Say Cheese!

Mike and I had a very hectic few days this week. Thanks to the bad weather last week we had rescheduled to do engagement photos on Tuesday and were still planning to do bridals Monday. I didn't think I was going to be so stressed out for doing the photo shooting that I was looking forward to the most.

I had invited a friend to spend the night Sunday since I didn't have to work the next day and figured I could sleep in a little and we could do a Supernatural girl's night. I fell asleep shortly after 10:00pm but woke up because she was still wide awake watching Supernatural at 2:30am. I finally managed to get to sleep sometime after five, and then woke up half an hour before the alarm went of at 8:00am so Victoria could get ready for me to take her down to work. So I was pretty tired.

I was really relieved that I didn't have to really worry about hair or make-up because Sue and Tina had said they could do it for me, which took a lot of stress off my shoulders. So all I had to worry about was getting down to The Old Meeting House to pick out our decorations, and then he would follow me home where I could get my dress and accessories then he'd take me to Sue's parent's house where I was meeting Tina and Sue for hair and make-up and where they were going to help me change into my dress.

The lady who helped us at The Old Meeting House was very curt and acted as if she really didn't want to be helping us. It made me very irritated but I didn't say anything about it. Mike and I showed her the cake we wanted and decided to go with the buttercream frosting instead of the fondant, were told we need to bring the 6yds of ribbon in by last week of October, then talked to her about the ceremony since we wanted to have a back up plan. We need to do a rehearsal sometime earlier that week - so we want to try for the Monday before since I usually have those off.

After we finished there Mike followed me home, I ran upstairs and grabbed my dress bag and the bag with my slip and veil and took it back downstairs where Mike and I got it situated in the car. We left around 2:10pm so we got there fairly early. We talked in the car - I was excited to see him in his tux and he was excited to see me in my dress. As the time got closer to three I reluctantly took of the protection amulet I've worn 24/7 with only a few rare occasions where I took it off and gave it to Mike so I wouldn't loose it. I told him not to loose it either so he hung it from his rearview mirror. I felt very naked with it off - he laughed when I told him that.

Sue got there right before three so I followed her to Tina's, who lives right next door to Sue's parents, and Mike went home to change and then to go grab the flowers. Sue and Tina got to work right away, curling my hair and then doing the pull-overs that gave it the effect I loved so much when Sue and I experimented that day. Tina asked me what I wanted in make-up, and as I so rarely wear it I had no idea. I told her to just do what she thought would be best.

Sue had a lesson she had to go teach so she had to leave before I was all the way ready, but Tina had no problems helping me into my dress without messing up my hair or smudging my make-up. The vail kept getting in my face so I couldn't see my feet to do up my buckles so Tina had to help me with my shoes. I was ready just after 4:00pm. I knew the flowers wouldn't be ready until 4:30 so I figured Mike would be around to pick me up at quarter to five or so since the flower shop wasn't that far.

Unfortunately my phone died so for the next hour and fifteen minutes I was borrowing Tina's phone trying to get a hold of Mike and Sydney. Mike was stuck in horrible traffic then got lost twice on his way to pick me up so I tried to tell Sydney we were running late, but could remember her number. In desperation I called my mom and Melinda. Mom gave me the number to the place where she took her car to get fixed and I couldn't get a hold of Melinda so I left her a message to call me back. I then remembered I had Sydney's number in an e-mail from when Melinda sent me wedding information. So we pulled up my e-mail account and I was able to call Sydney and leave her a message telling her we were running late and to call Mike's phone when she got the message. Just then Melinda called me back on Tina's phone telling me she called Mike's phone and gave him the number and Mike pulled up in front of the house. Sue and Tina hurried me out to the car - I felt like Cinderella trying to race to her coach before it turned back into a pumpkin.

Mike got lost three times trying to find Memory Grove, but we managed to make it there a little after 6:00pm. Sydney was outside of her car waiting for us. I was shocked to see she had her foot and lower leg in a bootie - she told us she broke her leg taking pictures for someone. She'd stepped in a whole and had twisted her body so as not to break her camera by landing on it and had instead broken her foot. So she was really dog dodo conscious as we started in to Memory Grove because it is a dog park and people don't pick up after their dogs like they should - she especially didn't want to step in it with her boot because she always steps in some when she goes up there.

Mike and I had a great time doing pictures. I loved the way the flowers turned out. I was worried that the crystals in the roses wouldn't look the way I wanted but they were perfect.

After we finished pictures Mike and I stopped by his place to show his parents how we looked and how the flowers turned out - sort of a sneak peek kind of thing. Arla's eyes bulged when she saw us and she jumped up from the couch where she'd been watching TV with Albert. All she kept saying was how beautiful I looked. I thanked her for the flowers, they were exactly what I wanted. Albert kept saying I looked really really nice in my dress. I learned later that all Arla talked about that night was how beautiful I looked, and that was what she talked about most of Tuesday as well.

On our way back to my house we decided to stop and see Melinda and Brent if they were still up. I called and Melinda said they wanted to see us so we stopped by. Melinda and Brent were both in their pajamas but were so excited to see us in our wedding clothes. They said they both really liked the flowers. Then Melinda discovered an icky earwig on my dress so I flicked it onto the floor. Brent got a kleenx and crushed it. I hate earwigs. We let them head back to bed and left so we could show my parents and then change so we could go to bed.

Mom kept telling us we looked like the toppers on the wedding cake, and she was tearing up a bit. Dad took lots of pictures with me just seperate and with both Mike and I together. After that Mike helped me with my shoes, mom took my bouquet and hung it up to dry, and I took off my vail and walked Mike to the door. We were both so tired. After he left I went right up where mom helped me out of my dress and undid my bra for me - even though it feels like a corset and not a bra, and I got into some pajamas. Then I talked to her about how Mike and I might be moving to Florida next spring got some dinner and went to bed.

I will post the exciting and very funny adventures of our engagement photos later. :)