Photographers, Vows, & Invitations

Like Ben said in the last post, we lost our photographer (looong story). It was a really stressful snag because we're only 4 months out from our wedding that occurs the day after Christmas, so how in the world were we gonna find someone available and in our budget? Luckily, we have found a few photographers who are available with amazing portfolios and under $1000. So, we'll make a final decision this week about who to go with, we just want to meet with all of them and figure out who we'd like to go with.

We're meeting with our officiant this Saturday up in Orlando, so we've been working on what we'll be doing in the ceremony. We're making it our own while adding some tradition to it as well. We've been working on vow writing, and actually found vows that fit perfectly for us. We just did a little editing to our liking, but they're there! Aside from us and our officiant, it'll be kept secret until our wedding day. It's exciting to know what we'll be saying to each other on the day!

I was planning on completely designing and making the invitations myself, but I found an invitation kit that I absolutely fell in love with. I did like the idea of being creative, but it'll make things easier on me now that school has started and I've gotten busier. For weddings during the holiday season, invitations are suppose to go out 3 months in advance, so I plan to have them all mailed out before September 26th. So, I'll begin working on those and start sending them out within a month from now.

We're getting closer!!

-Kristin

wedding update

Ben's finally writing a post on here. My thumb is fine enough and I had another job interview for teaching today. But, I really just want to write on the wedding. Things are going okay just not perfect. We were worried for a few weeks because we couldn't reach our officiant but it's okay now. We're meeting with him on the 29th in Orlando to discuss issues. Now, the new problem is that we lost our photographer yesterday and have to now hire someone. I didn't realize just how freaking expensive photographers could be. To get the photos done properly will cost, it seems, over $1000. We've contacted a few already to see what we can find and like. Also, our house is almost done and we have a walk through mid-September. I think October is going to be fun now. First weekend- move-in; second weekend- my cousin Adrienne's wedding in Cleveland; third weekend- the bridal shower.

Baby Brendan & Ben's Black Thumb

My MOH, best friend, and "adopted" sister, Sarah, is expecting her first child, a boy to be named Brendan, on October 29, 2009.  I am absolutely excited, because this will be like gaining a nephew to me!  I've known Sarah 18 years, and we've gone through so much together and now we are both about to have big events happen in our lives.  I can't wait to be there!

Sarah recently moved up to Gainesville.  I decided this past weekend to go and see her.  So, Friday night, I decided to go on a shopping spree for the baby.  I bought a ton of cute clothes, a baby sling, a bouncer, some pacifiers, a good quality bottle, and industrial size boxes of diapers and baby wipes.  All for $109.  Gotta love Wal-Mart!

Ben and I drove up Saturday morning, and stayed the night.  We enjoyed some good southern hospitality, courtesy of Sarah's grandmother, who is like a surrogate grandma to me.  We went to the movies and saw "Julie & Julia"...didn't like it at all.  There were tons of older folk there who were constantly laughing, and we didn't understand what was so funny.  Everyone we've talked to about the movie says that it's because we've never watched the real Julia Child, so we wouldn't have understood the humor.  I'm happy with my modern-day chefs on television, because Julia Child seemed to be really uptight and unappreciative of her fans.

That night, Ben managed to slam his thumb in Sarah's car door, causing it to turn black under the nail.  I can empathize greatly.  I had a real huge one in my thumb last year as well, and they are absolutely painful.  The night we got back from Gainesville, we ended up going and having a hole burned into the nail to relieve the pressure from the hematoma.  It looks so much better now, but I'm pretty certain the nail is gonna fall off.  Looks like we'll be strategically covering that thumb in our wedding pictures!  For now, I'm on his butt reminding him to periodically put ice on it and soak it in Epsom salt.

I have a job interview tomorrow night!  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

We're both registered for the fall semester.  We're both taking 2 classes.  I decided to go part time because I felt it was really important for me to work full time to help support our new little family.  Ben will be substitute teaching on a daily basis up in Pinellas County until he's able to find a full-time teaching job.  He's also only 4 classes away from receiving his Master's in Social Studies Education for USF.  I am hoping to transfer to USF in the Spring to begin working on my core courses to get my Bachelor's in Social Work.  It's been taking me so long in school because it's been difficult for me to settle on a major, but I've discovered multiple possibilities with a degree in social work that I love to pursue as a career, so I've FINALLY found my calling!  Well, I believe my biggest calling is to be a mother, but that's a whole other story!