HAPPY HOLIDAY'S

Kari and I are hoping everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! I was working for Christmas and Kari got to go down and spend a couple days with his mom. When we got back we got to hang out with my friend from high school, Lyle and her husband! They were staying down at Vero Beach for the holiday's. It was so good to see Lyle and her family. Especially since she lives in Seattle and I don't get to see her that much anymore. So Happy New Years everyone and hope to see you all in 2009!

Florida in the winter

The major plus about living in Florida has to be the weather in the winter. Were other people are trying to live their lives in -8 degree weather (i saw that is the high in Fargo, ND) we have 80 degrees and a cloudless sky full of sunshine. Kari and I headed out for a relaxing day at the beach yesterday. Kari went surfing and I soaked up some sun on the beach. I love being able to do outdoor activities in the dead of winter. We like going over to Merritt Island and riding our bikes for a 9 mile ride on a road that is surrounded by water on both sides. It is so beautiful this time of year!

My first Spanish Dinner

I have always wanted to learn how to make the Spanish Paella. I have always been on the search for the perfect Paella recipe. I finally found one that had all the perfect ingredients. I made it tonight and it was delicious. Kari said that may even be his favorite dish I make. I was so proud of myself. It has chicken, fish, shrimp, scallops, chorizo and mussels in it. If you ever want to try it. Come visit and request it.

Before and after

We got our new plantation shutters installed on our front windows today. We really like them. They really dress up the windows

Make your hotel reservation

If you are planning on attending our April Wedding in Saint Augustine. Go ahead and make your hotel reservation. That is the same weekend as Flagler College graduation so I am a little nervous if you don't make your reservations in advance there won't be enough rooms. Go to our wedding website... http://jennyandkari.weddings.com/ there you will find all the information you need to make your reservation. Remember you don't have to pay for your room until the wedding so what would it hurt to go ahead and make your reservation? If you book at the Hampton Inn or Best Western you get to ride the free trolley I have set up to and from the wedding. Can't beat that! We have invited 200 people to the wedding and they will only let me hold 25 rooms as of now. Once those have all been booked they will let me reserve more. but if everyone waits too late there won't be anymore. So don't delay we really want everyone to be there. Go ahead and reserve your room!!!!

It's getting there

As we continue to work on our house, it is starting to look more and more put together. We hung our picture gallery up in the living room today. It took a couple of hours and lots of trial and error but we got all of the photos hung. Thanks to Mark's decorating advice our living room no longer looks like a dungeon! YAY!

It's a walmart XMAS Charlie Brown

So Kari and I are completely broke this Christmas and I mean BROKE! With our upcoming wedding expenses and all my teeth that need to be fixed. Presents are out. And I am not talking the aww no gifts this year and then you secretly get each other something. This is a serious no gifts Chef Bor ar Dee Xmas. We decided that no matter what we needed a tree. We weren't going to let being broke crush our XMAS spirit! So we headed up to walmart in the old pick up truck. We loaded in the scrawniest, cheapest, saddest looking tree you have ever seen. I knew it was the one because it was all by itself and had the crookedest tree trunk you have ever seen. I mean I have seen some scoliosis in my day but this tree has problems. We dressed her up in lights and purple bulbs to match the new walls in the living room. Now she is the prettiest darn little tree I have ever seen. Just don't look at her from the back!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. Kari and I went to my parents house in Griffin, Georgia. We spent Thanksgiving with some of my cousins, aunts and uncles and my brother and his family and more family. It was a big gathering and was alot of fun. The food was delicious! I ate way too much but it was worth it. I love this time of year except that it is flu season which I found out because I have now been stuck on the couch the last couple of days. Kari put up the tree today so we are already looking forward to Christmas. Hope everyone has a safe holiday season!

Happy Halloween

So Kari's band played down at the Crowne Plaza on the beach yesterday. We got to dress up. Kari went as a shark attack and I went as an 80's girl. but no one in Melbourne thought I was dressed up they thought I was a local. So we had a great time minus the fact the wind was blowing 25 knots and it never let up for a second. Plus it was cold. Don't we live in FL? It is not supposed to be cold! I got to hang with some classy local folk while Kari was playing. I made a new friend with a midget in a spongebob costume. And I got asked to dance by an old man who asked if I wanted to dance with a true snow bird. What can I say that's melbourne! All and all it was fun and Kari played awesome as usual! so Happy Halloween. Now I am looking forward to Thanksgiving!

MORE NEW PAINT!

Here is a picture of our kitchen in the new paint that we chose. It is from the Benjamin Moore Aura line. I could sell that line of paint I love it so much. It is even ECO friendly and our house does not smell of paint. I love it! The painting is not finished yet this is just a preview. Still alot more to go!

Congrats!!!!!!!

Congrats to my friends Holly and Alex Gamez. They are pregnant with their first child and just found out it is a girl! I am so excited I can not wait for her to get here. Too bad they live in Geneva, Switzerland!!! Oh well looks like it is an excuse for me to go over and stay there this summer after the baby is born to help out. I love you guys and can't wait to find out what the name is going to be.

Living in Melbourne

So living in Melbourne is turning me into my boyfriend. Since there is no where to go shopping... that is out. I never buy clothes anymore. Also I am desperatly trying to meet other girls under the age of 60 so that means making friends is difficult. Instead I find most of my days off watching his band and fishing. Anytime we do anything it is with guys so I feel like I am getting further and further away from my girlie side. Are there any young girls out there in Melbourne???? My friends that live other places please come visit. I am desperatly in need of some girl time!

