I'M BAAAAACK!

I don't even know where to start. I finally have a moment that I am sitting at home alone and I have about a million other things I SHOULD be doing, but I felt like writing tonight. This is the first real length of time I have had alone since the wedding and I spent most of it picking my toes and cleaning out my ears. I have to leave a few things to the imagination you know? Besides, Randy couldn't take the hotness that is me picking my toes.

Let me start with the wedding. It was seriously the best day of my life! I was so blessed to have some wonderful friends go up with me on Friday night and help me prepare for my big day. Annette, Brock, Mary and Becky: You will NEVER know what your support meant to me! I love you guys so much!

Saturday morning I woke up and I was so calm just like I had been all week. Everyone with me kept saying "You're getting married! Why are you so calm?" I had no answer. Of course, having the warped personality that I have, I started to think something was wrong with me for not freaking out. My uncle put it best later on in the day when I said something about that and he told me that it just meant I was doing the right thing and marrying the right man. I think he was exactly right.

Some people think you shouldn't see each other until the wedding, but I wouldn't change the fact that we saw each other before. It was just such a sweet time for us. I know there were other people around and the photographers were there, but for me, it was just us. I felt like we were the only two people on earth right then.

After pictures I went off to the side into hiding. Just as my uncle and I were having the above conversation, my other uncle delivered the bad news that he didn't think my brother was going to make it. It turns out he forgot about the time difference. That calm feeling. Yeah. It left. Fast! He had the drinks, he had the music and he was walking me down the aisle. I spent the next hour stressing over whether he would make it or not. They screached in the parking lot at 2:00 on the nose and came running down the hill to where I was waiting. Our conversation going down the aisle was not sweet and sentimental AT ALL. It was more like me telling him how many ways I'd like to kick his behind or kill him.

When I finally made it to the other end of the aisle all of that didn't matter anymore. I am also pleased to report that I didn't laugh the whole time or cry like a baby. My calm took back over and everything was great.

I have to say another big THANK YOU to my wonderful friend and pastor, Bryan. His mother had a heart attack and quadruple bypass surgery and he still came to the wedding to marry us. Words can't express my grattitude to him.

After the ceremony we had cake and Stephanie and her mother outdid themselves. The cake was awesome! I have heard a hundred compliments on the taste and the look of the cake. It was perfect. Thank you Stephanie!!

I can't wait to share pics from the day. The pics that I have been able to see so far are beautiful. As usual, Jamie did a wonderful job.

I'll be back soon to share some other exciting changes going on. I just wanted to share a few details from the big day!

HERE COMES a word from THE BRIDE.....

Most little girls dream of their wedding day. They imagine the dress, the flowers, the cake, the big church and all the other typical things that go along with weddings. I can't say that I ever sat and dreamed about all those things. I always wanted to just go somewhere and get married. Since my first trip to Disney World in second grade, I have always wanted to either get married in their wedding pavilion or do a simple ceremony and go to Disney World for the honeymoon. I'm getting neither of those things. I am, however, getting my dream come true.

When I was little, I had an imaginary husband. I can't believe I just admitted that, but it's true. Most kids just have an imaginary friend, but I had a husband. My number one goal and dream in life was to be a wife and mom. In the last few years I had started to think it just wasn't going to happen for me. In the past couple of years, I have slowly turned over area by area of my life to God to handle. I am a control freak and it was hard to let go of those things that I so badly wanted to dictate the outcome of. One of the hardest things to let go of was my marital status. I finally realized that in God's perfect time, things would happen and I began to enjoy life as a single person.

It's true what they say. When you stop looking, he'll come out of nowhere. The day I got a friend request on facebook from Randy along with a message changed my world completely. To be honest, I didn't think anything would come of it. We had already chatted back and forth online 2 years prior and nothing happened. To this day, I still don't know why I even bothered responding because "What's the point?" honestly went through my mind. We agreed to meet and I came very close to cancelling because I was a nervous wreck. I am the first date wonder so it wasn't like it was going to be a big deal if I didn't go because I was never going to see this guy again.........or so I thought.

