2009 Year in Review

SINCE I've been completely remiss in blogging and my friend Jen came up with this great idea, I thought I'd rip it off and tell you about what happened to me in 2009.

January:

January brought on a renewed sense of making 2009 suck less than 2008. But, that didn't start out too well. Mary El and I went shopping for ski clothes and headed up to Whitetail Mountain Ski Resort in Pennsylvania. Atlanta girl + Dallas girl + skis = just a bad deal. Our friend Joanna was a complete champ on her skis and this was the very trip when we met our friend Jamie! I knew I liked Jamie as she began sharing crazy dating stories on our way to Whitetail and I countered with recent stories from Mary El's and my match.com experiences. Talk about disaster. After going down the bunny hill on my backside because I lost circulation in my feet, and Mary El almost breaking her nose with her ski pole, we decided to spend the rest of the day on the Snow Tubing Hill (aka the Snow Bunny Hill). Mary El and I also took a trip to Shenandoah Valley, which we are doing again this weekend. I hope to make it an annual winter catch-up trip for us!



February:

February 1 will hereby be known as the first day of the rest of my life. While at a Superbowl party, a wonderful man walked into my life. Rather, I sat in his lap and the rest is history. I guess now I have a new outlook on football.



March:

March was the sad month when Ben left me and went back to Iowa. The same day he departed, I left for a work trip to Las Vegas. The hotel was plush, and the weather was warm enough to lay out! We also got a big snow in DC in March (probably my 5th time seeing snow, ever) and I headed back to Dirty SA for my third annual "Let's Rodeo, San Antonio!" Seeing the San Antonio Amy's and visiting Cowboys was tons of fun. We were famous for "The Train" during our frequent visits there.



April:

April brought about abundant sunshine, especially when Ben came to visit and we saw all of the DC sights he had missed while interning here! Mary El and I also took a Potomac margarita cruise with Jamie, and attended the event of the year at Verizon Center for her birthday: Britney Spears' Circus, duh! Oh, and the Grapes with the Apes wine festival at the Smithsonian Zoo.



May:

In May, I made my first trip to Iowa! You would have never known it, but there's a bit of Cowgirl in me. Complete with hauling corn, riding in the planter, and posing with the tractor, my trip to see Ben was amazing! Oh, and we went to a hog confinement to see PIGGIES!



June:

In June, I went to visit my friend Trish in Charleston. We ate shrimp and grits on the water and went out at the only night club in Charleston, the Purple Moon. Some of the dance moves there rival what you see on the first few episodes of SYTYCD. My parents also came to visit in June, and the highlight of the trip was our trip to Annapolis for crabs. Here's a pic of my mom hamming it up by the live crabs.



July:

July was a magical month. After spending a few days in Orlando at the Kappa Delta biannual convention, Ben came in town and we celebrated his 23rd birthday with a Potomac Cruise. When we got home that night, Ben suggested we go look at rings the following day.






August:

I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding in August. After the wedding festitivies, Ben and I headed down south to float the Comal River in New Braunfels. That night as we were getting ready to go to dinner, Ben popped down on one knee and popped the question. I think it is safe to say we both just "knew."





September:

Somehow, we managed to keep our engagement a secret from Ben's extended family for a whole month, until my visit over Labor Day. Ben made an announcement when everyone arrived: "I know you thought you were coming over to meet my girlfriend, but actually, she's my fiance!" I also visited Creech Air Force Base for work, and got to lay eyes on some awesome unmanned aerial vehicles while escorting a reporter in the hot, hot, heat!



October:

In October, I visited my friend Justin while he was TDY to Philadelphia. I also rode in a combine with Ben while I was in Iowa. Combining corn is quite an amazing process. The highlight of October was the rockin' Halloween Party I attended with Jamie. Scout's Honor.




November:

November brought holiday parties galore, kicking off with the Junior League of Washington's Martinis and Mistletoe, which my friend Heather came and shopped with me. There was lots of red wine, even more cheese, and a lot of fun, expensive temptations! Ben and I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Texas. We also got to meet Ashley's boyfriend, Daniel, and catch up with the old high school crew, who wore their orange just to annoy me, as usual.




December:

December had a lot of notable events, including Amy's Birthday at a Caps game, the 2009 SAF/PA HoBa, and Mary El's MPRI Holiday Party, which I was nice enough to escort her to. (Actually, she took me and the food was absolutely amazing!) Snowpalooza hit on December 19, dumping 2 feet of snow over most of the District. I was lucky to get out a few days later to travel on Christmas Eve!



