Happy.

Happy January!

I'm so blissful lately. Adam and I have always been a close couple, but since we got engaged, my witty, funny, (sometimes offensive) soon-to-be husband has turned into the sweetest, adoring, mushy gushy, most romantic man I've ever met. I'm not complaining! He's fantastic either way, but I'm enjoying this wonderful time planning our wedding together.

Every part of this wedding has been fun (and sometimes frustrating) to plan, but we're doing it together. The most important thing for us was to have a highly customized wedding with a close circle of friends and family that we love. We have taken advice from other couples, family, friends, and put together a perfect Adam-and-Laylan kind of ceremony.

Bridal Party
We decided not to have a bridal party for a few reasons. In 2011, Adam's brother got married and only he and his wife stood up before everyone. We really liked the simplicity of this! On top of that, I have three sisters and five nieces that are old enough to be bridesmaids, and I didn't want to choose. What we decided instead was to have our families dress in a certain color palette for the day to make family pictures easy and complementary.

Being Married By Someone We Know and Love
Adam and I aren't particularly religious, so being married by a pastor wasn't something we really wanted. Instead, we have a friend that is an ordained minister and is delighted to be marrying us. We felt that it was important to be married by someone who had a good feel for the people that Adam and I are and this was the perfect choice.

Music 
One of the only issues Adam and I disagreed about was the music for the ceremony and reception. I didn't want a DJ blabbing through the whole reception, doing The Chicken Dance with my guests. That didn't appeal to me or the theme of the wedding. I preferred a string quartet,  which Adam found boring (even though he loves classical music). He thought our guests would fall asleep.

We compromised by finding a DJ that was comfortable playing music that we chose to keep the reception going even though we aren't big dancers. We chose a Motown/ 60s/70s theme with songs like "And Then He Kissed Me", "Baby Love" and "Dancing in the Moonlight". We chose a huge selection of songs to appeal to all sorts of tastes.

An Adult Affair 
Another important aspect of the wedding was that we felt that it should be adults-only. There were several reasons for this, but the biggest one was that our venue doesn't differentiate between a 3 year old and an 11 year old, and the prices of kids ages 12-18 were nearly as much as the adults, even without alcohol (included in the adult price). Since we're paying for the wedding and reception ourselves, we chose to include more adults than allow children.

We know that some families may find it hard to attend a wedding without the kids, and we completely understand, but this was a choice we had to make for us.
                                                ---------------

We are eight months away from the wedding right now but I know it's going to go by so fast! I've already started purchasing table decor and starting my do-it-yourself wedding projects (like a keepsake corsage for my mom and Grandma) I looked at wedding dresses yesterday and found a style that I absolutely adore, and Adam has been begging me to go cake-tasting lately! We'll go soon, I promised. 

Stay up to date with us at http://adamandlaylan.ourwedding.com and with my ten wedding Pinterest boards at pinterest.com/laylanelle. I plan for all sorts of weddings, not just mine! Check it out! 

xoxo, 
laylan

292 Days until Mrs. Pennel... Christmas... End of 2012!

Wowza! This is the very first year that I have ended the year by saying, "What a fabulous year!" and what a year it was, indeed! I'm going into 2013 planning my wedding to the love of my life (ugh- no matter how you try to say it, it sounds uber cheesy) best friend/hunka hunka burnin' love (you get the drift). 

2012 was such a crazy year! Some highlights and lowlights--- 

February- I lost my job. 

March- I turned 25! 

May- I found a career path that was meant for me and my life!

July- I won my first award in the new position! 

November- I GOT ENGAGED to Adam after 3.5 years!!! 

November- My bestie got married in Las Vegas, NV!!

December- We're going to NYC and Buffalo for Christmas!

In other news, Adam and I have gone full speed into wedding planning. We booked a venue that we both absolutely adore- The Elms in Excelsior Springs. Adam and I have stayed here several times and I can think of no better place to get married! 

