Well... we did it!

Well we got married! It was a fairytale come true and I have the most wonderful husband and best friend I could ever imagine!
We had a great time in Greece and Italy and now it's back to the real world of work and life's many challenges (which at the moment seem a bit overwhelming). We still don't know where we will be in the next year. For now though Brodie and I are settling into life in LaJolla for what we hope will be permanent. It's the only place that feels like home to me anymore and where we are honestly the happiest.

Round two of weddings this summer is in full swing and I think Jess's is more stressful than my own was. I think her's is taking a bigger toll on everyone than mine (for reasons I won't go into here). However, I at least now have my Brodie and the beach and Disneyland and The Grove not to far away to make my days brighter-- and of course the California sun! If I make it through the next few months without another major blow-up I'll be happy. (Somehow I find this somewhat doubtful.) But to end on a happier note: I have the absolute best husband in the world!

Just an update

It's been a long couple of weeks for Brodie and me. We had a great time in both Nashville and Texas. However, we really would prefer to be moving back to Southern California. I would even take NorCal right now compared to the middle of TN or TX. (And I mean really northern California, like north of the Bay area or even Fresno compared to the alternatives-- hey, at least it'd still be CA.. right?)

Anyway, that's my whining and complaining for the night. All in all we did have a great time and met a number of great people. There are worse things than having to live in the Texas hill country or on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. This is actually a lesson and reality we are being hit with on top of everything else. One of my best friends is currently deployed in Qatar through the fall and another good friend has been in Afghanistan for the past four months. Having close friends on deployment always stresses and worries me some. We don't think Brodie will be redeployed, but there's always that chance if he stays on enlisted active duty and I'd be lying if I said it doesn't freak me out some.

I'm not so secretly praying that Brodie decides to leave active duty when the army finally is willing to let him go. This was the plan all along, but things change and I suppose nothing is ever for certain. Right now he's wanting to stay in the reserves probably and taking a job working with INSCOM that would be based out of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. In other news Brodie was supposed to be done with his current assignment this last February and it was extended to May; well now, we're looking at August. They've yet to find a suitable replacement for Brode and I think the army dragging their feet some on purpose. We know they'd like for Brodie to resign his contract and stay enlisted, but we're really leaning the other way. At least they've been pretty flexible with time off and schedules. We are of course going to Europe in June for our honeymoon :) After we return it looks like we'll spending the summer in Kansas and Brode will be hopefully training his replacement and transitioning out of active duty-- so much for our perfect SoCal beach summer :(

Given the current state of the world and Obama's stupid plan to deal with Afghanistan and pull out of Iraq, I believe we're looking at an even bigger mess and wars. This whole scenario pretty much totally freaks me out and is why Brodie and I are anxious and increasingly ready for him to be done with his military obligations.

In other news, we will actually be going out to Breckenridge in Colorado for a mini-vacation/long weekend in a couple weeks to just relax and enjoy the very end of ski season. That's it for now. When we get back from CO we're flying out to Ari and Kevin's wedding in Georgia and then back to Seattle for a few days. After that it's home to SoCal for Pepperdine's law school graduation and then to Santa Barbara for our wedding! There's just a little over a month-- Crazy!!

Job interviews and house shopping

I decided I very much dislike job interviews and house hunting. Well, I actually don't mind house hunting as much as the first thing. Brodie's been of course interviewing with the army at Fort Campbell and we've been in the greater Nashville area the last few days. Next Monday we're going to be back in San Antonio doing the same.

We also looked at some houses in Clarksville (an "army town" halfway between Nashville and the base). I have to say it's a nice enough area, but really not for me. I'm still hoping we end up either in La Jolla or at least what I've dubbed "middle of nowhere Texas between Austin and San Antonio". Brode and I both feel that Tennessee really isn't for us. It's too far from our families and friends and just not where we want to be in the end.

Anyway, here are the highlights from our time in Nashville:

• Stock-Yard- It's supposed to be one of the top 10 steakhouses in the US and also home to the oldest bottle of wine known to exist in the US. Of course this claim to fame meant Brode had to check it out. We think they definitely are one of the best steakhouses and can keep their title.
  
• Nashville also has some other great restaurants too that we got to check out.
  
• Shopping is ok- but there is no Nordstrom or other places I frequent. There is a Tiffany's, and yes, I do have the best fiance ever! Brodie just calls it doing his part to stimulate the economy- works for me :)
• Country music hall of fame and all the Nashville music stuff. If you're here you have to check it all out. So we did.

