Couples Shower

Well we had a wonderful first shower, here it is Monday afternoon and me and Ian are still talking about how loved we have felt after the gathering of family and friends this past weekend.

We started the first of our wedding festivities with a couples shower in Grand Bay, Alabama. 

The Gautier Farm

Hosted by The Wixons and The Gautiers. May I first say that these 2 couples mean a whole lot to me and Ian. Words can never express how much their guidance, prayers, and friendship has meant to the two of us in courtship,engagement, and soon to be marriage. These two families are a perfect example of Godly marriages. The are special to me and Ian in so many ways. If Ian were to tell you about The Wixons and The Gautiers, he would say - they are family. He would also tell you that Lanee and Darlene are just like his 2nd mommas. They have all been neighbors for years. The neighbors that don't knock before they enter your house, the neighbors that come over often for meals unexpectedly, and the neighbors that are….. well, family. 

After the first time of meeting them, they welcomed me with open arms. They welcomed me soon after losing Ian's mother, a time where it wasn't easy to accept the new normal the Lord created for them. Most of all, they make it easy to get to know the woman my mother in law was. They love me just as she would have. And they remind me continuously of how proud she would of been of the both of us. I can't say enough about the 4 in this picture, but just as Ian would say… they are family. 

Everything was decorated beautifully. But while on the subject of getting to know my mother in law. I have heard for quite some time that any time there was a gathering Lynne would call Darlene and say "Now can you make Plantation Tea?", that was one of her favorites and she wanted it at every event. So I felt that it was only right to have some Plantation tea, and might I add it was delicious! So much so that I have now requested it not only at this shower but for my next two showers as well. 

The food was wonderful - our guest raved about the BBQ that was prepared as well as the trimmings alongside of it. Dessert was wonderful too- A wedding dress "cupcake" cake, made by Andersons Bakery- a local favorite of those in Pascagoula. 

Everything was decorated so beautifully. We loved getting to read everyones tips for dates. 

Our sign in is one of my favorites as well. I have for quite sometime wanted to use cookbooks for our sign in. Why? because I wanted something that could remind us of the loved ones that shared such a wonderful season of life with us. What better way to be reminded of that throughout the years than to open up a cookbook to make a recipe and see words of encouragement, prayers, and well wishes for me and Ian.  Rather than having a guest book that would soon be placed in a box in a closet after the wedding festivities, we will now have a collection of  the "Celebrations of Family and Friends" cookbook, that was gifted to me and Ian by my parents. They are filled with wonderful easy recipes for newly weds as well as tips of advice for many different events you may host throughout life. Each cookbook throughout the collection has a theme - this showers cookbook was "celebrations of nature", which was quite fitting for the location. At each shower and at the wedding we have requested our guest sign these so that as years go on and we cook from them we are reminded of the love that surrounds us. 

 I loved going through these pictures. Mary Claire took several of us while opening gifts. You can't take the grin off my face. It obvious that I'm pretty smitten with this soon to be groom of mine,and we also really love the excitement of opening gifts. Here are just some of the ones captured below. 

 Ian looks excited to be getting Annie Glass too 

             One of my favorites- Love seeing my future name on anything, 

but I can't wait to wear this one. 

Also one of my favorite pictures of the night, can you tell we wanted that Waffle Maker? 

This weekend was great! It served as a wonderful reminder to me and Ian of how blessed we are to be surrounded with such wonderful friends and family. The Lord is good! We are soaking up every minute of the fun and this exciting season of life. Here are just a few more of us with our family. 

 Wedding plans are continuing to go smoothly… and guess what we are 88 days from 

BECOMING THE UNDERWOODS!

Wedding Happenings

So, I'm very ashamed to say that I have not posted anything for quite sometime. However, the wedding planning has been in full affect and has been rolling consistently since Christmas. Everyone has told me that in the last 6 months things pick up and it has. So here is one big update……. When I originally made this blog, I wrote that I wanted to start and keep this blog to remember the whole wedding process so that it was not forgotten in the "whirlwind" that wedding planning can be. I also wrote that I wanted to be honest and truthful on the stresses of planning a wedding but also the beauty of it as well. That includes the happy moments and stressful ones.

