P.R.E.P. for Marriage...Yes, please!

Before we got engaged, Mr. Hess proposed a different kind of question to me...

"Do you want to do the P.R.E.P. for Marriage classes with me at church?"

Well what exactly does that mean? To break it down...
Preparing, Relationships, Engagements and People for Marriage

My first thought was, "Man, he must be asking me to marry him soon!" and my second thought was, "Well...WHY NOT?!" So, we went online and signed up right away for the 10-week class our church offers for seriously dating or engaged couples. 

CLICK HERE for more information about the course at First Baptist Orlando!

There are so many things to plan and do when you get engaged, so if you are in a serious relationship, why not start building your relationship before the proposal?  And if you already are engaged, it is SO important to develop a spiritual basis in your lives with real, practical applications you can use in your preparation for your marriage together.  To get your marriage license, you have to do "some" kind of pre-marital counseling, but after taking this course, I now realize that an hour session with a pastor right before you get married really won't do too much for you.  Enrolling in a class like this really makes you communicate with one another, understand each other, and talk about things you probably haven't even thought to ask each other about.  From this class, we have not only just grown stronger as a couple, but also individually.  I have had many "a-ha" moments in this class, thinking to myself..."wow, that really explains a lot," or "yup, we have definitely been there before." I can't even express how much I recommend a program like this if you are in a relationship or an engagement preparing for marriage!

Before you tie the knot, with or without pre-marital classes, you and your "buddy" (this term describes a boyfriend, fiance, or husband) need to discuss the following areas.  Don't be afraid to ask questions that make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.  The more you ask, the more you talk about it, and the more you know and understand what the other's wants and needs are.

I could literally write a blog about each class we've attended so far, but here are the topics that will help you along the way:

1. Love Languages: What is your Love Language? What is your buddy's?  Take the Love Language Test. There are tons of different versions of this test, but here is an example of what it's like: http://www.afo.net/hftw-lovetest.asp, or http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/love/. After you know this, what would be the most effective ways to show your buddy how you love them? 
2. Building a Biblical Foundation for Marriage: Building a relationship triangle between the Wife, Husband, and God. Ask yourself the following questions: What is your idea of a good marriage? What are some of the words that describe what a good marriage should be? Why get married?
3. The Role of the Husband: Man is the spiritual leader of the family. Talk about raising children - are we having children? How many? Talk about your Faith, how you will spend your Holidays and how you will handle Finances.
4. The Role of the Wife: Submission and bringing peace and unity to the family. Look and discuss how God created women to be.  Women are gifts.  What characteristics describe a Godly woman?  Trustworthy, creative, generous, works outside of the home, keeps the home running, physically strong, takes care of others, blesses her husband, honorable, wise, kind, to name a few.
5. Communication: Listening and Understanding. If you want to communicate with your spouse, just listen.  Focusing on what is being said rather than the way it's being said, the meaning rather than the words, and understanding rather than judgment.
6. The Art of Apology and Forgiveness: Conflict Happens.  Anger is the common response to conflict.  Don't dwell on anger, and don't go to bed angry.  Anger must be controlled.  Bitterness can lead to resentment.  Resolving conflict requires loving confrontation and forgiveness.
7. Trust, Love and Respect: Love & Respect Cycles. Discuss what not to joke about.  Pray together and also pray about how to talk to each other the right way.  Have a Dream - Respect His.
8. Finances: One of the most discussed and conflicts in a marriage! Counsel, Budget, Debt, Giving, Investing. TALK about it.
9. Preparing for Intimacy: Using your marriage to glorify God.  Creating oneness, without being ashamed.

Like I mentioned above, each and every one of these topics is important to talk about BEFORE you get married.  The purpose of a class geared towards this goal is not to see if the person you are with is THE ONE.  The purpose is to take your relationship the a level that is continuously growing.  I feel many blog posts coming on about things we've discussed in class...so get your pens and notepads ready! ;)

263 days and counting...

