"Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted. And it can be the most valuable thing you have to offer."

The above quote is from an incredible article that I ran across in Sunday's Parade Magazine. I loved the quote, but I loved the entire lesson I learned from the article even more.

It was a brief look into a "Last Lecture" given by a Carnegie Mellon professor that only weeks after agreeing to give the lecture was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Obviously, after the diagnosis the "Last Lecture" took on a whole new meaning. The story explains that while the easy thing to do would be to cancel, it wasn't the best thing for this man, Randy Pausch, and his family. He needed to share his story--his incredible "life lessons." Not only does his family now have his amazing, heartfelt and overwhelmingly motivational message to hang on to for years to come, but thanks to the spread of his story, he's offered insight and hope to many others that wouldn't have ordinarily crossed his path.

If you read the story (which is just a brief excerpt of his story) http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_04-06-2008/1My_Last_Lecture, or if you watch his lecture on YouTube you can't help but be effected. His concepts are simple, but when I examined my own life, I realized that while they may be simple, and should be obvious, the things he points out are all too often overlooked. The simple lessons in life are what we should build on--they are the foundation for the big things.

If you haven't heard of Randy Pausch, and you haven't read his story, I encourage you to do so (there's a primetime ABC special about him tomorrow night too). While it may not change your life, it will at least give you a little hope for what life can and should be and will definitely inspire you to live each day to the fullest. As he so confidently says, "Time is all you have and you may find one day that you have less than you think."

A new kind of paradise...

Less than a month ago Brad and I were lounging on the beach in Jamaica, thinking that life couldn't be any better. We had the sun, the sand, exceptional food and no worries--life was good. I worried that after all of the wedding festivities and the honeymoon excitement, settling into life at home would be a bit... dull? What were we going to look forward to now? No more wedding parties, or planning... what's next?

I'll admit, the first week was a bit rocky. We were trying to find a home for all of Brad's stuff, not to mention the mountain of gifts we had received. I was adjusting to having someone else share my space, and he was figuring out how to make do with a smaller closet, fewer drawers and waking up everyday without talking to his dad. We were both a little surprised by how different it felt. I assumed that after four and a half years together him moving in would be no big deal--clearly I had forgotten what having a roomate was like.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to today, a day that I couldn't imagine being any better. I like waking up next to him and having his tell me crazy stories in the morning that disrupt my routine. I love knowing that no matter what we have to do in the evenings, I'm always going to see him at the end of the day. I love married life! Don't get me wrong, he still leaves his t-shirts on the floor and doesn't pick up the bath mat until I ask him to, but instead of being annoyed, I have to laugh. I don't do his laundry like he prefers--I can't remember to dry his jeans! It's the little things that make me realize how incredibly awesome it is that we're building this new life together. We are creating our own routines--and I'm learning to let go of some of my obsessivenesss. This new life we have, it's our very own paradise, and the best part of it all is that we're already home, the vacation never ends.

Life is good. It's nice to love and be loved.

It's official!

After all of the planning and stressing and finally relaxing in paradise--Brad and I are officially settling into our newest roles in life--husband and wife. However, before I can even begin describing our "newlywed life" I have to elaborate on what just so happens to be the best day of my life so far--our wedding day!

I have always loved fairytales and for that one day, March 8th (despite the snowy beginning), I lived my own fairytale--one complete with a fabulous setting, a handsome prince, and a million other tiny details that made it "ours." Every aspect of our day was even more perfect than I could have ever imagined. For example, the flowers were gorgeous, my Funfetti cake was delicious and most importantly, Brad and I were joined by so many of our very favorite people. We realized that it is not likely that we will ever again be able to bring all of our family and friends together for one big celebration. Being able to connect different aspects of our lives--from work to college friends to our dearest family members--was a truly special thing that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

For all of those people who believe that a wedding isn't worth it--too much money, time and stress for such a quick event, I will forever encourage them to think again. While it is "just one day," it's a day that I will replay in my mind forever. I look back now and think about how Brad and I considered a destination wedding and now thank my lucky stars that we decided it wasn't for us. While that is a great option for some, I wouldn't trade my extraordinary day in my hometown, surrounded by so many of our family and friends, for anything! That "one day" is better than I could ever describe--just wait, if you haven't already, you'll see!

