Currently...

I'm at an all-day training today so I'm gonna do a little something different than my usual 5 on Friday post.

Currently I'm..... (other than being stuck at a training)....

Feeling: Kinda tired. It's been my first full week (well, minus one 2-hour delay) back at work, and trying to get caught up on everything from the snow days has been stressful. Along with some MAJOR changes happening at my job that I'm not 100% pleased with, adding to the stress. So, maybe my feeling is stressed more than tired...

Reading: When I Found You....I'm over halfway through and it's ok so far. It had good reviews online when I decided to download it, but I'm not wow'ed by it...

Drinking: Cucumber infused water from my new water pitcher/infuser. LOVE. 

Eating: Yummy feta and sun-dried tomato meatloaf from dinner the other night (altho if you're reading this at 8am, I'm not actually eating that right now...that would be gross). Recipe coming at you next week!

Watching: Lots of stuff....a lot of Bravo included. Vanderpump Rules especially had me hooked this week. I can't wait for Monday's season finale!

Missing: Warm weather and quality time with my best friend. Luckily one of those will be remedied next weekend :)

Anticipating: My bridal shower here in VA next weekend. My bestie is coming up for it, and a bunch of my friends will be in attendance. I'm really excited!! :)

Wishing for: Warm weather. And more input at work.

Loving: Well, this list is a long one, but MG is at the top of it. And my Dad whose birthday was on Tuesday (and we'll be celebrating this Saturday at a birthday dinner). It's the weekend, and MG's cousin is in town, so we'll get to see her for a little bit. Also loving all of my friends for being so supportive and thoughtful.

That's it for this week. Wish me luck making it through this training/in-service. I've heard some rumors that we're gonna be required to do a lot of different/more stuff when we do evaluations at school. None too thrilled if it's true. 

At least I have the weekend to look forward to! :)

Happy Friday!

Things I've Chosen....

I saw on Chits and Giggles last week about the benefits of having a long engagement (and then this week about the benefits of a short one), and it got me thinking about the difference between every person's choices, some of the choices that I've made about our wedding, and even before and after the Big Day, totally not related to the wedding at all. Here's what was rattling around in my brain...(only spurred on by the blog post, not what she actually wrote, or any opinions that she did/didn't have).

Everyone is different. We have different personalities, different backgrounds, different priorities.

It makes us different and it makes us special and it makes us unique. 

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I'll never push my thoughts/values/choices on someone else, or make them feel like they are less of a person for not making the same choices that I have. They haven't lived my life, and I haven't lived theirs. Everyone is entitled to make the best decisions for themselves and where they are in their lives, relationships, etc.

Some choices I've made, in regard to my relationship, that I'm not ashamed of:

1) I lived with my boyfriend before we were engaged or married.

It was something that worked for us, financially, and happiness-wise. I was over at his place ALL the time anyway, and it just made sense (and was a lot easier for me since I didn't have to pack an overnight bag and cart Cooper around anymore). We were happier together than apart. We knew our relationship was headed somewhere and this was our next step.

It was an amazingly EASY and very smooth transition for us, and I'm so glad that we did it, because it has given us the time to really be together and create "our space" and "us." We're getting married in April, but nothing will change for us with the title of "husband" and "wife" because it's just that--a title. We already have that commitment to one another and have had it for quite some time.

2) We've had an engagement of just under a year.

This has worked perfectly for us for more reasons than just my work schedule--despite me wanting it to happen much faster before we actually got engaged hehe. We've avoided much of the stresses (and costs) of planning a wedding on the super quick and I can actually enjoy different aspects of the planning process without feeling that nagging pull that there's so much ELSE to be done. We also aren't getting antsy with how much time is left as we would have been if we had had a really long engagement (I know us...ok, me...being antsy would DEFINITELY have been a big factor). We took care of so much at the beginning that the rest has been pretty smooth sailing, so I don't feel like I've been all-consumed by wedding planning. And, we've been able to spread out the budget/payments over the course of the almost-year, too (one huge benefit of a longer engagement, especially when you're paying for part of your wedding yourself). Would it be nice to be married already? Sure! Will everything turn out perfectly and be less stressful for us because we did it the way that was best for us? Absolutely. And that's what's most important :)

3) We want to have a family soon.

