Are we there yet???

The last couple of weeks before the wedding were definitely a whirlwind. I forced myself to get up early and study at least a couple of hours every day. Then it was wedding crunch time the rest of the day! So many last minute details: monogram stickers, welcome bags for out of town guests (including cookies made from scratch), getting the right color ribbons for different things, ironing tablecloths, preparing gifts for our attendants and our parents, etc. The list seemed endless at times. I got so overwhelmed that I literally wrote out a prioritized, detailed list of everything that needed to get done and then I scheduled and delegated tasks. I got teased quite a bit for my lists toward the end there. I make lists when I'm stressed. They help me to see and organize more clearly what I need to do. (Yes, I am clearly a Monica.)

My family came into town in waves the week of the wedding. It was so wonderful having everyone together again. I'm very glad many of them were able to come early so that we could spend time together before the wedding. Some of my family who came I hadn't seen in at least 7 years! It was wonderful to have them around to make last minute shopping runs with me.

The most stressed out I got was the Tuesday before the wedding. My friend, Ashley, can attest to this as she was the recipient of a rambling phone call canceling our study date that night. Everything seemed like it was piling up and people kept changing the plans without telling me until it was too late to adequately modify my schedule; and we know how that makes me! I talked to some family and friends and let them know how it affects me when they do things like that. I think a part of it was that although I was delegating some tasks, I kept the bigger projects for myself. It's that whole "take control of a situation" thing I've done all my life. And that certainly wasn't going to stop for my wedding! Once I was able to communicate with others and I asked for some more help, everything got a little easier. It's amazing what a few extra sets of hands can accomplish! Before I knew it, Friday had come. Officially wedding weekend. Officially time to kick back, have fun, and enjoy all the most important weekend of my life had to offer!

~*Dr.Mrs. Q*~

Bridal Portraits

I had such a great time posing for my bridal portraits! Sarah, one of my bridesmaids and a longtime friend, helped me get all dressed up and spent the day with me! Seeing myself all done up - hair, make up, dress, shoes, and veil - it really really hit me that it was getting close! I didn't have to imagine how I would look anymore, I could look in the mirror and see it! We took pictures around St. Paul's Episcopal Church downtown as well as in an alley downtown! Kate also came to play for picture time, and she met up with us along with Josh and JoAnna (photographers) and Josh's mom! :)

If you know me, you know I'm a pretty awkward person. I feel especially awkward when everyone is standing around staring and taking pictures of me. So, this was a bit out of my comfort zone. We took some more traditional pictures as well as some fun ones! I took a hand fan that I got from Spain to play with. My bouquet (which is proudly displayed on our dresser in our bedroom) was made by my Mom-in-love! 

It was so fun!! Getting dressed up and posing and being sassy... I definitely recommend the experience. :) I wasn't sure that I wanted bridal portraits originally, but I'm so glad I did it! The hard part came later.... trying to choose which ones to display at the wedding!!! Josh and JoAnna did such an amazing job, they made that wayyy difficult. :)

Here are some of my favorites!

~*Dr.Mrs. Q*~

Graduation!

Amidst all the wedding shenaniganry, I also had a little something else going on... Graduation!!! It was so surreal that PT school was actually drawing to a close and it was finally here! I took a Board exam prep course the weekend before graduation. It was a wake up call to how much I really needed to hit the books! It was also a really great reason to get together with my classmates again and catch up and have fun! Oh, Doublesticks, how I missed you! My table-mates, Lucy and Kurt, had just gotten engaged a few days before, so it was extra exciting to share in that time with them. (SO excited for you guys, btw!!! <3)

At our hooding ceremony the night before graduation, my dad was able to perform my hooding. It meant so much more to me that I could share that with my dad. Definitely a very special moment that I will cherish forever.

And then there it was. Graduation day. As magnificent as I had always imagined it. I walked in that building (same one I graduated from high school) a lowly grad student and emerged a victorious Doctor of Physical Therapy. We were all running around in awe that it was finally here. Seriously, it was one of my most proud moments of my life. I did it. I beat MCG. I successfully completed their DPT program and became a better person for it. All that work, those late nights, tears, Zaxby's and Sonic runs, actually sleeping at school had finally payed off.

After graduation, it was back to wedding world for me! :)

~*Dr.Mrs. Q*~

Undies and dancing

I had my lingerie and bachelorette outing on the same day! We got in our cars and drove to my Matron of Honor's house in Marietta to get the ball rolling. Jessica (my Matron of Honor), Gisela (my sis/Maid of Honor), and Andrea (my brother's girlfriend) had decorated the house in a pink and black theme complete with pink Christmas lights on the banisters! We relaxed a bit with some yummy mixed drinks (including frozen daiquiris and piña coladas which I drank from my bedazzled got pink party cup) before a quick cooking lesson from the one and only Jessica. :) She taught me how to make butter alfredo sauce and buttercream icing from scratch! (Jessica, I still need to get the recipes from you btw!) It was so fun and yummy!! We had dinner and then all got ready for the real fun to stat! ;)

I wore a fun dress, a tiara given to me by my sis-in-love, Kate, and the sash we got my fried Kelly for her bachelorette party last year! The perfect ensemble! We played some games and opened some gifts. And I'll leave it at that. ;) Then we headed off for some dancing in Atlanta! we got in without waiting, I didn't have to pay a cover, and we got a free bottle of champagne! We had so much fun!!

The next day we had walked around Marietta square and had some great pizza there before heading back to Augusta. It was such a great get-away with my girls!!

~* Dr.Mrs. Q*~

Bridal Shower

I had the best bridal shower I could have ever asked for. I was so worried that no one would come (I was told only 3 people RSVP'd) but I was overwhelmed with all the people who were there to celebrate, support, and share in my preparations for marriage. My sister/Maid of Honor, best friend/Matron of honor, and cousin/honorary sister hosted my shower. The food was amazing! Everything from sandwiches, spinach dip, and even sushi! For dessert, there were 2 different kinds of cupcakes (both incredibly delicious and made my by Matron of Honor) and my cousin made my favorite cake- tres leches!

We played word games as well as the toilet paper wedding dress game! My sister-in-love (as my Titi Daly says) is getting married in August, so she and I were the two brides. We had all laughed so much the entire time! They should have a TP challenge on Project Runway, because it's definitely harder than it looks! :)

There were so many gifts! It was so overwhelming to see it all in one place like that! It felt like Christmas but better! We received so many items that we needed. Tim and I were (and still ate) so awed by the generosity that has been shown to us by all our family and friends. A HUGE thanks goes out to everyone who came and showered us with love!

~*Dr. Mrs. Q*~

Starting Anew

As the wedding drew closer, I had way less time to blog than I thought I would. Then after the wedding, I was so busy getting my life in order that I didn't have time to catch up! So now, after all the craziness is over, I decided to start with a clean slate: a new blog! I'll still add some wedding posts to cover what I didn't get to in my wedding blog (Ana Gets Married) but the focus here will be on life after the wedding and after grad school! :)

I've really missed being able to blog and get everything down and out there, so I hope you all enjoy reading this new blog as much as I'm enjoying writing it!