Wedding Ticket Frustration.....Yes More

After finally getting almost the entire wedding guests tickets figured out and scheduled correctly....it was now time to purchase Austin's ticket...the one most important thing we had been waiting on the airlines to figure everything out so we could book and finalize our trip. So last week (Friday) I called to get some prices....the price had dropped to $490....great price! So I called today (Thursday) to book and the price went up to over $700 dollars!! OMG!!

I know this is my fault I should of just booked it when it was the lower price, but me being the lovely procrastinator that I am.....I waited. So instead of admitting to myself that I should of booked it sooner....I will blame the travel lady....sounds perfect!

Uggghhh....the travel lady really should of called me and followed up, she should of told me the ticket might jump up in price, she should of done something instead of nothing! OK....I feel better now.....it's truly all her fault!

My thoughts now....what do I do? Do I wait and see if it happens to drop down again? Do I take that chance that it will raise even more? Frustration, Frustration, Frustration.....Oh did I mention I'm Frustrated?

Phew.....I feel better now!!

James "One Ring"

James had originally wanted his wedding ring to be the "Lord Of The Rings" ring....so I thought well sure you'll be the one wearing so you should have what you'd like. So this is what it would of looked like....

Of course minus the fire in the background and such. :) Then I found out after using the wonderful "wikianswers" that the ring says:

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Which is cool....I suppose for the movie, but for a wedding ring? This must be one of those "guy things" that women will just never understand......What kind of darkness? Where is it bringing us? I'm so confused by it's meaning......one ring to rule who?

So after we stopped in at just about every jewelry store you could think of....James decides on this ring. Which is the same minus the "Lord Of The Rings" saying....

PERFECT!

Jenn's "Lord Of The Rings" meaning translated:

One Ring to rule James, One Ring to help him find me,
One Ring to bring him to me and in the sunshine of our Maui Wedding bind him!

Do you think James will like it? LOL

Loose Diamond!!

Yesterday.....was a big, long day for me. I went to an appointment, had lunch with my sister and then spent a few hours shopping around the mall. I looked at the clock and thought crap it's almost 3:30...I better get home soon so James doesn't think I'd been shopping all day.

On my way home I looked down at my ring as I do often when it's sunny out because it sparkles so pretty! :) As I wiggled my hand around in the sun to make it sparkly more....I noticed....OMG one of my diamonds was moving around....maybe my eyes are playing a trick on me? So I pull over and poke at it with my nail....nope it's completely loose.

So I freak out and put it in a safe place....the bottom of my purse....real safe! LOL It seemed smart at the time. I finally get home and put it in my camera bag, much better place & softer. :)

James and I then go back up to mall that night and the ring place agrees to fix my ring at no charge. However I have to wait for a week to get it back, so now I feel naked! I still just can't believe I could of lost one of my diamonds....oh and get this the guy at the ring store being the smart ring man that he was told us that if I would of lost the diamond they would have replaced it at no cost to us.....really....well now I'm totally picking out all my diamonds when I get my ring back so I can make myself a bling, bling necklace. In the meantime to fill the void of my naked finger I'm just going to have to go Macy's and get one of those big fatty J LO rings!

Wedding Planning Comedy

This is compliments of Kyle.....one of the groomsmen. I thought it was pretty funny and sooooo James!

Rev. Adam Gomes

When picking someone to marry James and I....I completely had this person envisioned in my mind. I think that Rev. Adam fit's that vision to a "T". I'm so excited that he blows the conch and does the true Hawaiian chant....it will give us a true feeling of a Hawaiian wedding.

"Rev. Adam Gomes is the quintessential Hawaiian minister. He will blow the conch, chant in Hawaiian and translate that chant. His ceremonies are heartfelt and deliver the true Hawaiian wedding experience. Adam in his traditional Hawaiian robe will delight!"

