The Carnival is here!!!!

So sorry that I have not gotten these up sooner!
This weekend was one of the best weekends that we have ever had... ever.
Reasons it was the best. weekend. ever. in no particular order...
Jean Gray, Nate, Erin, and Frank all came in town for the party...
The Carnival...
and Chip, my brother, got JM a BIG GREEN EGG!!! IT is our "couples shower, wedding, gift, and Christmas gift... for the rest of our lives. On the card he wrote- "Welcome to the family" on the outside... on the inside..." You owe me beer and cook outs for the rest of your life!" and that is just SO Chip you have no idea...
HE gave him the card first then opened the trunk to show him the big surprise... it was INSANE!
So today is not a long post... but a TON of pictures. Finally right? ENJOY!


Entering the Carnival


How awesome are those lights! I really really want trees in our yard now so that I can have some up year round...


Two out of the 10 Fabulous "Witches of W.O."






Me and JM - Can you believe that Mandy made ALL of these games and boards for us to pose with!?!?!?




This might be MY FAVORITE picture of the night! My brother Chip, My cousin Ryan, and My brother Will!




Caroline (Chip's Beautiful Girlfriend), Chip, Jessica, and Colleen


Lauren and Kaleb in the car! Too cute!


Look at Frank's face (on right) how great is he posing for the pictures!


Games at "the midway" Thanks everyone for the quarters!


At the end of the night at the bonfire!


We had such a great time! Thank you so much for everyone that came! I wish that I had had 10 minutes to talk with everyone there... JM and I tried the divide and conquer approach... but I missed him and barely saw him. We have 1 picture of the two of us from that night. So at the wedding we will stick together!

PS. 31 days left. Time for the last month shakedown! I cannot believe that in 31 days I will be Mrs. McCracken. It is just crazy how fast this month will fly.

xoxoxoxox- K

A whole lot of fun....

This past weekend, as I mentioned before, we went to see Dave and Jill in Birmingham, AL. We also got to see one of my best friends Kathy too!!!

We had the best time! Of course we stayed up too late on Friday, drank entirely too much, and of course played some card games... but Saturday let me tell you... Jill and I had the best time! While all of the guys went and played TWO rounds of golf that day... we rocked it out!
We got up early- everyone did! Went to the Farmer's Market and got some veggies for dinner. At the Country Club close to their house they have a small Farmer's Market with local farmers and artists selling their wonderful crafts! We made our way through there then went off in search of some much needed coffee so Starbucks we went! We sat outside for an hour chatting, sipping, and looking at a ton of pictures... then off to Publix for the rest of the dinner that we were making for the guys...

Since we were done with all of our errands way earlier than we had thought we decided that we should drink mimosa's! What could be better right?!?!
We made the guys a wonderful dinner and of course played more drinking game and and card games...
The next morning we got up early again and went to "The Egg and I". It might possibly be our favorite breakfast place! Our little treat when we go see Dave and Jill!
Thanks for having us guys!!! and thank you Jill for all of the laughs! I had the best time sight seeing all over town!

When we came back... I was not feeling too great. BUT it is AMAZING what all you can get done when you don't feel well if you refuse to lay there. I got the craft closet organized, all guest bedrooms made and decorated for this weekend! Got a TON of stuff packed up and donated from the "old" kitchen, Got my dress fitted for the second time, went to the Country Club where the reception is being held and did the food tasting and planning session (food was WONDERFUL), even went to the Church for some "Premarital Counseling", did my trial run with my hair, and got the programs decided on and picked out! Now we just get to make them... all 300 of them.

The food at the Club was great! I cannot wait to see how they have it all set up! I think that it will be wonderful... and the Counseling part... there is NOTHING wrong with JM's and my relationship-just to clarify. Everyone who gets married in a church, most of the time, has to go though this. Sometimes it is intense hours of counseling and some people have to go on couples retreats... but for us... We were in and out in 30 minutes. In no way am I saying that we are perfect AT. ALL. But you know when it is right when everyone around you can also see that it is too... because this is not about the wedding. It is about us. The wedding is just one day and one night to celebrate the unity of two people. We both know that and we want more than anything just to be married because we will celebrate us for many many years to come. Not to mention...to be on that beach at the end of it all. St. Lucia, we cannot wait to meet you.

There is SO MUCH left to do, plan, order, and organize... and I am committed to NOT getting stressed. I am just not going to let it, the stress, sink in is all. I know that something is bound to go wrong, something will get left behind.... but you know what? I don't care.
I am so excited just to get to marry the man of my dreams, who just so happens to be my best friend in the whole wide world too!

