Pictures...

We haven't put pictures up in some time so I figured I would update you on some of the things we have done this fall.

First, here are some pictures from our camping/kayaking trip to the Green River in August.

I will post more pictures of this fall shortly!

Fall Update

Hello to all! I hope you have not given up hope on our engagement blog. We have been super slackers about writing in it. Part of the reason being we are both so busy. Therefore, I decided to write what I would like to put on the blog through an e mail to myself when I am not busy at work. I thought I would have time to do so the other night when I worked on the mommy/baby unit but I was wrong! There were 4 regular births with an extra 2 C-sections that arrived one after the other. However tonight, I was sent to Levine Children’s Hospital to sit in a room with a little boy that kept trying to pull his IV out... so since the little precious thing is fast asleep I have plenty of time to write.
I don’t even know where to start. I think the last time that either of us wrote was when we went camping. It is a few days before Thanksgiving and we have an empty, boring blog. Now that it is Holiday season that means the wedding is getting closer and I am getting more and more excited.
With my new job I meet a lot of new people… which include a lot girls my age or a little older. I get asked numerous questions about Peter and I, how we met, the engagement, the wedding, anything you can think of involving a wedding. I knew girls were wedding crazy but I did realize like this. It makes me feel special though (not that I don’t already) just neat that people I have just met are so interested in our story. Last week, I worked for the second night on the same floor, so I was getting to know the girls better. By the end of the shift I think every person working on the unit was sitting in the nurse’s station, wide eyed after hearing the proposal story. A few times I would walk by, “Oh, We were just talking about you and your wedding and how cute it all is”. Brides to be can become quite popular around other girls their age. One of the questions that always come up is… how is the planning going… is it stressful? I find it funny; hearing about wedding planning the word stress always seems to be in the middle. They seem to find it interesting when I say…no not really. I mean, really, the most stressful thing was searching for a photographer, and it wasn’t even that bad…just time consuming. I think when people imagine planning their wedding they see it consuming their life, in a more stressful way. When I look back at being engaged I want to remember it as an enjoyable time. And who knows maybe that is foreshadowing… a low stress engagement might mean a low stress marriageJ. My cousin told me that the planning would go through phases. Some weeks would be spent doing a lot of planning, and some spent doing none. Call me crazy but I like a busy atmosphere so I have somewhat been looking forward to the craziness of the whole thing. Right now I would say we are in a planning phase. We wanted to get our save-the-dates out by October but its not big deal that it didn’t happen right then. We just ordered everything (envelopes, pictures, and adhesive magnets) and are getting ready to put them together then send them. At the same time (thanks to Peter’s mom and her wonderful friends) we are also working on the reception. It’s actually a lot of fun!
A few weeks ago after my grandfather passed away Brittany and I went to Greensboro to spend Veterans Day with my Grandmother and she said that putting flower arrangements together had been her therapy. We ended up going to Old Time Pottery to look at flowers for the bouquets and boy was I in for a lesson. I learned that there was such thing as formal flowers and wild flowers and they do not go well together. She used to work at a florist so I took her word for it and ended up just picking out a color I liked (fuscia pink) and she went from there. She informed me that even though we already have lot of flowers, with all my bridesmaids and table arrangements that we would need tons more. So that Friday my mom and I went to the Old Time Pottery in Charlotte trying to grab the last of the summer flowers. We sure did get some looks when we were the only people in the store buying a cart full of pink summer flowers when everyone else had on thing on their mind... CHRISTMAS! I am sure though, after Christmas we will start doing a lot more planning.
On another note, I am so ready to get our engagement pictures done. We haven’t been able to find a good weekend to meet with our photographer. Football has been number one on the list this fall, and with Peter working a lot of the home games, there haven’t been a whole lot of weekends open. I am hoping that by the beginning of January we are able to get them done. I love having pictures for memories and can’t wait to have professional ones of us.
Well out of a 364 day engagement we now have 216 left ( I know this thanks to the countdown on facebook) Hope you are all getting as excited as we are and I promise to not be so slack about keeping up with the blog for the next 216 days!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Camping and Kayaking.