More pictures (others will come later)!

10 days to go!

Ready, set, go--it's crunch time! I cannot believe that in just 10 days and one hour I will be in the process of becoming Mrs. Brad Stripling--woah, even typing it seems crazy! Time is absolutely flying by--on one hand I'm so excited and can't wait until it gets here and on the other, I can't believe the whole wedding will be over before I know it. The most exciting part is that on the other side of all of the wedding craziness, I'll have a fantastic husband (not to mention a trip to Jamaica)!

I am on my way to that insane state of mind that everyone references when they hear you are getting married. Surprisingly enough, so far I've gotten a lot of "wow, I can't believe how calm you are" remarks. However, I feel that my seemingly calm demeanor is slowly shifting into an utter panic. "What have I forgotten? Who should I call? What do I wear to ___? Does __ know how to get to the church?" These are all things that run through my head at night, and part of the reason that I'm not averaging much sleep these days. Oh well, you only do this once!

I'm very excited about everything that is coming and I couldn't be happier with the way things have progressed. My fantastic friends never cease to amaze me. I haven't posted since our phenomenal tool and gadget party. Erin, Melissa and Erin's mom pulled out all of the stops to create the most incredible Fiesta I've ever seen. Brad and I had a wonderful time and couldn't believe all of the awesome things we got! Our friends are the best! This Saturday, I can hopefully begin to repay them with the Bridesmaids luncheon. My sweet aunts are so kind to host it and I can't wait to finally have the opportunity to be the gift giver again.

Today, I had a wonderful luncheon with all of my work friends. If only everyone could be lucky enough to work with such fabulous people. Everything--from the decor (all pink of course), to the food (without mushrooms and onions, thank you) to the dessert (pink, monogrammed petifores), to the unbelievable gifts--was absolutely perfect! I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. I also received probably one of my all time favorite gifts--one of my wedding invitations, beautifully matted and framed! It was so thoughtful and it's going to look great in my house! Everything was perfect, I can't say enough good things about it!

Overall, I'm extremely blessed and so excited about everything that is going on in my life. I have to keep reminding myself how lucky I am to be in love with such a wonderful person and to be able to celebrate our love with all of our friends and family--perhaps that's the best wedding present of all?

Love!
Katie

52 days to go!

I cannot believe how long it has been since I published an update. Things are happening so quickly that I hardly have time to sleep, much less type a blog. Not only is the wedding quickly approaching, but our BIG black tie fundraiser is coming up on February 16, so I'm in dual planning mode.

The most exciting event since my last post was definitely THE "Bachelorette Extravagana." My incredible friends took me to Nashville January 4-6 and we had a fantastic time! It was better than I could have ever imagined. We ate fabulous meals, went out to some great places and they threw me the best lingerie shower ever--complete with pink champagne of course! I realize more and more everyday how fortunate I am to have such wonderful friends and I'm incredibly grateful that they are all celebrating this exciting time with Brad and me. The above picture was from our first night on the town.


As far as the planning goes, we are making progress! Flower girl dresses are picked out (probably not ordered, but they have until the end of the month), favors are in production, and next week I'm getting my dress altered and meeting with the designer. Brad and I plan to pick out the tuxedos and finish our registries this weekend--yes, that's right, we are getting there! Also, our pre-marital counseling is scheduled, so that's definitely a step in the right direction.

Next weekend is our tea at the church--I'm super excited! It'll be a great time to see some people that I haven't seen in a really long time. I'll keep updating as things progress. I can't believe we only have 52 days to go...

Love!

Countdown until 2008

I cannot believe that Christmas has already come and gone. It seems like just yesterday Brad and I were passing out Halloween candy to the neighborhood kids, and now we're preparing to welcome 2008 in less than a week. The past three months have been a complete whirlwind. Between work, family and occassional planning time has flown by--faster than I could have ever imagined.

