Countdown...

We're still here - just busy as heck and nothing new to share. I've been working a ton, as well as getting the wedding/honeymoon things together, and Adam has been doing the same. Errands galore this week - but my classroom is officially done and I've planned out the entire first week of school in my plan book....the house is clean and all shopping is done. We know that the next few days are going to fly by, so we're trying to just relax in the evenings and enjoy the end of the summer. Kiki is doing much better, and the wound on her head is getting smaller...but unfortunately she's had a bad hairball for the last few days, so she constantly hacks -nothing visible yet! :) She's looking forward to hanging at Uncle Kurt's while we're in Mexico.

Our schedule for the weekend seems pretty easy, but busy - tomorrow is a working morning, hair appointment, and last dress fitting, then picking up all the wedding paper products. On Thursday, I tutor for the last time, pick up my ring and dress, and spend some time by the pool with Kelly and my sister...Adam is hanging out with Phil and golfing. Friday I have to go to Meyer Music for a speaker/microphone for the wedding and to get my nails and trial makeup done, while Adam golfs. I am going to ask him to pick up the microphone - he has more time!

We will rendezvous at the museum a bit earlier than our family/wedding party to tie up some loose ends and discuss details with the coordinators there - then it's the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner! Saturday involves hair and makeup and girl stuff....and we are praying for no rain. I really, really hope it stays nice outside for pictures and the wedding...the cost to rent the tent/chairs outside is NOT waived if it rains...plus the pictures just won't be the same if they're all inside. I guess it doesn't do any good to sit and wonder/wait, so we'll just see how it goes on Saturday. That's really the main thing stressing me out at this point. That, and the fact that I can't be in charge of anything on Saturday. I want to set up everything myself, I want to guide the bridal party down the aisle - I want to see and do it all!! :-) Oh well. I can't ask for a better person (Jim) to do it instead. He'll be awesome.

I am ready to see everyone, get dressed up, and have a great time. I can't wait until the actual ceremony, and I really can't wait to see Adam for the first time. He is really excited and keeps repeating, "you'll be my wife soon" or other sayings similar to that. He is quite the romantic!

I probably won't blog again for awhile - but when I do next, I will have a new last name! :)

Yummy Recipe!

This week was nuts for me. I'm trying to get my classroom ready and finalize everything for the wedding, do errands, and make sure I don't have too much to do next week! I can't believe in one week the music will be playing, and we'll be minutes from getting married!! :) T0day is the first time I've had a minute to relax - but I'm currently making note cards for our hotel gift bags. I think the only thing I have left is to find someone to water my plants while we're gone, and to cut ribbon to size. I think that will take awhile, but I can do it while the Olympics are on next week. The ribbons are table runners of sorts - they should look beautiful! We did our table seating this week, and it was definitely stressful- we struggled with where to put people, and it was especially frustrating trying to seat 3 sets of family, all in close proximity to the head table. It didn't help that I spent over 9 hours at school, did errands and shopped for school junk, and then came home to no dinner - I was pretty cranky, and I feel bad because I had no patience for Adam...he has to look at things and think about them before he says his opinion - not me...I'm instant....so I had a hard time waiting. It was classic impatient me - I stunk. All is good now.

This morning we slept in a bit and went to the Rockford farmer's market - I love it there. I'm bummed that I'm going to miss two Saturdays before I have the chance to go again (I need mums!) but hey - one will be our WEDDING DAY and the other will be OUR HONEYMOON!! Can't really complain. I've been planning out where I will put my mums, but I'm not sure what color yet - I love yellow but I have a lot of yellow flowers already - I may do the purple or red-orange...not sure yet. I wonder if they have pink? Adam bought us a bouquet of absolutely breathtaking flowers for a whopping $6 - bright colors, a huge variety of flowers...just beautiful. He commented that I should carry them as my bridal bouquet. :)

I bought some great produce as well (for a total of about 6 dollars) - peaches & cream sweet corn, new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini, yellow wax beans (my fave!!) cucumber, and beautiful red bell peppers - Here's what I made with them and basil from my giant plant on the deck...

