The Engagement Party.

So we finally had our Engagement Party. It was amazing how many people came out to celebrate our engagement. Even my great friends from Ireland came for the party. How amazing is that? I was so happy to see them. It has been two years since I had been able to see them and obviously a lot has changed. My friends were meeting my fiance for the first time, and let me tell you their opinion on him was extremely important to me. I was hoping and crossing every finger and toe that I could that they would like him. I have known this particular friend for close to 8 years now. And he is protective over me and I over him as well. He is an amazing friend. It was so special to have him and his lovely girlfriend came all this way just to meet my fiance and to party away with me. That made me feel really good since most of my family was unable to come except for one aunt and uncle. Which can I just say thank god for them. We were so organized, I think my mom was totally relaxed because she and my aunt had everything planned out. Dip trays labeled and waiting for the food to be put inside. We were completely set and ready to go when our guest came! Mostly because of my aunt and uncle. I can't tell them in words how much I appreciate them being there.
Now I was so busy being a good hostess to my Irish friends that I didn't even have time to be nervous about my fiance's family coming over. Which turned out to be a good thing since his family came out in force. It was so great! I loved having them here and getting to know them better. I will admit that I totally turn shy in front of his family since I want them to like me. There are a couple of moments that I just have to share with you from the evening. The first moment was when his grandmother, whom I adore, turned to me and said that "He is such a great guy, he is so easy going." Which in turn I said to her, "I know, it is a great thing since I'm really not!" But in all seriously, she doesn't have to list his good qualities to me. I am fully aware that the man I'm about to marry is amazing. He is such a great guy who constantly gives of himself to make me happier. The second was the speech that my dad gave in honour of my fiance and I. Wishing us a happy and healthy marriage. I teared right up. It is amazing to think how much our lives are about to change. To grow for the better. I'm so excited for the adventure my fiance and I are about to go on. And the last moment is the best. My fiance sat down with with his Mother and brother along with his 3 sisters. They were all laughing at something and there was such love between them that it made me smile at them even though I was across the room but I wanted to reach out and kiss him. Just from the happiness of seeing him laugh with his family. That would be my favorite memory of the whole night.

Such a great night with a great people. We are very blessed.

Make you or Break you...

As I opened up my email from the man that is in charge of the Boot Camp the words "Make you or Break you" jumped off his email at me. What does he mean "make you or break you"? The first week of Boot Camp was hard enough for me that I felt like it was horrific. Now, He is telling me that instead of getting easier, it will only get harder. What is he thinking!

Now, that we are into our second day of Boot Camp this week, he wasn't lying to me. It is getting harder.. And I am struggling to maintain the positive attitude that I should have. It doesn't help that people like to talk to me. I don't know what it is about my face. I must just look really friendly. To tell you the truth at 5:30 in the morning, I am just trying to be pleasant. But when the instructors are happy and excited at 5:30 when they see us and that joy doesn't stop for the entire time, it makes me want to choke myself in moodiness and slink away to find a bed. At that point it doesn't even have to be my own bed. So as you can see I'm just not in the mood to be talked too or even encouraged. It is a struggle to just get through these last two days and all I want is to concentrate on me getting through the exercises they have for us not to spend time with a person who sunshine is flying out of them. Please, the sun isn't even up yet. I am just not ready for your happiness.

While I love that my stomach muscles are sore which means that they are getting a work out. I am ready for a nap!

Bridal BootCamp... Friday 15s.

Friday 15... You might be asking, "Deirdre, what is Friday 15s". Well, I will tell you. It is a new form of torture the Boot Camp has thought up. It was 5 push ups, 10 squats, and 15 leg lifts on each leg. So for those who can count better then I can. (Even though, I could do this one.) That is really 30 leg lifts. All during the dreaded fitness test. Umm hello, I am waking up at 5 in the morning Monday through Friday to have the instructor work me out. Clearly, I am well aware of my fitness level and it is BAD! I'm thinking that the instructor just wanted to make sure that I was really really happy that tomorrow is Saturday and there is no 5 am wake up call. However, I did figure one thing out this morning. No going out to eat the night before our work out. It was my fiance's birthday so we went to Doubleday's. And it sat in my stomach like a lead brick. So not a good feeling. But after the tortuous fitness test we basically did Abs. Now that is not something that I'm going to complain about since I feel like that is my biggest issue right now. I was still glad to see that clock til down to 6:30 am which meant that the workout was done for the day. Not to mention after having our fitness test today, my family and fiance went out for Mexican. Never tasted so good in my life and trust, I've had lots of Mexican. sooo yummy I think I eat a pound of chips along! Plus a Margarita!!! Yum!