In August when Brad and I picked a date in March, I remember feeling like we had FOREVER to wait. Time couldn't pass fast enough. Yesterday I had my first realization that despite what I might have previously thought, time was passing and I needed to catch up. I woke up with a desperate desire to start creating lists of things I need to accomplish now, or perhaps yesterday. I'm a huge fan of "To Do" lists, actually, I can hardly function without them. About halfway through my most recent list, I realized that there are far more things left to do than I had originally thought. The most unfortunate thing about planning a wedding at the same time as someone else in your family is that there isn't always enough time to handle things in advance--it's the first things first philosophy. Until last week the Walls-Stripling wedding was on hold, and now I must make decisions in a haste. I need invitations, favors, flower girl dresses, tuxes, an event designer--and a lot more that I can't even begin to type! These things weren't urgent when Allie only had 3 months to plan, but now that I'm down to less than three months, they are quite important. I have to make some decisions, and I have to do it fast.

I imagine the next couple of weeks will be some of the most stressful. I actually kind of hope they are--making decisions will eliminate other stresses. I am dying to have all of these details ironed out--obviously I'm not a fan of the last minute. As I've said before, I'm a planner and advance plans are my favorite.

Oh the things to do... I have to get to work!

Love!

The grand scheme of things...

If you know anything about me, you know that I'm very fond of sticking to a "vision" or a theme of sorts. I like to have a look and stick with it--carry it out into even the tiniest details. Every event I've ever planned has a clear theme. At one time I had a very clear vision of how my wedding day would "look" and while I'm still going for the classic, elegant fairytale princess concept my old color scheme is out the door and now we're moving on to plan B.


If you've heard my vision of a pink and brown wedding--pretend you never did and start imagining something new. Imagine a romantic, candle lit setting with shades of pink, sahara and, despite my overwhelming desire to prevent it from appearing anywhere on my wedding day, BLACK! I should explain that I have nothing against black at weddings, but Allie's was entirely black and white, so in an effort to keep some guests from feeling like they went to the same event twice, I made an effort to keep it out of all March 8th plans.

Well, my trusty everyday color (I don't know how I ever made it without my black Michael Stars turtleneck) has crept into my big day, in the form of a sash. The six sashes that adorn my otherwise perfect bridesmaids dresses have black undersides! How did this happen?!? It was all a big misunderstanding between the store and the designer, that everyone was incredibly apologetic for. The shantung fabric is absolutely perfect, the sahara shade is just what I had in mind but then when you tie the bow--surprise, it's not sahara like the other side, it's a deep onyx. I couldn't possibly have brown AND black, so the sash wins--black it is.


The colors are new, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think it will matter that much. I'm very anxious to flesh out my new concept, maybe it's all for the best. Now the girls will have a much easier time finding shoes--that's a plus. All in all, it's probably the first of many things that won't go exactly as planned, but hey, I prefer surpsises 80 days out, rather than the day of, so I'm counting my blessings!

We ordered our engagement proofs today! We love the photographers we are working with and can't wait to see the creative concepts they have in mind for our day. I'll share more pictures when I have them. We're getting closer and closer...

Love!

81 days to go!

My blog now officially has a purpose--tracking my life in the days leading up to the wedding! Exciting, huh?


First bit of news--we have a honeymoon spot! Yeah for us! After weeks of contemplating (and watching the air fares rise and being mislead by a certain travel agent) we finally decided on Couples Swept Away in Jamaica. We'll be there March 10-15 and I am already counting down the days. I think it will make the perfect setting for our first week of marriage. Check out the resort at http://www.couples.com/.


If you're wondering why I didn't think of this wedding tracking thing before, I have been reluctant to post too much about it because the focus has generally been on Allie's big day (fair enough, I get Dec. 16-March 8, haha) and for me, it was on surviving Allie's big day myself. Yes, I'm her big sister and quite possessive. I didn't realize that I was so possessive until I had to start thinking about sharing her with someone else. I honestly hate the idea, but as of Saturday I no longer have a choice (okay, I didn't really have one before but I felt a little more in control than I do now). She's happy and therefore I'm happy for her. I survived her special day and in all honesty it was absolutely wonderful. She was truly stunning--one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen! All of the extravagance of course made me an emotional wreck who couldn't look at her without crying, but nonetheless I made it without causing too much of a scene and I'm officially moving into the acceptance phase (I don't have a choice, right?). Isn't she pretty?