We also just got our Christmas photos taken!
Here's a few cute ones!

Thirty Seven Dollars

As Thanksgiving 2012 is upon us, I have so much to be thankful for this year. At the end of the post, you'll find a list of some of the things I'm thankful for this year! Most of all, I'm thankful for my wonderful job, my wonderful fiance, and a circle of friends and family members that support me and lift me up every day. But as we are going into the holiday season, I wanted to share a story that I heard for the first time today, a story from my childhood, that brought tears to my eyes.

As we were driving home from Kansas City this weekend from an eventful weekend with my family at Ameristar Casino, my mother shared a story that I had never heard before. Last night she won $75 on a quarter slot machine, and we were laughing at how crazy it was to gain so much money off of just a quarter bet. She treated us to drinks last night after her "big win."

"I remember one of the first times I ever came to the casino was with your dad," she said to me. "Pepsi sent us up here on a bus. We were broke- we only had about $20 between us, and we were rationing it for the entire night. Your dad put some money into a machine- the Trifecta, I think it was called- and all of the sudden, he won! He won thirty seven dollars and we were so happy! We were hungry, so we bought some appetizers and had a beer. Isn't that interesting, how thirty seven dollars made all the difference to us for that night?" 

I don't think that we were ever poor growing up, but this brought tears to my eyes- so many times I take for granted... when I want something, I purchase it on my own. What a difference it was for my parents...my dad took on three daughters when he married my mom, and they bought a house in the country where we all had our own rooms and room to run. When I came along, my mom and dad were both working to support us. I know that things were tight supporting a family of six, but I had a fun childhood- we never went without.

Being thankful is at the forefront of everyone's minds right now, but it should be year-round. Being thankful is easy when things are going right, when you're gainfully employed, have money coming in, and your relationship is fabulous. As 2012 fades away and 2013 emerges, I hope that we can all remember to be thankful this year, all year, for not only the things that we have- but those that we don't. There was a time this year that I didn't know it, but losing my job would be an immense, life-changing blessing for me- and I am so THANKFUL for it now.  Being thankful doesn't mean you have everything- but it means that you can look at your life and say, "WOW! I am blessed."

And I am, blessed. This year and every year.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I didn't do the 30 days of Thankfulness, but here's a partial list of things I'm thankful for, some with explanations... and some that need no explanation!

1-Adam, the man that walked into my life and changed everything, when I thought I would be changing HIM!
2- My crazy, ridiculous family!
3- Gainful employment that has given me a great view into a corporate career!
4- Coworkers that I adore and love seeing every day (and lunching with!)
5- Loyal friends!
6- Early morning cuddle time with Adam and the girls
7- A sense of humor that tends to see the humor in every day life!
8- An EDUCATION that I cherish.
9- Torrid and fancy plus size clothes.
10- Adele, Regina Spektor, Ingrid Michaelson, and all other women artists that speak to my soul.
11- Christmastime and the season of giving!
12- My soon to be inherited family- Adam's- full of amazing minds and personalities. I am so proud to call you family!
13- My cat Duchess, who has stuck with me since I was 13 years old, and still crawls into my lap and purrs every night, reminding me that she's still here for me.
14- The years 2007 and 2008, which were my biggest growing years and when I truly started unraveling the Real Laylan,
15- Roxy, who we adopted in 2010. We've been through a lot with her, and she's amazing. I truly feel that she is exactly what Adam needed when she came into our lives.
16- Cora, who is my absolute best friend and the best dog I have ever had.
17- Reality tv, which keeps me ridiculously sane on the days when nothing else works.
18- Sweet tea.
19- My mother and father who still call me their "love child".
20- Scentsy Enchanted Mist, which keeps me calm on the days that I come home frazzled!

Some were silly, some were serious, but they all make up my crazy life!

Oh, happy day!

