our wedding...mostly me actually lol) our invitations have been mailed, and as I wrote in my Facebook post that evening, there's no turning back now! :)

Surprisingly, I felt a big wave of relief come over me as Matthew & I walked out of the post office that night.  I realized these invitations have been a major cause of stress for me for the past month or more, between ordering samples, deciding on which ones to get, ordering them, assembling and addressing them, getting the stamps for them, bringing them to the post office...pretty much the entire process.  So I'm pretty happy it's all over.  Now it's all up to the postal service to deliver the mail in plenty of time!

I'd like to take a moment to say something about our guest list.  Matthew and I wish we could invite everyone we know to enjoy our special day and witness our participation in this once-in-a-lifetime Sacrament.  As I'm sure you all can understand, we simply cannot afford nor fit everyone we know and love (or even like a lot) in one place with our small budget.  If you do not receive an invitation from us, we hope that you will understand and not take offense or think ill of us.  We still like you and hope to celebrate with you some other way in the future.

So the invitations are sent, great.  Time to relax now, right?  Not so fast...

Earlier today, despite working out and having my daily oh-so-yummy and nutritious chocolate Shakeology, I started stressing out again over all the little things that need to get done in the next month.  After being unable to get anything done, I decided I needed a break and some fresh air.  So, armed with some clippers, I walked out to the backyard and decided it was time to give the rose bushes a good whack.  Truly, they did need to be trimmed, as did a lot of the "viney" plants on and around the fence.  After a good 20 minutes or so of cutting, snipping, trimming and whacking away, all the dead rose blossoms are gone and there's a big pile of "stuff" in the middle of the backyard lawn.  As Sophie watched me, wondering what the HECK I was doing to her backyard, I have to admit it was very therapeutic for me!  I'll go back out there later this afternoon and pick up the mess ;)

After making some lunch, I realized I forgot to take some very important vitamins and medication this morning, which probably had something to do with my stress level today.  (Hey, if any bride out there is planning her own wedding in less than six months and does NOT have the need for anti-anxiety medication, more power to her!  You are a better (wo)man than I.  Seriously.  Judge me if you will, but I'm just being honest ;)

Bottom line:  I have decided it's time to call in the troops...er, the bridesmaids...for some damage control and assistance.  For delegate I must!  I've already got my NYC friend working on programs, menus, etc for the big day - thank you Wendy! :)  Now I may need to solicit some help from my RI friend...Marcia, I'll be calling you very soon! LOL

That is all for today.  Thanks for letting me vent :)

Now I shall take a big, deep breath as I remember...I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

The dream is slowly becoming a reality

A "no-fluff" update today...

The last couple of weeks have been very productive!  My maid of honor helped me realize that I'm still doing pretty well and I'm right on track.  I seem to mostly have lots of little things left.  The only "big" things left are buying the beverages for the reception, arranging the food for the rehearsal dinner, sticking stamps on the invitations and mailing them, and picking up the marriage license!  That last one is probably the most important one of them all ;)

Last week I booked our hotel room for the big wedding night, booked my Mom's flight out here from Denver, received the invitations, and hosted a little invitation assembly party!

Matthew and I also started checking out various wines for the reception.  BevMo is having their big 5-cent wine sale, so we picked up a couple of reds and had a little wine-tasting on Saturday.  Then on Sunday, we had our invitation "stuffers/addressers" taste them as well.  Next weekend we'll try out some whites.

Also last week, we had another marriage prep meeting/dinner with Deacon Dennis and his wife Colleen.  We met at their beautiful home and had another fun evening!  Our "prep" is pretty much done now, but we're meeting them again next week for dinner because we all enjoy hanging out so much!

Something fun happened when the invitations arrived last Saturday.  I happened to be in kitchen when I saw the mailman pull up to the house.  So of course, I greeted him at the door excitedly saying "I've been waiting for these!! They're our wedding invitations!"  He was very nice about it - he smiled, said congratulations and with a "have a nice day" he was off to deliver mail to the rest of my neighbors.  Meanwhile, I ran into the house and excitedly opened the box.  I was expecting "reality" to finally strike me when I laid my eyes upon our beautifully, custom-made wedding invitations.  Instead, I got all giddy with excitement and ran off to show them to Matthew! :)  Instead of a dose of reality, it got me really excited!!  They came out beautifully and even a little better than I'd expected.

The wedding invitation assembly party was originally my Grandmother's idea, and she was going to host it on Sunday of last weekend, which we both were very much looking forward to!  Unfortunately, Grandma wasn't able to host it so we moved it to my house.  [Don't worry Grandma - we'll find something else fun to do together in preparation for the wedding! ;) ]

My dear friends Betty, Casie and Danielle came over for the fun and Matthew even hung around, despite the extreme levels of estrogen, and made crepes for everyone.  It was a lot of fun and I am SOOO grateful for their help!  There was no way I'd have been able to do all that myself!  The morning even started out with a surprise visit from my Dad and his girlfriend Robin, who dropped off some wine, brunch and a really cool gift.

There are a few appointments that need to be scheduled, and Matthew & I have another (hopefully our last) trip to Macy's planned for tomorrow night.  My goal for the next 30 days is to get as much done as possible so I can R-E-L-A-X for the last few weeks before the wedding.  Next month is going to be super busy with our Cursillo weekends, and I will be picking up any loose change I see on the street to get ready for all the "balance due" deadlines coming up!  Speaking of which, if anyone out there is looking for a great workout program or an awesome meal replacement shake (or both!), I'd be happy to help you!  You'll also be helping with our wedding budget ;)

Until next time, remember to always..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."  Peace.

Music, Sweet Music and a Little More Progress

Wow, two updates in less than a week...what's the matter with me?

(Note: I just read this post before publishing it and noticed it kinda reads like "Random Thoughts by Laticia" so I hope you find it amusing and not confusing!)

I'm just a little excited right now because I feel like I'm making some great progress.  TODAY is the 60-day mark on Ye Ole Wedding Countdown, and I've decided against the panic attack that is threatening, despite its best efforts.