With this being said a couple days after christmas, Ian and I went down to the coast to visit family. Early on Thursday morning I woke up to several missed phone calls and text messages from family and friends regarding our reception venue which had been the hot, and when I say hot… I mean HOT topic of all the local news stations in Jackson. Our wedding venue, The Eudora Welty Commons had caught on fire and through the smoke and water damage, was a complete loss!

Okay, so if you can imagine this girl- the planner, the organized to a T, has plans mapped out for weeks ahead of time kinda girl, went into complete frenzy. I immediately picked up the phone and started calling every venue site imaginable in the Jackson Metro area. Mind you in between calling venues I was also receiving a slew of phone calls, text messages, and pictures of our venue currently in flames. At one point, I looked at Ian, and began to cry.

My sweet Ian, also being disappointed himself, held me and did what he does best. He brought me back to down to earth with one simple statement, " You will walk down that aisle to me, at the end of the ceremony we will be just as married, I will dance with you in a card board box if we have to, and I will love you more and more with each passing day for the rest of my life", he then asked if a sonic run to grab ice cream and a Harry Potter marathon would make me feel better (and might I, YES IT DID)!

In that simple statement, I was reminded of just how much I love him and how blessed I'am to have him as my future husband. Ian loves me well and has such a gift of comforting me. The reality of it all was that although this is the venue "we planned" for our reception, 1. It is JUST a venue and 2. We still have each other and still have all our loved ones. God has other plans. And the one prayer we have prayed from the beginning is that we would remember the BEAUTY of marriage through Christ throughout this whole process.

Me and Ian truly believe that this was a blessing from the Lord to remind us of our lives together, the hardships that marriage and life will throw your way, but the treasures and true joy that it brings as well. And with the Lord on our side, the center of our marriage, and life together we will always prevail. And we will always choose Joy! And we can do so because of the wonderful God that we serve.

So, after our sonic run and Harry Potter Marathon, we picked our heads up, headed back to Jackson, and booked another venue in a quick 48 hours! We are now happy announce that the venue is  at the beautiful Mississippi Craft Center.

With the new location by the beautiful Ross Barnett Reservoir, we have already seen so many "blessings in disguise". The past few weeks we have been meeting with wedding folks at the venue to plan the reception and I must say that we are in full swing of the wedding planning. We are making lists and checking things off daily!

Most recently, we have received our proposal for the reception. I'm most excited about our menu.

If you know me you know I love all things southern. I didn't expect our food to be anything less than that either. So with that being said it doesn't take long to figure out that my favorite snack is…… pickles! 

Thats right… so what can you expect at our reception…. Fried Dill Pickles… oh yeah! With many more southern favorites and fixings.

We are also completely registered now! Yahooooooo! We registered at Belk , Stella and Company, Everyday Gourmet, and Johnson Brothers. Ian was really excited about adding his expresso maker to the list as well as many other things… not really he could care less if we get pots and pans he just wants the expresso maker. But I say we need something to cook on! ;)

We are getting so excited about the upcoming festivities ahead of us including: 

Couples Shower/BBQ, hosted by 4 of our favorite people, Mike and Darlene Wixon / Walt and Lanee Gautier. 

Brandon Bridal Shower, hosted by several ladies that mean a whole lot to me. 

AND THEN 

Arlington Baptist Church Bridal Shower, hosted by several lovely ladies of Ian's Church Family in Pascagoula. 

We also now have a wedding website, so out of town family and friends can see accommodations and happenings, we have other accommodations to add for out of town guest but for now you can check it all out at 

Our Wedding Website .

