Smokey stoves and Crispy ovens

Well... this post isn't so much about the wedding except possibly as a glimpse into the future. On Saturday, I decided that I was going to hurry and prepare a pork roast to put in the crock-pot before heading out to a couples massage with Jason. The part about me hurrying was my first problem....the recipe called for me to heat the roast in hot oil before transferring it into the crock-pot, oh and I also had to trim the fat off of the roast. So I am thinking that pork has about as much fat on it as beef (it doesn't, it has much, much more) so I put oil into the pan and turn the burner up quite high. As I'm busy trimming up the roast I start feeling really hot; I finally turn around and notice that not only has the entire apartment filled with heavy smoke, the little tray under the burner is on fire! :) The fire went out as soon as it was exposed to air, the smoke however, lingered. Thankfully it was a beautiful weekend so I was able to open up the doors and windows, and I am able to say that the smoke (and smell) is out of the apartment. Based on this episode Jason nicknamed me 'Smokey'.

You would think this story is over and I would have to live the rest of my life with that nickname, but not so.... after returning from the massage, Jason and I decided to get Papa Murphy's take-and-bake pizza. He heated up the oven (at his apartment this time) and we waited for it to pre-heat. We weren't really paying attention to the time so the oven was probably pre-heating for about 20 minutes before we both started smelling a horrible burning smell. I got to the oven first and opened it to find the biscuits Jason had made (and left in the oven) earlier that day still in the pan burnt to a crisp and probably just a few minutes away from igniting. So his nickname is now 'crisp' and he's a little upset that his moment of glory for embarrassing me lasted all of 3 hours.

Needless to say, I am banned from cooking on the stove for awhile, and the oven is off limits to him! Thankfully we were able to laugh about the whole thing, and more importantly we didn't destroy an apartment! :) Cooking classes here we come!

Oh, and on a wedding note... our invitations are back from the printer!!! I haven't seen them yet, but I'm excited to pick them up! :)

Megan

less than 4 months and counting

megan sent me an e-mail at work on thursday that said "4 months!!!" that sounds so close, and my heart skipped a beat, but it can't get here soon enough. i'm so excited to see what the next few months has in store for us.

after trying on my ring a few times i realized i knew nothing about rings when we bought it, and it probably wasn't a good thing that it took me 5 minutes and a lot of pain to get it off. that might be the way megan wanted it to be, but we took it back to shane co. to get it stretched out a little. a ring looks so weird on my finger, but i'm looking forward to getting used to it. in addition to taking the ring in to be re-sized, we also went to 2 stores to look at tuxes. we've pretty much picked it out. now it's just a matter of getting measured and coaxing justin and eric into getting fitted for theirs. mine will look the same, just with a white vest and a white tie. i'm hoping that the weather is going to make wearing a tux tolerable for about 45 minutes. maybe we're crazy.

megan and i have been attending a baptist church in the area that we really like. we're in a "nearly/newly wed" class that is a good fit for us. it's taught by a christian counselor and his wife, and will serve as a great starting point for building a strong foundation for our marriage. it's good for both of us to be attending church on a regular basis again, and building relationships with others who are in the same boat as us.

Snow Days and Rings

So we had a snowday yesterday... I think this one was warranted as we did get ice and snow! (Granted, being from Iowa, no snow day here would ever be considered up there, but I will take my 1/2 inch of snow- snowdays!!) Being that we didn't have school, I decided it would be a great day to get some errands done and Jason was a great sport about me dragging him around!

After registering at yet another store we decided to go look at wedding bands for Jason. I hadn't intended on buying a ring yesterday, but he found one he liked and the saleslady mentioned that this exact ring may not be there for too much longer so I went on ahead and bought it. I think it's a very good choice, white gold with a little detailing and Jason has asked if he can keep it until the wedding and wear it around from time to time so he can get used to how it feels on his finger. :)

Let the Planning Begin!

So my mom was in town this weekend for planning and let me just say I think almost EVERYTHING was accomplished!! We first finalized the bridesmaid dress selection and then it was off to Cedarwood for cake tasting and planning.

The cake was excellent, and we decided on a variety of flavors (to keep some surprises I'm not including specifics!!) :) We chose everything from napkins to tablecloths, invitations to flowers, decorations and music, and even fantastic ideas for the tuxes... we got it all planned out!!

Our menu for the night is absolutely spectacular- this I will fill you in on!!! We are starting out with a cheese board and crackers and a signature drink, yet to be determined, for the cocktail hour. We will then be eating mixed baby lettuces, romaine and herb salad with accruements, chef-carved baron of beef with au jus, loaded new potatoes, grilled garden veggies with balsamic drizzle and freshly baked rolls.

We have been busy this weekend working on guest list addresses (so you'll see those save-the-dates here soon) and remaining odds and ends planning, but it is so wonderful to have this much of it planned out!!!

Anyways, we'll continue to keep you posted as more details emerge!!! :)
-Megan

Hotel & Save-the-Dates!

hey y'all! (that's right, jason's writing this!)

megan's been hard at work getting things set up. she's blocking off some rooms at the hotel preston, so by the time you read this, you should be able to reserve your room. it looks like a really nice hotel, and very convenient for those flying in. there aren't any hotels near the wedding site, and this one puts you in proximity to orpyland (grand ole opry, opry mills, and a host of other touristy things).

we also went out and shot some photos for our save the dates. it was a gorgeous day today, and we really enjoyed it. you should be getting those in the mail by mid-february. we also drove around a park where we're hoping to have our rehearsal dinner bar-b-que to scout out which shelter we liked best. the one we're hoping to get is close to a playground and a creek, and the restrooms aren't too far either.

other than that, not much is going on. i made another huge connection to the music biz, so i'm excited to see where all this will go. i'm not the best at networking, but hopefully i can figure it out and give this music thing a chance.

we'll keep you updated, hope you had a great weekend!
jason