Too cold by Kelly

Normally I pack up towards the end of November and head off to Tacoma for most of December. Then we pack up again and head to Florida for a good week. Then we drive home in the cold and I am miserable to have to go back to reality.

This year due to both of our fairly normal work schedules we are only going to Tacoma for two weeks. That's it. No Florida. So I will have to deal with being cold all winter. I don't like that. I could totally plan a trip to Florida at some other time but would then either have to drive down or rent a car. That's too much money.

So I will pretend Washington is tropical. Even though the Wambolds like their house 38 degrees colder than I like mine, I will just wear my coat all day and deal with it. And I will sit in front of the fire and pretend I'm on the beach. It's not like I'm missing out on a tan. I'm way too irish to ever get any color.

We got stand by tickets from his aunt. I dont care if we have to wait around for days. It's an amazingly cheap ticket at xmas time. Or anytime really.

On a side note, I filled up my gas tank for $13 the other day!!!!! Maybe I will use that extra money to invite an extra guest to the wedding. Or maybe I will buy new pants. Kelly

Progress by Andrea

Last night we got our final design for the save-the-date magnets. Everyone loves the design (except a few co-workers who don't really understand my color scheme LOL), and I'm getting anxious to get them printed. My friend Margo is extremely talented, and I can't wait to see how the invitation design turns out! Mom is excited too, and she didn't even have any criticism about the magnet. She actually complimented the design and the business card size, and jumped right into figuring out who should get one...Dad's job is to get all the mailing addresses. Then the conversation turned to the honeymoon, and they went back and forth about which Hawaiian island was the best, which side of the island has the best sunset view, where to find the best tourism and nightlife, and which hotel/resort is the best. Honestly, I tuned out mid-conversation...Dre and I have never been to Hawaii, so I'm sure we'll love it no matter where we stay.

Oh, and on a side note, Mom was on the phone with someone this morning telling them how her "son-in-law" had a 2 1/2 hour commute because of the crazy weather. It made me smile to know that she's already adopted him vs. just calling him her "daughter's fiance." :) Andrea

Surprise by Kelly

I am the best at surprises. I have surprised Jake all around the country. And in other countries too, I guess. Now that we share the same city it's harder to surprise him. We have started just surprising other people. Like over the summer we surprised everyone in Seattle. Well I mean we surprised his family. Every single person in Seattle wasn't surprised because I'm sure I didn't see everyone.

I decided to surprise Jake last week by forcing his brother to fly to Chicago and hang out. I think the surprise went over well. Jake was a happy boy. It was cute. It's such a pain that both of our families have to live so darn far from each other. Hopefully technology speeds up and they invent something that can get me to Seattle faster than on a plane. Teleportation?? Kelly

Shoes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by Kelly

I hate wearing heels. mean I can't wear them. I fall. They hurt. I'm too boyish I guess. So I always used to say I would just wear pink Converse at my wedding. My dress will cover them. Who cares about the shoes???

Then one day I realized I wanted to wear ruby red slippers. As most young girls did, I had quite the Wizard of Oz obsession. There was a phase when I was younger where I would only answer to Dorothy. So I went on a mission to find ruby red slippers. I found something much better. Actually one of my bridesmaids found them. They are the prettiest shoes on earth and I want to wear them right now. Kelly

Bridal Bootcamp by Andrea

So I've decided to officially start my bridal bootcamp. (My friend tried to convince me to wait until after the Holidays, but then I'll be digging myself out of a hole.) Since I don't have the time/money to spend on a gym membership, I'm working out at home with Wii Fit. For those of you who aren't familiar with Nintendo Wii, it is God's gift to...well, everyone. Its the perfect video game system for more serious gamers (like Dre), lightweight gamers who haven't really played much since childhood (like me), and non gamers who don't exactly know how the little box works its magic but they sure do have a great time (like my parents and grandparents).

I thought the Super Nintento PowerPad from the 1990's was the most exercise I'd ever get while playing video games... but then along came Wii Fit. I can do yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. I am sooooo sore! But no pain, no gain. I'm determined to get in shape for the wedding so I look great in my dress (and my swim suit for the honeymoon to Hawaii!). And who knows, maybe Nintendo will pay me to be their Wii Fit spokesmodel...I am giving them tons of shameless plugs right now, and with the economy being a hot wreck, I could always use a few extra bucks. Call me, Nintendo. Seriously. I'm gonna be buff...body by Wii Fit! Andrea

Engagement Pictures by Andrea

We just took our engagement photos last weekend...and after much debate over all the little details (I bugged Dre for at least a week about where we were going for the photo shoot, what he was planning to wear, and whether or not I should try this new hair gloss treatment),we ended up just wearing jeans and taking the pictures in our front yard. I've done several photo shoots with past modeling jobs, but this was by far the most comfortable and definitely the most fun. Sometimes it's best to go with the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Stupid. LOL :) Andrea

Thanksgiving Survey by Kelly

Kelly's answers to a random Thanksgiving suvey:

1. Where did you go for Thanksgiving? Or did you cook? For Thanksgiving we went to my mom's friend's house who I consider to be an aunt. I was sick so I laid on the couch a lot. I cooked some cauliflower that I pretended were potatoes. They were lovely.

2. If you went to your future in-laws, did they do anything that seemed odd? No we were at my family's so everything was totally normal.

