Bridal Shower at The Chart House

My friends and family are the best in the entire world. Hands down. No questions about it.

My bridesmaids hosted a brunch for my bridal shower at The Chart House, an AMAZING restaurant that sits on the pier in Old Town Alexandria and overlooks the Potomac River. The restaurant was beautiful and the views were incredible. It had been rainy all morning, but the sun came out just in time for my shower.

I was so lucky to have 5 of my 6 bridesmaids there to help me celebrate. Molly, my 6th bridesmaid, recently moved to Chicago and was unable to make it down. She was definitely missed but I know she will be there for the main events! Two of my former college roommates, Bethany and Carly, were able to make it. Bethany lives in Florida so it was a complete surprise to me for her to be there! Lucky for me, she was in town this weekend for another friend's wedding and she was able to make it! Carly lives in the area but has a beautiful little girl so I was afraid she wouldn't be able to make it because of her busy schedule. I was so touched and happy to see them both there!

My Aunt Anna, the aunt who co-hosted my bridal tea at the Ritz earlier in the month, traveled up from Waynesboro, VA to attend the shower. Andy's mom, his sister Robyn and his grandma came and gifted me some amazing presents! It is always nice to spend time with my *new family*! Of course my mom was there and my maid of honor Rachel's mom who helped plan the event. She is like a second mom to me so I was so happy she was there to enjoy the day!

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of wedding planning you lose sight of the big picture. Now I know, this day is first and foremost about me and Andy and our future life together. But today once again reminded me of how lucky I am to already have soulmates who I will have the opportunity to share the future with. My friends are the most loyal, caring, funny, and beautiful people I know. I truly don't know where I'd be without them and I am so honored that they are standing up with me on my wedding day. There are no other people in the world I would want standing with me than them. My family, both old and new, is incredible. The support, love, and encourgament they have given me throughout my 26 years is unfathomable to me. These people are the core of my life, and today at my shower I was reminded how lucky I am to not only be marrying Andy in a short couple of months, but I am so lucky to have these wonderful women in my life forever. Thank you ALL for the life lasting memories and friendships! I love you all!

Kindergarten Bridal Shower

On Monday, May 10th my fabulous coworkers threw me a surprise bridal shower at school. My partner in crime, Cathy, put together an AMAZING and unforgettable party! After school on Monday, I walked down to one of the other kindergarten classrooms only to be surprised with wedding decorations, yummy food, and lots of presents for me! They really thought of EVERY detail for a wedding shower! From the M&M's with me and Andy's face on them, to the delicious shower cake, to the towel cake Cathy made with the towels Andy and I registered for, they truly thought of EVERYTHING! I can only hope that everyone has the opportunity to work with people who are as amazing and thoughtful as I do. Bridal Shower #2 is coming up in only 1 short week! I am loving this being-a-bride thing... :)

Bridal Tea at The Ritz Carlton

On Saturday, May 1st I attended my first official party as a bride-to-be. My amazing cousin and aunt hosted a bridal tea at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner in Northern Virginia. They wanted to gather all of the ladies on my side of the family and on Andy's side so that they could meet and get to know each other before the other bridal events (and wedding!) I missed seeing my grandma and my Dad's side of my family as they live in Pennsylvania and weren't able to make it down for the tea, especially my grandma because I know she would have loved it. But it was a great chance for the rest of us to enjoy some tea and delicious treats! Andy's mom, grandma, sister and two nieces came and got to meet my mom (although they already know her well), my Aunt Anna, my cousin Susan and my cousin's two daughters, Rachel and Julia. It was also a great opportunity for our flower girls and jr bridesmaid to meet each other before the big day in July.

                                                                                          Flower girls: Julia & Ashlyn

                                                                                         Flower girl Lauryn

We sat down in a BEAUTIFUL room for our tea party. We started with our tea and sandwiches. My favorite by far was the cucumber sandwich. Delicious! Then we were treated to a tray of delicioussss desserts and pastries! I had to try every single one of them too because they were so GOOD!

 It was a great time and I am so thankful to my aunt and cousins for thinking of it and hosting such a nice party. I enjoyed spending time with the "girls" and enjoying some delicious treats! Definitely looking forward to the next event as a bride-to-be :)

                                                                                                                   Andy's Grandma and Mom

 

                                                                                                My cousin Susan and Jr Bridesmaid Rachel

                                                                                                                     My mom and Andy's grandma

 

                                                                                           Julia, flowergirl and Rachel, Jr Bridesmaid

30 before 30

Sorry it's been awhile! The last quarter of the school year + wedding planning with less than 3 months to go = a busy Heather! Unfortunately my blogging has gone by the wayside in lieu of sleeping and being on the go 24/7...