Last week was a bit crazy, which makes it kind of amazing that I got that last update posted on Thursday, but it had to be done.  For those of you who know about Cursillo, well, Matthew & I both said yes to preparing Rollos for the upcoming October weekends.  Yes, knowing our wedding would follow a few weeks later...it's who we are, please don't judge us ;)  Call us crazy if you will...we know it already!

A "rollo" is simply a 20-minute talk about a certain topic presented during the Cursillo weekend.  My topic is "Laity."  I was scheduled to deliver my talk (as in speak it to a group of people) this past Saturday.  I started working on it a week ago Sunday (yes, that's right...giving me only one week to prepare a 20-minute talk).  Amazingly, I managed to pull it off, and I have to admit, when I read it aloud to Matthew Saturday morning before delivering it to the group, I wasn't feeling too confident about it.  However...have I mentioned before that God is good?  Well, He is...and He delivered another miracle.  I nailed that talk.  Thank you, Jesus!  I'm "only" the backup, but now I know that it is a solid talk if God decides I need to be the one to deliver that talk on the weekend.

So knowing I had to deliver this talk on Saturday morning, what did I do?  Well, I made plans for Matthew & I to meet with our dear friends Danielle and Patrick to discuss the music for our wedding ceremony, of course!  (Sorry, we "should" have been at Team School...or I "should" have been at home working on my rollo...again, don't judge.)  Patrick is our music leader for our friends who will be our ceremony musicians, so it was kinda important to discuss this with him.  He made an awesome dinner of locally-caught white sea bass and we all had a great evening together as we starting preparing our wedding ceremony.  We were able to choose all but a couple of the songs we wanted, and after having a better idea of our music, Patrick suggested we secure an organist to accompany the music group.  So this morning I emailed the local church organist to see if she is available and how much she'll cost...ugh...stay tuned for more sticker shock :-\

...I mentioned last week that the invitations were finally ordered, and I've been checking the status of the order every hour in anticipation of receiving it!  To ease the stress of what's to come when I do receive the order, I had a lovely conversation with my Grandma Sally this morning.  During our conversation, she offered to help assemble and address the invitations when they arrive.  We've decided we're going to make a little party out of it :)  It'll be fun, and I'm really looking forward to it!

And on that note, I just received some excellent news a few minutes ago:  My invitation order shipped this afternoon!  Yippee!  The order is supposed to arrive on Saturday, which will be a [Big Sigh of Relief]!

...Matthew & I have begun thinking about what kinds of wine we want to serve at our reception (dubbed "the Big Bash"), which means the next few weeks should be fun as we sample different wines and decide which ones to serve.  We're mostly white wine connoisseurs, so if any of you red wine drinkers out there have any great-tasting, reasonably priced reds to recommend, please send them our way.  If it weren't for our budget, and if I was the sole decision maker, I'd opt to serve only Laetitia wines ;)  Their Pinot Noir is an excellent red.

...Finally, later this week, we will meet with Deacon Dennis and his lovely wife to continue our marriage prep.  We're meeting at their house instead of a restaurant this time, so it should be a really fun time.

...and last night I started looking at the "Together for Life" book to start selecting our ceremony readings and prayers, and I noticed something - Instead of hyperventilating, I started getting excited!

God is indeed good.

A Doggie, A Mouse, and some Expensive Paper

Sophie:  Cutest Boxer Ever Steal-er of Hearts

Allow me to take a short break from my wedding planning...

Today is Sophie's third birthday!  It's kinda hard to believe that three years ago today, as I had just gone into escrow on my new home, an adorable little Boxer puppy was entering this world who would change my life forever just three months later.

Sophie at 3 months; look at those eyes!!

I remember my tennis instructor Juan telling me that his mom had a brand new litter of Boxer puppies, and my response was something like, "Whoa, slow down and let me get into my house first!"  He knew I wanted to get a Boxer one day, and he also knew that I was buying a house with a yard for that very purpose.  Three months later, after I'd been in my house for less than 2 months, he brought it up again.  "We've got 3 left!" (out of a huge litter of twelve!)  "Is one of them a girl?"  "Yes, and you will fall in love with her like I did!"  My good friend and tennis partner Danielle was no help as she encouraged me to consider it.  Before I knew it, Juan had tagged me in the above picture of her, and oh, those sweet eyes immediately captured my attention and stole my heart!

Long story short, Juan drove her up from Mexicali where she was born so we could meet, and the rest is history.

I can't believe she was so LITTLE!

Those of you who know me well know how much I love this dog.  She's my baby girl and I will do anything to protect her.  She is absolutely the sweetest (and cutest!) Boxer ever and quickly finds her way into the heart of everyone she meets.  Her favorite game is chase and she will do anything for chicken.  I am so thankful God brought her into my life, and I pray that we continue to enjoy each other for many more years.  And she's VERY excited that she gets to keep Mr. Matthew, who is now known as Daddy.

A Date with my Fiance and a Mouse at the Happiest Place on Earth
As I was going along planning our wedding, I discovered that the 100,000+ Hilton points I thought I had were no longer on my account.  This quickly sent me into a tiny panic attack because we were planning on using those points for our wedding night at our favorite San Diego hotel.  A call to customer service resulted in planning a trip to Disneyland!  They agreed to reinstate my points if I "stayed 'n paid" for one night within the next 6 months...DONE!

The day after Labor Day is historically the BEST day to go to any amusement park in California (especially my FAVORITE place!) because all the kids have gone back to school by then.  So Matthew and I drove up the night before (on that Monday), stayed at the Hilton Anaheim, and got upgraded to a top-of-the-building Disney View room!! (possibly because I noted in the reservation that we were recently engaged - hee hee).  The World of Color show had just started as we got to the room.  It was very cool to watch it from above!  The next morning, I was excited to see Space Mountain from the floor-to-ceiling window! Awesome!!

