pictures posted!

I finally posted some reception pictures on Facebook. Check it out. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3585973&l=b44f3f365f&id=623127432
These are the ones that my friend Janel Young took (see her blog address below)

Password!

Sorry everyone - to see our pictures you can go to http://hymasimage.com/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx and click on Online Viewing. Our file is labeled "James and Melissa". The password is "wedding" (all lower case). You can order online or call (208) 745-1289 if you want prints.

Quick Update and Pictures

So I'm finally married and things have settled down enough for me to pop on here and give a brief update. James and I are living in an apartment in Rigby, without our cats. Our landlord wants an additional $400 deposit for us to bring our cats in....we could have a dog, but for cats we have to fork over a small fortune. Weird to anyone else? I guess dogs don't scratch carpet....but cats don't pee everywhere. I am still working at ERA Real Estate, James is looking for a new job because his advertising job just isn't working out. We are looking on Craigslist.com everyday and send out probably 4 or 5 resumes a day....no winners yet. Most of those send you to a job-finding website and make you do that song and dance. It's very frustrating.
We met with the photographer yesterday and did a quick run through of all the pictures she took, now we have to go back through and pick the ones that we love for our book. You can see the pictures at hymasimage.com. If you would like copies, you can order online for 20% off (but Evelyn doesn't do any further editing) or you can call Evelyn with the numbers you want and she will edit them and so forth and still give you 10% off. For candids of the reception, you can see some of them on my awesome friend Janel's blog: youngmom1220.blogspot.com. She took about a zillion and she is going to teach me how to scrap-book them. James's younger brother Kurt's girlfriend Mesa (got that?) took a bunch of pictures too, and I will post some of them here and on Facebook, so watch for those. My cousins Tiffany and Christine took pictures too, and I believe they posted those on Facebook.
It was a wonderful day that James and I will always always always remember and love. Thank you to my wonderful Mother for putting it all together, and my wonderful Dad for letting us go nuts on the party and giving me all the time off of work!

Bridal Burn-Out

So we are winding down on the wedding plans and I find myself caring less and less about the details. I will give my mother vague ideas of what I think I want, and then follow-up with "I don't care, do whatever you want."

"What kind of flowers do you want?"

"Daisies"

"Ok...what colors?"

"Lime green and yellow"

"Well what about adding some pink and orange? What kind of flowers do you want with the daisies....you can't just have daisies. And what about your bouquet, what do you want that to look like? Do you want lots of flowers or only some flowers?"
"I don't care.....do whatever you want."

We have had similar conversations about the cake, the food at the reception, and countless other details. The great thing is that I completely trust my mother to make it wonderful without me doing anything at all. She could do the whole thing without a single opinion from me and I'm sure I would love it. Our current worry is my dress. We had to order it in my size months ago, and it is supposed to arrive this Friday. Which means we have less than 3 weeks to alter the thing and make it temple worthy. I refuse to wear cap-sleeves. I realize the wedding is during the hottest time of the year, but I tell you I will NOT have cap-sleeves...3/4 or long sleeves. I will not be one of those cookie-cutter Mormon brides with those stupid little sleeves. Plus my arms are Kobe-Bryant-long, and shorter sleeves would just accentuate that....not exactly a feature I want to show off.

After several mix-ups and mishaps, we are finally starting to mail out the invitations...IF I can get my wonderful groom to get addresses for his friends (which I asked him to do months ago...but whatever....get used to it, right?). The invitations are perfect, I absolutely love them--even though we had to jump through hoops to get them done correctly.

And through all of the frustration and anxiety, I am still excited to get married! You should all be receiving invitations shortly, and I hope to see you all there!

Outdoor Engagement Pictures

Last week James & I had some engagement photos taken. I am currently posting an album of them on my Facebook page. The photographer is Michelle Heaps. I think she did a great job and she's a sweet girl. You can see more of her work at michelleheaps.com.

Pre-Alzheimers!?

