This is what much of Amarillo looked like yesterday morning. We had "thunder snow" Tuesday and Wednesday. Even though it was sleeting there was thunder and lightning. That is one of the best and worst things about living in the Panhandle, we get the craziest weather. Luckily most of it has melted off and it is supposed to get warmer through the weekend. I cant beloeve Christmas is just a couple of days away. It always seems like it comes and goes in such a hurry. I love Christmas and the fact that it brings families together. This Christmas, as most of you know, will be a very special one because it will be Chris and I's first one together. I am really excited about getting to spend time with both of our families and experiencing new traditions that we can make our very own. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!!

Vast improvement!!! I was so excited I got up about 5 times during the night just to go in there and turn the light on and look at my new bathroom.

YEAH MY BATHROOM IS FINALLY FINISHED!!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures of the old crappy bathroom. These pictures were taken after I had already stripped all of the wallpaper off of the walls.

Here are our 2 favorite engagement pictures!! Sorry it took me so long to get them up. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!!

Who has an ornament of where they got married?!?!

I DO!!!! Check this out!! Can you believe it? What are the odds that they would choose this ornament this year?? Well I guess I had a 1 in 11 shot, but seriously, who has an ornament of the place where they got married??? Chris' sister-in-law Kendall works for the university and went and picked one up for me Tuesday and I finally got to see it last night. It is so beautiful!!! I will take a picture of it this weekend and post it so you can see it.

MY SUPRISE VISITOR!!!!

Chris called me today and said he was going to bring me some tea from the Water Still when he got off of work and when he showed up at my office he also brought me a suprise visitor. Ashley, my old roomate, best friend and Maid of Honor had to come to town to get some work done on her car and Chris ran into her at the Water Still. I was so excited to see her. She moved to Plainview a few months ago to manage their new Starbucks. I miss you bunches Ash and love you more!!!!

Brock

Here is a picture of my friend RyAnn's son, Brock. He is playing with the Thomas the Train that Chris and I got him for his 2nd Birthday. RyAnn found out yesterday that her bun in the oven, Braxton, will be forced to come and meet us Friday!!! Chris and I are very excited and can't wait to meet him!! We love you guys and you are in our prayers!!

PS - I guess I could mention Ry's husband, Nate, he does deserve at least some credit for how cute his kids are!! Ha! Love you too Nate!!!

On the grounds that RyAnn may never read my blog again I have decided to post even though I don't have any pictures of the completed bathroom. Since the bathroom is not finished I have substituted a picture of my future hubby holding his niece, Lillie. Doesn't he look cute holding a baby?!?!

Bathroom Remodel

Sorry I have not blogged in a couple of days. I have some pictures I wanted to add and for some reason it is not letting me so I will have to add them later. Anyway, my house is currently covered in a layer of dust due to the master bath remodel. The bathroom was absolutely hideous before so any change will be a vast improvement. The guys started yesterday with gutting the shower and moving the shower head up about 6" to accommodate my future beast of a husband!!! Hopefully by the time I get home today I will have walls in my shower and the new toilet installed. I am really excited about it and looking forward to seeing the end result. Maybe later tonight I will have some before and midway through the project pictures up.

While we are still tossing and turning between Parchment and Pearl Symphony we have at least come to a decision on bed linens. We found this one at Pottery Barn. Yes, I know that we don't have a Pottery Barn in Amarillo, to which I would like to add is a crying shame, but we could not find anything we liked for the master bedroom at Dillards, Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond. I looked online at Sears and Penneys and was very underwhelmed. I checked at Kems Bed and Bath, a local Amarillo store, and everything I liked there was $430.00, which I think is crazy. Anyway, this is the one we picked. It will look great with Chris' bedroom set and with our plans for the master bath. Ok guess I better get to work.

PS. I know I promised engagement pictures soon but it looks like I wont be able to have any for a few more weeks. They turned out great though so at least you all have something to look forward to other than my meaningless blogs about household goods.

Parchment or Pearl Symphony????