Our day was filled with fun and laughter, and a little bit of running around...despite the unusual heat and humidity of the day.  It was so hot, in fact, that we rode Splash Mountain well before noon so we could cool off:

Breaking with tradition, we rode Star Tours first, and afterwards Matthew had some fun building his own light saber:

Because we are planning to come back during our mini honeymoon in November, we bought Annual Passes - it was only $5 more when you combined our ticket prices for this time and next time, so why not?!  

WOO-HOO!!!

After we got our passes, we kinda relaxed and didn't feel so rushed to "make the most out of our day so we'd get our money's worth."  So we spent about half the day over at Disney's California Adventure, a park Matthew had never been to until then.  I think he was sold when we ventured upstairs at the Vineyard place and enjoyed a cool glass of wine in the shade above the park.

The highlight of our trip had to be Cars Land at CA Adventure.  Matthew & I love the Cars movie, and entering the park was like walking right into the film!  The longest line we waited in all day was for the Radiator Springs Racers, and it was actually worth it!

Here's a panoramic shot of the ride that Matthew took while we ate lunch nearby:

We also had fun walking through Luigi's Casa della Tires:

After another water ride (the Grizzly Run), and some frolicking around a "forest" sponsored by the Wilderness Explorers troop of which Russell is a member (hee hee), we headed back to Disneyland for a couple of rides and some shopping before the park closed.  OF COURSE we had to end the day on the best ride ever:

After all of the fun we had, we dragged our tired bodies back to the car and drove home... ugh!  For all future trips, we will definitely stay overnight and drive home the next day, like we've done before.  Having to work the next day was also a tough one.   The good news:  I got my Hilton points back!!

"Only $0.60/card..."
As if everything else about wedding planning didn't give me enough sticker shock, I got another dose as I started the task of ordering our wedding invitations.  I've gotta hand it to the marketing teams of these websites.  "Only $0.60/card" sounds great!  So I excitedly clicked "Customize" and started to go through the little wizard.  I couldn't believe all the little things these companies want to charge you for - lined envelopes, return address printing, multiple colors, etc.  The first time I went through this exercise, the final cost was over $500 - for PAPER?!!  

So we looked at some other designs, I went back to the drawing board, and the order was finally placed last week.  Phew!  I think I stressed over that one item on my checklist for well over a month.  Once they arrive, I'll be able to relax for a little bit before it's time to work on some of the details of our special day, which is very quickly coming up on 60 days in the countdown... yikes!

Other wedding planning stuff:  
1.  I had my first gown fitting (as mentioned in my previous post), and I got a great compliment from the seamstress!  "You better not lose anymore weight!"  Hah!  That truly made my day, until I got the bill for the alterations to take in the gown :-\  Actually, from what Heather said, it's a very good price for what I'm getting done, which is the bustle and the taking-in of the dress.  Fortunately it doesn't need to be hemmed.

2.  I think I've settled on a reception centerpiece and will probably make it a DIY project (meaning, my out of town bridesmaids will have something to do for the wedding when they arrive that week...wink, wink).

Well, thank you for reading!  Until next time...please keep both Matthew and me in your prayers as we prepare to work Cursillo weekends in October, just a month before our wedding.  

We've certainly got our hands full between now and the "Big Day" and we definitely don't need any distractions or obstacles from that ugly, annoying little dude with the horns and pitchfork. 

Cheers!

Hit the Easy Button, not the Panic Button

Today marks "80 days to go" and I can't believe it is approaching so quickly.  In fact, I've got to admit I've had some days where I wanted to hit the panic button.  When we reached the 90-day mark, I just about had a panic attack...the head-spinning, difficulty breathing, feel like the world is spinning out of control kind.

"I still have so much to do!" I thought to myself.  I still have vendors to book and invitations to order!  And then the bridal store called..."We just wanted to let you know your gown has arrived!" the cheery voice on the other end of the phone said to me.  (Gulp!) "Okay, great," I said, trying to sound excited...while inside my head I was screaming "NOT YET!  I'm not scheduled to deal with you until September!"  And then she continued with "We will only hold your dress for one week."  Gee, no pressure.  I had it in my head that I didn't even have to THINK about my gown until after Labor Day, so of course I hadn't even begun to think about WHERE I would store it until the big day!  At least the alterations lady will keep it for awhile.

So...what does a bride-to-be do after a phone call like this?  Call her MOH of course! (That's "Maid of Honor" in wedding-speak.)  After Heather successfully talked me down off the ledge, reassuring me that it's MUCH better to have the gown arrive 3 weeks early rather than 3 weeks late, I called the bridal store back and made an appointment for my first fitting, which happens to be today after work :)  Heather and I are going together, and it's been on my mind all day!

Okay, so wait a minute...Is it really as bad as I think it is?  Of course not.  I've really got it all under control, mostly.  In fact, there is not all that much to do in the way of "big" things.  We've had the major items done for awhile now, we managed to knock off a few more items on the list this past month, and there are more to be checked off very soon.  Technically, all we really still need are Matthew's baptismal certificate and the marriage license and we're good to go.  Everything else is just fluff, right?  Time for this BTB to relax, breathe, and reach for that cool, glass of sweet Riesling...err, I mean reach for that Easy button.  This is fun stuff!  Really!! :)

More Registry Fun...

At the beginning of August, Matthew & I attended a "Sip 'n Scan" event at Macy's Home Store in Mission Valley.  It's not as glamorous as it sounds - basically, you check in and are handed a scanner and a sugary "mocktail" and sent on your merry way in search of items to create your Macy's registry.

After browsing for awhile, we selected some smaller kitchen accessories we missed at Great News, some bedding upgrades, a great set of everyday dinnerware, and some bath linens before the scanner died.  This led us back to the registration area where we spent our remaining time browsing China patterns and deciding what we really wanted to do about China in general (insert political joke here).  We scanned a bunch of items in one pattern, and then, all of a sudden, a different pattern caught Matthew's eye...and that's about the time the lights flickered and a young man's voice said it was almost closing time.  So we called it quits and decided to return later to "really" decide on China and continue looking in other areas we missed.