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I will! Resting up for doing the workout on my own next week so will have to update you on me going alone. Gulp!

Boot Camp Day 4!!!!

Today is the day that I... JOGGED. Yup you read that right! I jogged. Was it a fast jog, no... but I'm not keeping count on that one. I was just amazed that I did it. Today is a short and sweet post but one filled with victory!

Day 3 for Boot Camp and new pain for me!

Well, we have reached mid way through the week. I have new soreness. Is that even a word? soreness. But I'm able to walk up stairs again without crying. Yay!! I'm so excited for Saturday. Why you ask??? Do you have fun wedding stuff to do??? well... No I get a whole day without Boot Camp!!! Yay. But all in all I have to say that today was a good day at the Bridal Boot Camp. I think that the other women there are amazing. They are so positive about my lack of abilities, always encouraging me. It is so helpful. I have to say I think, they are just nice people. There is no judging even if I come in dead last for everything. Trust me, it isn't easy on the ego to realize just how out of shape I am. But I'm hoping by doing this, I will be taking a huge leap towards healthy. I am not saying that I want to be a size 2 or something. Please, this girl has curves and frankly I love my curves. I don't want to look a boy. But what I want to be able to do go hiking with my fiance whenever he wants and not dread it. OK, truthfully I will probably always dread it. It being out in nature and everything. Or looking remotely how I want to look on my wedding day. I am not naive to think that by the end of these 4 weeks, I'm going to wake up and look the way that I want to look. But, I am already feeling better. More energy which I think is an amazing thing.
So we had to make 3 goals of what we want out of the Boot Camp and here are mine.

1. lose 8-10 pounds in 4 weeks.
2. jog a lap around the gym.
3. Not come in dead last just once!

I hope everyone has a great day!

The Honeymoon...

So it is two for one day on my blog!
The Honeymoon... I am hoping that someone might have a some thoughts on where we could go. We want to go on a honeymoon but I would really like to do it on a tight budget. I can't help but feel that since I don't have a job and we haven't really gotten the chance to save since the wedding is expensive and even with the help of others, we still need to be smart about booking our honeymoon. Thank God that they are helping us. I think I can dedicate a whole other post about the cost of the wedding. It is outrageous. But that is a side note.
Back to the Honeymoon. So we are thinking in the States. I'm thinking that Charleston, SC. Since it has both the beach like a half hour away and then city as well. We all know I am a city girl. I'm hoping that we will have enough to splurge on a really cool hotel. But we have got to be sensible about this. I mean yeah it would be so cool to go to Fiji or something crazy like that. But I firmly believe that we will have plenty of time for that. I know that we have already talked taking a big trip before the babies start to come. Yup that is right we have talked babies. I mean have you seen how cute my fiance is??? Who wouldn't want his babies. OK but again getting ahead of myself. Since that is so far down the road.
That trip... The Big Trip will be Europe. I'm hoping it will be Ireland, England, and Scotland. I lived in Ireland for a year and haven't had the chance to go back and that is something that I want my fiance to experience. Not to mention there are still friends there. I wish it could be sooner but we want to save up for that trip.
Back to the honeymoon, Does anyone have any suggestions for us? We want to keep it very reasonable. The only thing that I said no way to is camping. Not for my honeymoon. I love him very much but just this is one time, that camping is not an option for me. So let me know what you are thinking??? Any suggestions or thoughts???

Bridal BootCamp....Day Two.

Big White Dress.... At 5:00 this morning, Big White Dress. Today was day 2 of the boot camp. And I'm proud to say that I didn't feel like I wanted to die til a half hour in. The class is an hour long. I want to say only an hour but right now that hour doesn't feel like only an hour more like half a day. I have to say, that I'm so lucky to have my instructor. She seems really willing to work with me and my abilities. However, I am sore on top of sore. I am having difficulty walking up stairs if that gives you any idea of how sore I am. Today she had us do this move that I just looked at her and cracked up! It was this half push up and half jumping jack! Yeah right like I'm going to be able to do that. But she worked with me. So instead I was doing mountain climbs. But she told me that the soreness will continue but get better around week 3. For your information that is two more weeks! However I'm starting to look forward to the dress shopping after this is all said and done. Hopefully I will be able to step into a dress since at this time I can't lift my leg! Oh the pursuit of that perfect dress. On to day 3! Saturday has never looked so good!

BootCamp!