Red Pepper Hummus
*for convenience, prepare the dip up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container. Serve with lightly toasted pita wedges and bell pepper strips.
*If you'd rather not roast a pepper, buy a jar of roasted red peppers in oil - they are already peeled and taste just as good. AND, 1/3 cup is only 94 calories and 3 fat grams!!

1-2 red bell peppers (I used two for more of a red pepper flavor vs. a hummus flavor)
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
handful fresh basil (do more if you like the flavor - taste as you go)
1 (19 oz.) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, quartered

1. Preheat broiler
2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Discard skins.
3. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Yield 6 servings (1/3 cup servings.)
*Recipe courtesy Cooking Light (of course)

We also had a huge veggie tray with dip, and caprese salad (fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, salt/pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.) It looks like we're having company tonight, with all I made, but I was just tired of having nothing healthy to snack on...when it is gorgeous outside and produce is local and fresh, I just can't help but taking advantage of it...

Reality Check- and Boursin Appetizer

I'm back to work...officially. It has been a super relaxing summer, and I've enjoyed hanging out with Adam and our house (yes, I hang out with it)- but yesterday when I went to work, it was a definite reality check that told me I need to be there more! Adam stopped by and helped me, which was awesome. I got so much done with his help...he's efficient and stronger than me, and I didn't have to move filing cabinets and heavy junk! :) I love living 10 minutes (4.5 miles) away from my job!

Today I have to go to the teacher store and Wal-Mart to buy some necessities for the classroom, and then I'll work for awhile. Tomorrow will be the same routine, with Adam and I heading to the Tigers in the evening!

The wedding is soooo close, I can't believe it. We have been making last-minute phone calls and tying up all the loose ends...just a few more things to purchase (thank goodness!) and we're officially done. I'm not nervous, other than hoping all the vendors do their thing perfectly. I'm worried there might be a detail I forgot to confirm or something, but I am honestly relaxed and just ready!

Yesterday Whitney and Weston came over and spent the night, and we had a great dinner - my favorite, chicken carbonara pasta, hot fudge volcanoes, as well as a replica of the appetizer Heather and I ate at K2 (Kirby Grill upstairs - Grand Haven) and it turned out awesome!!! Here's the recipe:

Boursin Bake
1 container Boursin cheese (hard to find - specialty cheese section - light works too)
Marinara sauce (I just used a Prego jar!)
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
Crusty thick bread, sliced diagonally into 1/2" crostinis (I cut the pieces in half the long way, to make more breadstick looking crostinis)
olive oil for brushing
2-3 Tbsp. butter - soft
garlic powder or finely minced garlic for crostinis
parsley

1. If you have time, follow cookbook directions and roast a head of garlic first. I didn't.

2. In an oven-safe bowl, spread the Boursin in a disc, approx. 4-5 inches diameter. Cover with marinara sauce on the top and sides - approx. 1 cup. Place garlic cloves in sauce.

3. Lightly brush olive oil on one side of the bread pieces - flip over and place on a cookie sheet. On the other side of the bread, lightly butter. Use garlic powder and parsley flakes to season, only on buttered side.

4. Bake at 375 for approx. 15 min. (watch this - I'm not sure how long or what temp I used!) place boursin/sauce on middle rack, crostinis on rack below. Bake until Sauce gets darker at the edges and bread is lightly toasted. When done, if you roasted the garlic first, leave it in...if not, remove (it will be too crunchy.)

5. To enjoy, spread mixture over crostinis! It's awesome!

Animals

Walking away from the picture-taking lady...


you can see it through the deck spindles

There were two more that were closer, too - they were trying to escape at this point


wacky cat

making kitty paw prints on my car

bad lighting - but you can see her laying up there if you look closely

Kiki's new thing is to hang out on the top of the opened garage door - she is so weird. I took a few pictures...she is a momma's girl lately, probably because Adam was gone for the weekend. I am loving it!!! I'm the one who saved her from death row, right?

The wild turkeys are all about our backyard lately - there are 6 of them, and they are huge. I caught Kiki about 3 feet away from one the other day - it was at least 4 times the size of her. Last night, they were right by the deck and house until I opened the sliding door, and then they started running away - they run so strangely -they fly a little. I still got a few pics of them...my camera doesn't have the greatest zoom, so they are actually closer than they appear. The hummingbirds are all over the flowers on the deck and the orange halves - beautiful. I was having coffee and perusing cookbooks today, and one was by the screen (in sunroom) trying to get at my fake flowers that were inside!! It was cool - they are amazing.

