E-mail from Chicago

This morning I received the sweetest e-mail from a girl in Chicago named Missy. She and I have e-mailed back and forth a little bit since then and she has given me permission to talk about the first e-mail she sent me. The original reason for starting a blog back in 2007 was to simply document life. I love being able to look back at old posts from college or from when I was living in New York. But since then, my blog has also evolved into a medium where friends and family can keep up with my crazy life down here in Corpus. I love that I know my aunts in Beeville read my blog (Shout out to Kathy, Mary, and Yvonne!!) and that when a new entry is posted, they are on their phones to each other making sure everyone is in the loop. I know this is ultimately a silly blog where I just write random words, but when people like my aunts or Missy let me know that something I write has affected them, this blog becomes more.

Take a look at the letter Missy wrote to me:

Hi Sara,
My name is Missy and I randomly stumbled upon your blog by doing a google search for "sweet little details" while online looking at my 10 wedding blogs I view daily. I loved your blog because I like you am planning a wedding for the summer 7/1 and am balancing working, planning a wedding (which is like having a 2nd job), being a Mom to my little dog, and merging my life with my fiancé Brian's too. My favorite post was the one you wrote about money and I love the bible quote about it, I had never heard that before. Thank you for sharing your ups and downs because I am going through similar situations and it makes it easier to know other women are feeling the wedding planning ups and downs too. Good luck to you and your fiancé on wedding planning and merging lives, enjoy each moment.
All the best,
Missy in Chicago

How cool is this?? Two girls about the same age in two completely different parts of the country working full-time jobs, planning their weddings (I agree with Missy, this is practically a 2nd job!), and in love with their cute little puppies. I love that I was able to connect with Missy and that, like her, I too found comfort in knowing that someone else is going through all of the craziness that is wedding planning.

So here's a shout out to Missy in Chicago. Your engagement pictures are gorgeous and you're going to make a beautiful bride! Don't stress out too much and just enjoy the ride. I know all of our hard work and to-do lists will be worth it after we are married to our awesome husbands and can just relax for the rest of the summer. Let Coco know that if y'all are ever in Texas, Brooklyn would love to meet her. And thanks for the e-mail. :)

The Ultimate To-Do List!

{Luke and I dancing at his cousin's wedding in August 2009. Can't wait to dance at our own wedding!}

Wedding planning progress is blissful! Planning a wedding is sort of like having the most LEGIT to-do list and the day you get married is the day your to-do list is complete. Oh, how I am anticipating that day!! But until then, I am loving the high I get from marking items off my monstrous list!

Want to hear a crazy story? This week, my caterer canceled. Yup, the person we had chosen to cook food for our many guests canceled. She had a pretty solid reason for having to do so, but still, can you imagine the panic I felt?!?! The good news is that just a couple of short days later we had selected and given a deposit to a new caterer. Praise the Lord!! Werner's Catering will be providing appetizers for the cocktail hour and dinner for the evening. Y'all better get ready to eat some amazing food and to be stuffed afterward!

We have also selected a florist for the wedding. (About time, I know, I know...) I'm so excited to finally have this item marked off the list! Darla and her team with A Perfect Petal will be creating the beautiful arrangements and I know they are going to make the Ranch just beautiful.

Other items on the to-do lost: book wedding make-up consultation, order invitations, attend first wedding shower in two weeks(yay!!), and look into the marriage license requirements for San Patricio county. Since we're getting married in Mathis technically, I've got figure out where to order our marriage license at, ha!

Gotta keep checking of items on the biggest to-do list of my life. I'm loving it!!

The first 7 pictures on my new iPhone!

{Luke and his main squeeze, Brook}

{Grumpy Luke}

{Monte after a bath and new (fake) Burberry collar was bought for him by my mom. He is living with her right now and couldn't be more spoiled!}

{My new gym just opened downtown yesterday and I'm so excited! This is my little swipey-key thing}

{Cute Aubrey at work. If you need a party planner, she's your girl!}

{This is Brooklyn's "Mommy, please throw my squeaker so I can fetch it for you" face. It's to die for, really}

{I LOVE when I get these in the mail!}

Well, these are the first 7 pictures from the new iPhone. I guess I'm obsessed with Luke and Brooklyn since 4 of the 7 pictures are of them. But does this surprise anyone? :)

Hope you all are having a fabulous Hump Day and Texas Independence Day!!

Money

I've been thinking a lot about money lately. Not in a "I wish I had more" kind of way, but just in an analytical way. Money plays many different roles if my life. Sometimes I like the role it plays, sometimes I don't.

Working for a news station in sales and marketing means I hear a lot about money. It takes quite a bit of money to run such a place. Individually, I have monthly, quarterly, and yearly budgets set for me. The pressure of meeting budgets individually and as a team can be daunting at times. Although I know that the sun rises and falls according to the Lord's hand, sometimes it feels as though it rises and falls on a budget.

Getting married is expensive, and I don't just mean the cost of the wedding. The cost of two lives becoming one is very intriguing to me. Over the past weekend, Luke and I bought our wedding bands, purchased a new cell phone plan for the two of us, and updated a previously created budget that includes our incomes combined. We are both strong believers in financial management (which I'm grateful for!), but the cost of life is definitely teaching us new lessons we have not learned before.

Although money can be a stresser in life, it does seem do give me temporary joy. I say temporary because I believe that God is the only being that can give us consistent and complete joy. I love shopping for new shoes or work clothes. I'm loving my new iPhone and I'll be thrilled the day I get to pick up mine and Luke's new wedding bands. I can't wait to buy a new bikini for summer 2011 and it looks like I may be buying a new car in the next month or so (yay!!!).

Money plays so many roles. Businesses run on it, husbands and wives do their best to balance it, and it can be used to purchase fun new things. Sometimes money stresses me out and other times it relaxes me (i.e. a cup of Starbucks' Pike Place or a new song on iTunes). Either way, I cling to Matthew 6:24, which says,

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Money may drive me crazy, but I serve the one true Master who has it all under control any way. I love the peace that this gives me. Oh silly money... :)