This weekend we have the finally Couples Shower... more like Carnival! and that is going to be one hell of a party! We cannot wait for our friends and family to meet and have a wonderful time with us!
Dear weather Gods, Please don't rain this weekend... I beg you! because rain or shine you can bet your ass that I will be dancing under those stars!

I promise to post pictures one day... I am really really bad at that and currently have over 1000 images on my camera to edit and put up... maybe I will do a 'year in weddings wrap up'... Who knows? one day you will see them...

Until then I have 37 days to get my ass in gear and get this wedding planned... I cannot believe how time really does fly by.

ciao
xoxo
Katie

Just some Friday randomness...

Dear Diary....
I am so glad that it is Friday. Just like every week right?

I really did start writing in a diary. and let me tell you it is wonderful. JM put up some lights next to the bed so I can now lay in bed and write at the end of the day.... I really just needed something that I could write in at night... the pen, paper, and the freedom to write whatever the hell I want is WONDERFUL. I know that I can do that here, but really the sound of the pen scratching on the new paper. Heaven.
Seriously... second best stress reliever I know of!

So this weekend is our last trip out of town before we become Mr. and Mrs. McCracken. Although we have so much to do at the house- cleaning, organizing. and everthing before the wedding... IT CAN WAIT. We have gotten really good at letting things wait. There are more important things in life... Like family and friends... because our frineds are all like family and our families are our best friends. Right now it is just nice to leave for a weekend because wedding planning can wait right? So Alabama here we come!

We are going to visit our dear friends Dave and Jill. This couple is awesome. They are so much fun and everytime that we see them we know that we will be laughing so hard that we cry...

I first met Dave and Jill was at Dave's birthday two years ago. I was scared. Scared as hell. With thoughts running through my head "Will they like me?" "Will they accept me as his new girl friend?" Jill is great friends with JM's ex. So of course I was nervous... these were some of the first friends I was meeting. OF course they were and are wonderful! I love them... and really dont know why I would have ever thought that they would judge me at all! I laugh about that now.
I love all of JM's friends. They are not just his frineds anymore... they are mine too. He has some of the best friends people could ask for! SO DO I!

A few things that I cannot wait for...That will bring me so much joy and happiness over the next week...
My brother Chip is coming home next week!!! We are all so excited to see him it is crazy... That boy loves to travel and he had the best summer a traveler could ask for. He got to see places I never will... From California to Maine he traveled to a ton of fairs and events all fro a company called Webkins. Yes that is right. The boy is good. And it is so sweet to me that he wanted to do something like this- to see how excited or crazy the kids get over these things... It is like Beannie Babies on crack.

Our Couples Shower is next Saturday. It is being hosted by the most wonderful people in all the land. By land I mean Windsor Oaks where I grew up and my parents still live. It is going to be a fall festival. Fall festivals mean cotton candy, funnel cakes- we call then belly busters, margaritas, daqueries, corn dogs, hot dogs, burgers... the whole nine... Even cut outs for people to pose behind for some great pictures! Games and dancing too! What could be better than dancing under the stars with frineds and of course cold cold beer. But that is not until next weekend... and I am still hoping that it will be a little cool outside so that it will really feel like fall.

I hope that everyone enjoys some dancing under the stars this weekend... I will. For sure.

Oh the possibilities...

Today when I ran out of the office for lunch to run a few errands I decided that I would get a journal.
Not just any spiral notebook or something that I would have used in school... It has a real leather cover and a pretty satin ribbon for a bookmark.

Oh how I cannot wait to pour my heart out and write. Possibly cry, definitely laugh at all the mess, and be so happy that I will get to relive it every time that I read it.

I have decided that this one will be about every last detail that we have planned for the wedding. I want to write every thought, every emotion that I may have had while planning. I want all of that to be ON PAPER... yes I am going old school on this. And I cannot wait.
Of course I will share pages from this book with you because after all that is what this blog was supposed to be about. I was going to write about all 11 of the weddings...and you know what? They were all perfect. All different in their own ways. from all over GA to NC and VA... simply perfect. BUT there are somethings that I don't write about on here. There are somethings that are just for me.

I even asked JM to write in a few of those pages, just so that once we are on the honeymoon we can read and write more together. (it is a great idea... but I wonder if that will really happen- the whole "him writing" part) BUT it would be so great to give to a daughter once she is engaged... Just a thought for 25 years down the road.

ONE thing I will have to do. ONE thing that I must remember to do in this journal is write about the wedding day. How I felt walking down that aisle... what song was in my head? What was I thinking as all 300 something were looking at me? What was the look on JM's face? (this will be the first time that he sees me that day...)
I will have to remember to do this on the plane...

