Best of 23

It is the last day of 2010, and knock on wood-- It has been the best year yet! This was a big year!
I graduated from Otterbein College! After four years of sweat and tears I AM a Registered Nurse!! I passed my NCLEX in July, and was lucky enough to be offered a position in a pediatric Emergency Department! The past five months have been a huge transformation for me. I have no idea who that person was in August, naive and scared. (And there is still so much left to learn!) I have two weeks left of orientation, I'm surprising myself everyday with what I am capable of, and I have to sens a HUGE THANK YOU to my amazing preceptors who have mentored me through!!!
Greg also graduated from Otterbein College with a Bachelor in Arts, concentration photography. He's still doing that on the side for friends and family. Weddings and Christmas cards...I think he took 6 or 7 Christmas card pictures this year! Now, he's taking classes at Wright State, and in the spring he will be applying to dental schools!!
Of course...as evidenced by the blog...Greg and I got engaged this year! I can't wait...only 7 more months, and I will be marrying my best friend! And long distance or not, we apparently get to spend enough time together because we both shared the same lingering cold for the last two weeks! I got an ear infection and a ruptured ear drum...but if that's all there is to complain about in 2010....woohoo!!!
2010 is the year my Dad became cancer free! AND it is the first year since I was 12 years old that he is healthy and has no major health complications!! It has been a long time fear of mine that my Father would not be there when I walk down the aisle. After many struggles and scares, things are looking up, and with only 7 months to go...looks like I get to have my Dad walk me down the aisle!!
2010 is also the year my mom took her life back, she decided to put herself first for a change! She did the biggest loser, kept it up, and lost 40 pounds! I'm so proud of her!! She is also wedding obsessed, and tells everyone she is the mother of the bride!
Next year also brings big things!Greg and I become an Aunt and Uncle in March!! Congratulation Kevin and Selby...welcome Beebs! Hopefully I am convincing enough, and my grandma will finally have her knee surgery! I'm pushing for BEFORE the wedding! Greg will be applying, and knock on wood, getting accepted to dental schools...that will help us plan the next 4 years! And Greg and I will become husband and wife on August 12!
I'm sure there are more big and exciting things, but we'll just have to wait and see!! Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas Eve...but the blogger wasn't working! Greg and I did our stockings and gift exchange in Christmas Eve because we wouldn't be together on Christmas. Strangely...we both got each other coasters! I got Greg a stone set with a monogrammed B on them. And Greg got me a green set with black and white pictures. The pictures spell the word LOVE out of those pictures that look like letters! Great minds think alike! We also both got each other an ornament with our name on it! How weird! Greg got a lot of clothes and shoes. A tool box for when we're married. And some books and movies. I got a lunch box (Vera Bradley!), a new black coat, movies, lap top case, scarves, and hand therapy gloves! We both did good this year!

Wedding Update!! So excited about this one!!! This just went down Dec 23.
I sent my DJ a facebook message BECAUSE as I was looking through her pictures, I ran across some from her wedding. She wore a pink dress with gold glitter! The top was Lacey and the bottom was shimmery with pick-ups. Anyway, she had a bakery make a 5 tier cake to look like her dress!! AND she had a cake topper that looks just like her and her husband and she is wearing her wedding dress! It is the coolest thing ever! So I asked if she could let me know which bakery she had make her topper. WELL...SHE MAKES THEM!!!!!!
So...we've already booked our bakery and I'm absolutely in love with my cake. No changes there. But I thought it would be a cool idea to have her make our topper to look just like Greg and Me, with Me in my wedding dress. (My God Mom will be so proud! She's dead set on having a cake topper so I'll have something left of my cake forever and ever.)

Merry Christmas!!
230 days to go! <3

Christmas is Coming

For the past 2 years Greg and I have spent Christmas Eve with my family, left about 9pm, driven to Dayton, arrive at midnight, and get up to celebrate Christmas morning with Greg's family. This has been a nice little tradition, but it has left me without my parents on Christmas for 2 years. So...this year...we will spend Christmas apart-- our last Christmas with our families before we get married. We both are happy about this decision, and have arranged a "5 day Christmas" celebration starting on December 23 for my mom's birthday!! Greg will spend the 23 and 24th in Cleveland. We will spend the 25th with our families. And I will go to Dayton the 26 and 27th! We will do our presents together in Cleveland, and our stockings together in Dayton! Sounds complicated...but it's what makes a longer distance relationship work!!!
We've been very lucky to spend a good part of the past 2 weeks together...lots of driving involved, but together...and really don't mind spending Christmas day apart! I'm lucky this year because I'm still in orientation and don't have to work the holidays. But next year will probably bring a whole new dilemma to the holidays with the holiday I'm assigned.



A few tiny wedding updates...
*Welcome Hannah and Adam to the wedding party!!! This has been established but some how slipped through the blog! =)
*My dress is here!! January 15th is the Inspection! Hope I get to try it on!
*Aunt Diane is making the card box and "just married" sign!! So excited about this!
*Mom bought the wedding invites at 50% off! They are very simple and clean! We just have to add things like directions and accommodations cards!
*The Save-the-Dates are addressed, stamps are purchased, and they will go out in the next month or so with a few last minute adjustments to the very difficult guest list process!! Woohoo!

240 days to go!!

Whose Quirk Is It, Anyway?

I posted a few months ago about taking some time off from the wedding planning and working on the marriage. I have to say that I've (We've) been very successful! It's so nice to not think wedding all the time!
Greg and I have taken a little advice from two of the happiest couples we know. First, we are doing a little marriage counseling through my church with Deacon Rich (who will be marrying us). Even though it is required of us to be married in the church, it is also very very good to talk through things with an outside source. Deacon Rich has been an enormous help! Second, we are reading through some books on marriage. I've borrowed a few, but one that I got myself is "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love." I was a little sceptical because it's such a known title. It however has been super helpful as well!
One (of many) things we have taken from this book is..."Ask the Question: Whose Quirk Is This, Anyway?" In this excerpt the author talks about a woman who, newly married, got herself a fresh towel every morning before her shower. And every morning her groom would use the towel, and she would end up dripping to the linen closet to get another towel. Of course she was on the verge of an emotional meltdown, while her husband was thinking what a sweet wife he had to get him a towel every morning. Clearly some miscommunication as well as some quirks. Solution...get two towels out of the closet to begin with.
So...Greg and I have started to work through some of our quirks by using this example. Greg leaves the toothpaste on the counter every night instead of placing it back in the medicine cabinet. Makes me crazy! But...whose quirk is it anyway? I could get mad- but in the end he was simply thinking he was leaving it out for me because I hadn't used it yet. SO, before getting mad...now we try to stop and realize no one is at fault. Combining our family traditions has been a struggle. As I hear it is for all couples. I rinse pasta after draining, Greg does not. Greg likes Cincinnati Chili, I do not. I like to sleep with the TV on, Greg does not. Before, we would just got upset with each other for doing things differently, but we are working on combining lives. And learning they're just quirks!

8 months down, 8 months to go!!! <3