46 Days!!!!

The wedding countdown has begun...46 days! Yikes! So many things have happened since my last blog, but unfortunately I'm in a hurry tonight so I really don't have time for details, so I'll keep this relatively brief: I finished my course at Clemson University shortly after posting my last blog and actually vowed never to return to Clemson after that. The last night I was there, someone with access to my dorm room (ie: housing staff or janitorial staff) helped themselves into my dorm room and stole my laptop...yup, my graduation present from my parents and my first good computer in years...stolen. So, that put a lovely damper on my summer needless to say. I found a lawyer to try to press charges against the university, but to no avail. It turns out that in the state of SC you can't sue the government which includes state universities. As my lawyer explained it to me, bottom line at any major university all custodial staff who have keys to dorm rooms can at any time walk off with all of your stuff and there's not a *** thing you can do about it until you actually see them do it. Go figure...life is so unfair.

Unfortunately since it was my personal laptop, it had tons of wedding stuff on it from all the addresses to the programs, etc. So I spent the rest of the summer rebuilding all that I had already done..major bummer let me tell you.

Right now, however, school is in full swing and wedding plans are in full swing. We're at the point now where the details that we thought were good are starting to snag a little. For example, my sister Beth is my matron of honor and just found out she's 6 weeks pregnant! Great news...except her bridesmaid dress no longer fits...ah!!! We did manage to reorder a different dress, so that worked out...it only took about 3 glasses of wine for me to finally relax about the whole thing...and we're all still praying the new dress will be here on time!!!

Also, we hit some snags with the shoes. The girls (there are nine girls btw) all have a different dress and different shoes but they're all in champagne. Well, go figure the shoes have all been dyed different versions of champagne....oh for crying out loud!!!

So, we managed to sort of put that fire out....and decided that maybe the shoes won't be that noticeable after all.

In good news, I got my bridal portraits shot last weekend and had a blast! I felt like a celebrity with my hair and makeup done! So not everything about the wedding is stressful. :)

Hope all is well with everyone else.

It's summer!

Yeah, it's summer! My first semester at White Knoll wrapped up on June 6th, and I have really been enjoying wasting away the afternoons at the pool at PJ's apartment. I have been keeping busy the last two weeks taking yet more classes at Clemson University. Right now, I'm actually in class (pretending to pay attention of course) and getting so excited about coming home tomorrow. PJ and I are leaving Saturday morning to spend a week in VA Beach, Va with the entire Hackett family! I'm really excited, too. I havent' taken a vacation like this in years! As soon as we get back after the 4th, the month stays pretty busy with Landon Simmons' 1 year birthday party and my bridal showers! Plus, my brother Tim and his wife Melanie are expecting a baby girl, Abigail Elizabeth on September 26th, so my sisters and I are putting a baby shower together for her at the end of July. So I guess the summer is pretty laid back but full of traveling and showering!

The closer it gets to the wedding ithe more excited I get...and the more anxiety dreams I have. Everybody told me that the planning was going to be frustrating, etc. but I have to admit I've loved it! All of our vendors are booked, the invitations are in and my dress should be here anyday, and the girls' dresses are ordered so I feel like we're in terrific shape. We've basically transformed the guest room at my parents' house into the official Wedding Room. So, we're at 4 months and counting, so I guess time will tell if I start stressing out or not.

So, things are great on this front. I'll keep you posted.

Our Engagement Party and Baby Joseph Hackett

Brandi and Jason Hackett welcomed their little baby boy Joseph Owen on February 26th! Here are a few pictues of PJ and I with baby Joe.

On April 5th, my parents with the help of Arien and Chad Simmons threw me and PJ an incredible engagement party on April 5th. It was a significant date as it was his parents' 33rd wedding anniversary! It was so terrific for members of our very large wedding party :) (my fault ofcourse) to meet eachother. Arien's little 9 month old son Landon is my ringbearer too and he along with my friend Amy's little three year old daughter Ryne (my flower girl) ofcourse stole the show! :) Here are a few pictures from the night.

We're engaged!!

For those of you who may not know yet, we got engaged on February 21st. PJ and I went out for dinner at Olive Garden, and as we came back to his apartment, he told me that he had made me something! He said he felt bad that he hadn't done alot for Valentine's Day, so I figured it would be something silly like a huge cardboard valentine or something :) Anyway, when we got back to his apt. he had two dozen red rose bouquets on the coffee table waiting for me and a scrapbook (yes, I said scrapbook! Talk about knowing the way to my heart!) the scrapbook was full of pictures of him and me since we began dating in October 2006. On the last page of the scrapbook, he had written the "Top Ten Things I Love About You" and had me read each of them out loud. When I got to the #10, it said "because I hope you'll say yes!" and I turned around and he was on one knee!!! So adorable! My ring is so pretty too! I'll post a pic of the ring and one of our engagement pictures. We're getting married on October 25th here in Lexington, SC at a restored Victorian house called The Magnolia House of Lexington. We're sending Save the Date magnets to remind everyone, and I hope to see everyone there!

Happy New Year! PJ and I drove to Charleston, SC on New Year's Eve to celebrate with our friends Joel and Nicki. We had such a fun time, and I was even able to see the beach on New Year's Day...even though it was cold and extremely windy! I'm excited about 2008. Baby Joseph will be born in late February, and we're both getting excited for Brandi and Jason. We've also started to look at rings which is incredibly exciting. I waited a long time for the right guy, and it actually felt so surreal to be looking and trying on engagement rings!! Things are exciting; that's for sure. I'll keep y'all posted!