27 Dresses??? Nope...Only 15!

I know...15 dresses. :) Well, there are 11 bridesmaids and then you can't forget our 4 adorable flower girls! In a way I was slightly dreading Bridesmaid dress shopping because I was so worried that none of the girls would like anything we found and we had only 1 weekend for my sisters to choose the styles....but we found great dresses that look stunning on everyone! Pictures are going to look good! The day after the shower my mom, sisters, and Trav's sisters headed to Ferndales to find the dresses! I had told my sisters that they could each choose a style and then we would divide them amongst the other 8! The styles we found were super cute....they are all a little different but look really good next to each other. My mom and I made the decision to go with black dresses. Originally I was thinking hot pink...yes, I have an obsession with pink if you haven't noticed. But once we saw what the pink looked like in the material we were getting we quickly changed our minds! Plus, black looks classy and it will make the flowers stand out! After the 5 sisters had picked their dress it was time for the flower girls to start trying some on. Oh how they loved wearing princess dresses! It probably was the highlight of their year, standing in a poofy Belle type dress in front of all those mirrors! Well, we found precious dresses for them and they are all going to look darling! After shopping, we grabbed lunch at Island's before dropping Kristel off at the airport. Dress shopping was the perfect way to end our girl's weekend!

A few weekends later, the rest of the Bridesmaids ( minus Sara who was missed greatly!) headed back to Ferndales to get the rest of the dresses. It was another fun filled shopping trip because these girls make me laugh so much! They, as well, look incredible in the dresses they chose and we even did a dress "photo shoot" to show them off. :) Afterwards we went down to The District for some lunch and of course a stop at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...Yum!!!! And of course, I have pics to document the 2 shopping trips! :-)

Add 6 and you will have my side of the wedding party :)

Hanging out!

3 of the Flower Girls!

Dad came and met his 9 girls for lunch!



Love Islands!

They are pretty amazing!

Best Friends!

Roomies!!!!

The District

Rocky Mountain.....Mmmmmm!!!!

( Sorry the last pics are so small...I'm not sure why and I couldn't figure out how to fix it!)

Punta Cana Here We Come!

I realize that right now you are all thinking, " Punta Cana? Where the heck is that and what is she talking about?!?" Well, as of last night we are officailly going to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for our Honeymoon!!! Trav's parents gave us our honeymoon and his mom and Heidi has been searching for the past week or so for the perfect spot! Well, they found it! Edenh, in Punta Cana, is a brand new resort in the DR. We will leave late Monday night, the day after the wedding, to fly to Miami which we will then catch a plane to the DR. I have a feeling that a Tylenol PM or two will be taken before the all night flight! We will then spend the next 6 days relaxing in the Caribbean. Our week will be spent by the beach and pools, participating in water recreational activities, taking advantage of the 24 hr, all you can eat plan, and relaxing before "real life" sets in. The resort will be opening a bowling alley and casino this spring which will be so much fun! I have a feeling that while I am soaking in those UV rays, Trav will be winning the big bucks at the casino! We are so thankful to Trav's parents for giving us this trip and we can't wait to travel together out of the country for the first time! ( of many, I hope!) Hurry up July 20th! :)

Here are a few pics from Edenh... Fountains!

So pretty!

Overview of the resort

On the rooftop

The beach is already calling our names :)

I think I will take a nap or 2 here

A Wonderful Evening!

I am blessed to have 3 amazing sisters whom I call my best friends. Although we are spread out across the country, nothing could break the bond that we share. When Trav and I got engaged it was not even a second thought for me on who would be my Maid of Honor...all 3 of them!!!! ( Technically, they are "Matrons of Honor" but they prefer "maid" :) ) The day after we got engaged, Lea was already on the phone with Lyns and Kris about planning a wedding shower! They take their jobs as Maids of Honor very seriously....little do they know that when they come out this summer before the wedding they will be put to work right up to the big day! j/k ;) They decided that the best time to hold the shower would be over Christmas vacation since it would be the only time we would all 4 be together until the wedding. It turned out to be such a fun girls trip! And the shower was stunning! My sisters....My Best Friends

A family friend, Kelley Sparacino, opened up her home to host the shower. My sisters thought everything through so well. The primary color for the wedding is bright pink...( could you picture me getting married with no pink?? No way!) However, the bridesmaids dresses are black, so the color scheme for the shower was black and hot pink! Everything looked incredible! Their was a chocolate fountain, a carmel fountain, this amazing raspberry sherbet punch, pink everywhere, and best of all....family and close friends all together for one massive girl's night!

Now I have 5!!!!

With Kelley!

It had polka dots!

Wasn't it beautiful?!?!

Yum!!!!!

Cousins!

My Mom and Mother-in-law...we didn't plan to match!

I'm getting great sister-in-laws!

Sara and Shauna! Great friends and bridesmaids!