Ellen and I both enjoy being outdoors and camping is something both of us have enjoyed in the past. Last week for the first time we were able to get a chance to go camping together. I soon realized that are ideas of camping were different. I have grown up in scouts and my camping experiences have mainly consisted of either scout camp, or one night adventures. Scout camp was spent sleeping in army tents with uncomfortable cots. The one night adventures would basically be leaving after school on a Friday, getting to the campsite, which was usually a field or the side of a mountain, and throwing up a tent before dark making a fire with limited supply and sleeping on the ground. Ellen's idea of camping is slightly different. She always had fancy stoves and blow up mattresses, along with plenty of supplies. Our first camping trip together fell somewhere in between. We went to Wilderness cove campground in Saluda NC. Our faithful sidekick Chloe came along for the ride. We had a great time and spent most of Saturday in our kayaks on the river. Ellen has been kayaking for over 2 years and me well about 2 years less than she has. I was nervous at the very beginning bc I had never done it before and apparently that was the first time Ellen has ever seen me nervous. I really am thankfull I have a wonderful fiance that with go out and enjoy the outdoors with me. My knee still is giving me problems so we will have to hold off on the hiking but chloe loved camping and we made some progress on her fear of water. Pictures will come soon Ellen has them on her camera. oh and less than 11 months until we get married.

Vantage Point

Well, since Peter started the blog and wrote the first two, I decided it was time to join the bandwagon. First off let me say I am so excited about the engagement and planning the wedding and am happy that we are going to be able to share it with our friends and family through this blog. Peter had a brilliant idea for each of us to write our version of the day he proposed. So here goes...

June 27, 2009...

What I did not know is this story starts way before I came into the picture.. well I was in the picture, being his girlfriend, but I was oblivious to the entire proposal! I went to Columbia two weekends before to celebrate Peter's 23rd birthday. Patti and I planned a suprise get together at a bowling alley that Saturday night to celebrate his big day, which was on Monday. That Saturday afternoon he sold his bike, and had me easily convinced that he was paying off all his credit cards with the money he earned. (Let me say, a few months earlier he said he was going to sale his bike one day to be able to get me a ring, so deep down I was sad) The entire next week every time I talked to him on the phone two subjects were always brought up; each time, he was out looking at "mountain bikes" and that he was dying to see me. I had come down with a bad virus that week and would not see him the next weekend, therefore, since we were going to the beach with his family on July first we figured we would try to wait until then. Being three hours apart, we always miss each other. However, this time he was much more adamant about us spending the weekend of June 26-28 at my parents in Gastonia. I wanted to see him badly, but I had a suprise wedding shower that Friday night and did not really have the funds for gas. However, after him telling me he would fill my tank up then my mom wanting to have a cook out, I was all for coming home to see Peter and my family.

My sisters came to Greensboro for the shower Friday night and slept over. The next morning, as usually is, I had a hard time getting them up and moving, esp Jenn. ( Love you!) I told Peter I would be home by noonish but didn't get to leave Greensboro until about eleven. I was already frustrated, might you take note. On the way home I got a text from Peter asking if we could go somewhere when we got to my house. Being hardheaded, stubborn, but also family loving I was not fond of the fact that as soon as I got to my parents I would leave again. I told him yes, but not right away. He then asked if I had eaten lunch and when I told him yes he seemed slightly upset, which I didnt understand (at least until later). After I was finally home and had talked and mingled for a while Peter asked if I was ready to go. He needed to go to Charlotte to drop off a portable dvd player that one of their family friends let them borrow. Of course, like I said, being the hard head that I am told him he needed to call Cindy and make sure she was home before we drove all the way there. That is when my mom chimed in, and said Just GO! Now if anyone knows my mom she is not one to push anyone out the door. So, I just shut my mouth and went. On the way there Peter said we were going to Independence Blvd. Having lived in Charlotte until I was ten I know the road names pretty well. Independence, Idlewild, and Sharron Amity all ring bells in my head that we are going to be close to where I grew up. Within a second of him mentioning the road name, I perked up and insisting that we drive by our old houses and the elementary school where we met. I was falling into his plan pretty easily.. at least for the time being. Meanwhile, Peter called his mom to make sure Cindy was home and he informed me that she would be gone for thirty more minutes. Perfect! We decided to go to the school first. Keep in mind this is a hot, humid, summer day and with Peters knee he is usually okay with a short walk or just viewing from the car. However, today he wanted to go walk around back to see the old playground and what had changed. I was okay with that until Peter decided to have a seat under one of the trees that has been there since we were young. I probably looked at him like he was crazy and told him it was way too hot, that we needed to go back to the car. Then a little lightbulb went off in my head. "Cindy is going to be longer than thirty minutes isn't she? Your mom said it was going to be an hours huh? I told you to call and make sure she was home... but its okay, thats a guy thing..Why are you stalling?" Poor Peter, those were all the words coming out of my mouth as I was walking away from the pretty shaded tree area. Peter, being understanding like he is bit his tongue and walked back to the truck with me. We got into the car and Peter thought it would be a good idea to make sure there wasnt a movie left in the DVD player from the twins having used it. As soon as he turned it on he looked at me and said, "Actually, this is for you". I was confused. The portable dvd player was not for me but the movie inside was. He spent weeks re-writing a song and making a movie with pictures from us on it. It was amazing, I was in utter shock for just the fact he made a movie for me. I was still oblivious to the fact that there was a ring in his cargo pants pocket (which he never wears). At the end there was a picture of the ring.. and I remember thinking, Gosh! thats georgous! Before the last slide popped up he started talking. He told me that we weren't really going to Cindy's that he wanted to bring me back to the place where he met me and told me how much he loved me. With a little humor he said, if I didnt have a bum knee and if you would have stayed outside then I would get down on one knee, Ellen will you marry me?" Of course I said YES! as I was putting my hand to my mouth. I was so shocked and excited! Then the questions came and everything started to make sense...
I figured I would make a list of all the things I overlooked or didnt even notice at all