Until next time,
-Presh

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Since I now know I will be spending the rest of my Halloween's with Mr. Hess, I now also know that I will be dressing up and attending some kind of Halloween themed festivites every year from here on out! I love dressing up for Halloween, but never in my life have I met someone as competitive, or into Halloween as my fiance.

I learned a lot last night about his Halloween's from the past, and they include winning FREE trips & prizes up to $3,000! Before I met him, he and a buddy entered in literally dozens of costume contests all over the city, and would win prizes and grand prizes year after year.  Since he moved to Orlando, he has also been known for some great costumes including a caveman complete with an ice block, and an old lady who lost her puppy.  Now, this year - we literally went into our closets and found something we could use because we are on a budget for the wedding...but I think our costumes turned out pretttttttty good.  Don't ask me how or why we had both of these costumes already, in his cubicle at work no less...but that's where I found them in all of their glory...


Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders!
HALLOWEEN 2010

 All we had to spend was $20, and that was on a wig for the big guy.  I didn't think he would actually go for dressing up as a girl first of all, and second, a cheerleader...but to my surprise he got really into it! (Not in a weird way...just in a fun go big or go home way!)  We wore nametags and mine said "THAT NIGHT"...AKA THE DREAM....while his said "THE NEXT MORN"...AKA THE TRUTH! I thought it was pretty funny, so we rolled with it. We met our goal of saving money, and we even won "Funniest Costume" at our team Halloween Party! WHOO!

I have to say, I am super excited about how into costumes Mr. Hess is, and hopefully the prizes will keep coming from all of the money and hard work that has gone into them!  Here we are at the 2 past Halloween Parties:
  

Dr. Pepper (yes the peppers light up) & his HOT Nurse!
HALLOWEEN 2008

Ken & Barbie!
HALLOWEEN 2009

  

Ken & Barbie, complete with box!
HALLOWEEN 2009


Can't wait to see what we come up with when we have money to invest in costumes again! Here's hoping right? Most likely after the wedding we will start putting most of our Halloween budget into kids costumes! ;)

Hope your Halloween was filled with fun, costumes, and candy like mine was!

Until next time,
-Presh

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!



DCC in the House! *\o/*



HBSH - Our Official Logo!

So...I know it sounds kind of silly, but from the help of Mr. Hess's friend who is a graphic artist, we now have an official "logo" we will be using on anything we send out from here on out for the wedding! 

When we first started dating, we shortly realized that we have the SAME initials, just in different order...Hess is BSH and I am HBS. Put us together and there we are H and H, with just a little "BS" between us! (How clever, Mr. H)...

It's perfect! And, I can't wait to see it EVERYWHERE!

HOLY BRIDESMAIDS!

First comes the dress, then comes the...bridesmaids dresses?

We all know the story of my dress...now comes another exciting task of picking out a dress for my beautiful bridesmaids! Before we get to that, let me just say picking your bridal party is not as easy as it seems! Before we got engaged, and I'm talking probably YEARS ago - I knew exactly who I wanted to share my BIG DAY with right by my side.  I knew the girls I could depend on were ones I've grown up with, love like family, and share a special bond with.  Now the only problem I could think of was one...

How many girls SHOULD you have in your Bridal Party?

Me and C at her wedding!

So far, I have been in 4 weddings (...and counting), and the average Bridal Party I would say is about 6, including a Maid of Honor.  Now, my friend C had 8 beautiful bridesmaids AND 3 Jr. Bridesmaids, which makes that 11 total on her side alone. Being a part of that, I got to experience what a larger bridal party is like.  I remember thinking it was a bit large, but I knew she loved each and every one of us! I tried and tried for weeks after we got engaged to narrow my party down to 6, or even 7, or 8, but IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE!!! How do you cut your bridesmaid list?! These are the girls you love like your sisters, who have been there for you since before you even met your groom, through sleepovers, braces, bad hair days, and life changing events...so I have finally decided to have the lovely large number of 9 in my wedding.  Yup, 9!!!


Me and my sister, Matron-of-Honor!

