The Eve of the Engagement…Yes, Continued

When my sweetie and my sister (Maid of Honor, Jennifer) arrived back from my Nana and Papa’s home, with a load of unwrapped presents my mother had been hiding there, I couldn’t wait to see what had happened over there.

First, Jennifer came in and looked at me and said something like, “You’re going to marry Jon. We know all about it.” I just looked at her and said, “Well, yeah, it isn’t like it’s a big secret.” Then I slapped her on the butt and ran away. (This is a thing we do – among other annoyances I bestow upon the poor kid.)

So, the next thing I did was naturally give Jon the third degree on what had gone on. And he told me.

Before he told me the story, he did mention that the ring was not yet mine and not to even bother asking!

He said he sat down with Nana and Papa (and yes, Jennifer – I guess we needed her permission as well). He showed them the ring. They listened patiently and then they examined the ring carefully. (However, this would not be the first time they had seen the ring, I had shown them a picture of the original design the week of Thanksgiving.)

Jennifer just sat silently, said nothing throughout the whole visit – for those of you who know Jennifer, you know that this is a feat in and of itself. A true Christmas miracle.

As it turns out, Nana and Papa had been expecting this for some time. In fact, for the past several years, Nana had consistently asked me what our intentions were. I think she is really just in the mood for a great-grandchild. (Sorry Nana, but you might need to keep hoping there!) She is, however, already on the prowl for the perfect “Nana of the Bride dress”. As we all know, Nana loves to shop, especially for fashionable items.

Papa made it very clear to Jon that he had better take care of me, or he would have my Papa to deal with. No one wants to mess with Papa.

Side note here (edited in after original posting):  Jon made mention that Papa actually also said that he had a very good time spending time with Jon on the cruise [September 2006, New England] and that he thought that he was very good for me.  And welcomed him to our family.

At this point, Jennifer is still utterly silent. Continuing the Christmas miracle.

On the way back to my parents’ house, Jennifer said to Jon in the quietest voice, “You’re going to marry my sister???!!!” to which Jon replied, “Yes, which means I’m your brother for real now!”

And he punched her lightly on the arm.

Great, Jennifer now has 4 older brothers. And me. Poor girl.

XOXO

M, J, and S

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Look into the Mind of the Bride-to-Be the Night Before the Engagement

Imagine, Christmas Eve 2007. It’s a muggy, warm South Florida evening, not unlike almost every other night of the year, except it’s the middle of winter.Your three brothers are constantly pounding on the master bedroom door yelling, “Let me in! Are those packages downstairs for me?? Can I come in?” As they shout through the door, they stick their grubby little fingers under the door and jiggle the doorknob as if they were mast lock pickers. During this commotion, your mother flips out yelling back and diving over the unwrapped gifts every time – thinking that this time will be when they burst through the door and see all the loot that will soon cover the living room floor like a 10-ton Santa-bomb exploded. It is hilarious.

Side Note:

You would think my brothers are little boys, but they’re not. They range from 20 to 23. They are the three chipmunks – Dale, Christopher, and Douglas. Or better yet, Crabman (or Snoop Dogg – think of the new video for “Sensual Seduction” and you’ll get the idea!), Easily the lightning bolt throwing Master Shaman or Warlock constantly battling Shatner (or Fatboy – depending on my mood), and Wally (or Dread-Head or Dead-Bug-Doug or anything else on the long list of things we like to call him!).

While all the commotion is going on, and you are frantically wrapping gifts you have no idea who they are intended for, cutting ribbon, and have tape to every finger but the whole time, you know that your soon-to-be fiancé and sister are at your Nana and Papa’s house – getting more gifts to wrap and he is asking permission to marry you.

You already know how it went with Mom and Dad at home. But you are left wondering how it will go with Nana and Papa. You recall how one day how you were told that your Papa would “punch him in the nose” if he was mean to you. That hadn’t yet occurred, but you had to wonder what Papa might say. Or still, what Nana might say.

Really you just keep thinking to yourself, when he gets back, “Do I get the ring tonight????” and keep wrapping presents.