I'm still hoping to see a black bear wandering through the ravine - I'm firmly convinced that they're out there, as a lot of people have seen them locally. My dream is to see one in the wild - not at a dump or zoo - wild. :) I'll keep watching and keep everyone posted!

Baby Vance

On Saturday, after Camp Sunshine, I went to Heather's house to hang out for the day - we played with Vance and talked all about our house decorating dreams...it's funny...we could have discussed it all day, I swear! We also had a fantastic early dinner in Grand Haven, at Kirby Grill - we sat on the top deck and enjoyed the sun on our backs and the yummy food and drinks. It was a great time!! I got home at 11:30 pm and crashed with Kiki - woke up late and did the Sunday coffee/newspaper thing alone - Adam's on his way home from Milwaukee as we speak!

Here are a few adorable pictures of Vance, Heather and Aaron's youngest (my soon-to-be nephew) on the swing in the back yard. I think I'll have to frame one of them - adorable!!

Camp Sunshine!

Fish windsocks that the campers made!


The awesome Jillian - making soap with the campers!

A camper and her counselor - awesome.

Jillian and a squinting me.


In the arts and crafts room, making their windsocks.

More arts and crafts!



Yesterday I went to the Holland area to volunteer with my friend Jillian, at Camp Sunshine - it's a camp on Lake Michigan that's for special needs campers, ages 13-65. It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to go back next year. All the campers have one-on-one counselors all day and through the night (bunk beds - camper on the bottom, counselor on the top.) There was a huge variety of people there, and I have never seen such genuine happiness...it was amazing. Enjoy a few pictures!! :)

Thursday!

Tonight we went to the gym, and when we got home Adam mowed the lawn and edged, while I made an asian-inspired dinner. I got a recipe for Benihana Ginger Dressing...so we had that on salad, along with Sesame Noodles with Broccoli...we both agreed that some sweetly marinated grilled chicken would have been perfect with the noodles. It was pretty good, regardless!! We ended up going downtown Rockford around 8:00 pm and getting ice cream. We walked around by the dam and river, and through the town - riding home in the convertible, with the top down. It was a lot of fun. I am consistently surprised and pleased with how quaint and lovely downtown Rockford is. The pots of unique flowers, the music flowing through the town, the gaslights...just beautiful.

Tomorrow Adam heads to Milwaukee, and he's getting pretty pumped up for it. I have my makeup "trial" tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to that. I love makeup, and have too much of it, so I'm curious to see how I look after tomorrow! :)

Recycling - a good thing!

We took our trash out this morning, and realized that we only filled one bag of trash in the last week...one. Normally we fill up the bin with MANY! We owe this to the fact that we are now crazy recyclers!! We recycle everything, and even have a system set up in the garage for sorting. It's amazing how much "stuff" one goes through that's able to be recycled. We've been receiving a lot of boxes, all wedding-related, so our paper recycling pile is HUGE. It's a great feeling to know that you did your part and are not adding to the landfills near as much. I can't believe I never did this before!!

Today I had my hair "trial" for the wedding...Rachel did a fantastic job replicating the pictures I showed her, and I felt great when I left. I have the makeup trial this Friday, and a busy weekend ahead. Adam will be in Milwaukee all weekend with his buddies, so Erin and I are heading out on the town on Friday night. Saturday I'm volunteering with my friend/co-worker Jillian at a special needs camp on Lk. Michigan - arts and crafts, baby! I'm heading literally steps down the road after that to hang out with Heather and the kids, and then she and I are going to do dinner after that. Sunday looks pretty easy, and I'll probably scour the clearance racks at the mall for sundresses and cute honeymoon clothes. The pickings are slim when it comes to summery things - fall is approaching quickly! I hope to get good deals, and Adam probably hopes I do too. :)

We have been going to the gym MUCH more regularly as of late, and it feels great. Adam is a more frequent visitor than I am, but I'm getting back into my groove. I really need to keep this up when school starts, and I'm tired after work...school is something I need to focus on, as a matter of fact - it starts soon and I'll miss the whole week before (honeymoon!) so I have to be ready extra early.