And now for the Texas portion update. We've had an amazing time in Texas so far and I really like it much better than Nashville. I'm hoping we end up here if it has to be anywhere other than SoCal. Interviews today went well and we looked at a few houses in San Antonio. Ideally we'd want to be somewhere between Austin and San Antonio. Whatever work I would want to do with politics would be based more out of Austin of course.

I love the river walk in San Antonio. Mix great shopping and restaurants with a gorgeous setting and I'm as good as home. Like I said I could live here. We'll be here one more day then we're driving up to spend a couple days in Austin.

Brode and I both really like staying in hotels that are both luxurious but not too big and more unique than your average Hyatt or Hilton. We also look for ones that aren't in the center of the crazy downtown districts. Brodie is also somewhat obsessed with antiques and unique furniture. Both hotel's we're staying at meet our requirements for decor with an extensive collection of unique furniture and art.

If you're ever in San Antonio and need a good place to stay we love the La Mansion del Rio. It's on the River Walk and the perfect combination of Texas style and luxury. This is my third time staying here and I love it. If you stay here try to get a room over looking the river walk-- it is so pretty :) The historic building also is part of San Antonio's story and beauty.

When we're in Austin we'll be staying at the Mansion at Judge's Hill. It's similar in style to the del Rio and is also a historic building loaded with Texas style and antiques. And yes they both used to be old mansions build in the late 19th/early 20th century. I got to stay at the Mansion during the campaign and and of course I love it. It's close the capitol and UT.

We hope you're all doing well and we are really starting to look forward to and get excited about our wedding which is a matter of weeks away!! :)

I love 24 and Jack :)

If you know me you probably know I love the show "24". Jack is like the absolute best all time hero. Well I've made Brode become almost just as addicted to 24 as I am. I made him watch all the seasons he missed :) After suffering through the last two rather mediocre seasons (which were still some of the best hours on tv!) it's nice to finally be back to a season I can get excited about.

However, I do have to say I'm disappointed with Tony going bad and what's with Chloe's PR announcement about going green?

We hope you had a great Easter!

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. I love this time of year and all it stands for. Praise be to God for all he's blessed us with and given to us! This was the first Easter Brodie and I spent together so that of course made it extra special.

We spent Easter with his parents and grandmother in La Jolla. It was the first time I got to meet his maternal grandmother. Nana Janet is such an amazing woman and I look forward to spending much more time with her! We had a wonderful weekend at the beach, church, and enjoyed Easter brunch at the Hotel Del.

Later this week Brode and I will be flying out to Nashville to interview for a job. I'm trying to resist the urge to say "stupid job" right because it's actually a really good opportunity, but I just wish it wasn't in Nashville. He'd be running tact and some training excercises, but it's more of an administrative position--- which I'm 100% fond of and it would at least keep us in the states. The alternatives were going overseas some with the army or foreign service.

For now, I've been researching Nashville and reasons to either live there or not. One of the countries 10 best steak houses is in Nashville and houses the oldest bottle of wine. I'm making Brode take me to it :) Anyway, we'll be letting you know what happens.

Less than two months

The countdown is beginning! Less than two months until Brode and I will be married. Between now and then we have lots to do. Invitations were sent out and you all should have yours by now so you know the details :)

Between now and the wedding we'll be on the road a lot actually. Brode's interviewing later this month with each potential job in San Antonio and yes, Nashville. I'm going with him to both to check out each city again. We also have a wedding for my friend Ari in May in Savannah and from there we'll be flying back to Santa Barbara to get ready for our own!

We are hoping to have a final answer on the job question by mid May about where we will be living come this fall. We will be spending part of the summer in La Jolla at least. Both jobs would start at the end of August. Which means we'll get some SoCal summertime this year at least- no where near enough though.

La Jolla, Austin, or Nashville

I really do hate moving. I think I've moved enough in the last couple years for a long time to come. Maybe it's the fact that I feel like I've spent the last few months living out of a suitcase as well. I've decided I really do hate moving and packing and all that.

Brode and I still haven't decided where we will be living and it's starting to seriously stress me out some. Originally Brodie wasn't going to renew his contract with the US Army, however we're considering it now. They've offered us some deals that we kinda have to consider. Here are the the choices:

• We move back to La Jolla and take jobs doing something tbd. This means Brode leaves active duty with the military as originally planned. Brodie was looking at joining the Foreign Service and this is still a strong option. This was intially the first choice for us because we wanted to be back in SoCal and Brode's parents are down there. Besides it's the land of sunny beaches, Disneyland, and In N Out, doesn't get much better than that! The major con is neither of us really have job ideas in San Diego right now, but oh well-- I miss the homeland. Besides, if Brode did go the FSO route SoCal would be just temporary because we'd end up in Wash. DC for a year of training and then wherever the state department sent us.
  