1. It was ironic that both Peter and my mom were adamant about going to Gastonia for a cookout. Peter asked for some help on getting me to come home)

2. Peter wore cargo shorts that day (the first time I've ever seen him in them) so that the DVD player and the ring could fit in them

3. Cindy (the lady we were taking the dvd player to) was one of their best family friends in Charlotte and he acted like he didnt know where she lived. Which he knows exactly

4. My mom pushing me out the door, when usually she would much rather me stay.

5. Peter said he had been looking at mountain bikes which now I know is code word for engagement ring.

6. Peter being upset that I had already eaten and wasnt home on time. (He planned to propose earlier then take me to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch)

7. Peter called my mom twice earlier in the week and my dad on fathers day just to wish him a Happy Fathers Day. (at least thats what he told me). It was to do that but also to ask both my parents permission.

...Im sure there are more things that I could have clued in on, I just cant think of them at the moment

**It was the perfect day and perfect proposal; I would never wish it to be another way. It was so thoughtful and meaningful and I (being stubborn) put our own little twist on the day. I love that boy so much and am so so so excited to marry him!**

The Chloster

Today I would like to introduce a new member of this wonderful blog. That would be the coolest dog in the world or atleast in our world. Chloe was dropped of at my parents house back in february and since Ellen adors all kanines I could not not let her take it. Choosing a name was a difficult decision so we looked on the interent and chloe seemed to fit. Funny story is that my cousin Jared had a baby a few weeks later and her name is Chloe. If I would have know that prior to the great name choosing we would have chosen a different name. That is yet another reason we create this blog so we could keep in touch with our relatives lives. We love are little four legged friend and even though she is a little OCD but hey it runs in the family. She can sit, lay, shake and speak and is completley housetrained. She hates the water though which really makes me mad I am just hoping she gets over it eventually.

This is after we had played in the snow

She was such a cute puppy

We were so tired after a trip to the lake

This is a recent picture. Ellen still has wedding hair.

Beautiful Eyes

So after much contemplation I have decided to create a blog. Many reason have combined to make me sit down and stare at my computer screen and punch some keys click some buttons in hope of making this blog thing work. One reason is that I am engaged. So consequently many post will be about the planning, trails, blessings and experiences surrounding our big day. Another reason is my knee hurts. It has taken me 1 mom, 2 surgeons, 3 MRIs and 4 physical therapists to realize how serious my knee injury was. My mind says go go go my body keeps yelling no no no so I spend a lot of my day sitting on the couch in hopes my knee will one day not be in constant pain. I figured for my first post I could tell a little story about Ellen and I. Growing up in Charlotte I thought I was a pretty smart kid. I knew a lot of things and always was the smart kid in my classes. One thing I didn't know a lot about was girls. I always liked girls and do not think I ever went through a girls have cooties stage. There was this one little foxy number I wanted to holler at but wanted to make sure she liked me first. After much thought I got some great advice from an older friend. He told me that it was so easy to know if a girl liked you or not. All you had to do was look into her eyes and if she smiled she liked you. I remember like it was yesterday I was in my third grade class room and was on the computer that faced the wall. I turned around and there was Ellen. I just sat there and stared at her hoping she would look my way. When she did our eyes met and that smile I loved beamed back at me. Thats when I knew Ellen Helm liked me so you can say,"it started way back in third grade"