My life over the past 43 days... Chad & I got engaged June 29, we spent the rest of the week in St. Augustine/Panama City. We got home July 5, I started right away looking up venues, we visited several that week including: B&A warehouse, Canterbury united Methodist church (I absolutely love this church but it was booked), The tutwiler & The Club. I spent hours emailing, researching and calling different locations. On July 11 we visited Gabrella Manor & by July 16 we had Gabrella booked for may 8, 2010. This was a very exciting day knowing exactly where the wedding was going to take place made me feel relieved. I just knew Gabrella Manor was "the" place, we walked around the house and when I saw the exact location of where I would be standing I had chill bumps I knew it was meant to be. I just love the place!! I stayed busy working over the next couple of weeks but my next goal was to find a photographer after emailing, researching prices and calling several photographers I was definitely frustrated but its so crazy how things work out. A quick email to a friend Sunny Sheppard made things fall so quickly into place. I looked up Kellenjacob.com and once again the chill bumps came, after scrolling to the wedding photos and coming across Rachel Mann Aldridges (aka one of my best friends in the world and also one of my bridesmaids) wedding photos I picked up the phone calling her telling her I wanted Kellen as my photographer I think I made her call his wife to see if may 8 was available. Lets just say I was having a hard time focusing at work that day, I was so excited. Monday July 20 we went to kellens home, he was cooking pasta for his family!!! We just sat down and talked to him and decided that night to go ahead and book him for the date. The following week I left for Connecticut well that is another crazy store in itself... I luckily made it home safely after a night in a micro hotel in Atlanta Georgia. I finished work that week and was counting down the minutes until I got to start my 7 on 7 off shift, this was another blessing that came at the perfect time. I worked my first week on last week, it was tiring and very different from day shift but a lot less stress which is so helpful right now....
My future in laws!!!
Chads future in laws!!
I have the sweetest friends!! All of my very close friends from highschool threw Chad & I an engagement party. We are so thankful that we were able to get all of our friends and families together to celebrate our engagement!!! 
Rachel did a great job with the decorations all of the tables were decorated and looked awesome!
Here is just a small picture of all of the delicious food that the girls cooked... maybe they should go into catering... it was delicious!!
Rachel took a day trip to atlanta to get some 2 buck chuck wine... it was YUMMY!!! 
Ashley made this awesome cake for us with the theme of the beach, the location where we got 
Then mom & I headed to Olexa's in Mt. Brook for a bite of lunch and some more cake tasting. The cake here is absolutely delicious both the chocolate and vanilla. Its gonna be a really hard decision but I think I have a better idea of what type of cake I want for the wedding!!!
To finish off the afternoon.....
mom and I took bella for her spa day @ Generation Dogs over in Homewood. She got her teeth cleaned and a new hairstyle that looks sooo much better. She looks absolutely adorable, she got a good report from the groomer saying she was a wiggle worm so she is getting better!!!