I'm 30. I'll be 31 when we get married. I'm not old, but I'm not "young" either...I don't know how easy/hard/fast/slow it will be for me to get pregnant once we're married. And I don't want to wait, just in case. Plus, I know that I want to start a family with MG. I love him, know he's going to be such a great dad, and can't wait to see him in that role. Sure there are LOTS of things that will change after we have kids, but isn't that the point of starting a family? We're nervous about it, of course, because it's a HUGE life change, but we're also really excited for that next step. And, most importantly, I feel like we're ready (as ready as we can be, since you're never "really" ready)--we'll be married, have a solid foundation of 3+ years together, and we know this is what we both want.

Those are just a few of the choices I've made in regard to our relationship, that I'll never regret or let anyone hold against me. They were/are the perfect decisions for us, and they'll remain that way. I'll never judge someone for making a different choice than I have. Your life is yours to live the best way for you, no matter what someone else, who hasn't lived your life, may think or feel. Do you! :)

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Hump Day--Funny Edition

Facing a full week of work (for the foreseeable future), I needed something funny to help get me through the rest of the week. Little did I know, I was gonna get another 2 hour delay this morning from work! Oh well!
I figured if I needed a little funny, some of you probably could use it, too. So, enjoy some funnies, courtesy of me and Pinterest:

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{via} Amen.

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I hope that helped lighten your mood so you can make it through the day!!

Recipe: Veggie-packed Black Bean Soup (Slow Cooker style!)

It's been a little bit since I've posted a new recipe, mainly because we've been cooking up some old tried and true favorite meals, but last week I cooked up a new recipe that I found....you guessed it....via Pinterest (here)

Since the temps have been colder here, MG and I both wanted something that would warm us up, so I decided to make a Black Bean Soup that's packed full of veggies! And, it only takes ONE step to make!

What You Need:

-2 medium carrots (or half a bag of shredded carrots)

-2 tsp minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
-1 red pepper, diced finely
-2/3 cup spinach *I didn't have any, so I left this out
-2 can black beans, drained and rinsed (we used reduced sodium)
-1 can refried beans
-1 can diced tomatoes (we used no salt added)
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-2 tsp chili powder
-salt/black pepper
*We used sour cream and shredded cheese for our toppings once this was made. Use whatever you'd like to top the soup with!

What You Do:

1. Combine all of the ingredients into your crock pot (I used my 5 quart crock), except for the toppings. Stir it up. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours (I did 8.5).

Before

After

2. Spoon it out and enjoy with your toppings!

I thought this was a tasty, and filling soup. It's very similar to my chicken and black bean soup, but without the chicken, and with some added veggies. Overall, this is a win and I'd definitely make it again!

Weekend Weekend!

This weekend was more wedding-filled than most others...I have a feeling that might be happening more and more the closer that we get to wedding day!

Friday morning I had a delay from work, so I slept in a bit, lazed around some and got ready to go to work. I got into my car, and it wouldn't start. It's been so cold around here that the cold totally killed my battery (I later found that out--since when I turned it on, all of the warning lights were on and my engine wouldn't turn over). So, I had to call in to work and tell them I couldn't get in.

My mom had to then come by and get me for my dress fitting (since I wasn't going to miss that--no way!), and she brought my friend/bridesmaid Crystal. I was SO excited to try on my dress, and when I did, it fit soooo well. No clamps needed this time!

I was a little nervous about it because I had ordered a different bottom of my dress (it was originally a-line and I ordered the bottom of another dress that was fit and flare--did you know that you could do that??)

Well, it was EXACTLY what I had pictured and wanted. There are only slight alterations needed, too....even the length was perfect! I'll give you a sneak peak of the bottom of the dress (this is bustled):

After the high of being in my wedding dress, my mom dropped me back off at home and jumped my car (which is when I knew for sure it was the battery that had died). MG came home after that and took me to get a new battery for my car. And, being the manly man that he is, he took out the old one and installed the new one for me. With his bare hands. In the freezing cold. Love that guy :)

We went out for a little date night to our favorite pizza joint by our place and then came back home and lazed around. Perfect end to a stressful/fun day!

Saturday MG was up early to go skiing with a friend, and my friend Bree and I went to do my hair trial. Bree was squealing with excitement before I even saw what my hair looked like, so I was super anxious to see it. It turned out SO good! I'm soooo in love with it, and I can't wait until the big day! I was able to see what the hair would look like with my wedding earrings and my veil in. LOVE. I'll give you a teeny sneaky peek at that, too...

