The To-Do List

Yeah, I can't promise that there will be another post between now and the wedding. I can't BELIEVE how much STUFF there is to do!

Here's (most of) the list that I started working on Friday afternoon:

Done
Talk with Allie and Mom about cake details, send one of them to the bakery
Confirm final details for cake topper, send payment for balance
See invitation lady to order personalized thank-you notes
Write thank-you notes. Lots and lots and lots of thank-you notes
Attend final dress fitting
Arrange gym membership so that I have a snowball's chance of being able to breathe in my wedding dress
Book flight to Charleston
Look into changing name on licence, passport, social security card, bank account, and obtaining marriage license
Confirm Bridesmaids' sizes
Call church to confirm policy on wedding banns, arrange "interview" with monsignor
Disassemble desk- move to garage to be picked up by buyer
Update spreadsheet with responses and gifts received
Find pashminas for the bridesmaids' in case it's freezing that weekend
Select bridesmaids' shoes
Gifts for people throwing parties

In Progress
Design program cover
Write personal note for program
Format sheet music for program
Program layout (confirm with priest and music director)
Cards of what people seated together have in common (to facilitate conversation)
Find gifts for the brothers playing the violin during the ceremony
Assemble last bit of bridesmaids’ gifts
Engraving for Greg's wedding band
Pack for move
Figure out where to put all the stuff that used to be in my giant desk
Write more thank-you notes
Call dress designer to get J.J.'s dress fixed
Find a wedding gift for Greg
Decide on instrument voicing for processional
Find out when bridesmaids are arriving for shower and wedding
Compile page of "head shots" so that photographer knows who key players are

Not Started Yet
Send list of song preferences to band
Meet (again) with florist to revise details
Design menu card to have on tables
Choose a song to dance with my Dad to
E-mail priest to confirm that he's available for the rehearsal
Select paper and ink color for ceremony program
Wedding cake shaped cookies or cupcakes for choir
Find a harmony for Eternal Father (Navy hymn)
Send letter to Yacht Club to change my membership status to "non resident"
Find out who wrote the hymns we're using for program
Take preliminary location shots at yacht club to send to photographer


Believe it or not, I'm sure there's lots missing- some that I've done, some that other people have helped with, and some that I just haven't thought of yet.

But I love the craziness- I hate being bored, and this stuff is (mostly) fun!

There's so much going on! Work is NUTS with a capital NUTS, but I'm leaving in less than three weeks, which makes things more bearable. My shower is on Saturday, and I know my bridesmaids have planned a fun night out afterward. My last Juilliard concert is on the 16th, and Josh, Courtney and Tyler are coming out to the burbs for one last Sunday night orphan dinner that weekend. After that it's full speed ahead on packing, because I fly down to Charleston the following Tuesday afternoon!

Greg and I will drive up from SC that weekend, then put most of our collective stuff into storage before moving into the Susse Chalet (more on that in a minute.) The following weekend is Easter, and I'll sing five masses. That brings us right to the wedding, ladies and gents, and there you have it! Crazy busy nuts, but I love it!!!

So, I guess I actually have a big update: Greg's training schedule has changed, and so has our agenda for the next 10 months or so.

Long story short(er), we will be going to Groton, CT for about 10 weeks after the wedding. This was originally supposed to follow six months in Ballston Spa, NY (Saratoga Springs), but the order of the two has switched. (I'll spare you the long details, but we're very happy about this!!!)

