The Final Stretch of the Engagement

This last month has been a whirlwind.

Truthfully, the whole engagement has seemed incredibly fast, but this month especially.  The fall has been going so quickly, as I have settled in at a new internship that keeps me very busy, changed around my work schedule, and, of course, been tying up all the loose ends of wedding planning.  So I apologize for my lack of blogging for anyone who is reading out there.  I know there are at least a couple of you.

Throughout the engagement, people have asked me if I've been stressed, and the answer has always been no.  Not even a little.  I have adored the process of wedding planning and I have had an equal partner throughout the journey to carry half of the weight as well as countless family members pitching in.  However, these last few weeks have truly begun to be stressful, because Chuck and I both have so little time in a day between all of our school/work commitments and the pressure is on to get things completed within 16 days or fewer.  (Even as I type that number, it doesn't feel real, because I have so many obligations here in Michigan for work and school between now and then.) Yikes!

This week alone has yielded two emotional breakdowns, which is two more than I've had in this 11-month-long wedding planning process so far.  Both were handled so gracefully by my husband-to-be, who wisely steps in to help resolve the situation without trying to take over, knowing that forcing me to give up total control will only end in more stress on my part. (I'm generally laidback, but when I'm in the midst of something, I have to finish it the way I intended to and passing the torch is anxiety-inducing.  Thanks to my mom for those control freak genes.)  As we travel closer and closer to the alter, I am constantly reaffirmed in this decision to marry Chuck.

I have to remind myself that even if the seating charts are all messed up and the music isn't perfect (the sources of this weeks meltdowns), we will be spending a day in communion with the people we love the most.  People will be fed, loved on, and appreciated so deeply.  And nothing else matters.  After all this preparation, in two weeks, 200+ of you crazy people will gather and celebrate this sweet love we have found. Wow!

How blessed we are.

On becoming a WOD...

Anyone who's a fan of the sitcom "Scrubs," may already know what WOD stands for. For  those who don't know, WOD is what the character, Carla, calls herself when her husband is diagnosed with diabetes, and it is short for "Wife of Diabetic." In less than two months, I will be taking on that title.  It's a big title to bear.  A lot comes with the territory.

As a WOD there are many experiences I will have that wives of non-diabetic partners (or D-Spouses) will not.  Non-D-spouses will never understand the fear of knowing your partner's life is dependent on the proper functioning of a pocket-sized plastic electronic device, which has been known to glitch out.  They will never experience the red hot anger of being told that they cannot get more insulin for 3 days, pending insurance approval, when their husband is all out, with a high BSL.  They won't take offense when they hear the word "diabetic" being used as an insult for someone who is overweight, or eating a dessert or fast food.  And they will probably not worry too much about the chances of their childrens' pancreases malfunctioning.  They won't wonder if their kids will be old enough to manage their sugars on their own when it does, or if diabetes will strike them when they're tiny, vulnerable babies.

In the 2.5 years that Chuck and I have spent developing our relationship, I've learned so much about him and about diabetes.  I've learned that I worry a heck of a lot more about Chuck's diabetes than he does.  (I come from Clark blood, I'm a natural-born worrier.) I've learned that he knows what he's doing. And, I've learned that I have no control over the inner functionings (or malfunctionings) of his body.  He's been type 1 diabetic for more than half of his young life.  He's got it down. But as his wife-to-be I want nothing more than to take care of him for the rest of my life.  In this area, I have to surrender control.  This has been the toughest lesson for me. 

There are many questions that I still don't know the answers to.  And there are many answers I don't want to know. Because, in reality, they don't matter.  I love Chuck. Every bit of him, and every bit of baggage that comes with him.  And we will continue to cross each bridge we come across, together.  Even the scary, rickety, uncertain bridges.       

Five Tips for Wedding Planning That are Actually Helpful

When you first get engaged, people will shower you with (often unsolicited/unwanted/unhelpful) advice.  But, as a new bride-to-be you will also be hungry for tips and helpful hints for wedding planning that will make the process easier. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but Chuck and I like to think we're pretty good at this whole wedding planning thing. (We will see come wedding day if it all falls apart!)

So, whether you're newly engaged or single and hope to get married someday, Chuck and I want to share with you a few things we've learned about wedding planning so far.  This is my own piece of unsolicited, maybe unwanted, but hopefully helpful advice for you.

1. Do not have expectations of perfection.  You are setting yourself up for disappointment and unwanted stress.  Magazines, websites, tv shows, etc. will advertise "How to Have Your Dream Celebrity-Style Wedding."  It's not going to happen... it's just not.  As long as you are married to your favorite person on earth at the end of the day, you've had the perfect wedding.  Be flexible about everything else. And, if your spouse-to-be isn't your favorite person on earth, reconsider getting married at all! You're stuck with them for the rest of forever.