Yesterday Chris and I started registering for gifts. We started out at Dillards about 1:00 and left 4 hours later with a very short list. We could not decide on a china pattern. These are the two we are having trouble picking from. Chris likes the top one ("Parchment") while I prefer the bottom one ("Pearl Symphony"). I don't know if I am willing to commit the rest of my life to the grey tones of Parchment but at only $40.00/setting I could be swayed. Pearl Symphony is not dishwasher safe like Parchment and is more expensive at $90.00/setting. We decided to check at the Kitchen Gallery this week and see if something else catches our eye. To make matters worse the comforter that we have had our eyes on for months is being discontinued and we could not find anything else that we liked as well. Imagine my disappointment when I decided I might be "forced" to register at Pottery Barn to find a bedroom set that we liked. We were feeling brave after leaving Dillards and thought we would take a stab at Target but their machines were down so we had to postpone the fun until Wednesday.

We also got our engagement photos taken yesterday. We had so much fun. It was our first real interaction with our photographer and she was great. The pictures should be ready Wednesday so I will try to post some of them later.

PS - Any opinions or suggestions on the china would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Birthday Chris!!

I had planned on posting this on Saturday, Chris' actual birthday, but did not get a chance. I figured better late than never. I am taking a page from my friend RyAnn's blog and posting 27 things* I love about Christopher Shawn Bunch, one for every year he has blessed the world with his charm and charisma.

1. Man of God you are and your encouragement to me to be stronger in my faith.
2. Your relationships with your brothers.
3. Hold my hand when we are out in public.
4. Help clean up after dinner.
5. Your relationships with your nieces and nephews.
6. Hold my hand in the car.
7. Sweat when you eat spicy foods.
8. Always make sure my needs are being met.
9. Smell after you shave.
10. Eat my cooking like it is the best thing you have ever had.
11. Your relationships with your parents.
12. Your selflessness.
13. Way you are with my parents and brothers.
14. Way you are with my grandma.
15. Willingness to help me accomplish my goals.
16. Way you smile when you see me. When you kiss me in public.
17. When you say words wrong or use them incorrectly.
18. Cry with me when I cry.
19. Willingness to do whatever it takes to make us stronger.
20. When you dance.
21. Tell everyone about me.
22. Want to provide for our future family.
23. Want to make yourself a better person.
24. Your faith in me.
25. Your faith in us.
26. The father you want to be.
27. The man you are.

*This is only a speck in the pile of things that I love about Chris.

Flowers, Cakes and More

Saturday was a busy day for me. It all started with a great breakfast with my mom and my future mother-in-law, Luanne, and then soon moved on to the more important tasks at hand...finding a florist and a bakery. We had a 9:30 appointment with HR's Flowers in Canyon and it could not have gone better. Glenda, the owner, could not have been nicer. I showed her what I wanted and she had tons of great ideas and tips. An hour later my mom and Luanne had decided that they were probably not going to find better prices and had me cancel the rest of the floral consultations that we had that day. It was such an easy process that it almost scares me. Next, we were off to the Cake Company and it too was an all to easy experience. Needless to say I consider the weekend a success. Up next invitations and tuxedo's. Fun, fun, fun.

Charlie

Well I have some news that is only semi-wedding related. Chris' little brother, Charles, just called and told me that he is being placed on stand by for deployment to the Middle East. Please keep Charles and the other members of his battalion from Ft. Hood in your prayers. Also, please pray for the Bunch family, including Charles' wife, Charity, and son, Justin, as they prepare for Charlie's deployment. Even though this may sound selfish, please also pray that he will not be deployed until after the wedding. I know that there is nothing more that Chris wants than for both of his brothers to be by his side at the wedding. We love you Charles!!!!

The Beginning

I decided I would start a blog because I have become addicted to reading my friends blogs and their friends blogs and so on. I love everyone's different personalities and funny stories so I decided to keep track of a few of my own as I embark on the most important step in my adult life.

Chris and I began dating on March 8, 2006 and were engaged on April 29, 2006. I know it seems a little fast, but when you know, you know. To my parents delight we decided to slow things down a little and take our time before getting hitched. We recently started making official plans and now I have an official date...March 17, 2007. YEAH!!! I am so excited. The picture is of the chapel where we are getting married. Isn't it beautiful?!? We also booked the reception hall and the photographer so next up on the agenda is the flowers. My mom, future mother-in-law and I are all meeting with 3 florists on Saturday to see what we are getting ourselves into. I would love to hear advice and tips from anyone who wishes to offer it.