Compatibility test

Today, Lizzie and I got up at the crack of 7 to go out to meet Father Harry for our compatibility exam. The 150 question psychological battery took about 40 minutes and after talking with Lizzie, I am pretty sure I got all the questions right and Lizzie got about 20% of the questions wrong.

I'm kidding, Lizzie, put the knife down.

Seriously, though, if you're married, you probably have seen a similar premarital questionnaire. If you aren't, it's similar to those quizzes in the teenage girlie magazines. Except the questions aren't so much about zodiac signs and whether you caught him looking at you in science class. More like whether you think you both agree on budgeting strategies and how often to hanky panky.

Before you ask, yes I read Seventeen. I am thinking about renewing my subscription.

The whole test was done on a scantron form, so it seemed a lot more like a test than perhaps it was supposed to.

I do think I may have overanalyzed some of the questions a bit though. The one that asked whether I agreed or disagreed that Lizzie acts inappropriately when under the influence of drugs or alcohol I answered "uncertain."

I have only seen her drink once or twice. While neither of those times did she act inappropriately,  I feel the sample size isn't large enough to make an informed decision. Lizzie was upset because she thinks this makes her sound like a lush.

We should have the results Tuesday.

the challenging part of life

Losing a family member is never easy, nor is there a great time for someone to pass away. Nevertheless, it happens- sometimes you know it is coming and sometimes it is when you least expect it.

This past weekend, my grandfather Frank Baronne, Jr. passed away at the age of 85 in Baton Rouge. Papa, as we called him, was my mother's father. He had been in poor health for the past year or two and I guess you could say we could see the writing on the wall. Even though we knew he was in poor health, it was still a surprise for him to pass away this weekend. Thankfully my cousin, Nathan, was with him. Nathan and Papa prayed right before he passed.

(This picture was taken in May of 2010)

A few interesting things happened in conjunction with his passing. On Friday night I was heading out to visit A-Ball as she had a short overnight in Nola. I got to her hotel around midnight (now Saturday) and was sitting in the lobby waiting for her to arrive. As I sat there, I prayed for Papa. I asked God to let Papa not be in pain and to let him go peacefully. I prayed for him to have no more suffering. I found out later that he passed away around the time I was praying for him. I also found out that my Aunt Carolyn was praying at the exact same time as me - and praying the exact same thing.

Twenty minutes later, I received a phone call from my cousin, Nathan, that Papa had passed away. I notified my siblings, but could not get in touch with my parents as Dad had accidently left the phone unplugged in their bedroom. At 1:20 am I decided to drive to Hammond to tell them the sad news. As soon as I got on the elevated interstate past Kenner, I looked up and saw a huge, beautiful shooting star. I am pretty sure that shooting star was for me. I made a wish for Papa and continued my drive to Hammond.

As you can imagine, the rest of the weekend passed in a blur.

The funeral was yesterday (Monday, May 23) in Baton Rouge. It is always great to see family even for the saddest reason. I really do have an amazing family. My mom was amazing and strong. She is an amazing woman and I am very proud of her.

A few years ago I had Papa's WWII metals and dog tags framed. We displayed them at his funeral. I really think everyone enjoyed the display we had for him.

His obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theadvocate/obituary.aspx?n=frank-joseph-baronne&pid=151182731

After all this, I truly believe he is in a better place. He is no longer in pain, nor is he suffering. At the end, he was no longer afraid of dying like he was just a year before. He was ready to be with God and I am confident he is in Heaven right now. Even though you know someone belongs in Heaven, it still does not stop you from missing them or mourning their death. I know I will not see Papa again on Earth, but I will see him again in Heaven (assuming I get there as well :)).

A special thanks to everyone who sent thoughtful words and love. I really appreciate your support and encouragement.

Rest in Peace Papa. Love, Lizzie

Wedding Details....so far

When I was a wedding planner in a former life, I knew how much work planning a wedding was...even for other people. Now that it is for me, WOAH DOG...talk about taking all my free time.

Let me make this very clear: I am not complaining. Honestly, I love the details and all the hard work required. It really is a lot of fun....and a second job.

So far we have some of the BIG details out of the way:

Date - May 5, 2012

Church - a fantastic church downtown.

Reception - the most beautiful ballroom downtown.

Shout out: I have been working with one of the best sales reps I have ever met - Emily Sita.

Photographer: Collin Richie (www.collinrichiephoto.com)

Videographer: Chris Serio at Bridefilm (www.bridefilm.com)

If you know me, you know the photography and the videography are the most importantdetails (besides the whole getting married part). These are sure winners.

Now on to the details and decor. I am look at palates and themes. There are SO many options it is hard to decide. AND I just might have to smack DB around if he does not stop bringing up mariachi bands and sangria. Lord help me. :)

Other things we have to decide upon:

Event planner (as the event planners I know will be kinda busy that day)

Flowers/Decor

Invites/Save the dates

(pretend I listed the other 100 things)

Another fun part is to ask our Bridal Party to be a part of our big day. We have decided not to ask anyone quite yet and keep it under our hats for a little while. I wanted to wait so Doug obliged (because he is a sweetie). The bridal party will be asked and then announced later this year. I am sure there will be a post about that later.

Needless to say, I will be a busy lady for the next year. Let me know if you want to help. I might just put you to work. XOXO

(some details left out so the entire interweb does not come to the wedding)

Taking Things Too Far?

Lizzie and I were discussing Save the Date cards to send out to people that may not yet already know our wedding date is Cinco de Mayo. She showed me some great ideas, but it felt like something was missing. I suggested a piñata -- maybe we could construct a mini one with crepe paper that would fit in an envelope. Seems like Lizzie wasn't feeling that idea, but as I was walking back to my house from CC's (no doubt with far too much caffeine in my system), I saw the perfect idea for a save the date card. A luchador mask! How awesome would it be to get a luchador mask with Cinco de Mayo 2012 on the back? The only thing that would make that better would be if everyone wore their masks to the reception -- bonus points to anyone that wears it during the ceremony. If I can get this approved by the board, I'm going to make a motion that guests that have been drafted and wear their luchador masks to the wedding will earn the team that drafted them bonus points.

Go Team Groom!