Party - Bachlorette - Party

Tuesday, May 19

LeighAnn's Bachlorette Party dinner

Breanne. (Rick's sister)
LeighAnn. (Rick's twin brothers fiance')
& Me.

Tuesday, May 19- Wednesday, May 20

"Random" Tuesday evening party @ Brianna's

One of the best evenings I have EVER had with the girls - and who would have ever known it was a Tuesday evening/ Wednesday morning. ;)

Brandon & Jami

Congratulations to the newly married couple Brandon & Jami!

On Saturday, May 16, I arrived home at 2:30am & didn't get to bed until shortly after 4am & Rick arrived at my home & woke me up around 10:30am. We layed around that morning ate brunch and eventually began our day together around 1 or may it was 2. Well that evening Rick's cousin Brandon was getting married to his lovely bride (now wifey) in Lansing, Mich. Needless to say I drove home Friday so I could attend this lovely couples reception as Rick's date. Here are a few pics from the wedding.

some of the "family"

Rick. Me. Kevin. ------------- Me. Bre.

Me & Rick at the end of a long evening.

MY VACATION

My vacations began May 10 & ended May 16

Vacation #1 was Tybee Island, GA to visit my mom

&

Vacation #2 was Myrtle Beach, SC where my "sister" Stephanie, some of her friends and our "parents" went vacationing.

May 10: I spent the ENTIRE day driving.

I left my house at about 10:30am

I listened to silence & then an entire book on CD Mistaken Identity by Van Ryn, Cerak, Tabb

I never once got too tired to drive, which I suppose is a good thing because I had no one else to take the wheel. It was just me, myself & I.

May 11: I arrived on Tybee Island at about 12:30am

It was clearly pitch dark & the scariest part was not knowing where to go & looking at my GPS showing nothing but the road I am on and water on both sides on me with no sign on land but what is in front of me and behind me. SCARY. I got to what I thought was my moms house and called her and her husband phones. No answer. What? I was soooo angry. I had driven xxxx hours and their not answering their phones. For about a 1/2 hour I called & called... & FINALLY my mom answered. She felt SO bad. (And dang it she should.) Anyways she met me outside and helped me carry in my bags. I said hi to her husband James who was in bed and had no idea I was there or that I called both of their phones a billion times. Eventually he got up out of bed and we all three sat in the living room and talked about my long journey {alone}. & then we went out to the beach... it was unfortunate that it was evening, and so, so dark - I seriously couldn't see a thing! But just smelling the ocean, feeling the warm weather & the sand between my toes was good enough. :)

May 12: My mom and James (her husband) both had to work - but to my luck I had a whole beach & pool to enjoy. I went out that morning sometime around 10am and stayed out until about 2pm --- I knew it was really hot outside and the sun was really getting to me. Especially because I was so used to Michigan 60 degree weather, not sunny enough to wear shorts, or tanks tops but here I was on Tybee Island walking around in nothing but a bathing suit & flip flops. I went inside for lunch and shortly thereafter my mom came home. I told her I felt a little sick & i was having a hard time breathing. Must of been because it was 90 degrees outside with 70 or 80 something humidity (saw that fact of info on the news) YIKES! No wonder why I was sweating, hot & felt a little sick.

May 13: My mom took today off to spend some time with me before I left Tybee to go on my 2nd vacation to Myrtle Beach. Today, however it was not as nice as it was the day before. Today I wore jean carpi's & a fleece. My mom, her friend, and her friends son fed some turtles --- they we're so big & cute. We then went for a walk on beach. While walking I found a starfish... that wasn't quite a star because it was broke & I was excited I had found it however when I attempted to pick it up it felt sooo weird, so my moms friends son (Devon) is holding it. We walked on the beach of the river that runs into the ocean... or the ocean runs into the river. Whichever it be it was amazing. While walking I found a starfish... that wasn't quite a star because it was broke & I was excited I had found it however when I attempted to pick it up it felt sooo weird, so my moms friends son (Devon) is holding it. I have a pretty neat pic of the beach where this happens and the waves & current where the two clash is sooo strong that you cannot swim there and if you tried you drown. Have you ever heard of JETTIES? I never had. Their pretty neat. And BEAUTIFUL.

