Where has the time gone?

We have passed the year mark! I've been crazy busy with work lately since I started my new job as a preschool teacher alongside my normal babysitting jobs so it seems like time has been flying by!
Since October is here and now there's less than a year til our big day, we are starting to plan a little here and there. Since we already have the location picked as well as our wedding party, we are mostly just coming up with ideas for things and not so much definite decisions yet. The location looks fantastic right now so we are very excited. I just love the idea of an outdoor wedding, so please pray pray pray that God allows for a beautiful, rain-free day afternoon.
A couple of months ago I asked my flower girl if she wanted to be in our wedding and Nich's dad will be performing (?) the ceremony so I think we officially have the entire wedding party put together. My maid of honor is the fabulous Kristi, my brothers fiance/already like my sister. I then have six bridesmaids, Mary (Nich's younger sister), Nicole (Nich's sister in law), Melissa (my step sister), Lindsey (my good friend that I also work with), Crystal (also my good friend that I work with at church), and Alexa (my good friend). And as for Nicholas.... his best man is his brother Chris and he also has six groomsmen who are all his close friends, Caleb, (another) Chris, Justin, Charlie (my brother), Mitch, and Adam. Our ring bearer (as you know..) is Parker, the sweet, adorable, entertaining boy that I have grown SO close to the past two years as I was a nanny to him and now he attends my school. Our flower girl is Audrey, another precious child I have babysat for a good while, and she's so excited!
I have been trying on dresses and it may be safe to say I have found "the one" but that could change, hehe! I'd like to say that I have found "it" so that I can move on to the bridesmaids dresses, because I have SEVEN bridesmaids and I want to make them look snazzy!! I'm already having a difficult time trying to refrain from filling Nicholas in on all of the fun details of the dresses I've been trying on. I really want him to see me in the dress/see the dress itself for the first time when I'm walking down the aisle and I'm blubbering with tears! But I think I'll be able to stay strong as long as he doesn't snoop through all my photo files or bribe one of my bridesmaids!

That is all for now, stay tuned. I don't plan to give away all the details of our wedding to you all, but I'll continue to share fun things!

Chugging along..

Nothing new in the engaged life as of lately... just "patiently" waiting until our big day is about a year away to start planning. We have ideas of what we want but with our day set to October 2011, we don't want to get too overwhelmed with SO much time. Hopefully once it hits this fall we can start having some parties and get the show on the road.
We recently looked at some furniture for our future place, wherever it may be.. I can't wait to furnish and decorate our home. I really hope we can stay in the neighborhood I'm currently in because I can't imagine living anywhere else. (With that being said, many many donations will be accepted. LOL)

Mail time.. mail time.. maaaaail time!

I stuffed a bunch of envelopes in my mailbox today!
If you've come to this blog because you got our photos in the mail, let me know! :)

Picture Perfect

Nicholas and I got some engagement photos done a few weeks ago by a dear friend, Jennifer Woodbery. She did an amazing job and we had so much fun! I have posted a majority of them on my facebook, but a few of my favorites are posted here. (She also has them on her website.)
Even though we don't plan to get married until next October (15 months away!), we wanted to announce our engagement to our friends and family with a collage of some of the photos and I will be sending them out soon! I just HAD to do something with these precious photos :)

Making memories

With planning a wedding comes lots of interesting moments. Moments that I sure would like to look back on years from now and laugh.

The day before Nicholas proposed for the second time, I asked Parker (sweet little boy that I nanny for, currently 2.5 years old) if he would be my ring bearer. He asked what a ring bearer does and I told him that he would dress up really nice and walk down the aisle with a pillow and two rings on the pillow and he would smile and wave to everyone and then come stand by us at the altar and give us the rings. He got really excited and asked if he could sing a song and dance, too! Of course, I said sure. Why not? How adorable would that be.. Later that day after I had gone home he told his mom that he had to go to my wedding and ring my bell because he was the bell ringer! (ring bearer.. bell ringer...) He also said he needed to get a trumpet to sing a song!! Boy, I love that little kid! He is such a character and I can't wait to have him as our "bell ringer".

Dress shopping? Yes, please!

I started the hunt for the perfect dress yesterday. My mom and I went to Bella Couture in Mt Laurel and I tried on a handful of beautiful dresses!! It's still way early in the engagement and wedding planning but I did find a few that could be "the one". I can't wait to take my bridal party back with me to get their input. I have some pictures but darling fiance isn't going to see "the dress" until the wedding day, so until I actually get one I'll wait on posting the pictures. :)

I had four of my seven brides maids over last night for a mini "yay Kristie's getting married" party! Girls night is a must needed event for any occasion (or even just because!)

Let the celebrating begin!

Charlie (brother), my momma (Mary), and myself

My future sisters!!

Trying not to cry during toasts

Mine and Kristi K's engagement rings

Nicholas and his parents, Kevin and Susan Arvin

My sister (in-law, psh) and Maid/(soon to be called) Matron of Honor (Kristi Kakoliris)

Let the toasting begin!

We're engaged, y'all!
It became official May 27, 2010. But some of you know the real story that includes May 22, 2010 as well. With a proposal stretching from the beautiful sunset on the beach in Seaside in Florida to the peaceful view of Spoonwood Lake in Mt Laurel and the most incredible ring I could imagine... OF COURSE I SAID YES!!
Stay tuned for some fun posts as we plan this wedding shindig!