100_0764, originally uploaded by jeremyandelizabethwedding.

Our rehearsal dinner was at the Oyster Bar (YUM!). We had lots of food: catfish, etouffee, gumbo, fries, pies! Everybody had a good time (at least I did!). There were speeches (Jeremy, Melissa, Justin, Ryan, David, and our pastor). There were tears (happy ones!) and lots of hugs. Our folks made a DVD slideshow of pictures of us as sweet little babies (we were cute kids, yes?). The whole night was laid-back and just what we needed to unwind before the wedding the next day...
Afterwards, I spent the night at Melissa's house (I haven't done that in a long long time). Greg even stayed somewhere else and let us have the whole house. Kristen came over and she, Melissa, Paige, and I hung out for a little while longer. It was a great, great night... Here are some more pictures from the night (scroll on!)

100_0759, originally uploaded by jeremyandelizabethwedding.

Kristen and Cameron

100_0766, originally uploaded by jeremyandelizabethwedding.

Baby and me with Cody and Uncle David

100_0768, originally uploaded by jeremyandelizabethwedding.

From left to right: Rachel, Katie, Holt, Kelley, Judith, and David

One Year Ago Today (part 4)

Imagine it's December 18th...!!

This is the blank slate that we started with on Thursday! Your eyes do not deceive you... that IS Zoey down in the bottom right corner. The pups came along with us one night when we hauled stuff out there. They loved it. When they barked, it echoed, and they got real freaked out.
But I digress...! Thursday was spent decorating the 4-H Center. I loved it that we could do pretty much whatever we wanted with the room, AND that we had tables and chairs for free (I'm telling you, they were very generous). Right away, we started rolling out the tables and the chairs and setting up everything where we wanted to go. The deliveries came that day and everything went very very smoothly. My folks, Bill, and Donne showed up to lend hands (THANK GOODNESS!) and really took over on jobs. Julie was also awesome and decorated the trees for us (very well, might I add). My dad and Bill were put in charge of hanging the icicle lights alllllll around this giant room. Everything was perfectly straight. Things were really getting rolling when.... the lights went off. They were working on some construction nearby, so they shut the power off on us! As you can see from the pictures, there are NO windows in this place. But there WERE two giant doors on both sides that rolled up. It was chilly, but we had just enough light to keep on going. We made sure the lights would be back up at some point before the big night (and they were, like 2 hours later...). Again, thank you to EVERYONE who ran errands, helped decorate, and picked things up for me. Couldn't have pulled it off without such a great crew.
The rehearsal was just one day away...!

One Year Ago Today (Part Three)

101_3182, originally uploaded by jeremyandelizabethwedding.

December 17th, 2008, was spent mostly with family during the day. We had already gotten our marriage license... I just wanted to post this picture. ;)
I'm not going to lie, I had a complete nervous breakdown this day for about 10 minutes. I swear that's as bad as I got the entire time (right? RIGHT?? Tell me I wasn't too bad! Ha.). I realized that Grandma Jean's visitation was going to be on Thursday, and her funeral was going to be the day before the wedding. All of these things were completely fine, except that we had planned to spend the entire day on Friday decorating our reception site. We had "volunteers" lined up. All deliveries that were to be made for the wedding were happening on Friday. And there was no way we were going to be there.
I remember we were about to leave to drive to Benton, and all of this hit me like a ton of bricks. We would have to move all of our Friday things to Thursday. And I burst into tears. Which I really don't do very often. Jeremy pulled the car over, and he talked to me. He helped me realize that it truly was not a big deal. We could totally get everything done on Thursday, and we even had some wonderful family and friends who could help us that day (I can never thank you people enough!!). So that's just what we did. And everything worked out just fine. I also realized how very lucky I am to have these awesome people in my life this day. You guys are amazing.

