76

When I met you, I came looking for friendship, and I walked away with that and so very much more. Not many people are as fortunate as the two of us. To have fallen in love with their best friend. We have something unique, Jeffrey Johns. And I'm not the only one to say so. Yesterday was such a great indication of the support we have in our love and friendship. You make my heart feel full and my feet feel light. Let's dance off into the sunset.


“I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish,weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.”
- Roy Croft

81

I'm a little behind on this blog posting thing. Oops. I have so many more things to talk about from California. I completely fell in love with that state. It was so beautiful. So relaxing. So, not Michigan. And as close to Australia as I can get in the United States (apart from Hawaii.. where I've been too).

Jeff and I are seriously considering a move out there in the next couple years. There is a camp that would be great for him to work at. He discovered it on his own, fell in love, then found out we have connections there through people we know out in Cali. We visited the camp and it is unbelievable. Right in the middle of the red woods. So so so great.

But who knows what God has planned for us. He's also looking into MWR for the military, which would probably take us to Europe or Hawaii (Hopefully Europe) This is all hypothetical.. but those are our two main options for the future right now. Pretty exciting.

Anyway, back to California. We had such an incredible time visiting with Aunt Jill, Uncle Eric, and their two boys, Aidan and Cole. Also got to see cousins Kimber and James! So much fun. I suppose I could post more pictures and go in detail more, but I'm way behind and the thought of it now is overwhelming. So just know that we had a blast, and go watch our engagement video on facebook!

This coming Saturday is my first wedding shower! I'm beyond excited. It's being thrown by two of my best friend's mothers. And I know it will be beautiful. I can't wait to see what they do. And I can't wait to see everyone who will be coming! It should be a great day. I hope the weather is beautiful!!

Ok, that's all for now. I just thought I'd get caught up a little, so I could feel productive.

142

JD and I just returned from an AMAZING week in California. JD had never been to Cali before. And surprisingly I have only ever spent one night in Cali (San Clemente).. despite the countless times I have flown in and out of San Francisco airport or LAX. So it was quite a fun adventure for us. We had a lot of things we wanted to accomplish on our trip.. And I'm happy to say that I think we did them all!

Among the list was:
-Engagement Pics
-Alcatraz
-The City
-Alamo Park (Park from Full House)

And many other things!

I'm going to break up the posts about the trip into segments because if I were to put everything into one it would just be an insanely long post and I don't want to bore anyone that much. Plus, I'm pretty tired from flying home today, so I'll just discuss the 1st couple days.

Our plane rides went smoothly and we had beautiful scenary to look at while flying. JD took this shot on the way to Cali. He had to lean over a sleeping man to get it, but it was so pretty he had to do it.




We arrived in San Jose last Tuesday, March 9th. And we were delighted to have James and Aunt Jill pick us up at the airport. We were so excited to be out there and see everyone. It was also a perfect day to fly in because it was JD's cousin Cole's 10th Birthday!



They took us to Hotel Johnson as we affectionately call it. And we were able to change and relax for about an hour or so before Cole and Aidan came home from school. Here is a picture of the view from their driveway:



Then Aunt Jill took us to her shop that she works out of for her photography. It is a vintage boutique.. and. I. LOVED. IT. Vintage clothing galore. Not to mention shoes and jewelry and love love love.

There was one dress that was adorable. Blue and strapless from the 50's. But alas, I am not a size 0. And I have boobs. So.. it was a no go. And a devastating 5 minutes after that.

Downtown where her shop is, there was also a car dealership where JD had to stop and take a few pictures. Personally, I wouldn't choose yellow for a sportscar if I had to pick. But he was in love with this one:



After that, we went to pick up Cole's Birthday ice cream cake and went home to have dinner. Cole chose shrimp cocktail and chicken pot pie (boy after my own heart) for his birthday dinner. And it was a great night just to relax and spend some time with family.

I think I went to bed around 8pm that night. It was past my bedtime in Michigan! And I woke up around 6am the next morning. After we were up and moving, we went to go get mani/pedis! It was a first for JD... And he liked it. I think I'll be able to convince him to go with me in the future =)

JD mid pedi:



My toes after. Yes, I know I have small, short toes. I can't do anything about it!




Ok, that's enough update for now. I'm so sleepy. I'll try again tomorrow.

G'night all.

