I've been meaning to write this post for several weeks now, but I just haven't seemed to be able to find the time. But it's two in the morning, I can't sleep, and I'm feeling productive.
Over Columbus Day weekend, my best friend (and my very own Weasley), Dani, came up to Bellingham to visit. She hadn't been up since the wedding, so we planned on packing a lot in to the four days she was here.
Have I mentioned that I'm a sucker for redheads? Seriously, I actively
seek them out. Hence my love for the Weasleys. My hairdresser calls it
"ginger-vitis." So Dani and I were obviously destined to be best
friends from the get-go.
Check out this gorgeous girl!
Anyways, so she arrived for the weekend and we got right down to it. First things first, we had to decide on a song. It's a weird tradition of ours that we pick a song to play all weekend long when we visit one another, and it's usually something pop-ish and totally ridiculous. This weekend? Miley Cyrus "We Can't Stop." We definitely drove Brady and Nathan crazy with this one!
Once the song had been decided on, the real fun began. We went to Jalapenos and had Big Mamas with friends and played several loud games of Heads Up. (If you haven't heard of this game, you HAVE to play it. Download it here for Apple devices and here for Android.)
Aren't we adorable? And take a look at those HUGE margaritas!
Saturday we went out to breakfast with Brady and Nathan and then headed
to Stoney Ridge Farm for a day of "autumnal bliss," as my mom would
say.
All of us with the wooden man outside the restaurant.
Stoney Ridge Farm. The guys weren't thrilled about us photographing them.
And Sunday we absolutely had to watch the Sounders game, since Dani is a bit obsessed.
Dani and her mom at a Sounders game.
We finished out the weekend with a viewing of The Goonies, because Dani celebrates every Columbus Day by watching Chris Columbus movies. Just one reason I love this crazy girl!
And that was my awesome weekend with my bestie! Can't wait for it to happen again!
There's nothing more Weasley than family (well, except maybe red hair). Last night I had the privilege of celebrating an incredible woman with my future in-laws. Brady's wonderful grandmother, Jan Secules, turned 80 and we all got together for some gifts and Mexican food.
I'd never been to Lorenzo's before, but if you have the chance, go. AMAZING food (I had the taco salad, which was good but pretty standard, but Brady had crab and spinach enchiladas, and they were to die for) and the drinks were huge and tasty, just the way I like them!
I had the house margarita, and Brady had something called LA Water. I think mine was the better choice, but his was pretty good. And definitely prettier than mine.
But the best part of the night was the company. Brady's family is awesome. I feel so blessed to be joining their ranks. I always have a good time when I'm with them, and tonight was no exception.
And, of course, the woman we were all there to celebrate: Grandma Jan. This woman is so kind and loving. She has always made me feel like I'm already part of the family. Her gentle spirit is such a blessing, and she is a perfect example of a godly wife and mother.
Plus, doesn't she look awesome for 80?
Happy birthday Jan! Thanks for letting me be a part of your celebration!
I have found my wedding dress! Saturday afternoon I went down to Mount Vernon with my parents and we ended up at David's Bridal. Poor Dad headed to Red Robin for a burger while Mom and I began the process of finding just the right dress.
I had already gone shopping a few times, but hadn't yet found anything that seemed just right. I tried on six or seven dresses this time, all of them beautiful. Mom and I were getting overwhelmed after about two hours so we called Dad back over to get a guy's perspective. With his help, and the help of our wonderful consultant, Leslee, I found just the right dress! It's different from what I expected, but it's perfect for our simple outdoor wedding.
Mom's favorite part came at the end. Once you find your dress at David's Bridal, you get to ring the bell and make a wish for your wedding. Mom was so excited she almost rang the bell herself, but once I did she began crying! It really was a special moment and the perfect culmination to a wonderful day.
When I got home that day I told Brady that I'd found a dress and he was so stoked! He kept asking me what it looked like and then saying, "No, wait! Don't tell me!" It was really sweet and I can't wait to see his reaction on our wedding day!
I can't post any pictures yet obviously - that would be bad luck! - but I'm really excited for everyone to see my dress come July 27!
Long day at work today, especially considering I didn't get much sleep last night - up to late struggling to get this blog all set up. But Brady rescued me with an iced vanilla latte from Woods and all of my coworkers are fun to be around. And tonight we met up with Brady's friend Tom and headed over to our best friend Michael's house for an evening of beer and board games. We made it through several six packs but only about half a game of Life before we had to call it quits for the evening, but it was a great time. I must admit, however, that my banking skills definitely began to deteriorate after three beers! Here's a few pictures to commemorate the night:
Brady insulted Chris...and then ended up having to pay him $5000 :)
Jayme, Michael, and Brady: First, second, and third.
Welcome to my brand new blog. I've been meaning to start this for a long time, but kept putting it off. The idea of sending my thoughts into the virtual world is a little intimidating. But my mom, Holly, of I Wish I Were a Walton, has been blogging for several years now and I decided it was time to be at least as techie as my mother.
My fiance, Brady, and I went to my parents' house today to watch the Seahawks game. Definitely an exciting game, but I am not into football at all, so I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban instead. After the game Mom and I did some wedding planning while Dad watched hours of post game shows and Brady took a nap.
We arrived back at our apartment just in time for the premier of the third season of Downton Abbey. I've only caught a few previous episodes but I am determined to catch every episode of this season! My lovely mother was also kind enough to lend me the first and second seasons on DVD. I can't wait to start watching them!