One year ago today (part two)

One year ago today, Jeremy's sweet sweet Grandma Jean passed away. I was so glad I had gotten to know her. Jeremy and I would spend the night with her every once in a while, and we visited her often (she lived in Benton). It was really nice having a grandma in town (she liked for me to call her grandma too). She was fantastic- one of my favorite memories of her is last Thanksgiving (2008) when Jeremy and I had both sets of parents and Grandma Jean over. She ate a LOT (she never really ate much at home). She loved the cheeseball I made. She kept asking for more. She ate two pieces of pie. And after dinner, she wanted to go out on the deck and have a smoke. ;) We paid tribute to her (and our other relatives that we have lost) at our wedding by displaying wedding photos of our loved ones. She was a sassy lady, and she will be dearly missed. More to come...!

One year ago today (Part One)...

It's hard to believe that J and I are about to celebrate our first anniversary. It has gone by incredibly fast. A lot has happened in the past year. I wanted to take a little time this week to reflect on what was going on last year at this time. I'm going to post some pics and talk about some details that you may or may not have known, but things that are good to remember & look back upon...
December 15, 2008 (one year ago today... it was a Monday):

• I had just graduated the Saturday before with my masters in school psychology. Not sure what I was thinking with planning a wedding that took place right after finals, but I survived. :)
• Jeremy was working that Monday and Tuesday.
• I was running around town and taking care of last-minute details such as...
• contacting Ben Nichols, who had agreed to play at our wedding. Until he showed up, I could not believe it was real... I might have contacted him errrrr... one or two (or 10) times "just to check in" and make sure he was still planning to play.
• Jeremy was contacting Coco Loco (you read that right) who was supplying our maragarita machine. He was an old(er) man who ran his "company" out of his truck. He mentioned he had a dog who would be coming along for the delivery.
• going back and forth with Confetti's party rental about a couple of tables and some table cloths (there was some kind of confusion but I honestly can't really remember what it was... number of tables? Perhaps.).
• Jeremy and I made nightly trips starting this week out to our reception site: the AR 4-H Center. I should mention here that we were VERY fortunate enough to use this space, which was gorgeous, at a very very very very very generous discount (imagine what would be reasonable. Then half that. Then half that. Then make a deal that involves my dad and future husband waxing the kitchen floor... thank you guys!).
• The week before the wedding we started carting all of the stuff we had accumulated to use for the reception: ornaments! trees! lights! lights! lights! centerpieces! It took a lot of trips.
• Family started to come into town this week... My Aunt Donne and Bill came in from Minnesota and my cousin Paige from Savannah. They helped so so so much this week. Can't thank them enough. My grandma was getting stranded in Chicago about this time as well... and my cousin Adrianne in Boston was also snowed in about this time...
• It snowed here the night of December 15th... Not a lot, but enough to cause some jitters that it might snow the night of our wedding!
• I remember we went to go visit Grandma Jean (Jeremy's grandma) at Hospice that night. Our good friend Ryan was taking very good care of her, and we were lucky that she had such wonderful people helping her...
• This was pretty much the last day we had before things seriously kicked into gear, so we were savoring our time together before it got hectic.
• More to come...

They're up!

Please go visit the wedding bloggity for Trash-the-Dress pics and a link to the online album!!!! They're beautiful!
(also, please comment over there and let me know which ones you like- trying to decide which ones to print!)

I'm (unofficially) official!!

I PASSED THE PRAXIS!!!
This means, barring disaster, when I'm done with internship in May, I will be licensed as a School Psychology Specialist. HOOODY HOO! I'm really really excited. Not only did I meet the requirement, but I might have gotten a bit higher. Kinda killed it. I now meet the requirement for national certification too (a Nationally Certified School Psychologist). That means if I ever decide to move out of state (won't likely happen), I can practice right away. Pretty exciting!! It's a huge huge relief. Feelin' good, folks!

Our halls= decked.

As you may well know, this is quite possibly my favorite time of year. I love Christmas. I love the cold (sorry, Kat). I love Christmas movies. I love snow (when we get it. LIKE YESTERDAY!). I love everything about it. Perhaps that's why we chose this time of year to have our wedding, yes?
It's always hard for me to wait to put the tree up, but I know it's necessary to avoid the crazy. This year, we put the tree up the DAY after Thanksgiving. This is when I start listening to Mariah Carey. And Bing Crosby. Aaaand maybe an NSYNC Christmas (thanks, Christy). Anyway, I digress. This year we had many, many more Christmas decorations because of the plethora of things we bought for the wedding. I have more purple and silver ornaments than any person will ever need in a lifetime (feel free to take a box). And Christmas lights. And centerpieces. However, I love love love our new decorations. Our wedding was quite pretty, if I do say so. And now, every year, I can bring out just a little taste of that night. It makes me real real happy.