After debating back and forth with my groom, parents, close friends, and family, I had a heart to heart with C, and she gave me the best advice I could have asked for.  When you're freaking out about the bridesmaid number in your wedding, just ask yourself the following questions:

• Who do I want by my side when I'm saying my wedding vows?
• Who do I want with me getting ready and in my pictures on the BIG DAY?
• Who would I NOT want to see sitting in the congregation when I'm at the altar, as opposed to right by my side??
• Who would I regret NOT asking, 10 years from now?

After answering all of these questions, I knew exactly what I was going to do.  Tell the big, happy, beautiful group of 9 bridesmaids! Without a doubt, there was no question in my mind that I wanted ALL of these girls right next to me on my BIG DAY.  Whether a wedding party of 9 girls, 9 guys, 1 bride and 1 groom looks like a wedding photo, or a mob...I don't care! It's MY day, and I want to share it with the ones I LOVE! :)

Me, Britty Bear, and Miss Mouse!

So, brides-to-be, I hope this tid-bit of advice helps you, as it did for me.  If you're trying your hardest to cut your number down to lower costs, get less people in your photos because you think it will look better, or are considering leaving out people who live out-of-state, ask yourself those questions.  One of my bridesmaids lives in NY, and not only that, she is currently touring around FL performing in the Rockettes! Now, you tell me how much time she has to help me plan my wedding?! Clearly, not much...but WHO CARES? That's my job, my mom's job, my groom's job, and my wedding coordinator's job! If someone living in another city or state is the deciding factor on whether you are going to ask them to be in your wedding or not, that's silly.

Me and LHG, one of my besties!

LHG is one of my best friends, and has even lived with me for years at a time back in the day.  I know I could call her at any time of any day, and she would be just that - a phone call away.  I know she will do whatever it takes to be a part of my special day...no matter what the cost or travel time involved.   

Me and Meg at her wedding!

 I feel so lucky to have these 9 girls by my side and close enough to call my true best friends throughout the years.  Each one of them has been my best friend at one point in my life or another, and I am so blessed to have remained just as close to every one in some cases, 23 years later!

I LOVE YOU GIRLS!!!!!!!

KDO, HM, Hess, Me, and Ash!

As for the Bridal dress...

I had been searching online and in stores pretty much since the day I found MY dress! I knew it was going to be an important choice, as I know this is going to be THE dress next to MY dress in all of the photos! I finally compiled a few photos, and narrowed my pic down to 5 dresses.

My main goal in finding the perfect bridesmaid dress was for it to do the 2 following things: fit within a reasonable budget, and be a part of the girls' wardrobe as something they ACTUALLY will wear again! Now, I know it's cliche to say, but this was truly one of the biggest things for me.  Being in the bridesmaid's shoes before...I know that if I'm going to spend about $200 on a dress, I want it to be wearable again. 

After getting opinions from my MOH (Matron-of-Honor), my mom, and a few of the girls, we finally decided on THE ONE! Keeping with tradition, I am not going to post a picture of it on here until after the wedding, but I can tell you it's absolutely adorable.  So cute, I am actually jealous I can't get one! ;)

When picking a bridesmaid dress, you can definitely get overwhelmed quickly.

Try the following tips, which proved to work out for me in the end:

• Does the dress you want your girls to wear compliment YOUR dress? (fabric, style, color scheme, pattern(s)? Remember, they will be next to you the entire day!
• Is the price of your dress reasonable? Keep in mind, not only are your bridesmaids going to pick up the cost of their dress, they still need to pay to get it altered, find shoes if you haven't picked some out for them, and also will be contributing to numerous events and celebrations along the way!
• Would YOU wear this dress again? Really...Would you?!

Luckily, my bridal party dress fits all of the above, and I can't wait to see the girls in it!  Thanks, ladies for ordering it and making it officially on the way to the Bridal Shop!

Only 265 days left!
Until next time...

-Presh

Say YES to THIS DRESS!