Ok I probably don't have pre-Alzheimers Disease...I don't think that's even a real thing. However, I take so many blasted pills in the morning I often forget which ones I've taken. This morning I started with one pill (maybe?), moved on to the next, and the next, then a vitamin, and then I couldn't remember if I had taken the first pill or not....So I may have taken the first pill twice. I should be in a nursing home. And then there are the side effects. Awesome.
I was recently diagnosed with severe insulin resistance....which I like to blame for my borderline obesity. Nevermind that I don't exercise and eat like a five-year-old when his mom isn't watching. It's all the insulin resistance....right. And I have an elevated thyroid. Now I'm not sure what a thyroid does, but when it's "elevated" it means it's not working hard enough. Call me crazy, but i Does that sound backwards to any one else?? So I have Metformin twice a day for the insulin resistance, and Levothyroxin for the thyroid issue. I also take Effexor because it keeps me happy and sane, and prenatal vitamins because I want my hair to grow faster before my wedding. Even when I skip the vitamns and just have the three, I still can't remember if I took the metformin or not. You know those pill boxes that have a spot for each day? and each is clearly labeled M, T, W, and so forth? I am considering getting one of those. And it really bugs me that I am considering it. I am 26 years old people! Not 76! I should be able to remember if I took a pill or not. Embarrassing. AND THE SIDE EFFECTS! Sometimes Effexor still gives me a headache, and I'm pretty sure the metformin is making me tired. I am tired literally ALL THE TIME! I could sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon and STILL be exhausted. And being exhausted makes me emotional...on top of stress about wedding plans and money and what not... so I cry over EVERYTHING. And I'm not a huge cry-er. Sure I get teary-eyed during movies, or at mission farewells etc., but I rarely cry because of something that happened to me in real life. Or so I thought. Lately I cry all the time. Example: Tuesday morning I woke up at 8:30, I'm supposed to be at work at 9:00. I was going to be late. What did i do? Sat on my bed and cried about it. Not just whimpery tears of frustration...no. We are talking chest-heaving SOBBING because I was going to be late for work. Luckily my boss is amazing (he's my dad) and let me have the day off to rest and get a blasted grip. What's my problem?

My Man Got a New Job!

Slap my butt and call me Judy! James got a new job selling advertising for a local magazine! Hooray! We were worried we wouldn't be able to afford the house we want to rent, or the car we need, but it's looking like we can! James's friend owns a house in Idaho Falls, and we will be renting for a while while James goes to school (a while while? is that correct English?) at BYU-I (cross your fingers he gets in). We are going to get his new car (a used BMW!)this Saturday, it's about 8 hours away. Hooray for driving 16 hours. I keep telling him he needs to learn how to golf now, since he needs to schmooze people into buying space in the magazine. He doesn't seem to think so. We are really excited to see how this "career move" works out. So we will be expecting all of you independent contractors to buy ads! :)

Gift Registry

Hey friends! For those of you who are interested - James & I are and/or will be registered at Dillard's, Macy's & Target. The china I picked out is at Macy's, it's really pretty so look and see! LOVE!

Family 5k and Easter Fun

Saturday was my family's Easter Party. In the morning we had a 5K race. I ran a little and then decided it was stupid (meaning I am out of shape and didn't want to play), and I walked with my parents and Shelese. Erik ended up winning (only because James had a small emergency and couldn't finish), Followed by Kipp, Chris and Tirra.



After lunch it was time for the Easter Egg Hunt. The kids went for a ride on the four-wheelers while the Easter Bunny came. It was lots of fun and a beautiful Easter Day!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

James and I are officially engaged to be married! We picked out a ring a couple of weeks ago, and last night he finally gave it to me (pictures will be posted soon). He was watching sports on TV and I was laying down on the other end of the couch reading a silly vampire book. He got up (I assumed to go to the bathroom) and when he came back he put the ring box on my left shoulder and sat back down on the couch. He can't be serious when he is nervous...he's like Chandler from Friends. He makes jokes when he is uncomfortable. So he went through a series of poorly worded questions like "So you wanna get married" and just plain "You wanna?". I had to make him ask me nicely: "Melissa, will you marry me?". It was funny and cute. Of course i said YES! The big day is July 31, 2009, in the Rexburg Temple. I can't stop smiling! We have sort of been planning ahead, so we have adorable polka-dot dresses for the flower girls. My colors are bright and summery: mostly lime green and yellow, with bright orange and pink accents. I will have my three wonderful sisters as bridesmaids (Tirra is the matron of honor), and also two of my closest friends from college will be there as bridesmaids too. James's friend Brad will be his best man, and his two brothers and two other best friends will be his groomsmen. We are so excited and so happy!

Can we have Spring yet?

Seriously.

My Valentine

Valentine's Day is on Saturday, and James and I have decided not to exchange gifts. I decided not to exchange gifts because we are poor, and James decided not to exchange gifts because of some trumped up idiocy about commercialism and blah blah blah. Sometimes he acts like a cranky old man. Ah....love.

Since the new year began James has been helping me exercise and be more healthy. He has bravely walked the treacherous line between being encouraging and making me feel fat. Occasionally he has to remind me that I ASKED him to help me, and that it was not his idea. And sometimes I remind him that it always helps to tell me I'm beautiful.

A couple of weeks ago I got sick. I had to stay home from work and I was generally miserable. James brought me soup and movies to watch and stayed to take care of me. He kept suggesting that I should take a bath, that it would help make me feel better. I knew it was because I was stinky. He was trying to be nice.

I can honestly say that I am most happy sitting on the couch with James, reading a book while he watches sports. I know that's cheesy, and I'm sure it will wear off eventually, but for now I am enjoying being twitterpated.