The Odds Are Not in His Favor

Maybe that title is a cheesy reference to The Hunger Games. Would you judge me if it was? What if I told you I was going through withdrawls after reading all three books in six days? I bet you'd still judge me.

Your judgment is neither here nor there today. Today, we're going to take a brief moment (and post) to chuckle to ourselves that the Cupcake seems to have daddy sensing skills in the womb. When Shannon is around, she is quiet as a mouse. As soon as he's lost interest in staring at my belly or waiting for her to kick him in the hand, she does some new, spastic, Lady Gaga-inspired dance move that makes my whole stomach jump.

I feel like she may be taunting him. If she is, she is clearly already taking after her mother who has a rotten streak a mile long. And who enjoys terrifying her husband at every possible opportunity by hiding in random places throughout the house, quietly waiting for him to pass by.

She makes me laugh already.

This Post is About Reading, Not Food

Today, Shannon and I met with our pastor to discuss our ceremony and put the final touches on what we want for our ceremony.

Our ceremony. It's just eight days away. At this time next week, I'll be in the last moments of singledom. Wow.

As we prepped for this conversation, we were thinking of readings we'd like to be part of our intimate ceremony. Corinthians 13 will be part of the ceremony. Such a beautiful commentary on love. Love, not marriage, as Pastor Randy pointed out. Fitting that we should reflect on love in all its forms as we are married with our closest family by our sides. Our grandparents, our parents, our siblings...

After our discussion - unity candle (no), prayer (yes), writing our own vows (no), communion (yes) - Pastor Randy reminded us that if we had any other favorite verses or poems or pieces we'd like read to send them his way. Immediately, I thought of a piece my wonderful friend Steph sent to me a few months ago.

Robert Fulghum is wonderful. I'll be sending it to Pastor Randy later this evening. For now, you should enjoy. Take a read...

"Union" by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.

Saucy

I am going to revel in the fact that I'm sharing a wee glimpse into two pieces of my wedding attire.

Wedding is the key word. I am not wearing this stuff to my reception. Reception = jeans and a flannel. Keep that in mind.

This saucy piece is an almost identical match to the red crinoline slip I will be wearing under my tea-length wedding dress.

And these are the Chuck Taylors I am wearing with that slip and that dress.

For part of the day. Not all of it. I have heels, too. They're not as much fun as the Chucks, though.

A Wedding Menu: Part I

Shannon and I are in full wedding reception planning mode. We have a little under two months until our reception (less than one month until our wedding!), and we both know the time is going to fly.

Did I mention that between now and the reception, I'm in charge of a week-long series of programming, out-of-town for a conference where I'm presenting three times, and we have a smattering of other obligations both personal and professional? If not, I've now  mentioned it. It's going to be a wild, crazy two months.

Luckily, we both have very supportive families that are working to help us in any way that they can. I have to admit that their willingness to lend a hand has been invaluable.

We spent the three-day weekend at my parents' lake property enjoying some light camping - I say "light" because we have a bathroom with a shower - and the fresh air. It was a brilliant weekend to be outdoors. Mid-to-upper 70s, sunny and breezy. In the midst of all that outdoorsy enjoyment, somewhere between the S'mores and the wine and the BBQ pork tenderloin, we talked a bit about the menu for our reception. It seemed to make perfect sense at the time.

Shannon and I are committed to the backyard BBQ theme that we've established for ourselves. We want our food to be exactly what you'd find in any picnic-type environment. Simple. Fresh. Awesomely yummy. So what does that mean?

It means my dad has offered to slow smoke beef brisket and make his famous baked beans. It means my mom is going to help us inject a few turkeys with some tasty brines before we deep fry them golden brown. It means that my parents offered to pull out all the stops and make their unbelievably sinful homemade potato chips in mass quantities to help us feed the 200-ish people we're inviting to attend our backyard festivities.

I. Am. So. Excited.

My parents make the best homemade potato chips. Really. They sold them at my sister's softball tournament for something like $4.50 a basket, and people came back for a second basket. Even a third. So good. The fact that my parents offered up their chip-making prowess just about made my weekend.

While the rest of the menu hasn't been officially designated - we still need to talk salads and cupcakes among other things - we have a really fantastic base from which to build.

It's going to be delicious.

The Precious

I didn't let myself down this weekend. I cooked. I really did. Not nearly as much as I would have liked, but I definitely cooked.

I was only sidelined briefly by the allure of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I made up for it by making a fantastic red wine and rosemary mushroom sauce. I may have put it on a piece of medium steak.

I'll share the pictures and the recipes this week. For sure. Now, though, I'm going to share a simply picture I ripped off the interwebs.

"Why?" you ask.

"Because," I respond before pressing 'upload.'


I post this because this little lovely recently made its way onto our wedding registry. I didn't tell anyone because, well, no one was around for me to tell. But now I'm telling you. I did it. I put it on our registry. The one gift I have been saying will be on our registry is now on our registry. It was a moment, I'm telling you. A real moment.

It feels almost as if I have the slim chance of being reunited with my long-lost twin sister. If we receive nothing else but this mixer, life will still be glorious and wonderful and beautiful.

It really is my version of the One Ring. Scary, isn't it?

Married

I will be married in October. I will point out that this eight months ahead of the date that we originally scheduled our wedding.

Before you ask, I do not have a bun in the oven. Thanks goes to my 92-year-old grandma, for reminding me that there was a practical reason for a quick wedding in the 1930s. Of course she did so with a wink and a laugh. This is the woman who reminded me that you never know where you'll meet your "special someone" since she met my grandfather in a pub. At the time, he was visiting Milwaukee from St. Louis. A few short years later, he moved her from Milwaukee to "Hell" as she affectionately called St. Louis in the dead of summer. Now that's a love story.

After a lot of soul-searching and some conversations about practical long-term plans, Shannon and I decided we'd much rather spend our money throwing a backyard BBQ reception for 200 of our closest friends and family than on a fancy wedding with bridesmaids and finery that would require us to cut people from our guest list.

Total wedding budget then? $4,000. Total wedding budget now? $1500. Happiness level then? Happy. Happiness level now? SUPER happy.

We'll get married in October. The first weekend in November, our guests will join us at my parents' rural home for a backyard BBQ and bonfire reception. The decor - fall foliage - and the attire - comfortable and causal - make me quite happy. The food makes me even more so. My mom and I will be cooking for our guests. I will be able to make my own cupcakes. My dad is going to build me a custom cupcake stand. My reception, in my head, is already perfect. Once the love of all our family and friends is added, it will outshine anything I'd imagined.

I am so excited.