Ahhh! okay. Here is the problem with trying to have a wedding on the corps of engineers land. They are going to be fixing an eroded shoreline just north of our spot and replacing the pavillion we rented---if they get the stimulus money they are hoping for. This means that, the head honcho can call us and say we cannot have our wedding there, nor can the other three couples who are trying to have a wedding this summer. HOwever, if they don't get the money-it will stay the same.
The good news is, we can check out Dam east and if it works for us, they will transfer our reservation money to that site. We just have to wait and see-or decide on something different.
I am going to plan on that site, until I hear otherwise. Goind to have our sate the date cards printed today. Hopefully have them sent out by next week. Anyone know a good inexpensive place to buy lots of brown envelopes?

This week has been fantastic as far as wedding planning. I bought all the girls' jewelry, asked my 4th bridesmaid to stand with me-she said yes, bought all the paper and started making our save the dates, and picked out the bridesmaid's dresses. Yay!! I even got the grandparents a little something to wear to the wedding too. Cutting paper takes for ever-well only about 4 hours to cut 200 and round the corners. I posted a few pictures from the last few months. Just had a minute to download my latest set.
I might have found the jewelry I want to wear too, from Kohls. I need to try my dress on againg and see which one I really like. Might buy both and try them with it and just return which ever one I don't like.
Still looking for shoes, tried Van Maur today-no luck.

This weekends' wedding progress

Friday Craig and I went to Springfield to check out a tent company, by doing so we decided to go with Champaign County Tent:) We purchased a bunch of flowers from Hobby Lobby and had the best pizza ever. Godfathers Pizza buffet-yum! We picked up two sample cakes from Heavenly Delight Cakes and gave her an idea of what we want the cake to look like-yikes, pretty pricey. We have one other source to check out before we commit-hopefully our source will be cheaper. Saturday we drove to Decatur and bought more flowers, these places just never have enough. Still need probably one more trip, and our centerpiece flowers will be done. yay!
Saturday was also the viewing for our fallen soldier Jared Southworth. He was only 27 and gave his life defusing a bomb. I knew him briefly-he was in a college class at Eastern with me. He was so proud of his family and showed me pictures of his wife and kids. Craig played basketball with him in highschool and he will surely be missed. I have never seen a real life military viewing or funeral. We watched the changing of the casket guards, and they also had a harley gang there for protection against demonstrators-which we did not have any. That's what's great about a small town. The streets were lined with American Flags, and neighbors from all around came to give their respects and condolences. His funeral was Sunday-but Craig and I opted not to go since we did not know him that well.
Last night was so funny. Craig and I were watching a movie, both of us sitting on the couch. Remy thinks she can fit anywhere and tried to get up there with us. The thing is our couch is off center when we have the seats reclined and when she stepped up the whole couch rocked forward, and Craig and I had to lift our legs and throw our hands over our head to get it to rock back. Remy fell right into place, on Craig. haha We sat that way for about 20 minutes, then when Rem jumped down the couch went flying forward again, and Craig and I one more time had to lift our legs and throw our arms to get back in place. We laughed so hard. These are the things that make me laugh and really appreciate the nice things I have-my dude and my Rem, buster,and berkley.

little annoyances

Here is a list of things that annoy me;

Having so many accounts that I can't remember which password goes to which account.

Being too far away from my friends so I have to stay home all the time.

Typing in a specific web address and getting an advertisement instead.

Having limited minutes so I have to monitor my talk time with family and friends.

Everyone has better taste in clothes than me.

Not understanding why we are in such an economic depression when they can run 30 second commercials that cost millions of dollars for super bowl.

Not finding a job, even though I completed college. All the teens in this town get hired at the grocery store-but for some reason, not me.

Everyone is having babies, I'm having back pain from lifting osb in our upstairs remodel.

Getting excited because I have 32 emails-then realizing they are all spam.

Moping and then seeing a dust bunny float across the floor as soon as I sit down to relax.

Not remembering how to spell mop in the present participle form-I'm supposed to be a teacher.

Just thought I'd share and maybe someone has the same annoyances.

yay

We booked our photographer, I'm so excited.

We just keep going

Yesterday Craig got all the recessed lights wired up and hot. The boxes are in for the ceiling fans, and the wires ran for the lights over the vanity. All the outlets are working now, so we can plug anything we want in, SWEET! My dude has been climbing ladders, sqeezing into crawl spaces, working from early morning until late at night, and never a complaint.
Today I helped him drill holes for the hot and cold water pipes. I measured one and drilled it all by myself-not something I will do often, I was so worried I would mess it up. He is upstairs now gluing the pvc together, and then I think we are going to piece in the floor. Progress is definitely being made, I'm kinda glad he got a week off work. It pays off in the end.

A Tribute to my Dad!