I was SO glad that Bree was with me--it made it much more fun to have a friend there, and it was really fun to see her reaction to everything which made me that much more excited :)

After everything we went to lunch and chatted some more about work, life, boys, etc. You know, a good girls lunch!

Even more fun was what my hair looked like after I took out the 27 bobby pins that were in my hair later that night:

It looked AWESOME! I wish I could make my hair look like this on my own...d'oh!

At least I know my morning-after-wedding hair will look good! haha

Saturday night MG got home, and while we were making plans to grab something to eat, Cooper had a small seizure. It hasn't happened in almost 2 years, so I was really upset that it had happened again. I hope it's just a fluke. Luckily he recovered from it pretty quickly and was back to walking around and wiggling his little tail with happy excitement within a little bit. Phew! Fingers crossed...
We spent the rest of the night cuddled on the couch with our little guy, loving up on him, watching a Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family.

Sunday was just a day of errands for us. Groceries, cleaning, returning some things, buying part of the groomsmen gifts, etc. I finally got a chance to use the new infuser pitcher that I got from my mom at my shower last weekend to make raspberry infused water! So yummy! I'm gonna make cucumber water this week, too. Product review coming at you soon!

That's about it for my weekend. Hope yours was fun and didn't involve a stupid car battery dying! :)

Don't forget to link up with these ladies:

               

5 on Friday

I can't believe it's already Friday....which probably has a lot to do with the fact that today's my first day back at work (and even that is 2 hours late). But, we'll get to that in a sec.

{1}- Snow Days

This Monday was Martin Luther King day (no work), and then the next 3 days we got snow days off of work (plus a 2 hour delay this morning). Don't get me wrong, I love a good snow day (and not working), but now we've lost President's Day weekend off, and our teacher workday in April, plus, if we have ANY more days off, our school year is gonna get extended. I was cool with a day or two off, but January isn't even over yet (and I've only worked about 6 days so far in January it seems like), so I have a feeling I'll be in school after June 20th. Wah. Not to mention I have SO much work and tons of meetings to catch up on...

{2}-Sick/Coughing

Last week MG came down with a cold at the start of the work week and despite our best efforts for me to not get it before my bridal shower, come Friday afternoon I had the sniffles, and by that night my nose hurt from how much I'd already been blowing my nose. Luckily I was ok-enough at the bridal shower, but that night my voice almost totally disappeared and now I'm coughing. I HATE coughing (I mean, I'm guessing everyone does), because I get the dry tickles that turn into hacking coughs. And usually I'm in the middle of a meeting or something where it's totally embarrassing when it happens. I'm hoping it settles down over the weekend. I guess the days off were nice so that I could recover some without taking actual sick days, at least.

{3}-Dress Fitting

I get to try on my wedding dress today!!!! I have my first fitting today with my mom and my friend/bridesmaid Crystal and I'm SO excited! There will definitely be pictures taken (but, don't be mad, I probably won't post them on here until the after the actual wedding day), and I can not wait!!

{4}-Bridal Shower/Thank You's

these are the thank you's I'm
using.

I posted on Wednesday about my bridal shower (you can read about it here), so I won't go into that again, but I have taken advantage of the time off to write all of my thank you notes to the ladies who attended my bridal shower (and some who couldn't), which amounted to 40+ something thank you notes. As you can imagine, my hand hurts haha. I'm glad to have them done and out, though, and now I'm ready for round two (in 2 weeks)!

{5}-Hair Trial
Tomorrow is my hair trial for my wedding day hair. I have to drive an hour to meet up with the girl who's doing my hair, which stinks, but I'm excited to finally get the trial underway. And, my friend Bree is coming with me--ultimate girl time! This is the hairstyle that we're going to work from...(minus the flowers)

And on that note, I'm gonna get through today, and then get to that fun wedding-related stuff :)

Catch ya on Monday!

Book Review: eleanor & park

I'm on my 3rd "snow day" for the week...I honestly expected a 2 hour delay, and that's all I wanted, since I'm SO far behind on meetings, work, etc. and we've now lost all of our days off between now and our honeymoon in April. Boo-sicles!
So, while I'm trying not to get cabin fever....here's a book review for ya!

After my last book, I went on the search for a light and easy, feel-good read.

I searched on Amazon for a while and came across the book eleanor & park which had a bunch of great reviews:

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Here's the Goodreads synopsis:

"Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under."

