Family Fun

This is my family! We had so much fun together for Easter and Spring Break. We went to Montrose to visit Jeff's family for Easter. Then Cade was here in the Springs for the whole week. I really love the Schurz family! It was great enjoying some Spring weather, egg dying and hunting with His sister Jennifer, brother-in-law Jake, baby niece Hannah and mom and dad And we had delicious fish tacos made by Jeffrey himself =) Jeff also got Cade that awesome Fusion scooter for an Easter gift!




Jeff, Cade and I went up to my parents house to do some 4-wheeling. Of course we had to get dressed up in our cowboy gear to make it authentic. Don't we look awesome?! I found out cowgirls don't smile though, so I had to re-do the picture so I'd look "real."



Jeff and Cade had a good time on the tire swing, but I think it swung a little close to the tree for Cade's comfort a few times.




The 4-wheeling trip was a real adventure. All the trails were covered with snow and we got stuck a LOT! It was fun but freezing on our little feet as we had to push. Sadly the handlebars broke on one of the machines and we had to leave it there to come back to another day. Oops!

It was a very tiring day =)



We also went to this awesome fun center. Cade played lots of racing and fighting games and Cade and Jeff even did Dance Dance Revolution!



Here they are riding the awesome Fusion. Mom and Dad came over to Jeff's for supper one night. He grilled. YUM! Cade and Grandpa Smal ;) had a staring contest and Grandma Smal tried out the arcade games.

Jeff and Cade also took me to lunch twice last week. Cade is a great photographer and Jeff is a splendid model! (??)

PARADISE

It's official! Jeff made the honeymoon plans last night. WE'RE GOING TO THE BAHAMAS! June 22-29th. We are SO EXCITED!!!! And, both our passports are still valid. Sweet!

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

So last week was our "engagement week." You know, the week right after Jefferson proposed. It was a good week, I guess. But we hardly saw each other! We both had plans EVERY NIGHT of the week. I know how the saying goes, and I'm sure it's quite true, but I think absence makes an engaged girl go crazy! So we decided we'd try to free up our weeks a bit this week and spend a bit more time together as fiance's. I have Bible study tonight. Can you believe I already miss him? I'm telling you, we are the most disgusting of all disgusting couples. Gag. Roll your eyes. I know. But it's TRUE! We are the very couple I used to make fun of. I guess love really does make you see through rose colored glasses. Or something like that. =)

Yesterday I purchased a wedding planner at Target. We spent some time filling it out last night. I foresee it being very helpful to this type A bride to be. We're calling the planner Franc in honor of Martin Short's character on Father of the Bride. If you haven't seen that movie, do it. I mean DO. IT. It's hilarious and heart-warming. We also filled out our marriage license application. We now know who has the better hand-writing: Jeff! Although I think he knew before I did ;) From now on he will be filling out all official documents. At first we thought I might not be able to put Terri Lynn Schurz as my new last name because of the confusing jargon in the instructions. It was so cute to see how bummed he was about it. But fret not, we did put Terri Lynn Schurz! YAY!

Just a few little tidbits. Boring? Maybe if you're not the bride to be!!!

Plans

Well we started planning on Saturday. I’ve been given all of this advice to enjoy your engagement. Enjoy your fiancé. Don’t stress out. Just let things come together. Accept help. All of these things are good words of wisdom. And I do love being engaged. And I love, love, love my fiancé, of course. But wedding planning? In 3 months? It’s a tiny bit stressful. Thankfully my mom is very willing to help and my Aunt Ann is giving me great suggestions and good assistance as well.

So far we’ve made A TON of plans! We’ve purchased plane tickets. Booked hotel rooms. Made rehearsal and reception reservations. Booked a sweet officiate (named Rev. Barbara Beach of course). And several other small things. I feel like we’re on a roll! But wait! There’s so mulch more to be done! Dress shopping, flowers, cake, who will be where, when, marriage license application, passports, honeymoon plans, ceremony wording, invitations, reception plans, packing, moving, ACK! I’ve never been more excited in my life! But planning a wedding? In 3 months? You get the idea =)

Oh, so you want to know the details, huh? Well we’ve decided on a tiny family affair on Cannon Beach in Oregon on June 11th.