So Today marked the first day of Boot Camp. Aka Bridal kick my butt into the ground and make me want to cry boot camp day. I had to pull myself out of bed at 4:45 in the morning. Now, I have to say that I really didn't get that much sleep last night. I have a bit of food poisoning from Papa Murphy's. So that might have explained why I had such a hard morning but truthfully I think I'm just out of shape. Now I have been working out for the past year for about 2 or 3 times a week but now I realized it is nothing compared to what these other people have been doing. That hour was one that was outrageously hard. I was already sore by the time that 6:30 rolled around and frankly the thought of having another day like today terrifies me. I have 3 weeks and 4 days left of the boot camp. That is with a break for Thanksgiving Week. But trust me, there will be no break for me. I can't go through another first day, like today. So every time I turn off my alarm way too early in the morning. I say in my head. Big white dress. As I'm feeling totally useless with women who are running laps around me. I will say Big white dress. At the end of the boot camp my wedding coordinator (la madra) and I will be going down to bridal row and try to find a wedding dress for me. Because it is time to stop putting the whole dress bit off. Everything else is falling into place. So this must as well. So I hope that while the next four weeks will pass quickly but all so that I can make it. Since today was just the warm up! slightly scared but looking forward to the results.

THE DRESS

Let me give you a little background on this subject.
Ever since I was a little girl watching Disney Movies, I have believed that some day my prince will come and I will get married in a beautiful dress. Not to mention I will be stunning. However, as I have grown up and became aware of the world outside I realized that most often it is the skinny girls that get to believe that magic exists in this world. You see, I am plus size. And in America, I feel like by even saying that I open myself to ridicule and pointing of the fingers. For example, like this summer when I received a letter telling me that I should start to exercise a couple days of the week because well, I'm just too fat. Now, all I really wanted to say was I do exercises but I also enjoy pizza and cookies. Thank you very much! I'm not lazy. And that was from my own family. Not to mention those who don't think when they say things about fat people in their blogs, it will affect people who haven't even met them. Then they don't even receive a reprimand at work for it. Hello, Maire Claire, I am soooo pointing my finger that you.
Anyways, this is something that I have struggled with my whole life. So the fact that I have met this amazing man who doesn't care that I'm not a size 2. In fact, I think that he enjoys that I love pizza just as much as he does. He loves me regardless of the outside. So he put a ring on it...
However, that still brings me to the dress issue. I wish I was that girl who ran right now and found THE dress but I'm not. I'm freaked out. I am very worried that whatever dress I fall in love with will not return the favor by making me look like the princess in a fairytale more like the ugly stepsister. I want that though, I want to look like the princess. I want to have that fairytale wedding and life. So should I hide and pretend that none of this bothers me? That I should just be happy with the dress that fits? I mean it is only one day. But to me, this is THE DAY, I feel as though ever since I was little all I truly wanted to be was a wife. I'm very blessed that God has given me my fiance. I am positive there isn't a better guy out there. But I also don't want to shame him. Or to make his family think less of me because of my size. So I have put off the dress. Everyone is telling me that they can see that I have lost some weight but let me tell you. This isn't easy nor is it something that I enjoy talking about. It bothers me that I'm not more confident about this section of planning the wedding. I am trying to be hopefully that I will be able to find that one dress. The one that will look stunning on me no matter what size I am. Luckily my momma is amazing and has signed us up for a boot camp for the next 4 weeks. But I think after that I will have to bit the bullet and go dress shopping while praying that I will look like the bride I want to see in the mirror. That fairytale girl who got her prince and they will ride off into the sunset. So we will have to see what comes next for the dress.

6 months, 1 week and 5 days

Hello Everyone,

The first post... So let me caught you up on everything that we have accomplished. The wedding train is moving fast. Some times I feel as though it is moving to fast. My Fiance and I haven't really had a chance to celebrate the fact that we are even engaged. That is why, I am so excited for the upcoming party. It will give us all a chance to become more familiar with each others families and love ones. I even have friends coming from Ireland to meet Dan for the first time. But that is coming up and I still have to caught you up with what has already happened.
So my Fiance and I were looking for rings in August, and talking about a fall wedding in 2011. When my mom dropped a bomb on us. My brother, who is in the Navy is being deployed next year. Which set off a panic inside of me. Of course, I would want my brother there at my wedding. So I started off by calling my church. To talk about a wedding in April. Well, let me tell you. Easter is in April. So that was a no go! But luckily there was a date in May available. Now, I haven't ever really been a Spring time of person. I love fall, everything about fall. Pumpkins, apple cider and the leaves turning around. So what do you do... Well I will tell you what you do. You realize something... Life happens when you are busy making plans for something else.
So May it is.
So at this point in wedding planning we have done. And by the way when I say we, I mean my wedding coordinator who generally answers to Mom! But I digress... We have the church, reception spot, the photographer, and the flowers done. So I think that in the past 3 and half months we have done an amazing job.
But I still have a big thing that is filling me with dread... The dress.
But that will be the next post.