XOXO
M

Almost Engaged…The Christmas Countdown

Let me throw you guys back into the wedding engagement whirlwind that I left you with. Looking back, you’ll remember that is was Christmas Eve, and not on the early side once we got to my parents’ house in south Florida. Christmas Eve is actually one of my favorite days of the year…you know, with Santa due to make his appearance and all…

We arrive, tired, hungry, and I was more than likely a little irritable. Anyone who knows me will probably say that’s an understatement. I can’t remember my exact mood, but I know it was a combination of emotions – knowing what (the ring) was in my sweetie’s pocket, being subjected to his teasing for several days, the excitement of the holiday itself, and hunger. (When my blood sugar gets low…watch out!)

Flashback to that evening:

My mother is upstairs with Jennifer (or is it E.T.??) wrapping presents. (You may be thinking to yourself, Christmas Eve is surely last minute to wrap the Christmas gifts, but in our family, there is no other way. And to top it off, there are never just a few gifts, the entire floor of the living room is filled with boxes, bags, and packages which tends to overflow into the entrance, coffee table, piano, and dining room table. We don’t mess around.) My sweetie and I have a quick dinner of the turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings that were waiting for us. Josie (my parents’ black Labrador-pitbull mix) is begging at my feet for a piece of anything on my plate.

I head upstairs to help Mom and Jennifer and to harass my three brothers, who all were there at the same time (shock!) As I make my way downstairs, slightly irritated that Jon had not helped me with the large (and heavy suitcase), I see him talking to my dad outside on the patio – one on one. I knew what was happening, so I kept my mouth shut and silently went up the stairs.

Next thing I know, Jennifer, my Mom, and Jon are huddled together…my sister and soon-to-be fiancé are about to make their way to Nana and Papa’s to get some [more] gifts my mom had hidden at their house. Yay – I knew what would be in store for them…so I kissed my sweetie good-bye and slapped Jennifer on the behind (something I tend to do when I am around her).

Later that night, Dad and I were out front, taking pictures of the metal wire and light baby polar bear that my brother, Douglas, had strategically placed in the bushes in a ready to pounce hunting position a short distance behind an unsuspecting metal wire and light baby seal. Of course it would be our family’s house to represent Christmas with death and destruction! (It was the hit of the neighborhood; at least from all the pagans!) While we were out there, Dad looked over at me and said, “Jon asked me [and mom] if it was OK to marry you. It was a little formal. I didn’t know what to make of it.” To which I responded, “I know. You said OK, right!”

I had to laugh a little because not only did Dad think it was a little formal, he wanted to know if I pressured Jon into breaking the bank on the gorgeous engagement ring. I let him know we got a great deal and it wasn’t too much! (And then reminded him that I am a very expensive girl anyway…)

And with that, I’ll leave you for a bit.

XOXO
M

 

 

A Christmas Story…er…I Mean “Engagement Story”

Well, it has been long enough, let me get back to the “engagement story” – which kind of reminds me of A Christmas Story (only because it takes place at Christmastime and instead of my wanting the Red Ryder BB gun which will shoot my eye out….I want a big, pretty diamond ring!)

So, after putting up with several days of my sweetie teasing me with the ring box in his pocket and dangling the box in front of me, Christmas morning rolled around. Christmas Eve afternoon we left his parents’ home and headed to my parents’ house – a 3 hour drive, which ended up being a bit more due to traffic and weather.

What had me a little worried about when I would actually get the ring were some ground rules I had set years ago; that and the fact that Jon wanted to ask both my father and my papa for permission to marry me. Those ground rules happened to be (way before I knew I was even getting a ring) that under no circumstance should Jon ever propose to me on the following days:

1) My birthday
2) Valentine’s Day
3) Our anniversary
4) Christmas
5) Thanksgiving
6) New Years

Through my work, I found that the above occasions are the most popular and common days for people to become engaged…so I didn’t want it. (I mean, I would take it, of course and did….but I think I was caught up in the notion of my sweetie doing something really fabulous – or maybe I was just being too demanding, either could be true.)