This is an ornament we bought in Tybee for our honeymoon...
... and another. ;)

More posts to come about the upcoming anni and our first year together. I can't believe it's been almost a year. I wonder what I was doing last year at this time...

Go over to Melissa's twin bloggity and check out pics from their very first shower (aw!) and some AMAZING ultrasound pictures. Go. Now.

Quickie

1. Thankgiving (and the week-long break that went along with it) was fantastic.
2. I ate turkey. Free-range-happy-til-it-was-dinner turkey. It was delish.
3. I got to see a lot of folks over break, which was great (Chandle and David were in town- yay!). Lots of family too: lunch at Jeremy's great-aunt's house, dinner at my folks'.
4. Took a day trip up to Springdale for Melissa's first baby shower. Pictures to come. Promise.
5. This week at work might kill me.
6. There are only a few short weeks til Christmas break now (and our anniversary!).
7. I still haven't gotten one.single.trash-the-dress picture. I may or may not be getting highly frustrated.
8. The Spanns are getting the internet!!!!!!!!!! That's right, kids. No more stealing from the neighbors! (Who, recently, have let us down and somehow we don't get their signal anymore. Hence, why we're getting the internet. Ha.)
9. Christmas decorations are up. More pictures to come.
10. Lots of new babies out there in the blogosphere! Congrats to the Robuses and to Brooke and Paul!! Cute kids, for realz.
11. More updates soon...

Yesssssss.

1. Took my licensure exam on Saturday (the Praxis for School Psychology. It's the only test I have to pass in order to call myself a School Psychology Specialist and work in the schools).
2. Shhh... don't tell, but I feel pretty good about it (I never say that, either).
3. Wonderful friends helped me celebrate Saturday night (thanks Kat, Leah, and Melissa!).
4. I have to wait about a month until I know anything (that should be moved to my "Noooo!" list, but we'll leave it here).
5. Friday night my sweet sweet husband took me on a date to Leo's and to see "Where the Wild Things Are" to take my mind off the anxiety. It worked.
6. This is my last week before Thanksgiving break! Did I tell you I have the whole week off?
7. Well, almost all week off... I'm doing my first contract work, testing in a small school district for moolah. Yeeeeaaah, buddy.
8. Big big week: book club (The Reader), ANTM FINALE, Thanksgiving at Katie's!
9. Leading my first referral conference on my own tomorrow! I'm a big girl now.
10. Watching my friends on the Wii Fit balance board made my night on Saturday. ;)
11. Feelin' good, feelin' great. Whoot.
12. Ha ha ha check this out. Yucko.

The Spann Halloween Special... a little late, but it's ok, right?

Ahhhh, Halloween. It's quite possibly the favorite holiday of the Spanns. If you've ever been around us on Halloween, you know this already. One of the first times I thought I might really like Jeremy was on Halloween (I was the lead from The Birds, he was Hunter S. Thompson). And the next year, too, I might have had the same thought bout that fella. I was Cruella DeVil, he was in a 70s suit that was pretty fly.
This year... an homage to our childhoods. Me: Rainbow Brite. Him: WishBear from the Care Bears. And still just as cute as ever.

Feliz Cumpleanos!!

This post is terribly belated, but I know he won't mind...
Yesterday was Jeremy's 30th birthday!!! Last weekend, Katie, Judith and I got together and threw a super-top-secret surprise party for our fellas, who were all turning the big 3-0 within a few days of each other. Let me tell you, it is not easy to throw a surprise party for your husband. Let alone two of his friends also, who would normally be involved in the ruse. However, we pulled it off masterfully, and they were completely surprised (see the middle top pic). Stewart was nice enough to spend the whole day throwing Jeremy, Holt, and David off and took them to Crazee's to watch the Razorback game then into the woods to shoot their shotguns (yes, plural). Alllllll this culminated with a gaggle of women hiding in my house (in the dining room) and giggling uncontrollably because all the guys were wanting to come over and have a firepit. Unbeknownst to them, a Wiiiiiiiiii tournament was waiting for them. Folks got to choose from fantastic games like Beatles Rock Band, Dance Dance Revolution, Mario Kart, and many many more. We had a blast. THANK YOU to everyone who helped out and attended the par-tay.
And a very very very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby. I love you so!

