Progress Report #7

It has been close to two months since my last blog post… I will let you guess how busy school has been. My mind has been filled with all sorts of things ranging from diagnostics…. cerebral cortex… SOAP notes… phonemes. But let’s not forget about what is really taking up 95% of my brain mass: planning this wedding. So much has gone down on the wedding front. I guess that’s the perk of it being only 2 months away. Yes, two months. As in 66 days. As in 9 weeks. So, now that I have got a grip on the psychometric principles and structural integrity of a standardized diagnostic test, I guess I can take the time to reflect back on this wedding process and see the exciting wedding biz that has occurred.

But let’s be realistic… “wedding” has not been the only thing on my mind. Georgia football is a close 2^nd. The Dawgs don’t stop for wedding planning; Wedding planning stops for the Dawgs.

Wedding Bands:

 The “exchanging of rings” is a crucial part in any wedding ceremony. So in order to do that, we needed to purchase these bands of gold. Seth and I went to the jeweler one Saturday and tried them out. It was odd enough having to get used to a ring on my left hand for these past 9 months, but to see Seth with a ring? It is just strange. Like not even cool… just strange. But regardless, it didn’t take him long to pick out his favorite. I mean, he is not a diamond stud kind-of guy, so the choice was easy.  Supposedly, his ring is so strong that it “couldn’t be cut by the Jaws of Life.” That is perfectly fine with me because I don’t want anything but the dear Lord himself taking that ring off. Picking out my band was a little more complicated. The indentions in the band had to match the curves in my ring. After repeatedly going back-and-forth, we finally picked one. I recognize my bias, but I think it is really pretty... if you are asking my opinion. It compliments my engagement ring well. Now the next step in the wedding band process is deciding what to get engraved on the inside. I came up with a couple of choices, but Seth wasn’t too fond of them. Personally, I don’t see the issue:

·         Seth’s ring: “2 Gether”, Liz’s ring: “Fo ‘eva”

·         Seth’s ring: “To infinitiy”, Liz’s ring: “And Beyond”

·         Seth’s ring: “Thank you Lord for my smokin’ hot wife” Liz’s ring: “Amen”

You can’t get more original than those. But on a more serious note, we have decided to get the same thing engraved in both of them: “December 15, 2012 Song of Solomon 3:4” So you don’t have to look it up, that verse says, “I have found the one whom my soul loves.” And regardless of how appropriate my other ring sayings were, I do believe that I have found my “soul mate.”

Invitations

You can fake this wedding planning business all day long; but when you order the invitations, things get real. Fast. I ordered invitations about a month ago so they could have time to be printed and shipped. Once I had approval from all parties (Seth, our parents, friends) and spell-check was completed, it was time to place the order. It took me about 15 minutes of mental-convincing to click the “Confirm Order” button during check out. I had everything in place, but this was such a big deal that I just sat there hovering over the button. I think I was eating some Chex Mix at the time, and I had so much anxiety that I ate my way through the bag before placing the order. It’s just a big deal. Finally, I ordered the invitations, and they have arrived. Once again I may have a little bias, but they are beautiful. Simple, elegant, and classy. Remember how I said in my last blog that my thank you notes match the invitations? Well, here is a picture of everything. When things coordinate, my heart is happy.

Miscellaneous

There are several little detailed things that can’t be placed in a category, but I still value them as being important. First, I had my first shower at the beginning of September. It was Pampered Chef, hosted by some incredibly sweet and caring people. They really went all out for it, and I feel so blessed. One of the neatest things they gave Seth and me were these old Coke bottles. First of all, you all know our story and significance behind Coke in a glass bottle. Second, you don’t have to be told our love for the Georgia Bulldogs. Therefore, these National Championship Coke bottles are perfect. Now, whether or not I will see a National Championship in my lifetime is debatable.

Throughout my engagement (which feels approx. 3 months in length), I have received some cards, magazines, sweet messages, etc. from different people. I keep all of these little knick-knacks in a box so I can look back on them on day. Who am I kidding… I look back on them now, and I am not even married yet. Another thing that I am proud of is my garter. Most people don’t notice this at the wedding, nor do they care to do so. But with me being a detailed person, everything has extreme importance in my book. I wanted a cute little garter and toss away. I got it handmade from this small little craft store called Etsy (heard of it?). Since the majority of people at the wedding won’t make an effort to see what the garter looks like, I will help you out and post a picture of it. Oh and remember the homemade jelly I talked about in the last blog? Here is a better picture of it. Cute-tee-pie!

My dress is in the final stages of being altered. I guess that means it is time for us to decide what Seth and his posse will wear. You would think this would be easier than picking out a wedding dress, but no sir. Tuxes are a lot more detailed than I had anticipated. Satin lapels? Patterned tie? Cumberbun? Vest? Two buttons? Three buttons? Oh and not to mention that we have about 13 people to round up that need to be fitted. (And we all know how “forgetful” and “last minute” boys can be!) But finally we got the tuxes picked, and this item can be checked off the list.

Within the next 2 months, we will begin to see: programs, final payments, dress fitting, showers, luncheons, parties, counseling, mailing invitations, marriage license, and much more. I got to fit school in there somewhere. At the end of all of this, I will be looking forward to some major relaxation (i.e., Jamaica) where there is no mention of “somatosensory input,” “client report writing,” “articulation,” or “phonemic inventory.” Yes, I will miss the wedding planning and all of the fun it has been, but I am looking forward to my marriage even more than the wedding.