We are cruising right along with approximately 121 days left before we say " I do".  I'm so ready to be married to Ian, you might just catch me with roller blades on under my dress so I can get down the aisle  faster to marry him. We are just a a couple months closer to "Becoming the Underwoods". 

The Future Underwood Residence

The Future Underwoods

702 Club House Drive

So Ian and I started the hunt right after he proposed on finding a place we would call home. (its a stressful process might I add) However, so exciting. After about 2 months of looking we found the place we will call home. 

With the help of my lovely MOH, Ellen, who knew what we were looking for, we now have this little gem behind us. After many days talking with Ellen about the whole process, she was running in her neighborhood and found that this home was available. She called me up and gave the number listed on the sign. Within 2 hours me and Ian were there inspecting the home. Much to our surprise it was perfect for us. 

Aside for some TLC in the front yard ( which Momma Christy will have to help me with) it was just what we had been looking for. 

Ian, moved in right at the beginning of this school year, and for me, well I'm  a frequent visitor that always comes with some new decoration or furniture addition. Ian often jokes at when I'll stop bringing in distressed old furniture, abstract paintings, and accent pieces. I will probably still continue to bring things up until I move in after the wedding ( I can't wait to see what he says about my closet thats coming with me). 

Thats not the only thing that has been brought in though. With a new home comes the first of all the appliances you need. Not my favorite thing to spend money on, just ask Ian. Poor thing went without a washer and dryer for the longest time. (The Craig Household was his laundry mat ) We finally broke down and got a washer and dryer. Next on the list is living room furniture. 

Now since the last post and this one, I have celebrated a birthday. I turned 24 just last week! The age where I will marry! I couldn't be more excited. On the day of my birthday my family and Ian took me to Walkers Drive- In. By far one of the best meals, we have ever had. Ian announced to me right before dinner that he would  be taken me to Chicago to celebrate. Chicago has always been a placed we have talked about visiting. Chicago is where Social Work started. The one and only Hull House where Jane Adams started her mission work there still stands. So that will  be marked off the bucket list for sure. 

Later, for my birthday, I received two of the most thoughtful birthday gifts. Ellen, bought Ian and I our own two personalized wine glasses. They are by far the coolest wine glasses ever. They are made from old wine bottles. On the bottles is my new last name and the day that we will become Mr. and Mrs. I'm stoked about using these two in the future.

 And I received wine to put in them as well.  Maidee- Parker made the cutest "Married Moments" wine bottles for my birthday. Each bottle of wine is for all the first of me and Ian's life together. I teared up reading each bottle just thinking about the events we have ahead of us. Here are just a few pictures of them. The memos under each significant event was tailored just for me and Ian. I can not wait to open each bottle as we celebrate our all of our "first" together. The baby one will have to wait a couple years though and then 9 months later ;) 

It was a wonderful birthday! And it has been an exciting 4 months since Ian asked me to marry him. We are little by little knocking things off our to do list. Up next we meet with our caterer and go taste testing for the cake. We are just a little bit closer to "Becoming the Underwoods". 

Bridesmaid dresses... Check!

In my first post after creating this blog I mentioned that I started this for Ian and I to remember the whole process of our engagement and soon to be newlywed life (even the stressful stuff). Never in a million years did I think that picking out a dress for my girls would leave me so.. tired.. I was whooped!

Although this has been one of the more stressful parts of the wedding planning process- it was a fun one as well.

 Throughout the process I tried to find something perfect for my girls yet at a good price.. and might I add that was a challenge- but this girl loves one. 

I tell you who else loves a challenge is Katy Barham, a sweet friend, stylist, and owner of Bella Bridesmaids in Ridgeland, MS. If there is any one person I could recommend it would be her. She knows each designer,style,and colors within seconds of inquiring. She also knows exactly how to create a brides vision for their bridal party.  I told Katy what I had envisioned for my girls and she worked hours on end pulling dresses and sending pictures of it all. As someone who is such a visionary person  I owe a big thanks to Katy for opening her shop to me as she worked through either text messages, phone calls, or in person meetings to help me find the perfect dress for my girls. 

