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Last week’s break was spec-TAC-ular. ‘Twas full of wedding-planning productivity, roast beef subs, and college basketball. Oh, to return to the good old days of a week ago..

So I had my second-to-last dress fitting over break. I’m happy to say that going to the gym so much this semester has paid off nicely, all except for one thing: that flipping erg machine. Apparently, I’m turning into Arnold Schwarzenegger, because my back muscles have gotten a little too large, and I had to sacrifice a great deal of lung capacity in order to zip up my dress. I guess it’s solely cardio for me from now on. :)

Did anyone else get all emotional when Northern Iowa beat Kansas on Saturday? Sure, I feel bad for the Jayhawks, but not to the extent that I feel happy for the Panthers. Woahhh, I sound like a boy. With feelings. :)

Springtime makes me so giddy inside. I’m not exaggerating.. When I step outside and the sun is shining and there’s ZERO snow on the ground, I get butterflies in my stomach. Kinda weird, right?

My parents-to-be just gave me a “spring basket” full of yum! Chocolate bunnies bring out the kid in me, not that it’s hard to achieve that with just about anything else. ;) They also bring out the “I shouldn’t have eaten that” in me.

Confession: I intentionally leave the water running on full blast when I brush my teeth. The sound of bristles is worse than nails on a chalkboard.

This week is PACKED with things to get done. Not looking forward to it. But at least I made my to-do list all pretty. And that just helps. :)

Seriously, why do a bajillion worms rise to the surface of pavement every time it rains? I have to admit for a second I literally questioned if worms actually live inside of driveways and sidewalks. But then I thought, “That can’t be right, can it?..” They just really enjoy being trampled on by 18,000 SU students. Vomitrocious.

Q: What kids cartoon character is known for her use of the word “vomitrocious”? A: Author‘s very own Muffy! (Please tell me I’m not the only one who knows this..)

That gets me thinking.. I really want my kids to grow up watching the same awesome TV shows I was able to. Arthur was seriously my favorite show up until, well, just now, really. :) I know I can count on Sesame Street, but sadly, Wishbone and Mr. Rogers are long gone. (And when I found out that Mr. Rogers died, forget about it. I laid in bed, a sobbing 15-year-old.) Oh, and Reading Rainbow? Come on, LeVar, can’t you come back? What was YOUR favorite show growing up??

It recently came to my attention thanks to my dear friend Lindsay, that some readers “feel like they must leave a witty comment on the blog, or not comment at all.” This dear friend suggested I give you all permission to write dry, lame, insignificant comments whenever you’d like. :) But I assure you, no comments are insignificant to me. :) (Love you, Linds!!)

And here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come on Thursday!! We had SUCH fun with this senior session. :)

Happy Tuesday!!

Over 15,000 of the world’s brightest apply each year. Only 10% actually get in. Oh wait, make that 9.7% this year.

Stop. And just try to wrap your mind around those numbers. Cruh-AZY..

Pause. And let me tell you a story..

Rewind to Saturday night. And then a little further.. To when you were a kid trying to sleep on Christmas Eve. Pretty near impossible, right? Well, the same goes for Saturday night. I wake up every few hours with the nervous realization that we will finally know come 2PM tomorrow. We will finally hear MIT‘s verdict.

I think to myself, “I can only imagine how Cam is sleeping..”

Fast forward to Sunday at 1:55PM. Our family (minus Cam) huddles in the living room. (Okay, not a literal huddle, but that would make for a much cooler story, right?) My stomach is in knots, and has been since last night. I rock back and forth like someone straight out of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I don’t know.. Just helps I guess. :)

Mom says “Why 2PM? Why can’t we find out just a few minutes before?”

All of a sudden, a voice from the other room. Cam’s voice. We hear his words, but can’t quite decipher his tone. “Oh. My. Gosh.”

The living room goes completely silent. Until I, the loud mouth that I am, scream “CAM?! WHYYY?!” I look over at Lorae, who looks through the doorway at Cam, who gives her a thumbs up. Lorae flashes the hugest smile I’ve ever seen, and we finally know.

Fast forward 2 seconds later..

Cam got into MIT!! from Alyse French on Vimeo.

Now Cam just has to hear back from Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, and Columbia, and then choose between those and the three schools already vying for him – MIT, RPI, and Stony Brook.

And now I’ll take your questions. 1) No, I’m not kidding. 2) Yes, Cam is a freaking genius.

The End. :)

I’d been waiting for this day for months. So much mystique surrounded this day. And way too many secrets were kept from me for me to retain my sanity. My sister and maid of honor, Lorae, worked endlessly for two months to plan the coolest bridal shower ever. Me and 50 ladies I love with all my heart spent a loverly Saturday afternoon eating AMAZING food, playing some really sweet and creative games, and opening/watching me open about a million amazingly thoughtful gifts. As promised, here are a few snapshots of that fabulous day!

Taken by yours truly, these flower arrangements were designed by the lovely Hannah Crosby, one of my bridesmaids and best friends. I can’t wait for her to work her magic at our wedding!!

These favors were perfect. :) Sweet little tea cup, organic chai, and my favorite verse: “…When I found the one my heart loves.. I held him and would not let him go…” Song of Solomon 3:4a.

Speaking of AMAZING food!! Shrimp cocktails, and gorgonzola, walnut and apple ciabatta sandwiches!! Not to mention curried chicken salad on raisin bread. O.M.GEE.

For whatever reason, I don’t look happy here. But I definitely was!! Look at my awesome new bowl from Anthropologie!! Some people know me too well!

One of my all-time faves: the countdown paper chain snake! My new family made this for me! Each loop has the date on it and a Bible verse. I absolutely LOVE it!! :)

Me and my girls! (Sorry for the out-of-focusness!!) From left to right: Lorae (sister and maid of honor); Hannah (bestest friend and bridesmaid); Kayla (cousin and flower girl); ME, hello! :); Breezy (best friend and bridesmaid); Noel (future sister-in-law and junior bridesmaid); and Nina (future sister-in-law and bridesmaid). Love you all SO much!

Me and my sweet momma!!

Cappuccino torte with whole coffee beans, anyone? I don’t think I’ll ever recover from this deliciousness.. Holy MOLY.

Some of my absolute favorite parts of the shower were the special video guests.. My former roommate from college, who is now married and lives in Pensacola, FL, recorded a short little video for me, as she couldn’t make it to NY for the shower. Then, a video was played from our dear family friend, Lizzie Adams (who moved to Florida along with her precious family last year). Talk about tears.. I can guarantee you that half the room was crying. This is the impact of Lizzie Adams and her sweetness and wisdom. :)

I’ll leave you with a silly (extremely out of focus..) little video montage, the production of which was encouraged by my sister, but was many times abandoned by me from embarrassment over my crazy facial expressions and odd mannerisms. :/ Hello blogosphere, this is me. Enjoy!! And Happy Thursday!!

(Oh, and in case you were wondering.. The reason I look like a chipmunk is due to a very cruel game involving bread balls. Thanks for that one, Rae! :P)