Hello planet earth, it’s been a while. Life has been a whirlwind lately, which is why I haven’t sat down to blab to you in a while. I’m in the throws of wedding planning. I’m still sort of in shock that a handsome, relatively normal, well-educated man wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I don’t know how long it will take for that to settle in!

It’s been a fun experience going to different places with my mom. We got my dress about two months ago. Some dresses that I saw, were just, wow. I really don’t know how some women can even move in some of these dresses. There are some intense, complex dresses out there. I won’t say what my dress looks like because my fiancé may be reading this, but I will tell you it’s awesome. It is true what they say, when you try on THE dress you just know. It’s like finding the man you want to marry. When you fall in love, you just know. Yes, I realize I just compared finding the right wedding dress to finding the right man to marry. But really, both are very big life altering decisions.

When I tried on the dress I wanted everything started to feel real. The bridal shop attendant put the veil on me and I looked like a bride. I looked at my mom and she had a different smile on her face. My mom is often smiling and laughing, but this smile was something I had never seen before. She looked as if her eyes were watery. “Kate,” she said, “I think this is the one.” I smiled at her. “I think so too.” It was a special moment for the two of us, especially since I’m the only girl. It’s so fun to talk be able to go through all of this with her by my side. It can be an overwhelming process, but she’s made it easier. Each time we visit a vendor, we tell them, “we don’t really know what we’re doing.” But, I still have eight months to go and we have a good amount of stuff done already. Looks like we do know what we are doing!

Between May and December I’ll be attending 5 weddings….and I am participating in 3! I never saw this coming. It’s been an avalanche of weddings. I’m in my own wedding, obviously. My future sister-in-law Sarah, Zach’s sister, is getting married in June and I am one of her bridesmaids. My best friend Alexis is getting married Labor Day weekend and I am her maid of honor. I’m so excited for both of them and so happy to be part of their celebrations.

I can’t believe my best friend and I are getting married in the same year. She got engaged about a week before me. We’ve known each other since pre-school. It reminds me of that movie Bride Wars with Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson. Although our story is slightly different, because we didn’t book the same venue and we haven’t gotten in a bride war…..yet, haha.

Not only am I joining a new family and adding Zach to my family, but the Sprandios have another new addition who will be arriving in September. My older brother Brian and his wife Shannon are expecting a baby! By the time I get married, I will not only be a bride, but I’ll be an aunt again. I can’t wait to see if it’ll be a boy or girl. I’m thinking boy. I am so excited another one of my big brothers will be a father. It’s so neat being able to watch my siblings’ families grow! We are all beyond excited and grateful for the many good things to come.

Until next time planet earth…….