I had told Katy from the beginning I wanted something timeless, sophisticated, and elegant for my girls. The dress we walked away with was all of that. Not to mention at a great a price. 

And the best part is it that the dress has

POCKETS!! 

After days of searching, pulling, and speaking with Katy on dresses we picked a 

BEAUTIFUL  

Alfred Sung- Full length bateau neck

champagne dress. 

I'm so excited to see each of my girls in this beautiful dress on me and Ian's big day. 

We are one step closer and might I add 9 months away (from today) in

"Becoming the Underwoods". 

Yes To The Dress

So I'am a little behind on this news, but I'm ecstatic to say that I found my dress. 

The experience was everything I thought it would be and more. 

Mom, me, my grandmother, and my MOH, Ellen went to Lace to pick out the perfect dress for me. May I just say, that I highly recommend Lace as a bridal boutique for brides to be. The girls there were phenomenal and so sweet. Not to mention a great selection at AWESOME prices.

I cant go into much detail about this because I want my dress to be a total surprise for everyone. What I can tell you is that I tried on what feels like a TON of dresses but the one we walked away with is perfect for me. It was a close call between two but when they added the veil thats all it took for me to know it was the one. I did what I said I would never do and... cried. Saying yes to my dress was nothing dramatic like you see on the shows but it was simply perfect and surreal seeing the dress that I will marry Ian in. Might I add I cant wait for him and my father to see me in it! All I can say is hurry up May 30, 2015!

The dress is everything I have ever dreamed of - Timeless and elegant. The moment was perfect. And we are one step closer to "Becoming The Underwoods". 

I've Got My Girls

So may I just say that throughout the whole process of making each craft and asking my bridesmaids to be apart of my big day, God revealed to me just how blessed I'm to have such amazing friends. Before asking my bridesmaids to be apart of my big day I pondered for a while on how I wanted to ask them. I wanted something they could 1. save as a keepsake and 2. be a reminder of my love for them as well as 3. something that went hand in hand with who I was.......which for all of you who know me that is a 

LOVER OF BURLAP AND ALL THINGS VINTAGE AND CRAFY!

So for me my "go-to" store is Hobby Lobby. There I bought spools, burlap, label tags, flowers, and more in order to make the perfect secret message to ask my girls. Here was the process of it all. I cut the burlap into even strips then hot glued the burlap to the spools. After all the hot gluing, I stamped each strip of burlap with the "secret message". Then I wrapped the burlap around the spools, tied the tags around the spool and placed a flower in each. Here are some pictures of the process. 

I had such a great time making these. Throughout the process I was able to think of each girl individually and what they meant to me. With that being said let me present you with my bridesmaids!:) 

First and foremost, My Matron of Honor, Ellen Jussely Ellis. 

Ellen is the perfect definition of a very best friend. She has been there for every season of my life. From the day we first met it was an instant friendship that I knew God placed in my life for a reason. Ellen has one of the biggest hearts you'll ever find. In Ellen, I have someone that I have so much in common with. From our love for pickles all the way to our "inner nerds" of planner and highlighters.  You see Ellen is more than a friend, she is the girl that prays with me and the one that sits next to me every Sunday morning at church. Ellen is my secret holder, she is one of my many pray warriors, she is my best friend.  She has been there during good times, bad times, sad times, complicated times, all out melt downs, and joyful times. She has never missed a birthday or beat when it comes to any small or significant event in my life. 

She is a wonderful sister in Christ! 

She is my Matron of Honor! 

Next you have my soon to be Sister-in-Law, Charlotte Underwood Watts! 