So, the plan now is as follows:
-Wedding on April 14th
-Week off (to be spent someplace in New England- undecided as yet)
-Greg goes to SOBC (Submarine Officer's Basic Course) April 23rd
-We spend roughly 10 weeks in Groton: Greg works business hours, has weekends off. We'll be living in the Susse Chalet on base- essentially a low-end Best Western from what I hear, but without breakfast. Not our choice- it's cool.
-After SOBC, Greg has all but two days of July off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, you read right. That may not seem like much in the civillian world, but he hasn't had that much time off since high school!!)
-We'll leave on our HONEYMOON on July 9th. To say I'm excited is a dramatic understatement. Greg and his Mom have put together an AMAZING trip that I only know a very little about, but it includes Paris and Bastille Day fireworks over the Eiffel Tower. I know a little (but not much) more about the plan, but I will fill "my readers" in on it another night. (I'm HUGELY excited, but I don't want to spoil the surprise!) What I do know is that this trip is an amazing wedding gift from Teresa and Hap, and I can't thank them enough!!
-After the honeymoon, we'll have about a week left in July to move into our first "real place" (read: not a hotel) in Saratoga Springs. That's when reality will set in a bit- Greg will be working rediculous hours and have minimal free time, but at least with this scheduling change we now know that we'll be able to attend Courtney and Tyler's wedding in August and Matt and Emily's wedding in September.
-Since we'll be upstate for an entire academic semester, I'm hoping to get involved with a choir or two and maybe a theatre group. If I play my cards right, I might even be able to sing in Oratorio Society at Hamilton! Hooraaaaaaaaay for singing with Rob again!!!
-Greg will finish school in Saratoga on January 11th. This is great, because it means that we won't have to move across the country over the holidays (we were nervous about that with the old schedule.) The potential down side is that there's a chance Greg may have to stand watch on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. But we'll survive.
-After Saratoga, it's off and across the country for Lizzie and Greg. Plans currently include either San Diego or Pearl Harbor (if we can) and a puppy (eventually.) Hooray!!

I guess that's about it for now. Well, there's probably lots more, but it's one in the morning and I've already used enough exclamation points in this post!!

Hope all is well with everyone out there. Please drop me a post to calm me down a bit (but not too much- I'm enjoying this!), and then check back in a few weeks. I'll try to manage a post before the wedding... maybe with some pics from the shower... we'll see how the "to-do list" goes!

Nougat

What exactly is nougat anyway? Our office had a whole big thing about nougat this morning, complete with talking over cubicle walls and multiple mass e-mails debating the topic. Of course by the time this had been going on for 10 or 15 minutes there were eight people craving Snickers bars. The natural end to this kind of thing was the inevitable run to Duane Reade for a bag of Snickers and Milky Ways and subsequent Passing Of The Nougat. I love quiet days in the office.

The afternoon was even better! We haven't seen Shirley since she left on maternity leave at the end of July, but she came in today with her two-month-old Davey. About an hour later (and by pure coincidence) Sal's wife shows up with their five-month-old Parker Izabelle. There have been only three baby office visits in the history of our company. Two in one afternoon was fantastic!

Davey (at about 1 week old)

Parker Izabelle

Anyway, bigger things are happening than just babies and nougat. In fact, I've been pretty busy since I last posted.

I drove down to Annapolis with Greg's parents last weekend (and found out they read my blog! Hi Teresa and Hap!) to help move him out of his apartment. The four of us and his brother Paul packed up just about everything Greg owns, then headed out for a delicious dinner at a sushi restaurant in downtown Annapolis, followed by a round of drinks with the S. clan, then another with the Navy clan.

The next morning we loaded everything into a 16' moving truck. Total cargo weight: 1,300 lbs! (Not that I'm one to talk, but the boy owns a lot of stuff.) After lunch, we headed to Ikea to buy a sofa. We found one that we all liked alot- especially since it has a replaceable, machine washable slip cover. (Yeah- our new couch is going to be in a bachelor pad for the first six months of its life... it's going to need to be washed!!) Greg and Hap managed to fit the couch into the truck (which was exactly wide enough!), which thankfully saved us from having to repack the whole thing.

Teresa and Greg were staying one last night in Annapolis before heading down to Charleston, but Hap and I had to get on the road. We said our goodbyes in the parking lot, which was just as well: it kept me from getting too sappy. It wasn't hard, though- we would see each other in a few weeks. Our plan leaving Annapolis was that we would see each other at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and work out two additional visits: one in the spring and one in the fall. It worked out that we would go one month, one month, six weeks, and six weeks between visits. It was all planned.

Unfortunately, every time you think something is all set, the Navy steps in. Of course. Greg found out on Tuesday that he has class on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which makes it impossible for him to come north for the holiday. :-(

Since we really can't change Greg's schedule, we've been working on changing mine. We thought about me flying down to Charleston for Thanksgiving, but apparently the reason they don't have Friday off is that they will be in an important testing period, so having me around as a distraction is probably not the best thing. Not to mention that flights are outrageously expensive that weekend. So we're thinking that we'll do Thanksgiving like we do my birthday, our anniversary and Valentine's day: a week early! (We've been dating for over two years and have yet to celebrate any of those days on the correct date. Ah well- we're getting married young- we'll have 50 or 60 years together to fit those in!)

