Houston, We Have a Guest List

I am a huge planner when it comes to something I'm excited about. We are still ten or eleven months until the wedding (we haven't even set a date yet - we'd have to meet with the parish associate/ deacon and he's out of town this week), but I am planning everything I can. I think my fear is that, once I get into the semester, school work will have me bogged down and unable to plan.

We have our guest list.

We've already contacted (through my aunt) a sweet DJ who offered us a sweet deal.

We've been working out a budget.

We've been researching locations, cried at how expensive they are, etc. etc. Now we're trying to decide whether to use the parish hall or go with an outdoors, more expensive by at least $900, but probably way more once you factor in the cost of a tent, venue. The parish hall has two really beautiful patios, but I'm not sure how you'd incorporate them. The smaller one is off of the reception hall, but the larger one is at the back of the parish life center, on the bottom floor, and overlooking the blacktop.

I've also taken my ring to be resized! I am anxiously awaiting its return - we dropped it off on Monday and the jeweler said it could be a whole week until we get it back. In the meantime, I've been wearing an imitation sapphire costume ring of my Mom's, just because wearing a ring makes me feel like an engaged woman. My brothers think I'm being ridiculous. "Shouldn't being engaged to Jordan make you feel like an engaged woman?" I can't explain it, either to them or myself, but seeing a ring on that special finger gives me the warm-and-fuzzies. :)

We're also thinking about doing paper flowers for the bouquet - Jordan made me a gorgeous bouquet of paper roses for Valentine's Day last year and I've kept them, so paper bouquets and boutonnieres would mean something to us and they'd help lend that cutesy, folksy feel I'm hoping for. I'm brimming over with ideas! Now that I've gotten over my oh-god-this-is-going-to-be-so-hard-oh-god phase, I'm really excited. :)

I know the wedding is still nearly a year away, but it's never too early to plan, right? Right?

We've also been playing Cass's Wii yesterday and today. I love this thing.

"Although it may not look exactly like the cover of a magazine, it's still beautiful to me"

One of my new favorite shows this year is Mike & Molly on CBS. Since I'm usually writing papers or grading when this show comes on, my Mom has taken to recording it for me on DVR so I can watch it when I come home. Some of you may remember when I posted this article last week:

http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/overweight-couples-on-television

Long story short, this blogger blasted the show for depicting two overweight couples in love, stating, among other things, that she doesn't want to see two overweight (she draws a distinction between overweight and plump) people kissing, just like she doesn't want to see overweight people doing anything as mundane as walking across the room. She also criticized the show for normalizing obesity.

I watched the Mike & Molly Thanksgiving show tonight. In the thanksgiving speech, Billy Gardell, the actor who plays Mike, gives a barely perceptible response to the article (0:19 in the video below). This scene is so beautiful to me, with the imperfect family, tactless friends, and uninvited guests enjoying a moment of pure happiness around the Thanksgiving table. The look Gardell gives Melissa McCarthy (Molly) when he utters the line leaves no mistaking its intention.



On this Thanksgiving, I am so thankful for the love I've found with the most amazing man, and the past two years that we've spent as a couple.

Tomorrow is about appreciating our family and friends, and being thankful for the good things in our lives. Although none of us, nor the events we plan, are perfect, as this episode points out, I hope that we're all happy with the celebration we've been given, and with the people we celebrate it with.