The Countdown!!!

Well, we closed on the house and have moved in... well, Joel has moved in! The beds are set up, his clothes, Charlie's toys, and the kitchen are unpacked, but the rest is still waiting for us to figure out where it all is going to go. We are putting up blinds as we can buy them, slowly getting all the bathroom hardware, such as towel racks, up as we have time and motivation, and then the decoration will come with time, money and gifts. I never realized how much goes into a new home, but I am really loving the process. Joel got our mailbox up, too, so that is fun!

We are pretty sure September 5 is the wedding day. We were told the approval from the First Presidency showed up on my church records, but I have to have the letter to be able to get the recommend and get sealed, so we are eagerly checking the mail everyday. My bridal shower is this Thursday which is making it so real and fun. Lots of friends and family gathering for a true celebration. I am so excited! Less than 3 weeks, so it's about time for this all to seem real. Picking up my dress and his suit this week, and hopefully will find a little suit for Charlie, too. I really need to send announcement for the reception, too, since I realized they were still in my car. I am a nerd like that!

So other than that things are pretty much the same. My sister had her third child on Wednesday, a little girl named Peyton Elise, and she is so beautiful. My mom is now back in Iowa after a month in Mississippi. It's nice to have her close again, but I know she misses it there. My brother, Nathan, just hit his 1 year mark on his mission in Ghana. Everyone is growing, changing, becoming more amazing... and for once I feel like I am in the move forward!

August already!!!

Well, it's August already! That means we have either 5 weeks or 7 weeks until the wedding. Since we have to wait for the First Presidency's approval, we can't plan for a specific date. We are hoping for September 5, but the 18th is our backup, and the reception is set for the 19th either way. It makes it tough to get hair appointment and make honeymoon plans, but at least it's not a busy tourist season so we should be ok.

As for our house, we didn't get to close yesterday like planned. We are still waiting for paperwork to be processed. The loan has been approved, but some guy in a cubical still has to look over the documents to make sure they have everything so they get their money later. So hopefully that will be done soon so Joel can move in, since he is now homeless sleeping on his brothers floor. It would be nice to move in (and get our stuff out of Kristi's garage :) ) and start unpacking and decorating so once we are married and working we can just live life!

Charlie has gotten to his organization stage. He loves to move and stack everything. There are big piles of toys and books all over the basement. For the most part he moves things one at a time, but lately he has been carrying books in stacks, so he gets a lot more done. He also loves to dust surfaces and wipe faces (his, mine, Joel's...). It's cute, but sometimes annoying. He is a blast, sleeping well, talking more with words I can actually understand, and dancing all the time. He loves music on while he 'works', and he randomly stops and dances. So fun!

That is our update. Wedding plans are going well. Thanks to Olivia, the reception is pretty much planned. My dress will be totally done in a week or so, and Joel's suit is bought and being hemmed too. The basic outline for the wedding and honeymoon are set, just need a date to finalize. I still need to plan the ring ceremony for the families, but that will come with time, I am sure. But if you have any ideas, please add a note.