soooo blessed!

yayyyy for free stuff! henry's aunt and uncle own a shoe distributing company. the uncle actually designs the shoes and gets them made in china and then distributes it here in the u.s. so when i went over his house on friday, his mom told me that they're sponsoring the shoes for the wedding party. whoohooo! free shooes! just gotta look at the catalog and pick out a style.

ohhh, annnd, his mom is a dress pattern maker and knows lots of seamstreses, so she said that i could probably have the dresses made through them. yayyyyy!

ok, and it was a very wedding-planning-filled weekend. i'm exhausted. on sat, we went to see the sheraton delfina. *sigh* it was my favorite location for a long time. it was a great set up of the ballroom with the little room where the kids can play. and it was on the penthouse of the hotel with a great view. the guy we met with was really nice and easy to work with actually and with the date being on a friday on a very slow weekend for weddings, he's cutting us a good deal. but the good deal is still higher than what we'd like it to be, so it's not looking so good for the delfina.

and yesterday, we went to a bridal show, then went hotel-hopping around the anaheim convention center. not our favorites at all. ideally, we both want a location that has unique architectural features, and these cookie cutter, good-for-conventions hotels are not what we had in mind. good thing is the price, of course.

but we finished off the location hunt last night with a lovely place in newport beach. it has this really nice courtyard with a fountain and very spanish-style architecture and design. and the ballroom was ornately decorated with lots of paintings and mirrors. we've already received their wedding packet, so price-wise, it's pretty good, especially because they throw in so much stuff with it. but we really just need to sit with their folks to ask more questions. we'll see them on friday.

ooh oooh, i'm going to start bridal gown shopping on thursday night. i'm excited about it, but also worried. worried that i won't find one i like, worried that i'll find one i like but can't afford it. and to top it off, i have no clue what i'm looking for. they all look lovely to me so far. not sure what would be most flattering. i'm pretty sure i don't want a ball skirt, and i think i want a sweetheart neckline, but who knows. i'm open to anything right now.

the best part: i'm a lot less stressed out about it all. henry has taken the lead in analyzing the numbers and calling the locations and it's totally taken the load off my shoulders. he's even received some compliments from potential vendors who are just surprised and impressed that the groom is the one calling and inquiring about these things. i'm sooo blessed to have him! :)

let's go in on a pool

so i had my first meltdown yesterday. it was only 4 days into the beginning of planning and i already had my first bridezilla moment. i was thinking, i bet my friends can go in on a pool and bet on how many times i'll go off the deep end during this wedding planning. henry said 4 times.. a week! hehe, i said to myself 20 times overall. but i tend to underestimate myself anyway.

but good news!!!! father joe said yes to do our wedding! whoohoo! well, that's one thing that's going our way. yesterday was just such a poopy day. but i know it will all be okay. i just had to give up my stress and worries up to the Lord and i immediately felt better and relieved. He'll take care of everything. i know i just have to not be so set in some of the things that i want for our wedding. keep things in perspective, y'kno? cuz some things are really so small, no one will probably even notice. it's just that i've had my heart set on certain particulars since i started planning my wedding (waaaay back in high school, hehe!) and i just have to learn to let things go. *sigh*

really really? really really.

he wants to marry me, he really wants to marry me!

waay in the beginning, i was so scared about how this relationship would go. i was afraid that it wouldn't work out, just like all of the other ones. and when i found myself so happy being with him, i would ask, "really, really?" as in, "i can't believe we're here and so happy, is it really true?" and he'd just look at me sincerely and say, "really, really." and i'd sink into his arms in complete comfort and joy. (yea, like the christmas carols sing).

so we're settling on a wedding date and are looking at the friday after thanxgiving THIS YEAR!!! it's so overwhelming for me, but most of all, so flattering. i know he loves me, but i still can't believe he wants to marry me! one of the first thoughts after i got a moment to think was of disbelief, like "it happened to me, it actually happened to ME!" and now, not only does he want to marry me, but he doesn't want to wait very long at all. the only thing that seems to be hindering him is the saving up for it part. but he really wants to be with me and as soon as possible too!

there were times in my life when i just wanted the guy i was with to be committed to me and be first in his life, and especially when i put them first in mine. and i never thought i'd have this kind of love, where he doesn't just love me, he really truly wants to spend his life with me... and wants to start that as soon as possible! hehe! i'm absolutely touched and flattered, and really even surprised that he truly loves me that much and wants to start our lives together sooner than i even thought!

all you need is love

The Beatles
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in time
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.