Like most brides, I have always dreamed about what MY wedding dress would be like ever since I was a little girl.  Now, my perfect dress has changed a bit from the cupcake-looking sparkly dress complete with long gloves and matching sparkly purse I once imagined as a 5-year-old.  Now that the time has acutally come to look for what I will be walking down the isle in...it seems that I have NO IDEA what I'm looking for!

The story of how I found MY dress is definitely not like most, so just know in advance two things:

1. Yes, I did find and purchase THE DRESS before Hessy proposed.
2. I know that this was crazy, but I don't regret one second of it!!!

Let me begin by noting how many weddings I have been a part of in the last year.  It started last summer with M's wedding in August, then my friend C's wedding in January, followed by being the Maid of Honor in my friend B's wedding this coming November, and more recently, I got asked to be in my friend A's wedding this coming June!  So that's 4 weddings all in less than 2 years time! You might as well have said I was the girl from 27 Dresses, because my closet is beginning to look like a variety of rainbow colored dresses and shoes! 

The good thing about being a part of these weddings all at the same time is that I am in the loop with all of the wedding advice I can handle!  Between all of my girlfriends, a lot of the looking around has already been done and I trust my friends' judgement when they say who they reccommend for what.  Of course, I will do my own looking around - but at least I know who to veto and who to check out right away!

So back to the dress....

Okay, so first and foremost - a BIG SHOUT OUT to Britty Bear, one of my bridesmaids for introducing me to the best bridal boutique in Orlando, Priscilla of Boston in Dr. Phillips. 

She found her wedding dress here, and I helped her pick out the cutest bridesmaid dresses ever for her wedding here as well.  (Seriously, I'm obsessed with the dress I get to wear for hers!)  After about the 3rd or 4th time I went to the store for my dress and altering it, I was waiting for Britty to finish up and took it upon myself to look at all of the pretty bridal gowns, thinking to myself "Oh, one day I'll actually get to look for a dress on my own!" After a few minutes, I still had time in the store so I took that opportunity to mosey on over to the sale rack just to see...

I saw some crazy poofy dresses, some beautiful elegant (and heavy) dresses, dresses with bows, dresses with tons of sparkly embelishments, and then BAM the prettiest dress I have ever seen meant for the summertime, unique, fashionable and classic at the same time (if that's possible?), ON SALE for 50% OFF, and truly had my name alllllllll over it.  I quickly called Britty over, and she agreed - this dress was beautiful.  I didn't think too much about pursuing this dress just yet for two reasons: I was not engaged at this time, and I couldn't justify dropping so much money on a wedding dress of all things to my mom!  Also, I would feel horrible getting a dress without my mom there, so I just kept the mental picture of her in my mind and went about my day. 

The next day, there I was just checking my e-mail and minding my own business and BAM, there's an e-mail from Priscilla's telling me there is a ONE-DAY ONLY Sample Sale on Bridal Gowns 2 days from then.  At first, I said to myself, "Man, if only I were engaged, this would be perfect," but who am I kidding...that lasted about 30 minutes before I called Britty and asked her if I was crazy for wanting to go to this sale to see if my dress is even on the eligable rack for the additional 50% off! Of course, being the OCD planner she is, she said "Girl, before we officially got engaged I had already seen 2 venues and met with a photographer!" So, naturally, she understood where I was coming from.

Friday rolls around and Britty meets me at P of B bright and early at 8am when the store opens so I didn't feel like a crazy girl by myself.  We walk in and right away I go to the rack where I remember seeing my dress before...and what do I see? Twenty beautiful dresses out of the entire store on the Sample Sale rack....that's it. TWENTY.  What are the chances my dress is going to be on this rack? Well, apparently it was a 10 out of 10 because there she was in all her glory, 50% OFF an additonal 50% OFF!!!!!!! If that confused you, that's a total of 75% OFF! I knew the only hope of convincing my mom I could afford a dress in this store would be some kind of miracle sale, and WOW - here it is!!!! So, a friendly consultant walks over, sees me swooning over this dress and immediately says "Oh, if you really like this dress - you must try it on right away because there is a girl coming in at Noon today to try this specific dress on, and there's only ONE!" A huge part of me felt bad for even wanting to try it on...but again, that didn't last very long and before I knew it I was in the dressing room with 4 Bridal Gowns, with THE ONE being the last one on the rack to slip on.

