Omgosh!!!

So the second post down says 67 days to go...and here we are at 18 days! I'm probably starting to sound like a broken record, but I feel like the wedding is hurtling at me like a bullet. And everything about that analogy is yes. Am I stressing out? Maybe. Definitely.

There's really no reason. Everything is coming together very well. We are down to the little, final things that need to be done. There's only 15 more things to do on my theknot.com checklist. I've received RSVP returns from about 70% of the people whom we invited. Bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts are purchased, flowers are decided on, schedules are worked out.

It's just that these last few months would have been incredibly trying even if I wasn't getting married this month. I moved to a new city and started a new job after being at my old job for five and a half years. I love my new job and I've made some new friends here, but I still had to adjust. It's colder in Fort Worth and I've had to deal (not very well) with driving in ice, which is not something me or my truck are good at. I don't know where much is up here and have been traveling basically by GPS. Plus I didn't know anyone when I moved up here besides Philip, which made for some lonely times.

On top of all of that, my grandfather, who I am very close to, as he and my grandmother helped my mom raise me for the first 5 years of my life, was found to have Stage 5 skin cancer. It's a rare kind that can jump from nerve to nerve, so it's hard to find. Fortunately they found it before it made it's way into his optical nerve--it was very close--so they think they were able to remove all of it. This required removing all of his upper lip and some of the skin around his eye, so he had to have reconstructive plastic surgery. There were some problems after the surgery--he suddenly started swelling and needed an emergency surgery for that, then he had to have another surgery to try to find why he wouldn't stop bleeding--so he has been in the hospital longer than anyone, especially he, wanted--but he was able to go home yesterday. Hopefully he can start really healing now. All of my life the number one thing I ever wanted was for my grandparents to be able to attend my wedding and to meet my future husband so that he could understand how important they are in my life. Now that Philip knows them and has a relationship with them, I'm very happy, but for a while there I wasn't sure that the first part was going to come true, and so close to the big day. I'm hoping Gran'dad feels better in time for the wedding to be able to enjoy it.

I know the wedding is going to work out. Everyone says it will. I'm really looking forward to eating my cake, and of course I'm so excited to marry my wonderful fiance. That's the important part. I just have to keep reminding myself that this event is about God, not about what kind of flowers are on the tables or what kind of favors I give out. And I am very blessed to be able to share this big day with my family and my friends. I am excited, but I am trying to enjoy the 18 days laying between now and then rather than wishing them away. After all, my birthday is this upcoming Sunday, my bachelorette party is next weekend, and then there's lots of stuff to do the Thursday and Friday before the wedding...not to mention my deadlines at work!

Hopefully after we get back from the honeymoon I can get back to regularly riding Rosa again. She and Chica have been kind of neglected lately, and I really miss them.  I am eternally grateful for full  care board, but I hope to again one day have them at my house with me. In the meanwhile, I just need to set some goals for us, especially since I'll suddenly have one less huge project to work on after March 28th!

One day I'll upload pics again. These posts are too wordy without them. Maybe my next post will be just pictures. Wouldn't that be nice?