Face to Face

Today I set up AIM so Neal and I could video chat. It is so cool. We have built in web cams and microphones so we just talk towards our computers and we can see each other. It is so nice to be able to see my love and talk with him. It will be really nice to be able to talk more during the week with out running up huge phone bills. And now we can see each other more too= ) So it is way cool and I am way excited! Hurray for technology=)

Coffee Anyone?

Today I was driving back from the Apple store and wanted to get something to drink and I decided to go into a and try this coffee shop called Perk Up that I have driven by several times. It has a quaint atmosphere and the owners (Dave and Sam) were there so I talked to them for a bit. They are really nice and were great in letting me try drinks and suggesting drinks. I also found out that they try and get everything from local vendors which I think is awesome. I think that I have found a new local coffee shop that has really good coffee and smoothies.

What is that Noise?

For the last few days the weather here in KC has been kind of gloomy. Raining off and on and cloudy. Then yesterday right before I was getting ready to leave work I heard this high pitched noise. I thought that there was some thing wrong with the CD that I was listening to on my computer at work. So thinking nothing of it I headed out for the weekend. Dodging the rain I ran to my car and turned on the radio. Nothing on the weather. Then I ran to the bank and was talking with the teller and they asked if the sirens were still going. That is when I put two and two together. The tornado sirens. Go figure. Well I got home and turned on the news and there were 3 tornadoes that had touched down, one in Bonner Springs, Gardner and in Missouri. The first two were about 15-20 miles away from me and the last at least 30 miles from me. So for about an hour or two the tornado sirens kept going off. Thankfully nothing by me just tons and tons of rain and black skies. So I have survived my first Kansas tornadoes.

And the Hunt is on...

This last weekend (Labor Day) I was able to fly home for the weekend. It was such a jammed three days. The main goal for the weekend was to look at locations for the wedding. Neal, my mom and I all went up to Estes Park on Saturday and looked at 5 or so places. There were some that we really liked and some not so much. Then that night we met our friends Mike, Mallory and their son Ethan in Castle Rock for dinner. That was so good to see then and hang out. Then on Sunday we (my mom and dad, Neal and myself) went up to the mountains for lunch at my aunt and uncle Deb and Walt's. There we saw Jan and Benedict (Walt's brother and his wife, also Helene's parents) and my grandparents. After lunch Neal and I went and looked and more possible locations in Pine and Evergreen. Then on Monday before I left Neal and I looked and some location in Genesee. And if you have not figured it out we are looking to have a mountain wedding. Overall it was such a crazy weekend driving all over looking at different areas and locations. But I think that it was really productive because it helped us to narrow down the places that are still on our list and cross out the one that we did not like so much. Other than looking for a wedding location it was just nice to see everyone and hang out with family and friends.

The Family Visits

This last weekend (August 15-19) my family came out and spent the weekend with me. My brother Thomas was heading down to Florida to go to school. So in his way down he stopped by for the weekend to hang out. He got here Friday evening. Then my mom and dad got here on Saturday. So Thomas and I hung out all day on Saturday waiting for our parents to get in. We went down to the Plaza and walked around all the different shops there. The Plaza is an outdoor mall. It was really nice out so it was nice just to walk around. Then we headed across town to Legends (another outdoor mall) where Thomas' girlfriend Lindsey was hanging out with the basketball team from KCK where she played before going to school in Florida. So we hung out there for a while then headed back to my apartment. Mom and dad got there shortly after we did then we all went to dinner together and then spent the rest of the evening hanging out. On Sunday we went out to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel (I think our new favorite breakfast restaurant). Then we headed over to Nebraska Furniture Mart where dad got a new TV. Then after that he headed back to Colorado. A quick weekend for him. My mom and Thomas then stayed a few more days before they started for Florida to take Thomas to school down there. It was really nice to have everyone together for the weekend and was good to see Thomas before he when down to school. So a quick weekend I think for everyone but way fun=)

And the Planning Starts

Ok, I have only been engaged for about a week but both Neal and I have been so excited about getting engaged and starting the wedding planning process. We have already started throwing ideas out for where we want to have it, what we want to do during the wedding and so much more. Having all these different ideas going through my head has helped to pass the time when I am by myself. For those of you that do  not know I am living in Olathe, KS and Neal is living Colorado Springs, CO. so we do not get to see each other very often right now. Having something to work on together makes me feel like we are closer than we actually are which is really nice. Having on one that I can talk to here about our exciting time is a bit hard sometimes. There seems like that there is so much to do and so little time. But in all reality there is plenty of time and lots of people to help. I have been spending my time at Panera or the Library on- line since I so not have internet at home looking a various locations  and different ideas  for themes and color and anything else that one could think of that has to do with wedding. By the way did I say that I am so excited?!!!!

I'm Engaged!

Yesterday Neal took me out to The Melting Pot for dinner. It was such a wonderful dinner we had a four course meal. To start with we had a spinach cheese fondue, then a salad, then the main course of chicken, pork, shrimp, butternut squash ravioli, beef and veggies. Then the dessert a chocolate turtle fondue with strawberries, cheese cake, marshmallows, brownies, pound cake and then they brought out the best part of it all an Engagement ring on a bed of rose pedals surrounded be strawberries in the shape of a hard. Then Neal got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. And of course I said YES! Then the waiter brought out Champagne with strawberries. What a wonderful weekend.