Over & Out ...

As my mother told me yesterday, you know the big day is getting close when the flowers have arrived.  And they have ... along with the tables, chairs, dance floor, confetti cones, completed programs, favors, esc. -

 and currently, the employees from Distinctive Rentals are setting up the tent that will cover my Great Aunt's backyard.

So yes, we are close.  Really close.  So close that today's post will be my last before I am officially a married woman and my June garden, backyard wedding is a memory rather than an upcoming event to plan.  While I previously had planned, (my Type A personality is always planning), to blog through the day of the rehearsal ... I have since realized that this week will be a whirlwind of completing last minute to-do's, welcoming out-of-town guests, and obviously, setting up the vast amount of decor we have been planning for what now feels like forever.  Therefore, I must succomb to the fact that while I may want to, I will be forced to stay away from my Pink Dell laptop until I am Mrs. BB  ...

When I first began writing these posts approximately a year ago, it was in an effort to be a part of http://www.weddingbee.com/ ... one of the many wedding blogs that I frequent for creative wedding thoughts & ideas.  Well, that never happened.  But as I look back, the opportunity to reflect on this unique journey through writing about my daily experiences has been so valuable to me.  And even if no one besides my mom did read it (other than Mr. BB, when I directly asked him to!) ... I am thankful that "the burgundy bride" came to be.  Furthermore, while I realize that I will no longer be a bride past Saturday (yet an official married woman!) ... I plan to continue to visit this site.  Because the truth is,

I always have something to say. 

And of course, I will have to recap that June garden, backyard weddind that I was just speaking of. 

Until then ...

Passports, "Packing", & Pocket Schedules: Check.

Among other things ... of course.  Yes, we have now officially entered the single digit countdown to our June 25th wedding date, and more specifically, we are only five days away.

We feel like we have been in our own bridal boot camp for the past few weeks ... and by that, I am referring to the fact that we have been doing little else but tending to each & every detail for the big day.  So since the last time I updated my blog, a lot of loose ends have been tied up (literally & figuratively).

Some highlights include ... my FI finally receiving his passport (and thus eliminating all of my family members & friends who were lining up to join me on the sand in the Bahamas); successfully packing myself for the night before my wedding, the day & night of the wedding, and of course, that Bahamas trip I just spoke of; and lastly, typing, formatting, printing, folding, & tying the "pocket schedules" that our wedding party will recieve tonight at our official boot camp (more information to come).

Information Includes ... Times/Days of Events, Important Phone Numbers, Addresses ...

My Dad & Grad ...

Even if it was't less than 10 days before my wedding, this would still be a really, really thrilling time for me (as it is every other year).  As my fellow teachers know, the initial days of summer bring a sense of excitement that only we can understand.  Thoughts of long, relaxing days at the beach with no responsibility dance in our heads ... while the assurance of a paycheck every other two weeks still remains. 

There really isn't anything better.

Another constant that arrives each June?  The weekend in which we celebrate both our "Dads" & "Grads."  Both are celebrations that would be impossible to forget, since Target, Hallmark, and Macy's have been feverishly advertising them both since the beginning of May.  And personally, I plan to relish the opportunity to show some special people in my life how much I appreciate them.

Anyone who knows me is aware of how much I respect my dad, and furthermore, those who have met him understand exactly why.  I am fairly sure that I have expressed my thoughts on this subject on a previous post - but my father is seriously the best dad in the world.  He has always been there for me whenever I have needed him (which tends to be a lot ... still ... ) and I am beyond fortunate to have him. 

Secondly, although I look forward to graduation each year (and I have already explained why), this year will be extra special.  My youngest brother, Aaron, will be graduating from high school tomorrow evening - and if my family has anything to do with it, and we will - he will have the biggest cheer at the ceremony.  I am so proud of him & what he has accomplished, and again, those who have met him understand how incredible he really is.

Congratulations to my dad & my grad ... this weekend is all about you. 

Bags, Bags, Billions of Bags ...

