A Big, Open, Sloppy Thank-You to Everyone

Phewwww. Hive, it's been some week. Everyone always says that the week before your wedding is so crazy, and I did not exactly know what that meant. If I can be totally honest, I also secretly believed that it would not apply to me. I'm super-organized, I don't have a ton of projects to keep track of, and I am nearly always cool as a cucumber in high-pressure situations. I'm usually a pretty unflappable person, but this week, I've been.......flapped.

It's a combination of a lot of things, really. I am constantly worrying that I'm forgetting something, or that I'm going to forget something. I've been having crazy wedding dreams almost every night (most recently, it was that I woke up the morning after and could not remember anything about the wedding, except that it was "only okay." I was so pissed that I had spent so much time and money preparing and couldn't remember a single thing about the entire day!) Our entire house is a mess because we've both been so busy that we haven't had time for anything more than a surface picking-up, and our living room currently looks like a jewel-toned bomb explosion as I wrap up all the last little projects.

To top it all off, we had to spend an unexpected $200 at the vet this morning when (skip the rest of this sentence if you're squeamish!) Daffodil suddenly started showing symptoms of what turned out to be a severe urinary tract infection, and those symptoms were kind of gruesome, and, um, bloody. So THAT was a bit rattling.

Oh, and also, I've been counting Weight Watchers points like a demon to prepare for that white dress of mine, and it's making me really cranky. I want a mothereffing breakfast burrito and a cupcake, you know what I'm saying?

So, yeah. Lots of things to do and not a lot of time to do them. Lots of money to spend, lots of things to remember, and also, lots of emotions to have. Bridesmaid/Cousin Katie asked me the other day if I was getting excited, and I replied that yes, I am incredibly excited, and also a little......sad? Sad for the same reasons I'm excited, actually. I'm over-the-moon psyched about all the fun, joy, and excitement that the wedding is going to bring (in EIGHT! DAYS!), but then once it happens, it's over! 24 hours of having a gigantic celebration with all the people I love in one place.....and then it's back to the grind. Bridesmaid Erica told me that for a little while, it was hard to look at her wedding photos because it was so bittersweet, remembering how meaningful and immensely joyful it was, but also being reminded that that day was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. I think I see what she means now.

On a smaller scale, I'm also feeling the same way about my time as a blogger here, to be perfectly honest with you! I have loved writing for Weddingbee, and I'm really kind of a little sad that soon I'll be Mrs. Octopus, meaning that there won't be a whole lot left to write but my recaps, after which I'll pretty much be finished with blogging. I doubt I'll start a newlywed blog, because seriously, my life is not very interesting. I don't know what I'd write about. So, I'll just be.....done. And I'm going to miss it!

So, I wanted to make sure I thanked you all right now, in case things really get nuts next week and I have no time to write. I have gained so much from being a part of this community. Thank you to everyone who sent me private messages just to tell me that you like my writing; it totally made my day every time. Thank you for giving me lots of good suggestions on how to fix those annoying red dots on my arms (although it turns out that keratosis pilaris is STUBBORN, DAMN!). Thank you for recommending the hairstylist I booked after I had my first meeting with a hair scam artist. Thank you for talking me out of attempting to prepare an entire cookie table all by myself (and a HUGE thank you to the Pittsburgh locals who offered to make some cookies for me, I still can't get over how incredibly generous that was). Thank you for responding so kindly when I wrote about what a great guy Mr. Octo is. It meant a lot to me.

Thank you for picking my wedding day necklace (it was totally the right choice, too). Thank you for telling me about your secret single behaviors in a ton of hilarious comments that still make me laugh every time I read them. Thank you for being super, super, super nice and supportive (to me and to each other) when I told you about how I turned into a relentless psycho while I was waiting to get engaged. Thank you for giving me a bajillion awesome suggestions about things to do and places to see on our honeymoon.

Thank you for recommending the transportation company we're now using to haul the bridal party around. Thank you for appreciating MOH/Sister Lauren's hard work on the bachelorette party she ultimately didn't get to attend. Thank you for helping me pick my wedding band design (I did go with #1!). Thank you for suggesting the cocktail recipes we're now serving at our reception.

Thank you to my fellow Bees for being ridiculously cool and great. I have met a good handful of Weddingbee bloggers now, and they are, unfailingly, an amazingly interesting, smart, and funny group of women. I consider all of you my friends. Special shout-out to Seashell, who has been a sympathetic and supportive ear as we each work through some very sad (and similar) circumstances surrounding families, loss, and weddings, and special shout-out to blog-friend-turned-real-life-friend Seahorse, who is awesome, and very almost-married. Good luck and best wishes to you both, girlfriend. I will be thinking of you, and doing my best not to text you with frantic excitement on your wedding day, as I suspect that is probably not going to be helpful. Oh, and special shout-out to Pengy, who is hilarious, and who did not judge me that one time I drunkenly e-mailed her.

Okay. Oh, have I also mentioned that one of the things I'm feeling this week is sloppily emotional and sentimental? (Don't worry, though. Prepping the antibiotics to heal my dog's urinary tract will probably clear that up RIGHT quick.) I've run out of steam now, and I need to go cut like twenty thousand more dinner menus, and I have no cute way to wrap up this post. So I will just say: thank you again, Weddingbee. My wedding quite literally would not have been the same without you, and I puffy-heart you all.

What do you feel like you've gained from Weddingbee?