Well, now that I have a purpose I assume that I'll be posting much more frequently. I am incredibly excited about my upcoming wedding and LOVE being able to share the details.

Love!

Just how far from the tree can the apple fall?

I've been thinking a lot about families. Perhaps it's because I've learned (indirectly) that not only can you not pick your family, but you surely can't control them. While I agree with the "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" philosophy on some accounts, on others I can't seem to figure out if some people came from the same planet, let alone the same tree!

My repetitive analysis of families probably stems from my realization that in 130 days I'll be joining Brad's family and he'll be joining mine (I tend to think he's getting the better deal, but hey, who isn't at least a bit partial?). Also, in less than two months, thanks to Allie, we'll be adding a new member to our family. I've coped to the thought of Brad joining the dynamic, I actually really like that concept, but the thought of another outsider--gasp! My heart breaks--I didn't choose this one and I will have zero control on what he does to the mixture that I've loved for so long.

Obviously, this causes me some distress. What will happen to my idea of the "perfect" (haha) family? Will my little kitten be taken away? I should probably go ahead and admit (if it's not already obvious) that I typically don't like change at all, and I'll probably have severe issues with this merging of families, but I'm already working on my acceptance theory. I have to keep an open mind--a straight path to my goal "NO CHANGE." I want Allie around like usual, and most importantly, the holidays MUST remain the same. The thought of waking up on Christmas morning without my sister there, yikes! The mere thought makes me cringe. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the same nostalgia towards things like this that I do, and quite frankly she likely won't even think about the Christmas dynamic until a day or two before (if we're lucky). Ahh, the heartache.

Now for the other aspect, joining someone else's family. I think back to when I used to go on vacations with my friends. It always seemed like a good idea, and I usually always had a great time, but neverless by the end of the week, I was always ready to get back to my normalcy--my family. I am very used to (and happy with) the way my family functions and when I lose that structure for too long... I don't do well. I have a hard time understanding how certain famillies function, and while it doesn't really bother me in the grand scheme of things, I am very reluctant to partake.

After March 8, I won't have an option. The whole "to death do us part thing" encompasses a joining of two families and I'll instantly have new "sisters" and nieces and nephews and all sorts of other relatives. This excites me to a degree, (who doesn't need more people to love them, right?) yet on another level I am very nervous. This family is different than the one I was born into. They don't have to like me, they don't even have to love me--wow! There is no guarantee that we're going to fit perfectly together like me and my family, and there's no guarantee that we'll even bond like families do.

Oh so much to think about... however, the bright side is that families can be sent home and the one addition to my family that I can control is perfect. We fit, and I can only hope that the family we create will be just as special as the one I've valued for so long.

Is it Monday already?

Wow, what a weekend! Friday we left for a journey to Jacksonville, FL--an adventure that it seems like Brad has been waiting for forever. For two years he's been talking about the FSU vs. UA football game that only happens once every million years in his mind. The road trip was long, but definitely worth it to see him so excited. Once he joined his fellow Seminoles, you would have thought he won the lottery!

We spent the weekend with Sissy's brother and his friend Michael. We couldn't have asked for a better place to stay or more hospitable hosts. They were wonderful and I'm confident that our trip would have been much more stressful had we been left to fend for ourselves in the city of numerous bridges and dreadful construction. However, overall, Jacksonville was fantastic and I'm glad I got at least a glimpse of what the city has to offer.

Now, it's Monday and back to the same old stuff...work! Today has seemed so long that I'm almost convinced that it has to be at least Thursday. Unfortunately, 4 more days until the weekend (but only 3 until my birthday celebration begins!).

WAR EAGLE!