Seriously, where does the time go?  Mr. BB & I talk about it often - how as you get older ... minutes, hours, days, even years ... seem to go by faster & faster.  Are we the only two who remember when we were younger and an hour used to feel like FOREVER?  You know, when your mom told you that you had to wait an hour until you could go play with your friends and it sincerely felt like a lifetime before it would ever end ...

So my point is that the last 18 months have officially gone by so incredibly fast that they feel like a blur, and the fact that my wedding is now exactly 10 days away is pretty unbelievable (and incredible all at the same time).  And what are we spending these last few days doing?!  LOTS - in fact, we all (my mom, fiance, dad, brothers, sister, future brother-in-law, esc.) have a list of to-do's before the big day can become a reality. 

My main job has been getting the billions of bags together for the many people who are involved in this upcoming celebration.  That includes:  kids bags, bridal survival kit bags, "friend-or" bags (those people who have helped us from the goodness of their dear, dear hearts), vendor bags, and OOT bags (out-of-town bags).  My house, which was already "packed to the brim" with materials needed for a week from Saturday, is now completely overflowing with bags, bags, and more bags.  And I must admit that both my future husband & myself are very much looking forward to handing them out (thus, clearing out our home) in the days to come.

"Lunch"ing with the Ladies

I am constantly thankful that I was not the first of my girlfriends to get married, as prior to going through the process with two of my best friends recently, I certainly was not aware of many of the bridal traditions & customs that exist.  It is seriously hard to keep up will all of them, although I would now consider myself officially an expert on the subject.  One of them was definitely the bridal luncheon.  Sure, I had heard of a bridal shower and as a girl who loves a celebration of any sort, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ones I have attended.    And obviously, the bachelorette party was an event that I (sometimes) looked forward to even more than the wedding.  But the bridal luncheon was something I was unsure of ...

You know you are getting older when you look forward to giving gifts more than recieving them.  (You remember Christmas as a young child, when you tear open your gifts so quickly you aren't even sure of what Santa actually brought you ... and then feel slightly depressed after you realize there aren't any more presents labeled with your name.)  Needless to say, I have been thinking about the perfect gifts for my special ladies for over 18 months now.  In fact, I actually began on them last summer ... when on a few of my days off, I hand-painted vases in colors that reminded me of each of my girls. 

So over the weekend, I was positively thrilled to be able to thank the extraordinary woman in my life who have made this wedding process so unforgettable for me.  (And , of course, had my mom to help me in this pursuit, even though she is definitely the one who deserved the biggest thank you).  Together, we hosted a luncheon at Rockafellar's Restaurant, in which we were able to celebrate over yummy food, cocktails, a fantastic view, and of course, gifts for the girls.

  

Thank you, again, to my ladies for all you have done, and all I know that we have to look forward to.  And of course, to my mom, who we all know that I couldn't have done (any of this) without.

Licensed To Wed.

Well, another weekend has passed and we are now that much closer to our "big day" ... a day we have been planning & anticipating for well over a year now.  Although I must fully admit that I don't know that the reality of it has struck me yet, either that or I am just that anxious for it to be here. 

And I know my FI, mother, grandmother and various other family members & friends would express their "readiness" for June 25th as well.

So it's a good thing that we have now made it official by getting "licensed to wed" - Mr. BB & I visited the courthouse to obtain the all-important marriage license on Friday!  As with most other events thus far in my life, I was a tad tardy to meet my husband-to-be, who was starting to think he had a runaway bride on his hands.  (He should have known, since he knows me, that I had walked into three different buildings before finding the correct one, in which I ran into another issue since my camera wasn't allowed in the building.)  Nevertheless, I made it right before their 4:30 closing time, and after handing over our applications and raising our right hands to solemnly swear that all of our information was correct - we had another check off of our wedding to-do list.  As VA law states, the certificate is valid for 30 days, and now all that remains is the signature from our officiant (and a fabulous celebration).  And I must mention that the manilla envelope that holds our marriage certificate even even has a sparkly heart sticker on the outside.  Such a sweet touch.

As I stated, cameras were not allowed in the building, but I did manage to get a few on the way out ...

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.