LOVEMYJOB

I am not one of those people who has a "personalized" license plate, but I do often find myself analyzing them to figure out their true meaning.  And as my FI knows, there is one particular license plate (placed on a car that belongs to an individual who lives in our neighborhood), that always seems to catch my eye.  It reads "LOVEMYJOB," and everytime I see it, I wonder what career its owner is in.  I mean,  who really likes their job that much?  The point of a job is to get paid, and then, in my case, spend it at Forever 21 ... although, as a wife, I truly plan to be better at that.  But to my point, even after listening to all of the guest speakers in my classroom each year say "Love your job & you will never work a day in your life" ... is that really true?  Does anyone really love their job so much that they would do it for free?

So, as the school year draws to a close and my desire for summer days "Ms. Wright-free" grows stronger ... my thoughts have been on my own career.  And while I fully admit that I wouldn't do it for free, I have been thinking about how fortunate I really am.  The excitement that my students have for my wedding is evident, and when I really think about it, it makes me giddy.  They ask questions about it daily, continue to assist in DIY projects even though they are completely exhausted, and express their anticipation for the day often.  Furthermore, on the last official Friday of the school year (tomorrow) ... those students who will be "working" the wedding are staying after school to discuss last-minute details ... while most of their friends will be at the beach or the mall celebrating their upcoming freedom.

Yes, I would have to say that I love my job.  I am really anxious for the amount of time I will have back after the wedding to devote to improving my daily plans for the students who have devoted so much time to me.  And lastly, I may even forgive them for telling me that my new last name sounds like an old lady in class today.  Maybe. 

Crazy for A Canvas

Obviously, with nuptials less than 3 weeks away, all of our invitations have now officially been mailed & we finally have the list of guests that celebrate with us on our wedding day. 

 (On a side note: our "head count" of 150 somehow grew to 188 plus 15 kids ... but we have "made it work" ... the more, the merrier, right?!!)

So now that our "babies" have been released & retrieved, it's time to reveal my personal favorite part of our wedding invites.  As previously posted, thanks to many extraordinary & hard-working people, there were quite a few elements to the final product.  But, without a doubt, my heart belongs to the hand-painted picture that my good (no, great!) friend/bridesmaid Niki created.  The picture is of my FI & I in the backyard of our Tall Trees estate in which we will be married.  Needless to say - it is certainly special to us both and we feel lucky to have had it as the first element of the invites that our guests were able to see. 

What made me feel even more fortunate?  When Niki gifted me with the actual original canvas ... a gift that I immediately placed in our home and (obviously) plan to always keep.

Thank you, Niki, for creating something beautiful, unique, and personal to our day.  I love that this is a part of the wedding that will last a lifetime.

Passport is Packed. I'm Prepared.

But unfortunately, that only makes one of us.  In less than 3 weeks, the plan is for my new husband & I to embark on our honeymoon in Freeport, Bahamas.  And after 18 months of planning, the vacation is one that is sure to be completely necassary & well-deserved.  I have seriously been having dreams of us sitting on the beach, sipping cocktails with pretty umbrellas strategically placed in them, for weeks now. 

But those idealic thoughts may have to be placed on hold for just a minute ...  

Mr. BB & I went to apply for our passports approximately a month ago, and (especially) after attempting to joke with the lady who was assisting us with the matter, realized how serious this process was.  But with a lot on both of our minds with an upcoming wedding to plan, we both didn't devote much thought to the need for a passport after applying for them that day.  That was until last week, when I casually went by our mailbox after school to find ...

A FedEx Envelope ... Containing My Passport, Complete with the Official Book that Surrounds It.



And then immediatly placed it in my bag that holds many of the other items that will come with me on my honeymoon.



  So yes, it was an exciting moment that made our impending "escape" more of a reality.  That was until I noticed that my FI didn't have a beautiful FedEx envelope like mine, but instead a rather small, lightweight letter placed to him from the same return address my big envelope had.  And I immediatly thought back to high school, when you were applying to colleges, and you knew that the heavy letters meant good news and the lightweight ones were just the opposite.

It wasn't good news.  Mr. BB had been denied - that is until he submits a birth certificate with the correct embossed seal from the state.  So since then, we have submitted (in fact, overnighted) the correct record of his birth.  Now, we are just waiting for his FedEx envelope to arrive.

In the meantime, anyone up for a trip to the Bahamas?  Keep in mind - You have to have a passport.

Last Wedding Before the Wedding ...