I really really really liked this book. It was a quick read (I read it in 2 days thanks to driving back from PA and a snow day), and it definitely brought me back to those "first love" feelings. There's some heartache/teenage angst and family angles in the book as well, but the relationship between these two is the glue that ties it all together. At times, while reading this, I felt the butterflies of first love and the excitement associated with it when you're in your teens. The story is by no means all sunshine and roses, but I loved reading about their relationship.

Supposedly, the book is a Young Adult book, but most reviewers said that it's for everyone, and I couldn't agree more--in some respects I feel like it's even better for any adult.

If you get a chance, take a peek at this one. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by this "young adult" book :)

Wedding Wednesday:Bridal Shower #1

Sorry I've been MIA the last couple of days--with our trip to PA for my bridal shower (and a family bachelor party for MG), and the snow, I just hadn't gotten around to blogging. But, today I'm back, and just in time for Wedding Wednesday, because I can share some of the awesomeness that was my bridal shower!

 

My soon-to-be sisters and mother-in-law threw me a bridal shower in PA so that the family and friends up there could attend. I met some of MG's mom's friends and family that I hadn't met yet, and got to see some other family and friends, too! I was really glad that my mom was able to make it up, as well!

MG's sisters and mom reserved space for us at a country club near their house for brunch. We got to eat yummy food, drink mimosas, and I got to open some lovely gifts that were bought for us!

Here comes a bunch of pics!

Me with MG's sister, mom and nieces

There was a candy bar with LOTS of purple things, purple and white flowers at every table, with pics of MG and I taken over the course of our relationship, and a BEAUTIFUL cupcake wedding dress cake! I loved it all!

MG's sisters had asked that everyone bring an ornament for us, so that when we decorate our tree next year, as a married couple, we'll remember how many people love and care about us. I loved the idea and we got some really cute ornaments!

My favorites of the group, though, were from my almost sisters. One in particular said 'Sisters' on it, and listed the three of our names. I loved it, and I love them!

Then it was time to open gifts. Lots of gifts!

We got tons of awesome things--luggage, Corningware, pans, serving trays....

But the biggest surprise for me was MG's brother-in-law's family's gift, which wasn't on our registry:

They purchased champagne,  a crystal ice bucket, and two Waterford flutes...which were purple, and absolutely gorgeous. They got it with the intention that we could use them on our wedding day. I love it!

The other gift that I really really liked, that also wasn't on our registry, was part of MG's sisters, mom and niece (our junior bridesmaid)'s gift:

they got us a refreshment bucket, and filled it with wine bottles, each of which is to be drank on a special occasion in our relationship (ex: wedding night, first christmas, first baby, etc). I've seen the idea before, and I love that we have these special bottles, to share the upcoming memories that we'll be making.

I feel like it all went by in a blur, (and all of a sudden I was wearing a ribbon "hat" made by the nieces), which I'm afraid is a quick preview of how the Big Day is going to feel. Fast. And a blur.

MG arrived at the end to say hi to everyone, thank them for all of the gifts....and pack the car up hehe

Little did I know, we should have rented a small U-haul to bring everything back in! (I'm only half kidding). Luckily I was able to consolidate some things, and we got all of it back with us.

When we got home on Monday afternoon, it took us over an hour to open the boxes, clear out old things from our cabinets, and get things put away. We had quite the pile by our door to go out, part way through it all:

After everything, I took a step back to reflect on the fact that I'm so incredibly blessed to have my own amazing family, and also that I get to become a part of another great family.  I get to grow my family with sisters, nieces and a nephew, and another set of parents who love me like I've been part of them from the beginning. MG and I are so lucky to have one another, as well as such amazing people to support us along this journey.

All in all, I'd have to say, Bridal Shower #1: SUCCESS!!

5 on Friday

It's my first FULL week back at work (no delays or days off) and it was a busy one! I think the next few weeks will be pretty busy, too.

Let's get to some 5 on Friday....most of mine are wedding-centered this week, so I apologize in advance :)

{1}-First Bridal Shower

this is what the invite looks like
I LOVE it! (not my info)

This time I'm talking about MY bridal shower!! My soon-to-be sisters-in-law and mother-in-law are throwing me a bridal shower up in PA so that MG's family and close friends up there can attend without having to come all the way to VA for the one down here. My mom and a friend of hers are coming up for it, too, so it will be nice to have all of the female part of my family there :) I'm super excited for a shower that's for ME! I've been to others and it will be fun to be the one in the spotlight this time (not to sound conceited). I've been trying to stay away from my registry the last few days (and boy how I have become the registry stalker!), so that the gifts are a surprise. I must say, I'm proud of myself because I haven't snuck a peek in the last 4 days. 

