Brody and Taylor Shot out!

During our engagement photo session with our amazing photographer(Tanya at Azzura Photography), we had a few with Brody (B-Dizzle) and Taylor (Tay Dawg). Our photogrpaher has this really wonderful blog where she shares some of her photos and Brody and Taylor both made it! Check it out!

http://azzurablog.com/blog/2009/11/19/daily-shot-of-inspiration-thursday-november-19th.html

Pre Thanksgiving Dinner in Seattle

This was a very busy weekend for Cole and I. I have to start with Thursday, so that you can get the whole idea. So, we knew on Saturday we were having friends over to have a pre thanksgiving dinner and wanted to supply a dessert we have never made. So we decided to be festive and made a Bouche de Noel or a Yule Log. NOT EASY! So thursday when returning home from work, we went straight into the kitchen and made our creation to our best ability. It had a homemade caramel creme filling, chocolate cake and marshmellow fondant. This was all covered in cocoa powder and made carved to look like actual wood! I forgot to take a picture, but it turned out good! Very sugary and all from scratch.

So on thursday night we made that, went to bed for 2 hours and woke up and went to the midnight showing of NEW MOON! I am a twilight fanatic and havent been this excited about some since I got a sweatshirt in 8th grade to say "H. DiCarpio" on the back. ( yes, that was to stand for Holly Di Caprio...the future wife of Leo. Although now, I am more thrilled to be a soon to be H. Van Gundy) anyways, we were there only an hour before showtime and the line was around the block!!! I couldnt believe how many parents in a small suburb like Issaquah would allow their children to see a midnight showing on a school night! I know I will not be the "cool mom" when I have kids. :)

We got home at 3am and woke again at 730am to go to work. Left work at 4pm on friday to start set up for the CMA alumni dinner, that I assisted my friend Stephanie in the planning for. This event went from 5-10pm. Then finally got home at midnight and went to bed, just to get up again at 7am to start all the other cooking for the dinner!

Stephanie came over at 730am to start cooking the turkey! We cooked ALL MORNING! We sat down to eat at 1pm and again at 6pm. Our feast included: turkey, pear puree, gravey, broccli and cauliflour, broccoli cheese rice, Jello and pineapples, Stuffing, green beans, dutch apple pie, yule log and I think that might be it! It was fantastic! oh yes, we also had this wine that you warm up and add spices to. We each got a bottle eariler in the year in Leavenworth and finally found an occasion to drink it!

Sunday we went and met Steph and Matt at the Fairmont hotel in Seattle for the festival of trees. A nice way to start getting into the holiday spirit! Matt pointed out this nice Twilight gift basket that was 85$. Cole was leaning more toward the $25 flower centerpeice though :)

Moving In

Its offical, Im moved in to the condo!

Its a new adult feeling living with my fiance, and a little strange to know I never technically lived with my boyfriend. Just one more of those steps take throws you back into reality that you're not a kid anymore. Like moving 2 states away, and buying my first car, freaking out when getting laid off, paying rent, etc. Sharing one address and one insurance company and one bank account. It's so surreal still! I understand that so many people my age have already gone through this, but there are also quite a few that haven't. It just one of those steps when you start to feel a little old... or older is what I should say.

Its nice how happy Cole has seemed about it, as well. Its very welcoming and I look forward to having all of my stuff in one place. The decorating is  a little difficult. I've mostly decorated the condo already, but now that my stuff will now be intermixed, we've decided on making some adjustments. Kept my dining table, got new chairs all together though. Looks good!

On my favorite subject: Wedding junk. Cole and I are viewing our engagement photos tonight! Woo hoo! I just hope 1 or 2 came out ok. hahaha :)

Engagement Party -- Seattle

We went to our engagement party this last saturday November 7th at Black Bottle in Seattle. One of my Maid of Honors, Courtney, hosted it and it was wonderful! She also made a very touching toast and were happy to see everyone there. We have some amazing friends and are so happy to be celebrating this time in our lives with them. There was appietizers, champange and my favorite, red velet cupcakes from cup cake royal! Needless to say, I had more than one cupcake.. :)

We also had some very speical family member come as well! All traveled from separate states to be there and celebrate with us. Cole's dad, Dr Jeff Van Gundy from California, as his aunt and Uncle Mr and Mrs Wilson attended from Idaho. We were so thankful to see everyone!