3. Any weird food? Yes. I was eating cauliflower instead of potatoes!That's very wrong!

4. Did you find out anything about your future spouse you did not already know on Thanksgiving? I learned not to give him my phone to update ever again because he erased all of the info on it for the 3rd time since I've gotten it. Kelly

Birthday report from Kelly

So I know I have kept everyone in suspense about how the big birthday bash went. It is now almost two weeks later so I guess it's time for me to talk. It probably couldn't have gone better. Ok if I would have gotten a puggle or a yorkie poo I probably would say it went better. But I've already gotten a dog for a birthday present a few years ago so I guess people were thinking outside the box.

I'm not even sure what the phrase outside the box means. I mean I sort of do....but what box? Anyway, so being with Jake on my birthday was amazing. I know it's just one day and it's not all that important but it meant everything to me that finally we got to be together. He already missed two. I've never missed one of his birthdays. That must mean I like him more.

He got me more j'adore which makes me smell nice. He also got me an iphone which is hard to type on which explains my lack of blogs. So blame him. I'm not sure what his excuse for not writing them himsef is. Kelly

Important questions by Kelly

We are now at less than five months until our wedding. And I'm still procrastinating at every chance I get. I need to get bridesmaid dresses. I have to get flowers. But I haven't. I will, though. Eventually.

More importantly though, I need to figure out our honeymoon. I'm pretty sure we're just going to Mexico. But where should we go? I tried to fall asleep the other day at 11 PM and accidentally started looking up honeymoon stuff and ended up going to bed around 4:30 AM.

I have no desire to go to Europe because I feel like I've been there a lot and Jake has been there like 100 times. But it would be cool to go to Paris for like 3 days. And I'd like to live on the Eiffel Tower. I wonder if I can go everywhere. For free of course. This stuff is expensive! Kelly

THE Dress! By Andrea

I FOUND IT!!! It's official...I've found the dress of my dreams. It's everything I want (and nothing that I didn't want)in a wedding gown. I can't be too specific because Dre will read this and it'll spoil the surprise. But oh, it's just beautiful...simple and elegant. Although I did tell Dre that I was going to get one of those giant poofy scary crazy colored dresses. I showed him a couple pictures and he crinkled up his nose as if he'd just gotten a whiff of some funky gym socks and said " Uh...yeah right," and kept playing his video game. He knows I wouldn't pick anything over the top, but it was fun to see that look on his face. LOL... But anyway, I'm just happy to know that I've figured out what I'm going to wear when we tie the knot. His suit will be easy. And chances are, he'll wear it again. Does that make his a better investment?? Nah....the look on his face when he first sees me will be worth every penny. :) Andrea

Separation Anxiety Part 2 by Kelly

I read Andreas blog and couldn't help but laugh. Five days???? In the first two and a half years Jake and I knew each other, we saw each other for a total of four months (meaning if you added up every day we spent together). If we were ever lucky enough to go only two weeks without seeing each other we felt so lucky.

Now I'm in no way saying that you shouldn't miss someone after five days. It's just funny to me the difference in our stories. I got into my relationship knowing I'd never see him. It was four months from the day we met until the next time we saw each other.

Honestly it wasn't even hard. We were both addicted to our phones and never stopped talking. I should say never stopped texting. We probably talked on the phone like twice. I don't like talking on the phone. We tried not to go longer than 3 weeks without seeing each other.

Now things are a little different. Now I don't have a clue how we did those two and a half years. He's gone for a few hours and I miss him.

I have to give Andrea credit where it's due; she is a much stronger woman than me. I could go a month without my fiance now, but there's NO way I could part with my engagement ring!! Kelly

Separation Anxiety by Andrea

So I finally gathered up the courage to get my ring sized properly. I've been stalling for over a month because Kay sends it out to their factory or whatever and I have to wait a week to get it back. I was waiting for a "convenient" time to send it out, but when someone asks you to part with the symbol of your love for a whole week, it's never convenient. My hand feels naked. And everyone keeps asking, "Where's your ring?!?!" and that only reminds me of how naked my hand feels. I do believe I'm suffering from some form of separation anxiety. Is that really normal to be so attached to an inanimate object? Or am I just being materialistic? Anyway, I'm counting down the days til I get it back. And the best part is that it'll fit perfectly and I won't have any worries about it slipping off and falling down the garbage disposal. Yay! :) Andrea

Absence makes the heart grow fonder by Andrea

Last week, I attended a 5 day conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Besides the fact that Utah isn't exactly our country's most interesting state, I was a little hesitant to go because Dre and I had never been apart for more than a day. (Yeah, well what do you expect? We've only be dating 14 months!) There was no big fanfare upon my leaving, but I could tell it was going to be a test for us.

The hotel was GORGEOUS and the view from my suite was breathtaking...but it would have been 10 times better if Dre was there with me, and I was really just looking forward to going home at the end of the week. So every morning, we'd talk on his way to work (and he'd even stay on the phone with me a little longer than he should at the office). And every night we'd talk before going to bed, and long-distance kiss goodnight. He left cute little notes on my Facebook page every day quoting song lyrics that kept me smiling (and sometimes laughing my head off)...but made me even more anxious to go home.

We survived our first(and hopefully one of few) week apart. We both kept busy, and stayed occupied with other stuff. I was at the conference all day, every day or on the plane. He was at work during the day and then made plans every evening to visit family, attend the Black Catholic revival at our home parish, and hang out with his friends. I don't think 5 days was too bad, but any longer would have been inhumane. When I got home, he tried to play it cool and act like it was no big deal that I'd been gone for a week, but you know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder. :) Andrea

Wild Birthdays by Kelly

I am birthday obsessed. Or maybe I should say I'm obsessed with my own birthday. I love it. I feel like I'm a princess and I just want lots of attention and maybe a few presents from the candy section of the dollar store (I also have a candy cigarette obsession but we'll talk about that another day).

