Watch out for that crazy wedding lady!

Well, not really. Mike and I are planning our "big" wedding, scheduled for October 6, 2012. By big, I mean bigger than our courthouse wedding, not big, like 300 people. We've decided to keep it small and invite the people who really mean the most to us, I think we'll enjoy it more by just having a smaller, more intimate wedding. We've...okay who are we kidding...I have made most of the decisions already. I'm a planner, so those who know me shouldn't be surprised that we're sending out the deposits this early.

We've decided on The Islander, in Emerald Isle, for our ceremony and reception space. It's absolutely gorgeous. My mom and I went to look at it a few months back and I immediately fell in love with the courtyard space. It's right on the beach, so the pictures will be beautiful! Both Mike and I have grown up on the beach, so we knew that we wanted somewhere close enough to the ocean to be able to smell the saltwater, feel the sand, and hear the roar of the waves. We did decide that we will not be having alcohol at the wedding. Neither one of us drink (empty calories), most of our family members don't drink, and we'll have kids at our wedding, Aidan included, and personally, I don't want my son (who will then be around 18 months) and my nephew around a bunch of our drunk friends. It's a decision we've sat on for awhile, but neither of us have an issue with leaving the bar out of the picture. Sorry, alcoholics r us, no drinky drinky at this wedding!

We've also decided on the wedding colors. I originally wanted aqua and tangerine orange, buuuuut, since this is a Fall wedding, I thought that maybe I should find more appropriate colors - cranberry red, burnt orange, mocha brown and yellow. It's a lot of colors, but the brown and yellow are only accents. We'll have a lot of pumpkins, leaves, and other decor to make it more appropriate as well.

After a very, very long deliberation on bridesmaids and groomsmen, we've finally decided on the wedding party. I'm not kidding here people, it took us months to figure this out. I thought I wanted to cut it down to 2 on each site, but then I thought, "who am I kidding, it wouldn't be a wedding without my family up there." So, without further adieu, my maids of honor (yes, there are 2) will be my sister, Jenn, and my best friend, Michelle. My bridesmaids will be my step-sister, Jenn, my two sister-in-laws, Brandi and Sam, and my good friend Elizabeth. Mike's best man is still under deliberation (i.e., he can't make a decision to save his life), but his groomsmen will be his two best friends, Kenny and Zach, my step-brother, Eric, my best friend, Wilson, Mike's old boss - Randy, and Mike's co-worker, Steve. Of course, Aidan will be our ring bearer, and I think we've decided to not have a flower girl...or we may ask my friend Kelly is her absolutely adorable little girl, Caroline, can be the flower girl...because she's adorable, and one day she will marry Aidan ; )

We've also made a few other decisions - no cake, but we will have cupcakes which I'm REALLY excited about; Sandy's Flowers (MHC) will do the flowers, my friend Cindy will be doing the photography, and we've booked the DJ/videographer, the pastor, the caterer, and, my personal favorite, the guitarist that will be playing and singing at our ceremony.

We decided on Floyd's as the caterer and I am SO excited to finally announce our menu. We have already sampled some (not all) of the food, and it was amazing! Seriously guys, if you're ever in MHC, you have GOT to go there. It's a restaurant off of Bridge's street, so amazing!

• fruit skewers as the hors d'oeuvres
• salad bar
• potato bar (I think I'm most excited about this one!)
• macaroni and cheese
• garlic green beans
• pesto cream penne pasta
• shrimp and grits with a tasso ham gravy
• st louis style ribs
• corn muffins
• and the staple southern wedding drink, tea : )

Ive started looking up center piece ideas as well, and I think I may take on that challenge by myself. I like being creative and I have found some very cute ideas that may work.

We're both so excited for next October! It feels so far away, but I know it will go by quickly. I try not to rush it because Aidan will be a year and half by then - YIKES!

That's all for now, I have a hungry baby calling my name! Well, not literally, but you get the picture.

A lot has happened this year...

2011 is just another year for so many people, but not for this girl right here! In April, I graduated with my Master's degree, woo hoo! It was a long 2 1/2 years, but I feel so good about myself knowing that I have three degrees. I'm still planning on getting that fourth degree in the form of a PhD, I'm just waiting a few years on that one : )

As if graduating wasn't enough, on May 2, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Seriously folks, he's perfect. The day that he came into the world is a day that my husband and I will always remember. It's been over five months now, and I still feel like it was just yesterday. I didn't have the easiest labor, but it was worth every second of pain...and that stupid migraine that hit in the middle of pushing. Seeing that sweet, little face look at me and knowing that one day, he would be able to verbally call me, "mommy" just made me dissolve into a puddle of happy tears. I think my husband even shed a few tears, but shhhhh...don't tell him I noticed ; ) Everyone told me that you will never know love until you hold your child, and they were right. Everything that I thought I knew before has a new meaning this time around. Everything that I thought could hurt me, means nothing. You think true love is the only thing that can break your heart, and then you become a mommy. There's so much to think about, so much to worry about...I was hoping that one day that anxious feeling would go away, but 5 months down the road, it shows no signs of subsiding. I still look at him every day and think to myself, "that's our baby, my husband and I actually made him!" It's a weird concept to grasp, I tell you.

You may notice that I keep saying "my husband"...well, not long before Aidan was born, Mike decided that it was time for us to plan our life together, forever. After 6 years together, he proposed in January and we had our little court house wedding in July. Don't get me wrong, I never imagined myself getting married in a court house, but I also never imagined my son having a different last name than me. So, off to the courthouse we went, with plans for a bigger wedding the next year.

Aidan was only about 2 1/2 months old, so excuse the baby weight. Marrying Mike was the second happiest day of my life, right behind having Aidan.

At the risk of sounding particularly corny, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have a perfect little boy who has me wrapped around his little finger, an amazing husband who has my heart, 3 dogs who think the world of me, my husband, and Aidan...I feel like I have it all.

And as if this year wasn't exciting enough...in April, I was able to go from working in the office, to working from home. Working from home has been such a blessing in so many ways! It makes for extremely long, hectic days, but I love it. I have so much more flexibility!

Well, I think that's about it for the updates. I've been spending way too much money on a very small little man's first Christmas...but hey, who can help it?!