THIS is not the dress! Just a pic of the beautiful store!

Of course I felt akward, embarrased, and shy - which are definitely not emotions you should experience trying on your wedding dress options, but in all reality I was thinking, "Am I really the girl who goes to pick out her wedding dress before she get's engaged?" Well, YES! Of course I am! I have been dreaming about the moment I found my dress since I was 5 years old! :) I liked the first few options, and let's be honest - at this point I could literally get a wedding gown for $250...that's CRAZY!!!! Well, I didn't, BUT, I finally get to my favorite and the anticipation is killing me.  I get the dress on, and there is a huge problem - it is a size 10 and I am between a 0 and a 2! There's no way that we could even alter this dress to look the same in my size.  Or is there? The fabulous consultant assured me she had already spoken to their alterations lady to make sure the girl coming in to see the dress (who is my size) could get the dress down to the size I need without compromising the style.  So here's the next question I asked, "How attached is this girl to this dress?" The last thing I want to do is take a dream dress from a "real" bride, I mean I'm not even engaged yet, and I would feel horrible if someone did that to me! When the consultant said "Well, she already bought a gown for the ceremony and this would be her reception dress," I thought...well geez, forget it then! I don't feel bad for a second! Here I am stressing and stressing about taking a dress I'm obsessed with away from someone who may or may not purchase her for a reception only? NO! This dress deserves a home and Bride that will honor and cherish her and wear her the entire night of her wedding! SOLD!!!!!!!!

The only thing holding me back at this point was guilt that my mother was not there to experience the search for the dress with me.  But, why would I even tell her I was looking for a dress when I'm not engaged? On top of that, she was on a cruise in the middle of the ocean with no way to get a hold of her.  So clearly, I had to make this descion on my own.  I kept going back and forth, and FINALLY I said, "You know what? I have butterflies.  I actually feel like a bride, and I'm not even engaged yet.  THIS IS THE DRESS!!!!! I'll take it!" Within 2 minutes they had sparkly shoes on my feet, a headpiece on my head, and the most beautiful earrings put on my ears that I have ever had on!

Of course, I fall in love with all of these, so I fork over my credit card for the dress and put everything else on my wish list.  I'm prepared to take a big gulp when I hear the total which I calculated in my head to still be pricey, but somewhat affordable because for some reason I didn't think it was possible to get 50% OFF 50% OFF.  BUT, when the dress rung up in the system, that's right...I GOT HER FOR drum roll please......75% OFF!
Before you freak out, I did pay more than what I got it for in alterations alone, but when it all comes down to it, I AM IN LOVE with my dress.  This is THE dress I have dreamed about, and I CAN NOT WAIT to wear it down the isle on my wedding day.

So what I can tell you from all of this is this:

Go with your gut.  Whether you're engaged, dating, single, an old maid, whatever...when you find the dress you've always dreamed about YOU KNOW.  And when you know, YOU KNOW!  You don't have to justify buying a wedding dress and wait until it's 3 months before your wedding to start looking for one.  The last thing I wanted to do was stress over finding the perfect dress, and you know what? The day I got engaged, I told my mom all about it, she understood, and couldn't wait to see it.  I couldn't be happier with it, and now it's only 271 days until I can wear it!  Everything fell into place and I know everything happens for a reason!

If you're a bride in Central Florida, I highly recommend this store. 
http://www.priscillaofboston.com/index.jsp

They have several locations all over the US - but staff at the Dr. Phillips locations is so nice and will make everything you can possibly want happen as quickly as possible.  Seriously couldn't be happier, I'll have to tell you all about my shoes and accessories in another blog, but I guess that's it for now.

THANK YOU PRISCILLA OF BOSTON!

Oh, and as for pics of MY dress? You'll just have to wait until after the wedding! ;)

-Presh

So here's the story...

