We have flowergirls!

Between the two of us Daren and I have eight, yes that's 8, nephews and not a single niece. Leaving us with an abundance of ring bearers but no flower girls. Lucky for us we each have one little girl in our lives that we are especially close to and love. Daren has Ella, the 7 year old spitfire who already possesses a natural grace and elegance and who likes me better than his ex girlfriend ( when Ella told me "I like you better" on the first day I met her she instantly endeared herself to me for the rest of her life! Hahaha!). And I have Emma, the 5 years old firecracker with the most magical imagination I have ever been blessed enough to be a part of.

Daren and I went to "Build-a-Bear" and built bride bears for each of the girls. We individualized each one with a sound chip that said "Ella will you be our flower girl" and of course Emma's said Emma.

When Ella got hers she acted like she was in shock. Then in a very nonchalant grown up at 7 years old way, said yes. She then ran upstairs with her bear and turned to her mom with great excitement and said "Can you believe it!!"

When I asked Emma I almost cried. She played the voice recording about 5 times in a row and then I said "Does this make sense? Will you be in my wedding?" She smiled, nodded and then threw herself into my arms for a great big 5 year old bear hug.

I am so excited to have these two girls in my wedding. We are going to have the cutest, feistiest pair of flower girls this town has ever seen!

A dream and a dress

A girl spends a good amount of time as a child pretending. Pretending to be a teacher, pretending know how to write in cursive, pretending she is a bride. Each bought of pretending is filled with the most remarkable details in her mind including what her hair looks like, what she is wearing, how tall she is and who is there with her. Any any given moment of imagination a child pretending can relay to you where they are, who they are, what they like and don't like, and where they plan to go.

As a girl I was one of "those". Not only did I pretend that I could write in cursive while playing teacher but I have been pretending and dreaming about being a bride for as long as I can remember. I have been dreaming about my wedding dress for even longer. And in great detail. That dream has come true. That little girl pretending to be a beautiful bride in the most amazing dress she has ever worn has come true. I have found my wedding dress!

The ladies of my life gathered round at my condo for a "Ladies Lunch". Everyone arrived dressed to the nines and ready to enjoy day of champagne, bubbling over with laughter and supporting that dream of finding the perfect dress.

The dress was found! Believe it or not it was the very first dress I tired on. It was also the only dress that made my best friend who rarely cries cry. When she came around the curtain of the dressing room with tears in her eyes and hugged me that was it. The deal of the dress was sealed in tears between two lifelong friends who have spent many years dreaming and pretending together.

The day was a dream and the dress is a dream come true. I have plenty of pictures but everyone who was there that day is under a strict gag order about the dress...so no peeking. You can see it in April.

Daren and Sarah's First Halloween

Halloween went a little something like this...

"What are you going to be for Halloween Daren?"

"Sarah, what does your Dad dress us as for Halloween?"

"Nothing. I've never seen him dress up."

"That's because he is a good man."

I went as Rocky Balboa and Daren....went as an x-ray tech. :)

Family

Family. We are about to be a family. Just he and I, a little pod that will someday sprout up into a whole family tree. Amazing.

My parents hosted a Family to Family Engagement Brunch at their house on Sunday. It was wonderful. Full of great food- strawberries, honey roasted ham, cream puffs, salads, chocolate eclairs, and my mothers trademark chocolate fountain and sugar cookies shaped in a D and an S frosted with our wedding colors. There was wine, oh was there ever wine! Coffee and cream, tea, sodas,beer, mimosas...It was a feast. Our first official family feast.

Come April 26th we will be family. I find this truly amazing and moving and so very exciting. And all of these people that came to join us and celebrate with us on Sunday will be our family too. It was such a memorable and powerful moment when this hit me. All of the sudden it really hit me that I am getting married and the true depth of that. His family is my family. My family is his family and Daren and I will go on to have a family of our own. What a wonderful concept.

And...we all got along. What an even more wonderful concept.