I watch too many romantic movies!

oooooh Patty...I know what you are going through...and if I can tell you one single thing it's this.  It is a huge task right now and it's exhausting and exciting and scary and sad and very very stressful, but very soon after you arrive I promise you it will all just be a distant distant memory.  TO be honest I hardly remember any of it now lol I have put so much new information in my head that it I only remember it like a movie that I watched a long time ago. HAHAHA so just try to remain calm hun it will be ok.  At first I was having a hard time letting things go, but I came to a point where I just said f*** it haha and just started purging all my stuff.  IT's very very liberating to be honest once you are over the initial hump:)

No, it is definately not normal for wedding pictures to take that long. I happened to have a friend that does photography, among other things and she helped us out big time with doing the pictures for cheap. Only problem there is when she gets really busy she's impossible to get ahold of and it's taken this long to get her to get all the pics done for me. grrr. But I'm just excited to see them finally!

Hey Ladies,
Oh Patty you are going on full tilt aren't you sweetie...selling stuff...packing...planning...if you ever need to vent yell or swear you know where I am ....there is a lot to think about with a wedding coming up and a visa and all that...but Chi Chi is right once you are there and settled it will all be a distant memory...

Things here are good...I have all my documents I am just writing my cover letter for my visa...if you all have any suggestions for that let me know...Jason is going to send his docs next week and we are going to apply on Monday I believe and then send everything out by the end of next week....I am sooo excited and I get to see him on Valentine's day....

so how are the rest of you ladies...sorry I haven't been on alot it has been busy at work

*hears crickets chirp*

Hello?  Anyone out there?! :p

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.  I know it was filled with dinner parties, and parties, and sexy dresses, and fun.  I wanna hear ALL about it since I stayed in bed all weekend and tried to get over this cold.  It hit me like a ton of bricks!  (Feeling more human today, btw....but then again, I have no choice...I MUST go to work).

In the words of Craig David (a blast from the past!), "Can you fill me in?"

Hi! Wow, our little family is dwindling I think. Well, I DIDN'T get my pictures. Her computer wouldn't burn them to a disk, blah blah, so I'm supposed to get them this week. I spent my whole of yesterday trying to get my new iPod shuffle loaded with songs. I wanted it to be formatted to a PC but could only do it on a mac, to make what could be a very long story short. So I guess some time in the future I will just have to erase it all and start from scratch on a PC. And that literally took all of yesterday. I cleaned a little too. Nothing too exciting. I'm going to get my massage tonight that I was supposed to get before my wedding but was too sick to do, so I'm excited about that.

Hope you're feeling better Patty. That cold is no fun. I've had it twice already!

sorry to hear your still sick Patty!!
AND CHI OMG how freaking hard is it?? I'm so sorry

My weekend was good.  Had my brother and sister in law over for dinner on Saturday...turned out really really well.  I was very pleased with myself:)  Then Sunday we went to dinner at his mom's (like every Sunday) then went to the pub and watched football good times!!!

He has a pool do to go to tonight so I am going to make tea, then laze out on the couch till he gets home:~) 

Tomorrow 2 girlfriends of mine are coming to get me at half 10 and we are going shopping for wedding underwear lol and going to lunch WOOOWHOOOO!

Miss you all hope everyone is doing well!!!

Aww Jamie says "half 10".  She's assimilating so well - I am so proud of you, Jamie!

Chi - that sucks about the pictures!  You must be going mad wanting to see them!

Lets see.. my weekend taught me just how freaking lame I am.  Here's a recap:
I had a date with my couch and Jonathan Rhys Meyers and season 1 of The Tudors on Friday, which was lovely! 
Then, on Saturday, I FINALLY unpacked the items I left in my suitcase from my trip over Christmas, did a bunch of laundry, then felt sad for not having a suitcase lying around, so I took out my smaller one and began to pack it for my trip to DC.  Oi.  Then, David called and told me about the beautiful invitation he recieved to his friend's wedding and that they are going to an ultra-posh place in London for the ceremony followed by a "cruise" on the Thames. Then, I had to go to an engagement party for a girl at work where everyone oogled over her diamonds and screeched with delight whilst talking about her romantic wedding proposal.  I drank two glasses of wine and went home to my lonely bed...
Sunday, I went with my cousin to help her pick out stuff for her twins she is expecting in July.  Then I did total OCD research on restaurants in DC for our first "fancy" dinner we've decided to have, and tore my hair out because I cant find the "perfect" place ...as I was doing that, my friend called and was all giddy because the boy she has been "hanging out with" finally asked her on a real date and she was all nervous about it and didnt know what to do/wear/say. "Do I kiss him or not!?".  And she was saying that waiting until next weekend was going to kill her. It made me chuckle to myself - if only my relationship decisions/concerns were that simple. If only I could see my boyfriend every weekend...
BUT, only 10 more sleeps!

