re-entry

And we're back!  Adjusting back to real life is no simple task, and we're tackling it head on with some good old fashioned quality couch time.  Teaser photos are in, so recap and honeymoon talk coming soon!

Ok, I couldn't resist.

Courtesy of our amazing photographer Noah Devereaux.

The Final Countdown: One Week

Sorry for that little bit of down time earlier this week.  My parents took me on a last hurrah mini-vacation to Block Island.  Suffice (for now) to say that it was divine (minus my sunburn).  I'll have a real post for you once I get a chance to look at the photos I took.

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It's pretty astounding (to me at least).  One week.  Seven days from today I'll be getting my hair and make up done, chatting with my family and best friend and generally getting prettified and trying to stay relaxed.  Something will go wrong and I'll try not to fuss.  I'll get in the car and walk around with my face all done up and veil in my hair... and a tshirt and shorts.  I'll hide away in a restaurant manager's office and my mom will zip up my wedding dress.  Right now it seems so surreal...

Fact is, my to do list is still two full pages long.  Heck, my to do list for today has 9 things on it, at least four of which are starting or completing some big projects.  When I have so much tangible work in front of me, it's hard to think about the really huge emotional thing that's happening so soon.  I mean, in a week I'll be a wife!  Now if that's not trippy, I don't know what is.

I'm trying to think what to write next and realizing that this post has no structure at all.  Guess I'm a little rusty... the beach melted my brain in the most pleasant way.  I think maybe I'll throw in a random list of things about... here:

• I'm excited. 

• I'm worried about the wedding (and all the stuff I have to do for it!) but not the marriage.

• I am so excited about the honeymoon, I'd have a pretty hard time explaining it.  Whenever I get stressed, I add a day to the wedding countdown and say to myself "in 8 days I'll be on my honeymoon! honeymoon! honeymoon!"  

• There's a song that goes with the honeymoon chant.

• I got a letter from the White House yesterday in response to our wedding invitation.  I'm being a good girl and waiting for Mr. McGee to show on Wednesday.  He said I could open it without him, but it's not every day you get mail from the White House...

• I still have to get my ceremony readers and chuppah holders together.

• I'm pretty excited to not know every nook and cranny of my ceremony text.  I know Carie is going to say lovely things, and I loves me some surprises! 

• I am seriously marrying the best person ever.  (And we're getting married!)

• Plus, bonus points because he's so hot (we're going to make pretty babies some day)!

• Bachelor/ette party plans are in full swing and I absolutely cannot wait for mine!  I know any time my sister and best friend put their heads together to plan a party it's going to be beyond insane.

• On a related note, any tips for dressing up like "a sexy pin up girl?"

• Holy crap, I'm getting married in a week.

the almost elopement

When the wedding insanity starts to set in (starts is perhaps not the right word...), or works itself to a pitch, I often ask myself, or Ari if he's handy, why we didn't elope.  Weddings are exciting and fun and a labor of love, don't get me wrong, but they're not without their share of tears, fights and anxiety.  My fantasy for a good long while was a flight for this weekend (whichever weekend it happened to be), and a trip to San Francisco City Hall (which is beyond amazingly gorgeous).

In the end, we both knew that what we really wanted was a wedding with our friends and family.  But hey, if you can narrow down your nearest and dearest to 30, and would rather trade the big city for sandy beaches, you might be in luck.  Pacific Weddings Magazine is giving away a wedding in Maui.

You give them a photo of you and your fiancé and tell them how you met, fell in love and got engaged in 300 words or less, and they might give you

• Wedding and reception at Timba in Lahaina, Maui
• Honeymoon stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui
• Wedding and ceremony for 30 people
• Reception including floral décor, dinner and drinks for thirty guests
• Photography coverage of wedding and reception
• Oceanview room for bride and groom for three days
• Sunset sail for two aboard Trilogy Excursions

Sounds pretty damn good to me.  And since the whole thing is paid for, the head count comes with a concrete cutoff and you're already at your honeymoon, I'd say the only thing you have to worry about is what to wear.  Have a pina colada for me.

Honeymoon! Honeymoon! Honeymoon!

This has been my mantra of late.  Anytime I get stressed or nervous or anxious or frustrated with the wedding, I repeat that over and over again (in a fun little singsong voice) until I feel better.  Because no matter how crazy things get, on September 6, Ari and I will be getting on a plane and going here.

That's Club Med Turkoise.  Everything is already paid for (except tips).  Air is booked and they take us to and from the airport.  I expect my hardest decision all week to be whether I should drink my pina colada by the beach or the pool.  And bonus points for being an adult-only resort.  I love kids, I really do, but I don't want to have to deal with them on my honeymoon.  Oh yeah, and did I mention I will be doing lots of this?

Only I won't be sticking my ass out like I'm terrified of leaving the board.  Shoulders back, hips forward!

Cos they have a flying trapeze there kids.  I haven't flown in almost two years and I miss it so badly.  I am beyond excited.  I really hope the safety belts really are that gold color, because then I will totally pretend I am Wonder Woman.

I am predicting a very good week.