Oh, I forgot to blog about something

So, I'm pretty surprised that I forgot to blog about how I'm getting married next week. I'm usually pretty quick about blogging about ginormous life changes, but I just got a little busy or in love with my blackberry or something to actually blog about it.

Sheldon and I had been planning to do some full on wedding in June or July. We were contemplating a quasi elopement in April with just us and the kids for a few financial and logistical reasons, but still have a real wedding this summer. The more I tried to plan it, the less I cared. I wasn't excited about dress shopping. I wasn't jazzed to go find a venue. I didn't have any joy at thinking about bridesmaid dresses (only the ladies who would be wearing them). So we said, "Forget it! Let's take the money we'd be spending on that wedding (ie his tax return) and use it to get moved into our own place!" So we're making our quasi elopement a super casual public thing. We're getting married on Good Friday on Mt. Bonnell in Austin (LOVE!!) and having dinner at El Arroyo afterwards. We're also having a reception in Houston on April 17th because the vast majority of my family and several of our friends can't be there on April 2nd.

We chose Good Friday because it felt so romantic. Good Friday is a celebration of the day Christ gave His life for us, which is the greatest act of love EVER: past, present, or future. To celebrate our love on a day that honors the greatest love possible just seemed like such a perfect fit.

Everything has fallen together beautifully. The dress I got was the 3rd dress at the 1st store. Sheldon and Owen's attire was found on sale on a whim stop at a department store. Every date that we've wanted for things has been available. My beloved Mango is going to be able to make it over from England (and it turned out this was even better for her than this summer!). The ease of it all has been comforting and tells us that our marriage has favor with God. What could be better than that?!

school picture time!

Sheldon picked up the kids' school pictures today when he went to have lunch with Cherie. It makes me crazy that Owen has started doing this closed mouth smile thing when he's posing for pictures. When he's smiling naturally, its this big open mouth grin that is utterly infectious. I also wish Cherie's top was a little less saggy in the chest, but overall, I'm just in awe of how beautiful these kids are. Yea, I'm biased. But I can't help it. Also, I love that they gave us photo key chain cards (just like your shopper card at the grocery store or Spec's) so I can have their sweet faces with me all the time. Much easier than pulling out a phone or wallet to brag on them!