I can't believe I've neglected this blog since July! I thought about writing a few times, but I didn't think I had anything newsworthy to write about! My life has been blissfully, happily, wonderfully drama-free the last six months. I'm still working at my amazing job- I've earned two awards since I started- one was in July, two months after I started working there!

And in other news......... Adam and I recently got engaged! The day before Halloween, Adam asked me to marry him- with a 2 carat round stunner that is simply jaw-dropping. He has exquisite taste and got the most beautiful, clear, perfect ring that I could ever imagine.

We are planning an October 2013 wedding and are thrilled to be getting married after 3.5 years together! It almost doesn't seem real, especially looking at this rock on a daily basis!

Adam and I have been through a lot in three years, and every trial has strengthened our relationship. But now, it's just joy. Someone recently said to me, "You must laugh together a lot." This made me smile, because Adam and I truly laugh with, and at! each other, all the time. We adore each other!

So that's it for now- just a quick update!

New Colloborative Blog: Seize the Day

I've spoken sporadically about Adam's seizures, but as they have increased recently, we have decided to start a seizure and TBI related blog together. There we'll write about therapies, triggers, and chronicle the seizures that he has. Hopefully we can unravel the mystery together.

Please join us for this part of our lives. I believe that Adam can live his life seizure free!

Seize the Day

Where are you going, and where have you been?

Five months ago, I found myself lost. A loss of identity, a loss of job, a loss of happiness, or so it felt. I remember thinking that I had hit rock bottom at that point and that I was so desperate to be out of that rut, no matter what it took. I didn't know it at the time, but the loss of that horrid job was the beginning of my transformation. It was the biggest blessing in disguise. I'd been yearning for a change, but I didn't expect it to come in such an unpleasant and uncomfortable package.

This experience tested my relationship, my mental sanity and my friendships. Most, but not all, came out unscathed, but all were changed in the process. I wasn't exactly the most exciting or fun person to be around during this time. There were a lot of tears and a lot of irritability. Sometimes though, our battle scars show where we've been and that we've weathered the storm.

But, as you know, this story has a happy ending.

Nearly three months ago I accepted a position that has brought me great joy. I love my new coworkers and the everyday work that I get to do. I've emerged from this with more confidence than ever before. A deeper happiness that I've ever known- as if everything has aligned perfectly. 

One of the best things to come from this experience is my relationship with Adam has deepened immensely. I no longer fear what could happen because I know he'll take care of me. In our relationship, I oftentimes find myself taking care of him- cooking, cleaning, etc. But during this time, he was my rock- returning the favor when I was at my lowest low. It was during this time that we truly realized how much we love each other, and our relationship is stronger than ever. The two of us are the greatest team. We pick up each other's slack, we work together to solve our problems, and we accept each other for the person we've each become. 

Life is good now. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in this life, but what I've realized the most in the last five months is that life could always be worse, so instead of dwelling on what you could have had or should have said, we should treat each day as a blessing and trust in yourself and your support system to lift you up when your life is rough.

I predict great things on the horizon. :)

You and Me

A few days ago, Adam and I celebrated our three year anniversary. I was thinking about writing a sappy blog about how much we love each other, but I decided I would just share some of our favorite photos along with our favorite song. (We'll be dancing to it at our wedding- and if you steal it for yours and you're a friend- I'll kill you.) :)

 If the stars don’t shine, if the moon won’t rise,
if I never see the setting sun again,
You won’t hear me cry, this I testify;
please believe me, boy, you know I wouldn’t lie.
As long as there is

Chiefs Game, October 2009 (the coldest day ever!)



You and Me...

 

Weekend Getaway- September 2009


 If you love a soul more than fame and gold, and that soul feels the same about you,
It’s a natural fact, there’s no turning back, and here’s some advice to you:
You’ve got to say it’s

You and Me... 




January 2012

June 2012

One of our first photos together, taken by a friend.

(July 2009)

2011 Christmas Photo