At Least It's Over

Well, I managed to go through with the EMG, and it did indeed suck...but it wasn't as bad as I was thinking it was going to be. I didn't even cry, so yay me. =) Probably won't get any results until next week, but I'll be sure to post again when I find out any new info.

Pray for Sunny

Oh, my goodness...right after I posted that last message, I found out that something had happened to a former classmate. Kind of puts things in perspective.

Sunny Bresin had a heart attack recently. You can visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/sunnybresin for more information and updates.

Keep Sunny and her family in your prayers!

This Is Gonna Suck

I've been having a lot of issues with my right arm over the past year or so--frequent numbness and some nerve issues. I think it's partially due to a lump that I have near my elbow, since it's in a spot where it could potentially be pushing on a nerve. I've talked to several doctors about it, and they've all said that the lump isn't anything to be worried about. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now, since I've had it for at least 4 or 5 years and it hasn't really done anything. The issues with my arm, however, are really getting irritating. It's hard for me to type, to write, to basically do anything involving my right hand or arm. So, I finally told the doctor that something had to be done.

I did not, however, want THIS to be done. -_- Tomorrow morning, I get to go up to Willmar for an Electromyogram (EMG). They're basically going to stick needles into my nerves repeatedly to test how well they're working. I'm terrible with needles, I'm terrible with pain, and I'm terrible with people touching my inner forearms, so this is going to SUCK. Jer's sister had it done to her leg, and her exact words to me when I told her were, "You're gonna cry." Great. ::sigh::

Scratch That

Okay, forget that last entry...lol. We might still have it at Centennial Lakes. I'm so confused and frustrated. I don't want to book a place that is too small, just in case we have extra people show up. I also, however, don't want to book someplace that's way too big, because what if only half of the people on Jer's list show up? UGH. Eloping is starting to sound pretty good right about now.

Guess Not

Okay, so...after much deliberation, Jeremy and I have decided not to go with Centennial Lakes as our reception venue. It was really pretty, and I loved all of the natural light, but the space was very limited. We would've been fine if only the people from our guest list showed up, but if Jeremy's cousins all decided to bring their kids, we would've been screwed. Besides, the park doesn't allow cash bars, and there's no way we can afford to host alcohol for everyone.

So, the search continues! We're looking into the Monticello Community Center (which is where Bethie had her reception). It's much bigger, and it sounds like we can maybe do a cash bar there, which would be a huge plus. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow to get the details and to ask some questions. If it ends up saving us enough money, that could very well end up being the place. If not, well...we might just have to have it down here on the rez after all. We'll see. At least we're starting this process waaaaay in advance. I can't imagine how people manage to do it in under a year.

Decisions, Decisions...

I'm back from the Cities, I finished all of my homework that was due tonight (by the skin of my teeth), and I am now going to take a much-needed break...at least for an hour or two. Then it's back to work, since I've got what seems like a billion pages to read in my Psychology and Geography classes. For now, though, I'm going to try not to think about it.

So, like I was saying in my last post, Jer and I had an appointment to check out Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. We met with the assistant park manager, Laura, on Saturday, and she was extremely nice and super helpful. The building itself is cute, but I was worried that it might be a bit small. She assured us it was big enough for 120 people, though, and after looking at pictures of previous receptions, I can see that she's right. It was a bit hard to imagine what everthing is going to look like in the spring, since everything is covered with snow and ice right now, but it definitely looks promising. Here are a few of the pictures that we took while we were there.

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This is the front of the building. Very cute.

This is the back of the building. It might be hard to tell because the picture is a bit small, but there is a big patio that extends from one end of the building to the other. Exclusive use of the patio is included in the rental price.



This is the outdoor amphitheater where they often hold wedding ceremonies. If you reserve the reception building, the amphitheater is only an additional $75, which I think is a great deal. You can't tell because of the snow and ice, but the tented area is partially surrounded by the water from the lake. I guess some couples choose to arrive by gondola during the summer. =)



This is the inside of the building. During the winter, they use it as a warming house for the ice skaters. It looks (understandably) messy right now, but once they pull the mats off of the floor and remove the benches and decorations, it's really nice. I love all of the natural light.



This is a floorplan of the building that I pulled off of the park's website. We would be renting the Fireside and Parlor rooms combined, and we would also be allowed use of the atrium (though I think the public is also allowed in this area, since that's where the bathrooms are located). The room is fairly long and narrow, but I think it would work for the number of people that we are expecting to invite.



This is a shot from one of the bridges. That isn't just a big patch of ground that's been iced over--it's actually a lake! A man-made lake, sure, but a lake nevertheless. =) That's the building where we'd be holding the reception, and you can see the ceremony amphitheater to the left off in the distance.

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Sooooo, after touring the building and talking to Laura, I was almost ready to book the place right then and there. She told me to sleep on it, though, and to call her on Monday if I still felt ready. She even said she'd write my name down for May 22, 2010 so that no one else would snatch it up in the meantime. See? She was SO nice!

Anyway, I tried to sleep on it, but I ended up stressing about wedding details all night and not getting any sleep until about 8:00 in the morning. I slept for 2 hours and then we had to wake up and check out of the hotel. Ugh. NOT FUN. We decided to stop by Centennial Lakes one last time before heading home, and we both agreed that it was a great spot.

So, after all that, what is my problem? Well, it's this...

I feel bad. I feel guilty. If we have our wedding up in the Cities, we're going to end up excluding 75% of Jeremy's family. He says he's okay with that, but I know he'd love to have everyone there. Plus, his mom and sister are both rather disgruntled at the thought that we might make that decision. I know, I know...it's not their wedding. Still, though, I don't want a bunch of pissy people at our wedding, and I don't want to piss off my in-laws any more than I already have.

I'm so awful when it comes to making decisions. I can never please everyone, and, more often than not, I end up sacrificing my own desires in order to make sure someone else doesn't get upset. It's a trait that I get from my mother, and I just don't know how to get past it. I swear, those chicks on Bridezillas may be bitches, but they are bitches that get the job done. =P Maybe I should take some notes.