From being engaged a little over 2 months now, I have noticed that a bride-to-be tends to get the same rotation of questions from everyone they come into contact with!

1.  When is the BIG DAY?

2.  Do you already have your dress?

3.  What are your colors?
4.  HOW DID HE DO IT?!

Well, I thought it would be a great way to start out my blogging by telling the story of how Hessy proposed!  I already mentioned that we have been dating for a little shy of 3 years, but here's a little more of a background...

Hessy is a bit older than me (and by a bit, I mean 12 years!) But, when it comes down to it - I've always been an older soul, and to this day he still pulls all-nighters on a new video game - so it works out.  I joke and tell people that our average age is about 30, and he always goes by his favorite philosophy: "You're only as old as the girl you date." So, the age thing is clearly not an issure for us.  Hess was born in Branson, MO and grew up all over the Arkansas/Missouri borderline.  Every summer when we get a week of vacation time, we head up there to see his family.  This year we planned a little get-away in the middle of our week in the mid-west, but I had no idea just how good of a trip this would be!

On our way to Springfield, MO with Hessy's Mom.



Grand Central Hotel, Eureka Springs.

 After a few days of traveling around the state of Arkansas, we began our 2-days to ourselves by checking into a hotel called Grand Central in the heart of Eureka Springs, AR. The place was so cool and antique looking, built in 1883, and our room looked like a doll house! The entire city is very Victorian looking and is made up of cute, older buildings and houses up and down the Ozark Mountains! We come to visit this city every year we go home but this is the first time we stayed overnight. We felt spoiled and on vacation for sure by spending rest of the day walking around, shopping, getting a wonderful massage, and eating at the best Italian restaurant I've EVER eaten at - and I LOVE Italian so I can be critical!!!!! It was called Ermilio's and I can't wait to go back!!! 




Grand Central Hotel, Lobby.

 After dinner we came back to the hotel tired and I knew we were going to wake up early to catch the sunrise at the Christ of the Ozarks Statue for some quiet prayer and devotional time. This is a 75 foot monument of Jesus Christ at the peak of the Ozark mountains overlooking the rest of the gorgeous forest and mountains. So, I turned in early but kept waking up to find Hessy on his computer almost the entire night - I was assuming he was working, but thinking WHY is he still up at 3am?! There isn't even an XBOX here....must be something important. When the alarm went off at 5:45am I was tired but excited to start the day!! We got ready and headed over to the statue with a Bible, blanket, and snacks (of course) in hand. By the time we pulled up to the statue is was about 7am and there wasn't a soul in site - not even a security guy in the booth, so we drove right in and set up camp. Perfect timing to see the sun rising behind the statue...and when we walked up to where we were going to sit we saw a family of dear eating! We took some pictures, sat down and began to read verses. About 5 minutes in, it seemed really crazy and awesome at the same time, but a bunny came up close to our blanket followed by birds and some squirrels. It really felt like we was sitting in the middle of a  Disney movie in a forest like Snow White or Pocahontas, lol - CUE deer, now cue bunny and birds....it was so cool!




Sunrise at the Christ of the Ozarks Statue - pre-proposal!



Little did I know, Hessy had stayed up all night putting together a Bible Study about love and relationships. We read and talked about what the words mean and after almost an hour we got to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13:



On our blanket, reading verses on Love & Marriage.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This was my favorite part and actually was the same verse I put on a bracelet I gave Hessy for his birthday last year. So, at this point I was getting a little emotional! I started seeing a serious look in his eyes and we ended our study by praying together in front of the statue. When I opened my eyes, there he was somehow in front of me with a ring box. At this point we both started balling and couldn't say anything for a minute or two! (Although Hess will claim that there was NO crying involved....he was way worse off than I was!) ;) I asked him what was in the box and he told me to open it...so I did. When I saw it was empty I was really confused?! He then told me to look back in the Bible and when I opened it I saw a pretty but very dainty diamond ring. Now, this ring is very pretty and I was only confused because it was nothing at all like I had imagined. So he then said "Before you look at the ring (of course I sneaked a peek!), let me tell you what it means to me..." this ring he used to propose is the ring from his mother and fathers original marriage. He told me mine is still being set and just wasn't ready before we left so I will get it in a few weeks! So, for now I am wearing his mom's ring as a "placeholder", and because it was too big to wear on my finger, it's on a necklace around my neck.