New York

My best friend Elizabeth and I just hit the streets of New York City for the weekend in one of my last trips as a single girl! We had a fabulous time. We stayed at the W hotel on 49th street in Midtown.. We were just blocks away from the empire state building and Sak's Fifth Avenue/ Rockefeller Center. After hitting every store in New York I can officially say we were shopped out. The nightlife scene was just what I expected proving to me that 30 is just around the corner. Liz and I were ready to leave the bar 1 Oak at 2:30am instead of daybreak despite our attempts to mingle with Broddy Jenner all night. We got to see all the neighborhoods and sections of New York on our quest for cutest outfits, sunglasses, jewelry... you name it. We proudly announce that we were doing our part to stimulate the economy. I think I single handily am the reason Wachovia Bank was bought out. I can't leave out the relaxing aspects of our trip our hours spent at Bliss Spa. My masseuse James and Julia the Russian woman who gave me an intense facial were amazing. And we can't forget the greatest and most important part of any trip..... the Food! The first night we ate at Buddakan. I am sure many of you have heard of it. Well any of you that have seen the Sex and the City movie. It is where Carrie and Big celebrated their Rehearsal dinner. The food was amazing but not as good as our secret special little find called Islero. The story behind Islero was that Liz and I were still feeling our Friday night out at 9pm Saturday night. We forced our selves to shower and hit the streets. The energy of the city picks you right back up with excitement. It was recommended that we try this hidden little gem called Islero. It was not overly packed surprising for a Saturday night in the city. There was a live band from Spain playing Flamenco music as we ate the most delicious and intensely flavored food I have had in my life. I will always remember that little spot and hope to return on my next visit. Partly because the owner came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and a big hello. (He thought he knew me from a previous engagement) but still him and the wait staff made us feel like more than just a face in the crowds on the hustle and bustling streets of New York. It definitely was one of the most memorable trips of my life and I will always have a love for New York. New York where even the pigeons are aggressive.

More photos

Here are the engagement photos

Engagement Photos

Kari and I met with our photographer, Derek from Sunshine Photographics, at the JW Marriott in Orlando for our engagement pictures. We both just love him and had so much fun having a few shots of us snapped around the grounds. After I recieve the actual photo cd will post a few pics on the blog but until then feel free to view the slideshow at www.collages.net USERNAME: Harper, PASSWORD: 3078 Check them out!

Tropical Storm Fay

Okay for those of you wondering we are alive down here in Melbourne, Fl and our house is safe and dry. Kari and I were both out on a trip when the tropical storm hit. I was in Portland and Hartford Connecticut. Kari was in Midland Odessa Texas. We were both very worried about the house since we don't have flood insurance. We called Mary our next door neighbor and she informed us that the street in front of our House was flooded and the water level was slowly creeping up the driveway towards our house! All we could do was wait. I flew in about 9 o'clock Wed night and landed in 28mph crosswinds. which made the plane feel like it was going to land sideways. Then drove home in torrential down poor. There was standing water on the roadways toward our house. I pulled into our neighborhood. I was in shock. It was a river flowing where the street normally was. The water was halfway up the mailbox post. And even to the tops of the fire hydrants. I tried to drive towards our house but my car started smoking and stalled. I left it on the street and walked the rest of the way to the house. The water was up past my knees and I was terrified at what I was about to see when I approached the house. Luckily our house is on a high flood plain. The house was high enough that the water had not reached the front door. Our neighbor was not so lucky.. Their entire house flooded and ruined all the carpets and everything on the floor. Today the water has receded and we are very thankful for our close call that our house was not damaged. ahhhhh the joys of living in Florida. Can't wait for the next Hurricane/Tropical storm. At least I don't have to worry about our house flooding anymore!!!

Most Beautiful Baby Ever!!!

Welcolme to the world sweet baby Graysen. She is seriously the most beautiful perfect baby ever born. Within 2 seconds of meeting her I was madly in love. She is going to be soooooo spoiled by her Aunt Jenny and Uncle Kari. We both just adore her. Now we are so excited to have a cousin for Graysen to come visit in Florida! Got to get married first though. We love you Graysen!!!!!!

Against the grain

Kari's band Against the grain played last night at Bunkey's on the beach. This is the first time they have played out in a while and they were so good. The drummer was amazing!!! haha It was alot of fun.

Captain Hiram's

Happy Birthday Kari!!! We had a birthday celebration at Captain Hiram's for Kari's birthday. We took the boat out all day stopping at islands along the way. At night we docked at the marina and stayed at the hotel next to the marina. It was so much fun and I am so glad that people got there schedules moved aound to be there.

Bridesmaid dress

So I got three sample bridesmaid dresses in the mail to try on today. I love all 3 but this is the one that I am going to get for the bridesmaids. The difference is that my wedding colors are light blue and bright pink. I have attached 3 pics 2 of me modeling the dress and then a color sample of what the dress will look like. I am pairing the dress with off white or ivory heels. I think it will be cute. The colors are from the movie Marie Anntoinette.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!

Today is Kari's birthday!!! The last year of your 30's ouch. Aren't you glad you are marrying someone 10 years younger than you to remind you of how old you are all the time. I am so happy to be here this year to share in your birthday. You are a very special person and I can't wait for us to be married and become a family. You are a very kind, accepting, compassionate person and I am so lucky to know you. This is going to be a great year and a fab birthday party. I love you baby!!!!!

Hair and makeup

We also went today to have a trial run for my hair and makeup. This is just an idea of what it will look like. The final product will be much more elaborate. It will be a surprise on that day how it will look! yay