The Summer of (IN)sanity
a.k.a. the road to matrimony
The summer of 2011 will be one of the most challenging and exciting of my life. While I usually take off to some foreign country on break from school, this year I am working more than is healthy, starting a new career, going back to school, AND planning our entire wedding. The road to marriage is so full of excitement and I simply cannot wait to be in Cabo saying "I do" three months from this exact day.
Summer began sweetly. We will call it the calm before the storm. Case had just finished his first big trial in private practice. It was a cop case and he fell in love with his client (as he usually does). This guy had been fired and accused of stealing evidence. He had worked his entire life to become a life and he loved his job. His career was taken from him, he lost the home he was buying, and his reputation was trashed in the press. I went to the courthouse in Los Angeles to watch him testify and I also fell in love. He had me crying with his opening statement. Case won and so we began the summer happily.
I spent the first two weeks coaching students through their finals and then I got to enjoy two sweet weeks off. I spent this time on all things wedding and also on getting the office set up for me to start school at FIDM. Case, my cousin, and my parents spent many hours moving my TLC office. Case also got to help me spray paint fans, stuff bags with flower petals and bubbles, hand paint designs onto OOT guest bags, and hot glue gun paper flowers to our favor boxes. He is so helpful.... such a patient man.
The end of June is when what I'm calling the summer of (IN)sanity begins. Next week I will begin my full-time summer teaching schedule which is MORE busy than during the school year. I am grateful that these parents realize that, while the summer is for fun and relaxing, it is also for catching these students up. It is when I feel I can truly work my magic and not just cram for tests. I have nine students crammed into my one day off from school and commuting to L.A. Wish me luck!
July 5th & 6th I have FIDM orientation. I'm not sure what this consists of but, I do know that they manage to take up two FULL days doing it. My first classes begin on July 7th and from that point on it's official crazy time in the Barnett/Rogers house.
I have school on Mondays and Thursdays from 7:00 am - 4:45 pm and on Fridays I am at school from 9:00 am - 7:45 pm. On my Tuesdays off of school I will be teaching from 8 am- 4:30 pm with not a single break. I will then head to the gym to avoid rush hour traffic that I despise and take a pilates class that will (hopefully) save me from this insane schedule I have imposed upon myself. This will be my schedule until September 14th...a week before we arrive in Cabo.
On my first Friday class I will drive to Avila Beach for Renee's wedding. I am hoping to get there by 10:00 pm but I am so bummed we are missing the rehearsal dinner! However, I do get to watch her get married on Saturday!
The following weekend, July 23rd, will be my Bridal Shower and pseudo bachelorette party . I had always said I didn't want to have one but, I have decided it's a go. I have some friends who won't be able to make it to the wedding in Mexico because of work or because of kiddos. I would love to be able to celebrate with them and, this like the perfect option. I will not be having a "real" Bachelorette Party.... I call that "my twenties".
July 28th is Case's 32nd birthday. I really wanted to fly him to San Jose to see his best friends but I honestly don't know if I will even be coherent by that point in school. Which leads to the next bummer point. My 30th birthday is on a Wednesday in the dark hours entering final exams. This means that my 30th birthday will probably consist of me hiding under my drafting table in the garage. We shall see..... I'm going big next year. My 31st birthday on August 31st 2012. My golden birthday will make up for the lack of a birthday this year. :)
At some point in August I think I'm supposed to get my wedding dress fitted. I hope I don't forget to do that.
September brings a new school year, new clients for me, and our wedding. I finish finals on Wednesday and we fly to Cabo on the following Tuesday. When we check into our hotel I have a few surprises planned for Case. The next day I will have my hair & make-up trial at a salon in the city and we will have a nice dinner with both the Barnett and Ferguson parents. Thursday our guests will arrive. The boys are going fishing and I will be at the spa and pool with my friends. We are having a cocktail welcome reception on Thursday night and then Case and I are parting ways until the following evening when we see each other at the ceremony.
My favorite part of a wedding is when the groom first lays eyes on his bride. It makes me cry every time and I can't wait to see Case's face that day. Friday, the day of the wedding a group is going golfing to keep Case from bumping into me at the resort. I will be having a brunch with my girlfriends and grandma, aunts, etc. The wedding starts at 5:00 pm and is going to be AMAZING! Saturday Case and I will be ordering champagne breakfast in bed and then doing a photo shoot at a private beach. I'm so excited to have this quiet time alone on our first day as husband and wife. We are going to have our amazing photographer, Tomas Barron, do the shoot and we get to jump in the ocean for an early morning swim! After that we are meeting up with our guests and heading to the main beach in Cabo for the day. That night the Barnett family is hosting a sunset cocktail cruise. Sunday is our farewell brunch, as most of our guests leave that day.
Tuesday Case and I check into a new hotel for our "mini" honeymoon. In March we are having our real Honeymoon in Thailand but we wanted to have a few days alone to really enjoy ourselves. I have some amazing things planned that Case knows nothing about. I think that at some point in my life I will be a travel concierge and plan exotic vacations for the rich & famous. I love it!
We get home from Cabo on September 30th and my second quarter of classes begins on October 7th. I guess the summer of (IN)sanity doesn't officially end until October 1st.
It is going to be a crazy, exciting, stressful, challenging, inspiring, and fun summer. I can't wait for it to all begin but, even more so, I can't wait until we are on that plane flying to Mexico together!