Charlotte, is the sister I've never had. Being that I'm the only girl in my family and having brother as a younger sibling, I never had the opportunity of knowing what it was like to have a sister. But with Charlotte I have just that. Since day one, Charlotte has welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like family even after Ian brought me home for the first time. 3 years latter and she is a great friend, sister, and soon to be sister-in-law. Most of all, aside from Ian, she is the closest thing I have to knowing my mother-in-law. I must say from all that I hear about Lynne Underwood, she is a carbon copy! I'm lucky to have her!  In Charlotte, I have gained a sister-in-law who I can share laughter with and any other emotion that I feel at any given moment. Most importantly, as family member she will be there for every realm of life that Me and Ian endure, and that puts a big smile on my face. 

Next, is Mrs. Shelby Mckenzie LeNarz. 

Shelby  is a best friend that will always hold a special place in my heart. If there is any one thing I can tell you about this girl it is that she loves larger than life. She is gentle, she is kind, and she is... clumsy ;). Shelby holds a special place in my heart for many different reasons. I wont go into the whole story, but ill sum it up like this. Imagine arriving at a big brand new school on your first day of 6th grade. Your a little nervous and as your introduced to your homeroom teacher, your mother starts to break down into tears out of sheer nervousness for you. Then you have this girl walk up to and say "Hey I'm Shelby". A little relief that someone has said hello... well yes of course. But this wasn't some random act of kindness for Shelby. This is who Shelby is. She thinks of others always. She welcomes others always. Our friendship has only grown stronger throughout the years. I laugh when I think about that day because  as Shelby will tell you, God places puzzle pieces in our lives for several different reasons. She is a puzzle piece that God placed in my life on the first day of 6th grade that I will always be thankful for. 

Next, you have Miss Maidee- Parker Davis. 

Maidee-Parker, has been a  best friend for several years. There isn't many memories of high school or college that doesn't have Maidee in them. Her bubbly personality makes it a joy to be around her. She is also one that I met on my first day at BMS. Maidee has many great qualities about her but one that stands out the most to me is that she is an encourager. She really has been one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout my life. Aside from always being there throughout life, she is also the one that I count on to eat fast food with ;) ... and she can always find a good reason to do so even if its right after we have worked out. However, in all seriousness, she is a dear childhood friend I will always be thankful for. 

Next up is Miss Mary-Claire Jussely. 

I dont even know where to start with this girl. In Mary-Claire  I have found my other pair of Sass! At any given time that I see her she normally has a smart comment or two waiting for me and I have few saved up for her as well ;).  She is also one who is a  constant realm of encouragement in my life. When I'm with Mary-Claire we can sit and talk for hours about any and everything. One of my favorite things to do with Mary-Claire is talk with her about The Lord, she is a reminder of what a follower of Christ should be. With that being said, she is currently in Africa for ministry purposes and hasn't "officially" been asked to be a bridesmaid. However, she has a cute secret message waiting for her upon her arrival back into the states. I can't wait! I have missed her dearly. 

On to my next one, Miss Shelbe Tadlock!

Oh Shelbe! Whatever you need to know about her, I'm most confident I could tell you. There isn't much that our friendship hasn't been through, including those catty adolescent years. Me and Shelbe have been close for years.  She has always been the friend that no matter what our friendship was going through I knew I could pick up the phone and she would be where I needed her in a drop of a hat. We have laughed together, cried together, and have done A LOT of growing up together. Shelbe and I have many things in common. The biggest is our love to help others. Shelbe and I majored in Social Work together, which meant that we sat together in each class, rode together to each class, and studied together for each class. We even lived together or last year at OleMiss. From BMS to College she has been there through it all. 

Okay, Half way there folks. Next we have Mrs. Sarah Crake Guillory. 

Let me start off with saying that Sarah is one of my favorite people in the whole world. When Sarah stood up and spoke at her own rehearsal dinner about our friendship, she mentioned that when we get together all we do is laugh. I couldn't agree more. When I need a good laugh this girl here is my go-to. Sarah and I met through Delta Gamma up at Ole Miss. The first time I met Sarah I knew instantly that we were going to be friends. Our sophomore year is when our friendship blossomed . I have so many memories with Sarah that leaves me in tears from laughing so hard. However, one of the special things about our friendship is that although all we mainly do when we are together is cut up and laugh, Sarah and I can also sit down and have some  of the most serious conversations about the many aspects of our lives. 

