August you're too much

The end of August marks a lot for us. We have Brody's birthday party, then his actual birth date, my bachlorette party and then our wedding! It seems like a lot crammed into three weeks. It's overwhelming. What were we thinking planning all this stuff together?! I go between being excited and   having a breakdown. The breakdown part because I can't believe Brody is going to be a year old. I'm not ready for that. But this wedding...I have been waiting for this for a LONG time and I can't wait. I am pretty sure everyone is panicking but me. The big stuff is taken care of, it's just those little details. And I have adopted the mantra "at the end of the day I'm marrying my best friend, the rest is frosting". OK, so I actually didn't make that up. I think our minister did, but it's true. All the things that matter are done.

Birthday Time

I can't stop shopping for Brody. I know he won't know the difference but I am so stinking proud of my little man. I think I am kind of proud of Jeff and I too. We did it! We brought this perfect little nugget into the world and a year later he is walking everywhere, smiling everywhere he goes and amazing us with how smart he is. I also know that all of the planning I'm doing (invites, decorations, food, cake) doesn't really mean a whole to him either, but for me it's everything. Birthdays have always been a huge deal in my family. Every single one of them includes all the family, lots of food and fun. I'm always surrounded by love and that's the tradition I want to carry on for my son. So he might not know the difference, but when he's older and looks back at pictures of his first birthday he'll know he was surrounded by friends and family and love!

Bachlorette Party!

I am silly excited for my party! EEK. I get to dress up in a gaudy dress, surrounded by my favorite people and let loose! And trust me, after celebrating a very successful first year of mommy-hood, there's nothing I want more than to have fun. It's not even about my "last hurrah" as an unmarried woman, because to me, I have been married. Not on paper, but my heart has been Jeff's. And a ceremony won't change that. It's just getting to go out with my girlfriends, and not having to come home to baby and daddy! I get to be young, wild and free for a night, but then I still get to go home to my family the next day and snuggle. It's like the perfect weekend.

Wedding Day

And all of this celebrating is leading up to our wedding! The best celebration of all. My heart races just thinking about it. I am so happy with how everything has been coming together. I love how ideas of transformed, starting out as one thing, evolving to fit what we can manage and turning into what I think will be the most beautiful day! We took my dad shopping for his outfit over the weekend and my heart soared seeing him dressed up and looking so handsome. I may have choked up a bit seeing him dressed up in the outfit he'll be wearing has he walks me down the isle. I love my dad! We had Brody try on his outfit too and oh my. He's a little heartbreaker already. What a stud muffin. I am seriously so lucky to have not only my family helping me plan this but Jeff's family too. All the people who love us and who have shaped us into who we are working together to give us a wonderful day. We are blessed.

Although things are hectic and crazy, they are also wonderful and exciting. Life is full. And Jeff and I practicing our first dance in the kitchen...icing on the cake!