So, now that I knew there was a ring in Jon’s pocket AND it was Christmas Eve, I thought I was really in trouble!!! (My sweetie was also cruel enough to keep telling me that the ring was not mine until he chose to give it to me! What a meanie…)

Anyway, as we all know, it ended up working out.

More to come.

XOXO
M

Funny Thought About the Other Bridesmaids – Melissa & Alicia

I was just looking at the last two posts, “Happy Birthday to the Nana of the Bride” and “Happy Birthday to the Bridesmaid Emily” and thought to myself, it’s a damn shame that Melissa and Alicia are not celebrating their birthdays this week; I could give them ALL a shout out and introduction in a row.  (If you didn’t pick up on it, Melissa and Alicia are my other two bridesmaids besides Maid of Honor, Jennifer, and Emily…)

Funnily enough, both Melissa and Alicia were born in November — days apart, in fact.  But that will be after the wedding, so here’s a belated happy birthday from 2007 or a super early happy birthday for 2008.  See — I’m the first to wish you a happy birthday this year (don’t forget it, especially when I forget to call on the “big” day later this year.)

Oh, and you guys will get your own special “announcement and introduction” posts in a little while.

XOXO

M

Happy Birthday to the Bridesmaid Emily!

Happy Birthday to Bridesmaid Emily!

As it so happens, one of my oldest friends in the whole wide world is having a birthday today (a day right after my Nana!) and she also happens to be one of my very special bridesmaids. I have known Emily since the first day of freshman year of high school, which was a very long time ago…when you actually do the math and figure out just HOW OLD Emily turned today!

Ha ha ha. I had to do it. Happy Birthday! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Anyway, Emily and I met the first day of high school and we were not what you call “fast friends”. In fact, we were at lunch and she spilled a Coke all over my pants and I simply did not respond well to that. We eventually became friends later that year, probably over a mutual hate of Spanish class; and it’s a good thing too, because for the next three years of high school we were destined to have almost every class together.

We went through high school, I taught Emily to drive (and with her record it’s pretty obvious that I did), countless concerts and shows, several [hundred] nights with the parents out of town and high school drinking escapades (that’s a whole other blog…), nervous breakdowns, emotional whirlwinds, Amnesty concerts and car washes, driving across open fields off of I-95 in Jupiter, car accidents, My So-Called Life (it was OUR life), college escapades, boyfriends and girlfriends, brothers and sisters, parents, engagements, weddings, losses, and everything else in between. I can honestly say that Em is not only one of my oldest friends, but probably the best one there is.

Emily also happens to be Mommy to Meya (my surrogate niece – I am Auntie to her) and wife to Jeremy (who has grown to be part of my extended family as well) but she will always just be Emily to me.

We hope you have a very happy birthday, Emily! We love you lots!

XOXO
M, J, and S

P.S. Oh, there WILL be a picture up here…I just wanted to get this up before your birthday ended!

Happy Birthday to the Nana of the Bride!

Happy Birthday to the Nana of the Bride!

My sweetie, our cat, and I wanted to let everyone know that today is actually a very special day. Today, my Nana, Connie, is turning 81 years old! You would never know it though, since she acts like she is 81 going on 18. Nana is very active, very opinionated, very smart, always right (or so she says), can diagnose any medical ailment within minutes, very hip, and also a very chic lady. (We went on a cruise last year with Nana and Papa, and let me tell you, Nana had a different outfit planned with all the accessories for daytime, lunch, and dinner! She was always dressed to the nines!)

Here’s a recent picture of our very cool Nana, it’s from Christmas 2007…if she doesn’t like it, we’ll put a different one up.

 

We wanted to thank you, Nana, for hosting the Parents Meet and Greet with Papa two weeks ago. It was an overall success, I think! (And now you can relax since you were finally able to check out Jon’s family.)

Have a very, very happy birthday, Nana! Enjoy your day.

XOXO
M, J, and S

Announcing the Maid of Honor

Well, I would like to announce my Maid of Honor, but I can’t seem to remember her name…something with a “J”…or maybe not. Hmmm, I don’t know, I think I forgot. (Those of you who know what I did with the family holiday card ON ACCIDENT will understand what I am talking about!)