Penguin Suits

I think I was secretly dreading the task of getting the tuxedos arranged.  Having never worn a tux (nor ever planning on it), I don't know the first thing about them except that wearing one can turn just about any man from Joe Schmoe into James Bond instantly.  I also knew that Matthew owned his own and so does at least two of his groomsmen, potentially complicating matters a bit if they differed in style.  We knew there were a couple of guys, including my Dad, who needed a tux, so we decided to go to a tux shop together and get it all figured out.

A couple of weekends ago was my cousin Theresa's wedding.  Since there was a 2-hour gap between the ceremony and the reception, Matthew & I spent the time going to a tux shop to check things out.  When we were finished, I turned to him and said "I could never have done this without you!!"  We decided on a great style for the guys and successfully checked off another item on the list!

Makeup and Mirrors

Last week I found an artist who I am really excited about!  She specializes in brides who don't wear a lot of daily makeup and want a more natural look for their wedding day (PERFECT for me!!), and I am really looking forward to working with her!

I'm also doing a little research to see if doing our own reception centerpieces will be less expensive than going with the florist, and in the process I found the 12" round mirrors I was looking for so desperately!  Thanks to my bridesmaid Casie, I got them for less than Wholesale Flowers' price! :)  Now I just need to choose between two different designs I like and decide if it's worth DIY-ing them or just letting the florist do it.

Engaged Encounter

Our Catholic friends and family know what this means, but allow me to explain it to those of you who may not be aware of what it is.  Think "Pre-Cana."  It's a weekend away with 39 other engaged couples where you share (privately) with each other learn tools to help you have a successful marriage.  Basically, it's all about communication and developing intimacy and unity in your marriage; laying a strong foundation now so that you can better deal with the hard stuff that your marriage may face down the road.  And it involves a LOT of listening, writing, sharing, repeat for 2 1/2 days.

With Sophie in great hands staying with the McCays and playing with Bruno all weekend, we headed up to Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.  When we arrived, we discovered it was the feast day of San Luis Rey and they were having a big celebration for him on the mission grounds.  We were quickly directed around the party traffic and to the "retreat center parking lot" away from the festivities.  After our "retreat" started, we did have to pause for the fireworks at one point, and it was a nice treat to see them - we were SO CLOSE to them it was eerie!

We met some nice couples, and particularly hit it off with one of the team couples (probably because they're from New England ha ha).  Our respective roommates were nice to get to know also (even if they did make us feel a tag "older.")  My roommate is a "new" nurse and her fiance is a firefighter, and they're both from good ol' East County.  A few Godincidences we discovered as we conversed with them:  She knows Deacon Dennis (who is doing our marriage prep) because she grew up going to OLPH; the deacon doing their marriage prep is a deacon I know from the last Cursillo weekend I worked!  And finally, we found out they own a BOXER!  Not only that, they're already members of the boxer meetup group that I organize.  "He" (the firefighter) hasn't been to a meetup in awhile but now that they know us, they're going to try to make it to some now.  'Tis indeed a small world in which we live...

Overall, the weekend was a HUGE success and Matthew & I had an amazing experience!  There were a lot of good conversations, some new discoveries, some reassurances and affirmations, and a beautiful ending where I received a red rose from my betrothed :)

As I said in my Facebook post yesterday, words cannot adequately express how amazing this weekend was for Matthew and me.  It was definitely a pivotal point in our relationship and we have SO much to look forward to as we prepare to enter into this beautiful Sacrament of marriage.  I think we're finally ready for this!  God is SO good, indeed!

And I cannot tell you how emotionally and physically exhausted we both were after we got home late Sunday afternoon.  After a long nap and some dinner, we realized neither of us had enough energy to even drive down to pick up Sophie!  Fortunately, Danielle was going to be in the area on Monday morning, so she brought her to us...and it was nice to have the pack back together again.

So...it's getting there.  If someone could go around the world in 80 days, we can certainly pull off an incredibly fun wedding celebration in that time!

I leave you with a fun "list" that I found quite entertaining (maybe it's just because I've got "wedding planning brain").  I can honestly say I can't quite identify with the last two items on the list, and I hope it stays that way ;) Click here to see 12 Signs You're Planning a Wedding

Flowers, Photo Booths and Registries

Wedding planning update!  But first I have a question:  WHERE did July go?!!

Over the past few weeks, I've had some fun with the wedding planning, and toward the end of the month Matthew even got to join in on it!

Photo Booth LOVE!

Let's start with my favorite:  I think this was the vendor I have been the most excited about booking for our wedding.  Shortly after Matthew and I discussed wanting to have a FUN wedding, I came upon the concept of having a photo booth at our reception.  Love. At. First. Sight!  Little did I know at the time, this tends to be a current trend AND some of them out there like to charge a LOT for their services!

Fortunately, I'm marrying the "King of Free" and I've learned a thing or two from him. Plus, I hate paying full price for anything :)  Remember that bridal fair I attended with my Maid of Honor and mentioned in a previous post?  Well, they had a Photo Booth vendor!  Heather and I loved them!  As I shopped around, I quickly realized they were offering the best deal around, particularly with the "bridal fair discount" offer.  So, if you'll be joining us on our special day, please be on the lookout for the photo booth during the reception...and feel free to bring your own props!  (Some will be provided, although I got the okay to bring others as well; just make sure they're labeled.)

Not sure what to think of this Photo Booth idea?  Here's a fun story for ya:  One of our friends shared with us about going to a wedding that did not have a photo booth and how they discovered that the wedding next door did have one...so they went next door and photo booth-bombed/crashed the wedding just so they could join in on the photo booth fun! :)

I can't wait to see what our crazy friends and family members do with this fun "attraction." Please keep in mind, in lieu of having a Guest Book for our guests to sign, we have opted for a Photo Booth, so please play along with us!  Even if you don't want to do anything crazy, we still want to know you were there celebrating with us!  Come on, it'll be FUN! :)

Roses are orange, orchids are blue, if you must take my leg, please leave the shoe!!!