   The Boys: Left to right, Derek, Matt, Cole, Mr Van Gundy, John and Todd

My MOH Courtney, and my wonderful Fiance

The Wilsons and Van Gundys

Me and My Bridesmaids, Courtney and Stephanie

My Wedding Party.. the bride's side

I think cole will write a blog someday when the mood stikes him :) But until then.. just me :)

Yes 2 posts, 1 day.

Maid of Honor: Sharon Duckworth

Song that makes me think of Sharon: Angel by Shaggy

Sharon is my cousin and we have been through so much of our childhood having a long distance friendship. I lived in Roseville and she lived in Folsom. We have been grounded from each other on more than one occasion but in the end, it was fun and now we have those memories of how silly and crazy we were together. She has always been able to bring out the more humorous side of my personality and usually when we;re together I'm laughing non stop. We choreographed dances at home and tourtred our families to watch. We'd even coordinate our clothes and repeat the same step over and over for a good part of 5 mins. Then we considered our work to be masterpieces. Its too hard to pick just one "favorite" memory since we've known each other for the majority of our lives.

Maid of Honor: Courtney Wickens

Song that makes me think of Courtney: Find out who your friends are by Tracey Lawrence

I met Courtney for the first time in 6th grade at Kaseberg in Mrs. Turners class. During a class project for the Aquaducts. We became instant friends and continued to do many other projects together. One that sticks out is an extra credit project we did with David Chao and others. We minimized an episode of Sienfield and recorded it for the class to see. Courtney was Jerry's girlfriend, I was George's girlfriend with the big nose. We've been friends ever since. She visited me in college many times and evenutally, we both moved to Seattle and have been roommates ever since. We've learned each others personalities well enough to know how to live together and how to handle each other in cat fight situations. :) She is one of those friends you can always count on to be there for you regardless of what it is.

(Bridesmaids are in order of longest known in years....)

Bridesmaid: Diana DiNardo

Song that makes me think of Diana: Lovin...It's What I Got by Sublime

Diana is my longest known friend. We met in Kindergarten at Kaseberg, on my birthday I think. It's so far back the the details are fuzzy, but in Mrs. Brown's class she would give you a paper crown to wear on your birthday. I remember wearing this crown and hanging out alone. Diana came and starting talking to me with her friend. I think bridgette? anyways, we have been friends ever since! I've known her since I turned 5 exactly and I just turned 25. So 20 years of not blood related friendship! Everytime I go away for school or now seattle, and I come home its like time never passed between us and we can talk to each other like we just saw each other a couple minutes ago. We've always had that easy friendship, talk about anything and rarely get offended... except the "Sour Milk" comment. I will never live that one down :)

Bridesmaid: Tany Nguyen

Song that makes me think of Tany: Walk this Way by Aerosmith

Tany and I met in Roseville High School JV Cheer Squad in 1999. I still remember her in tryouts and there was the tumbling portion. IF you could tumble at all, you had to show the judges what you could do. Out of all three squads I think maybe 2 girls could tumble(and I was not one of them). So when Tany went out there and showed her tumbling, it was great!!! We became quick friends. Maybe it was because we were a little quieter and only talked to each other, but it's turned into a life long friendship. Tany brings out the more silly/girly side of my personality. With all the pink and getting all dolled up. She always is able to pull off the new look and style and I;ve always admired that! We have so much fun together getting ready to go out, getting coffee, listening to each others news and staying up WAY to late catching up on each others lives :)

Bridesmaid: Stephanie Wright

Song that reminds me of Stephanie: California Love by 2pac

Stephanie was the first friend I made when moving to Seattle. Although we didn't know each other very well at all, she invited me to stay with her and drove me to my interviews in Seattle. Since then, she and I consider each other apart of our "seattle family". Our Seattle Family, consists of our friend who moved very far away from our actual families and found each other to rely on as we would on our families. We've been through quite a bit together exploring the city of Seattle through our Californian eyes and have so many memories. Stephanie is also a bride to be and I am a bridesmaid in her wedding party. I am very happy to have another bride to be to go through this expierance with. One my favorite memories of Steph was that first time I came to seattle and stayed with her. She had mentioned that we could go out somewhere that night. When asking around to other I asked "what do people in seattle wear when they go out?" a seattle native said "warm sweaters". So thats what I brought. I remember wearing this sweater and telling Steph I was ready. She came out in a REALLY CUTE going out shirt and the look on her face was soo funny when she saw my bluky winter sweater on. I was obviously misinformed. hahaha