Ok now let me present to you Miss Elizabeth Roland. 

Elizabeth and I met in our first ever "dorm floor 3 meeting" our freshman year at Ole Miss. And by chance also became sisters through Delta Gamma. I love Liz for many reasons but one of the main reasons is her personality. Liz is one of the most laid back people you will ever meet. In college, it was me making the plans and always knowing that Liz would be along for the ride regardless. There are so many college memories of mine that Liz has been apart of. Since Liz was always right down the hall from me in the dorms or the bed right next to mine at the DG house she was always the one I had late night talks with about any and everything in life. Liz has shared many laughs and tears with me throughout our time at Ole Miss. 

Next, is Miss Lizzy Milner. 

Lizzy, had the pleasure of being just the next room over from Elizabeth in Stewart our freshman year at Ole Miss. Which meant.... that we also met during our first dorm meeting that year. Lizzy pledged Delta Gamma as well and through her, I found another sorority sister that I could call a life long friend. From our freshman year together in Stewart, to living together our junior year, as well as many of the classes we had together Lizzy and I became close friends fast. She also is one of the kindest people I know, when you need Lizzy, she is always there. Lizzy is role model for many who know her and one of which that I love dearly. She has a love for life that is contagious. She doesn't fret the little stuff and is one of the funniest people to be around. 

Together, these two girls, Liz and Lizzy, mean more to me than they know. Room 16 in the Delta Gamma House consisted of the three of us. Which meant they made up a great deal of the memories I took away with me after moving out of the big white house we called home.  

Next.... Is Miss Samantha Donhue. 

Samantha, my little ginger. After meeting Samantha at Ole Miss my freshman year I couldn't ever picture life without her. Its hard to believe that Samantha and I lived right around the corner from each other growing up and it took pledging Delta Gamma for us to meet. This girl has had my heart from day 1 of meeting her. She may be little but might I just add that she has a huge personality and heart. She is one of the sweetest individuals I have ever met. It never fails that when I'm with Samantha we always find one more thing in common that we didn't know we had. And thats even after 5 years of friendship. She gets me and I get her. I will forever be thankful for the friend that I found in Samantha. 

Now we have Mrs. Tara Brando Sullivan

Tara and I first met at dinner one night our freshman year at the DG house. The first thing that I noticed about Tara is that she talked more than I ever thought I could, which is really saying something. ;) However, the second thing that I picked up on through getting to know Tara is that we had one big thing in common. WE LOVE PEOPLE. Me and Tara are so much alike in the sense that we love to be around people at all times, we don't require much alone time, or much quite time. So needless to say when me and Tara get together there isn't any silence. Tara is also a giver. I don't think I have ever met a person that gave her all to everyone they met like Tara does. She is one of the most selfless people I have ever met. She has been there in times when I needed it most (normally with a batch of cupcakes in her hands) and some comical advice. I love Tara for that and I'm thankful for who she is! 

Last but not least, Miss Kaitlin Kennedy. 

Kaitlin and I also met through Ole Miss and Delta Gamma, and I can honestly say there is never a dull moment when she is around. Kaitlin has a way of making us all laugh with her comments that are almost always quite timely for when we all need it. There are many college memories that involve Kaitlin that I will never forget. Just over the past couple of years me and Kaitlin have become closer and shared more memories together. From many countless nights in Oxford from coming back home to Jackson, we have shared many laughs throughout the years. I beyond thankful for the friendship I gained by knowing her. 

All 12 of these girls have played a significant role in my life in some way or another. They all mean more to me than words could ever adequately express. I was able to hand deliver most of the "secret messages" which I throughly enjoyed doing. I loved seeing all their expressions and even some shared tears in between.  I'm so excited to have them with me throughout this journey of "Becoming The Underwoods". 