I have to say, I'm kinda proud of myself on this one.  Having worked at a florist for a few years in college and beyond, I knew a thing or two about petals and stems and could speak the lingo pretty well (even after all these years)!  I even had more fun selecting this vendor than I anticipated (Do I keep saying that for every one?)  This time, I was prepared for sticker shock and was hardly disappointed...although... ;-)

Over the past couple of weeks, I received some good referrals from friends, made contact and set a deadline for myself.  There were two vendors who got back to me in a timely manner, so I met with and received proposals from each of them.  One of them impressed me at our meeting in a number of ways, including knowing what we needed for our Marian devotion flowers (better than I did!) and being openly mindful of our budget throughout the process.  We hit it off well and I left feeling comfortable about contracting with this one.  I met with the other florist the next day, and while there were other things that impressed me about this one prior to our meeting, we didn't have the same chemistry.  Her proposal also came in several hundred dollars higher and came with little in the way of details about flowers we'd discussed using (particularly, loves/likes/dislikes/hates).  So I went with the first one!  (I'm no fool hee hee)  I'm a little sad it's over, but I will have fun working with this florist on the details as it gets closer to November :)

Wherefore art thou Registry?

What woman doesn't enjoy going on a shopping spree, especially when she's not emptying her wallet at the end of it?  Right?!  Well, as difficult as it may seem to understand for some of you, this hasn't been the part of wedding planning that I've been the "most" excited about.  Don't get me wrong, I was definitely looking forward to it, and I totally "get" the purpose of a registry.

On the other hand, my Prince Charming isn't exactly "thrilled" with shopping, hadn't quite warmed up to the idea of a registry to begin with, and I was thinking in the back of my mind "What do we even NEED?!"  The answer to all of this came in the form of Great News!  And I don't mean the kind you never hear on TV (he he) or the stuff Jesus talks about (although nothing beats that kind of great news!).  What I mean is "Great News!" the KITCHEN STORE!

So, how do you help your fiance get over his apprehension about a wedding registry?  First, reassure him we are NOT "asking" for or expecting gifts, and explain how helpful a registry is to our guests who "want" to buy us gifts by taking out the guesswork for them, and, most notably, start by registering at his favorite kitchen gadget store!!  As soon as the consultant said "Let's start in the knife section" I knew he'd be okay.  At one point, the consultant couldn't scan fast enough and she even kept having technical difficulties with the scanning device!  We both truly enjoyed this fun shopping spree experience.  We added a lot of "nice to have" items as well as some great "upgrade" items, and of course we put some "fun" stuff on there too...of course. :)

And here's a great pic to sum up our fun day:

Matthew and our friend Marc who joined us toward the end

Throughout all of this photo/floral/registry fun, I also found my hair stylist!  It turns out I have a cousin who does special event and wedding hair - woo-hoo!  So of course I'm getting the family discount ;) and I'm meeting with her in a couple of weeks for some practice time.

The next sticker-shocking item I'm eager to cross off the list:  the invitations!  Let's hope they don't take my other leg - what will I do with the cute shoes I bought for the wedding festivities?!!

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Wedding Planning, Part III

I realize I'm a little overdue for an update, so here goes... :)

Another Vendor Secured...

After what seemed like forever, I found a videographer for our wedding!  This vendor seemed to be the most difficult to decide on for some reason because, well, apparently taking a wedding video is very expensive (in my mind)!  Or maybe I've simply experienced so much sticker shock that I just couldn't think through all the dollar signs I had swirling around in my head.  Anyway, it's done, and much of the credit goes to my awesome cousin Emily who helped with the negotiations ;)  She rocks, and I've dubbed her "The Negotiator," hoping to reserve her for future use.

Shopping Fun...

The last weekend in June was a fun shopping weekend!  My MOH (Maid of Honor) and I went shoe shopping! Woo-hoo!  Heather is literally the Shoe Queen, and it's always a good time when we go shoe shopping.  Our first stop was Nordstrom in Fashion Valley, where the largest Nordy's shoe department "lives."  We tried on a pair of shoes that Marcia had pinned on Pinterest as a possible bridesmaid shoe.  And we went with it! (CHECK!) I also bought my shoes that day. (CHECK! We packed the "Easy Button" for this shopping trip!)  Then we went to Macy's to see what they had in the lingerie department, and wouldn't you know it, they were having a sale!  I found some nice little pieces for the honeymoon ;)  I also scored a really pretty dress for the rehearsal dinner, although I have to admit, it's so cute I may not be able to wait until the Fall to wear it!  Sorry no pictures of the purchased merchandise because the groom subscribes to this blog...and he'll have to wait to see all the goodies...and so will you!

Our next stop was the bridal salon to pick up a few accessories that had come in and to take a look at a couple of flower girl dresses.  I liked two that I saw, but it's so hard for me to visualize them in the colors I've considered.

Other Items of Note...

I've received sooo many wonderful referrals for hair and makeup artists - thank you so much if you contributed!  Ironically, you all think yours is THE BEST! hee hee  I'm still making up (no pun intended) my mind on these but hope to secure them soon.

We got to meet our photographer this past week because she was in town on vacation (she lives up the 15 fwy in Riverside...thanks to Cousin Carol P for that referral!), and it was great to put a face to the name/voice.  We brought Sophie so she could meet her, and it turns out that she used to breed Boxers!

I've officially started my pre-wedding workout program and I'm excited about it!  I'm a little crazy like that. Oh and we've sent out most of our Save the Date cards...I said most because I miscounted and had to order more, so hopefully that task will be complete by the end of this week.

I think that's it for now...we have Pre-Cana this Saturday, so it's beginning to get real!  My big project for the week:  Invitations!  Who would've thought this task could be so challenging...?

Until next time, I leave you with this: 
"Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders,
These twists & turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours,
These small hours still remain"
(Rob Thomas)

Wedding Dreams, Part II

Remember those checklists I mentioned in my last post?  Well, I'm happy to say that we've managed to check off two major items in the last week!

