Day 068 (Or: The one where we took a day off)

We did nothing weddingy today. Well, Kelli went and picked up our confirmation that we completed premarital counseling so we can get some money off of the marriage license. But when I got off work, we did nothing weddingy. We didn't talk about it, we didn't plan for it, we didn't accomplish anything, and it was glorious.

I've gotten to stop by the Feener's two mornings in a row before work. That good morning hug and hello hit the spot and put me in a wonderful frame of mind for the rest of my day.

Kelli was scheduled to go to the doctor early tomorrow morning, but it go moved to early August = she and I got to celebrate our 23-month-anniversary in style. My friend Ashley at work just GAVE us a really sweet, excellently crafted and in great shape, black shelf that will be perfect for DVDs, books, and records. THANKS ASHLEY. So Kelli and I took that over to the town house today. Carefully maneuvered it up the stairs and into our bedroom it looked SWEET and fit perfectly where we were hoping a shelf would. So that was a blessing :) From there we went and got some anniversary dinner at panera MMM MMM <3 that place. And we've got sweet connections there! YEAH

And then we finally finally got to go see Eclipse and it was e p i c. Def the best one so far. Sue me for enjoying those movies. So anyways then on the way home, I got to hear about all the places it differed from the book, hahaha.

Ahhh today was wonderful. We needed it. It's almost the weekend! Lots to be moved into the town house. Ok, bedtime.

Day 067 (Or: Is this wedding toll-free?)

No, it is not. You can prepare your mind for the fact that weddings are stressful. You can say you're aware that it's going to be stressful, and hope that that makes it less tolerable when it inevitably is stressful. But the reality is, you really can't have any idea about wedding planning until you're actually in the midst of it. The fact that "the wedding is happening no matter how much is planned by that date" is equal parts reassuring and exasperating, haha.

But I was thinking about it on the way home tonight, and the fact is that its a wonderful thing that planning a wedding stretches you so thin. It's good practice for married life. It tests your resolve, because there are points when neither of you want to do anything more and everything is overwhelming and there seems to be no end in sight. Those are moments ripe for the "living sacrifice" that I talked about yesterday.

The Good Lord is pounding into my head this week that the stresses in life are the things that bring us closer to Him. As my dad always likes to say: "I love my problems." So true.

Yes, this wedding is taking its toll. But thank God it is!

Day 066 (Production, programs, and a living sacrifice)

I got to be in production today for like 3 hours. It was awesome. I love running cameras, man. Love it. And I'm not half bad at it, so it's fun :P

We finalized our wedding programs. The design, at least. We did some test printings and they look great. We put together the skeleton last night, and Kelli had done a fantastic job designing it and making it "us" by tonight. I love it. And she even integrated some of my ideas into the final design :D I'll keep her.

And along with that, we settle on a final schedule for the actual service, which felt really good! And I like the way it turned out. I don't want to give it all away, but it'll be very nice. Uh, but don't read into that and think there are going to be goofy surprises along the way. There won't be. It'll just be a nice service that I'm proud of. AND we figured out all the songs that are going to play during the service. THAT felt REALLY good, let me tell you. It has been looming for like 6 months. Anyways, we had a lot of fun with that. The songs we've got are great :P BOOYAH

My buddy Andrew Wommack today reminded me that being a living sacrifice isn't a one time decision. It's something you decide on pursuing and then spend every ten minute for the rest of your life course correcting along the way. So that was encouraging. I needed to hear that today. I often just feel like I'm a failure in that regard. So, thanks Andrew. I hope I get to shake your hand one day.

Anyways, pumped for the bike race. I am renting a town house that I'm not even sleeping in yet, haha. Oh and I paid my first bills today. Snaaaap. Night.

Day 065 (Or: The New Home)

I got off work today and drove over to the town house, where Kelli and her mom were working in the kitchen and getting stuff ready for when Kelli and I live there. It was neat. Kelli was having a blast. And Miss Phyllis bought us a lot of essential stuff (toilet paper, soup, detergent, a stepping stool, etc) so THANK YOU to her :) So we hung out there a while. That place already feels like home. I love it.

Oh, and I got our renter's insurance inacted starting at midnight tonight, so. I'm gonna start moving stuff in for real this week. Where to start...

Anyways, so then Kelli and I came back to my family's house and eat some dinner and worked on the wedding program. Pretty fun. Then we watched some This American Life and waited for the storm to pass, and then she left. And now I'm going to sleep.

Day 064 (Or: Bridesmaids and Groomsmen)

Today was fun.

OH YEAH first off I've been listening to lots and lots of Thursday on myspace, hahah. YEAH. I ordered a couple of their CDs off half dot com sweet today.