178

I just love snow days. It's really nice to get them at age 25. Today was so nice. I crafted for the wedding. Attempted to put the whole guest list onto my computer in an organized fashion. I was able to do some homework and work out. I have no complaints. Well, except that JD was not here to enjoy it with me.

In other news, I'm proud to announce the ownership of two of my recent vintage purchases:



Aren't they pretty? I am getting at least one more. Actually, possibly three more for my final idea. I'm pretty pumped about them.

Today I made and ordered some new converse. I can't wear them yet, because they are for after I become a Mrs. But they are super cute, so I'll show you what they will look like:



I am not sure if I will be wearing them at the reception yet. I know I will be switching my shoes. And I know I wanted these babies. But we'll see what I decide for the day of!

So, this weekend is Valentines Day. I'm not really big on all the hype of this "holiday". But, it is nice to have a day to dedicate to being in love and be obnoxious about it. Friday I will be driving up to Mt. Pleasant to spend the weekend with JD. I'm not sure all that he has planned but I'm quite excited about it!

This is my 4th Valentine's Day celebration with him. It's weird to think it's been that long. The first one in 2007 didn't quite go as planned. There was still some ex related drama in our relationship and that put a little bit of a damper on the day. The second one in 2008 was exciting for me because it was the first Valentine's Day I was able to celebrate with someone I loved who actually loved me back haha. And I was given beautiful earrings that I still wear almost every day. The third one in 2009 was absolutely perfect. The whole night was a surprise and I loved every second of it. We girls act like we don't care about all the details and plans... But we do. And the fact that he put in the effort to plan a whole night for us almost made my heart explode. And each surprise was better than the last.

This year, Valentine's Day 2010 will be the best of all so far. Because now I know I will be cuddling, kissing, and holding hands with the man I will cuddle, kiss, and hold hands with for the rest of my life. It's beyond exciting. It's beyond comforting. Our journey is not a traditional love story by any means and I couldn't be more proud of it. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to fall in love with my best friend. If you have the opportunity to do so, I highly recommend it. He's the Chandler to my Monica, anal tendencies and all.

Needless to say, I'm sure I will have another mushy update for you after Valentine's Day about what we did. I'll try and spare you the lovey dovey details that make you want to role your eyes and/or vomit. But I can't make any guarantees.

Until Next Time.

A presto,

186

So, I have decided to try my hand at scrapbooking. Does anyone scrap book? I bought a book and some supplies. Only enough to do a few pages to see how I feel about it. I'm hoping to make an adorable book of JD and I and all the things we have done together. Then I will bring it to our wedding showers for people to look at and think we are the cutest couple in the world. Which we are. It's a fact. I've seen the statistics. We topped the charts right above Brad Pitt and Jen Aniston circa 2001.

Anyway, I bought some kits for engagement and what not. And also a halloween kit. So once I figure it out and make it look perty, maybe I'll post pics as I go. Yes? Yes.

In other news, today is Tuesday and that means, for another 3 weeks or so, I get to enjoy the company of Piper Marshall before her and her Momma head back to South Carolina. I'm not happy they are leaving me. But, I can't blame them. I'm hoping I get to move somewhere equally as warm and beautiful in the next couple years.

Until then, I get Pipes on Tuesday evenings and I cuddle and kiss her and change her itty bitty diapers. She's just so sweet:



See, I told you. Love that baby girl.

And being a Tuesday, today also marks the 5 week count down to our trip to California. JD and I will be going out to visit his Aunt Jill (My future Aunt Jill, although I already call her Aunt Jill because that's just how the Johns work. Plus I've been around long enough that I forget I'm not already a Johns sometimes) and family. We are so stinkin' excited. I am not complaining about spending a week away from cold Michigan!

Did I mention that Aunt Jill is an amazing photographer? Well, she is. And we will be getting some engagement pics done by her. They are going to be unique and I literally can't wait! Check out how amazing she is here:
Jill Johnson Photography

Really looking forward to spending time with her and her family and having a blast out there.

Ok, now back to my scrap book. I think I shall enjoy this.

A presto,

187

This past weekend went by way too fast. JD came home and I got to spend some quality time with him (my love language for those that were wondering). After an exceptionally long week, that was exactly what I needed!