Jake has never been home for my birthday. Last year he was in Germany and the year before he was in Texas. I was able to fly out to him the day after but that doesn't count. I don't want to celebrate my birthday any other day.

So this year he's actually going to be home. I'm super excited. We have big wild plans. We are going to do what I'm pretty sure most 27 year olds won't be doing for their bday...we're going to see Bill Cosby.

Maybe I'm not actually turning 27. Maybe I'm turning 77. But I think he is so funny. The Cosby Show is probably Jakes favorite show.

Actually we're technically not doing this for my birthday since it's 3 days after. So I guess you should ignore what I just said about only celebrating it on the day of. I'm sure I can turn it into a month long celebration. Kelly

Bad Parenting by Kelly

I am an idiot. Jake, who wasn't even around when I got Haylie, informed me she isn't 5. She is only 4. That made me happy/feel stupid. I was thinking she was halfway done with her life(I've decided dogs live until 10. But she just got an extra year. How exciting!

Work is slow so I want to wedding plan but can't really think of anything to do. I need to plan our honeymoon. We need to find somewhere Jake hasn't been. I think we're going to go to Mexico but that makes me nervous. It'll be during spring break month. I don't want to see him on Guys Gone Wild. Kelly

Heart Attacks by Kelly

So I have this puppy. She's nowhere near a puppy considering she's 5. We have a nice love hate relationship. I love her. She hates me.

She sure does love Jake though. She growls at me when I go near him. But sometimes we get along marvelously. Usually when I have food or her toys in my hand.

Last night she got hit in the face (accidentally) by one of her toys. Instantly her eye went insane. I figured it was just a poked eye or something like that. If it was still bad in the morning, we'd go to the vet.

She was fine all day until about 6:30 PM. Then both eyes went insane. And I mean red, twitchy, just scary. So I took her to the vet and it was seriously the scariest 30 minutes of my life. I was afraid she would die. Not that anything gave me reason to believe that. But she's never given me any reason to worry before. This was a huuuuuuge deal to me.

So basically all I mean to say that having kids is crazy and I don't know how anyone does it.

I probably should mention she's just sick. She has some sort of infection that has nothing to do with getting hit in the eye. Sometimes I forget to add the major details. Kelly

Andrea and Dre answer the quiz

1. What's surprised you the most about being engaged?
Andrea: The word "fiance" sounds so foreign to me still...and I guess "husband" will take some getting used to also. Anyway, the thing that has really surprised me is the barrage of wedding crap...It's insane!!! I'm getting catalogs, magazines, and coupons for wedding photography packages in the mail, plus a sudden influx of diet solution emails. Even on Facebook and MySpace the internet banner ads have all changed to wedding rings, photography, dresses, registries, laser hair removal and whatnot. This industry is filled with vultures just waiting to attack the minute you change you relationship status to "engaged."
Dre: Nothing surprised me. Everyone else was just surprised that I'm engaged....friends, coworkers, family, EVERYBODY.

2. What worries you about being married?
Andrea: Fear of the unknown. I'm not looking forward to our first big fight... we typically agree on most things and find ways of talking through the things we disagree about. But when we have kids and need to make other tough life decisions, I hope it doesn't cause any drama between us. I guess we won't really know how we'll react until we're in the situation.
Dre: Nothing really...because I don't worry about too much of anything. I figure when the time comes, we'll figure it out, and we'll be alright. Maybe just a few worries about kid stuff, but I figure we'll both come to an agreement we'll be happy with.

3. How is your planning going?
Andrea: Planning is smooth so far, but I think it's because we were just really lucky to have everything laid out for us. For example, the reception was a no brainer because we're having it at the place where we met...duh, that's an easy one. We're not having an official bridal party, so we don't have to worry about pairing people to walk down the aisle or stress about what they're going to wear. And since there's no bridal party, that also means we don't have to plan a rehearsal dinner...there's nothing to rehearse.

The wedding is in the middle of September, so fall colors seemed obvious. We have family and friends to hook us up with flowers, invitation design, photography, etc. So it's smooth sailing.

Now dress shopping might be a bit more complicated now that I can't do bridal runway modeling this year...I couldn't fit into the skinny dresses! (Kelly was right about that unwanted 15 lbs.) I was planning to try on lots of dresses and maybe get one for free. Looks like I have to go shopping like everyone else. LOL
Dre: Going well. I stay away and let the ladies do their thing. They'll let me know what I need to do if I need to do it.

4. What was your last fight about?
Andrea: We don't "fight" per se... just discuss our disagreements. So the last "disagreement discussion" was about his unexplainable dislike for bonfires and Halloween parties. I think he's weird, and he's sticking to his opinions. So the resolution was that we will all go to the Lupe Fiasco concert and maybe out for drinks on Halloween night, and he can stay home and watch CNN while the rest of us go to the Halloween bonfire at our friend's house the day after. I've learned that he doesn't like to compromise on things like this. But he won't hold a grudge if we leave him home alone. Stubborn yet fair.
Dre: I guess it wasn't really a "fight". I just don't like barns and bonfires...I'm cool on that.

5. Is there a married couple you want to (or don't want to) be like?
Andrea: I've always looked up to my parents and their friends in their couples group. They have always been great role models for loving marriages, as well as the importance of having a strong support network of other married friends to keep your relationship uplifted. I know too many people who think marriage is just an extension of dating. For example, many failed Hollywood marriages started out as whirlwind romances with shallow roots, so when they got married, they were expecting real life to play out like the movies they star in. Life isn't a fairytale...even if you experience some fairytale moments.
Dre: I like Andrea's parents, my dad and his wife. I don't want to be like the Bundys.

Jake and Kelly answer a quiz

*
1. What's surprised you the most about being engaged?
Jake: What’s surprised me the most about being engaged is how much happier the future wife is.
Kelly: How quickly I was able to gain 15 (unwanted) lbs.

2. What worries you about being married?
Jake: When will we hit that five million mark in the savings account is what I worry the most about.
Kelly: We'll now I'm worried about being fat. If an engagement can make me gain this much weight God only knows what a marriage will do.

3. How is your planning going?
Jake: Planning is going great, we are taking care of all the stuff asap. That way when it gets closer to the wedding date we can just relax and know we already did it.
Kelly: Ridiculously well. I think its too easy.

4. What was your last fight about?
Jake: Last fight? Don’t even know; it wasn’t a big deal obviously. It’s not that often we "fight," very rare, but "fighting" can also be healthy.

5. Is there a married couple you want to (or don't want) to be like?
Jake: Two married couples would be my mom and dad and mom2 and dad2. They both have been married for like over 126 years.
Kelly: I would like to be like our parents. I would not like to be like the Bobbits.

*Editor's note: Kelly wants you to know that the camera adds 27 lbs.

Shrinking Fingers by Andrea

We stopped by the mall over the weekend to make the first payment on the ring, and I wanted to see about getting it sized to fit my finger just a little tighter (I think my fingers are shrinking. The lady at Kay told us that once they send it out, it'll take 7-10 days to get the ring back. "Oh......it must be new. Not ready to let it go yet, huh?" (I guess she could tell by the look on my face that I didn't want to give it up for 10 days.)

So she pulled out her pliers and a little strip of metal and suggested a temporary alternative to keep the ring from slipping. It looks like some sort of orthodontic torture device I had to wear in high school. But hey, it works, and my ring won't go flying off. Eventually I'll need to build up the strength to send it out for sizing....wish me luck! Andrea

Family by Jake

Hi, I'm Jake, sorry it's taken me so long.

So five days ago my parents Greg and Michelle flew here to Chicago. This was going to be the second time both sets of parents were together. Last year Kelly's mom, dad and brother flew out west to Seattle, and of course the day they flew in, I had to fly out to LA. I was gone for all but one of the days they were in my hood. So Kelly had to oversee the meeting and partying of the parents. My brother and his girlfriend were also there. So everyone but me got to hang out. That's probably why they had such a great time; just kidding they were probably miserable without me. Instantly the dads hit it off and were inseparable the entire time.

So this time around I was involved. They arrived Thursday and went home Monday. Plan was to show them all that Chicago had to offer. I believe we did a pretty good job of doing just that. Although now that I think about it we didn't get a tour of the Arch. So the entire trip was a wash.

We really had an awesome time and I got to hang out with the parents more than just a couple of hours like last time. On Thursday us guys played some golf and the ladies went to check out the church and reception hall. So for the last five days we have been cramming the days full of things to do.

We had a great engagement party/meet the parents party on Saturday night. Lots of friends and family came over and met the Wambolds. My future Mother-in-law got way out of control and had a little too much fun, but we got some rope and got her calmed down.

So I have to tell you how blessed I am on top of having an amazingly beautiful fiancee, I have such great parents, all four of them. It's incredible to watch your father and future father become such amazing friends, while mom and mom laugh about how funny it is that the dads have crushes on each other.

What I want to tell you hundreds of thousands of readers is there is a lot more to getting married than just finding that perfect someone. Family is key! It's not just your wedding, marriage, and life, you're bringing two families together. If you choose to have kids you are creating grandparents, and making new lines on the family tree. To have parents that make such a good team and then meet another great team is unreal. Jake

Hiccups and Chopsticks from Andrea

Monday night while we were power shopping for groceries, I randomly got the hiccups. Dre found this EXTREMELY amusing, and said I sounded like I'd swallowed Alvin and all the Chipmunks. Which made me think, "this is what my hiccups always sound like... what's so funny?" But then I realized that we've only known each other for a little over a year, and this was the first time he's ever heard me hiccup. Come to think of it, I've never heard him hiccup either.

Last month we went out to a Pan-Asian restaurant with my friend, her husband, and my parents. That's when I learned that Dre has thoroughly mastered the art of eating with chopsticks....which was quite impressive to someone like me who always gives up after a few dropped sushi rolls and resorts back to the trusty fork. Yeah, we've ordered Chinese several times in the last year, but that was the first time eating Chinese at a restaurant.

So even though I feel like I've known him my whole life, there are always those hiccups and chopsticks to remind me that we still have so much more to learn about each other. Forever is a long time, so I'm sure we'll discover plenty of new quirks and talents over the years. Andrea

Finger Bling by Andrea

For all those who thought it wasn't official yet....we finally got an engagement ring!!! It's GORGEOUS and it suits me perfectly. Dre picked it out with very little input from me. I was quite impressed!

So today I showed the new finger bling to my coworkers....and everyone flipped out. "Like Chinese gymnasts" Dre says (LOL). So anyway, the story wasn't some overly romanticized Hollywood love scene, and not quite as picturesque as Jakelly's story, but it was still very very sweet. I had some work done on my car, so while we waited for VW to finish up, we went out for breakfast; then walked aimlessly around the mall to kill time. During our aimless meandering, we casually strolled by a couple jewelry stores. We had our fingers measured at one place, then got the phone call from VW that my car was ready. On our way out of the mall, we stopped at Kay to see what sales they had. So we sat down at the counter, and it turns out that Dre had really been doing his homework. I just sat back in my seat while he browsed through diamond bridal sets. He liked several of them, but when he found my ring (just like when he met me) he knew it was the one.

"I like the way it sparkles in the light...and I love the way it looks on your hand." So one thing led to another and the next thing I know, he's slipping the ring on my finger and the sales lady (Josephine Lopez aka J-Lo) is hugging us, bouncing around excited. It was really a great surprise, and I can't stop staring at it....I'm tempted to take it off while I'm typing because I keep getting distracted heehee. So now we are officially official, and no one can argue that. :) Andrea

Golden Wedding by Kelly

Last Sunday was the Golden Wedding mass. It was for couples who have been married for 50 years. This was the 8th year I've worked it. I am always in charge of making sure there is enough toilet paper and getting people's families out of the church before the mass starts.

Obviously two very important jobs. This year was very easy thankfully to a very helpful janitor and due to the fact that everyone besides one person knew that family couldn't be in the church. After politely asking her to use another bathroom she not so politely screamed in my face.

Its ok. I can take it. I get yelled at every once in awhile at work* (*Kelly is a bartender). Usually from some idiot person who decides paying $6 for a beer is insane. I've learned there's nothing people hate more when they're mad is to have me listen to them politely with a smile on my face.

So besides that very mature woman, the day went perfectly. All of the couples renewed their vows. They're all so cute. People were dressed in tuxes and super fancy dresses. Then I served them cookies and probably ate more cookies than all of them combined.

I can't wait until I'm 77 and can be at the Golden Wedding Mass. I hope they let me take a break from working so I can renew my vows. I also can't wait until I'm 127 so I can be at the....platinum wedding? I'm assuming by then we will be living much longer.

Poor Jake. He probably doesn't realize he's stuck with me for a loooooong time. Kelly

Wedding Dress Drama from Kelly

So I'm writing this from the treadmill at the gym. I always write gum when I mean to write gym and then I laugh.

My wedding dress came in last week. Ok it came in like three weeks ago but I finally had time to pick it up last week. it was much prettier than I remembered it being. I actually wore makeup while putting it on so that helped.
But then I tried to zip it up and couldn't! One of my bridesmaids was with me and she couldn't even zip it up!!! So the dress quickly came off and I have taken up residency in the gym.

I used to wait for Jake to get off work and then we'd go together. But I've realized I don't like going at night so I am here during the day now. I always decide I'm going to go home after I work out and clean the house and cook some big meal. Instead I sit on my bed and next thing I know its like 3 hours later and I'm just waking up. Oops. Kelly

Our First Anniversary: Andrea

Our first anniversary was August 9th. I’m not sure how our perception of time got skewed, but this year has gone by so fast…yet so slowly. When we met at our friend’s wedding last August, I had no idea that we’d be where we are today. All I knew was that something told me to hold on to him. That “something” was definitely God. I’m just as sure today as I was when we first started dating that he is the one for me. I feel like I’ve known him for years already, yet I can remember all the little details about the 1st week we met as if it were just yesterday.

Mom and Dad hosted a couples’ luau where we announced our engagement to all their friends. Then just this past week we announced it to his family visiting from California. Obviously everyone wants to know how he proposed. But since there’s no ring and no “official” story, I had to seriously stop and think about when exactly we knew we wanted to be married. When I look back on the past year and all the things we’ve been through together, I realize that he actually proposed 5 days after we met when he asked me to be his girlfriend. We both knew in our hearts that this was it. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t even known each other a week. Time is irrelevant when you’re working on God’s clock.

So for the last year we’ve been getting to know each other better to be ready for marriage…but even as virtual strangers we knew we were meant to be together. Not intelligent logical knowledge… It was soul knowledge. That’s why I brought him home to meet my parents after the first date. Some said we were rushing things, but God’s time is fluid, so we didn’t really care what people thought. We are blessed. Andrea

Andrea: Relationship Status: Engaged

Now that we’ve set the date and announced it to all our family and friends, I decided to change my relationship status on Facebook and MySpace to “engaged.” It’s amazing how people who already knew about the wedding date are just now congratulating us because of my updated status on a social networking site. Some of them are even getting angry with me for not calling/texting them to tell them the good news. Which is hilarious because they already knew about it. Apparently it’s not official until Facebook says so. People are funny. :) Andrea

Kelly: Another Ring

I went to Seattle last week with some dude that I'm going to marry to surprise his mom for her birthday.

While we were there we went to his aunt who is a jeweler to pick out our wedding rings. Now I am not a jewelry person. I have 7 crappy earrings I wear from Claires and a necklace my cousin from Ireland gave me when I was 18. That's pretty much the nicest thing I had. But I think I've found a new love for diamonds. I want big sparkly rings. They're so fun.

When Jake proposed he obviously didn't have a ring because I surprised him in Europe.

He looked around for a fake ring to use for the night but had no luck. This meant I got to pick my own ring as soon as I got home. That was fun too. My ring is gorgeous. Both rings are gorgeous. I'm thinking of pushing up the wedding by 7 months so I can get to wear it sooner.

Jake decided against getting a giant diamond for himself and went with a plain white gold band. I decided against a plain white gold band and got a lot of diamonds.
Kelly

Andrea on Fireproof

Fireproof

Dre and I went to a free screening of the film "Fireproof" on Tuesday. Wow. That’s all I can say….just wow. This movie made me laugh, cry (literally), and inspired me.

Fireproof is a blatantly Christian movie about the reality of marriage; the good, the bad and the ugly. I honestly feel like we got a sneak peak into the future….or got a copy of the teacher’s answer book the day before the big test. I feel so prepared now, and I wonder how many other engaged couples feel the same way after seeing this movie. I’m comforted and encouraged by this movie. No, married life won’t be perfect, but no matter how bad things seem, God’s love can pull you out of the mess.

I don’t want to tell too much about the plot, so all I’ll say for now is JUST GO SEE IT! It hits theaters on September 26.

Oh, and we were the only engaged couple in the audience… so we got free t-shirts that say "I Heart My Marriage" on the front. We’ll definitely be wearing those on the honeymoon. Andrea

Kelly: Wedding Planning is Easy

I feel like I have our entire wedding planned. We did our PreCana, booked the church and reception hall, and hired our photographer. So that's it, right? Everything else are super minor things. Like flowers and colors and bridesmaid dresses....Whoever said wedding planning was stressful was definitely a liar. I'm assuming as time goes by these blogs will be getting more and more frantic as I realize how much we actually have to do.

After talking to my travel agent work friend I've decided I want to go to Fiji for our honeymoon. After talking some more to my travel agent work friend I've realized we can't afford it.

Kelly

Kelly: Flood

Have I mentioned my apartment at all yet? Its a huge mansion in Chicago. We are so rich.

I live in my parents' basement. It's not lame though. It has 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room and kitchen. And the other day it was all under water. I guess the water from that big storm must've heard we had ourselves a nice place so it came to visit. It came through the drains. It wasn't like super gross water, just kind of dirty. But it was at least 6 inches throughout the entire place.

This is like the 4th or 5th time it's flooded so we were prepared. I know to have nothing on the ground. So I didn't lose all that much. Just a few rugs and some ugly boots. Last time it flooded the only thing destroyed was my camera. But it was ok since that meant I got a new camera. I currently hate the camera I have now so maybe I will dump it in a bucket of water and say I found this one in water and its ruined. Then I have to get a new one. I am not sure how this will turn out because once Jake reads this, he will know of my plan. I am probably out of luck.

Hellllllo wedding registry. That's a whole other blog. Kelly

Ow from Kelly

I'm really hoping that whenever Jake and I have kids that they have his skin. Well, he can keep his own skin but I hope they have his complexion. He is German and only tans. But not that gross club guy type tan. Just a real person tan. He sometimes gets a tiny bit red but within a few hours its already turned brown.

I'm Irish and I'm super pale. I have to wear SPF 30. It doesn't even work. I was at an all day outdoor concert yesterday and am so painfully burnt. Even the back of my knees are burnt. How is that possible? I'm pretty sure that's the most painful spot. (Aw poor me. Feel so sorry for me).

Jake's 6'2." I'm 5'3." I'm really hoping they take after his side height-wise too. Although I'm proud to say, since I haven't grown since I was 10, I was the tallest person in fifth grade.

I also won the spelling bee in second grade (but I just now used dictionary.com to see if it was sun burnt or sunburned. It's both).

I am sun burnt and sunburned.

Kelly

Andrea’s copycat blog re: name changing

After reading Kelly’s blog about giving up her last name, I just had to chime in. I’m having some identity issues. Well maybe not my “identity” per se, but I’m longing for a sense of individualism and uniqueness.

My dad’s name is Andrew, so growing up I was always confused with him (on paper anyway). Same address, same last name, and first name was only off by one letter.

Now I’m marrying Andre, which is even more closely related to my name. So once again we’ll have the same last name, same address, and first name only off by one letter. We even have the same nickname… our friends call us “The Dre’s” or “Dre 2.”

I want my own identity! But I’m not really a fan of the hyphenated name. It makes things too complicated, and in my case it would be like straddling the fence between being confused with my dad and being confused with my husband. It’s hard enough being confused with just one at a time. Andréa

Kelly: Changing Names

I was instructed to write a blog about changing last names. I am definitely changing mine. The end.

It's never even occurred to me to keep my own last name. My mom and aunts hyphenated their last names. That's cool too. It's just not for me. I want my man to completely own me and I want to lose my own identity. That's ridiculous. It's not like my name is changing to "my name isn't important only Jake's is." It's just a last name.

I went to this name combining website once to see what kinds of last names it could come up with for the two of us. Because its not bad enough that just one person changes their name, now two can do it and make it even more complicated for the rest of their lives. One of the answers it gave me was Warty. I do not want to be called Kelly Warty ever. So guess I'm going to be a Wambold. Besides, if I did become Kelly Hagerty-Wambold, no one would ever call me that. They'd just call me Kelly Wambold. Then I'd have to correct them. I'm too lazy to waste my breath correcting people about something that I really dont care about. I also just remembered my mom said not to give out my last name. Well, I'm pretty sure if anyone ever wanted to find me, it's not too hard to figure out who my mom is. Then you could figure out my last name. Well maybe not since she's got one of those hyphenated names. Kelly

Kelly: Deal Breakers

The other day my mom asked us what were some deal breakers for us. Like what things could Jake do that would make me dump him. This was not including the obvious things like cheating, beating, things of that nature. I was having a hard time thinking of legit things that could make me break up with him. I found a few.

Those things are:

• Pinching my nose. He did it once and I'm pretty sure after the reaction he got, he will NEVER do it again
• Run at me from real low to the ground (or run up the stairs at me) This is probably the biggest deal breaker. It might sound ridiculous but I am terrified of little things running at me. So if you get low and run, I will scream and cry (literally).
• Tickling me. I dont even need to explain this one. It is a form of torture. For real.

Those are my deal breakers. I'm assuming if he had to write the same blog he'd say "There's nothing she could ever do wrong. She's absolutely perfect in every way." I'm obviously not 14 and wouldn't for real break up with him for any of this but don't tell him. I need to keep him on his toes. Kelly

Dré checks in: Home Sweet Home….the countdown begins

On July 29th we will become homeowners for the very first time. Andrea (Drea) and I have been trying to find a place since January, but it kept falling through for whatever reason. The first place was honestly just too expensive. Guess our eyes were bigger than our paychecks. Nice place though, new construction, granite countertops, two levels, fireplace, garage etc.

The second place never really excited us, but I was ready to move out of my bogus apartment, so we figured any place would be good enough for the time being. So when Drea’s mom’s cousin’s friend said she was trying to unload some property, we thought it sounded cool. (Big mistake.) So we took a look at the place, it didn’t have all the amenities we wanted, but it seemed livable (except for the bubble gum pink wall in the dining room. Drea can’t stand pink.) We made an offer, got a counter offer and accepted it. The realtor was pretty old, and the building was pretty old, but for the most part the condo seemed cool….until we had the inspection done. Drea hired this extra obsessively thorough inspector guy (we call him Home Inspector Gadget), and he found all kinds of stuff wrong. Roaches, mice, and illegal electrical hookups. BOGUS! So we got our money back and started hunting again.

This time we went with a realtor we know. One of Drea’s friend’s from grade school works for Remax, and she set up and account for us on MLS so we could find some stuff in our price range, and tell her which ones we wanted to see. The first few places looked a little scary. One condo felt like you were in a time warp back to 1972 with the shag carpet and old school appliances. Another spot looked okay, but I still had a feeling we could do better. So we went back online and found another condo that looked good. When we walked in this place, we pretty much knew this was the one. It’s got a beachy summer home sort of vibe in the middle of a wooded lot….and walking distance to the Metra.

So here’s a little advice to young home buyers: save money, know your credit history, don’t get property hook ups from your mom’s cousin’s friends, hire a good inspector, and sign up for prepaid legal services because they come in handy when you need to find a real estate lawyer, and let your girl do all the decorating…it makes her happy and makes your life easier. (Guys can just set up all the electronics. And maybe help assemble some furniture.)
Dré

From Kelly on PreCana, Bridal Gowns, and Being Church-Famous

So I guess I'm supposed to be writing a blog about what it's like to be getting married in the Catholic Church. I won't be able to tell you exactly what that's like until April 18th, 2009 but for now I can tell you about what we're going through in order to get married in the church. And I can talk about all the other fun stuff that has nothing to do with the church.

Like last week my mom and I stopped at David's Bridal on the way home from Costco. I had once again spilled my Starbucks frappaccino all over my shirt as I do every time I go to look at wedding dresses. Or every time I go to Starbucks while wearing a white shirt. Anyway, we go into David's with me looking like a slob. I tried on a few dresses and found one that made me look like less of a slob. My mom cried and I fell in love with it so we bought it.

Saturday was our PreCana. I should say I didn't know what to expect but that's a lie. My mom told me what to expect. She said expect no air conditioning and really uncomfortable chairs. She was half right. I was cold most of the day.

We got there at a time that no human should ever have to be up yet most humans are already up. 8:45 AM. I would have preferred to sleep another 5 hours but that's just me. Keep in mind I am not lazy, I just have a job where I have to work until 2 or 3 AM (and I'm lazy).

If you're getting married in the church you really have no choice, you have to go. Don't have this be something you dread. You'll like it. I guarantee it. If not, you'll get your money back (just kidding). If you're not super religious or not Catholic it doesn't matter, faith is definitely talked about, but it isn't jammed down your throat.

After feasting on our gourmet doughnuts and nutri-grain bars that were provided, the day started. Well it started after we were instructed to turn off our cell phones. I can guarantee that everyone turned their phones on silent. Who really ever turns it off when they're told to? So anyway, it actually was really fun. I don't want to give away too many details but there were a lot of exercises for us to do. Not the kind that will help me fit into a size 4 dress but the kind where you fill out a workbook that smells like 3rd grade (you'll see what I'm talking about when you go). Hopefully you're able to tear the pages out of the book better than I could. My inability to tear in a straight line lead me to not be allowed to even try anymore. Then you discuss it with your fiance. And it really helps. I'm not doing too good of a job explaining it.

We were there from 9-4:30 and the time flew by. Jake talked through the entire thing. Not to me, I mean he participated in the discussions. He likes to talk. He says he really enjoyed it too. That was his input for this blog.