{2}-Gifts and Response Cards

They continue to roll right in! We've received gifts already from people who can't attend my bridal shower, and they have been SO generous! MG's aunt and 3 cousins all chipped in and bought us a wine fridge, an electric wine opener and chiller, an aerator, drink coasters, a wine bottle coaster (that matches my serving tray), and a decorative wine cork holder. I may have used several of these the other night...in part because of a stressful day and in part because I couldn't wait to try them all out! :) The boxes from everything stacked higher than me in height! 

We've also received several response cards already--I love seeing the sweet notes that people write on them...little "woohoo"s, smiley faces, and messages on the back of the cards--Love that people are so excited for us :)

{3}-Kid-sized Treat

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This may not be blog-worthy, but oh well. I've been enjoying kid-sized apples that come in a mesh bag from Target the past two weeks (it's like $3 for a bag of 12 or more). MG and I both take one to work with us and they're the perfect size for a mid-morning or afternoon snack, plus I'm getting some fruit in my day! I'd gotten them a few months ago at Target but then they stopped carrying them. I hope that doesn't happen again because I like my daily kid-sized apple :)

{4}-My Wedding Dress

It's IN! I got the call yesterday that my wedding dress is at the store, waiting for me! So I made my first fitting/alterations appointment for Friday of next week and I can't wait!!! I drive by the store EVERY day after work and it is going to take all the will power in the world not to stop in there and just slip it on before my appointment on Friday. But, I want my mom to be there when I do, so I'll try and refrain :) YAY! This is all reeeeeally happening!!

{5}-Cuteness

What better way to get your end of the week/weekend off to the right start than with a jumble of puppies?

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If you're not smiling now, I don't know how to help you any further.

I hope your Fridays and weekends are FAB! I know I absolutely can't wait for mine! :)

Book Review: The Shoemaker's Wife

I just finished another wonderful read this week:

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It's called The Shoemaker's Wife, by Adriana Trigiani (I was accidentally on a reading theme of books that had "wife" in the title--once I bought this book my book club had picked The Silent Wife, which I reviewed here, so my reading has been heavily "wife"-centered lately haha)

Here's the Amazon synopsis:

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani returns with the most epic and ambitious novel of her career—a breathtaking multigenerational love story that spans two continents, two World Wars, and the quest of two star-crossed lovers to find each other again.The Shoemaker's Wife is replete with the all the page-turning adventure, sumptuous detail, and heart-stopping romance that has made Adriana Trigiani, “one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction” (USA Today). Fans of Trigiani’s sweeping family dramas like Big Stone Gapand Lucia, Lucia will love her latest masterpiece, a book Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help, calls “totally new and completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream.”

I loved the majority of this book, especially in the beginning. The start of the book made me feel like I was in Italy with the characters. It felt like a painting, and with each page, chapter etc, a new brush stroke was being painted for me. It was a slower read for me, but it was nice. I actually preferred it that way, with how the book was written, with such fine details. You fall in love with the characters over the course of the chapters and descriptions.

At one point in the book, about 3/4 of the way through, I felt as though things happened too rapidly. In the beginning, the story unfolded piece by piece, and then all of a sudden, within one chapter, a matter of years went by, without anything more than a page break (for instance, at one point a child went from being a baby, to 2 years old, and then all of a sudden he was 10, within the same chapter; or the length of World War II happened within a matter of a few pages).  I think the story lost some of its luster and continuity once this happened. I still enjoyed the book overall, though and would recommend it. Especially if you're interested in the early 1900's and Italy...coming to America, and reading beautiful writing.

The best part is, it's only $1.99 on Amazon for the Kindle!

What Would You Do If....

I heard a story on this radio show that I listen to in the mornings as I drive to work, about how the producer of the radio show had asked this girl (who was apparently VERY out of his league) out for the night, and told her he was going to take her to an "exclusive, card-carrying, members-only club"....Sounds kinda cool for a first date, right?