• Next choice and option is to move to Texas. You read that right Texas... not the first choice, but actually would be a decent place to be for awhile. I've been talking with some people at the GOP offices in Austin and Brode's been talking with the army about relocating to Fort Houston in San Antonio and running some stuff down there. This is actually not a bad option for us. Only problem is we'd have to live between the two cities which means in the freakin' middle of nowhere Texas! I don't mind Austin or San Antonio, but an hour away from both would kinda suck which is what we're looking at if we move here; not to mention a somewhat long commute for one or both of us.

• The latest one that was proposed this last week was moving to Nashville. And yes, you read that right too- I could be living in Tennesse. (Yeah, I'm just as shocked to read the words too.) Brode has been in talks to take over a post at Fort Campbell. I'm really not liking this option much at all. Did I mention Fort Campbell is on the TN-KY border and there is a slight chance we'd end up living in Kentucky? Writing "Kentucky" or "Tennesee" as my address is pretty much just as bad as Arkansas, Alabama, or New Mexico. Seriously, though what am I going to do in Nashville or Kentucky? I really want to veto this one big time, but can't yet.

• Final option I guess would be we stay in Kansas. Well I'd still have to move there, but Kansas is sounding better than Nashville. We already have good friends in the area, a house, and know and like the area enough to make it home for awhile.

Right now it's looking like it's between middle of nowhere Texas and stupid Nashville. I'm really not sure how this happened and I wish La Jolla would win out. However, I'm also well aware that there are things that could be worse- like redeployment. Anyway, least this latest move would keep us out of that arena and I feel kinda selfish saying that. So say a prayer with us for the men and women serving overseas in combat zones and for their families at home.

(*I have to say this, President Obama's plan for Afghanistan is a disaster waiting to happen! It will just escalate the war and if anyone thought the Iraq war was ill planned-- get ready for another Vietnam situation.)

Future In-Laws <3

I got to spend a great weekend with my future father-in-law and I've been doing some thinking about family and in-laws. I think there's always some people that end up loving their in-laws and others that end up wanting to spend as little time with them as possible. Jess and I have been comparing notes on what we think about the whole "two families joining" and in-laws aspect of preparing for marriage. We are both incredibly blessed to be marrying men who come from amazing families. I truly feel lucky to be entering a strong family who I have come to love deeply over the last few months.

When Brode and I first got engaged we'd barely spent time with each others families. (Gotta love long distance relationships.) Brodie had met my parents a few times and I'd met his once and his brother Joe a few times. Suffice to say it's not like our families knew much about the other one or even their soon to be son-in-law or daughter-in-law. However, the last few months have been an amazing time for Brodie and I to really spend some quality time with each others families. Brode and Jess hadn't even formally met until earlier this month, crazy- I know! Next month our parents will finally get the chance to meet. Richard and Paula (Brodie's parents) will be up in Seattle next month visiting his older brother who lives in the area. We are both really looking forward to spending some quality time with our families and future in-laws during this week.

I couldn't end this posting without saying that Brodie's sisters Janet and Julia have quickly become some of my best friends. I can't tell you how great it has been to have these two amazing women to turn to for anything really. Brodie is the youngest of four kids and I'm the eldest of three and I have to say it's been nice to have someone a few years older who has walked down this road before and who can offer advice. His brother Joe and Joe's wife Kara are also incredible. They live in Bellingham so we've gotten to spend a little more time together. Richard and Paula have also become amazing "second parents" to me. I have loved every conversation and chance I've gotten to spend with them! It's even nice being the "new little sister" in the fam. I have to say I really feel like I lucked out in the in-law factor.

Santorini, Athens, and Rome!

Okay, so first many of my friends have birthdays in March and this month has gone by way too fast! I can't believe its almost over. I know I missed a number of b-days and I'm sorry to all my friends that I did miss!! I love you all :)

So now onto the other news, Brode and I finally got our tickets to Greece and Italy for our honeymoon. Also I've decided I think the word "honeymoon" is weird and I don't really like it. But anyway, if you're looking for a good place to go this summer we suggest the Mediterranean. Our tickets were really affordable at about $1200 per person round trip from LAX to Athens (total including taxes). You have to go and return before July 1st though. Seriously, not bad at all!