Well, look at that

Whether I'm talking about them here or announcing him at our wedding here, if you know the Spanns, you know we unequivocally LOVE Lucero. Ben Nichols has now been featured in the AR Times (written by an old UCA friend- hello, Gerard Matthews!). Please take the time to go read the article on the website. It really sums up the journey Lucero has taken. A journey that we have definitely a part of. It makes me happy to have a band that I love so dearly.

I can't remember who I was talking to the other day about it, but I specifically remember the first time I heard Lucero. I was in the car with Chandle, David, and Adrian. We were on our way to Mt. Magazine for camping and climbing, and David was driving. He said he wanted to us to listen to a band that he had recently discovered, and he put in Lucero's first album. I remember when I heard "My Best Girl" for the very first time. I instantly loved it. And that "gravelly" voice. And the lyrics.

Not long after that, Lucero played at the Sound Stage in Conway. The old one. The one where it was "allowed" to bring in backpacks for your Miller Light (gasp! In Conway??). After my first show I knew that I seriously loved this band, and I remember getting in the car with Chandle and we were like, "What just happened?" I feel so lucky that Ben Nichols played at our wedding (how in the world did we pull that one off??). There's no.way.possible that Lucero could play at the Sound Stage anymore. Or Vino's. I can't believe they still play at White Water (as Ben said it, it's the best bar in the world, I suppose). So they are DEFINITELY on their way up. I'm just glad we've seen it from the beginning...

Ah, October.

Saturday was Melissa's birthday, so we went over to the Wood's house for a little dinner and celebration (and Baskin Robbins ice cream cake... mmmmmmmmm I'm still in a sugar coma of the BEST KIND). So a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Missa Faye (2 days belated)!!!
We also decorated (some more) at the Spann house for our favorite holiday. Check 'em out. Come by at night, too- there's a strobe light that makes them SUPER scary. ;) People drive by our house reallllll slow and take in all the awesomeness. I will post more pics of the rest of the decorations soon.
I LOVE this time of year. Come trick-or-treating at our house. ;)

Trash the Dress Teaser!!

Go NOW and check out a couple pics from our Trash the Dress session at the fair last night!
They're over at the wedding bloggity!!!

Ben & Kelley's Wedding

Where do I even start about Ben & Kelley's wedding?? It was absolutely gorgeous. The bride was beautiful, the site was beautiful, even the (chilly!) weather was beautiful!! There were canoes, fireworks, a carriage, a live band, pumpkins, and amazing food! We had such a good time! I have a whole bunch of pictures (Jeremy did a great job catching some good moments!), so go see the full album here! It was gorgeous.

Here's Vanna signing the guest book

The altar area- the lake behind there is where the boys paddled up in their canoes!

Gorgeous.

The groom's cake! Ben's above-ground pool complete with Ben floating in it. ;)

Cupcakes from Cupcakes on Kavanaugh... Mmmmm!

10 groomsmen!! Lookin incredibly sharp in their brown suits. ;)

This is my favorite picture of the whole night!!

Sparklers!!!

Go Vote!

I got this info from Jonathan...

Go to this website for the Children's Miracle Network to vote for Arkansas Children's Hospital to receive a brand new awesome game room! Right now, Arkansas is in the lead (!) but we need to stay there... You get 10 votes a day, and you can possibly win an Xbox 360, so you can't lose! Everybody knows AR Children's Hospital is amazing, so go vote!!
Here's more info from the site:

Microsoft has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network to provide three Children’s Miracle Network pediatric hospitals an Ultimate Gameroom experience – and we need YOUR HELP to decide which three lucky hospitals will receive this great giveaway and better yet, YOU could win an Xbox 360 as well!

