Ok, ok, the rest of the men!

My mother has put in a request for me to finally finishing blogging about the men in my wedding party. I didn't want them to think that I left them out. This post is therefor dedicated to... THE BROS!

There are three brothers in our wedding. Although I only grew up with one, I have gained two more in the past few years as I've been invited into the Davis family. My brother is also gaining a brother in Kyle, so we can pretty much assume all hell may just break loose here in the future at family function.

First, we'll start with the eldest of the brothers, Brett. Brett has been absolutely amazing during this wedding planning time. He has a great job working as a liquor distributor, actually I think he is now a representative for a specific brand within the company, but anyway, he has been our go-to man for advice on drinks and for gathering up resources for our open bar. Brett is also dad to the nephews, so he is incredibly valuable in keeping them in line as ring-bearer and usher. We are grateful in many ways!

With Brett

Next is Casey, Kyle's best man due to the fact that Kyle was the only family member at Casey's wedding in the Seychelles, so he wanted to "return the favor". These two grew up living in the same room for many years, attended the University of Arizona together, swam in many meets on many early mornings, and have more recently traveled together throughout Europe. Although I only had the opportunity to meet Casey twice during the first four years of our relationship, as he was living in Iraq, Djabouti, Kuwait, or Thailand, I am glad that he decided to domesticate himself in the U.S. for a few years so we would be able to hang out more often!

Casey and Karen's Wedding in the Seychelles

Me and my bro in Denver

Finally is my own brother, Brian. Why Kyle ever agreed to allow him in the wedding is beyond me! :) (Just kidding, Brian, but I know that this could spell trouble). Kyle has adopted my brother as his partner in Jack Daniels consumption. Although this angers me at times due to the resulting behaviors, I am glad to see that Brian and Kyle get along as well as they do. It just reminds me sometimes of when my brother used to steal away my high school boyfriend to play video games for hours on end. 

ONE WEEK!!!

I know, I know, where I have been lately? Well, in case you haven't experienced it all yourself, when planning a wedding, you barely have time to breathe near the end of the planning period! But, I don't want to horribly neglect my job of informing you loyal readers about all the fun that has been going on! My goal is to post a blog a day until the wedding! It may not be lengthy, but it will help build the excitement!

And, when it is all said and done, the secrets I've kept all this time are going to finally be revealed as I will continue to write about our wedding experiences to share with friends and family who were unable to be with us on our special day. It will be a great medium to recap the major events of the weekend. I also think I'd go through some major blogging withdrawal if I just quit cold turkey.

So what have I been doing? Anxiously awaiting the final packages of supplies and decorations to arrive at our doorstep. Doing art projects. Organizing timelines, drivers, gifts, bridal necessities, honeymoon luggage. Dealing with "normal" life throwing us curve balls, like my car key falling apart, or our sprinklers springing leaks. Answering so many e-mails that I try to not open Gmail until I am mentally prepared. Working out. Buying new clothes that fit my slender new figure. Trying not to run out of funds!

Are you excited? Can you believe that this journey is nearing its climactic peak? I am getting teary with anticipation and nostalgia all at the same time.

<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5751029/Erica%27s_wedding" title="Wordle: Erica&#39;s wedding"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/5751029/Erica%27s_wedding" alt="Wordle: Erica&#39;s wedding" style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

2 week countdown begins...

In 2 weeks we will be done with all of this! We will be married. We will be exhausted from a full weekend of fun. We will be relaxing, and ready to start the next chapter of our life, officially.

I cannot believe how fast this time has gone by. Sitting here and thinking back, I remember thinking it would never end at times, thinking that I had all the time in the world to get stuff done at other times, and missing out on some of the fun because I was so worried about the work to be done.

Kyle reminds me every morning of how long we have until we get married. His enthusiasm proves that this is just right, we are totally meant to be, and I am really lucky to have him in my life, forever!