It’s going to be beautiful, but pray it doesn’t rain! We’re staying at the Tolovana Inn, which is gorgeous and right on the beach.

We’re dining at the Wayfarer for the rehearsal dinner.

Morris’ Fireside Café for the reception.

Our officiate is Rev. Barbara Beach and she sounds absolutely perfect on the phone. And she’s adorable! http://www.yourweddingatthebeach.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=72439

And after we’re husband and wife? THE BAHAMAS!

We can't wait to celebrate with everyone at a huge BBQ open house in the late summer!

I'll try to keep you posted as the details come in!

boy meets girl

How our whirlwind romance began:

This is a pretty good story. It goes to show that boys need more than hints :) We met for the first time probably 3 years ago. Jeff was the new math teacher where my mom teaches. I like to go and eat lunch in the teachers lounge with mom every once in a while, and one day I went and there was Jeff. CUTE! Later I asked mom a few things about him, and even though I thought he was this handsome young fella, nothing came of it. I think we saw each other a couple of times in the next couple of years in the same setting. Then in June I was moving out of my apartment and into a house but my brother and dad both couldn’t help me until later in the day. Whatever were mom and I to do? I know! Ask Jeff! So I had her ask him and he said yes! Pretty nice thing to do for a girl you don’t know and your co-worker when you could be hiking or enjoying the sunny weather. We tried to repay him but all he would take was lunch. I think he tried to get me to agree to help him paint, but that wasn’t going to happen! Hey, some people are just more generous than others ;) So we enjoyed a nice lunch together and once again that was it. WHAT?! The door was wide open for him! He says he drove off that day mad at himself for not asking for my number. Silly boy. Months pass with nothing. Then in November I get a cryptic email from my mom. Subject: Jeff might call you. That’s it. Hello, I’m going to need more information than that, mom! So she told me that during lunch the teachers were talking about Thanksgiving plans and mom mentioned that the family would be coming to my house this year and who knows what else was said, but the point of the story is that Jeff asked for my number! Or my mom said I wouldn’t mind if she gave it to him. Something like that. (good job mom!) YES! And he called that same night and left the cutest (I mean manliest) message. So I called back and we talked for a while. Then we made plans to go on a date. I was so excited! I’ve never been much of a dater. Especially 2nd or heaven forbid 3rd dates. But Jeff is the one to break through the walls and get me to go out more than 3 times! So that’s how it began. We fell in love. And now we’re getting married. EEEK! I’m so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes!

Jeff and I got engaged on Friday night! It was aa perfect night and a perfect weekend. We went out to our favorite restaurant, Paravacini's. It's also where we had our first date :) Jeff was acting so normal--I had no clue whatsoever! We were having just normal conversation and enjoying a delicious meal with our favorite wine. I even brought up our first date and we talked about how fun and silly and long ago it seemed. Then Jeff said, “how weird that you’ve only gone to the bathroom once tonight. Don’t you have to go?” (I DO go to the bathroom A LOT, so we joke about it sometimes.) I didn’t think twice and just said “yeah, that is weird, but I don’t have to go.” I wasn’t thrown off at all. So we kept eating and a little bit later he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Turns out he needed to get the ring out of his pocket! My back was to him and the next thing I knew an arm reached around from behind me and there was a ring on the table in front of me. My heart fell right out of my body and my eyes got all blurry and I seriously thought it might have been a small heart attack! I was so surprised and so excited and happy! (for a split second I even thought “oh no, someone just put a ring on the wrong table! Silly girl! ;) He came around the table and then said “will you marry me?” I don’t know how long it took me to answer because I was literally speechless and trying to catch my breath. Of course I said yes! I think my expression must have scared Jeff because later he said he thought “oh no, she changed her mind!” oops! Of course I wouldn’t change my mind about marrying my one true love! Then we finished up with dessert and hand holding and googly-eying and smiling like idiots in love. As our server walked by I almost reached out to grab her and tell her we just got engaged because I was so thrilled and needed to tell someone if not the whole world! So I said to Jeff, “I almost just told her.” And she heard me and turned around and said, “I thought that was what just happened! Congratulations!” We even got a free Italian after dinner drink called Sambuco (something like that anyway.) It tasted like black licorice—yuck! But we drank it all to toast “forever.” It was really the perfect night!