Feel better, Patty! *hugs* (now I am going to have that Craig David song in my head ALL day!)

Hi ladies,

Sorry I haven't been around much...I've just been SO BUSY with school, a weekend trip home, BARACK OBAMA, etc.

To all who asked, Obama-fest was just amazing.  The concert was fantastic.  I managed to get a pretty decent spot there (would have been more decent if I wasn't 5'2"...I couldn't see a thing, but I was very close to the memorial where they were playing). It was actually my first REAL concert.  It was cool to be in such a huge crowd where everyone had one thing in common, but the freezing cold was just way too much for everyone to handle-- including the artists.  I was disappointed by many performers.  But it was still so great to just witness it.

I didn't make it to the Inauguration itself.  I went to the parade instead.  You kind of had to choose between the Inaug. and the parade due to the length of time it took to get from one place to another and through security.  I stood out in the freezing cold for seven hours to keep my good spot.  I ended up about 100 feet away from the road directly across from City Hall.  I met a lot of really cool people, including a 70 year old African-American man named Willie who drove 11 hours from Alabama to see the parade.  He said the last time he was in DC, he was there to see Dr. King, so this was a huge deal for him.  He ended up giving my friend Sarah and I hugs and kisses and told us we were beautiful, and I just had one of those "Wow. This is what it's all about" moments.  So anyway, it was a lovely and cold day.

So I'm still in my post-Obama high, and am happy to say that I don't have living in DC so much anymore, and I'm hopeful for my remaining years in the states.

Other than Obama, I'm swamped with school and work and trying to prepare for my boyfriend's visit to the states on the 24th of February.  It's approaching so quickly!  It's kind of overwhelming!

I have way too much homework to do tonight to catch up on this thread...so everyone who reads this, give me bullet points of what's been going on.  How is everyone? 

Hi Brittany! Glad you had a great Obama week! Sounds fantastic (no matter what one's politics may be!)

Not much going on around here besides work and more work. Running early morning... trying to sleep! The dinner party Sat. night was great. I love that my apt is all clean still, too. I'm making effort to keep it that way as long as possible. It's so relaxing to come home to a clutter-free environment. As long as I don't go into the office, at least!

Lots of excitement in the group, since many of you are preparing to see your boys very soon- either here on visits or over there! I hope it all goes perfectly for you. At least I've got my countdown till the summer...

Patty and Josy- how's that packing coming along? hehe... And Josy, can I just say how happy your thread about courier recommendations made me when I saw it! Not long!!!!! Fingers crossed for you dear.

Ok, gonna watch a bit of the news then hit the hay. I'm going to attempt to wake up at 4:45 again tomorrow to get another run in... I just hope it's not toooooo cold like it was last week. I also hope it doesn't choose to spit down rain on me while I'm out there like this morning! Happy Tuesdays to you all!

Hi Ladies...sorry it has been a long time for me to write too...really busy at work trying to figure out how to use our new software...it is a mess lol...

Jamie-Half Ten I am impressed...now are you speaking with a British Accent yet? lol

Carey-You are so cute...I usually leave my bag packed as long as I can to before I unpack it...but you will get to see him before you know it...on a romantic getaway weekend to Washington...

Beth I saw your status on facebook that said you ran five miles today...you are my hero...you are one motivated woman....

Patty sorry to hear your sick but you have to get packing woman hehe your time is moving quickly...

Chi chi I am so sorry about your wedding photos..I really hope you get it sorted...

Brittany-you are sooo lucky to go to the concert and the parade and to meet that man...that must have been something else...

I am doing good...yes I am looking for a good courier...we are looking to apply this week online and then I hopefully can get my bio appt this Saturday and we can send everything in next week for the visa...I can't believe it is happening...I am going to meet with a florist on Thursday...I have to meet with my bridesmaids to figure out when they need to go put the deposits on their dresses...Jason is supposed to come around Valentines day ( I cannot even tell you how excited I am) I can barely concentrate at work....my weekend was good..Friday night I talked on Skype with Jason...we called it Date night lol...Saturday I went to visit my neices and my little neice who is 5 told me all about King Luther and how he was fair and because of it he died wanting everything to be fair...I couldn't figure out who King Luther was until I thought about it and realized she was talking about Martin Luther King Jr...it was the sweetest thing...then Saturday night was the holiday party at work...I won an overnight stay with brunch at the hotel where the party was (that will be perfect for when Jason comes)...I got felt up and molested at the Christmas party by one of my co workers lol....I did nothing really yesterday..I am getting too old and hanging out at the party the night before wore me out hehe...