It was fun seeing my family and Trav's family all getting to know each otehr! That is one of the greatest blessings about marriage...the joining of two families! The decorations were classic contemporary...totally my style and I wish I could go back to the evening all over again. My sisters made sure that everything was just perfect and they brought so much energy to the night! We played a couple of games...one being a trivia game about Travis and me....I think my mom found out some things that she didn't know...for instance, how I really got that black eye and almost broken nose! Hopefully I didn't embaress her too much by telling the crowd it was from spitting something at Trav and then jumping out of the car so he would not recipricate it! Oh well, I figured if she can handle my burping that it wasn't any worse! My nieces were the "helpers" for the evening. They were so precious and such a big help!

The Helpers!

After the games and everyone had enjoyed the delicious food, it was time to open the generous gifts that were brought. Now, if you know me, you know that opening gifts is nerve racking for me! Even on Christmas morning I don't like opening with everyone eatching me! My face turns a reddish purpleish color from everyone staring and my hands shake...I know, totally lame....but attention like that freaks me out!!! I need to practice for the wedding because there will be tons of eyes right on Travis and I!Even though I was nervous it did not take away from the fun of opening everything! It was exciting to thinkg that everything would one day be used in our home...ok, our tent...which we received by the way and the joke of the evening was that Trav and I will probably live there for our first year! :) Everyone was so kind and generous...we were truly thankful for everything that we received. ( I have a confession...everything is still in the living room at my parents and I find myself looking thru it and picturing Travis and I cooking....or playing games.....or entertaining guests...I can't wait!!!!!) The mixer...now I can bake!

The tent = our home ;)

Gifts from Mozambique!

I was so sad to see everyone leave...I wish it could have lasted a whole weekend! I felt like the night flew by...I have a feeling the wedding is going to feel the same way! One of the neatest things that my sisters did was collect a recipe from everyone who came. They then made a recipe book for me with a whole bunch of recipes from family and friends to get me started out! How fun will it be to cool and think, " Hey, I'm making Shauna's pie" or "Heidi's burritos." It makes it so personal! I loved it! Best of all though....I finally got my Mom/Grandma's Christmas cookie recipe! To us Kahlers, these cookies are a pretty big deal! We all wait all year for them and to help make them....we still sneak each other pieces of the dough to eat...it's the best part! But the thing is, you don't get the recipe untill you get married and you can never give it out to anyone but your kids! Well, I finally got it and next year I can try making them!!!! A reunion with my Mom and God-Mom!

We've been best friends since we were 2...

One of the ribbon bouqets!

High School Girls :)

Although it feels as if it came and went so fast...it was a night I will always remember! And it was such a great preview to the big day, having all our loved ones together! I have 3 pretty amazing sisters and I am so thankful for them. I can't wait to have them standing next to me when I say "I do." I love you guys. :)

Out Last Christmas Apart

I absolutely LOVE Christmas! It means that my whole family is all together in one house and although it can be crazy, it is so much fun! Trav and I spent Christmas with our families this year apart. I flew to AZ on Christmas Eve while he stayed in California with his. It was the last time that we would be apart on Christmas! Next year, we will be married and sharing the day with both families! It will be amazing to finally spend Christmas morning together with our families! Before flying out to AZ, I was able to make it to Trav's family Christmas at his AUnt Letty's. It was fun getting to see everyone again and of course, eating delicious food! I had a blast playing hide and seek as well as tag with all his little cousins!(One of these days I will involve myself in the grown-up conversations...but how can I resist a good game of tag?!?!) ( If i hadn't been in a dress I would have climbed that tree too)

( Trav and his cousin Michael)

( Trav's little cousins)

On Christmas Eve, my kids choir perfomed in church and afterwards, Trav and I ate dinner with his family before rushing to the airport.My sisters were waiting for me when I landed in AZ and it finally felt like Christmas when we were all together! We stayed up till all hours of the night finishing last minute wrapping, cooking, and getting ready for the next day. I woke up, bright and early, to my nieces and nephews talking ( very loudly of course to let their parents know that they were indeed awake and ready to go downstairs) and I felt the excitement that I used to as a kid! Opening presents took awhile with all of us there. I always hate it when everyone has opened the gifts I gave them. I love giving gifts...I have been told it's one of my love languages ....and I anxiously wait for Christmas morning for everyone to open them! My sisters and mom made and amazing breakfast! We wait all year long for my mom's Christmas egg dish!I'm salivating just thinking about it! ( The sisters on Christmas Day)

( Parker loves his Papa)

( Sammy was pumped for his remote control car)

( Savi loved her tea set)

( Savi and Kody taking a rest with their Mimi)

Aside from all the gifts and talk of Santa, my parents have made sure that we never forget the true reason for the season....the birth of Christ. I was sad to miss it this year but on every Christmas Eve we take turns reading the Christmas story from Luke. With my whole family joined together, it truly is a magical moment.
I'm sad that this season is over but excited for the new memories to come from next year!