We were out to dessert (cheat night, once again) with our good friends tonight, and we got to meet their newborn son. It is finally hitting us that we are no longer going to be "Erica and Kyle" but "The Davis FAMILY" before we know it! This is why all the heartache of making it official matters, because we have bigger goals for our relationship.

We are truly really close to finishing all the prep work that needs to be done. I have some minor art projects I'll be sure to document this week, I have some pictures and songs to upload, but other than those tasks, we are ready to roll with all the important parts. People keep telling me it will all fall together nicely. I hope so, because I am running out of brain cells and creativity.

Good thing I have a lot of post-its, because I'm gonna need a lot of reminders in the next week to make sure I am not forgetting anything!

Thanks for coming along with us on our journey so far!

Erica

Cheers!

Phoenix Bachelorette Party!

That's is right, bachelorette #2!

What a night to remember/forget! (I remember most of it!)

Thank you so much to my ladies Bev, Drue, Amanda, and Lindsay for helping to organize my evening of debauchery.

We started the evening with gourmet pizza and sangria at Grazie. There I was given a bouquet of lollipops and was told I needed to sell them to buy an outfit for my honeymoon! (see photo) Then we went to Dos Gringos, mostly for nostalgia, but somewhat to get the party started. It was too quiet, so we went to a club called BS; nearly all men there, if you get my drift, but what else would a bachelorette want?! It was totally by chance, but when I saw the nearly naked guys dancing on stage, I knew we found a good place. Cheap drinks, too! Then we moved to the final destination of Martini Ranch, negotiated a reduced cover charge, and watched Rock Lobster rock the 80's tunes, with a short trip to the club to dance, too (but a creepy guy ruined that for me). We weren't kicked out until after 2:00, but then I was insisting on a snack, so we hit up the after-hours bar, Gus's for pizza, where a very nice man practically let me steal slices from his pizza since the line was so long. I never made it inside. And I think I walked there barefoot. Rickshaw back to the Valley Ho- quick night's sleep- and a great breakfast and some pool time topped off the weekend. (Need I remind you this all took place the night of my shower, I was EXHAUSTED)

P.S. I made $70!

Things I learned at this party:

1. When eating outdoors at Grazie, bring an umbrella to protect yourself from the misters/rainstorm (the misters soaked us!)
2. Order bread
3. Always carry a "big-ass glass" with you because it is much harder to spill when dancing (see photos)
4. Don't try to sell Scottsdale douchebags a lollipop before 10:00 p.m., or before 5 drinks...
5. Use pathos to get people to feel sorry for you and give you cash (for the lollipops)
6. GO TO BS, the club where male go-go dancers (hotter than strippers) will give you jello shots and there are 2 for 1s every Saturday night!
7. Pizza, Gus's, 2:00 a.m., DONE!
8. Get a hotel room close by, like at the Valley Ho
9. Hire a rickshaw
10. Wear sensible shoes
11. Go see Rock Lobster at Martini Ranch and rock out!
12. Water, drink, water, drink, water, drink

Oh man, it was a great time, probably the most fun I've ever managed to have in Scottsdale.

My "big-ass glass" from Karen!

The lollipop bouquet and glass I carried all night- got my arm workout in!

Mom rallied for the first stop!

Nadja made it out to 2 bachelorette parties!

This one was for Kyle and all my friends who love The Captain! Not sure where I got the crown...

My Wonderful Shower!

Girl time post #2: My Bridal Shower!

I am not the world's largest fan of showers for many reasons. One, I am burnt out after all the bridal and baby showers I've attended over the past few years (they are countless). Two, I usually feel awkward asking anyone to do anything for me like plan a party. Three, I usually plan the party, so I know it will be exactly what I imagined, thus giving up control makes me a bit uneasy.

But my shower was perfect! It was at The Living Room (my favorite bar and the location of my 30th birthday bash 2 years ago), in Chandler. This martini-themed bar specializes in small plates and fabulous drinks.

