A crazy few weeks

The whole crew!

Sharron and I working on the cake.

So glad my mom could come down for the shower!

We thought the week we moved was crazy, but the universe proved us wrong again. Last week illustrated what true chaos means, and we both feel relieved to be on the other side of that insanity. Terry had to write a ten-page introduction (yes, that's just the introduction) to his Master's project, and I had cheer tryouts all week. Somehow, we survived the madness, and Terry even survived his Ragnar Relay race down to Coronado Island with his coworkers. I'm so proud that he finished, and - even more impressive - ran over 13 miles without much sleep. What a champ. Meanwhile, a few wedding updates from the last few weeks:

My mom came down for a fun weekend of girly bonding, shopping, and bridal shower-ing. We even found her dress for the wedding! We went through David's Bridal, which had a dress that looks stunning and elegant on her. I can't wait to see it for the big day! That same weekend, Terry's mom, family friends, and a few others threw a gorgeous bridal shower for me. The outdoor setting felt elegant and super classy, and Terry's dad even tended the bar! I'm so glad my mom was able to be there to celebrate with Terry's side of the family, a few of my coworkers, and even an awesome bridesmaid (thanks for making the drive out, Heidi!). It felt very surreal opening wedding gifts at my own bridal shower - I can't exactly describe the feeling of receiving your first gift that is intended for you and your husband. I have given many a wedding gift before, but receiving one is a completely different experience. I am so grateful to Terry's family and friends for throwing such a beautiful shower. I am truly blessed to get to be a part of such a generous and loving family.

This week (and for the past two months), we have been hard at work on the invitations, and tonight we finally sent them! We estimate that the entire process, from design to construction to licking the envelopes, took around 50 hours total. Some highlights include: trying to mount the cards onto the backings while driving up to Fremont (surprisingly difficult in a car), making at least eight trips to Paper Source to gather the necessary materials, and wanting to write angry letters to Target because they were surprisingly inconsistent with which stores carry scrapbooking tape and which ones don't. Regardless, we got it all done, and we absolutely put every bit of heart and soul into those invites. Pictures to come - hope you'll like them!

William and Kate's wedding is in a week and a half! I'm so excited for the Barbara Walters special about the wedding tonight, and I have every intention of creating a British-style meal on the big day. I also look forward to trying Newcastle's new brew, Kiss Me Kate, named after the new princess herself! Good thing we're doing London for the honeymoon - otherwise it would have been added to the itinerary!

In other wedding news, my big brother and his awesome fiancee have set a date for their nuptials! I seriously doubt they have any intention of blogging about their wedding planning, so I plan to take full responsibility for that project. I'm so proud and happy that Chris found the girl of his dreams (and hey, we all love her!). We are so excited to celebrate their wedding, and I look forward to the ginger children they will likely produce.

Life's certainly getting busy! On top of the wedding, work, school, family visits, and (still) setting up the new apartment, Terry's 25th birthday is this Thursday, and we're taking some time to celebrate that night. Later in May, the real gift is SCUBA diving! We've never done it before, but we're getting certified and then diving in Catalina for a weekend. We can't wait!