Musician For Our Wedding

I went back and fourth on what to do for music at the wedding....since we are getting married on the grass it's not like they just have a sound system out there or a piano. So I checked with the wedding planner for a vocal/guitarist....turns out....ummmm....no. I was not feeling that one at all. So I asked again, for something maybe a little different...what about a ukulele player? My planner came back with a vocalist/harp player.....amazing & so unique. I love it! She will play background music through the whole ceremony except of course during our vow exchange and the ring exchange. Check her out she's got a few songs on her site you can listen too....

http://www.lisaportermaui.com/

The first thing that James and I noticed when we went to her site is that she plays "Beauty and The Beast"....OMG can you imagine me walking down the aisle to that....funny!

I have so many great ideas for pictures too. Here's an example of one I defiantly want to take with James....

Becoming A Step~Mom

I am so excited that on June 27, 2009 that I will not only marry my best friend but I will also become a step-mom. Austin is such a great kid....I was so worried in the beginning thinking that I never wanted to be the evil "step-mother". I remember the first time I met Austin....I was on my way over to James house and he said that he'd like me to meet Austin....I was very nervous. I thought to myself....I'll bring him a hot cocoa....so I stopped into Big Foot Java and picked one up...what better way to win a kid over....right! :) It worked!! :) Austin has such a big heart and welcomed me right away. I feel very lucky to have him in my life.

Our Reception Site Back Home

When James and I return from Maui, we will be having a reception with all of our family & friends at the Eagles Club in Orting, WA on July 11th.

Thanks to my Aunt Debbie, Uncle Jim & My Wonderful Mom.....and many others that are helping make this day happen for us.

There will be more to come on this.....what I do know is there will be dancing, good food, great drinks & even greater people around to share it all with!!

Hope to See you all there!!

The Girls Dresses

When I picked out my dress I found a bridesmaid dress that was just perfect. All the girls agreed. So the plan was to order these dresses…..Tracy called and ordered hers over the phone since she could not make it over that weekend and my sister, cousin and I went to the store to try them on one last time.

I had no idea that when we would get there they would have all of their “summer/spring” collection out. So I thought well let’s try a few of these on. Kerri & Kimmy were both so great about it because I must have had them un-dress and re-dress five different times. We couldn’t find anything we loved more then the first one we picked so that’s the one we were going to go with. Then on the way out….Kerri was just getting her credit card out to pay….I found one more dress. They went to try it on…..and…..we loved it! They only had it in green for them to try on, but we were able to order it in “Candy Pink”, which I like to call “Maui Barbie Pink”. So luckily they let us change out Tracy’s dress that she already paid for and we got to get my new favorite dress. Perfect for Maui & looks just great on the girls!!

So now it’s onto shoes…..to have shoes or to not have shoes….that is the question. I’m thinking some really cute flip-flops or just barefoot (with our toes all “did” of course). I’ll have to think about this one a bit more.

Love You Ladies & I Can’t Wait To Be In Maui With You All Soon!!

P.S. Apparently someone thought Kimmy did not look very happy in the pictures....it couldn't be that at this point she had tried on a million dresses, but she told me that she is very happy for us and I am supposed to put that on here. LOL

Stretchy Pants

So the Best Man & Groomsmen came over to try on these pants that James and I got on sale at Macy’s…..they are perfect for the wedding…..linen cabana pants. They only had 4 on the rack and they were all the same size……we were hoping that they would fit everyone since they had a drawstring waist. The Best Man, Josh, called them “Stretchy Pants” since they seemed to work for everyone. I thought that was pretty funny….reminded me of “The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants”….the girls will know this one. LOL

They worked for everyone after being hemmed up just a bit for Mac & Kyle (Thanks to the expertise of Mary). However I got word later that Josh needed to order a large size since he felt his “Stretchy Pants” were just a little too snug. So Nicole (being so great) ordered them on-line for him.

So now the search will begin for their shirts…….how to match them to my girls “candy pink” dresses will be a fun adventure!!

