Not just fiances, now we're co-signers on a marriage license :)

Ben chipped his tooth at work on Monday. Yay! Allow me to explain my excitement: He made his dentist appt. for 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Tuesday afternoon he called from work to ask if we could get to the probater office downtown to apply for our marriage license since he would have some free time before he met the dentist. It went something like this...

"You just need to bring your Social Security card and driver's license." -Ben

"Hmmm... Well, I don't have my SS card. I haven't had it for years. Can I use a passport?" -Suz

"No. You can use a W-2 form though."

"Nope, don't have one of those either."

"Are you sure you're a citizen?"

"Yeah... you sure you can't use a passport?"

"Nope."

"Too bad. I really wanted to marry you."

"You could move to India and sign up with one of those mail-order-bride things and I can order you."

"Yeah, but the visas are a hassle. "

"Well, it would have been nice."

"Yeah. We did all we could."

My house is a WRECK, but I found the Social Security Card.

Step 1: Go to the Richland County Probate Court

Step 2: Go through security and run past everyone else up to the 2nd floor office

Step 3: Back outside and back through the security gate (with steel-toe shoes on) because you didn't bring cash and the office doesn't take a credit card.

"Can I get started on our form information while he's outside?" -Suz

"No, I need both of you here for that. But you can wait here if you'd like." -Dianne

"No way!"

Suz to Ben: "That sounded way meaner than it was supposed to."

Step 4: Meet Dianne back at the marriage license application desk and smile a lot so she doesn't think you're rude

Step 5: Hand over appropriate ID

Step 6: Wait for Dianne to type info from SS card, DL, and W-2 into the computer

Step 7: Write down blog address so Dianne knows there is a reason you're taking pictures in a government building (Yeah, we may care what Dianne thinks too much.)

Step 8: Review personal info to make sure everything is ready to print

Step 9: Wait for Dianne to print the marriage license

Step 10: Sign your life away (try not to look too excited...)

"Do you want this public or private?" -Dianne

"Public!" -Ben and Susannah in unison

"Wait, what does that mean?"-Ben

"We post the public marriage license application names to the Richland county website."-Dianne

"We could post that to our blog!" -Ben

Search for our marriage license record here

And I'm happy to say Ben's tooth looks just like normal again :)

Part-Y?? Because we're Engaged!!

Mom was excited to throw us a really fun engagement party. Ben was just as excited because it gave him a chance to reveal a surprise: 3 men from our single's ward had been hiding in the woods when we got engaged recording the event. One, Will, edited the video and we previewed it at our party with my family and our friends on Saturday night.

The video was INCREDIBLE (even though my name is spelled Susannah not Sussanah)! Thank you so much for your hard work, Will, and your foresight and effort, Ben. It's existence wasn't a complete surprise, but the video was so much more than I expected and a wonderful treat. Can't wait to have a copy to show EVERYONE!

The rest of the party was a smashing success, too. Mom went out of her way to have great food and an inviting atmosphere. Her toast welcoming Ben to our family was so sweet, and his to me was, too. And a TON of our friends were there-- I loved seeing how many people wanted to celebrate this occasion!

Everyone should have an engagement party. Once you're engaged, of course :)

I love you, Missy! You're amazing!

Mom had fun entertaining Bro. and Sis. Habel from our Branch Presidency

My sister, Brett, drove up with her fam for the occasion! Here she is with Benjamin the Great and Jack-Jack

Ben made balloon animals. David got bored and hid them.

Some of my favorite girls... Katie, my sister Megan, Becky, Jessica, and Ana Karen-- our personal cheerleader

More peeps

Scattered PIC-tures of the way we were.... Any one remember that from BIG?

SO.... Invitations are a nightmare. I can't explain why, but I have absolutely dreaded that process. Perhaps because it is a multi-function project, requires the cooperation of many people (if you want one, better get us your addresss), and involves a decision I'm not comfortable making by myself.

So I've put off doing it (is it even possible to already be "putting things off" when you've only been engaged a week? Am I actually "on time"?)

An aspect of invitations I was looking forward to, though, was getting engagement pictures taken!! I saw this as a necessary event prior to looking deeply into invitation selection, so it was the first thing we did. Saturday morning we met a friend of ours, Jacqueline, at the River Front (where Ben proposed, remember.)

It was 9:00 am, we were both pretty tired, and I was cold, but we had a lot of fun. It's weird having someone watch and photograph you, but at least I got to hug and kiss Ben! What better way to make an awkward situation fun?

Ben wants our invitation picture to be a surprise (as if we've even picked it out yet...) so I can't post our very favorites. But here are some good ones, anyway :)

ub

Here Comes the Bride's List...

It's 5:18 a.m. I'm awake after a few good hours of sleep for the third night this week (and it's only Friday). We haven't even been engaged a week, our sealing and celebration plans are pretty simple, and plenty of family and friends have sincerely offered to help, yet I keep getting startled awake with ideas and things to do in the short amount of time between now and April 2nd. I'm so glad that date works for everybody and so relieved and happy to be married to Ben as soon as possible, but 2 months sure isn't enough time for an event planner to organize something amazing! It's miracle intervention time :)

Part of my overwhelm-edness (I think I made that word up. It's 5:18 am. Did I mention that?) is that I have probably eight separate idea and to-do lists floating around my purse (where there is also a blank pad of paper for when inspiration strikes for another list) telling me how to plan this celebration. See, in the last five days we got engaged, went to Atlanta for 2 days, met my dad for the first time in years, I started a new job, Ben has been working, we've had a few nights of church activities, and looked at buying a car for me. All things that are not only time-consuming, but emotionally and physically draining, as well. There just hasn't been a lot of time to sit down and organize all the fun things I've thought about and we've talked about.

Time to organize a little better. I've said I just need a solid amount of time, the internet, and an Excel spreadsheet to get a to-do list, projected budget, and timeline sorted out. I didn't necessarily expect that time to be 5:18 in the morning, but since I've complained I guess I'll take what I can get.

Here it goes.

TO-DO (general) IN A SLIGHTLY TIME SENSITIVE ORDER:

• Book photographer and take engagement pictures
• Pick out invitations with Ben
• Compile addresses and send invitations
• Design celebration dress
• Find tailor to make dress (how long?)
• Check local florists for flower availability, cost
• Make hotel arrangements for out-of-towners
• Decide food menu
• Arrange for certain menu items to be made/ delivered/ set-up
• Rent food equipment if necessary
• Interview possible artists and hire
• Hire strings musicians
• Make guest gifts
• Buy decorations
• Arrange as much help as necessary

ALREADY DONE (Isn't it such a good feeling to check things off a to-do list?)

• Set date
• Reserve temple
• Inform family, friends
• Family making travel plans
• Sarah's hotel

Ok. I feel a little better. I'm going back to bed now. Wish me luck.