Came over the the Feener's and we had our bridesmaids and groomsmen over. They were all here sans Jared Snyder (In Indiana), Ethan Willis (At camp), and Josh Feener (.....world cup...). It was a lot of fun getting everyone all caught up. We haven't had that whole group of friends together in a really, really, really long time. Like years. So it was fun.

We took everyone over to the town house :) This was Kelli's favorite part of the day. Everyone loved it! And we got in a circle and prayed over the place. It was really, really good. We have good friends and family. I wish my parents had been able to be there for that, too. But sometime this week, I'm sure. Anyways, it was really fun.

After all the festivities, Kelli, Jordan, Amy, Abby Lomax, Alex Feener, and I all piled in the car and went down to this flea market. Also fun. Gotta keep that place in mind!

THEN THEN once my brother and sister left, Kelli and I made pad thai and SUSHI and it was fun AND delicious.

Then freaking we got the SPIDER BALL on Metroid! But it was really emotionally exhausting fighing the Spider Guardian (We play the whole fight in the morph ball in confined spaces WHAT) so as soon as we got it, we found a save point and called it a Metroid night.

Now I think we're gonna unwind to some Arrested Development and then I'm going home and to bed. I'm tiiiiiired.

And I don't want to go figure out what I'm wearing for the wedding........bleh. I mean. It's important. I just don't want to. I don't like clothes shopping....... I feel so lost.

ANYWAYS good day :) seven weeks from right now, I'll have been married for about 6 hours. :O

Weekly Weigh In: 151 lbs! BOOYAH one fewer pound than last week... if I break the 140s I'll be very happy...

Day 063 (Or: Fiddy 'til the wedding)

Went on an EPIC bike ride with dad this morning. It was fun. Lots of hills. I think we went like 9 miles WHICH isn't really that much on a bike if you really think about it, but all those hills, man. I got a work out. I can really feel the pounds coming off. I should have started biking sooner into this whole weight loss thing, considering how much I don't really enjoy running anyway, haha.

Ohhhh then Kelli came over, and we just talked about all the stuff coming up, and trying not to be overwhelmed that all that needs to be done. We will both be happy when this whole thing is just, over. haha. Just completely done. But we're making it. 50 days to go isn't so bad.

Then we went to the library, and then to the TOWN HOUSE :D which is completely painted now THANK YOU MR. STAN. It looks really great. So now I'm free to start moving stuff in whenever I want..... boy oh boy....

Then we went to Kohl's looking for attire for me for the wedding. It was somewhere fruitful. We weren't really into it, but we both knew it needed to be done. We found some pants that we think might work. They look good. They'd look good with the lodge. They're casual which is nice. So.

Then we came back home and TRIED to watch stupid "1984" but there was all kinds of naked people in it so we just turned it off. Stupid. So we watched "Laws of Attraction" instead and it wasn't very good.

Thaaaaaaaaat's it. Meeting with the bridesmaids and groomsmen tomorrow.

Day 062 (Or: Painting, Cheating, Insomnia, etc)

Had another meeting for the kids show we're working on at work today. It was fun. Decided on a title and brainstormed ideas. I enjoy the people I work with. You'd be surprised how many people at the Christian Television Network are under 30, haha. We're a revolution.

Then after work, went by the town house where Mr. Stan was EXPERTLY painting the entire place for us :D THANK YOU, MR. STAN. The colors we picked out look fantastic. Today was the first time we just went over there without it being any sort of business transaction, so it was fun. It's just an exciting time right now, moving out and getting a place we're going to call home. I know the luster of having your own place to call home wears off with time, but for now, I can't get enough of Kelli's face everytime we start talking about "our" place. She's so excited she can't contain it. I love it.

Ok ok so today was unprecdented because it was the first (And I pray the only) time I cheated at a Metroid game. I just don't have the time I did when I was 15. So we're impossibly stuck on Prime 2. So we just had to look up where the last temple key was that we couldn't find because we had searched everywhere. Of course it was RIGHT THERE in a room I'd explored a few times. Ugh. It was kind of dumb that I had to look it up. But...I want to beat it before we get married. So. There. I confess. I cheated at a video game.... but it was so good getting that key. So good.

AND THEN in honor of the fact that INCEPTION comes out a week from today, we watched the only Christopher Nolan movie Kelli hadn't seen...the mighty INSOMNIA be still my heart. So good... man, if I had to make a list of my favorite movies of his (and know this doubles as a partial list of my favorite films of all time) it's be:

6. Following
5. Insomnia
4. Batman Begins
3. The Prestige
2. The Dark Knight
1. Memento

How could one guy possibly make all of those incredible movies? And why am I still holding out hope that Shyamalan's Devil will even be remotely good?

WELL we're figuring out what I'm wearing for the wedding tomorrow........ I LOVE SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!