The Proposal - August 12, 2010

 Couldn't wait to see the real thing, but this ring will always hold a place in my heart because I get to hold onto it and pass it down to our children. After taking some pictures, we headed out to grab some coffee and breakfast (my fav and it was YUMMY!!) and then went to a ranch in the mountains to go horseback riding! I've been before, but  never in the middle of the Ozark Mountains - it was just like a scene from a movie and was absolutely beautiful!

We go back to the hotel, pack up, and head out to Branson, MO for what I think is the afternoon. I fell asleep in the car (actually I did almost ever car ride of the trip, lol) and woke up in front of a Hilton by the River. When I asked Hessy why we were here he said it was because of the "free parking"! Now, I am gullible but realize how much I really am after this trip! When I looked out the window we were greeted by Hessy's best friend from college and his wife with wine! I was SO excited to see them and finally realized we would be staying at the hotel that night. YAY for another day and night with friends, I thought....this is going to be fun!

As the day went on, more of Hessy's friends from school showed up and I was so excited to go to dinner....they were talking about making reservations at a really nice 5 star place called Candlestick Inn, but I didn't think we would get in. After an afternoon of celebrating, we got ready for dinner and were greeted with an amazing Engagement Basket in our room - filled with wine, nuts and dried fruit, monogrammed H towels, and 100 cal packs of snacks - these people did their research! :)

Still on Cloud 900 from the day, I couldn't be happier heading over to dinner with the group. As we walked into the restaurant I knew there would be 6 of us and they kept trying to sit us down at tables set for 4....weird right?! After the second move, I still didn't catch on and then I looked over to the left when the waiter offered us a big table and saw the tables filled with Hessy's family! SHOCKED, I realize this was all planned for an Engagement dinner and WHAT?!? There are MY PARENTS sitting at the end! Hess had asked them to fly in to meet the rest of his family and celebrate with us for the rest of the week! Scott had planned this dinner a month ago, and all of his family lives at least 45 mins to 2 hours away, so it meant the world to both of us that they were there, since we almost never get to see them in FL!

 Us with Hessy's Mom, Step-Mom, Dad, and my Mom & Dad!

We spent the rest of the week with our parents and started to already begin planning with them.

The perfect week, filled with 3 important things: Faith, Hope, and Love: but the greatest of these things is LOVE!


The perfect ending to a perfect day...truly worth the wait!

-Presh 

Ready, Set, Blog!

I'm taking it upon myself to welcome well, myself into the wonderful world of blogging!  I have never had a personal blog page of my own, but figured the journey from my engagement to wedding could be a great way to start.  I've been told before that my e-mails tend to be quite lengthly, so it only seems natural to jump into a world where I can share my thoughts and ideas to whoever cares to read about it. This way, I can avoid sharing stories to people who think "oh, great, another e-mail from this girl!..wonder what story she has to share now?!" Makes sense, right?

So here we go....

My name is Heather, but I will be known as Precious Betty - or Presh - as my fiance named me shortly after we met.  I am 25 years old, and have lived my entire life in Orlando, FL. (I know, rare right?)  I'm not the biggest Disney fan in the world, but I have been surrounded by family, great opportunites, and now a fiance who lives here with me, so I'm a pretty big fan of this place.  I will be referring to my fiance as Hess, or Hessy, and we have been dating for almost 3 years now.  He popped the question on August 12, 2010 and we are tying the knot next Summer on July 22, 2011!

Follow me and my journey as I take the next big step in my life, becoming a MRS!!!  I'm sure there will be a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns, good days, bad days, and everything in-between.  Hold on to your garders ladies, the big day is only 272 DAYS AWAY!