Unfortunately, I only have three vacation days left, and it's unclear if the office will be closed between Christmas and New Years. I've put myself down for vacation days on the Thursday and Friday of that week, and I'm saving one for some time in November to see Greg. (We think he might have a long weekend for Veteran's Day, so I'll take my last vacation day then.)

Between worrying about my lack of vacation time and the difficulty of getting to Charleston, I've been all stressed and upset for the past two days. Annapolis was easy: four hours on Amtrak and I'm there. Only $84 each way. Charleston, on the other hand, requires an airplane and a lot more money for a short amount of time spent together.

So it looks like our schedule for both the fall and the spring is going to be six weeks apart, one long weekend together, and six weeks apart. Yuck, yuck, yuck. We'll have about one week together over Christmas, so hopefully I won't have to work those other two days.

I know that we're going to have much longer periods of time apart, and that this really isn't bad, but we've never lived less than four hours apart. At least we'll be able to spend lots of time together when we're preparing for him to go out on deployment.

Something about this makes me think about when I used to babysit for toddlers. When the parents left, the kid would cry. No question. They'd be all upset for a little while, then they'd settle down and be just fine. What was much more difficult for them was when the parents left me with the kid then went upstairs to change, reappeared for a few minutes, left to go to the car, came back to get something they forgot, and then left again. As soon as the kid had settled down, the parents would return. Each time they left again, the kid would get even more upset, and stay upset longer. (Honestly- do parents realize they do this to babysitters?)

I feel kind of like the little kid. It's not that I fall apart when we leave each other, I just feel like something's missing, and it takes me a few days after seeing him to pull myself back together and readjust to being alone. Sometimes it almost feels like teasing to have such a short period of time together, just to go back to missing him almost immediately. It's like being hungry and being offered one M&M- you want it so badly, and you happily eat it up. It's great while it lasts, but it's gone before you know it and you're somehow hungrier than you were before. What gets you through is remembering the flavor and looking forward to the next meal.

Now, all these metaphors aren't meant to imply that I don't want to spend those long weekends with Greg- I want them more than anything. I'm just happy that he's going to be around that week in December. We'll get to spend some real time together, and I'll feel much better.

They say that time flies faster and faster as a wedding draws closer, and I wonder if that will be true for us. It's so weird to know that we will have just three visits together before we're moving him out of his apartment in Charleston and into our first home together. We'll be married in just over six months, and I'm sure it will feel like time has flown. In the mean time, the next several months are going to be like pieces of nougat- I know I'll enjoy them, I know they'll be sweet and not last very long at all, but I have no idea what they'll be made of.

Footballs and Potatoes and Submarines, Oh My!

Oh, what a weekend!

I took a train down to Annapolis on Friday evening. I somehow planned it so that I would be in Maryland when the storm was knocking out power in New York, and only caught a few hours of the storm down south. Nice.

It was raining pretty hard when Greg picked me up, so he met me downstairs in the New Carrollton station. I had hardly stepped off the escalator when he started laughing... I was still limping badly! (I'm finally better... pretty much... I still can't stand on my toes.)

We wound up taking a major detour home to avoid the traffic on Route 50. We hit Ledo Pizza & Pasta for dinner (mmm... peppers and onions!), then headed back to the apartment to crash.

We woke up Saturday morning and hit the Annapolis mall. We waited for about 15 minutes at Sears for someone to unlock the case of electric clippers, (I'm told that knowing how to cut men's hair is a requirement for Navy wives,) but finally left after no one was able to help up. (Yeah- Sears gets a big thumbs down on customer service. Why put something in a locked case and then not have someone around with the key!) I did, however, finally find a new pair of jeans.