Friday night:

we went grocery shopping, I cooked, and we cuddled up to enjoy a couple movies we rented. First, we watched:



I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed this movie. I laughed out loud quite a few times. And it truly inspired me to try out for a roller derby team. I'm taking suggestions for my roller derby name. However, I think I'm pretty set on Peanut Butter Slammich. It suits me.

Next we watched:



And I fell asleep. However, I do love me some Gerard Butler. And JD said it was really interesting. I think maybe I'll give it another shot, some day.

Saturday:

We decided to head up to Frankenmuth for the Winterfest. On our way there we stopped in at:



And, Lord have mercy, that store is unbelievable. For anyone that knows me, they know that I adore Christmas and Christmas ornaments. So needless to say I was obsessed with this store. They had wedding ornaments, occupational, baby girl and boy ornaments, and my favourite section, the international ornaments. We left with three beautiful pieces. And we will definitely be making a trip back there later this year to pick up a few more. '

After Frankenmuth, we headed to the movie theater and saw:




So cute. Definitely enjoyed watching it. And it made me even more excited for our honeymoon! I can't wait to explore that beautiful city with my hubby. It will be such an incredible time. I can't imagine a better place to spend part of our first few weeks as husband and wife.

And after the movie, we went to dinner at:



Where I watched JD eat every.single.rib. on his plate. And I had delicious chicken. And we both had great conversation.

THEN, after the good eats, we went bowling for the first time in a very, very long time. And I lost horribly. Even in the game where JD bowled handed. But, I did bowl a 146 in one game and I was quite excited about that.


Needless to say, this weekend was full to the brim of fun activities. Lots of fun, heaps of laughs, a bunch (although not nearly enough) of kisses. When we spend time together, our dates are not usually as packed with activities as this day was. But it was definitely a great day.

Not to be overly mushy, but I can not WAIT until I get to move to Mt. Pleasant for his last year of school and enjoy time with him every day and not just a day or two every few weeks. And I'm so excited for what life brings after he graduates.

Anyway, there is much more to discuss but I am sleepy and need to go to bed. So I will save the rest for a later date.


A presto,

191

I've never been more ready to be married. It's quite challenging being away from JD. There's really only one person that I want to see. and hug. and kiss. and talk with each day. and it kills me when I can't. The phone just doesn't cut it. You would understand if you saw his smile. It's captivating. In fact, most things about him are captivating. But I'll focus on his smile for now. He has those beautiful lines on each side of his mouth. Since the day I met him, I have called them his bookends. And that's because they support his mouth just perfectly so. I miss his bookends.

Ugh. If only I could take pictures all day, hang out with kids whilst using sign language, own a vintage specialty shop, live near the beach, have 2 dogs, 3-5 babies, JD, my very own grand piano, and a beautiful house with a wrap around porch complimented perfectly by me in a porch swing sipping tea and reading each morning. I must find a way to make this happen. Anything's possible, right?

Until then, I'm going to enjoy my 2nd floor living without a yard as much as my overly ambitious heart can handle.

And I'm keeping busy living life. Taking photos. Being crafty. Playing music. Going to school. And always obsessed with everything from days gone by.....

Speaking of which, I'm currently looking for vintage suitcases. Preferably authentic. Preferably 3 in different styles and 3 different sizes that look amazing stacked on each other. I'm planning on searching ebay and etsy. I will also be checking into vintage stores in the area. I have a vision and know what I want, just have to find it. Something along the lines of this:



Minus the pillows. Although, they are adorable.

So, if you know the lowdown on some rad old time suitcases or anything else that is radly vintage, please let me know.



A presto,

202

Being my first post here in this blog, I'll keep it short and sweet.

Have you ever tried to plan a wedding with an Italian mother? Well, I have. And let me tell ya, it has been quite a trip! Here's a glance into just a few of the discussions I have had since the engagement:

First, the idea of a small wedding is laughable as Sicilianos come in herds. Dean Martin should play at least a few times in the evening. The never ending cannolis vs no cannolis debate. Vino? How much Vino? Don't forget to wear green to the rehearsal dinner! Do we do the Tarantella even though half the people will have no clue how? It's not really hard to decide between pasta or some other dish at the reception. The hard part is deciding what TYPE of pasta to have. And remember, when the mood hits-a you eye like a big pizza pie, that really IS amore.

Yes, the insanity is undeniable. But oh, dear friends, one thing that I CAN guarantee is a night to remember.

Until next time, bloggerverse.



Salute e a presto,