May 14 & 15: I left my moms this afternoon for Myrtle Beach & when I got in the car I realized that i really didn't feel like driving to Myrtle Beach let alone home later on that week. 4 1/2 hours later I arrived at Myrtle Beach - Ocean Blvd. It was cold... blah & NO sun. :( The whole gang ate out that evening at a something famous burger place. So it was only appropriate to order a burger... and I did & it was super spicy & afterwards I had horrible heart burn. But it was good. The younger crowd went to DICKS -- which was okay. Super expensive, the food was a little less than average and I really wanted Catfish & they didn't have anymore. I think I spent $20 on myself for a piece of chicken, fries, coleslaw & a Mike's Hard Lemonade. I went shopping one evening with Michelle for shirts & a shot glass. The morning I left to drive home I went for a walk on the beach alone... it felt like it wanted to rain - but I prayed to God that it wouldn't so that I could spend one last minute on the beach gathering shells and gathering my thoughts. The rain drops were so soft it almost felt like a mist off the ocean & it last only a few moments. I prayed I see a shark or dolphins or a whale. But I didn't... so I think maybe/ hopefully next time? Ryan met me on the beach. He was sooo bummed that I went out without him - but no worries Craig brought him out to fly the kite.. and Ryan had no interest. Well, enough interest in the kite to hold it for a little less than a minute and let it go... you should have seen how fast Craig ran & Ryan's face was absolutely priceless. To live my life as a 3 1/2 year old again would be amazing --- some of the things he says and does amazes me. I left Myrtle Beach at noon on Friday & as soon as I got off the exit to drive a little less than 7 miles to my house it began POURING rain.. the only bad driving rain the whole trip. I arrived at my house on Saturday morning at 2:30am --- I brought in all of my things from my car & did laundry. Haha I know, laundry at 2:30 in the morning. Yes, that is my life - that is what I do. I'm not going to lie - I really did miss my kitty Maxey but goodness he wanted me to stay up all night with him and he slept right on top of me.. I suppose that means he really missed me too?

Driving to Tybee Island

One of the many turtles we fed

The Starfish I found - but wouldn't hold (this is Devon)

Where the river runs into the Ocean or the Ocean runs into the river. & the sand blows swiftly across the beach.

Me & my mom

These are Jetties

Tybee Island Lighthouse

More Jetties (& when the waves hit like so it is sooo beautiful)

Me. Stephanie. Matt. Krista & Michelle @ Dicks

Me & Michelle shopping

pics of my Ry guy

Vacation Life Day #1

Day #1 TYBEE ISLAND

The morning began with (obviously) arriving here at 12:30am.
Waking my mom (Jackie) out of a deep sleep & yelling at her because I was on the island outside her condo building for a 1/2 hour. She helped me carry my (proud to say "only") 3 small bags into her condo. She showed me my room & we talked for awhile & then yes at 1am decided to go outside to the ocean - so amazing even if it were dark & you could hardly see anything. I was just glad that it was/is warm outside. Well, we went to bed at like 3:30am & began today (well I began the day at about 10:30am - not a whole lot of sleep but I did sleep well, real well.

Today it was 90 degrees out with 88 humanity --- does not even compare to Michigan weather the past few weeks. I spent all morning and afternoon at the pool & the beach & let me tell you that my arms are a little red & my cheeks. All I can say is the warm weather beats the hell out of Michigan even if it is (now) raining... well storming.

I'm really looking forward to tonight because we are going to a "real" seafood restaurant with fresh fish right from the ocean. Cannot wait!

Oh yea, & the news is on... it's now 72 degrees (thanks rain)
& aside from that on the beach today... I found to 1/2 sand dollars (they don't fit together to make a whole though) & a really neat full snail shell.

I'll write more tomorrow & let you know how dinner tasted & all that good stuff.

♥Erica

:::thanks for reading:::

p.s. I love orange today.

Run Away Bride

So I may not be a bride YET - but I have "run away".

While I'm sitting and waiting in between jobs I made a decision to go on a trip.
ALL BY MYSELF.

It did help that everyone in my household were leaving to go to on vacation to Myrtle Beach... I decided to make the trip along with them - however I decided to drive all by myself first to my moms in Georgia :::Tybee Island::: & then later this week I will be heading to Myrtle Beach with the rest of my family.

::: I left Michigan 5/10 @10am
&
arrived in Tybee 5/11 @12:30am :::

And it was a lot of driving all by myself!
(I'll post photos next week when I get home)

;) :)
♥♥♥

My Life

Describing my feelings with a photo...

I feel like I'm on a roller coaster!

The roller coaster has no end in site.

Look no feet! Look no hands!

I'm not in control.

I know you won't let me fall further than you can catch me.

I'm Already There

With wedding plans at a stand still, changes happening so quickly & the wedding just around the corner I've been thinking about my dad. My dad passed away when I was twelve and so I never got to introduce him to any high school crush or my fiance' Rick.

