"For Always"

Since Paul and I started talking about our lives together, we never really talked about "forever".  It was always "for always".

When it came time to get our wedding bands, I knew I wanted to get them both engraved with something meaningful and something that wouldn't lose meaning over time.  So we both took a little piece of paper, wrote what we wanted each others ring to say then we put it in the box.  I took them both to our jeweler to have them engraved.  I made sure to tell him that if Paul picks up the rings, don't let him see what his ring says.  And I (surprisingly) didn't even look.  I wanted to know, but I wanted to be surprised on our wedding day as well.

May 8th came around, and after we said our "I do's" I slipped off my ring to see what he wrote.  It said, simply, "For Always".  It made me smile even more than I already had been.  What did I write in his?  "For Always 5-8-11".  It really made me happy.  We know that we are meant to be.  But seeing what we both wrote, without knowing what the other was writing, well, its pretty cool.  Great minds think a like they say... I think the same goes for those who share a great love.

1,000 Words

Our professional pictures are up!!  They are absolutely amazing.  Not sure how we are going to pick which prints to order, but I am excited to see them all!  Here is a link so you can check them out too!

www.pictage.com/1041861

In Just 7 Days

One week from now, it will be here.  

Our wedding day.

I feel like this is something I have been planning for my WHOLE life.  It really is amazing how what you think you want changes a zillion times.  I think I have been dreaming about this day for the last 15 years.  And that is probably not too big of an exaggeration.  HA!  My mom used to tell me that I would need to get married 15 times to have all the weddings I wanted.  I don't need 15, just this one. It will be perfect.

May 8, 2011 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, in a beautiful vineyard full of romance, I will be the luckiest girl in the world.  I will be just moments away from marrying the love of my life. 

In Between

While we are done with the bulk of the planning process, we are in what I like to call "the in between".  This blog, I thought would be fun to look back on some of the fun things that Paul and I have done, and places we have been. 

Our first trip together.  :)  

We went to Disneyland and California Adventure for "Halloween Time" in October 2008.

On our camping trip to Lake Don Pedro with the guys from Paul's department, it was SO much fun!

 

Our snowboarding trip, my first time to the snow in almost 10 years!!  We had such an amazing time snowboarding at Heavenly!!  It is a beautiful place, we lucked out!

 

Back in Tahoe to for our friend's wedding.  South Shore sunsets are amazing!

 Christmas time at the Monterey Bay Plaza Hotel.  So nice to have little getaways together!

I needed help with my boots!  Such a gentleman!

 

Less than 24 hours after Paul proposed.  On board the Sea Princess in San Francisco.

 

At the Parliament Building in Victoria, Canada (first time out of the country for us!)

Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska!

Our last stop, Skagway, Alaska.

Glacier cruising.  COLD but beautiful!

It is so much fun to look back on just some of the wonderful memories we have made so far.  Looking forward to making many more of the together, starting with our wedding in May!

A Brief About Us

Both of us grew up within an hour of each other, but met through friends in a town we both worked in at the time a few years ago.   We met over coffee one day in September 2008, went on a date the next, and the rest is history.  Within months, we both knew in our hearts that this was the real deal, this was our great journey to great love. We got engaged in August of this year and are working on planning our wedding for next year... We are hoping for May 2011!

We both are lucky enough to be working in areas where we have always wanted to be.  Paul is in law enforcement and Niki is in the medical field.  Working in these fields is incredibly time consuming, but we have maintained the mindset that we make it work, no matter what.  There is always time, and if not, we make the time.  Because in the end, love is always worth it.

Once Upon a Time...

I suppose every story can begin with that classic stater, once upon a time, so why not here.

Once upon a time, there were two people who by chance, or maybe not, came together to embark on the greatest journey they would ever take.

These two people are Paul and Niki.