30 or so of my female family and friends gathered together to celebrate! I must admit that it is exhausting to socialize with three or four different groups of people at once, making sure they are all having a good time (I know that this precursor to the wedding was good practice). We had a spread of bruschetta, flatbreads, hummus, and classic wedding cookies from Barb's Bakery downtown Phoenix.

My sisters created a few simple games, Kyle and Erica trivia for one, and Bride Bingo (for gift opening, when I got a gift or said something about the gifts they got to mark it off), and then created a mad lib out of my wedding website story. Totally typical English teacher.

My sister-in-law, Karen, also created amazing decorations and my other sister-in-law, Anji, sent out adorable invitations. My third sister-in-law, Shannon, helped put up the decorations and my mother-in-law Peg helped cover the cost!

Thank you all for all you did for me. I never felt more loved and special.

AND of course I got some wonderful gifts, the highlight definitely being my CROCK POT (so I can shut up about it now) and some scandalous goods for the honeymoon, too. :)

And of course, pictures:

My sister-in-law, Karen, created this awesome banner (and another with our wedding date) for decoration!

My sister painted these glasses with chalkboard paint and wrote in names for favors.

The ladies of the Jensen family were all here!

The spread- amazing cookies and flat breads.

Gift time!

My knives!!! :)

Thank you for making me learn to cook!

Thank you, Audra, for the Crock pot!

The new family! Anji, Peg, Shannon, Aunt Pat, Karen. Thank you for all your help!

Much Needed Girl Time

Over the past month, I've been reminded multiple times of how many wonderful females are in my life. I can love Kyle because these women taught me to first love who I am and to be comfortable with all my quirks. It is no wonder that a weekend away with them added up to one unforgettable (for the most part) time!

My first bachelorette party (yes, I got 2!) was in Denver, Colorado. My good friends from college, along with my sisters, organized a weekend of fun activities. I can honestly say that I had the time of my life! Everything was just perfect, and reminded me of all the good times we've spent together in the past.

We stayed at the Curtis hotel downtown, walking distance from bars and activities. From a pretty tame dinner and martini bar hop on Friday night, to a spa day on Saturday, to a wild night of dancing and debauchery on Saturday night, even my Sunday morning hangover could not put a damper on the fun.

I learned a few things during the course of the weekend that I feel the need to pass along for your benefit:

• My sister does not like me trying to find her a date to my wedding at a bar
• Flabongos draw a lot of attention
• Bouncers love bachelorette parties
• I know a lot about Kyle! (We played a game [see picture below] where I had to take a shot if I guessed an answer wrong for trivia questions the girls had made Kyle answer)
• I need to remember to take pictures before entering a club and sweating my mascara off
• Drinking at altitude= bad hangover
• Wear your most comfortable shoes
• Avoid throwing glasses into the street, or kicking newspaper boxes
• Don't plan for breakfast the morning after your bachelorette party (before noon)

Here are some photos:

The whole family got involved for dinner the first night!

Martini Bar Hopping

Spa Time- complete with spritzer!

Muddy feet but happy ladies!

This is where the trouble started...

A 3-course meal with drink pairing per course!!!

Delta Gamma Pride!

This spells trouble...

Now this is what fun looks like!!! Bride sailor hat AND crown!

This is called a flabongo... I only took 1 over the course of the night!

The Friday night gang! Cassie, Sarah, Melissa, Kaycee, Jenna, Amanda, Erica, Jill, Irina, Katie

The final stretch...

We have hit it, the one month mark. No more counting down months, as now we focus on weeks and days. Soon enough it will be hours. I can honesty say I had no idea how fast a year would go!

The sad part of today is that I am celebrating alone, with Kyle being gone to India for another week. I grilled my first turkey burgers by myself (and they came in a two-pack, rub it in why don't ya!), I am toasting myself, and I am going to watch some Arizona Highways in honor of Kyle.

Dinner for me! (See, minus the cookie, still being healthy).