I know that my dad would approve of my choice, because I know he was with me the day that Rick proposed - I felt his presence in the sunshine, shinning on me.

[and the picture below was the day Rick proposed just a few minutes after (April 5, 2008) and in the picture below we did nothing to change it... that is just how it turned out & I feel as though it is an angel; my dad right there beside me]

Rick re-wrote me a song [a few years ago] to remind me that my dad will always be there for me - no matter what happens. And I know that I need him right now & I know he is here.

" She got down on her knees

And prayed alone in her cold bedroom

Just to tell her dad i love you one more time

But then she heard a sound

It was her daddy talking in the background

She smiled and wiped a tear from her eye

Her little voice said I love you so

And I wish you could come back home

He said the first thing that came to his mind

I'm already there

Take a look around

I'm the sunshine in your hair

I'm the shadow on the ground

I'm the whisper in the wind

I'm your imaginary friend

And I know I'm in your prayers

Oh I'm already there

Sometime I feel alone

I really miss you daddy

He said i see that you are beautiful and bright

You are my little girl

I'll always be here for you

And I know that I'll be in your dreams tonight

And I'll gently kiss your lips

Touch you with my figertips

So turn out the light and close your eyes

I'm already there
Don't make a sound
I'm the beat in your heart
I'm the moonlight shinning down
I'm the whisper in the wind
I'm your imaginary friend
Can you feel the love that we share
Oh I'm already there

We may be a million miles apart

But I'll be with you wherever you are

I'm already there"

[I'm Already There --- Original song written by Lone Star]

All Dressed!

All of my bridesmaids are going to properly dressed for my wedding.

YUP you heard me right... ALL 8 of em' have finally placed their orders for their dresses!

WHOO HOOO!!!

Happy E-Anniversary S&L

Happy The Day You Got Engaged Anniversary to Scott & LeighAnn!

They Got Engaged April 24, 2008
And will be married on June 5, 2009 (Less than 2 months away)

(Scott is my fiance' Ricks twin brother if you're thinking Scott & Rick look alike.) ;)

4 MONTHS

We have 4 months remaining until our BIG day.

& oh how I wish those 4 months were really only 4 days!

♥
xoxo

Invitation Wording

It's NEVER too soon to begin thinking about invitation wording.

I mean heck we do need to figure it out sort-of soon. There is only 4 months and two days until the wedding & in between there we will have S&L Wedding, B&J Wedding, Their wedding showers, i'll start a new job, i'm moving to another city, we'll have mine & Rick's 2 showers... Geeez there is so much between now & the wedding.

With that said... this "wording" & "wording layout" [was saved on my work computer & I need to delete my personal items off of my computer] is just lovely.

{photo credit}

Happy E-Anniversary A&A

Happy The Day You Got Engaged Anniversary to Adam & Amanda!

They Got Engaged April 20, 2007

And Married on June 20, 2008 (almost married 1 year!)

Pre Packing

Today it hit me that in two weeks I will be starting my very first day, of my very new job, doing something oh so very new. YIKES!

And not only will I be beginning a very new job in a very new city I will be living in my very own brand new apartment!!! WHOO HOO! I suppose the very scarey part is that I haven't even thought about none-the-less begun packing up my room or any of my belongings for that matter!

Oh the many things to do on my "To-Do List" I suppose my first thing To-Do is make a To-Do List. ;)

♥

Apartment Shopping Update...

So as I expressed in my last post the Fi (Rick) and I were going to IKEA (on Friday)... well, we went and wrote down a TON of stuff we want to buy. Then we bought the night stands for the bedroom set we liked. :)

After we left IKEA we headed over to HomeGoods (amazing discounted store) bought a lovely comforter & matching blanket - cause I need LOTS of blankets at night - I freeze! The comforter is so cute! It's white with greens and blues embroidered leaves and stuff ... not over the entire comforter just the corner and a little at the top. I guess i'll have to post a photo.

And then we went to Target *my favorite store EVER*
And we looked at all kinds of furniture.

We went home Friday night and talked it all over and decided to go out to Target again on Sunday after church. And so Sunday we 1] went to church. 2] went home & had brunch & read over the Sunday paper & of course sale adds 3] discovered the bed furniture we feel in love with was on SALE! 4] went straight to Target.

And so we bought at Target:
1] a 6 drawer dresser
2] a 4 drawer dresser
3] 2 matching night stands
4] a desk

and we're hoping it will all fit nicely in (my *for now/ our *in August) apartment!