Ok- quick rant: Jeans shopping. Why do they make it so hard?!
I just wanted to replace the pair of Gap jeans I bought about a year and a half ago. I had tried once before and got so frustrated that I left after five minutes. So here's what gets me so upset: First you have to find the style you want (ok- finally found "Long and Lean" on a table, mixed in with three other cuts.) Then you have to find your size (My old pair is an 8-long, though I could be a 6 or a 10 in another cut at the same store!) Then you need the color (and not just the color, but a solid color, please, none of this shiny, glittery denim or the faded stripe down the front nonsense that makes my thighs look 22" round, thank you!) And finally, make sure there are no weird features on this pair that weren't on the other 16 pairs you've already looked at (such as rouched pockets, button fly, no back pockets, no belt loops, tears, slits, frays or other kinds of "wear".) Ugh! So I took a few pairs into the dressing room. The 8-longs fit, the 8-regulars were tight. Same store, same style, same size. I just don't get it. Ugh!!!! ANYWAY!

So, after our mall extravaganza, Greg and I packed up his car with all sorts of coolered goodness and headed over to his Lt.'s house for a pre-football tailgate. We hung out for about an hour (yup- actually an hour!) before the other guys arrived- they had been stuck in parade traffic near the stadium. (The entire Brigade of Midshipmen marches from the Yard to the stadium before every USNA football game. That's about 4,000 people marching about a mile through the narrow streets of Annapolis, plus the thousands of spectators that line up around town to watch and throw candy and snacks to the Mids. It's fun to watch, but I'm told it's not as much fun to participate in.) In any case, the other Ensigns that Greg works with finally arrived with food and a keg, and we had a fun barbecue... even if it was in the drizzling rain.

The highlight of the tailgate, though, was when a pair of F-18 fighter jets zoomed over the house- literally a few hundred feet directly over us! They were on their way to do a flyover at the game: Lt.'s house is on the same line as the end zone, only a few blocks away!

We eventually made our way over to the stadium, a short walk which included a bunch of quasi-drunken Naval officers singing Happy Birthday to my sister Allie. (Happy 22nd, Pipsqueak!)

The game was fun- we arrived just in time for the end of the first half. One of Greg's buddies had some connection that got us into the VIP area, which was pretty sweet. I met the mayor of Annapolis, which was nice, but a little odd. How many people have you ever met who respond "thank you" when you say "nice to meet you"- a bit off, yes? In any case, we scored second row seats in the end zone for the second half- very cool. (Better seats than most of the other 33,000 people there!) Navy beat out East Carolina with a final score of 28 to 23. Go Navy! Beat Army!

With Greg at the game

After the football game, we were all pretty well shot. Greg and I headed back to his apartment to watch a movie, and he made good on his offer of a calf massage.

Oh! Regarding that massage! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the comments from my previous post.) After Greg promised to help me out with the ridiculous leg pain that HE CAUSED, he called me up and asked what I was making him for dinner. I explained that he must have read the post wrong: I promised to buy dinner for anyone offering a calf massage, not make dinner. Well, Greg can be stubborn, (I love you!), and he insisted that I make him dinner.

So, the next day (Sunday), Greg had to go sailing with the Navy team. I went to the store and purchased the makings for meatloaf, garlic roast potatoes and Grandma Padin's famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Unfortunately, my day of girly domesticity was cut short when Greg and his roommate John arrived home from practice several hours early. In any case, I made the cookies first, which took forever. Not only does Greg's apartment not have an electric mixer... oh, no... they don't even have a wooden spoon! I mixed a full batch of oatmeal cookies with a tablespoon!

The meatloaf and potatoes were easier, and they turned out pretty well. It turns out that the "big" onions that the recipe called for referred to baseball-sized onions, not orange-sized. I used less than the three onions it called for, and the resulting loaf was delicious, if a bit oniony. The potatoes, though, were sheer culinary magic. They were like garlicy candy- I'm going to have to start making those all the time!

By the way, Greg now takes any opportunity he can to quiz me on my Navy Wife training: "Navy officer ranks: go!" He slips this in while we're in the car, while we're grocery shopping, doing dishes... really no place is off limits. (By the way, I've got the officer ranks down cold. The enlisted ones, too. I'm thinking if I get entreprenuery I'm going to market flashcards for Navy fiances.)

On Monday, we went over to the Academy for a tour of the USS Annapolis; a Los Angeles class Fast Attack sub, which is very likely to be the type of boat Greg winds up on. The tour was certainly an education for me! There is next to no space inside a submarine: narrow passageways and absolutely minimal living space. The little 9-man room that Greg will probably be living in for his first few deployments makes my apartment seem palatial! Hell, even my cubicle is big in comparison!