Photographic Dreams

First, and most important to me, was to secure an excellent photographer at an excellent price.  Some photographers were quite expensive in my mind; others didn't offer exactly what I was looking for; and some are very stingy with the pictures they would be taking of "us" at "our" wedding, meaning they won't give us "rights" or even digital copies of pictures of us without first taking a limb.
This decision was a bit challenging because, between the two of us, Matthew and I know probably a dozen very talented photographers.  Matthew's good friend David took some pics of us for our Save the Date cards, and I debated using someone we know for our wedding.  In the end, we found an awesome photographer that my cousin recommended to us, and I'm thrilled to have this woman shoot our wedding!  Our first conversation lasted nearly an hour and we clicked right away.  I enjoyed "talking shop" with her about her equipment, style, etc...even details like in which format she shoots her pictures (I'm very happy to say that she shoots in RAW :) ).  If you'd like to see her work, you can see some of it here.  We will receive digital copies of every photo, including printing rights, and I thought she was quite reasonably priced! Yay!  After we confirmed her,  I was bouncing off the walls, having difficulty focusing on anything else. :)  Her work is amazing, and I'm really looking forward to working with her.

I'm dreaming of a Yummy Reception Dinner

Next on the list was booking the caterer, which we did the very next day!  I received referrals from two recent bride friends for the same caterer they used for their weddings, which were held at the same venue we're having our reception, and both of these women raved about two things: the company works hard to stay within your budget and they can do EVERYTHING (meaning: food, decorations, linens, china, silverware, glasses, bar, and CAKE!)  I've since found out these guys have been around for YEARS and have an excellent reputation in town....Ranch Catering.
After a couple of conversations with Ramon, we scheduled a complimentary tasting for Saturday afternoon, and he said "Come hungry."  We invited our good friends Bob & Betty to come enjoy some free food with us, and by the end of the almost two hours, we settled on a price and paid the deposit.  The food was super yummy from the appetizers to the cake (especially the cake!!), and we are very pleased with the price. 
Here are a couple of pics I took at the tasting:

First salad we tried. I think this one was the winner!

Grand Finale: The CAKE!
"Before"

Grand Finale: The CAKE!
"After"

Can you tell we liked the cake?  We really had a hard time choosing between all of the delicious flavors!  The big winner was the Chocolate Truffle, then either the raspberry or strawberry, and (of course) the Red Velvet.  Mmmmmmmm!  They're even going to make a "Groom's Cake," which I'd never heard of...but when Ramon said "It's for the groom and you can put whatever logo you want on it..." Matthew replied, "Logo?! Well, that's easy!" If you know Matthew, you can probably guess which logo he chose ;)

Feeling quite relieved (to check another box!) and satiated, the four of us headed down to Petco Park to watch the Padres beat the Diamondbacks...and there was even a cool fireworks show after the game!

Check out our awesome seats - third base line, field level!

Courtesy of Bob & Betty (and their friends who gave them the tix)

Next on the vendor list:  Videographer, and hair and makeup for Laticia :)

Wedding Dreams, Part I

This week, Matthew & I will have been engaged for two months, and it's been a fun ride so far :) 
Here's my take on our first 60 days:

We're Engaged!!

I never knew getting engaged could be so fun and fill up our social calendars so quickly!  We've already received some great gifts from friends and family, and my personal favorite was being treated to English High Tea at Keys Creek Lavender Farm by our friends Margaret and Peter.  The guys were troopers while us girls oohed and aahed at all the pretty lavender stuff; although they were up to their eyeballs in "cute" and tolerated us as much as they possibly could without vomitting, if either of them go the rest of their lives without seeing another "cute" thing, they most certainly will not complain!

L-R: Margaret, Me, Matthew & Peter at "High Tea"

Our yummy dessert tray :)

We also received some lovely flowers from my future in-laws, Frank & Mea:

Let the wedding planning commence...

As promised, I refrained from planning for at least the first two weeks.  Admittedly, I was chomping at the bit, although it was also kinda nice to just enjoy being engaged...and I spent quite a bit of that time enjoying the new sparkly BLING on my left hand and sending pictures of it to Matthew as I sat outside in the sunlight at lunchtime :)  Okay, so I still kinda do that (hee hee).  Many times, if I'm in a yucky mood, Matthew will actually say "Look at your left hand," and instantly it will make me smile (of course, it's not all about the bling...it's truly about what the bling represents!).

Perhaps unlike most women, while I certainly daydreamed as a little girl about getting married one day to my Prince Charming in my best Cinderella dress, I never really spent time "planning" my wedding years before I'd even met said Prince.  Fortunately/unfortunately, I didn't have a 12-inch thick binder like Monica from Friends.  Therefore, when I finally did start to think about it, I didn't really know where to begin!  And I continue to be surprised daily by some other element of detail that needs to be decided upon.

Books, Binders, and Pinterest

If you know me well, you may know that I like to study up on things before just diving right in.  So, I went straight to Amazon and bought three books about wedding planning (ALL of which are useful, by the way).  On a trip to Vons that same week, we picked up a couple of bridal mags from the magazine rack.

Since then, I've downloaded countless "checklists" from various websites, bookmarked a few dozen web pages, shopped at Staples to assemble my "wedding planning" binder (with enough sticky notes to cover the planet! (Thank you to my wonderful fiance for picking up the binder tab!)), and pinned nearly 250 "things" on Pinterest! 

Pinterest CAN serve a useful purpose

A word about Pinterest:  I'd always avoided it because of it's notoriety for being addictive, and I joined recently entirely for wedding inspiration.  So far, this focused approach has already paid off:  On Memorial Day Monday, I found my wedding gown!  Because I'd been browsing Pinterest boards and other websites, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted when my MOH Heather and my good "mom" friend Betty walked into Alfred Angelo that day. Plus, I had an awesome, I mean AWESOME, bridal consultant! 