Our first date was the best first date I had ever been on. There was nothing over the top or flashy about it at all. That may be why it was so great to me. From the first moment we were together, I was at ease. I felt like I had known him forever and no one made me laugh like he did. The whole way home I remember telling myself over and over "Stop being so excited and happy. He's never going to call. You'll never hear from him again. Don't be an idiot." In case you can't tell, I'm a big supporter of myself...lol.

Imagine my surprise when he called Monday night.....and Tuesday night....and again on Wednesday....Thursday.......and on Friday he invited me over Saturday night because he was going to cook for me. What? A man offered to cook for me?? I continued to remind myself not to get excited. It wasn't going to last. I liked him way more than he was ever going to like me and I told myself that over and over. On the drive to Monroeville I kept thinking "Have I lost my mind? This man could be a serial killer for all I know and I'm going to his house." I told my friend, Kerrie, and my brother where I was. I was hoping that one of them would notice my absence if I went missing. We spent forever talking that night and it was easy. We didn't run out of things to talk about. I could have spent all night at that table running my mouth.

Date after date, I just remember thinking he was going to bolt and run at any minute because he was to good to be true. When I started to realize I was in love with him, I was scared out of my mind. I was entering dangerous territory because I was at risk of really being hurt at this point. All of my friends said they knew I was in love when I told them I went fishing with him.....ha!

He will never let me live down the day he brought up the subject of marriage. I told him it didn't make me sick or hyperventilate. Okay, I know that was probably not the emotional response he was looking for, but that had happened before when an ex-boyfriend brought up the subject. In my defense, I had no idea he was going to ask me to marry him. It took him 8 dates to kiss me. I certainly didn't expect him to propose in 3 months. (I hope he doesn't kill me for saying that!) I was figuring on 3 years for a proposal...ha!

Yes, that's right. We dated for 3 months and then we were engaged. That seems fast to some people but for us we just knew. I know that there is no one more perfect for me than him. I can't imagine life without him and it's hard for me to remember how things were before him. I have had some definite freak out moments during the whole wedding planning process. My wedding day may not have turned out the way I dreamed of or imagined it my whole life, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Today, I will marry my best friend and the love of my life.

When I decided to type a post for today, I thought I was going to type out words to express my love for Randy. It turns out, there are no words. That is why I told you parts of our story instead. I also want to encourage all the single girls reading this that your day WILL come. I hated sitting back seeing everyone else so happy and in love while I was wondering if it would ever happen for me. It seemed like everyone I knew was already married and on their third child. I know everyone says this, but just relax and enjoy where God has you right now because before you know it, your love will come along and life will never be the same.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to go to...............MINE!!!!!!!! The blog will be down for a little while for obvious reasons ;-) . I will be back with wedding photos and a Thanksgiving update. Keep a check on here for updates and lots of pictures!

Random

My brain has officially become a pile of mush at this point in the game which renders me unable to form any type of coherent sentences that actually go together and mean something. That's really not any different than a usual post from me though is it? Instead I am going to share a list of things going on this week.

1) I am a combination of a bundle of nerves and excitement beyond words. I'm quite sure that I'm pure joy to be around right now.

2) I am going to start training to become an insurance agent the week I get back from my honeymoon. I thought enough wasn't changing in my life so I added one more thing.

3) I unhooked my satellite this morning to take the boxes to Randy's for my service to be transferred there. When the picture disappeared, panic set in. I may have a small attachment to television and I'm already wondering what I will do with my time. Never mind I still have quite a few things to pack up. I'm not going to have my tv y'all! This is serious! I could have taken it over the weekend when I was moving everything else but that would have meant I would miss Real Housewives of Atlanta and we all know that would never work.