'cause we will be OFF. For a week we will be in St. Lucia... as newly weds and it will be the best week of our lives. Toes in the sand and drinks in hand... ALL. DAY. LONG.

Then after that I want a break. A break from weddings. I love them, they really are the best date night ever. They are SO romantic and perfect... but really when you go to 11 in a year... you want a break.

AND I am SO GLAD that ours will be the last wedding of the year. The big blow out... Until then I will be writing here and writing on paper too...

You know something?... I cannot wait for what the next 46 days hold. And then to see what is to come after that... we have a lifetime to share together and I am going to live and drink up all of the love that we share because what we got is special... real real special... Love.

"Love alone lightens every burdon and makes rough places smooth. It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders all bitterness sweet and acceptable."
Thomas A. Kemps

XOXOXOXOX
-K

A lot on my mind...

Some might say this is a "stream of consciousness" post...

I have been thinking. Thinking a lot... about what projects we have taken on and what might not get done.... for a LONG.TIME. AND thinking about what I want to do next, what I other projects I might want to take on... or even a new camera... or a car... Get it? My mind wanders all the time. Right now... Music.
***How many play lists do I really need to come up with when I like indie rock and JM everything else but...? I keep saying we have time... even though we don't. Couples shower on 25th... need that play list now. The theme of that night will be a lot of classic rock mixed in with a touch of everything we have decided.***

Maybe if I write it all out. Maybe if I start using this blog as a place for me to have a journal or even a diary... that you will read and let me know if I am just insane... or maybe even normal. Maybe I should write on paper too... later on that.

This weekend for JM's birthday I spent Saturday cleaning like a mad woman... like a mad woman who was on something. I cleaned every floor, ever surface that was covered in some pile of papers... Even the litter box. ( I scooped it out at least.) And it felt great. I hurt, but it was so nice at the end of the day... To shower right before getting in a bed of cool clean sheets...

Since we take weekend trips all. the. time. It is so nice to have all of the laundry done, folded and put away... nice to have a bleached kitchen... and even nicer when all of the carpet and floors are cleaned! Even the kitties were happy!

Then once that was all said and done I went to the grocery store. Most people dread the grocery store... I love it. I love it when I go alone. (Sorry honey, you use the phone in the store and that is a "No No" when you go with me.) It is a place for me to think as I roam each aisle. Yes, I said it, I go to the store to think. I try not to look at my watch, or answer the phone, but then again I know not to stay so long that the icecream is melting out of the carton. I like that I can see all of the babies helping their moms pick out groceries- or just knock them off the shelves... I like the pretty displays in the produce section. One day when we have children this will not be the case anymore. I will be like all of the other Dunwoody moms... taking their children to the store with them, and making sure that they dont scream the entire time... looking at my watch to make sure that we are not late to soccer practice.
BUT until then... I can think and day dream all that I want in the grocery store.

For JM's birthday I decided to stock the house with new groceries... Laundry detergent, bleach, all food that he loves (sorry I forgot the pickles and pork rinds-gross), and even a new pair of tooth brushes...
He said that he didnt want anything for his day this year. Just a clean house and dinner.
and I was so happy to clean, plan this weeks dinners, and make cupcakes too! The maple bacon recipe was great, but they might only get made one more time... when you know how bad they are it is hard to make them again.

Now back to thinking of all of the wonderful projects that I could be doing right now... Guess they will have to wait until after I am done with the 9-5.... one day I might get my dream job... until then...

We have 47 days until we are married. And let me tell you, I cannot wait until I get to be a wife. This has been the most exciting time in my whole life and in no way am I "wishing it away" I just cannot wait to finally walk down that aisle.

One more thing... Thank you Mom and Dad for everything that you have done for us. We will be able to pay you back one day! As long as you accept grandchildren as your payment! I love you both so much!

xoxoxoxo- K

Happy Friday... and Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Friday everyone. I am SO GLAD this week is about to be over. I am counting the seconds until 5:00 today.


(Birthday Boy!)

Sunday will be a very special day in our house... It is JM's Birthday!!! I just love love love birthdays. They are special and so important to me. I just love when someone you love opens a gift from you and they LOVE it...


(JM's Dad hold him on his first Birthday!)

I have decided to do a few thing for my dearest for his special day (he already knows what I am going to tell you all since he actually reads this- and cheers me on to write more!), and you will get to hear about his present later! Sorry it is not the 30 gifts for 30 years like last year!!! BUT you will love this one the same.


