rhiannon. andy. barcelona.

the night of our engagement party, andrea stayed with us at our apartment. i came home and went straight to bed and didn't realize that she was in my room until the next morning. we all slept in then got dressed and headed to lunch. our belly's were in desperate need of some food. i think we waited too long to eat, though, because one we got there, i was no longer hungry. we had hoped jen, court, and huds could meet up with us, but our timing was off. after lunch we were all pretty worn out and decided to have a lazy day at the apartment. andy had just gotten vicky christina barcelona from netflicks, so we popped it in. definitely an unusual movie, but pretty good i suppose. it made all of us want to travel to europe. travis and i have wanted to do so for some time now. i think andy is already planning our 30th birthday party there. it was sad to see her leave that evening. it was so good to have her around. i am excited about the extra time i will have with my friends as we're planning and celebrating the wedding.

engagement party.

on february 21 our friends and family joined us for an engagement party at ti amo ristorante in tulsa. andrea wanted to help us celebrate and called amelia, jen, and kasi to action. the girls did an incredible job, and we couldn't have been more touched to have that time to celebrate with family and friends. it made our engagement and wedding planning seem real. up to that point we hadn't done a whole lot to prepare for the wedding and so much has been going on the past few months, i think it has been easy to lose ourselves in that.

jen did an outstanding job on the centerpieces and decorations, and the toasts made by amelia and travis's dad were both very touching.

the bridesmaids from left to right beginning in the back row: sierra, amanda, jen, kasi, andrea, shannon, rhiannon, and amelia

we ended the night at the bru house. one of our favorite local musicians wink burcham was supposed to be playing. he ended up not being there, but we had fun dancing to the dj's music and laughing and joking with friends.

humble words

hello all. i suppose i am slightly over do for a post or two. so here are a few lines of mine if you have the time.

this month has been quite a headache. i am a person who generally never gets sick throughout the year. i've been sick 3 times, totally 5 days of missed work this month. my grandfather passed away a few yesterdays ago( please remain tearless, his death will be welcomed. he was a man, a good man, and he is now in a better place). this has only added to more missed days and also falling behind in school further and further. financial issues seem to be more of a burden lately, and the list goes on... yes, 2009 is proving to be a very shitass year, atleast its beginning is of a hellish nature. and now to overcome.....

i am a man of few opinions, or at least i try to be. life happens. we get shit on, but we are always granted the opportunity to prevail. i have a beautiful fiance that i will marry this fall. she has her dress and i my fit as well. we take the good with the bad. and when we are patient enough good things become great, and the bad shit really just fades. it's still there, but who should give a damn. we only live once. live it humbly i say.

i just want to send out a thanks to all. our engagement party was a success this past saturday, with a few kinks of course but a great time we had. friends and family are what make life great. and the greatness of life makes all the bullshit worth it. thanks again everybody, and be humble. im getting married! :)

mom's birthday. and the loss of a grandparent.

on february 14, my mom turned 45 years old. it seems hard to believe because i can remember when she was my age (weird). in fact ... i'm only 4 years away from being the age she was when my 15 year old sister was born! she had to work the night of her birthday, but two of her close friends brought her a cake and gifts, and we had a mini birthday party of sorts at the pool hall. on our way to muskogee, we picked up the birthday cake that lindsay and justin had ordered from ann's bakery. travis and i hung out with everyone at the pool hall and then made our way back home.

the next day we met everyone in muskogee at a restaurant that my parents both really like. the original plan had been to go to eufala, but mom decided that she didn't want to go. we met for lunch and then went back to mom and dad's to open presents and eat cake.

the cake was actually done up to look like a box of long stemmed roses. it is something that had been given to my mom years and years ago, and she always talks about it.

{in fact, she tried to have one made for my 16th birthday party, but it turned out to only be a regular sheet cake with roses on the top and my name misspelled. i remember how frustrated and disappointed she had been. justin and i discovered that ann's bakery makes the rose box cakes and had planned for some time that we would have to get one for mom}.

we didn't get to stay too late in the day, but we had a lot of fun spending time with everyone and helping my mom celebrate her birthday.