Wedding Show

I went to my first and only wedding show at the Tacoma Dome with my sister, mom, grandma & Tiffany. It was actually a lot of fun....we got to taste nummy food/cake, get tons of samples, get tons of cards, took some pictures and listen to every one's spiel. I did notice that these shows are not necessarily geared for "destination weddings". I absolutely loved a cake from "The Cake Studio" called orange creme it tasted just like those little orange & white sherbet ice creams you had when you were a little kid...you know the ones with the wooden spoons....to die for! My sister & grandma ended up stealing (well not really, but kind of) me 4 little yellow duckies....ones a bride, groom, ring bearer and flower girl (I'll defiantly be using these next time I take a bath). Fun souvenir! It was a really fun day! We also ended up running into Jill & Kimmy there as well....Jill is getting married in August. After the wedding show we all went out to lunch at the Olive Garden.

P.S. One other thing that happened at this wedding show is that the Tacoma Dome was over charging big time. I called them on it and they ended up posting the correct price on a piece of paper they stuck to the ticket window. So make sure you keep an eye on those sneaky ticket providers.

The Wedding Dress Search

The first time I went out wedding dress shopping, I was with my mom, sister & Tracy. I must of tried on what seemed like a million dresses. I took pictures of like the top 5 and then came home and critiqued the crap out of them...word of advise...don't take pictures...but I think that's impossible because I think all brides do. :) No luck this trip, just a lot of wondering. We went out to Bahama Breeze afterwards for lunch....did you know they have $3 dollar beers....score! :)

Then I ended up going a second time with my sister, Tracy & Jessica. We ended up running late and got to the dress shop an hour before closing. The first dress I tried on was "THE ONE"...I wore it around the store for almost the entire hour....finally the sales associate asked me..."do you like it"...."I love it"! So I put a deposit down on the dress....this way thinking that I still had time to change my mind...just in case. So the four of us went out for a beer and appetizers afterwards & I cried....I couldn't believe I found "THE ONE". It's such an amazing feeling.

While your reading this you must be thinking in the midst of all this wedding dress talking there's also a lot of beer talking, but this whole process is a celebration so what's better to celebrate with then your bestest friends, family and beer!

Love You Girls!!

P.S. Of course I can't post the picture of the dress just yet...it's a surprise! So you'll have to check back after the wedding to see it.

Our Save The Date Magnet

In the beginning of the wedding planning my first thing I wanted to do was order a "save the date" magnet. I thought this way everyone we love will have me & James on their fridge for a least a year....maybe even longer....as some people tend to get a collection of magnets on their fridge. So each time you grab a quick bite or a beer you see our smiling faces and are reminded of our upcoming wedding. :)

Our Honeymoon ~ Poipu Kai, Kauai

James and I were suprised with the most amazing gift of all.....our honeymoon. My Sister and my Dad surprised us by calling our travel agent and changing our flight and hotel. So instead of staying in Maui for our honeymoon we are now flying out the day after our wedding to Kauai. We are so excited! We will be staying at ResortQuest at Poipu Kai....it's a 70 acre resort with two world class beaches just a stroll away.

June 28th ~ July 2nd

AN AMAZING GIFT FROM MY SISTER & MY DAD ~ THANKS SO MUCH & WE LOVE YOU!!

Our Airline Ticket Fiasco

Pretty much the entire wedding group decided to follow our lead and go through a travel agent to buy our airline/car rental tickets. We did this way in advance as suggested by most agencies to get the best rate....knowing that we may have time changes for example that could change slightly from the time of booking until the time we leave. However I never thought Northwest (our airline) would be bought out by Delta! Now none of us knew when were leaving....no confirmation....nothing. At this point my poor travel lady had a "frantic bride" on her hands. I have heard way too many horror stories.....I trusted her and knew that she would figure it all out, but weeks into the airline buy out we still had nothing. With the middle of March fast approaching and the wedding only being 3 months away....James suggested that I call the owner of the travel agency and demand an answer. So that is what I did....within 30 minutes of making that call I got a call back stating that mine & James itinerary had been updated and we are good to go & within 3 days I had the rest of the wedding group's tickets confirmed as well. Of course I'm leaving out a lot of the middle "freak outs" that I had over this, but I suppose the moral of this story is to be in top of things.....especially airfare at all times!! Luckily my travel lady was on top of this and it just took a few more calls to the airlines explaining the situation to change everything. Phew.....no more worries on getting there....we are on schedule to MAUI!!