(JM Birthday! I will make sure that you have candles this year too)

Saturday, I would love to sleep in, but I have been told we are going to the gym... it is his birthday weekend right? Then I am going to clean the ENTIRE.HOUSE. I am talking all of the laundry, scrub the floors- maybe the litter box. (FYI I hate cleaning it out it is SO GROSS- he doesn't like it either, but he loves me that much!) I will even take all of our clothes and kitchen stuff that we are donating over to Good Will.


(JM (Yes he did have long hair) and his dad- We all miss him so much, everyday. We love you JWM)

IF that all gets done then I will bake him some wonderful cupcakes. I have seen a recipe online for a while... Maple Bacon Cupcakes? I mean really... two words got me craving this. Bacon and Cupcakes. What could be better? I will post the recipe if we love them.
JM is a big bacon fan as well so I thought that this would be a nice Birthday treat!
Hopefully I will get this all done before he comes home on Sunday morning.
He is spending the night out for a friends bachelor party. They are even taking the camper (yes we do have a pop-up camper) to go camping that night.


(JM and his 3 BFF's Jean Gray, Erin and Whitney- We love you all so MUCH!)


(JM and my brother Chip at a Brave's game- JM's favorite!)

I was supposed to go out for a bachelorette party, but I have too much other stuff on my plate (wedding and all) to have a girls night out... plus it will be SO NICE for me to be home alone with our fur babies baking!


(Look how proud he is of that ring! That is me crying by the way... the night that he proposed!)


(I love you!- This is how we take a ton of pictures!)

Happy Birthday JM, my Honey Bunny. I love you so much you don't even know. I cannot wait to celebrate your Birthday this Sunday!

XOXOXOXOXOX

Happily Ever After.

This weekend we made our way up North for a wonderful wedding celebration! Whitney and Bryan began their new lives together as Mr. and Mrs. A at 5:30 on September 5, 2010 on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.


It was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been too! Everything had a personal touch from B and W! The music, food, location, and wedding colors were perfect for celebrating their love! Even the two diferent cultures- North meets the South! New Jersey and North Carolina all together in Virginia!
Whitney is one of JM's dearest friends from Greensboro, NC, where they grew up together, and Bryan is from New Jersey. They live in NJ and we were lucky enought to go and stay with them last fall too!
Now there are 3- no make that 4 ladies (not including me or his own Mama) in JM's life that we would travel the earth to see that you need to know about. All 4 of them made him the most wonderful man in the entire world. Thank you to Jean Gray, Erin, Whitney, and of course Mrs. Ellen D. I am one lucky girl! Even luckier that I love all of these ladies so much too!

(Jean Gray, Erin and Whitney from left to right)
I cannot believe that Jean Gray got married in June to Nate who we love too!, Whitney this past weekend and we are next... That means that we will have seen everyone 4 times this year alone! Erin is married to a wonderful man, Frank, that loves her more than anything in the world! I didnt know JM when they were married- but I have heard all about how wonderful that wedding was- hand-dipped corn dogs and ALL! I am so lucky to marry in to this part of JM's family too!

Now back to Whiney and Bryan!
Her dress was beautiful. I had never seen a more beautiful and calm Whitney before. She was radiant in that long, flowy gown! It seems as if it were made for her. She was stunning! So were you Bryan! Bryan was in all black and has never looked more handsome!
Their colors were Light Blue- some would say "Carolina Blue" (JM is a Duke fan- we will not go there) and Orange. It was such a beautiful contrast together! Blue hydrangeas and Orange gerber daisies!
Music- EVERYTHING! Bryan has some of the best taste in music and timing! Every song was played at the perfect time! It was perfect and reflected both of them! It was so much fun to dance all night long!
Location- At Whitney's parents Lake House. It was in the back yard on the lake- Big white tent and all! The weather was PERFECT! Not a cloud in the sky!
Food- LOVED IT ALL! IT was a whole North meets South thing... There was a Southern bar and an Italian bar... VERY fitting since Bryan is Italian- how could I have left that one out! The food was wonderful! Being from the South I should say that I loved the Southern food the most... BUT the Italian food was just too good! All of it was wonderful and I could not stop eating, but the chefs that were right there making pizza was amazing! Then we were all passed out a desert. Neopolitan icecream in between two hot waffles... this is a Atlantic City Board walk thing... and it is something I will probably crave from now on!

All in all the wedding was about one thing. LOVE. The love that they have for each other and the love that everyone has for them. Everyone who was there to celebrate, those that couldn't make the trip, and those that they have loved and lost celebrating from above were watching over this couple this past weekend as they started their new lives together.

So here's to Bryan and Whitney... We love you both so much! Congratulations.

xoxo,
KATIE