Making Memories

My DRESS arrived yesterday! It arrived by UPS and its box was waiting for me in my room when I got home from work last night. It sounds pretty bizaare that I ordered a non-refundable dress that I had never tried on before off a website, but NO dresses out here have sleeves on them and none of them could have them added with out it looking weird, so there you have it. (I think looking for a sleeved weding dress was the one and only time I wished I lived in Utah... ha!) I had a good idea of what I wanted my dress to look like (Okay, who am I kidding? I knew EXACTLY what I wanted it to look like. It's a girl thing), and I FOUND it on this website that sells modest dresses. We ordered it something like February 2nd and were told that it would arrive by May 1st. One bridal store told us that it was a bad idea because you should order your dress something like 10 months ahead for alterations and who knows what else, but we didn't HAVE 10 months to go and no where else had the dress I wanted, so we took a chance. I cut the surprisingly small box open (carefully) and pulled my dress out. My mom helped me put it on and I fell in love. It's everything I ever hoped for; my dream dress -- honestly! I'm so glad it worked out! After the problem with all 400 announcements, I was worried about the dress. But it is amazing and perfect.
My mother and I just returned from a local bridal store because I needed a slip to go under my wedding dress.  I had been disappointed that I really didn't get to have that "ah-ha" moment in a dress store trying on dresses when I tried on a dress -- thee dress -- and had the "THIS IS IT" realization since I had to order my dress online. I didn't go to the bridal store for that purpose, but ended up standing on that raised pedestal with the intent of trying to see if my dress looked the way I wanted it to and in the meantime, I just looked at myself in that beautiful dress and had my moment. I had my "this is the dress moment" like I had always wanted. There are 84 days until our wedding day, and it is sinking in more and more all the time. Joe will be here in under three weeks for a visit and we will be taking our engagements finally, registering, fitting him for his suit, apartment hunting, putting together our announcements, etc. Things are really falling into place. It's really amazing, and we're really happy.