I’d like to make a formal announcement that I have asked my little sister, Jennifer, to be my Maid of Honor. As many of you know, there is quite an age gap in between my sister and me. The gap is 11 years to be exact. I basically moved out of my parents’ home when she was five (for college) and never really moved back in, so I saw her grow up from a distance, on random weekend visits home, the holidays, and so on.

When Jennifer was small, she always told me that she thought I should have a baby at 28, so she would be 17. I am not quite sure what her reasoning for that was (she was 5 at the time and learning math) but I guess I’m a little late…But we are in no hurry to catch up on that front by any means!!!

Jennifer has grown up quite nicely, in fact. Believe it or not, she is getting ready for college this coming fall semester. The wedding will coincide with her first few weeks of college, which should be exciting for everyone. Right now, she is thinking of attending Santa Fe Community College in the fall and possibly transferring to the University of Florida after her first two years. Can’t believe the little rugrat is all grown up!! Although, she does have a surprising resemblance to E.T. (see below) – now all we have to do is get her to say “Ell-i-otttt”!

(Which one is the Maid of Honor??)

My sweetie and I have decided that Jennifer is MUCH better looking than E.T. so we lucked out in the Maid of Honor department. (We love you, Jennifer!)

Anyway, Jennifer and I went to CityPlace in Palm Beach this past weekend, when we were down for the Parents Meet and Greet (which was very successful and lovely), and went looking for some potential bridesmaid dresses and perhaps a Prom dress for Jennifer. We had a good time, although I don’t recommend anyone getting in the car with Jen behind the wheel! (Just kidding, Jennifer, don’t get upset.)

XOXO
M

The Parents Meet and Greet

Hello everyone. Before I continue catching you all up on the engagement story, or stories I should say, I want to let you all know that our families have finally met face to face. This is kind of a big deal since my sweetie and I have been together for more than 5 years and they have never really met at all.

Once we were “officially engaged” my Nana and Papa decided it was time to check out his family more or less and invite them down from Orlando (my Nana and Papa and the rest of the gang are all in South Florida). So I picked up some cute little “engagement party” invitations from Papyrus (when Melissa was up visiting me) and sent them to her. It wasn’t quite an engagement party – that’ll be held later on, but it was more of a “Get Acquainted Party”. I’ll try to scan a copy of one of the invitations and put it up, but not sure if I’ll be able to do that today (I’m currently traveling).

So, my sweetie and I chose a weekend that would work for us, which happens to be this past weekend (February 9^th), for us all to get together. All of our immediate family was there – except for Jon’s sister and her fiancé. We were disappointed that they were unable to make it, to say the least. My father’s parents were also invited, but did not come either, for a combination of reasons which many of us know.

The dinner went well, overall. We felt bad, but my sweetie thought it was ultimately awesome, that his brother, Ben, and his long-time girlfriend, Deborah had to sit at the “kids’ table”. (It wasn’t quite a kids’ table with my uncle sitting there and the “kids” all range from 18 to 22.)

Everyone got to meet and mingle. I was questioned about the wedding plans. We had just gone to look at several venues, so at least I had some prepared responses. (We’re saving another post for the venue hunt.) It was a lovely evening indoors, while outside it was pouring rain. We felt bad that everyone from my sweetie’s family had to make a 3 hour drive back that night.

We can safely say that the parent meet and greet went well. Except there are fundamental differences in our two families such as we are not huggers (especially for people we have just met – a handshake will do) but my sweetie’s family are. It freaked my family out a bit, as it did (and sometimes still does) me when I first encountered this behavior! Another difference is that my sweetie’s mom may as well be surgically attached to her camera, which is fun, but when you get with my mom, who doesn’t enjoy being photographed or taking a lot of family photos…well, all I can say is that there were no “Jerry Springer” moments, except for when Ben slapped his Dad in the gut as he walked by.

That family may love to hug, but they also play rough! I guess we do, too (but without all the hugging, ha ha!)

The Dads and Papa got on well. They all loved to talk about being pilots, sailing boats, and that sort of thing. So at least we know now that everyone can at least handle each other and have a good time.

Next post will be a continuation of the engagement story, to keep us all on track. We’re slowly but surely catching up.