There are switches and gauges and dials and levers everywhere on the boat. Obviously, anything that was classified (such as screens showing depth and speed capability) was covered up, but we still got to see some neat stuff. Get this- the enlisted guys sleep in the torpedo room. Yes, with the torpedoes. As in, if you roll over in the middle of the night, you can cuddle with a giant missile. Freaky. I don't know what I expected torpedoes to look like, but for some reason it surprised me that they're green.

I knew that Greg would have minimal personal storage space, but I'm glad I've seen what "minimal" means so that I don't send him things that are too big. The storage area for personal property under each rack (bed) is about the size of my desk blotter and around three inches deep. There is another little compartment the same size for clothes. Wow. I'm thinking now that when I send Greg care packages, they will include CDs. That way he can have letters and photos and music and whatever else, all in one place, and it won't take up any space. This is, of course, dependent on his getting a lap top, since he'll be sharing computers with other people on the ship and probably won't be able to do things like listen to music on them.

The USS Annapolis

After taking the launch back from the submarine tour, ("Lizzie- the enlisted guy with the crow and single chevron on his sleeve: what's his rank?"), we grabbed lunch in town, then headed back to the apartment for a nap. (Greg has learned that if he's going to get me up early for a Navy thing, it's probably a good idea to let me nap afterward- makes for a happy Lizzie.) It was Greg's turn to cook dinner, so we eventually headed back out to the grocery store for some inspiration. We wound up with a Campbells meal-in-a-box type of kit that yielded some delicious herb chicken, which we rounded out with some frozen corn and leftover potatoes. Yummy. (By the way- the enlisted guy was a Third Class Petty Officer.)

After dinner, Greg took me back to the New Carrollton station to catch a train back to New York. It was a really fun weekend full of lots of goofy "I'm just glad we're here together" moments. We both know we're running out of weekends like this before he heads down to Charleston, so we're making the most of our time together. Next up: Pre-Cana and The Fantasticks, followed by packing up his apartment in Annapolis. Lots of fun still to come.

We're Next!

Greg and I left the Outer Banks Friday night and drove up to Annapolis for Andrew Countiss and RoseEllen Balestri’s wedding. It was just beautiful.

Andrew, Greg, and a few other guys went to Miami over spring break their junior year, which is when Andrew and RoseEllen met. They stayed in touch by phone, and Andrew invited her to Ring Dance as a second date, which is when I met her. Interestingly enough, out of the six couples in our Ring Dance party, two are now married. Greg and I will be the third.

Andrew and RoseEllen at Ring Dance

Ensign and Mrs. Countiss

Andrew and Amy at Ring Dance

Ensign and Mrs. Tingley

Greg and Lizzie at Ring Dance

Next April...!

After the wedding, we went out with a couple of guys from Greg's company at the Academy. We went to dinner at Fuddruckers, then to a house party for a bit. The party was fun enough, (despite the bridesmaids scowling at the Navy guys' girlfriends/fiances/wives for no appearant reason), but the real highlight of the evening was bowling! We left the party with four other couples and hit the lanes. As it turns out, we're all terrible at bowling, (Summer was the only one of us to break 100; I came close with 96 in the first game) but boy was it fun!

At the Bowling Alley

On Sunday, we got in the car (yet again) and drove to New York. Greg made us dinner (per our bowling wager!), then we went out with my new roommie Lindsey. We met Lindsey down the street at Brother Jimmy's. It took Greg about two minutes to spot the "Buck Hunter" game in the corner, which allowed Lindsey and me some time to chat about the men in our lives. (Oh, the drama!) After a couple of drinks, we headed back to the apartment, and Greg and I watched Kinsey, which was fun, then headed to bed.

After nine days together (the longest uninterrupted visit we've ever had), it could have been much more difficult leaving for work on Monday morning. We knew we'd see each other in a few days, but it's always nicer when we don't have to leave at all. Greg drove me to work (which was uber cute), then headed back up to Connecticut to see his family. He'll be back for a tour of New York Yacht Club (of which he is now a member!) on Thursday, then we'll have dinner with my parents in the city.

It's always a bit odd when we don't know when we're going to see each other again, and I guess I'll have to get used to that. After all, I won't know much at all about his deployment schedule when that whole drill starts. I know I'll see Greg sometime in September for Pre-Cana classes, then we'll have one last night in Annapolis together before he moves. We'd like to be able to visit while he's at Nuke School, but the only definates so far are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Well, we're guaranteed time together for years to come. I just need to keep reminding myself that our seperations are temporary and I'm fine.

