Lately, I feel like time is flying by quicker than I can keep up with it! It feels as though one weekend concludes and another begins after a blink of an eye (which is definitely not a bad thing). According to our website, there are only 157 days until the wedding! Here's a laser speed update of what's been going on.
The Black Box. Within the past few months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ceased its hiring freeze and opened around 50 entry-level National Weather Service (NWS) vacancies. Based on the locations in which I think I could find a job, Ben applied to 39 different NWS offices spanning the country from Miami to Anchorage. The great news is that he has made it through the infamous "black box" first round of the application process for all of the regions he has applied to so far! In ordinary circumstances we would be very excited to pack up and move to a new place, but with the wedding approaching there is definitely a degree of location-based stress. The added irony is that Ben and I met via a NOAA scholarship program that was essentially a big recruitment stunt (that paid for half of my college degree, mind you).. yet now we sit and wait for NOAA to control our future yet again! The toughest part is that with so many vacancies open at once, there is no way to preference locations and Ben will have to accept any position he may be offered no matter its location. Yet, we are remaining positive and hoping for the best.
Rehearsal dinner. Upon winning 2nd place in the Blooms by the Box contest (thanks again to everyone who voted!) and deciding to do all of my own flower bouquets and boutonnieres, I began to doubt how feasible organizing a rehearsal dinner cookout would be. Once Ben's parents realized that St Louis city parks close at sunset, I was motivated to return to my original rehearsal dinner idea: Square One Brewery and Distillery. Ben and I ate here for my birthday a few years ago and it was amazing; plus, it's only a mile from our venue. Despite having only communicated via e-mail, their event coordinator has been a godsend. In fact, my experience working with Square One has been so positive that I think I may ask to interview her for a future post! We were able to work out a menu that still stays in the price range we were envisioning for the cookout by opting for a regular reservation in the Brewhouse rather than the upstairs banquet room, which requires linens and certain meal selections. This works perfectly for our group, as we needed a handicap-accessible space with a casual atmosphere. The icing on the cake is that our guests will be invited on a brewery tour before dinner is served!
Engagement photos. Eeek! We leave on Friday to travel to Cleveland for our engagement session with Amanda and Dustin. The forecast for Sunday has slight chances for rain and a bit of cloudiness, but I am optimistic that it will be clear by the time we begin shooting. I even read an Area Forecast Discussion for the first time in years (read: since undergrad) to get a better sense of the weather setup for the weekend, and it does seem that I will not be wearing shorts as I had planned to!
I have to admit that I'm a little terrified to be in front of the camera. First, Ben and I do not usually go all out on PDA so we are going to have to save all of our mushiness for Sunday! Second, I started using a prescription topical skin medication called Epiduo about 5 weeks ago, and it has been intermittently turning my skin into a red, itchy mess with no tolerance for makeup. Luckily, I have noticed a big improvement this week and seem to have finally adjusted to it. I just hope I remember how to put on makeup and that it photographs well!
In summary, it's been a busy few weeks and I apologize to anyone who's noticed how spacey I have been lately!