4) On my way to work this morning I turned on my Christmas playlist on my ipod. A Hanson Christmas song came on that made me think about in 8th grade when I was obsessed with them, my mom made me a birthday cake with their symbol. I can still see it now. I had a moment of nostalgia. (This random thought proves I have no pride when it comes to what I share on here. While I'm at it, I also was a big fan of the Spice Girls.)

5) There will be a wedding day post on the blog. I won't be linking it up through facebook though like I usually do. You're on your own for this one.

6) I am still looking for someone who would love to have two ferns ride in the car with them to Callaway Gardens.....and then back home. I promise they are very quiet and won't ask to stop at every restroom you pass and they are very cheap eaters. Any takers??

7) I am curious about what type of emotion I will show during the wedding. I usually laugh during the most inappropriate times. Funeral...I'll laugh. Someone falls...I'll laugh. Church service.....I'll laugh. I can't help myself. Something is seriously screwed up in the top floor of my body. Just saying. I also have moments of weeping too. I can say without a doubt I will either be laughing hysterically or sobbing. Randy has requested laughter. But like life, Sunni is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

8) My something old is my pearl necklace my grandmother gave me a couple years ago. My something new is my dress. My something borrowed is a pearl ring from my good friend, Crissy. She and I served together as music directors at Zion Hill and although she is not going to be able to make it to the wedding, I'm really happy I'll have a little piece of her there. LOVE HER! My something blue....wouldn't you like to know? I'll just say that it won't be visible.

9) The night before the wedding I will be staying with some wonderful friends from Zion Hill who are coming to the wedding. Every time I think about all they are doing for me, I just become overwhelmed with emotion. They'll never know what it means to me that they are going to be there for me on the day I need the most support. They are so much more than fellow church members. They are seriously proving that they are my family. Thank you Tammy, Mary, Becky, Annette, Brock and Bryan! You guys are seriously the best friends a person could ask for!

10) My co-workers have seriously been hard timing me about all the wedding stuff. They are taking me to lunch Thursday to give me some "advice." This is going to get interesting. I can't wait to hear what they have to say.

Weekend Recap

We had a long weekend with no work on Friday. It turned out to be a productive weekend though.


Thursday night we had our final party before the wedding. Some friends from Sunday School had us a party. It was so much fun. It was also nice to have the time to get to know some of them a little better. Several of them told me they read my blog. That's kind of scary. On the bright side though, they know what kind of crazy they are dealing with now.


Friday was moving day for me. I have just enough stuff left at home to get me through the week. It was a crazy feeling Friday morning to go get everything and move it. I couldn't help but feel all day like I was totally invading the bachelor pad and taking over poor Randy's space. I told him that he is officially stuck with me because I was NOT moving all that stuff again. Randy acted shocked that my clothes would be organized by color, then by type going from tank tops to turtlenecks. Hello?! Have we met? I think he is learning that the number one thing to know about living with me is that my OCD has no limits.


I really thought the packing and moving would have been much easier and faster since I just moved a year and a half ago. I am convinced that someone else has been living in my house because I found things I don't even recall how I acquired. I had two sets of false eyelashes and the glue. To the person who left those at my house, they are now in the trash. I have never worn false eyelashes because 1) my eyelashes are already so long I have problems with mascara smearing as it is and 2) I'm pretty sure I'd glue my eye shut if I attempted to wear them. I also had an abundance of two other hilarious items that I won't talk about on here because I just learned that people at my new church read this blog and I don't want to make a worse impression than I already have.


On a side note: If you drive by Randy's house, we have not become raging alcoholics. It just so happened that the only place in Brewton with boxes I could use for moving was the liquor store. I don't make any promises about one or both of us becoming an alcoholic though AFTER we are married.


Saturday we went furniture shopping and actually found something we agreed on. Anytime you make a major decision that goes off without a hitch, I count it as a major score. I think Randy is hoping for a couch that will not make me want to go straight to his living room and lay down on and practically die. Every time I go to his house I seriously lay down on the couch and pass out. It's a very romantic relationship we have. After we left the furniture store, we did a little more shopping and finished in time to watch the Alabama game. Roll Tide!