Bridesmaid: Lindsay Jones Strong

Song that reminds me of Lindsay: Down into Mexico by Delbert McClinton

Lindsay is my most recent good friend that I met through Cole. I met Lindsay for the first time when her, now husbad, Scott and her both came to Seattle to visit Cole. We all went to a baseball game, a comedy show and a haunted pub in pikes place. We had so much fun together and the conversation never felt forced or uncomfortable. I value Lindsay's friendship a lot because she has always been so kind and honest. We went to Cabo together and just had a great time. We are on the same page when it comes to vacationing... RELAXING :) One of my first memories with Lindsay was when we were leaving the huanted pub and were outside. At this moment, Cole and Scott decided they wanted to bum a cigerette off of a guy, just to see if they'd give it to them. Not even to smoke it. While this was going on, and they were being manly-men, Lindsay and I were standing in the cold and two other men walk up to us and hit on us. Yes.... all while our boyfriends were busy, being "men". It was so funny, I never forgot it :)

Ok, so thats all of them! Six in total!

Signing your(and your parents) Hard Earned Money Away for a Party.... and loving it!

We've picked a date and we're sticking to it!

On October 2nd, 2010 at around 5:30pm in the afternoon I will be Mrs. Coulston Van Gundy and proud of it. :)

These few short weeks of engagement have been good and bad. Good things are that Cole and I are going through this together and are really uniting as a team on OUR decisions. Although both familes are being supportive in their own ways, everyone is going to have their opinions, and sometimes they contradict our own plan for our wedding. At the end of the day we have to remember, this is our wedding, and if we want to make a production out of it, then we will, and if we want it quiet and simiple then we will. Like Krystal had commented, its our wedding and its about us saying our vows, signing a paper, having a witness and starting our happily married lives together. Not about how we're inconvienacing friends and family to come to Seattle in Oct and sit in a long ceremony.

This is our trial run into our married lives. When time comes if our familes put us in an awkward position where it's their way or we get grief..... we have to decide for the future of the family we are making. This should be a happy or stressful time. But should NOT be a sad time of reflection and feeling like your dissappointing someone with picking the wrong location, or flowers, or first dance. What happened to just being happy for someone? So hopfully, this will be the last time I mention it.

On the plus side, as I had mentioned, Cole and I have picked a date, and  location for the reception. Still working on the ceremony location, but we do have a Deacon that will marry us. This is VERY good news to find a Deacon. With that Cole and I have to go through the pre-wedding prep with the church and an engaged couples retreat. We are really excited about this! Also, we got our final pricing from our photographer and will be taking our engagement photos next week! yay! Everyone has been very great with working with us and our budget and our photogrpaher is AMAZING! Both in her work and personality! Here is her website: http://www.azzuraphotography.com/. Her blog is great too!

We were told to relax for a few weeks and just absorb the fact that we are engaged and sit in bliss. It's been diifcult trying to do that and fielding all these wedding questions, so we decided that we will sit in our "engaged bliss" after the contracts for the venue and photographer are signed and we are waiting for time to pass a little. We are going to our engagement party this saturday being thrown by one of our Maid of Honors. Thats right... I have 2 :)

Seattle vs Sacramento

Is asking my friends and family to come to my wedding in Seattle asking too much?

Although I understand a flight to Seattle isnt cheap, and a lot of people would be traveling. But also think of the people NOT from Sacramento or Seattle. They have to fly one way or another. I love Sacramento, but its not exactly a tourist spot and that at least Seattle does have that to offer. Space needle, Pikes Place, and if you're really excited, FORKS, WA!

I love Sacramneto though. Don't get me wrong, I love my hometown in my memories and going and seeing family, friends and familiar places. But since I live in Seattle now and have been for a few years, I think this would be a good place for us to start our marriage.


I understand not everyone is going to make a weekend trip just for a wedding, but the option is there.

Sacramento would be good because the weather would probably be decent in October and familes won't have to travel. But wouldnt it be nice to get out of town for a weekend?