The DIYing has Begun!

A running joke in my family is my inability to finish the crafts I start. The easiest way to see that is in the clothes I make--excellently done seams and construction, terrifying hems finished in the car on the way to an event. For obvious reasons, my mother wants to keep my DIY instincts relatively curbed during the wedding planning.

But it has begun! This weekend, Jay visited and we took a set of engagement photos along the Hocking River. Years of family photos with my Aunt Meg has taught me to trust the tripod and self-timer. I'm pretty pleased with what we got:
The cherry trees along the river are very special to Jay and me. In April, 2008, I fell into a very deep depression. Jay stayed with me for a weekend during that down spell, and after thirty-six hours of crying (on my part), he forced me out of my dorm. We went for a pathetic jog, then Jay took me to the cherry trees along the river. As awful as I felt then, it made me feel better to be outside, enjoying natural beauty with Jay.

It meant so much to us to take pictures under those same trees, two years later and truly happy:
Visit our Flickr account to see all of our photos.

The Rest of March

Ah, it's been a while since I was here. As glad as I was that Jay proposed, he did choose to do so during some of my busiest weeks last quarter. While Jay stayed with me, I was frantically preparing for finals. "Oh my gosh, we're getting hitched!" Katie does not get along well with "I really need to ace this final in order to proceed in my program!" Katie. Overall, it leads to "I love you, but for Pete's sake, play the PSP with headphones! And please make me a sandwich!" Katie. My fiance puts up with so much.

Coming home for spring break was great. My mom came to get me (as I am not allowed to drive the "death wagon" outside a one and a half hour radius surrounding Athens) and I introduced her to O'Betty's. We took the long way home, winding along the Ohio River. On the way, we talked about the overall "vision" Jay and I have for the wedding: relatively small and elegant, but quirky. My guiding philosophy is something my mom said to me in passing several years ago,

"Try to have an element of whimsy in everything you do."

Spring break was fairly relaxing. My first day back was Jay's mother's birthday. I spent most of the day at their house, talking with Peg and playing with my nephew. Once Jay got home for dinner, Peg asked to have family pictures taken. So now, Jay and I have an informal engagement photo of sorts.

For the rest of the week...I slept. And watched some TV. In my defense, I did read the first two Harry Potter books for my thesis research. My laziness was punctuated by bouts of wedding planning. It blows my mind how early we have to start--the wedding is over a year away, and already my favorite venue is booked. For the entire month. Watching that happen has put me in panic mode, made worse by the fact that I'm now back in Athens (and must rely on others to drive four hours to pick me up. Damn you, death wagon!). For instance, we really want to set the date so we can book a venue for the reception. In order to set a date at the church, Jay and I have to meet with the pastor and be "approved." Said pastor is out of town until April 20. Also, if I can't get back to Youngstown, I may have to just Skype with Jay and the pastor. I wonder if that "counts?"