Why do we put ourselves through this??!! Where's the courthouse?!?!

So, as I start the process of planning for my wedding several things become very apparent to me:

1. Weddings are NOT about you, your desires, your dreams or your fiance.

2. Weddings are NOT inexpensive.

3. Wedding planning is a pain in the ass.

4. Wedding planners are not all the same and not all happy with their line of work- which is a shame.

5. Weddings ARE about your family, their desires and their friends.



So, when we talk about family, their desires and the images they want to present to their friends, let me just tell you what will be happening at my wedding.

Let's see, for my fiance's family....we will be having a Rabbi officiating the ceremony and the betrothal ceremony (yes, you read that right.....apparently, that still goes on in today's Jewish world... ). I'm okay with this because there is still a "new and exciting" factor with having a Rabbi officiate. I know nothing about what this ceremony involves....I just know that we get to break glass, speak Hebrew and be under a cute canopy for the ceremony. :)

For MY family, we'll be having a Rabbi officiating...yup. For those of you who know my mother, you can imagine how excited she was when I told her that I needed her to find me a Rabbi for the ceremony. She screamed on the phone and has been working hard to find Jewish music for the reception. If anything, I've had to restrain her quite a bit because I don't want my wedding to resemble something from "Fiddler on the Roof" or have "Hava Nagila" playing all night....

For those of you attending....don't worry, you won't have to carry Vlad and I around the roomon chairs or learn to dance in a cirlce to " Hava Nagila".....just prepare for an awesome, traditional ceremony and a GREAT time at the reception with....... (this part makes Vlad and I happy..)...4 hours of OPEN BAR!! Yippee!!

The new office....

So, today at work, I spent the day imagining myself beating this specific banker over the head because he just refused to work........ but that's not why I'm writing this blog...

After work, I went to the Mayan Cafe with my wonderful friend, Stephanie and spent some time just catching up with my bff. I just love her. She's so awesome and I love spending time talking to her. She makes me happy. ;)

So, while we were eating tonight, Stephanie asked me, "Why hasn't Vlad asked you to marry him yet?" I just responded, "You know, with everything else about the wedding being totally out in the open, I really think that Vlad wants to have this one thing be a surprise." As this is happening, I'm getting a phone call from Vlad (who also knows that I'm out with a friend and won't be coming home for a while) trying to figure out when I'm coming home. What a punk.....

Anyway, I ate the best ever dessert in the world and I totally want to go back there tomorrow for their bread pudding.....or their chocolate souffle...either way, the Mayan Cafe kicks ass!!!

Alright, moving on.... Some back story, I asked Vlad on SATURDAY to "help" (read: to do for me completely...with no help from me at all) me move my computer and desk over to the guest bedroom and out of my room. So, when I came home tonight, I saw that the windows were open in the condo and I could see Vlad walking back and forth from the bedroom to the guest room. Also, I could see that the TV was on and I just thought, "I wonder if he's trying to surprise me with the office FINALLY being moved over... (seriously, people, it's Monday now).

So, I walked in the house and Vlad was there waiting for me. I should have known something was terribly wrong by that sign alone. He's NEVER waiting for me to come home. The house smelled REALLY good...like cinnamon and steak....I don't know why I think that smells good now..but, when I walked in, I said, "hey, the house smells great!"....Vlad just nervously looks around and says...."I was cooking"... Then he grabs my arm and says,"Baby, come and look at the new office!"....he guides me to the guest bedroom and this is what I saw....




(this is a bad pic....couldn't find my cord for my camera...more to come)



I looked around and saw the flowers....the champagne....the ring box....WITH THE RING!....It took me a second to understand what was happening....but, then Vlad got on one knee and I started to freak out!....

He gave me my awesome ring.....said sweet things, proposed and then .....we got smashed.

Let's see...first there was the vodka toast that we did. Then, the entire bottle of champagne that was consumed....oh yeah, and then the SECOND vodka toast. Needless to say, as I type, I'm pretty smashed...AND happy! So happy! So blessed!


I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!

Mi Mujer Bonita

That's what she used to call me. My whole life, she would greet me with, "Ah, Mujer Bonita!". It always brought a smile to my face. I don't even know where the nickname started, but I loved that of all the grandkids that she had (she had thirteen kids, and most procreated), I was special.

She was godly, compassionate, patient (let's remember that she had 13 kids!), and truly meek. To this day, I've actually never met anyone with the same graceful spirit as she had. A real gem.

I'm blessed to have had her as my grandmother. Every day with her was hopeful. Every day a gift. Especially considering that I grew up overseas and I only really got to see my abuela on the summers when I visited. Every memory that I have of my childhood in Miami involves her, especially when I moved to Miami. I spent a lot of time staying at their house with other family members. Her house was the center of the family.

She made the best mondogo. Her fish stew was delicious. I used to hate arroz con coco until I tasted hers. You know, my mother taught me to love cooking, but my abuela showed me the uniting power of cooking. Every day, she would make all of this food and, hour by hour, more and more family would show up. Whether it be before going to work, their lunch break, or right after work....either way, all that food she made....gone. It was crazy!

So, now, the Lord has received my wonderful Abuela and I can only be happy because she is finally seeing the amazing face of our Savior and she can now worship and glorify Him in person. She is the one that is truly joyful now while her family stays behind and mourns the loss of such a great person and such a great gift from the Lord in our lives.

She leaves behind 12 children, more grandchildren than I can count and more than 10 great grandchildren. A part of me is sad that I waited so long to take the plunge in getting married and having kids because I took away a wonderful experience for my kids. Yet, that's what life is, right? Generations pass away and our responsibility is to make sure that we pass on the godly wisdom and life experiences to the next ones.

Eloisa Pantoja. Mi Mujer Bonita....Te quiero muchisimo Abuela y se que Dios te va ha recibir con los abrazos abiertos.

I love you.

what up?!?!?

Yup, small changes but here is my new home! It's still under construction, but much easier for me.

That's all that matters right?

Also, I was going through some pics and going down memory lane and I found this....




This is from a trip Vlad and I took to Cincy to go to Ikea (aka: the best store in the world!). We also went to the Aquarium and had a blast!