It's Been A Week...

and in that time there's been: peace, family, friends, tears, food, toasts; even some laughter & a little football.  

family

What an amazing family I have

Me and my goofy flower girl [although she doesn't know that yet... that will be some weekend fun :) ]

UConn football - they lost... big

August Cara Box Reveal

This month was a really fun Cara Box theme.  Instead of a gift theme, everyone was paired by their life stage.  I was paired with two amazing ladies, who I feel I got to know really well!  
Chloe at All That Good Stuff sent me a great box.  She loves cupcakes and pink, just like me!  From her, I received a fantastic, wonderfully personalized, package.  Check it out!

 

Hershey's for s'mores and loving the nail lacquer!

I also sent a box to Ginny over at Buttergirl Diaries.  She is a beautiful lady from North Carolina, who is currently engaged and loves photography, fall, and her English Bulldog, Mr. Truck!  I can't wait to get lots of tips from her about wedding planning!
Here is a sneak peak of what I sent her.  Head over to her blog to see everything!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for my family over the last few days.  I can't even tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you.

A Loss

On Thursday, this world lost one amazing woman.  Mike's mother, Rindi, lost her 3+ year battle with cancer.  She was a kind, strong, and positive woman who always had a smile on her face and a big hug for everyone.    I cannot even describe how much she will be missed.   The last few days have been spent with family.  We've made memory boards for the services today and tomorrow, and it's been really nice going through tons of old photos from throughout her life.  She really was a beautiful woman, as you can see in her obituary.

 Rindi and her 6 siblings from this year and about 1960 [she is sitting on her dad's lap below]

Rindi and Dave's wedding 32 years ago

Mike and I definitely need some matching sweaters :)

How cute was little Mikey?!

Please join me in praying for Mike, his dad, his sister, and their whole family for peace in this time of need.

Cheesecake Brownies

I am a lucky lady.  Mike really enjoys cooking and baking.  Every once in a while, he'll see a recipe on Facebook and insist on making it that night.  Good thing I like trying new things!  One of his favorite things to make is his mom's recipe for cheesecake brownies.  Occasionally, he will come home from work and decide we're making them that night [that's probably why we buy cream cheese and brownie mix in bulk from Sam's haha].
Here is her wonderful recipe: Ingredients: - 1 package of brownie mix [and ingredients needed to prepare mix] -  8 oz. cream cheese [we always use Philadelphia] - 1/3 cup sugar - 1 egg - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions: - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. - Prepare brownie mix as directed on box and pour into a greased 13x9 pan. - Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy.  Then, add sugar, egg, and vanilla.  - Drop cream cheese mix by tablespoons over brownie mix and swirl with knife. - Bake 35-40 until cream cheese is lightly browned.

Quickest Weekend Update Ever

Saturday: beach with my ladies while Mike played in a golf tournament with my dad [I love how my dad keeps introducing him to everyone I knew at the golf course as a kid as his "future son-in-law" eeeekkk!!!]

Sunday: visited my cousins and more family time

Me and all my cousins!

And all in between: tons of wedding planning [aka Laura - my future sister-in-law - asking me a million questions and me saying "I don't know" hahaha]

A Summer Memory...

Today's topic for the North East Bloggers' August Blogging Challenge is "A Summer Memory."
I had some ideas kicking around for this last week, but now, after last weekend, I think I have a new favorite summer memory! Our engagement! Here are a few photos from this week I had yet to post:

Mike's mom checking out my ring!

Making it "Facebook official"

We might have baked a cake to celebrate it... sometimes butter yellow cake mix and store-bought frosting cakes are the best ever 

We received our first engagement card yesterday :)

AND THE RING!

Oh, and just in case that wasn't enough for one week, I received an email yesterday from Titleist.  Remember this spring when I went to a photo shoot with them??? Well, I was chosen for their U.S. Amateur spread, so I get to be on their website, other golf websites, and even in magazine this week!  [I'm in the purple in case you couldn't find me :) ]

The One Where I SAID YES!

AKA My Weekend... Part 2
Did you check out my weekend recap part 1 post yesterday?  Yeah, you probably thought the Electric Run was the fun part of my weekend, right?  So why the heck does she need a part 2, you wondered?  Yeah, because the subject didn't give it away, right?  Well do I have a surprise for you...
I'M ENGAGED!!!

Here's how the biggest surprise of my life went down... 
Two weekends ago, Mike went down to my hometown to ask my dad's permission [when he claimed he was playing golf on his day off].  He spent time talking to my mom as well as one of my best friends.  Yes, it is old school, but he knows how much my parents mean to me, and being an only child, they are a huge part of my life.  Oh, and because I'm the biggest pack rat in the world, my mom found the paperwork from my college ring order with my ring size on it.
A week later, last Friday, he went out ring shopping with his sister and her boyfriend.  I am so happy he involved our whole families, and even more happy Laura was so supportive of his decision!
On Sunday, my parents came up to visit Mike's mom, and Mike, my dad, one of Mike's friends, and I all played golf together.  After that, we had pizza at our house and then went to his parents' to visit his mom.  [Sidenote, I thought it was funny that he insisted on taking showers before we went to his parents' after golf.  I mean, I was meeting an aunt/uncle/cousins I hadn't met before, so I guess he wanted us to look nice?]
After being there for 20 minutes or so, Mike took out our camera and started taking some photos of everyone.  He showed his aunt how to use the camera, and she kept snapping photos of him and his mom and me and his mom.  Then, in the middle of his parents' living room with my parents, his parents, two of his aunts, and his grandmother watching, he got down on one knee.  I LOST IT.  I actually had to ask him a few hours later if I actually did say yes... I guess I did [phew]!

What's funny is that over the two days before he asked me, we were bombarded by three of his family members [including his uncle I had never meet before IN FRONT OF MY PARENTS] asking when he'd pop the question... apparently three and a half years of dating begins to warrant some questions haha.
I can't even tell you how happy I was that he chose to do it now.  It was incredible because all of our families were there, and I am especially happy his mom was able to be a part of it since we are pretty sure she won't be there for our wedding.  He told me later that he thought it was extra special to ask me there, in the middle of his parents' living room, because that was the first place he ever saw me, over four years ago  I think I've said this before, but if not, Mike's sister was my roommate during junior year of college, so that's how we met! 
Throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening, lots of family was already planning to stop by to see Mike's mom, so it was great that I got to tell so many people right away.  Other than that, the last few days have been a long stream of phone calls, jumping up and down, and smiles during this much needed time.  

He looks pretty happy with himself, doesn't he?!

My mom and his dad :)

Beautiful Laura who has been so supportive!

Yaaayy more family!

I'm sorry that this post does not have the best grammar ever, I was just so excited to share everything with you all, I wanted to get it all on paper, and don't want to forget a single moment!