Cut to the date night: he drove up to Sam's Club (like a Costco, or BJ's for those of you who don't have Sam's club), a bulk retail store...with the intention of taking her around for "hors d'oeuvres"....aka free samples.

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Apparently on Fridays there aren't any freebies out, so they ended up leaving and he took her to a real restaurant, but then got offended when everyone on the radio show was making fun of him.

What would you do if a guy told you he was taking you to the exclusive, card-carrying members only club, only to pull up to a Sam's club? 

I think it's funny that he said what he said, but I also think it's pretty tacky to do on a first date. And, also, did he not think he was setting himself up for a disaster? Imagine a girl getting all dressed up for a fancy shmancy place, and you end up at a Sam's Club.

What would you do? Stay and roll with it? Stay and deal with it (but never talk to him again)? Or leave?

{Product Review}: Easy Canvas Prints

I have a great product review for you today! I worked with Stephanie (who was incredibly easy to work with!) and I was lucky enough to get to try out a canvas photo print from Easy Canvas Prints. I've wanted to get something like this for a while since we have so many great engagement photos (and I also had this in mind for both MG's and my moms for after the wedding day for some of the wedding photos), but hadn't found a place to do it, until Easy Canvas Prints. 

I chose a picture of MG, Cooper and I from our engagement session to add to an 8x10 canvas. Adding it, and changing the specifications to what I wanted was super easy and quick. I think I was on the site for a total of 4 minutes from start to finish. It took about 5 days to get the notice that my canvas had shipped, and about 3 days to receive it.

The end product is so great! I love that we have a "family" photo to display in our home now!
MG was really impressed with it, too. When he first saw it he asked "Is that canvas???"

I love that the image wraps around the side of the photo, too

I would definitely use Easy Canvas Prints for other canvas photos, like after we get married and get our wedding photos back!

If you're looking for a place to print canvas photos, definitely check out Easy Canvas Prints. They've had some great deals going on over the holidays, so you might even catch something great that way, too! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

*I was given a product in exchange for this review, but all opinions expressed are my own, and based on my personal experience with the product*

Super Fun Weekend Update

This weekend was a LOT of fun, and some of it wasn't even expected!

On Friday night, MG and I met up with another couple friend for dinner at Cava Mezze. The food here is always SO good, and it was great to hang out with these friends since it's been a bit. The whole night the boys kind of had their own date on their side of the table while she and I had our own, which was kinda fun (and a little funny). We all agreed, though, that the food was SUPER yum!

Saturday it was really rainy and gross out so we stayed inside and did inside weather stuff, including finishing our puzzle from last weekend (when we lost our cable) and made plans to hang out with another couple friend of ours, Ryan and Meghan, to go bowling later that night. We had to pick up MG's car at the shop, and when we got home, we had a HUGE box waiting for us. Our first gift from our wedding registry had arrived! And ironically enough, it was from the couple that we were going to hang out with that night :) We had also gotten our first response card in the mail, too. It was really exciting!

Our friends had gotten us two sets of our dishes and a serving tray--and this was the first time I was seeing our dishes in person (I'd switched them on our registry around Christmas time because of some bad reviews about scratching on the other ones we'd had on there). They are SO pretty, the details are so delicate and I just love them!

Before picking up our friends for bowling, MG and I went to this yummy restaurant nearby for salad and pizza. The pizza was SO good...we always forget about this place, and definitely need to go more often (altho not TOO often since I have a wedding dress to fit into soon....)

After delicious dinner, we picked up our friends, and played 3 games (sets? matches? rounds? I dunno...) at the bowling alley. First game, MG and I teamed up against the other couple, and then the second and third game MG was teamed up with our friend Meghan and I was teamed up with her husband Ryan. It kept things interesting and fun, actually, and we both ended up winning one game each. It was good old fashioned fun, especially for a rainy night.

Sunday morning the weather was beautiful (which was nice after the polar vortex and endless rain), and MG and I went to church at the church that we're getting married at. I realized that morning that it was exactly 3 months until we'd be getting married, which was really cool to think about at the start of the service, listening to the organist play. It was a great service...I love the pastor at our church--he always makes you laugh at some point during his sermon, and he's SO passionate. I was glad we went!

After that was errands, lunch at Panera and then lots of quality time with the couch watching the football games on, and the Golden Globes. 

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend--lots of fun times with super sweet friends made it perfect :)

I hope yours was fun-tastic, too!

Don't forget to link up with these ladies: