"The Hiiiiiiiiiiills are Aliiiive...with the Sound of Muuuuuusic" by Andrea

Sorry... I've been in a strange musical theater mood today. Anyway, last night Dre and I had a meeting with the music director at our church to discuss the wedding music program. I was so excited to finally get something solid on paper versus the half-baked ideas floating around in my head. Dre, on the other hand, was a little less engaged in the process, and eventually uttered the man-phrase "Whatever you want, sweetie." which roughly translates to "I really don't care because [insert girly wedding related activity] is of little or no interest to me and my manly lack of detail orientation, so please just pick something that makes you happy so we can leave and get some [insert food/drink]." This same man-phrase was also used when we looked at flowers a few months ago. I'm not offended by it though...Dre tends to be quite agreeable unless he absolutely hates something. So I'd rather get the official green light to pick whatever I want, rather than pick a bunch of stuff and find out later that he hates it all.

Overall, I think the meeting was very productive, and we can both envision our big day a little more clearly. Music is such a huge part of the mass at our church, so hopefully all our guests will get a little taste of the musical flavor we enjoy every Sunday. Guaranteed good times :)
Andrea

Sunny California by Andrea

Ahhh....Southern California! 15 days of perfect weather in the upper 70s everyday, sunshine and the promise of coming back to Chicago with a nice sunkissed glow. Oh wait. That was last year's trip to Cali. This year, my trip to LA was cut in half so I can save up my vacation days for the wedding and honeymoon.

Of the 7 days I spent there, only 1 was actually warm and sunny. The other 6 days were cool and cloudy just like the crappy weather I left back home in Chicago. Dre stayed for another week to spend more time with his family and be with his dad for Father's Day. The day after I got home, Chicago was under water in a random Midwestern hurricane, and the sun finally decided to come out in LA.

I tried not to be bitter about it, but when I'm cold, wet and miserable in Chicago and Dre is out West enjoying the sun, I can't help being a bit annoyed/disappointed. But Dre gave me some encouragement. He told me that the Cali trip was not meant to be the highlight of the year... and there would be plenty of sunny weather for our wedding. He's so sweet :) Andrea

It Takes a Village by Andrea

With the divorce rate being at 50% in the US, it's a bit discouraging for young couples starting their new lives together with all the hope in the world that it will last forever. Even with the great examples I have in my family of successful lifelong marriages, I had some eye-opening conversations with 4 friends in the last couple months... 2 are getting divorced, and the other 2 called off their engagements.

Obviously I'm doing everything I can to be a good friend to everyone, and be there for them if they need support. But to be perfectly honest, it's a bit scary to have these conversations while I'm planning our wedding. Sometimes I think, if they couldn't make it, what makes me so special? So I guess this is where "the rubber meets the road" so to speak...when we say "I do" and promise to keep God in the center of our marriage, I'm praying that He will give us the strength to hold on during the tough times. And when even that doesn't seem to be enough, we've gotta trust that God will keep our support network close to us to push us forward when we've run out of energy. We can't do this alone. As my parents have always said about raising kids AND sustaining a healthy marriage, "It takes a village..." Andrea

Sick by Kelly

So I'm sick for the first time since we got married. I never get sick. I imagined when I did that Jake would be there to wait on me and do whatever I wanted and just hang out while I puke and keep me company. Hang on, I mean keep me company after I puke, not during the puking part.

I think I got food poisoning. Not sure but I don't know what else it could be. I'm not pregnant. Stop thinking that. It's not possible right now. So I was kind of looking forward to being able to hang out with him. Weird, I know.

It didn't happen. At all. He is working far too hard on the remodel. He works from 9 AM-3 AM every day down there. He is getting a ton done which is amazing. It's coming along much faster than I thought it would. So I didn't get to hang out with him at all. I don't blame him. I felt awful and had puke breath. I didn't want to hang out with me either. Kelly

Dre Just Loves Me for my Sketti by Andrea

I like to cook. My menu is pretty short, but the few things I can make are pretty darn tasty. So far, it appears that spaghetti is my specialty. I know, it seems simple, but I try to make my meat sauce from scratch and it takes some serious skill and patience to get the flavor just right. So I came home from work and browned and seasoned the ground turkey, sautéed the onions, green peppers and garlic in olive oil, and boiled the whole wheat pasta. By the time Dre arrived, the garlic bread was in the oven, and the whole house smelled like the kitchen at Balagio's Italian Ristorante across the street...yummm :)

Dre just smiled and said "I don't care what advice anyone gives you on Facebook about using canned tomatoes vs. fresh ones. Do EXACTLY what you did the next time you make it. I liked it just the way you made it." I asked him what he liked about it, and he said ,"Everything." I asked him to be more specific; was it the meat sauce or the pasta? He said, "Everything." So apparently I'm a culinary genius in my man's eyes. I really think Dre just liked the "sauce" since it was mostly meat. Typical guy. But I must admit it was really good. Even the leftovers were mouthwatering. I think I really outdid myself this time....let's just hope it tastes that great the next time I make it! Andrea