So this fun filled weekend consisted of:
::: Friday IKEA - HomeGoods - Target
::: Saturday Friends wedding shower - Rick "teacher English test" - shopping with 4 of my little cousins
::: Sunday church - brunch & sale adds - Target - IKEA return of night stands - OH & how could I forget... we have begun searching for our living room furniture!!!

Next Apartment shopping goal: COUCH, END TABLE, FLOOR LAMP, TV STAND.

IKEA Apartment Shopping

TGIF!!! (Thank Goodness It's Friday!!!)

And with that said... when I get out of work this evening... in less than a 1/2 hr. I am meeting my ♥Fi Ricky @ IKEA to do some apartment shopping!

WHOO HOO!

My IKEA apartment shopping LIST:
[not all for tonights trip]

1] 2 bar stools for our breakfast bar
2] coffee table
3] 2 end tables
4] TV stand
5] bed frame
6] desk
7] living room end table lamps
8] floor lamp
9] bed room night stand lamps
10] trash can
11] miscellaneous cleaning items

CANNOT WAIT FOR SHOPPING & THE WEEKEND BAY-BEEEEE!

Little Black Dresses

Last night after work I picked up my sister Samantha and drove to David's Bridal -- my sister tried on her desired bridesmaid dress style for one last time & I ORDERED 4 of my BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES!!!

And that means... 5 of my bridesmaids have their dresses ordered.
& 3 of my bridesmaids still need to place an order for their dresses.

And for the heck of it I thought it would be fun to share with my fellow bloggers what dresses each bridesmaid choose. (and I must say i'm happy with their decision)

<--Strapless ♥ Straps-->
[David's Bridal Dresses Above]

Stephanie - Maid of Honor - Strapless

Amanda - Matron of Honor - Straps

Kari - Bridesmaid - Straps

Samantha - Bridesmaid - Strapless

Breanne - Bridesmaid - Strapless

LeighAnn - Bridesmaid - Straps

Paige - Bridesmaid - Strapless OR Straps

Brooke - Bridesmaid - Strapless OR Straps

(Paige & Brooke are undecided on which dress their going to order - but their going to David's on Sunday so we'll know soon enough which they'll choose!)

ONLY 4 months & 5 days until the wedding!

Feeling Happy

Can I just say THIS is what I feel like...

& I really LOVE this photo from my blogger friend at [Living on Sweet Tea] *click to view her blog

& when summer gets here... if it ever gets here i'd like to recreate this picture with my cousins or sisters or something because it is an amazing photo.

MY SECRET...

So I know a lot of you have been waiting for this moment.

HERE COMES THE BIG SECRET...

As most of you know Rick and I live an hour apart and see each other only on the weekend. However, beginning MAY 1 we will see each more than just the weekends.

BECAUSE I GOT A NEW JOB!

&

AN APARTMENT

[both out by Rick's]

And *look* how amazing this layout is:

My favorite parts on the apartment:

[1] A full size washer & dryer [2] 950sq. ft! [3] LOTS of storage [4] A large kitchen & breakfast bar [5] 24hr fitness center! (so I can still work out for free!) [6] Heated Pool [7] Sauna [8] Hot tub [9] Wi-Fi [10] Intercom Building Entrance [11] Carport [12] Close to freeway, super market, rug store, gas station, etc. [13] 1mile from Metro Beach [14] TONS & TONS of biking, hiking, walking trails!

I gave my two weeks [yesterday] at my current job. I'm going to miss this job because I really do love it & the people that I work for - my last day is May 1. April 29 I get the keys to my apartment & can start moving [if I choose to rent from there]. May 4 I start my *new* job!

ME = SUPER EXCITED & a little nervous for such a quick change!

Christmas in August

We could have begun our Christmas in August.
Why didn't I think of that?

This would've been a great idea for our very first married Christmas Tree.

But I suppose for us it wouldn't work all that great because:
- each Christmas we buy each other an ornament.
- every vacation we buy an ornament for our mini tree.
- as of last year our mini tree wasn't big enough for all of our ornaments.


So if you don't get what this photo is... it is Christmas bulbs and a permanent marker... it's like a guest book - but idea you have your guests write you a nice message for your first Christmas as a married couple.

Awww... Such a great idea!
But what do you do when you gather too many ornaments and all of those messages just don't fit?

ENJOY!

♥
xoxoxo
-E

About To BURST!

Ladies...

Really.
I am about to burst I want to tell the whole world so badly.

But my secret cannot be told just yet!

But I will tell you that the Fi and I did not elope (oh, how I wish we could- would)
& we're for sure not expecting a little Meyer baby.

In just a few more weeks I will post the secret. ;)

Until then. Hang in there!

♥
xoxoxo
-E