My mom came over yesterday and we hot glued, wrapped, stuffed, and did a million little wedding things. We set up the candy buffet to see what it would look like, and then took it down again! I think it will be a lot of fun, and gorgeous! I am SO ready for our wedding. I just want it to get here - with nice weather! My mom looked at the long-range forecast and wanted to tell me about it, but I really didn't want to hear it...so I shushed her. It will inevitably change and I just don't want to stress about rain when we're still 2+ weeks out. It will NOT rain, I know it!!

Kiki update: she is doing better with her head wound, but she has been shunning us (me) lately and hanging out in the back corner of Adam's office - she doesn't even greet us at the door when we come home. When Adam was in Chicago yesterday, she stayed upstairs ALL day - finally came down when my mom came over and called her for 5 minutes. She is punishing me for all the pain and suffering she's gone through over the last week or so! I walked her around the yard today and she seemed to purr a tiny little bit - a good sign. I left her outside and then I noticed it was raining, so I found her (in the bushes in the back yard) and brought her in - right before the downpour - and made her mad at me again. I will never win her love and affection like Adam has. I have to face it! :-)

Honeymoon!!

View of the resort, pool, and Pacific ocean! There is also an infinity pool that we hope to go to!

Famous rock formations in Los Cabos - we hope to take a boat out there!

Pool and swim-up bar area

Beach at the resort - absolutely no swimming, unless you are brave!! The waves get huge, right on the shore...there are two beaches we can walk to that are better for swimming, one called "Lover's Beach" and the other called "Divorce Beach." Funny...

Someone else's feet and a view of the resort, pool...

We are pumped tonight!! We just booked our last-minute honeymoon! After reading literally 100's of reviews and examining pictures, websites, flights, etc., we've decided to go to Los Cabos, Mexico (Cabo San Lucas or just "Cabo.") We'll be there for 6 nights, leaving Monday the 25th and coming home on Sunday the 31st. I researched a TON and we decided on a slighly smaller, all-inclusive resort - The Riu Santa Fe. There are obviously larger and fancier places, but we were able to get a huge suite with an in-room hot tub and living room, and a full ocean view - to get all of that at any resort, we'd pay a ton more $$. I stayed at the Riu Caribe in Cancun two years ago, and while I've seen nicer, it was beautiful -our rooms were gorgeous, pools and landscaping were lovely. I trust the Riu name, I guess. Adam had been pricing out the trip on every site imaginable, and was getting the same prices...last night, I went on and did the same thing through Travelocity, and it was a few hundred dollars cheaper! Such a scam those travel sites have going.....needless to say, we booked it and even got our seats for the plane already.

The reviews for Riu Santa Fe were by far better than most, even higher-priced resorts...although the food reviews are not so great. But, we planned to go to some authentic restaurants (and touristy ones - Cabo Wabo!!) anyway, so we aren't that concerned. I found several pictures online, and they all belong to other people who have already been to this resort.

We can't wait!!!

3 weeks!

Baby Anna with a giant cupcake in front of her - best part is that her dad made it!!

More Anna!

Adam washing my car - we had already washed his and I was getting a little bored, so thought I would take a few pics. It was a beautiful day!

After the cone was remove, Kiki helped us wash cars outside - and decided to stalk and eat this grasshopper - you can see her head wound!


Here's Adam, just waking up from a nap, cuddling with our cone head Kiki. Poor baby.


3 weeks from right now, we'll be dancing and having fun at our reception!! It is NUTS to think that the wedding is that close. We are so excited and just ready for it!!

Saturday, we went to Abby and Steve's house for Anna's first birthday party...we also took the cone off poor Kiki's head. She was honestly the most pathetic thing ever. She had such a hard time with the cone, and I am praying we'll be able to leave it off!

Sunday, we washed cars and did a lot of yard work - everything is looking so lush and pretty!

The pictures above are of Adam taking a little nap with our conehead (and waking up JUST as I snapped the photo) and of Anna's party. Tomorrow we'll plant a tree in the hole in the yard and do dinner with Erin and KC. :)