Sidenote: people might tell you horror stories about all the horrible things that went wrong at their own wedding or a wedding they read about once on the internet.  Just ignore them.  They're jealous meanies who want to steal your joy. The crazy things they tell you probably won't happen on your day anyway.

2. Some details are more important than others, whether you like it or not.  It is important to incorporate aspects of your religion, personalities, family members, and other personal touches that are meaningful to you.  It is generally not important what your favors are, what jewelry your wear, centerpieces look like, your cake flavor, or even what you serve for dinner.  Every single person I've asked cannot recall more than one of those details from weddings they have attended in the past.  DO NOT STRESS OVER THEM!  Yes, you should have those things, but you should not make them a primary concern in your planning.  Put something pretty-ish on the tables, feed the people, and have a great party!

3. Join theknot.com.  It does everything- maps out your to-dos in chronological order for you, allows you to track your guest list and RSVPs, helps you map out your seating chart, create a wedding website, and is full of inspirational pictures and tips.  And it's FREE!

4. BUY STAMPS! Buy all of the stamps.  Ask for stamps for your birthday, Christmas, Halloween, whatever.  You will never have enough. Between sending save-the-dates, invites, RSVP cards, rehearsal invites, and thank you notes to everyone you've ever known, you will need all the stamps you can get.  No one told me this before I started wedding planning!  With the number of stamps we've used in the last few months, I can't believe no one has mentioned it before.

5. Make a document of all of the addresses you need in an address label template on Word.  Every time you need to send one of the above documents, print the addresses on sticky labels and set up an assembly line of sticking on addresses and stamps with your partner.  You don't want to hand write 200 addresses every time.  Trust me.

I'm sure I'll have many more tips after the wedding day, but for now, these five tips have kept me sane.  And I wish someone had told me before I started planning.

Any brides-to-be or newlyweds out there with other helpful hints?  What's keeping you sane during your planning process?  I'd love to hear your tips. Solicited advice.

Life Lately

Hello, readers.  Yes, we are still alive and well, just been too busy for blogging lately.

Since you've heard from me last, my grad school summer term has ended!! I could not be more grateful.  This term was challenging.  I took three classes with very heavy course loads during an abbreviated summer term.  So for the past few weeks, I've been spending every bit of my "free" time on homework. As of yesterday evening, I have turned in all of my remaining assignments. Whew! Drowning in school is not the ideal way to spend a summer. It was a bad idea.  BUT, it's OVER! And I finally get to enjoy a couple of weeks of summer vacation before the fall semester starts.

Can I get a hallelujah?!
Hallelujah!

In the midst of this last week of school, my family was here visiting.  It has been wonderful to have everyone together.  It's a rarity now that my sisters and I are adults who no longer live at home.  We had a great time sitting around the campfire. laughing, and making new memories.

I am truly so blessed by the little community of people I call my family.  Both my own immediate family and the extended family I will soon gain through marriage.  I cannot wait for our wedding and the opportunity for all of the wonderful people in our lives to be together for one big giant love party! It's only 84 days away!

Speaking of which, we have begun to get RSVPs in the mail daily.  It makes checking the mailbox so much more exciting! If you've sent yours, we thank you!

Aside from school, work, and wedding planning, not much is new. I would say that I'll be blogging more during these next couple of weeks off from school, but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep.

Keedy-Ranspach Weight Loss Challenge

Our first two weeks of living together have started with a bang! We are currently 13 days into our own family fitness challenge!!

Two years of seeing each other most frequently only on the weekends, led to treating each weekend night together as a date night, which translated to a lot of dinners out and takeout.  As wonderful as it has been to make each day together special, it also means a little extra around the waistline.  This is on top of me no longer having a built in schedule of dance classes/practices/rehearsals to keep me in shape without much additional effort. With a wedding on the horizon, it's time to get back into shape.

I have to say, I have been impressed by both of us and our dedication to our new lifestyle changes.  Living together has greatly eased the transition into our new healthier life.  For one, I have a live-in accountability partner, workout buddy, and teammate! (And a really good one at that.)  Second, we have more opportunities to cook healthy meals together.  (Ok, Chuck cooks while I watch help.) And as much as I'm not a fan of cooking, I am a BIG fan of spending time together in the kitchen every evening, because it usually leads to dancing.  That time bonding together is one of my favorite parts of each day.  Did I mention that Chuck's a damn good cook? Win win.

So far we are both feeling good and seeing results.  I have found myself looking forward to my daily workouts and especially looking forward to our evening walks together.  I'm excited to see where this new plan takes us and to look smoking hot on our wedding day. ;)

Life is good, friends. Life is good.