The big two six.

After 9 months of hard work, I finally took my first true vacation. The perfect destination- Destin, Florida where family meets white sand and the clear blue sea. We have been vacationing in Destin for several years, visiting the wonderful Parish clan. Our family is comprised of marathoners, tennis pros, avid bikers, and even an iron man. So it’s no surprise that family vacations begin early, with endurance workouts and Olympic effort. This year, we had the pleasure of enjoying our first vacation with Bo’s wife Marietta, a dietitian and amazing chef. Bo and Marietta awarded our efforts with the most amazing healthy dinners. I always come home from family vacations feeling incredibly rejuvenated, albeit sore as can be.

Kaitlyn and Austin made their debut to the traveling scene with Pottery Barn kids luggage in tow. They did a wonderful job on the airplane, full of excitement and a suitcase of Barbies and tractors. It was so fun to watch them acclimate to the water, pools in the morning followed by the beach time in the afternoon. Their excitement was insatiable, contagious to those around. I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my precious niece and nephew.

The vacation was also full of celebration. Friday evening we had a party on the beach to celebrate my 26^th birthday. We enjoyed wine and cheese with Grandmommy’s delectable pound cake and a perfect view of a Florida sunset. I also had the chance to make wedding plans and fill in the family with the details thus far. November seems just around the corner.

I am so blessed to have such a loving family and truly thank the Lord for blessing us with this time together!! Farewell, Destin. I’ll see you in February!

Gray, yellow, and white- oh my!

I never dreamed that I would have this much fun planning a wedding. I have always had a vague vision of what my wedding day would be like, and the process of turning this dream into a reality has been exciting. A seven month engagement requires swift decisions, allowing my type A personality to come in handy. Within the first week of the engagement I was in wedding mode full speed ahead. I set the date, booked the venue, set the menu, and even managed to find my dream wedding gown (which happened to be the first one I tried on!). Every decision I’ve made has excited me so far, and I am delighted at the lack of stress involved.

I have been to two bridal shows in an effort to glean ideas and (more importantly) sample cake. I went to the first show with Jill, who I consider to be more of a friend than mother-in-law. I enjoyed spending the afternoon catching up and making plans. As luck would have it, I even won a six month membership to “The Rush Fitness.” How fitting J. Chrissie, my good friend and fellow bride-to-be, accompanied me to the Castle McCullough bridal show last week. As we walked from vendor to vendor holding out our bags in exchange for pamphlets and business cards, we came to the conclusion that bridal shows are the adult equivalent of trick-or-treating.

I am so looking forward to our big day. The Lord has blessed my life with an incredible man, and I could not be more grateful.