So basically to wrap up this 10,000 word rambling blog, go to your PreCana expecting to have fun. You will. If you are at St. Bernadine’s the chairs will not be comfortable but they're not THAT bad. Also read the first page of the workbook thing. Two of my relatives wrote it and one edited it. I'm church famous.


From Andréa On Rules of Engagement

So who made it a rule that an engagement isn’t official until there’s a ring??? Andre (Dre) and I have been ready to get married since the first week we met…we’ve just been waiting for the rest of our family and friends to buy into our little plan. And now that our first anniversary is coming up, (August 9th) everyone is surprisingly disappointed that the wedding isn’t THIS September! I mean, it’s great to have everyone on board finally, but now we almost feel rushed. And with all the buzz and excitement, people are appalled that we’ve already completed FOCCUS, set the date, booked the hall, reserved the church, and are buying a condo prior to getting “officially” engaged with a ring and a proposal and whatnot.

My coworkers are the worst offenders. I’m beyond being just “The Girlfriend” and after the wedding, I’ll be “The Wife.” So after much discussion, they decided that because there’s no ring, I’m not “The Fiancé,” I’m “The One.” What’s with the labels?

Our friends are happy for us, and both our families are VERY excited. No one seems to have a problem with introducing Dre as “The Fiancé” even without the finger bling to show off. Dre told me that he’s glad the family is so supportive, but it kinda ruins the element of surprise with the “official” engagement announcement…whenever he has it planned for.

Honestly, I don’t really think about it until I mention the wedding to someone, and they immediately look at my left hand. Then I go into my spiel about how we’re saving for the condo, and I’d rather have a roof over our heads than stare at my gorgeous diamond ring while living at home with mom and dad. So yeah, I’ll take the condo, thank you. The ring can wait.

Meet the Bloggers Part Two: Andrea and Andre

Names: Andréa & André
Age 27 & 26 (respectively)
Employed by Andréa: Advocate Christ Medical Center, Oak Lawn, Illinois. André: Computershare, Chicago, Illinois
Ethnic background African-American (AKA American Mutts)
Place in family Andréa: First born of two, only girl. André: First born, one younger half brother in Chicago, three half siblings in California (one boy, two girls)
School Andréa: All done as of December 2004! Went to Grand Valley State University in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. André: Went to University of St. Francis and Joliet Junior College, planning to go back to school for broker’s license.
Religion Roman Catholic
Wedding Date 9/19/09
How did you meet? At a friend’s wedding in August of 2007
How did you propose? It was relatively low key, but André surprised Andréa by going ring shopping and ended up buying it on the spot.
How did you know this is the right person? Andréa’s opinion: His personal “resume” fit the job description. Basically, he had all the general qualities I was looking for (religion, height, hobbies, lifestyle, etc.), and as soon as I realized he was a great guy too, I was sold. Only took 5 days from the day we met! André’s opinion: Yeah, pretty much the same thing.
What’s your couple name? André(a)
Wedding details Getting married at our new church home in Joliet which just happens to be ten minutes from the botanical garden where our friend got married in 2007…so naturally we’re having our reception at the place where we met. Also, doing some non-traditional things i.e. no official bridal party, and no veil.
What are you nervous about? The invitation list! André’s list is manageable, but Andréa could probably fill Soldier Field with her list…so narrowing it down to fit the 250 person limit in the reception hall was an interesting challenge. We hope everybody understands that space is limited, and doesn't get their feelings hurt. Other than that, I think we’re fine….just ready to start married life together.
Anything else? We’ve been ready to get married since the first couple weeks we started dating....so now we're taking time to enjoy each other's company and learn each other's talents, skills and quirks. Oh, and we've already picked out our children's names even though they won't be here for a few years.

Meet the Bloggers Part One: Jake and Kelly

Name: Jake
Age: 26
Employed by: Hagerty Construction
Ethnic background: German
Place in family: Oldest
School: Fife High School
Religion: My grandparents are Lutheran.
Wedding Date: April 18, 2009
How did you meet? My band used to stay at one of the people’s house that worked for the record label we were on and Kelly was friends with the guy’s roommate and Kelly happened to be hanging out with her one night and we met.
How did you propose? Kelly surprised me in Europe when I was on tour and I had planned on asking her when I got home but since the Eiffel Tower is her favorite place on earth I had to take advantage of the situation and make her cry her face off by asking her to marry me on the tower.
How did you know this is the right person? Sounds cliché but I just know.
What’s your couple name? Brangelina
Wedding details: April 18th at St. Celestine
Anything else? Hi Mom!

Name: Kelly
Age: 26
Employed by: Cubby Bear
Ethnic background: Irish
Place in family: Current oldest (ask me about it if you want to feel really uncomfortable)
School: Grade School: St. Pascal, High School: Trinity
Religion: Catholic
How did you propose? I didn’t. I flew to Europe to surprise him while his band was there. While we were in Paris we went up on the Eiffel Tower and he totally surprised me by proposing. I responded by crying like an idiot for two hours straight.
How did you know this is the right person? He liked me during my pink hair disaster. He is hot. He’s the nicest human alive. He’s still fun even though we stopped drinking. I just know.
Wedding details: April 18 at St. Celestine. You’re invited.
What are you nervous about? Going to jail. I probably never will. I don’t really do anything wrong. I’ve never even had a detention. Oh, you mean about the wedding? I’m nervous about having to dance. I can’t dance.
Anything else? I’m very excited about writing these blogs. I will write a lot. I hope you get my sense of humor and his sense of humor.