Updates...for those of you who have asked!

Rachael Ray
In December, I took my mom to Atlanta to a Rachael Ray book signing. She is just as cute and friendly in person as she appears to be on tv. Here's a picture of her signing my book.

(If you look at the book, you can see it says Mercer!)

Mommand

On December 31, my grandmother, who I called Mommand, fell and hit her head on the tv stand. She called us at 4:45 AM and we rushed over there. Would you know she had gotten fully dressed to go to the hospital? She passed away the following day...she must have known she was going somewhere special...she had her makeup on when we picked up to take her to the hospital. We miss her very much...the hockey games aren't the same without her...and I never thought I would say this, but I even miss her nagging at me. Bless her heart, she was looking forward to our wedding, and told me she was going to wear a black dress. (Yes, black, not sure why!)

Krystal Hall of Fame
My brother, the lucky child he is, was inducted into the Krystal Hall of Fame. How did this happen, you ask? Well...he was online looking for coupons (he's a thrifty shopper) and saw a contest to be in the Hall of Fame. He wrote in about his first year at Auburn...he was living in the dorms and his power went out. It was during finals week, so he went to Krystal-he knew they had free wi-fi Internet access and he knew he could get a great meal. His induction ceremony was mid-December. I bet you have never been to a Krystal and eaten off of nice tablecloths with cloth napkins before! It was a nice ceremony; there is a plaque in the Phenix City and Auburn store!

Here's a picture of his box.

As for the wedding planning...

We have chosen a date: December 5, 2009.

Yes, we know it's SEC Championship Day!

We also know our Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs probably won't be playing in the game, so we should be safe. Never to fear you Bear-loving Alabama fans...there will be a large TV and a keg at the reception, so you can watch the game there.

Running of the Brides

On March 20, 2009 I will go to Atlanta to the Running of the Brides at Filene's.

For years, I've seen this event covered on The View and it looks like chaos, but lots of fun!

They bring in about 2,000 dresses and put them on the racks (no size order, etc...). When the store opens, hundreds of brides and their entourages run in to "race to the racks." The record for clearing the racks is 45 seconds. These are designer gowns that run in the $4,000-$10,000 price range and they sell for no more than $650. Too good of a deal to not at least try! I am going to take Mike's flip video, so I can video the all the bridezillas in action!

I'm taking my mom, my aunt, and two of my bridesmaids. My mom is going to be in charge of finding us a meeting/dressing place, my aunt is going to be the negotiator to negotiate trades with other brides, and the girls are going to partake in the mad dash with me. Stephanie has been known to hit a stripper, so hitting a bride should be easier. I should be in good hands that day! We are going to camp out the night before (American Idol style), so I'm sure it will be a long night!

Meanwhile, take a look at this video from the Atlanta store a few years ago! I showed it to my mom and she got a headache just thinking of this craziness!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZxZYUDK_sM

Prayer Request

Lastly, I would like to ask you to keep Mike's family in your prayers. His dad has been admitted to the hospital for observation and testing. As of right now, we do not have a diagnosis. Please pray that his body gets stronger so that testing can begin and doctors can plan their course of action.

I promise to keep this blog updated more frequently...several of my blogging friends have called me out for being a slacker. Not mentioning any names, but you know who you are!