This week has made me realize that I am very, very excited to marry Kyle, because I really miss him (now that the chaos of my shower weekend is over at least) and I realize when he is gone how much I love to be around him. Everything is more fun when Kyle is around. And although I was excited a week ago to have some down time to get all my work accomplished, I have barely made a dent in that list, and I don't know where my time has gone! So really, it must not be his distractions alone that cause my procrastination.

I also have so, so much left to do, and everyone is being so nice and offering to help, but really there isn't much I can pass on to others. The last tasks involve gifts for friends and family, things to buy, and personalization of items. And I don't want to give away every surprise for our wedding!

So here's to one final month of the stress and single life! (Let's get real, I haven't been living single for many, many years). But for some reason, I am so excited to have the title of "married" officially!

I LOVE AND MISS YOU, KYLE.

Hello from India!

Kyle is in India

So, you know how you wanted to freak out the month before the wedding because of the long list of things to do, and felt like it would never get accomplished?! Thank God your husband-to-be was there to help, along with friends and family.


Or not.


India. That is right, Kyle left today to go to India until September 5. That means I have 2 full weeks of wedding planning chaos that I will have to do on my own. Luckily, I have my mom and sisters in town this upcoming weekend to help figure out some of the more artistic details.

I took a picture of Kyle's lucky travel Buddha so he could "take it with him"

I know I have influence when he has a typed checklist...

Should I be worried this trip required shots?

What is worse than not having help is just not having him around, though. I will be bored, not know what to do with my evenings, have to make dinner for one, learn how to grill a good chicken breast, and make sure I keep up on household chores on my own.

Wait a second here, I may be on to something...

Without Kyle running interference, I might ACTUALLY get some of these things done! No more putting grading off because he wants to go out. No more waiting to go to the gym so we can go together until after he is done with work. I can eat dinner before 8! I can get into bed before 11! (I know he will say that I can do all these things while he is here, but you all know that is much easier said than done when you're working on 2 separate schedules).

I get 2 weeks of chick flicks and "Bride Nights". 2 weeks of down time. This may be the best thing to happen to our marriage as of yet.

Productivity. Here I come...




As soon as Kyle finally gets on the plane. Right now I will just keep talking to him and get my fix of gushy love talk. I really will miss him.

To Take a Man Shopping

The usual routine for shopping in this house is 1. Erica goes shopping and browses. 2. Kyle asks for something. 3. Erica buys that something, or the alternative is to take Kyle directly to that item and make him try it on, make a quick decision, buy, leave. When it comes to online shopping, Kyle will search multiple sites, research on CNet, compare pricing, and order from Amazon.

Registering was going to be a challenge.

I first decided to bribe him by choosing REI as one of our stores. We don't necessarily need anything, but what other time is better for splurging than choosing wedding gifts. We started our registry journey at the local REI store, because online wasn't as fun as "using the gun". Well, REI's "gun" is a little tiny scanner, about the size of a stopwatch, on a lanyard. Super fun. Super tempting.

2 hours later... we may be getting a few knives, some camping cookware, and binoculars.

Checking out the good in REI

Our favorite! See, we still look happy!

Then it was on to my number one pick, Target. I must say that we were a little disappointed because there was not nearly enough junk to pick out! The problem is most likely due to fact that I shop at Target too often as a form of stress reduction, and already own much of what I need from there. At Target, we killed the battery on the gun.

The glorious gun!

Finally going to be able to put Pinterest recipes to good use!

2 hours later... I took a chance and asked if there was a possibility we could browse through one, last store. Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Oh shoot! We should have begun our day at B, B, and B. It is paradise. I've been there many times, but never to seriously shop for more than one item at a time (a towel or two here, a bathmat there, some utensil...) They give a us a book to pick out our "China" (we did not go for the bone-quality), and we don't even have to move from our comfortable chairs. They bring us water, offer us a snack, and tell us about their incentives program to win FREE stuff!