Now for where we're going, if you haven't already guessed by the title of this post. We'll be spending a week in Santorini, an island about 40 minutes from Athens. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world with traditional Greek villages. Check it out: www.santorini-greece.biz

After Santorini we'll be spending a few days seeing the sights in Athens and then on to Rome for a few days and then we are going to spend the remainder of our time wine tasting and exploring the vineyards in Tuscany.

Hire a wedding coordinator....

I highly recommend either appointing someone to be your point person for the day of your wedding or hiring a wedding coordinator for all or part of the wedding. (Note: this is my plug for hiring event coordinators and why we are worth the money.) I think most people think that hiring a wedding coordinator means hiring someone to do all the work for you and make suggestions. Traditionally coordinators are there from the beginning planning stages to the end to help suggest vendors and make sure every detail is taken care of. However, numerous wedding coordinators offer services and packages that include just the day of the wedding and sometimes rehearsal dinner. While this is an added cost, a wedding coordinator can save you money in the end. They tend to have access to vendor discounts and also save you lots of time and make for a stress free event. Think of them as someone who can over see all the little details to make the day perfect for you. I know the last thing I want to do on my wedding day is have to think about who is letting in the caterers or when the cake is delivered and who's setting up the flowers, etc. You want your coordinator to be the person in charge of making sure everyone has schedules and knows where they are to be on the day of the event.

At first, I wasn't going to hire a coordinator because I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the details, but since we finalized having our wedding in Santa Barbara I re-looked at the idea. Since most our guests are coming in from out of town and Brodie and I will be getting in the week before it just seemed a lot more relaxing and easier to hire someone to oversee the final details. We chose to hire La Fete Weddings and I feel really fortunate that we were able to secure them for our wedding. Kaitlin is going to be our main coordinator on our wedding day. I sat down with her Thursday and she was very helpful and immediately put me at ease. Kaitlin is going to be our point person not only the wedding day but available to help us throughout the week. One of the many things I loved about La Fete and Katilin was their flexibility, knowledge, and I felt like I was talking with an old friend. We felt it was important to have someone familiar with Santa Barbara and the area available on the day of our wedding who is not part of the bridal party or one of our family members. We're positive that having Kaitlin as our coordinator during our wedding will make it a lot more enjoyable and relaxing for everyone.

Here's the link to there website with some more information about what a wedding coordinator can do and offer for you too. www.lafeteweddings.com

Santa Barbara!

Brodie and I have been busy meeting with all our vendors and putting together some of the important details. We're down in La Jolla visiting Brodie's dad and relaxing on the beach this weekend. Paula, Brodie's mom, is actually over in Vietnam touring with some of her friends and in her own words, "avoiding the stresses of tax season". This was a last minute trip or she would be here with us too :)

Today we met with our wedding photographer, Chris Humphreys and his wife Katie. They both graduated from Westmont and Katie and I were in the same dorm section our freshman year. Today we did a a short engagement photo shoot and Brodie got to know Chris and Katie a little too. I have to say it so nice working with good friends! I'm so happy they are free to capture our wedding. Chris has actually worked with a number of my friends and there is no one I trust more with this task. Check out his work because it is amazing at www.chrishumphreys.com

While we were in Santa Barbara we also got to do a few cake testings and picked a baker, Bella Dolce. So now we just have to decide on flavors and which design we like best! We're thinking about their Summer Berry cake and Chocolate Layer cake with either raspberries or Kahlua. We seriously wish we could choose all of them :)

I decided on Cody Floral. I loved sitting down with Laura and talking about flowers, colors, and designs. If you need a good florist in the Santa Barbara or Los Angeles area check her out too!

We also got to roam around the Biltmore and future site of our wedding! We absolutely love the this hotel and area. We met with the hotel's wedding coordinator and caterer. Now comes the task of finalizing a menu and deciding on the dinner buffet and what kind of food. It is our dream venue come true! You get the beach, gorgeous gardens, fabulous buildings, and amazing service. Visit their website and check out the scenes www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara

It is so nice to finally be able to start to put together all the details and really begin to picture everything.

California here we come!!

As you've probably guessed, we finalized our decision, well we actually finalized it all a couple weeks ago I just haven't had time to update. We will be getting married at the Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara! Save the dates with some general information are on their way soon!