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we had to cut our visit with mom short because we had the trip to edmond ahead of us. travis's grandpa passed away the friday before and the funeral was to be held on monday morning in shawnee. i was excited to see the family, but just felt so bad for the girls because they had just lost their grandmother a year ago and now they had lost their dad. jim was also in the hospital in icu, and sue was staying with him almost every moment of the day. the hospital wouldn't let her sleep in his room, and we were grateful, because it made her come home and sleep. the weekend was touch and go for everyone. tabitha started going into labor sunday night ... two months too early. they were able to get her contractions stopped at the hospital, but it was a bit of a scare because she had already dialated to a two. the next day everyone made their way to the funeral and my heart broke for the family. the girls did well saying goodbye to their daddy, but i can't even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for them.

wedding gown purchase.

the night after i made the decision of which dress i would wear on my wedding day, claudine and i headed back to the bridal shop {again} to make the final purchase. i had to try it on one final time, and of course claudine had to see it! i was nervous that claudine didn't like it when she saw it because she didn't react the way i expected her to. i asked her about it and she said it was because she was trying so hard to keep from crying!! i went up and made the final arrangements to order the dress. i'll have to wait until may to see it and have it altered. plenty of time to work out ... now if i could just make myself do that!

wedding gown shopping {again}.

The Tuesday following my gown shopping extravaganza with my mom, I headed home to get changed out of my suit and into something a little more comfortable. I really wanted someone to be able to go with me to try on the dress and get their opinion, but Travis was clearly out. I tried to see if Kate could go, but she had Dodgeball that night. I had been thinking of Shannon all day, but hadn't had the opportunity to ask her to be my bridesmaid yet, and didn't know if she could go with me on such short notice. Ten minutes before I had to walk out the door to go try on the dress, though, Shannon called. I took it as a sign and asked her if she wanted to join me. She said she was just getting off work and could meet me there. I finished getting ready, kissed Travis good bye and made my way to the bridal shop. Shannon and I pulled in at the same time and headed into the store. Sara pulled out the two dresses, and I also selected one other one that I wanted to try. As I mentioned in a previous post, there were two dresses and both were very different. I put on the gown no. 1 and Shannon agreed that it was beautiful. I liked it even more than I remembered. Then I put on gown no. 2. This is the gown that made my mom tear up. Shannon thought it was beautiful as well, and I really liked it. I must have tried on both of the dresses three different times. Shannon agreed that gown no. 1 was beautiful and would look beautiful outdoors, but she said it also looked like something she would pick out, while gown no. 2 definitely looked like me. I do want to mention that I absolutely hate how everyone just stands around you waiting for an answer. Other sales reps came over and would comment, and then everyone just stares at you waiting for you to decide. This same thing happened on Saturday when I was with my mom and it made me uncomfortable. I didn't mind that they were looking; it's the awkward silence and staring when you can tell they want you to decide. Saturday had been a little funny, too, because the store was so packed! There was one bride, too, who would try on everything that I did after me. She would come get it from my dressing area. It actually became quite comical. Back to Tuesday, though. Since I hated the awkward waiting, I went back into the dressing room and put my "civilian" clothes back on. While in there I made the decision to go with gown no. 2. It really is beautiful and when Sara had put the jewelry and veil with it on Saturday, it really had completed the package for me. I wanted to buy the gown right then, but had to wait for my dad to transfer the money to me, so Shannon and I got everything in order for me to pay for it the following evening, and we made our way to Cheddar's. It was so great to catch up with her. I asked her to be my bridesmaid that night, and I was thrilled when she said yes. I now had now asked all seven girls, and happily, they had all said yes ... except for Amanda, but I told her that she didn't have a choice! She has such trouble with any kind of "committment," male or female. I think she's glad to be a part of it now, though, and it really would not have been the same without her. It wouldn't be the same without any of the girls that I've chosen. I can't remember if I've listed them before, so I'll go ahead and do that now:

Amelia Campbell is my maid of honor and best friend since the 6th grade. We've managed to keep in touch while going to Universities in different states and have even lived together after college. She has been like another sister in our family.

Sierra Leach is of course my sister and close friend. She has always been there for me and I'm very excited that she gets to stand next to me on my wedding day.

Amanda Lear is Travis's sister and one of my friends. She has been there for Travis and I both, and has helped me through several hard moments over the years. She and Travis continue to get closer every year and I'm very glad that she has agreed to stand with us.

Andy (Andrea) Kurys is one of the very few friends that I keep in touch with from high school. We have actually known each other since junior high and are gemini twins. We share the same birthdate, down to the year, and have celebrated several "momunental" birthdays together such as our 18th and 21st. She's someone I don't get to see often, but when I do, we're sure to laugh a lot.