Cast your vote for the Children’s Miracle Network hospital of your choice, each time you vote you will be entered to win an Xbox 360 – the more you vote, the better your chances of winning!

A super-exciting list...

1. Run, don't walk, to the Baby Bloggity for amazing news. AND SAY HELLO to the Woods, please (Google Reader is killing comments on blogs!)! Perhaps if Melissa knows people are reading, she will be encouraged to do posts! ;)
2. I am crazy excited for the babies to get here. I can't wait to meet them and see their sweet little faces.
3. This weekend is Ben and Kelley's wedding! It's going to be here. Whoooooooooot! It's going to be amazing.
4. Also this weekend: the McClung family reunion (that's my Granny's family on my dad's side). Wish Jeremy luck as he meets even more extended family!
5. ALSO this weekend: Jeremy and I are going to see David Sedaris. Don't be jealous (I know you are)!
6. Internship is still going well! I am starting to do some Spanish translating (on paper) and it is quickly snowballing into attending Spanish-speaking conferences. SCARY, but potentially awesome.
7. I got to see my ladies last night.
8. On Tuesday we're going to the Arkansas State Fair for a Trash the Dress session! Details to come. And many, many pictures.

Hey, you.

Go vote about the gender of my sister's babies! Go on. She's finding out SOON.

My very own CAKEWRECK!!!

As some of you know, I am obsessed with Cakewrecks. It makes me laugh, pretty much every day. Well, my fellow intern and I decided to throw a baby shower for one of the school psychs here, and here is how our cakewreck occurred:
The Day We Ordered:
Us: We're throwing a baby shower for a coworker, and we want it to have a baseball theme (we had purchased baseball cups, napkins, and decorations... our coworker LOVES baseball and is having a boy, so it seemed appropriate)
Kroger: Hm. We don't really have a "baseball-baby shower" theme cake.
Us: No, that's ok, we don't want baby stuff on the cake, but do you have something you can do with a baseball theme?
Kroger: Oh, yes! Definitely. We do a baseball diamond on top of the cake with players and little baseballs. It's really cute. Would you like that?
Us: That sounds great!
Kroger: Is it going to be a boy or a girl?
Us: A boy.
Kroger: Well, I'll write down to do the colors in pastels so it looks a little more baby-showerish. But we'll go with the baseball cake.
Us: Alrighty.
Pick-up Day (2:00 pick-up scheduled, 3:00 shower. It is now 2:15 and they're frantically trying to decorate the dang thing)
Kroger (panicked, clearly): Ummm this is not turning out very good.
Me: What do you mean?
Kroger: Well, I'm trying to draw the baseballs on here, and it just doesn't look like anything. It's a big blob! I keep taking it off.
Me: I don't think you were supposed to draw baseballs on there. They said you had some sort of baseball kit. There's supposed to be a baseball diamond.
Kroger: Uhhh. What? This is what I did (Lifts up a crazy over-the-top baby shower cake with stuff all over it)
Me: What's that?
Kroger: Well it said to do a baseball baby shower cake. We don't do that!
Me: No, it's supposed to just be a baseball cake. In pastel colors or something like that.
Kroger: Well here's the note she gave me (she shows me the notes for how to make the cake, and it truly was GIBBERISH)
Me: Well, we really didn't want baby stuff on there. Just baseball stuff.
Kroger: Do you want me to start over?
Me: No, the shower's in 30 minutes. Uhhh, just make it look good.
Kroger: I have baseball players I can put on top! How about that? That will kind of make it baseball themed. And look! The box on top is a keepsake box for the baby! (Note: there is, indeed, a box on top. That I'm sure the baby will just LOVE. WHAT??? PS, it is Spanish on the inside.)
Me: Fine, just make it look good.
Kroger: We have black baseball players AND white baseball players.
Me: Oh, ok. That's good.

... And this is what we got, folks. A serious, serious CAKEWRECK. And a hilarious baby shower cake. AND AND a keepsake box. For the baby.
It was quite delish, however. And she didn't make us pay for it. So there's that.