Then we see the kitchen knives, all I've wanted (besides a crock pot) since I knew I was getting married. Oh good quality Calphalon knives, you will change my life. To chop a vegetable without exertion, to cut through bread as though it were the butter, to eat steak without your knife bending in half from the pressure.

Luckily there was a monsoon outside, so we had no incentive to leave, and then registered once again at a third store.

Oh the joy! At least B, B and B is prepared.

10 hours total, Kyle was getting really grumpy and tired, but we survived, and now we have accomplished one more challenge of preparing for our wedding!

Check out or super cool combined registry site: www.amazingregistry.com/JensenDavisWedding

The More Men the Merrier!

Inappropriate for a bride-to-be to say?

Well, today we showcase Kyle's oldest friend in the wedding party, Dave. If the world were to end tomorrow, I think Kyle would rather spend it with Dave than me. Not only have Kyle and Dave been in each other's lives for years, but Dave is absolutely one of the nicest men I have ever met. He has a great attitude, takes care of Kyle (and his family), and is really skilled and creative when it comes to working on household projects. (What other incredibly nice things can I say about him so that he'll help us redo the master bathroom after we finish with this whole wedding project?!)

Dave and Kyle swam together when they were kids, went through freshmen year of college as roommates at the University of Arizona, and have stayed in touch even after marriage and children. (Obviously not ours, yet). Dave's wife Jo is an incredibly talented designer, so I seek inspiration from their house. Dave's daughter Marin is one of the cutest kids on this planet, who totally inherited her dad's quirky energy.

We are so luck that Dave agreed to be a part of the wedding party and I am just glad that someone responsible will help Kyle to arrive to our ceremony on time!

At Dave's wedding with mutual good childhood friend, Patrick

Losing teeth at a meet

So sweet! 

Meet more of the boys!

I know that I started to blog awhile back about the men in our wedding party. I have been a bit distracted by other exciting moments, but don't want to completely ignore the other half of the wedding party!

A little bit of background first: Kyle had a really, really hard time deciding on his groomsmen. He was torn between a group of childhood friends, his family and soon-to-be-family, his current close friends who he spends most of his time with, and a plethora of other important guys. It must suck to have so many friends...

Having these two groomsmen, Jared and Jon, in the wedding just feels natural. These two crazy kooks have somehow managed to keep Kyle out of trouble (for the most part) while at the same time being negative influences (at times). From the casino, to Teakwoods, to hikes and camping, these two seem to be not just Kyle's buddies, but our buddies as a couple. I never know what will happen when the three guys get together, or when we go over to Jared and his wife Bev's house for game night, or when Jon and his wife Lindsay have us over for a pool day. What I can say is that the nights with these two always end in laughs, and even with children they've still allowed us to be a part of their lives! (Kyle, sometimes, does not behave the best in front of impressionable young ones!)

So glad to celebrate our wedding with you two, like we got to be there on your special days.

Jon and Kyle at Jon's wedding

Erica and Jared

Ummm... Jon's typical face.

At Jared's Wedding

Kyle and Jared

2 months left 'til the love!

Oh my word! In EXACTLY 2 months I am getting married to my very best friend in the world! SO MUCH LEFT TO DO!

Kyle, thank you for being awesome as I transitioned back into working these past two weeks, even though I know I made it hard for you to be awesome with all my breakdowns, and thank you for our date night last night to celebrate that we've already come so far!

Cheers! (It was cheat night, so no judging!)

I drank the beer, Kyle the Manhattan!  YUM

Got our first RSVPs!

They're here!

You know that this wedding is actually happening when people start to tell you that they are COMING to your wedding! I guess we can't go back now! How exciting to get all this "real" mail for the next month! I am thankful for those of you who recommended that we had RSVPs sent to our house so we could get excited about them every day!

Since the invites have officially gone out, here is a peak at how they turned out!

Invitations!

 

 

 

We used different colored leaves for the invitations, so there are many varieties!

Check out this totally unique RSVP from my brother:

Thanks, bro!