8 Months to go!

The whole month of November went by so fast!! We didn't do a lot of wedding planning since we were traveling so much and we celebrated lots of birthdays (Jon's, our best man Marc's, My Dad and his Dad)! But here were the few items on our checklist that we were able to take care of:

• Register for gifts: We haven't registered for gifts yet (we're looking forward to using that scanner!), but we did choose the store where we will register for gifts: Williams-Sonoma!

... it's a tad "bougie" - but Jon and I are a couple that constantly cooks and bakes. Jon has owned the house for about 3 years now, and it's filled with all the necessary household items. I guess we're at that point where we want the quality kitchen tools... instead of going back to Ikea or Target repeatedly and replacing a wisk or strainer or spatula because it breaks or gets rusty.

• Choose a Wedding Cake: The design of our cake has been chosen. It will be a very simple one, decorated with flowers. We have yet to go cake tasting and choose a baker - but I feel this is one of the simpler tasks. Jon doesn't have a sweet tooth, and I don't think he can tell the difference between chocolate ganache and chocolate mousse. So I may have to take the lead on this one...

• Plan Table Decor: ..and this one is done too! The style of the centerpiece has been decided. Jon really likes the look of charger plates, but that would definitely put us over budget. Love the look though! We'll have Menu/Reception cards and the table numbers will be framed. Oh and of course, lots of candles to create a romantic ambiance.
  

Like I mentioned earlier, the planning has been put on hold. Not much wedding chatter this month. We went to Kansas City, Missouri to celebrate Jon's Grandma's 95th Birthday. There are a ton of Teopaco's in Kansas City (remember his Dad has 9 siblings) and it was my first time meeting a lot of them! And my first time flying east of Las Vegas. I can't describe how awesome it is to have a big family... I had TONS of fun! We're looking forward to seeing them again at the wedding. Here are a few photos from the party:

Happy 95th Birthday, Lola Irene!

The Teopaco Family - and this isn't everyone!!!

My Future In-Laws :)

And then, for the Thanksgiving Holiday, we went to Reno, Nevada to hang out with the Gerodias Family (my mom's side).

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Sapico House

On the Ferris Wheel inside Scheel's (Sparks, NV)

With my cousins...

We were really lucky to spend lots of time with the families in Reno and Kansas City - since the next time we will see them will be at the wedding!

This post is dedicated to my Dad - who turned 60 on November 22nd (same birthday as Jon's dad!). He's been the most helpful Dad, in terms of wedding planning, and although he always jokes around that he can't wait to "get rid of me" or that he "feels sorry for Jon" -- deep inside, I know it will be bittersweet for him to give me away. I'll always be a daddy's girl! Now, we gotta teach him how to dance - he is totally not a dancer!