Kasi Crawford is actually a former employee of mine and one of the few people who helped keep me sane while I was living in Stillwater. Aside from Amelia, she is really the only person that I was close to there. We bonded very quickly, became fast friends, and spent many a fun evening together. Even though we rarely get to see one another, I know I can count on her in a pinch. No matter where she is, she'll come running if I need her.

Jen Collier is a very dear friend from Tulsa. I met her while working at the Addison Group, and like Kasi and I, Jen and I bonded very quickly. I'm not certain how we became so close so quickly because I feel like I've always been able to talk to her about anything. She and Court are one of the few mutual couple friends that Travis and I share. Travis has fun hanging out with both Jen & Court and I'm looking for the extra time with them planning a wedding brings. Jen has been helping me plan this wedding long before a ring was on my hand, and in my mind it has always been a given that she would be standing beside me.

Shannon Repka is the last, but certainly not the least, of my bridesmaids. Shannon and I were close friends in college, and aside from Dylan and Lexi, she is the only person that I truly keep in contact on a regular basis. She and I were roommates for two years and she saw me through some of the largest growth periods I've had to go through. She's is always there with a shoulder and no judgement, honesty, and compassion. We're the "Annons" afterall, and our wedding day would not be the same without her.

wedding gown shopping.

the first weekend in february my mom and i went wedding gown shopping. i thought about making it a girls' day out with my bridesmaids, my mom, and travis's mom, but then i decided to just make it a day for my mom and me.

we started early in the morning at alfred angelo's where i had an appointment scheduled. there were several beautiful gowns, but i never found one that just screamed, "pick me!" i stood in front of the mirror for what felt like hours. the dresses only came in one or two sizes, so most of them had to be "clipped" in the back with huge clips. we decided to check out more stores and headed to david's bridal. i was determined to not get my gown from david's, but decided that checking it out was at least worth a shot. the girl that helped me was incredibly helpful however, and i really had a good time with her.

while waiting for the attendant to get a few dresses ready for me, my mom and i wandered the store looking at bridesmaids gowns. i looked up and realized my cousins mandi and kendra were standing in front of me and not far behind was my aunt berta. kendra is getting married this july, and she was in town getting her bridesmaids gowns. we didn't get to chat long, but it was fun seeing the girls. travis also called me while we were waiting for the fitting because he had left his keys with me the night before in muskogee when he left with eric to stay the night at eric's apartment. when i met him outside in the parking lot, it was the first time my stomach had been fluttery all morning. i think seeing him out in front of the bridal shop brought more excitement to the day and reminded what i was really doing. he and eric left to take a shower, and i headed back in to see mom.

the girl helping me was named sara, and she really was a doll. she has been working with brides for several years and was so helpful. [i would like to describe the experience a little more, but i don't want to give away any hints on the type of gown i'll be wearing as i want it to be a complete surprise for travis]. i eventually narrowed it down to two dresses that i really liked (one of which made my mom tear up when she saw it). the dresses were almost complete opposites of one another, so it was kind of unusual that they were the two i would narrow it down to. i still didn't have a gown that i considered "the one." we were there so long and had been looking at dresses since early in the morning, so mom asked travis if he and eric would mind to bring her a mocha. they were supposed to call before coming, but instead walked straight to the back where we were. i thought my mom was going to have a cornary! i wasn't wearing a gown [thankfully] but she was still a little wound up when she saw the guys walking through the shop.

after writing down details for the gown, jewelry, veil, and undergarments that i preferred, mom and i decided to take a break and grab some lunch. i was starting to get a bit of a headache and felt a little wound up myself. we grabbed lunch at senor tequila. i enjoyed a margarita to calm my nerves and relieve my headache. we headed to one final shop after lunch. alyssa's brial. the day was getting away from us. mom had to be back in muskogee by 6:00 or so to work the busy saturday evening. when we first walked in, i didn't think we would find a thing. then we came across two gorgeous vintage dresses. there were several changes that would need to be made to one of them, but it was incredible. i think we tried those two gowns on a million times. by this time in the day my mom and i were pretty tired and while trying to zip a gown with a very stubborn zipper, we dissolved into uncontrollable laughter and giggles. we would just finish laughing and one of us would start again. i remember thinking at that moment, "this is a moment i'll remember forever." i don't often get to see my mom, even though we go to muskogee so often. any time spent with her requires that i share most of her time and attention with customers, projects, or other family members. i was so grateful to spend the day with her.

as our day of shopping was drawing to a close, mom thought maybe it would be better if travis was with us so he could just pick one and we could be on our way! :)

we wrapped up at alyssa's and headed back to muskogee. dad looked at several of the gowns, but didn't seem to have a preference. he picked out several that he liked, and it was fun to see what he would have picked for me to try.

i set up an appointment to go back to david's bridal the following tuesday to try on the gowns again.

chicken noodle soup.

