So, my life doesn't stop in order for me to plan a wedding … who knew?!! HA!

Wedding planning is more stressful than I had imagined … probably because a) I wait until the last minute to do pretty much everything, b) I am quite the unorganized bride, c) I am incredibly indecisive, and d) school and work aren't slowing down! Really, it's a lot of fun, but it takes up more time than I thought it would. Maybe not so much more of my actual time, but it's all I think of … what I have to do next! Ha! The honeymoon to Antigua (along with being Mark's wife) will be a nice payoff!

We got our passports! YAY!

We just ordered the bridesmaids dresses! Double YAY!!


(They look like this, but not this color ...)

We ordered our beautiful cake! Triple … well, you get the idea!

(It's pretty much going to look exactly like this, minus a bit of detail here and there!)

The next on our do to list involves; checking out a showroom for the chairs for the ceremony, and then finding a sweet ride to jet to the hotel in after the reception … a particular Rolls Royce is my getaway of choice!

(This exact one ... Cloud 9 Coach in Richardson)

School is … going! I have an estimated graduation date, but I'm quite embarrassed about it. I really wasted two entire years on classes that I didn't need once I changed my major. Go me! Ugh … Meeting with my advisor a few days ago was nice, though … she made me feel better about it! Believe it or not, I'm not the only person with a gazillion unusable hours!

Work is alright … it's quite the dramatic place (although super fun), but you have to understand why. There are like, two guys that work there, and I don't even think they are there that often. So, it's a building full of girls, and children who just want to play, therefore have short attention spans! The kids are fantastic, though! Even the ones I get upset with every day, I just love! For those of you who don't know, I got a new job where the hours are perfect for me – at The Treehouse Academy in Corinth where I am a Pre-K teacher – I spend Monday through Friday with four year olds!

Mark and I are just splendidly in love! It's the most amazing feeling to have one person in particular to come home to everyday. I have been known to come home in tears after an overwhelming day, and he seems to make it all better! The night before last we cooked dinner together and just talked … then watched some George Lopez … it was so relaxing, and so nice just to be together!

Asia is wonderful! We just put her back on her thyroid medication so hopefully she will shed the pounds like she did last time and be her extra playful self again! She is already hungry much less – down to twice a day from three to four times daily! She had one of her 'spells' recently where she passes out, it's like a seizure without the seizing. It totally freaked me and Mark out, but she hopped back up and we all went back to sleep! She seemed okay the next morning and the Doc said just to keep an eye on her … it's something she, and we, are going to have to live with!

The holidays were very nice! I miss the tradition I grew up with – Christmas Eve was spent with the Sanders family and Nannie and Bampaw's house … we would go to church, come back and eat, someone would take us outside to see if we could find Santa Claus, then when we came back in, we learned he had been on the roof the entire time! Christmas morning I would wake up to Santa gifts at my house, then my family would come over and we would all have Christmas brunch and open presents together, with Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas music playing in the background, of course! Then everyone would leave and my parents and I would head to the huge town of Normangee, Texas to spend Christmas day/weekend with the Mathis side of the family. It was wonderful!

We spend our holidays now with my Brewer cousins and my Aunt Patsy … then, Mark's entire family gets together Christmas day. It's much quieter for our family, but I hope that just one holiday we can get everyone together, like the old times!

Anyway, on a sad note … sometime during this last summer (I think) my cousin John brought over some rat babies – his pet rat had had babies. I said I didn't want any, but Tricia did. So, we welcomed home our little rat, Trottle. He was super cute, and although you may think rats are ugly and horrible, if you had met him, you would have loved him, too. He and Asia became best friends … and my mom, who will jump on a chair and scream at the sight of a rat, actually got to where she would let him touch her! He was the kind of little fellow who would squeeze out of his cage to go jump on the couch and curl up for a nap with the dogs, which he did often, until we had to switch cages! Ha! Anyway, he got sick last Sunday and was not doing well at all. He could not walk without falling over, and it was just really sad. So Monday morning when I went to turn the space heater off, I found him curled up in his cage, not moving. It was pretty sad, and I actually never thought I would say that about such a little animal … he was just so funny! I can't even bring up all the silly things he would do – scaling up the entertainment center wires is just the beginning!

(Sir Hunkerford Trottle, aka Trottle Trottleton)

Okay and another sad note ... Heath Ledger, and Brad Renfro?! Both were HUGE crushes of mine in high school ... and I still had a little crush on Heath Ledger ... two very talented, young and good looking actors. It's just so sad ...

Anyway, moving on …

I've been working out again! I need to get back in shape for our wedding! When I was working out with Justin (Blue), I lost nearly twenty pounds, but unfortunately gained all of it back. Argh! It is okay, though, because I am super dedicated to working out hard core for the next four months! Oh, and I'm calorie counting! I wish I were like Mark – eat everything I want and lose a pound! HA!

Speaking of, the big day is officially less than four months away. I don't know if I'm excited or scared out of my mind at the thought of everything that is left to do! AH!!! My bridesmaids are truly my sanity at the moment – they keep me laughing and fairly organized – something I really need! Ha! Oh well … things are mostly fantastic!

I hope everyone is having a wonderfully fabulous new year!!!