I just wanted to take the time and tell all you ladies and Alan how fantastic I think you are...it is great to have such a great group of people to share with and confide in...You are wonderful and I wish you only good things to come...thanks for being my friends... I just thought I should take the time and tell you...

Oh God...I'm so freaking nervous about doing my next visa that is right around the corner and it's making me ill.  I've been reading up on it lately and it shouldn't be much worse than the fiance visa seeing as how I already have done most of the research.  I still have it so I can just transfer a lot of the info.  Please please please keep us informed on your progress Josy, Good luck to you!!!!

And no accent yet lol my vocab is changing a bit but I'm still all twangy and everyone still thinks it's "cute" lol

aww Jaime...I know what you mean about being nervous about the visa...but you will be fine...you and Alan will be married and you have been thru it before..I am sure you will ace it with flying colors...

so has anyone started talking like you? lol...my friends in England when they are around me too long they start talking like me hehe...

Morning, ladies!  Just taking a break from getting wedding invites together to catch up with you all.

Jamie!  Everything will be wonderful, I know it.   You HAVE done most of the work already.  IF you need any advice on doing an FLR(M) appointment in person, I would suggest contacting Meg (she's LoveMyBrit) on here.  She did the FLR(M) face-to-face this past November, so she'll be able to give you LOTS of tips...plus she's an awesome woman.

Now...catching up with all of YOU!  

Beth, I DO think you're amazing for being able to get up and run every morning.  Hopefully with working in the running shop, you've been able to get all that "run like the wind but don't feel the cold" gear they've probably come out with.

Carey, I can't believe you're going to see David sooooo soon!   I'm excited FOR you!  And I'm the same way with the suitcase.  Even though there's hardly anything in there anymore, I still have a few items in there from when I got back in Oct (yes, I'm UBER lazy) in my suitcase in my room.  Had to kick it aside last night to make room for my box..lol.  And speaking of boxes!  *giggles with glee*

Chi...hope the wedding photos situation turns around.  How are YOU doing though emotionally?  Hope you're hanging in there. You're a strong woman and an inspiration to me...so keep that beautiful chin up. xx

Brittany....glad you had an AMAZING time at Obama-fest!  DC isn't such a terrible city...lol.  And thanks for the add on Facebook, btw.

Josy, dah'ling.....I'm getting UBER excited for you and Jason with the visa process.  Always remember that I'm here for ya if you need someone.  And can you BELIEVE wedding stuff is coming together?  EEPS!

O.k....as for moi...well, I packed one box last night, but went through some of my other things to set aside and pack eventually.  I also started making a mental list of what I want to take, what I can leave in storage here at my Dad's, and what I want to get rid of.  I also put in for my last day of work yesterday (May 8th), spoke to my Dad about selling him my car for my future step-brother, went over a few things about my cat with him, etc.  Today I'm going to the restaurant to go over the budget, menu, set up, etc...then I have to call the courthouse to 100% confirm the wedding date, on top of sending out the invitations (I waited because Ian and I went over the guest list ONE more time and discussed our budget).  Next week I'll probably go out with my Dad's fiancee and pick out shoes.  And IF I have time today before Ian gets home and comes online, I might go by the craft store and look at centerpiece options (I'm nixing the flowers idea....the more I think about them, the more tacky they become to me...so my boss and co-worker came up with this wonderful floating candle idea with rose petals).

Alright, my loves...hope you're all having a wonderful day.  Gotta get moving here.

OH!  And Ian is getting our rings today!  YAY!!!!!

Speak to you all soon! xxx

YAY for your wedding rings WOOOWHOOOO!! We haven't bought ours yet...I can't find on that I like yet still looking:~)

So I went shopping in posh Knutsford today and got my wedding basque YAY...and I bought the most beautiful green handbag it was originally £147 I got it for £10.5 so EVEN BETTER!!!

OMG is all I can say to you, Josy.  What a wonderful time in your life!  Are you leaving your cat here with your dad?

I checked the status of my IRS refund today and it looks like I wont get it before I leave for DC so my dream of having TWO trips planned at once is squashed, but I should be able to buy my ticket for England in May as soon as I return from DC, so thats alright. 

Um Jamie... I suck at weddings..whats a basque?  Great job on the bag, btw!