Wedding Politics (and Leaders)

So yesterday we had a great breakthrough; we finally found our venue!  We have always wanted to have the ceremony at the church, but we could not find the perfect place for a reception, until now.  I don't think we're going to disclose it just yet (sorry!) due to the wonderful, wedding politics.  I had heard a lot about these, but it wasn't until I was engaged that I realize how oppressive they are.  Whether it's making final decisions, creating a manageable guest list, or even just idealizing the day, SO much goes into each choice, and it creates a lovely web of intricate complications.

If it was up to me (you're thinking, It is, isn't it? actually, no..), I would invite everyone, but alas, budgets and family relationships and dates and times limit everything.  I guess all I'm trying to say is, if you're reading this, you're probably someone I want to invite, but if you never see an invite, it's only because of wedding politics, not because of anything personal.
BLlleeeeeehhhHhHhhgggghh.   -_____-

On a brighter note, aside from the fact that we booked a venue last night, we also picked our officiant!  It was a bit of a tough decision (again, wedding politics! We have SO many great pastors in our lives!), but I am proud (and extremely overjoyed) to announce that Jeff Levine will be officiating our wedding!  Even before James and I moved up to The Fold (the young adults/post college group) we had enjoyed Jeff and Lauren's friendship, but once we moved up we grew even closer.  Jeff and Lauren are a couple that we admire for their kindness, genuineness, honesty, and for the way that they incorporate God into their marriage.  We love how real they are, and we have always had respect for them for that, even if sometimes we think they're kind of quirky.  ;]  As we continue with The Fold and as we grow in marriage we know that Jeff and Lauren will be there to help and support us, and we couldn't be happier about that.  Great advice, great cooking tips (kudos, Lauren!), and a lot of great times ahead, I'm sure of it.

(On a side note, this past weekend Jeff and Lauren helped us organize and execute our first day of registry shopping.  We spent a few hours at Macy's, then returned home where Lauren gave me a thorough rundown of her kitchen basics/necessities, and then taught me how to make her spaghetti carbonara in minutes.  It was delicious!  The meal was coupled with some great pre-marital advice, and James and I both left their house smiling from ear to ear.)

 Cheers, to finalizing a lot of stressful decisions, and to great friendships!

My Best Superbowl Weekend

Superbowl weekend has come and gone, but it sure was great.  On Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited to go to Disneyland with James' closest friends (and their girlfriend) courtesy of Andy and Lauren who are able to get people in for free because they work there.  We were there for almost 11 hours and couldn't even make it till World of Color because we were so beat.

James, Me, Stephanie, Ben, Brooke, Greg, Andy, Lauren

After the parks we went to Stacked, where Brooke works--also possibly one of the tastiest restaurants I've been to in a long time, and you get to order on an iPad!  If you haven't been to Stacked it's a great meal (there are deals at Happy Hour so it's affordable) and it's such a fun atmosphere, brought to you by the same people who brought you BJ's Pizza.

On Sunday we all went to The Fold, to the disc golf course (my first time in MONTHS, I've missed it!), and then to watch the Super Bowl! It was a pretty bland match-up, but if we were favoring one team over the other I suppose it was the Giants, so in turn it was a good day.

Ben had been waiting for this day for quite a while because he made his own brewed beer (I think he started around Christmas time) and it coincidentally was "ready" as of Sunday.  Already a little nervous that it would be gross, he was very happy when it exceeded everyone's expectations and wasn't too bad at all.  I thought it tasted a lot like a Hefeweizen.

After the game we spent the evening in the jacuzzi and all of the boys reminisced on their uhh.. golden years?  I don't really know what to call them, but there were a lot of great stories recounted.  The whole weekend was so enjoyable, it's hard to go back to school today (maybe because I am still exhausted).  

My first shift at Starbucks starts tomorrow, bright and early! I am trying to stay positive about 5am shifts, but I feel like I've been here before.  Maybe I will actually be able to go to sleep early so that I am in a better mood tomorrow morning... 

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me by surrounding me with so many great people and opportunities!