I have known my dad since I was five. He told me that I asked him, " Will you be my daddy?" I have never known anyone that could choose the person who would become their father-but I guess in my case that's exactly what happened. Fate brought him to me, but my bold question and his kindness kept me around. He has always been there for me, even when I got in trouble for trying to go to a party when I clearly was not allowed to go at the age of 14. He taught me how to drive stick. I remember vividly sitting in his tiny red two door, easing the clutch out and cruising into second, "STTOOPP," he yelled and scared me so bad that I stalled. He just wanted to check my reflexes and said "what if there were a kid running across the street?"
He was the one who tickled me until I peed on the couch, and then reminded me of it when I was a sassy teen.
He was there to stand by me when my paternal father passed away in July of 2007, he even sat with me when I poured my soul out to the pastor about it.
We've laughed together, sang together, traveled together, made dinner together, and even cried together. Most of the time it's me crying though. He is my dad, and I love him so dearly. My dad who has always been there for me and with me. I know he will continue to be there for me when he can, and one of those times will be coming up very soon. September 19, 2009, the day I get married, I hope he will be the one standing beside me, walking with me to the next journey of my life. Hey DAD, will you walk me down the isle at my wedding????
Love your daughter,
Nichole (Kelly)

Valentine's Day rewind

Well another Holiday has come and gone. Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Craig and I worked on the upstairs all day. Craig hung the recessed lighting in the spare bedroom. My job was to hand him the lights when he had sawed the hole out. I was also there to nod when he asked if I thought his ideas were good. What do I know about electrical work? There is no heat up there, so while he runs around in his sweatshirt, I have a beanie and jacket on, most of the time gloves too. I posted some pictures of the reception site, grass is a little dead-but it will be nice and green by September. I am thinking about having the dance floor in the pavilion, but that could change. There is a cool fireplace in there and it might serve better as an outside area for some of the guests. Next Friday is wedding planning day-check back then for better ideas for our wedding. Yay!

Yay! It's Friday

Wedding plans are creeping along. Mom is being so helpful with looking up dress styles for the bridesmaids and sending me a few flower samples from Cali. She sent me a poppy too. I want to put it somewhere in my bouquet to represent my home. I am thinking about putting them in the bouquets or hair of my Cali bridesmaids too. Not sure yet. Mom also got some silver candy scoops too for our treat table-very excited about this table. I picked a "cake lady". Heavenly Delight cakes if you want to look at some of her cakes. I really like the picture of this cake. Maybe with green piping and brown ribbons around the base with a georgeous purple flower bouquet on top with our initials coming out whimsically. :)
Connie has helped with purchasing the rest of the vases we needed, and looking for pots for my fountain grass. It's always hard to find exactly what you're looking for. Since my eyes are about to cross from staring at this computer too long, I am sooo grateful for Mom and Connie's help.
Connie came over yesterday and helped me sand, and re-mud, and haul a bunch of old lathe and drywall from the backyard-no way I would have or could have done it by myself.
I sent out three more resumes today-"Come on job, mamma needs some benjamins!"

Graduation pictures

Mom posted some of my graduation pictures on her blog, so I stole them and put them on my blog for everyone else to see. I applied at two more schools-one in Villa Grove, nice little two hour drive if I got it. I also applied in Effingham for a kindergarten position. No progress on the wedding this week.

Just another Manic Monday

Today is another Monday, yuck. But it's also Connie's Birthday. We went to Christi and Eric's yesterday to visit and see Sophi for the first time-she is so cute, and small, and very quiet. Jackson was a perfect gentleman and said Grace as always before our lunch. I ate way too many deviled eggs. Caroline was all over Craig. She loved his Yankees hat-haha! Now we have a pic with lil'Jackson runnin around in his onesie with Craig's hat and Caroline playing with it too. Only in time will Sophi take an interest in the Yankees! I think in all honesty it probably is familiar to them-he always has that hat on. Here are some pics of my birthday cake. Craig made a lemon sponge cake with whipped cream frosting-WOW! so good. He didn't want any, but we let Remy try a little. It's hard to tell-but she had frosting on her nose. haha. I even got to go out for Mexican Food-however, they had lost their liquor license so no Margaritas for me. Jamie, Jared, Amber, and Richie came over to help me celebrate on Saturday. I was so glad to see some friends. We live too far away. We are so close to finishing the dry wall upstairs. Only a matter of days!!woohoo!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Some pictures from the last couple of years.

Day before my 28th Birthday

Today I took a voyage to Hobby Lobby to check out the wedding stuff. I found fake flowers that I really like and plan on using for the reception centerpieces. I made a prototype of what we might do. I hope you like them. We will probably have 12 eiffel tower vases and six or seven shorter vases. We are playing with the idea of limes in the vases or colored water, still not sure. I love the sticks coming out the top though. Also, Harmony shot through the idea of a Candy table, and I love the idea for favors. If they don't want any, more for me the next day :)

Progress

Today the snow is melting off and I can almost smell spring...almost! Although that little ground hog thinks otherwise-I refuse to think there is six more weeks of winter.
I called the Lake reps today and reserved our site for the wedding. We will be having our reception at Dam West Ramp Point in Lake Shelbyville on September 19,2009.
It's a very pretty location. If you stand on the point of the peninsula you can feel the breeze and watch the boats circle around by the Dam. There is a small stretch of beach all the way around the peninsula that would make for beautiful pictures. We will hopefully have a large tent where our guests can eat and stay out of the wind, but with the beautiful September weather I'm hoping to use the night sky to light up our dancefloor, along with a few strobes and spotlights-ha! We are going to stick with Victorian Lilac dresses, and hopefully my shoes will match-still looking for the lovely lilac shoes in the Inspiration pics. I wish my family and friends from back home were here to help me start getting ready..again..:) Until further news, check out some other pictures I wanted to share. The one of me in my coat at the beach is in Mass. There are a few old pics of Craig and I and a picture of Harmony and I.