It certainly feels like there are a lot of "lasts" lately ... especially since I just got through encouraging my students to make it through the week by reminding them that it is their last full week of the school year.  Other "lasts"?  This is the last year that my students will call me by my current last name,  Friday night marked our major last meeting before the big day, and over the weekend, Mr. BB & I attended the last wedding we will before our own.

So after that rather overwhelming meeting (in which we had a discuss that infamous rain plan that we have been trying not to think about for so long!) ... my FI & I were able to enjoy someone else's special day for an evening.  It truly was a beautiful event, and one that made me that much more anxious for our own.  My favorite parts of the wedding?  When the bride & groom were announced for the first time - as I couldn't help but think that I will myself will be a Mrs. in less than a month.  And of course, much like any other wedding I have ever attended, I was a sap for the father/daughter dance. 

Here we are at the last wedding before our own ...

With my husband-to-be!

Notice the stunning backdrop ... love those backyard weddings! :)

So yes, they had the ideal weather for such a special occasion.  And after the "Plan B" meeting I previously mentioned we had the night before, I was a tad bit envious of their chosen day.  Cross your fingers with me (and even your toes) that we will be just as lucky.  And of course, congratulations to the newlyweds! 

Locked & Loaded ...

When planning an event for what is now 190 people (plus 18 kids) ... there is bound to be a lot of "stuff."  And by "stuff," I am referring to plates, signs, cupcake toppers, mason jars, favors, ties, straws, shoes, flags .....

The list could seriously go on, and on, and then on.  Over the last 18 months, with my mom and I at the helm, we have aqcuired quite a bit.  And until this past weekend, it was spread over three houses in random boxes and corners of various rooms.

Well, my mother deserves more than a simple thank you for this one ... as I find myself saying quite often lately.  As my FI & I partied the night away for our bachelor/bachelorette weekends, she spent the 3-day holiday weekend organizing all of that "stuff" that our backyard wedding will require.   And as a result, we are truly locked & loaded for the big day.  Of course I don't want to get too carried away ... there are quite a few loose ends that need to be tied up before our guests arrive ... but we are certainly more ready than we were before.   Here is what our wedding room looks like now:

Impressive, right?!  Thanks mom. :)

Flowers from the FI

Yes, the pretty flowers above are currently sitting on my kitchen table ... and yes, they were put there after I brought them home from school.  And how did they get to school?  My future husband sent them to me last Friday to wish me an enjoyable bachelorette weekend.  It's true.

I realize that to many, flowers are a normal occurence.  But I have always told Mr. BB not to spend his money on them ... because I have an issue paying money for an item that will eventually die.  I really never understood the importance of it all.

However, at a point in which I was beyond highly stressed over a wedding less than a month away & (I admit it!) a little frazzled over all I had to do  ... they made me quite blissful.  Ecstatic even.  And, they were just what I needed to rmark the beginning of my "last fling before the ring" with my closest girlfriends.

As I posted yesterday, the weekend was just what I needed to "relax, rest, & rejuvenate" for the final plans that are to take place in the next 3 weeks.  It's crunch time; but certainly a cheerful time.  There are a lot of final touches that need to be made ...  and if I start to feel a little tense or anxious over it all, I plan to look at those pretty flowers from my FI to feel better.

 

Our WILD Weekend ...

And it certainly was a wild one.  In fact, wild is probably an understatement.  With my MOH/little sister in charge, and 7 of my beautiful bridesmaids (plus one), in tow ... we headed for Charlotte to celebrate my "last fling before the ring."  The weekend was full of memories & the perfect way to celebrate with my favorite ladies.  It was such a lovely celebration ... that we decided we should have a girls weekend at least once a year for, well, forever.  Why not, right?!

Mr. BB's bags next to mine ... his weekend was jam-packed with 4-wheeling, tents, and beer. 
A little different from mine, to say the least.

Cars were decorated ... imagine the looks we got on the way.  And the way home.

Perfect movie for the weekend.  And, by the way, it was absolutely hilarious.

At dinner in our "animal-print" themed outfits.

After dinner, ready to celebrate!

Reunited!  And a little bit struggling ...

Thank you is not enough for my ladies who truly created the perfect weekend.  It was a much needed stress-reliever, and made me that much more excited for the big day.  And while I thouroughly enjoyed every minute of it, I couldn't have been happier to see my soon-to-be husband's face when I pulled in the driveway.  We are that much closer to what we have been working so hard for ... and I think we are now both more ready than ever.