I said "Yes" to the Dress...even though I've never seen the show!

Having never stepped ten feet NEAR a bridal store, much less walked inside one, I feared this was but one of many bridal stores we'd visit on this "Hunt for the Perfect Gown."  I was very pleasantly surprised to find my gown at my FIRST appointment, and it was only the fourth gown I tried on!  I played Princess in about 8 or 9 gowns that day, but this particular one was definitely "the one."  And talk about a FUN day!  I cannot believe how much fun we had!  As I told the girls, the only thing missing was champagne and strawberries.  And I was a little disappointed to realize that my gown "playtime" was over, cuz it was just so much fun trying on all those pretty gowns!  However, it was pretty awesome to be able to check off an item on my checklists! :)  Bonus: I also found my accessories and decided on a great bridesmaid dress for the bridal party.

The "Fair"est of them all...

The weekend prior to finding my gown, Heather and I attended a boutique bridal fair.  The fair was at a local hotel, so it was pretty small and actually quite manageable. I have no interest in attending a large affair at the convention center downtown, so this was perfect!  After walking around for a little while, Heather and I sat in the hotel lobby chatting for over an hour before giving it one more quick walk through.  Oddly enough, I suppose thanks to the books, mags and Pinterest, Heather pointed out that I already seem to have a pretty good idea of what I want.  Overall, the fair was fun, especially the cake tasting!,  and I'm glad we went...and Matthew was SO grateful that I didn't drag him along! 

Check, Check, and Checks!

The planning ball has officially begun rolling, and the checks have begun flying out of my checkbook as well!  We've set our date, confirmed our venue, written a couple of "deposit" checks, begun our marriage prep, and just last night we took photos for our Save the Date cards. 

I'm having a lot more fun with the planning than I anticipated, yet between all of the wedding stuff clogging my brain, I have been making an effort to take time to stop and simply enjoy this exciting time being engaged to my Prince Charming.  I'm sure these next few months are going to fly by, and while I'm looking forward to the day we say our "I do's" and commit ourselves before God and our closest family and friends, I want us to cherish this Prelude and create lasting memories along the way.  Thank you to all of you who have congratulated, encouraged and supported us so far! (Especially if you've read this entire post LOL)

Propose to Dream

Many of you have asked to hear the proposal story, so here it is (as told by Laticia)! :)

Saturday, April 13th was a pretty busy day for me.  We had a Boxer meetup in the morning, then I was to drive up to Oceanside for an event, and then I was to race home to get ready for a fancy dinner with Bob & Betty in Del Mar.

Boxer meetup and one very tired Sophie puppy - CHECK!
Oceanside event, which ran a little late - CHECK!

I found out dinner with Bob & Betty wasn't going to be until 7:30, so I had time to relax a little before getting ready for dinner.  Well, Matthew had something else up his sleeve for dinner...and his groupies were all in on it!

He'd made some odd comments earlier in the day to make me wonder "if" - but I kept dismissing it thinking, he wouldn't do it while we're at dinner with Bob & Betty...RIGHT??!!  The plan (as I knew it) was to meet at their house, and then we'd drive up together to Del Mar, which I thought was kinda strange, but oh well.  No matter what, I always believed we were having dinner with B&B that night...

After getting dressed up for our "fancy dinner with fine friends," we gave the tired puppy a bully stick and headed to the beach in Kitty.  When we arrived at their house, neither of their cars were there, the house was dark, and I noticed there were NO cars parked anywhere near their house.  So then I started thinking along the lines of a surprise party...until Josh walked out all dressed up.

Josh walked around to my side of the car, opened my door and said, "Valet, sir?"  To which Matthew replied, "Uh, sure!"  Josh helped me out of the car while Matthew got out...then Josh got in the car to "valet park" it.  Matthew, being a VERY good actor, wanted to "see where he parks it" so we watched as Josh backed the car out of the driveway, stalled it (oops) and pulled the car back into the driveway. Hah!

At this point, we turned towards the front of the house, and as we walked into the outside entryway, I saw Marc dressed in a TUXEDO standing behind a podium right by the front door.  When I saw this scenario, it hit me - this is THE night!  After I laughed out loud, I began to relax and just soak it all in, enjoying every special moment that was to come.

We walked up to Marc, and he said "Good evening, do you have a reservation?"
"Ah, yes. I made it 7 years ago," Matthew replied.
"Okay, let me check my book," said our Maitre de.  He looked in his book (yup, he had a book!) and said "Ah yes, here you are.  My name is Carc and I am your host for this evening.  Right this way please," and he escorted us to the door.

We walked a breathtaking candlelit, rose petal-covered pathway leading to the backyard.  As we walked along the path, out popped someone (Casie) with a camera! LOL

Our own private Agape

In the backyard on the lower end of the pond was a beautifully decorated private Table for Two (cloth tablecloth, fancy place settings and everything!).  To the right of the upper end of the pond as we walked out the door was a nice candlelit table with a bottle of champagne chilling.  The entire area was lit by candles and white Christmas lights.  The pond has a little waterfall, so we heard the soothing trickle of water as we enjoyed our favorite dinner catered from our favorite Indian restaurant, with some of our favorite Christian songs playing in the background, served to us by some of our favorite people, overlooking our beautiful city on a calm, somewhat brisk evening.
It was absolutely enchanting!  And very romantic...

Seaside Private Dinner for Two

 As we sat down, Matthew noticed the candle holder on our table had Jeremiah 29:12 written on it "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord..." and showed it to me with a smile, saying "God has been all over this night."  Most definitely. 

As we sipped champagne (Gloria Ferrer 1996 "purple" label!) before our appetizer was served, Bob & Betty's cat (a large Maine Coon) came walking along the railing where candles were glowing.  Matthew & I froze as we waited for the cat to set himself ablaze, ready to grab him and throw him into the pond if necessary...and the cat simply walked over the candles, putting two or three of them out before going on his merry way...

Can you see the candles that the cat put out?