Celebrating 3 years

This past Saturday, June 7, 2014 was a very special day for me and Ian. It marked the day of our very first date. Looking back on that day 3 years ago, I think back to a very stormy and depressing day. Ian by that time had been texting several days in a row for the past two weeks insisting that we get together and me - well I wasn't so sure in fear of getting into anything serious. So on that particular day Ian text that morning once again asking if he could treat me to dinner. So latter that evening with my address in his GPS he drove from Clinton and picked me up. The weather was atrocious. Sheets of rain were coming down sideways around the time his GPS faithfully lead him to my driveway. 

I still remember to this day how sweet he was running up to my door. His first words were " I don't have an umbrella but I wanted to get you from the front door". He was adorable but yet soaked. I laughed and informed him I wasn't going anywhere with him without  an umbrella. I think he found out just how much of a diva I could be right then and there. But luckily I had one. We ran out to his car both under one umbrella and off  to dinner we went. 

The car ride there, dinner, and the ride back was spent in conversations of all kinds. After dinner, we went to a movie which he insisted that I pick out. Little did I know and nor was he going to let me know that the movie I picked out was one he had already seen twice before. ;) opps! He was such a gentlemen!

 He dropped me off that night and even through being dead set on getting into nothing "serious" I knew he was everything I had prayed to God for and so much more. For Ian, who knew that night that he was done dating and that one day he would marry me. 3 years later, we are engaged, and more in love with one another than ever before. God has blessed me with such a wonderful person to do life with and most importantly lead me throughout the rest of our lives together. 

This year I wanted to do something big for Ian for our 3 years. For any of you that know Ian, you know that he is a avid Yankees Fan. Therefore, I searched around for the closest stadium they would be for us to go watch them play and bought us tickets. On July 28th, we will be headed to Arlington, TX to watch the Yankees play the Rangers. 

       I surprised Ian with these tickets early because we had big plans the day of our 3 years to travel to St. Louis for a friend's wedding. However, at last minute we thought it would be a good idea to pack up early and site see around the big city before the wedding, and I'm so glad we did. For anyone who has never been to St. Louis it is a wonderful city to visit. On Friday we to see the Gateway Arch, which is a huge landmark that St. Louis is so famously known for. However, I do not think I ever realized just how big it is. Once we got to the arch, we decided to buy to tickets to view the city from the top of it. This girl went into to complete freakout mode. In order to get to the top of the arch they place you in a small pod. Once your in the pod they they shut the door and up you go by what seemed to me something resembling a Farris wheel - Yet let me remind you that  you can see NOTHING throughout the ride up. You only feel and hear the hydraulics which sounds like its carrying 2 tons and about to drop at any minute.  I just about lost it! However, once you reached the top the view was breath taking. Here are just a few pictures from the experience.

The Gateway Arch 

Us from the Top 

Ian on the way up 

That shows you how far up we were 

And the marvelous view

We explored many other things throughout St. Louis before the wedding. On Saturday, we all decided to load up and go to the zoo. It was by far the best zoo I have visited. We got rained on throughout our walk in the zoo so we only got a few pictures. This is just one of them.

After the wedding on Saturday, which might I add was beautiful and just as fun as Mackenzie ( the bride) always is, we decided to walk across the street from our hotel and get a tour of the Cardinals stadium. This by far was our favorite thing that we did. Our tour guide was so funny and knowledgable about cardinal baseball. 

Us on Busch Stadium Field 

Last but not least, I have to mention that June 7, 2011 was  not only me and Ian's first date but it was also Mrs. Lynne ( Ian's mother) first birthday in Heaven as a perfect and flawless angel. I have no doubt  that she has watched over me and Ian since that first date. There are so many moments that I wish I could thank her for the raising the man of my dreams. There will be so many moments in the future that we wish she could be here to witness but after all she has the best seat in the house from up above to watch our life play out in "Becoming The Underwoods".