In the mean time, I'm busy with work, plus looking into invitations, wedding cakes, bands, wedding rings, and (oye!) the guest list. That should keep me busy!

The State Of The Lizzie Address

My life is about to change. A lot.

I'm getting married and moving away. I'm leaving my job, my apartment, my family and my friends and marrying a man in the Navy. Yup, life is about to change.

So, I've decided to start a blog. I think keeping an online, public diary will help get me through these changes, stay in touch with friends, and share some of the experiences I'm bound to have with Greg as we adjust to married life and I adjust to my new life as a Navy wife!

The good news in all of this is that I have Greg. He makes me happier than I ever dreamed I could be. We're heading out together as partners on a big adventure- one that I never could have imagined 5 years ago. We are deeply in love and both know that we are lucky to have found each other.

With Greg at USNA Commissioning. May, 2006

Sometimes life can almost seem like a fairy tale: my white knight has appeared- he is handsome, brave, and as honorable a man as you'll ever meet. And dropping everything to follow your one true love is certainly a romantic notion. But it's sometimes a bit scary.

Greg is training to be an officer on a submarine. He'll be away on deployments for long periods at a time, and I won't hear from him daily or know where he is most of the time. This won't start for over a year, but it's something I'm preparing for.

But we're also preparing for adventures! After we marry, we'll live in Ballston Spa, NY for 6 months, Groton, CT for about 3 more, and then we'll be off to the west coast. Our current top choice is to be stationed in San Diego, CA. This, however, is a bit unrealistic. San Diego only has a few submarines, and therefore only a very few slots for officers. So maybe Pearl Harbor, HI. Or if not Pearl, then maybe near Seattle, WA. Who knows! This decision won't be made for a while- it depends on Greg's class rank coming out of Nuclear Power School in March.

In the mean time, though, we're planning a wedding and spending as much time together as we can. Greg is currently on Temporary Assigned Duty at the USNA Sailing Center. Translation: he gets to spend his summer coaching and sailing around the east coast. Tough duty, huh?! :-) He just finished his training block (read: cruise) this week, and now has most of August off. Hooray- lots of time together!

(Note- I may mock Greg's assignment this summer, but he actually has had a lot of responsibility, it hasn't been all fun and games. Or picnics and rum cocktails. Just mostly.)

So, it looks like August will be my favorite month this year. Next weekend we are going to Greg's family's summer house on Martha's Vineyard. The house belonged to Granny T-Bird, Greg's great-grandmother, who sounds like she was a really cool old lady. The house, named Mytoi, is basically a Japanese cottage, complete with rice paper windows. The view from the back of the house is stunning. The peaks of a rooftop and an osprey nest stand are the only man-made things to be seen. Other than that, there is only a beautiful marsh with a winding creek between the porch and a pond. It is serenity defined.

The view from the back porch at Mytoi

During the day, kayakers like to come up the stream that goes through the back yard. This can be interesting when you're in the shower- it has full length clear glass windows that face this view! Greg and his friends call it the "porn shower!"

Across the street is Granny T-Bird's garden; now a public park. I have loved Monet since I was 9 years old, and when Greg took me to the garden last summer and showed me the Japanese footbridge over the waterlilies, I just melted. I think it is the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. It reminds me of the mood set in the Glen on the Hamilton campus- nature allowed to flourish on its own with only a slight nudge in the right direction.

The Japanese footbridge over the pond in the Mytoi gardens

The Japanese footbridge in Claude Monet's garden in Giverny

A series of bridges in the Root Glen at Hamilton College

When we get back from Mytoi, we'll have a week apart before heading to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Greg's friends from Branford (now my friends, too!) A week on the beach is something I've been looking forward to for a while! I'll add more about the N.C. trip later.

(Some of) The Branford Gang, as seen on New Year's Eve

So that's where my life is right now. I'm working hard, planning a wedding (and even though I didn't really mention it in this post, I'm guessing that wedding plans will be a frequent topic!), and I'm enjoying any time that I get to spend with Greg. All in all, my life is good these days. Actually, it's great.

So, in conclusion, the state of the Lizzie is happy. That is all.