P.S. If you need a travel agent please to hesitate to ask me who I am using because overall she has been great and very very very patient with me through all of this.

Where We Are Staying in Maui

We will be staying at Kauhale Makai - Village By The Sea

James & I will be staying June 24th - June 28th

P.S. My favorite part of this picture is that it says "Aloha" in the ground....Perfect!

Wedding & Reception at Five Palms Beach Grill

June 27, 2009

We are getting married in Maui, Kihei at the Five Palms. We will be having a smaller wedding with our close family and friends and then upon our return we will be having a big reception party with all of our family and friends in Washington. I can't wait to marry James in Paradise!!

The picture above shows the area where our reception will take place and we will be married on the lawn just outside the open aired window. I will have more to come on this once we get there....only 3 months to go!!

www.fivepalmsrestaurant.com

Our Engagement

We went on a family vacation with James Mom (Mary), Austin, James and I to Orlando, Florida for Austin's spring break from school. On one of the days we ended up going to the Epcot Center and I had fantasized about sipping coffee in the little make believe Paris, France they had setup. So James and I got a cappuccino and a strawberry tart and found a quaint little table on the Paris cobblestone street front. James started getting all goofy and fidgety which he never does….he’s usually outgoing and the life of the party! I asked him is everything ok? He then get’s up out of his chair and kneels in front of me….he could hardly speak a little “squeak” came out and then had asked “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” Of course I started crying and said YES!! I was not expecting it at all; I couldn’t have been more surprised. It was amazing!! The whole time Mary and Austin were off to the side of the cobblestone street video taping the moment….I had no idea that was even happening….I was oblivious to everything around me. It was a very special moment for us both being able to include Austin and his mom in the moment and then having the video to share later with everyone else. We ended up all having lunch and I basked in the glory of my new gorgeous ring on my finger….taking what seemed to be at least a million pictures. The rest of the day I spent calling and texting everyone I knew to tell them and about our engagement and show them my new bling-bling. James did a great job picking out the ring….it defiantly gives me the princess feel that I would have picked for myself. A perfect once in a lifetime day!!

How We Met

James and I worked together at a software company in Puyallup. James ended up taking a different job about a year later and during this transition we stayed in touch as friends. We ended up checking in with eachother every few days it seemed just to say "hi" or "how are things going" and then that turned into every day. Before I knew it we were going out for drinks more often, hanging out, chatting about everything under the sun…..and then James invited me to his work Christmas party.....little was I to know that this is the same night I would fall in love with my best friend. I started getting ready the night of his Christmas party and it dawned on me…. “Was this a date?” ….I immediately called my sister and had a womanly “freak out” moment. The night ended up being great. A few weeks passed after the Christmas party that we didn’t talk as much…honestly because I knew that James was going to change my life and I was not sure if I was ready. Common sense ended up kicking in and James and I went to lunch, continued the date onto a coffee shop and then on to wine that evening. I started just stopping by his place to say “hi” (using my sister as an excuse to be in the area, since she lived just a few blocks from him) the tricky things we do. Then one evening I was leaving James place and he walked me to the door….only to open it and then shut it quickly…turning to me he says “I can’t let you leave without kissing you”….my heart raced…I was literally having another “freak out” moment….we kissed and then I rushed out the door. I felt like a school girl….like I was 15 again….never had anyone made me feel this way. I left for a girls trip to Vegas a few days later and upon my return James picked me up at the airport….we went to his place and I never left. The rest is history. He is an amazing person and I don’t know how I made it this far without him in my life and I can’t imagine a day to come without him in it. I am a fond believer in “Love will happen when you least expect it”. Who ever thought that I would end up marrying my best friend? It’s just perfect!