Sunday was a weird day for me. I have gone back and forth about what to share on here but I want this to be a true account of what has gone on during different times in my life so I feel like I have to share the whole, honest thing. I woke up in a good mood and made my way to the bathroom to start getting ready for church. I could not stop thinking about all the changes happening in my life right now: getting married, changing positions at work, moving to a different town, different church.....you get the point. It made me wonder why they only offer lamaze to pregnant women because I was seriously in some need for a deep breathing technique. Several people in our Sunday School class had special prayer for us and they have no idea how much I appreciated that. I really needed to hear that people were praying for us and encouraging us. I haven't said much on here about it, but my family has not been involved with the wedding planning at all and I will take all the support I can get elsewhere. By the time we made it to the worship service, I thought I was going to have to put my head between my knees or something. I was seriously feeling a full blown panic attack coming on. I had all these thoughts rushing through my head. "What if he regrets marrying me? What if I drive him nuts because I'm sure I'm not an easy person to live with? What if he really does negotiate a deal with my brother for me to live with him during the week because he can only stand me for the weekends? What if? What if? What if?" Y'all. I was on full meltdown mode. No joke. I'll tell you how serious it was. I didn't eat lunch. Someone should have checked my pulse. Every insecurity I have surfaced yesterday. I doubt there is anyone else on this earth with more insecurities than I have and I made a mental list of them yesterday. It wasn't pretty. I headed home after church and on the way, God gave me a serious dose of reality. He reminded me of that verse in my window. He knows the plans He has for me. He certainly wouldn't have brought us together and then walk away. God has seriously blessed me with my other half. This week as I face every emotion in the book, I will remember Jeremiah 29:11. I will remember that God knows the plans He has for us and I will trust Him to lead us, protect us and bless us.


5 days!!! 5! It's almost here!

Weekend Update

This past weekend was such a fun, laid back one.

I had a day out with Tabitha on Saturday. She is the closest thing to a sister I've ever had and it was so much fun to spend one last day as single girls together. She is also engaged, so it won't be long for her now either!

We picked up my dress from David's where it was being steamed. I was so excited to have it back in my possession again.

We went shopping and she put in to eat at Red Robin. I asked her why since she doesn't even eat hamburgers and she said she wanted to go for the freckled lemonade. Of course! What a dumb question I asked! We did a little more shopping and then I took her downtown Pensacola to the Art Museum for a college art class project she was working on. Sunni+one way streets+art festival with 100s of people darting across the road=a recipe for disaster. Luckily, we escaped and no artsy fartsy people were harmed during our trip.

I arrived back in Monroeville in time to watch the big Alabama/LSU game with some friends. To take a line from Forrest Gump: That's all I've got to say about that.

Sunday morning we went to church and went for our usual walk behind the college after lunch. This week I am happy to report that thanks to walking with Dana during the week, I didn't feel like I would pass out or die. I was actually able to keep up with Randy instead of being 25 feet behind him. Yay me!

Sunday night we went to see Courageous and it was just as good the second time. I wish there were more movies like this!

It was a great weekend and now the countdown is ON! We are 10 days from the wedding and I'm so stinking excited that I'm even getting on my own nerves...ha!

Last Weekend Update

I am a week behind in posting this. That is because of 35% laziness and 65% I didn't have the pics from Randy's camera.

Last weekend some sweet ladies from First Baptist threw us a Mexican Fiesta. Here are some pics from the weekend.


I love him so much! I can't say it enough! I'm so excited to be marrying him!
If I had to pick a highlight of the night, it would be looking over and seeing Matt in this getup. His gear had me convinced it was going to start snowing any moment. HA!



These were the lovely hostesses. They were so sweet to throw the party for us!


We had a great time with everyone and I will be back with an update from this weekend tomorrow!