Giseppe (our waiter) and Carc (our Host)

  After a VERY yummy dinner and some lovely, private conversation (including talking about how stuffed we both felt), one of my favorite songs came on - "I Can Only Imagine."  A moment later, Carc brought out a very fancy dessert tray carrying 4 very fancy gourmet desserts.

Matthew can see what's coming next...

"Here are your dessert selections for this evening.  You may select two."  I think my eyes bugged out at that comment about selecting two.  I thought to myself, Are you crazy! I'm way too stuffed to even eat one of those!  (Pause)  And then I saw it...a nice square "wooden" box sitting in the middle of the 4 desserts.  (Light bulb!)

"Okay, I'll just take these two closest to me," I joked.
Carc cleared his throat and said, "Please select two of the FIVE."
So I said, "Can you please describe each of them to me?" (Hee hee)
His reply was the (second) best line of the night:  In a serious deadpan tone he said, "I have no idea what any of these things are...and they're getting a bit heavy."
So I took the box and one of the desserts, Matthew selected a dessert, and our host quickly disappeared.

"Go ahead and open the box," Matthew said with a grin.
[Note: the previous week, he had shared with me that he got the ring, which we both picked out, and he had said that it looked even better than we thought it would (we selected the setting and stone separately from the same jeweler).]

I opened the box and it was like unveiling the sun from behind one of those thick dark curtains in a hotel room! 

"WOW!" I said, "You were right!"  At this point, Matthew came over to where I was sitting, got down on one knee and lovingly asked me to marry him.  (Of course, I said "Yes!")  As we shared a tender kiss, tears of joy streamed down my face.  A dream realized...at the very place where we first met.

We shared a moment alone and as we started to sit down, our "restaurant crew" came out for a champagne toast.  Then we went inside the house to eat our dessert, and more people (more groupies - mine and his) started showing up!  Oh, and Bob & Betty FINALLY showed up for our "dinner reservations" ;) 

Our Host showing inspecting "The Ring" before Dessert

It was an unforgettable evening filled with so much love and laughter and FUN!  Matthew & I hope to share a similar experience on our Wedding Day - full of love, laughter and FUN for us and all who attend.

FYI, today just happens to be our 7th anniversary - we call it "Five Bibles Night" because it all started in Matthew's living room 7 years ago today, when we stayed up all night and welcomed the sun with 5 Bibles between us...

It's time to vote!! :)

Starting right NOW and continuing until next Monday at Noon PST, I am in the running for the quarterly prize of $5000 in the Beachbody Challenge (in which I was a monthly winner, as previously posted).  There is only one way to win - to get the MOST VOTES!  So, I ask a favor of you now:  Please, please, pretty please, go vote for me!  Why?

It's not about the money

It's about inspiring others to chase their dreams and achieve their goals, namely where it comes to fitness.  If I win, my story will be used to inspire others who want to make changes in their fitness lives, and I will donate HALF of my winnings to charity!

Voting is EASY!  Just click on this link, and you will be taken to the Beachbody Challenge website. 

1. Click Sign me up (near the top-right corner) to create a free membership profile (don't worry, you can opt out of their emails and never go back again after this contest is over)
2. Fill in the form, and add my username sdbeachgirl as your coach (no spam from me, I don't send out marketing emails)
3. Create your profile and then VOTE FOR ME to win the quarterly contest (Click the blue vote button and find me: Laticia W)
4. You can vote once every 24 hours between now and Monday, so please come back to the website and vote for me daily :) Pretty please?

Thank you so much for helping me to inspire others who want to change their lives!

~ Laticia W.

Do you have a dream?

This "picture" seems particularly appropriate today:

This was recently posted on Facebook by Team Ziglar (of the well-known Zig Ziglar) and it resonated with me, especially in light of recent events.

Most recently, I've experienced a tremendous triumph in my life.  A year ago this month, I was faced with the realization that I was the unhealthiest I'd ever been:  I weighed my heaviest and my cholesterol was at an all-time high.  It was obvious to me that a lifestyle change was required.  So, for the rest of 2012, I did something about it.  And just last week, I received a surprising phone call from someone with the news that I'd won $1000 for my success!

Let me explain...Beginning April 1, 2012 (Yup, April Fools' Day!),  I committed to doing an at-home workout program that essentially changed the direction of my life, particularly in the area of health and fitness.  This program is called P90X - you may have seen the infomercial.  Well, the company that produced this program has a monthly "Challenge Contest" in which people like me submit their "transformation story" (basically, you share the success you've experienced from the program, including before and after pictures, measurements, etc.).  A small panel of "judges" (for lack of a better word) reads every story and selects a $1000 winner from each month's submissions.  I submitted my story back in December, and out of 1500 other stories, they picked MINE!!!  As a result, I get a big, fat check, and they use my story to inspire others.  Seriously!  I still can't believe it.

Well, ironically, on the day we 1) celebrate the birthday of the man who spoke those famous words "I have a dream" and 2) inaugurate our first African-American President for a second term, my transformation story has been shared with "the world."  To have my story shared publicly on this special day is truly an honor.


As much as it's out of my comfort zone to do this, I'd like to share my transformation story with you.  You can read it here.

Seeing my "story" online is a bit surreal...and kinda SCARY!!  I have been pretty nervous all day about this thing being published to the cyber world, and I think it mostly has to do with the shame I've felt in getting so unhealthy to begin with, but I have certainly celebrated my success, and I will surely do it again when that check comes in! :)  As a big believer, I know that God had (and continues to have) His fingerprints all over my success over the past year.  I was so depressed a year ago, feeling so helpless and hopeless about my fitness level...and today, to a certain degree, I am a completely different person.

Seriously, who would have thought an at-home workout video (there are actually 12) could really, truly "work" like it did?!  If I didn't go through it myself, I'd probably have some trouble believing it too.

I'm very happy to share my success with you, and my greatest wish is that it will inspire you to achieve your goals and chase your wildest dreams!

"Do or do not...there is no try."