since just because you're married doesn't mean you have to stop doing fun things

last night AWD and i drove up to camden yard in baltimore to see the red sox play the orioles in the last game of the regular season.

i wore my red sox shirt and was a little worried about getting punched in the face, but AWD said he would call the police if that happened and there were actually more red sox fans than orioles fans in the stands, so i was pretty safe.

in fact, when the orioles made a good play and the crowd started cheering, the guy sitting in front of us looked around and said, "i didn't know there were orioles fans here. that's nice to see."

it was pretty much non-stop excitement with double plays and people being thrown out at home plate and david ortiz making an impressive, but ultimately failed attempt to steal second.

(at that moment, the guy sitting in front of us said, "what is papi trying to do, stealing a base? he lost his belly in the slide!")

it was such an exciting, tense game that what i really want to do is recount it in all its painful glory here, but the pain has been recounted endlessly today, so i'll just say that it was not meant to be for our beloved sox.

and i'll also throw in that watching them choke, again, is basically the worst.

i trace it all back to the hour-long rain delay. things just didn't go right once play resumed, started with the red sox pitcher hitting two out of the first three batters once play resumed. the sox still managed to hold on to their one-run lead all the way to the ninth inning, but with only one strike left to go the orioles got two big hits off the closer and it was all over for boston.

as the orioles were rushing the field, i got this text from my dad: "i think i will throw up."

it was a sad car ride home, made even worse by the fact that the tampa bay rays, our rivals for the wild card spot in the playoffs, rallied from a seven run deficit to beat the yankees in extra innings.

sigh.

as we were walking through the door in the wee hours of this morning, AWD hung his head and said, "well, i guess this was probably a pretty good introduction to being a red sox fan."

sad but true, husband mine. sad but true.

first day of my life

the other big thing that happened around here recently (besides, you know, getting hitched) is that i turned 30. on friday to be exact.

seems like a lot to be going down at once, i know, but that's how we roll around here.

for about a year i have been talking about how i wanted to do something really big for my 30th birthday. i figured it would be something like a trip to china, but getting married seemed like a pretty big deal, too, so i went for it.

in case you were wondering or worried, i had a lovely birthday, with lots of cupcakes and lunch out with my favorite people and a big wedding reception in salt lake to cap it off.

AWD also said he would buy me anything i wanted at my favorite SLC boutique, hip and humble, and he ended up buying me everything i wanted, which was even better.

even with so much excitement, i still had a little time to think about my favorite birthday questions, and here are the answers i have for you.

what i learned this year is that if you keep an open mind, an open heart and are willing to step outside your box and trust something (or someone) unexpected, you might find just what you didn't even know you were looking for.

and, bonus lesson! i also learned that, aside from open hearts, open minds and lots of faith, there is no secret formula or magic solution to will anything or anyone into your life. when you're ready, you're ready. and when it happens, it happens, and that's that. at least as far as i can gather.

as for a goal in the coming year, i would like to love as well as i am loved and i'd like to learn to save the very best-- my best news, my best jokes, my best thoughts and my best self-- for my home and my spouse and my family. i think it is going to take some practice to learn how to be a good partner, but i am up for the challenge.

and maybe another cupcake.

wedded. bliss.

i only have a very small sampling of photos from the wedding so far, but i've received some vaguely threatening e-mails (hi, kate! hi, emdawg!) so hopefully these will tide everyone over until the professionals have finished their magic.

speaking of which, our wedding day was magic, too. everything went off beautifully and just as we had hoped. i can't wait to tell you all about it.

except, actually, i can wait. for a little bit at least. because for now i am going to bed. i hope you can wait, too. but don't worry, it won't be for long, my babies. it won't be for long.

tomorrow i am getting married.

and i couldn't be happier about it.

i'll see you on the flip side, my babies.

the rain in spain

it turns out that three days before your wedding is not the ideal time for your basement to flood.

especially when your basement is stacked from floor to ceiling with your roommate's boxes, ready to be moved out, and your husband-to-be's boxes, ready to be moved in.

throw in a big bonk on the head while moving piles of dripping paper and cardboard to the garbage can, and you have a pretty rough morning.

luckily, we survived. and so did almost all the things. the mess is cleaned up and we still had time to make all the wedding dinner favors and go to a little engagement party at AWD's work.

i am actually pretty proud of myself for only breaking into massive and uncontrollable tears once. but, if anything goes wrong tomorrow, i'll probably lose it for good.

(no) labor day

how was your labor day weekend?

i watched a french movie, went to the grocery store, went to the temple, went to the mall, went out to dinner, went to church, had my trial wedding hair and make-up done by EH and miss angela, ate a leisurely lunch at bayou bakery with EH and miss angela, picked up my wedding dress and went to the mall again.

it all went pretty well, though the ending of the french movie, "the hedgehog," was really tragic and sad. in happier news, the beignets at bayou bakery are a little piece of fried and sugared heaven.

and now we are in the home stretch! the mama bear arrives tomorrow, dad and ben the day after, AWD's parents the day after that and then the day after that is the wedding.

man alive.

i had every intention of doing a bunch of blogging this week to tell you all about the wedding preparations and all the wisdom and insight i have now as a soon-to-be-married lady, but i think i just have to be honest and tell you that might not happen. i mean, wedding dinner favors don't put themselves together, you know?

not to mention that i am obsessively checking the weather for saturday (currently 30 percent chance of rain) and the path of hurricane katia (looks like our honeymoon destination will emerge unscathed).

so, wisdom and insight might just have to wait, though hopefully i'll get some of my favorite wedding details up here before the wedding itself.

four more sleeps. i can hardly believe it.

penny lane

i met my newest baby love, miss penelope, for the first time this evening.

we got in some good snuggles but, unfortunately, the only time she was facing me for a picture, she was also doing this.

not her greatest moment, but she's still pretty precious if you ask me.

and catching up with the grown-ups was OK, too, i guess.