Brode and I will be going down there soon to meet with vendors and start doing some major planning... it feels great to at least know where we will be getting married and have it locked in. We are really excited to be getting married in Santa Barbara. This city is incredibly special to me (it's where I attended undergrad) and also the perfect setting for a wedding. It just felt right and we can have the kind of wedding we've pictured.

June 6, 2009!!!!!

We picked at date!! Our wedding will be on June 6, 2009 now we just have to pick a location....

We're deciding between these three locations and venues for our wedding... We'll be making a decision soon and will update you then!

Weddings are a family affair

Weddings are about so much more than just the bride and groom-- they are truly a family affair. I used to kind of think that concept was a little annoying and not for me. A year ago I would just assume take our immediate families and a few close friends on a trip to Cabo or the Mediterranean coast and get married there. However, family has become increasingly important to me and I can't imagine my wedding without my family present including all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Being back home in the Seattle area with them has been a great blessing over the last year and I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to attend the family dinners and events.

We're still debating the exact date, it will either be May 23rd or June 6nd now. Originally we were going to get married on May 2nd, but coordinating everyone's schedule has been complicated.

My sister Jessica actually got engaged in late January and she's also trying to make some decisions and decide where to have it. It's been fun getting to do some planning with her. She and her fiance Chris are graduate students at Princeton Seminary and finishing up their second year. My cousin Keith also proposed to his fiance Morgan over Christmas and they are planning on getting married a year from now. It's interesting how the three of us all got engaged around the same time. One of the things I've loved most is having a sister and soon-to-be cousin to bounce ideas off of and celebrate with!

Well, all this to say that I'm still not sure where Brodie and I will be getting married.... It's been hard to give up a SoCal wedding because we did want a beach outdoor event and the northwest isn't exactly the most reliable for that weather wise. We also have a guest list of about 300 people when we factor in all our family and friends, so finding venues that can host that many people hasn't been the easiest thing.

Starting to make some plans

It's been about a month since we got engaged and we have yet to decide on a city to have the wedding. We've thought about Cabo San Lucas, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Seattle. There are numerous benefits and draw backs to each place. This has proven to be the most challenging thing we've faced so far because until we decide we can't really worry about the other things. Right now we're leaning toward Seattle or San Deigo, since they are our hometowns.


I plan events for a living now and I have to say political functions are way easier than weddings! As difficult as it can be to deal with politicians, businessmen, and all the great volunteers that show up at my events, I have to say I am so glad I don't do weddings full time! I love my family and friends, but working closely with family presents new challenges. Family is part of the reason we've had such a hard time choosing a place to get married. For those of you that don't already know, my sister Jessica is also getting married later this year in September. So really it's like planning two major weddings at once.

One thing I did accomplish is picking a dress! I thought this task would be my most difficult task at this stage, but it was really easy actually. I actually found the dress when Brodie and I were down in Alabama for a friend's wedding. While I was in in the area I did some wedding shopping for my friend Ari. She's been working in Birmingham and she and her fiance are getting married in May in Savannah, Ga. Ari ended up getting her dress from a boutique in Birmingham called Carriage House. (If you need a good bridal shop in the Bham area check them out- I loved their selections and staff!) I tried on some dresses too and I fell in love with a dress from the Melissa Sweet collection, which is part of Priscilla of Boston. They have some gorgeous dresses, check them out at www.priscillaofboston.com. The staff at Carriage House helped me find a vender in the Seattle area that carried the same dress. I ended up going to The Bridal Garden, a boutique in Kirkland for the dress. They were also very helpful and have a great shop too and carry a good selection of designer gowns at reasonable prices.

I also finalized bridesmaid dresses! I chose two styles from the Jasmine Bridal collection. I found the dresses at Bellevue Bridal. Bellevue Bridal had a great selection of dresses at very affordable prices and helpful staff. I highly recommend them for brides in the Seattle area. I've always liked when brides give their bridesmaids some choice in dress selections. After all every dress fits everyone differently.

And the last thing I can report on is we picked our colors. Our wedding will be what I'm calling a rose-pink (think a dark pink with a hint of red and purple), along with silver, white, and black.

Welcome!

I've found myself with a lot more free time than am I used to and a significant amount of my time has gone into wedding planning lately. I thought I'd share some of the details of what we're thinking and how things are progressing as we plan our wedding. Neither Brodie nor I are big on blogs, but since our friends and families are scattered around the country and world we hope this helps keep you updated and a little more included in our planning. And just maybe my blogging and sharing will give you, my friends and cousins, also planning upcoming weddings some ideas :)