Checking another few things off the list!

Today was a big day in wedding check lists....

1) Brent booked his bachelor party - he is going to New Orleans! I am so happy for him, he is such a music man.

2) My bachelorette party is planned and ticketed, the fun and partying will begin in just a few weeks....bring it on!!

3) We finally picked out my wedding band (Brent has had his for a few weeks now). After returning the last bands we picked out, which were part of my engagement ring "set", had too much bling for me (yes, that isn't what every girl wants) Zach and Danielle took us to their jeweler. As a referral, they gave us 50% off the ticketed price!! Lets just say I couldn't be happier with how that all went down.

This is what it will look like-



4) We spent some time at Men's Warehouse. Brent tried on a few jackets and he is right in between two sizes. With that in mind and the fact that we are in full blown insanity workouts (version of P90X) we were advised to come back the end of March. That way if Brent's body changes, we won't end up having to buy another new suit because this one was too big. It was good to feel them out and see where he was sitting in the sizes.

5) The 50% deposit is down on all the food, we will pay the remainder once we have a final head count.

6) We are on the final stages of the tenting, layout, supply, linen quote. We just received the final samples to pick the linen colors. I have a few more questions for them and then we are good to go.


It's such a relief when it all comes together. It's been pretty rough planning from this far away, but all I can say is thank goodness for EMAIL! We are doing everything we can to continue to spread out all the costs, makes it all less daunting.

Today is 3 months until wedding day!!!

More to come....

January update

There has been a lot going on here in Long Beach. First off, we have been doing some slow improvements throughout the house and lawn.

1) Our three fruit trees are beginning to fruit - got our first lime!
2) We finished the bathroom makeover (have some before and after photos)
3) Spent Christmas in Berkeley with the family, had a Charlie Brown tree at our house
4) Brent and Dad put in a new front door
5) We are sorting out a lot of wedding details, ready to get to April!

Enjoy the fruits of our labor (no pun intended)......

count down...

4 months to the wedding day!!

"Up in the Air"

Have you ever seen the movie, Up in the air? That's my life right now...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1193138

I was literally in a different city every night...started here on Wednesday, Thursday in San Diego, Friday and Saturday in Phoenix, Tucson on Sunday, flew to San Jose Sunday night, Monday in Palo Alto and Pacifica, Napa on Tuesday, Sacramento on Wednesday, lost yet? I came home for a night, took Brent to the airport and tomorrow I am off to Fresno. I am really trying to do right by my job and get the new products out there for people to see. Even though I am literally driving myself into the ground, I somehow don't think it's good enough. Time will tell...

I haven't been writing a lot lately because I have been a tad lost. I am trying to figure a lot of things out. Traveling this much is really making me lose myself and lose sight of where I am going. I need to make more time for myself and for Brent! I need to be better at balancing everything. It's a work in progress.

I wish I had more to talk about, but I don't. Just trying to find my way....

Happy Thanksgiving!

There are so many things to be thankful for...so many great people and moments. Enjoy time with your loved ones! Wishing you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Loss of a friend....

Today is about honoring a true competitor and friend, Fran Crippen. It is a huge loss not only for the swimming community, but for the TYR family. Fran Crippen was one of the best athletes I ever had the opportunity to know and his death came way too soon!



This is the article from Swimming World:

Passages: Fran Crippen, 26 - FINA, USA Swimming, USOC Release Statements - Updated -- October 23, 2010

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates, October 23. SHORTLY after the FINA Open Water 10K World Cup swim today in the UAE, United States swimmer Fran Crippen, 26, passed away after falling unconscious during the race.

With the water in the mid-to-high 80s, the competitors all finished and noticed that Crippen had not crossed the finish line. Meet management brought in deep sea divers, who found Crippen dead under the water just before the final buoy nearly two hours later. Previous reporting stated that Crippen was found unconscious, and was taken to the local hospital before dying. More information from the scene has confirmed that he had already passed away during the race.

Crippen had shown signs of slowing down during the third lap of the five-lap race. When Crippen did not immediately finish, a fact noticed by teammate Alex Meyer who screamed for help, the competing swimmers rushed back into the water to help with the search.

Information provided to Swimming World demonstrates that the water was likely too hot for the event as several swimmers, including USA's Eva Fabian and Christine Jennings, were treated for heat exhaustion at the hospital after the race.

FINA does not have a maximum temperature allowed, but does have a minimum temperature for an open water swim to take place.

Additionally, according to information received by Swimming World, there was a single boat for the referee along with up to three jet skis with one assigned to the lead group.

According to the same information, no lifeguards were on land or near the swimmers. The only other boats around the course contained media members and other spectators.

The last time Crippen was seen alive was when he passed the first feed station on the final lap, and was seen to be struggling. Upon completion of the race, according to our source, no one was keeping track of swimmers as they finished.

National Youth Team Head Coach Jack Roach is heading to the United Arab Emirates to serve as Crippen's honor transport to make sure he returns to the United States for burial and services to be announced.

This was the last open water swim of the year for Crippen, and he had planned to take a vacation to Italy.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Crippen was a member of the illustrious Crippen family who grew up at the Germantown Academy in Fort Washington. Crippen's top finish in the sport came at the 2009 World Championships when he finished third in the 10K swim in Rome. He also won a pair of Pan Pacific silver medals in the 10K at both the 2006 and 2010 editions. In the pool, he won two silver medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in the 400 and 1500 freestyle events. Overall, he has won six U.S. national titles with two in the 800 free, two in the 5K and two in the 10K.

After prepping at Germantown, Crippen swam for the University of Virginia and was an 11-time All-American and two-time Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmer of the Year. More recently, Crippen swam for the Mission Viejo Nadadores.

All three of his sisters have had their own success within the swimming community. Maddy was a 2000 Olympian who swam for Villanova, while Claire in an NCAA All-American for the University of Virginia. Teresa is an NCAA finalist who currently swims for the University of Florida.

Crippen's Facebook page has turned into a memorial today as friends post condolences and memories of how Crippen touched their lives.

Details

So for the last year Brent and I have been trying to figure out how to update our hallway. Every little thing has us wanting to keep the character of our home. (It's a 1929 Spanish Bungalow)I found these hand painted door knobs at World Market and had to try them out. Other then repainting the hallway, I think it's a nice, subtle, updated looks. What do you think?