In honor of my rapidly approaching 26th (ah!) birthday, I decided to take some time and set some goals for myself. I can't BELIEVE I am turning 26 in a week... May 17th to be exact. Many of my blogging friends out there have posted their list of 30 things they'd like to do before they turn 30. So with 4 years of goal-accomplishing to do, here goes mine...

1. Get married!
2. Climb Old Rag mountain
3. Coach a high school sports team, preferably girls soccer or girls volleyball
4. Go camping for a weekend
5. Rent an RV and travel to a Virginia Tech football game
6. Go to Europe for the second time
7. Swim with dolphins
8. Drive across the United States
9. Cut my hair short even though it terrifies me
10. Go to Australia and see the koala bears
11. Eat Sushi for the first time
12. Get a dog (or two!) that is me and Andy's pet and not our parents' (although we love you Nittany & Riley!)
13. Watch my friends fall as happily in love as I am and attend their weddings
14. Watch all of the movies currently in my Netflix queue
15. Learn to cook well, not just make dinner
16. Visit Mikaela in Maine and eat a real Maine lobster
17. Go to an NFL Super Bowl 
18. Go to a National Championship Game in college football
19. Run an official 5k
20. Learn how to not kill plants
21. Send a photo Christmas card
22. Buy a townhouse or single-family home
23. Save enough money to keep our condo and rent it
24. Buy a new car 
25. Go on a winery tour bus with my best friends
26. Get involved with the Girls On The Run program at the elementary school I work at
27. Give a toast at a special event
28. Continue to take trips with my amazing parents
29. Host a formal family dinner at my home
30. Begin the journey of becoming a mom

April 16th Remembrance

One of my friends came across this article on April 16th, 2010 and sent it to me. To this day, 3 years after the massacre in Blacksburg, I still don't think I have the right words to express how the events of that day affected me. I was one of the lucky ones... I wasn't in the building. I wasn't hurt. I didn't know anyone personally who was a victim. But that day still changed the way I look at the world... a lot. I learned a lot about myself, my friends and family that day... but most of all I learned about my school. Virginia Tech. My alma mater. I don't think it is possible to put into words the pride, honor, and affection I have for the way all of us students, faculty and fans came together at such a devastating time and lifted each other up. Coleman Collins' words are probably the closest description to how I felt on that cold, bustery, snowy day in Blacksburg. It wasn't until I read this article that I realized, just like Coleman, that the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my lifetime was the "Let's Go Hokies" chants in Cassell Coliseum after Nikki Giovanni's touching speech. It brought me to tears as I mourned for those 32 lives taken too soon, but gave me a sense of hope and inspiration for the future. I was one of the lucky ones. I won't forget it.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/14975/coleman-collins-remembe

Happy Birthdaaaaaaay!

My blog officially turned 1 year old on April 5th. I may be a little late, but happy birthday blog! Thanks for sharing little snippets of my life with friends and family. Sorry I have neglected blogging as of late, but I have been very busy planning a wedding! The McDonald and Saulitis families are hard at work nailing down details and having SO MUCH FUN along the way! I promise a wedding update soon as my first wedding event, a bridal tea, is coming up on May 1st! Eeeeeeeeeeek! :)

My Mom

I thought I'd take a minute to tell you about one of the most important people in my life. First of all, I have the BEST family in the entire world. Now I know everyone says that, but I really mean it. I am an only child so our little family has always consisted of me, mom, and dad. And I don't think it's humanly possible to have had better parents or a better upbringing than I have. I know I don't tell them enough, but they are my bestest friends and the most reliable, loving, supportive people I've ever known. I only hope I have and continue to make them proud because I know I am a reflection of them, and they deserve to be shed in the best light. Thank you mom and dad for being the best.parents.ever.

When I was in highschool, my mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She fought hard, went through rigorous amounts of treament, and came out cancer-free. Throughout it all, she never lost her smile or upbeat personality. My mom has once again had a rough couple of years of late. After I went to Virginia Tech, my mom found a job she loved, enjoyed, and was incredibly talented at doing. About 2 years ago, she had to have back surgery due to some nerve damage and unfortunately had to quit her passion. No one could have handled the dissapointment she must have felt with a bigger smile or better attitude. She truly is the strongest person I know (although, my Dad is right up there for the way he's always taken care of us both, through good and bad). This past month, my mom hasn't been feeling very well. Last Sunday, she ended up taking a trip to the ER. They found her to be severly anemic, with some blood clotting and a great amount of fatigue and weakness. The doctors have helped get her on several meds to help her get well, and she will hopefully be going home tomorrow (unfortunately, without a cause determined for her symptoms). Throughout everyone my mom has been through in her life, she has never deterred from loving me, supporting me, helping to take care of my dad and dog. She has maintained great friendships and never, EVER takes pity on herself. I can only hope to be as strong and resilient as she is in the future. Please take a moment and pray that everything works out well for my mom and she is back in good health in no time. No one deserves a break more so than her... I love you mom!