This weekend Luke and I were in Toledo, Ohio, my hometown, to celebrate my best friend’s wedding (I’ll post more about it next week). We got home late last night around 1:30 a.m. to a sleeping house full with my parents, aunt and uncle and their two little girls, who moved this weekend from Denver to Toledo.

One of their girls  is 3 ½ years old and will be serving as our flower girl in our wedding. I’ve always had a special relationship with our flower girl. She was the first baby we had for a long time in our family and I absolutely adore children. She calls me cousin “wuzzy.” Here’s a picture of me and our flower girl from a couple years ago.

However, no matter how much our flower girl likes me, I must admit she likes Luke a little more. From the first time she met Luke, or “Batman” as we’ve taught her to call him, our flower girl instantly loved him. He chased her, played games with her and teased her. What little girl wouldn’t love that, right?

After they played for an hour that first meeting (about the time this photo was taken), it was time for our flower girl’s nap. When her mom took her upstairs to her room, we all laughed when she started screaming “BATMAAAAAAN!!! I want BATMAN!” Her affection for Luke hasn’t changed much over the past two years.

In fact, we awoke to a similar situation this morning. I was the first downstairs to the kitchen to greet our flower girl while she ate her breakfast. “Hi!” I exclaimed, “give me a hug.” She looked at me questioningly…”Where’s Batman?” Despite the new Madeline series book in my hand, her excitement to see Luke couldn’t be contained.

But I don’t mind. It makes me really happy that Luke is a natural with kids. As someone who wants children of my own, it’s always been one of his qualities that I like the most. If our kids like him half as much as little Maddy does, I think we’ll have a very happy family.

Originally I started this blog as a way to chronicle my journey through wedding planning. Well, I realized today that I haven’t actually shared much of the plans we have in place yet! I figured now would be a good time to update you on where we stand:

Date: April 17, 2010

I knew I wanted to get married in my church, St. Vincent DePaul in Lincoln Park, but they book up so fast! When we called to see what was available, it was literally April or October of 2010. Given that my lease on my apartment is up in April and Luke and I didn’t want to wait too long, we decided to go with April.

I like the idea of an April wedding for several reasons:

1. The church will still be decorated with calla lilies from Easter
2. It’s not during the traditional wedding season (May-August) so our guests won’t be worn out of attending weddings yet
3. There’s not much going on in April sports-wise
4. People are looking for something fun to do coming out of Winter

Reception Venue: Maggianos Downtown

This year I went to a conference at Maggianos in downtown Chicago. It is the original Maggianos, so in addition to the restaurant they have a very pretty event space. Maggianos is one of Luke’s favorite restaurants when he is in the mood to impress me with his eating abilities- they serve amazing family-style Italian food.

During our visit with the banquet manager there, we were blown away. For a very reasonable per person price they offer:

• The entire event space from 6-midnight, which is very elegant with dark hardwood throughout
• Two full bars with two bartenders at each
• Two appetizers, salads, pastas, entrees, desserts per table…check out the menu options!
• Free wedding cake from a great local bakery
• An outdoor area (where the men in my family will be enjoying cigars, no doubt)
• All tables, linens, place settings, table numbers, menu cards

Once we saw all that Maggianos offered us, it was a no-brainer to have our reception there. We were also surprised to learn that The Knot named them “the best reception site in the midwest” two years in a row. Pretty cool.

Honeymoon: Hawaii (either Honolulu or Kauai)

Luke and I both love to travel. We’ve been on many trips together in the past two years: Yucatan Pennisula, London, Paris, Buenos Aires (Oct. 2009). When choosing our honeymoon destination, we both decided we wanted to go somewhere easy- where they spoke English, used dollars and had HBO so we could keep up on our shows.

While we want to be able to do a lot of relaxing – laying on the beach, reading, eating etc. – we also wanted a destination that offers action. We love that in Hawaii we can take surf lessons, bike down a volcano, and go cliff diving among other things.

So that’s all that we have nailed down right now! I’m planning to tackle buying my dress next and couldn’t be more excited. I’ll keep you all posted as more things fall into place.

Today a dear friend passed this column written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.  I really love all the advice shared in it, so I thought I’d share it with you (I bolded some of my favorites).

By Regina Brett, 90 years old:

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will…Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24 The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles..

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

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