Ben and I spent Christmas together in Iowa with his family. What a great time was had by all! I tried cow tongue and heart for the first time, and finally learned to play Euchre. Now I officially fit in, even though Carol said that I would fit in even if I'd never learned to play cards. We also visited the Cheesehead state of Wisconsin, my first time, which after counting through the road atlas about 15 times on the way there, Ben and I determined was my 30th state to visit. To also copy Jen, here's a list of the ones I still need to visit: Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachussetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming. (Landing at an airport for a layover, I don't count) Wisconsin was beautiful countryside, and I got to meet some of the family on Ben's mom's side. I also got to sample lots of CHEESE! We also spent New Year's Eve together, which was the best NYE I've had to date. After watching Iowa State BTHO Minnesota and having a drink with some friends in Ames, Ben and I watched the ball drop on his sofa with a bottle of Rose Champagne! Mmm! It was great spending my first moments of 2010 with the man with whom I'll spend the rest of my life!



Now onto 2010, with a move, a wedding, and a new year on the horizon!
-m.

Resolutions and Goals

Wow, have I been remiss in posting! Lots of news from here, which I'll get to...but first, I wanted to put down my New Years Resolutions. Or actually, just a list of goals that I have in the coming years. I think you're more likely to do things when you write them down. So even though this might bore you to tears, here it is.

1. Within the next three years, start and complete my MBA.
2. Within the next five years, start and complete my APR.
3. Within the next three years, complete Air Force Intermediate Developmental Training, starting with applying for programs this Spring.
4. Within the next three years, run a half-marathon.
5. Within the next year, pay off my debt and save money to buy a house.
6. Within the next two years, purchase a home with Ben.
7. Finally clean out my closet while moving and keep my new place in Shreveport clean.

I'm sure there's more, but...this is a good start.

Updates

Wow, it has been a long time since I've written.

Things are finally coming together for the wedding. I say finally--we have only been engaged for two months but I am quickly coming to the realization that I am impatient, I have always been impatient, and I will always be impatient.

October 1st has come and gone, and we are very fortunate because the church, reception site, and photographer we wanted have all remained available for July 24, 2010. So it's official. That's our wedding date and the date we will celebrate for anniversaries to come. It's so exciting!

I have to say, planning a wedding definitely teaches you a lot about your fiance. Ben has been so wonderfully supportive, agreeable, and you know, generally puts up with my craziness. I'm just so glad that the big rocks are pretty much solidified. If nothing else, we have a place to get married and a photographer to capture it. Those are the most important things, right?

I'm leaving Friday to go visit Ben in Iowa. I'm so excited to see him! Maybe it's because I have had wedding brain for the past month, but this time between visits has been excruiciating! I miss him so much.

More details to come on the wedding. The web site is just about ready to launch. I'll update after this weekend, hopefully with some photos! Snow flurries expected on Sunday. Oh, yay!

Megan

Announcing Our Engagement

So, I realized today that I hadn't finished my previous entry about the planning weekend, but the bottom line is: I got so much done! With only a few small issues like, oh, COST. And the inability to book the church until October 1 since my family and I are no longer members there. Still, it is perfect, and I'm crossing my fingers that come October 1st, FUMC Fort Worth will still be available for July 24, 2010!

Don't write that down yet, we'll send out save the dates. :)

Speaking of which, ONE of my four friends getting married next year has already sent out her save the date cards and they are absolutely fabulous! She is getting married in Texas and the front of the card is adorned with bluebonnets. Actually, I need to call her. Charlotte Coffey, I need details about your wedding!

I have been going out of town for work and Junior Leaguing like a mad woman lately, but I definitely wanted to devote some time to getting the Iowa Engagement Announcement down on paper--er, type.

On September 4, I hopped on a plane to Moline to go see my fiance, who to everyone in Iowa, was merely my boyfriend. It was a hilarious weekend of trying to know when to take my ring off, when to hide it behind my back, when to keep the ring box around to stash it in, etc. Ben's parents really wanted it to be a surprise to all of his aunts and uncles, and wanted them to find out before the rest of the state did (naturally), so we had been playing this girlfriend/fiancee game for over a month!

Friday when I arrived we headed to the doctor because Ben's leg was being a little oozy. Was that an overshare? His brother Jacob cooked dinner Friday night and what a little rockstar he is in the kitchen. Almost as good as Ben. We had several visitors each evening that came over to "meet Ben's girlfriend" and no sooner did I pop out my left hand! Everyone seems really shocked, Ben, is there something you're not telling me?

I guess it is sort of shocking. We got engaged after only knowing each other 7 months. But come on, when you know, you know!

I spent Saturday morning with Ben's mom. Iowa is SO cute and quaint, I can't even tell you. We went to the Amish settlement a couple of towns over and oogled over handmade furniture and baked goods. Then we headed over to the Stringtown market, which is owned by some Amish. Carol was nice enough to point out some interesting things (like an iron that operates on butane instead of power!) and I was seriously amazed that people can live without the modern day conveniences we enjoy every day. Good for them for believing in something and sticking with it. That is rare in our world. Sometimes I truly believe that a simplified life would be so much better than this crazy one I'm living in DC!

The best part of the morning was when we stopped at the Cheese Market. I don't know what it's really called because the experience was so amazing, it is a blur. Not really, but come on, you guys know how much I love cheese! This place has like 80 different varieties and you can sample anything you want. Plus you can see cheese curds being made when you first walk in. So cool! Ben's dad used to deliver their milk at this market when their family was still in the dairy business. Mmmm, cheese coma. Of course, I couldn't fully enjoy the experience because I am extremely concious that I will have the most-photographed day of my life in less than a year.

Please, Stacy Reeves, stay available July 24.

Saturday evening we went to dinner with Ben's friends Tara and Kirk. Buffalo Wild Wings! I was so excited because I literally have not eaten at that glorious establishment since I went there with the Two Amys in San Antonio.

Wow, it sounds like all I care about is food.

Anyway, Sunday was the big day of the BBQ. After church, we went back to the Meyers' house and got ready for the big announcment. It was so exciting to finally put the ring box away, once and for all!

Ben's dad's siblings and their families drove up one by one and looked a bit puzzled as to why I was staying so close by Ben. Meanwhile the ring was burning a hole in my pocket because I was so afraid something would happen and I would lose it!! After everyone had arrived, Ben made the announcement. It went something like this.

"Well, I know you all thought you were coming over today to meet my girlfriend, but I've actually been lying to you a little bit for the past month...she's my fiancee!"

Tears. Hugs. Storytelling. Eating yummy food.

Abby, Ben's sister in law, gave us the sweetest congratulations card and the day was truly enjoyed by all. The family played several games of Euchre (I retired into the kitchen to help Carol with the dishes because I clearly could not hang with these Euchre-playing fools) and many a Bud Light can were emptied in honor of this glourious occasion. And a box of Franzia.

Monday we just kind of got to hang back and enjoy each others' company before I had to leave to come back to DC. Even though it was a great weekend, it was way too short! (as always) Ben's family is awesome and whether the feeling is mutual or not, I felt so accepted and they treated me as a part of the family already. Oh! I left out one of the coolest parts! The Meyers actually invited my parents up for the weekend, but because of financial constraints and the impending wedding, they couldn't make it. They did the sweetest thing though! They sent a gorgeous bouquet of fall flowers which were displayed on the table for all to see at the BBQ. It was almost as good as having them there would have been. Almost.

I am headed back to Iowa to see Ben over Columbus Day weekend in October. The past few family weekends have been nice, and I know I can count on a lot more of them, but we are also excited to have a weekend to just be together and relax a little!

Hopefully I will have more updates for you OCTOBER 1ST! When I will be telling you all of the finalized plans for the wedding! Yeah, right. But at least we'll be one step closer.

Until then, you can read more about Ben's leg and surgery at http://hemophiliaanklesurgery.blogspot.com/. It's really quite interesting, and he is such a good sport and a total trooper.

Love, Megan

Wedding Planning Weekend

As most of you know, I headed home last weekend for a crazy, whirlwind planning trip! I flew out Friday after work (and did I mention, there was a storm and I had to beg to get on a flight that left an hour and a half LATER than when I was supposed to leave? But American has cozy FREE blankets and those pillow things that fold up, so I forgave them) and we started the search bright and early Saturday morning.

Not having a particular emotional tie to the church we were members of when I was in high school, or the church my parents attend now, I went on a mad search to find the prettiest Methodist or Lutheran church in the DFW area. (I'm Methodist, Ben is Lutheran) Around 11 am, we found it. My mother tried to tell me, but when I saw it, it was absolutely breathtaking! The church I was baptized in, First United Methodist Fort Worth, stands proudly in downtown with a look that could rival the National Cathedral. With its beautifully detailed buttresses and shady, green courtyard, I was hooked before we even went inside. It is so majestic. It is the type of place you stand near and feel God's presence, at the risk of sounding cheesy.

Anyhow, after I'd decided that regardless of the lack of a return phonecall in the past two weeks from FUMC Fort Worth, I was getting married there no matter what, we headed to Stardust Celebrations in Plano to try on wedding dresses!!!

Now, of course I can't elaborate too much on the dress procedure because I'm a traditional girl and I don't want Ben to know ANYTHING about my dress before the wedding. But I will say...going somewhere with workers who know a lot about body type and wedding dresses really paid off. The first dress I tried on was the winner, and it wasn't anything like the dresses I had been flagging in the magazines.

What an exhausting day! With my birthday looming on the upcoming Tuesday, my parents wanted to take me out to celebrate, so after a 45 minute power nap, we were off to The Keg Steakhouse at the Highlands in Arlington. YUUUUMMM is all I can say! My cousin had her rehearsal dinner there a few weeks ago (the same weekend we got ENGAGED), so I had tasted the goods before, but this cooked-to-order steak, fresh piping hot bread, and whipped mashed potatoes was the best meal I had had in a long time. My filet mignon was also covered in blue cheese, a perfect companion to that wedding dress I had tried on earlier (not). But, come on, it was a birthday worth celebrating. I am officially closer to 30 than 20, and...

That sucks.

The next morning, not-so-bright-and-early, we woke up and headed to breakfast before going back to FUMC Fort Worth and sneaking in the door to find the wedding coordinator. We lucked out, and she was there! They can't book non-member weddings until 9 months out, so we have to wait until October to put down our deposit and get our date, which makes me nervous, but hey, if I get to get married in THAT church, it is worth the wait.

Here comes the fun part. Found the absolutely most perfectly wonderful place ever for my reception, but it's a bit pricey. Spent most of the afternoon pouting because need to find a way to get the absolutely most perfectly wonderful place ever for my reception to work with my budget. Haven't found a solution quite yet, but stopped pouting because at 5:30 was the appointment with...

The Cake Guys! What an awesome little boutique in Duncanville. These guys are talented, creative, and they make yummy cakes. This was hands down my dad's favorite part of the weekend and the best part was, it was all free! They give a discount if we get the contract back by Friday--delivery is free--so just putting the finishing touches on investigating the budget, and we'll know more!

Bridal Show aka Frenzy

Yesterday I went to a bridal show in Baltimore...what a crazy experience. It was definitely worth it for the free year's subscription to Bridal Magazine and contact information for a couple of the vendors that are national, but wow! Brides are crazy. 1000 girls with "Bride to Be!" buttons adorning their shirts dashed into this exhibit center on the Inner Harbor in Baltimore to be greeted by strangers (way too happy for your wedding considering they don't know you) with cakes, dresses, deals on tuxes, DJs, full band orchestras, Passion Parties, Pampered Chef parties, registry venues, limosine rental, hotel reception ideas and countless honeymoon contests you know are only going to result in a lot more spam in your inbox.

I was relieved to see a harpist at one of the first booths I visited, and the company that provides the musicians is national, so hopefully I can reach someone in Texas. Maybe this is silly, and I have a feeling it is going to cost an arm and a leg, but when other little girls were dreaming of white dresses and fairy tale cakes, all I really knew I wanted was a harpist to play Canon in D as I walked down the aisle. Now I have a lot of great ideas, thanks to being in a sorority and attending a grand total of about 25 weddings since I graduated (don't worry, I love you all!), mostly in the DFW area. But the harp has been a constant in my wedding daydreams.

Gosh, I just can't believe how you begin to sign your life away as you're planning a huge event like this. Every vendor requires a contract and every contract requires a lot of research and negotiation. For the first time, I am thankful that I was volun-told to plan my office's Christmas party last year. You can't put a price on that kind of experience in planning an event. Hopefully, hopefully, I can make it through the whole process a) without a coordinator while b) maintaining my sanity.

This weekend is wedding venue decision time, with a cake tasting and some bridal shopping thrown in. How much can I possibly get done in two days in DFW? I guess we'll find out!

Wedding Lesson #1

It's been one week since Ben Meyer proposed to me and Wow! My whole life has changed. Funny enough, my friend Jen (runbigjenrun.blogspot.com, who incidentally got engaged the same day I did) has declared that her blog will not at all begin to resemble a wedding planning diatribe, but since I'm creating this from scratch I think I'm in the clear. I mean, I figure if you don't want to read about that, you'll just tune in next fall when all of the wedded bliss is over and Ben and I chronicle what I'm sure will be our most interesting lives here (hopefully, if I can get him to post).

The coolest thing about getting married is realizing that you're going to have someone in your life to share everything with now, from bumps and bruises to the emotional rollercoasters, elated moments to tough times. It's a good feeling. The craziest thing about getting married is planning the wedding. I didn't even think about all of the things I have to do in the next year until I was on my way back from Texas (for our proposal story, check out www.theknot.com/ourwedding/BenMeyer&MeganOrton), on an airplane, reading bridal magazines. I thought it was a good idea to get a head start, but now I'm not so sure. My mind has been spinning with wedding mania since last Wednesday!

Anyhow, I hope at least some of you are looking forward to sharing this experience with us, and hopefully we can help you to avoid any pitfalls we might have along the way. First off, lesson #1:

Fiance is a male engaged to be married, fiancee is a female engaged to be married.

Interesting. Blonde females get an extra "e" too. Since Ben and I are disgusting and like to sit around saying "Good morning fiancee," "Hi Fiance," "Love, your fiancee," it's good to know that spelling it any old way would just not fly by Emily Post's standards (or Merriam-Webster's). Now we know.