handle bar mustache....

So last night we went to a reception for my cousin Krista and her new husband Chris. It was beautiful and the perfect way to celebrate their new marriage. So at this reception I had a moment, we all have moments, little things that open our eyes to something. But this was a moment of the year, maybe of a lifetime. I was at the reception sitting by a fire and I was angry. When I say angry do not let me fool you I was very very very angry with my fiance. I am convinced that he does things just because he knows that it drives me crazy. And last night he did it, he did it big, we are headed to this celebration in Atlanta and he decides he is going to wear a handle bar mustache, no I'm not almost kidding, against my will he starts growing a hideous handle bar mustache, along with the fact that he doesn't bring the right shoes and the wrong coat. Unfortunately, I am a bit of a control freak, perfectionist that has to have these little things right for my sanity. He knows this and I'm convinced he does things just to see me angry. So I'm sitting a the wonderful fire watching my family dance, sing, roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate when I had my moment. No one knows I'm even mad, except Lance of course, and my moment happened when I thought how much my Daddy would have loved this reception. He loved his family so much that he always loved getting them all together and celebrating ANYTHING. Then it hit me that he would never be at any of these again. Ever. That was hard to swallow. Then I realize here I am with the opportunity to enjoy my family, have fun, make memories and I'm made over a HANDLE BAR MUSTACHE. You never know when you'll attend your last family get together or when someone that you love will attend their last one. I decided that I loved Lance, even with the mustache, the wrong shoes, and a Remington jacket, I love him. If Daddy had sat by a fire angry over something so trivial he would have missed out on the wonderful memories each and everyone one of us Tanner's have of him. I realized that in reality I'm probably the only person there that noticed any of the things I was upset about, even that 1 day old mustache. Take every moment you are given with the ones you love and enjoy all the memories you are making. It truly can be gone in an instant. Give your family and friends the gift of letting the small things go and enjoying life. On May 15, 2010 around 7pm I will be Mrs. Lance McKinnon even if he shows up with a handle bar mustache, ugly shoes, and a camoflauge jacket. He will be my husband and I'll be the happiest girl alive. So I challenge everyone to have your moment. Find your family and give them a moment they'll remember forever like Daddy seemed to do for each of us. Be happy. Let it go. Love with abandon. You'll find bliss.

So I'm getting married!

So June 27, 2009 the man that I knew I would spend the rest of my life with asked me could he spend the rest of his life with me! As many of you know I said yes, it took me a few minutes but don't confuse this for hesitation, I was so shocked and excited I literally couldn't speak or walk for almost two minutes! I have never been so overwhelmed ever before in my life, I mean I knew for a while I had found the person I would create my life with, but to hear him say it, to seriously ask me to marry him was overwhelming for lack of a more appropriate term. I thought I would cry or scream or I don't know what I thought I would do but laugh until I cried for the next two hours was definitely not on that list, but that is exactly what happened! I think it seriously weirded his mama out, she kept asking me if I was ok and I was but I could not stop laughing! The whole next week I was in a daze, a giggly 12 yr old girl crush daze! I couldn't imagine that life could get any better and then it hit me, serioulsy like 5 days later and not a minute sooner that it hit me I was having a wedding and I was so incredibly excited! If you know me you will totally understand this, immediately I started making list after list organizing my wedding. I just knew it would be so easy, I have worked as or with a wedding planner for the better part of my adult job life. Easy? yeah right! it was crazy, now that I found Lance and was so in love with him for the first time my wedding really wasn't about my wedding anymore, it's more about just making the day that we say our vows special to us. And I didn't have a clue what I wanted, so it only took a very short time to decide I was definitely handing the majority of the planning over to John Glosson asap! So then I had four lists and in one swoop into J & D Designs I was able to cross every one of them off of my list and for a girl who lives to cross things off lists, it was a great day!

Next, "the dress," So July 14, 2009, me, Mama, Brooke, and Lauren went to Atlanta to look for my dress. I went that day knowing that I probably wouldn't find the one I was looking for or better yet the "one I couldn't live without," and that seemed to be the case when at 4:30 pm I had been to all kinds of dress shops and had found nothing! Well I did find things, one that was so so, and that everyone else liked but I myself thought eh it was ok, and then one I loved, I mean absolutely loved and when I looked at the price tag it was $8,000 dollars, and I know that to some people that's cool and totally affordable but that was definitely not an option unless I wanted to serve my guest Ritz crackers, string cheese, and kool-aid at my reception! So I eased back to the dressing room determined not to rip the WAY OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE dress and politely asked the "I don't listen to my clients price range" sales associate to get me out of this dress! So I'm in the dressing room in what would have to be the most unflattering arrangement of undergarmets, seriously walk with me here, a push up bra that holds you in MOST of the way down and has metal ribs that jab really bad when you sit down and give me a break I was worn out and also a pouffy skirt to make the dresses be even more pouffy, and these two garmets don't quite meet in the middle and me with my lack of modesty got to a point where I would just walk out and look and not care who saw me in this ridiculous get up! So anyway...it was 6 pm and I was done, totally over wedding dress shopping and Mama came in with this dress, I looked at it and looked at her and said seriously? you want me to try it on, her reply was seriously get up I just want to see the color against your skin, so I put it on. End of this story, the second I put it on I had found my wedding dress. So that will be in around February.

So let's get to the reason for this blog. #1- Starting tomorrow I'll be a full time student and this will be one way I can relieve my stress and tension. #2- I have 9 bridesmaids and there is tons of information for them and since I'll be in Valdosta 5 days a week all day, this is very easy compared to texting everyone. And #3- I know there has to be someone who cares enough about my wedding to read it and for that I am overjoyed!

So in conclusion I have just made the executive decision that this blog is not going to just be about my wedding but life in general, because I will honestly feel like I will bore myself to sleep if this is just about my wedding. ha. And this blog will not be a blog that is posted daily in hopes that when I do send the linc you might actually read it!