{i have gotten a little behind on our blog and a few of these posts are out of order. many apologies}

on thursday morning travis woke up saying that he didn't feel very well. throughout the day he continued to feel worse at work. when i got home from work that evening, he had already beaten me home and was in bed. he was bunded up under the blankets and was burning up with fever. there was little i could do for him and little that he needed except for sleep. he missed work on friday, sweating out fevers and then having them spike again. he spent the day in bed and on the couch while improving his mob wars skills on facebook.

on saturday we met with a photographer that we have found (eandaphotography). he is just getting started and does a photojournalistic style. he has a few of his pictures posted online, but most were engagement photos and not many of weddings. i was hoping to see more of his wedding shots at our meeting. unfortunately, he has been second-shooting for another photographer until recently; therefore most of his wedding photography is property of the other photographer. i think this guy is on the right track ... i think he lacks experience, but will be great someday. i am nervous to put down the deposit because i don't wan to be disappointed since the pictures are such an important part for me. the benefits of booking him, however, is that he costs 2/3 less than the other photographers that i have loved; he provides two photographers for the entire wedding day and does not charge additional for each hour; he doesn't charge travel; he provides a high-resolution, copyright release disc of all of our prints; he does not require that we purchase any prints from him (but we do have the option to do so); he provides an engagement session. the guy is really, really nice and is one of the most genuine people that we meet. i just wish that we could see more of his pictures before booking with him.

travis didn't say much in our meeting with the photographer because he was still sick and really not feeling well. we stopped by tom's house to pick up bear root. it's a native american remedy and had helped tom and his roommate get back on their feet quickly after being ill. we swung by pottery barn on our way home so that i could pick up their registry guide. i could do all of the registration online, but i am so tactile; plus, i think walking through the store and looking at everything is half of the fun. travis is still up for going, so we're planning to go once he starts feeling better. by saturday night travis had stopped running his fevers ... but now had cabin fever. we headed to muskogee to see everyone. travis hadn't seen his family in two weeks and he wanted to stop in.

when we got to muskogee we discovered that justin and lindsay were both sick, and lindsay was afraid that she had strep throat. we headed back home at the end of the night, eric in tow.

on saturday we headed to dave + busters and did our spring cleaning. by the time travis got home from shawnee, though, he wasn't feeling very well again, and then eric was sick. this time travis had a painfully sore throat and was achy all over again. before we headed to bed his nose began to run non-stop. in the wee early hours of the morning, i moved to the couch to try to get some uninterrupted sleep before i headed to work. when travis awoke, he was much worse. he called in to work on monday and tuesday.

finally tonight he seems to have a little bit more energy, but he still isn't feeling terrific. i went to the store about an hour ago in search of chloroseptic spray for his throat. the past few days honey and tea have been his friend. i've been worried about him, so it's nice to see him up and about once again.

tomorrow should be a big day. i am meeting with dan, claudine, and john rausch of rausch coleman homes. this is the company is the company that offered me a position earlier in the summer that i declined since i was getting my promotion with addison. wish me luck ...

spring cleaning.

on sunday we met up with eric and his dad for lunch at dave + busters. we had all wanted to go since it opened at the end of last month, but we haven't had the opportunity. we enjoyed the food, but no one felt much like playing games. we're planning to go back some evening and enjoy the time together.
after lunch we headed to mathis brothers furniture to look around. travis hates our couch, so many couches were tested. it was a lot of fun looking around the store and envisioning how our future home will look.
after our afternoon out, eric had to take his dad back to shawnee and invited travis along for the ride so that he wouldn't have such a long ride back to tulsa alone. while the boys were gone i did some serious spring cleaning. travis and i started cleaning before lunch with the guys, so i picked up where we left off. i cleaned out our closet (again!) and even emptied the entertainment center. i rearranged lamps, kitchen decor, living room decor, and dusted from top to bottom. the final result felt terrific. i can't think of many things that feel better and more refreshing than a truly clean home.