Attention Braun Wedding Followers: COLORS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN!

We can finally say, our wedding colors have been chosen! Anyone that speaks with me regularly knows that I have had some issues making a final decision on the wedding colors. Ross has been so sweet and just agreed with all of my ideas, while still putting in his opinion. However, my dream wedding colors and Ross' favorite combination are the FINAL decision! We have chosen the black, burlap/tan, and ivory color pallet, with just a hint of Tiffany blue accent. Coming to this decision was quite the event and took around 11 hours yesterday afternoon. 

The adventure began around 10:00am yesterday morning, when Michelle (bridesmaid) and I picked up Kelli (my future mother-in-law) and Kiley (another bridesmaid) and we headed to Indy. The original plan was to simply see specific colors of dresses with cowboy boots. However, we ended up being much more successful than that. After getting my rock cleaned, and enjoying a delicious lunch at The Cheesecake Factory we headed to some bridal stores. The first store we went into was a cluttered mess, and extremely overwhelming. They also sold Target sundresses for $298 which we found ridiculous and quickly left. We then went into another store that had a selection smaller than my closet. 

Of course it wouldn't be a successful girls day unless we got lost; which was not hard to do since Ross and Ron (my future father-in-law) are the experts on directions. As we are heading to pick up my mom and my sister from her volleyball tournament we get lost somewhere in Indianapolis, but quickly find ourselves back on the highway and headed in the right direction. While watching a couple minutes of volleyball, Kelli and I quickly came to the conclusion that her boys have found the right girls for them, leaving all others behind. I am proud to say that Kailey and I are the lucky winners! :) Way to go Ross and Rhett!

Anyway, back to this crazy adventure... Our next stop was Alfred Angelo where Emily (another bridesmaid) met us for some fun! Here, we may have hit the jackpot! As the girls were picking out fun dresses to try on, a tall, skinny, red-headed consultant approached us. She was very honest and told the girls their dresses they had on were going to look hideous with cowboy boots and they had it all wrong. She quickly brought back the most perfect line of dresses for the theme of our wedding, and what do ya know.. the line has exactly 7 different dresses for my 7 bridesmaids! (Yes, I realize I will have a small army standing next to me.) These dresses could definitely be the ones :) 

Now, the idea of the day was to solely focus on bridesmaids and colors, buuuuuuuut they talked me into it! I just had to try on a couple of dresses! As our spicy consultant tells me I will look horrific in white, she is off to find dresses that are me. I wasn't sure she could pick out a single dress that was me after being around me for 30 minutes, but apparently I am easy to read. She carried several gorgeous wedding gowns into the fitting room, walks inside behind me, slams the door shut and commands, "STRIP!" I am not going to lie, I was a little bit scared of her. I tried on a handful of dresses she picked out for me, and there is one in the bunch that could be THE ONE. 

After leaving Alfred Angelo, we went to another store that provided us with the horrible experience of the day. This store was a disaster, the employees had no idea what they were talking about, and since they were closing in around an hour, I was not allowed to look at wedding gowns. Quite an unfortunate decision on their part since I saw my dream gown hanging in the aisle. However, being my mothers daughter, and stubborn as can be, I will not be returning there to purchase that gown. As we were leaving Kelli told us she had to run into the bathroom really quick and that she would be right out. She was in the "bathroom" for quite sometime, and we were getting a bit worried in the car. A few minutes later, Kelli finally finds her way out of the store and we quickly realize she was not in the bathroom. She was buying me the adorable bag I picked out early in our visit, and just being the perfect future mother-in-law! As she was walking out the door with my new bag, she turns  to the group and says, "Mackenzi will NOT be buying a dress from here!" 

After this hot mess of an experience, my momma decided to take us to Michael's to begin to check out decoration ideas. Now, being my angel mother, and knowing me far too well, she prepared herself before entering the store because she knew I would want to buy everything right then! Although our Michaels experience began with Kiley and Marissa causing a scene, it ended up being very productive. We found possible flowers, hair pieces, fabric, ribbon, decorative rocks, Oh! and we chose the exact shade of our accent color! All of our most recent discoveries and decisions are being held in the wedding binder :) This would be the binder that took around 30 minutes in the Target office supplies aisle to choose, while Katie was coaching me through the decision. Oh, and we also have an official wedding planning calendar as well! 

As you have read, we are finally making progress! After this full day of planning I have come to the realization that yes, we have some time, but it may not be as much as we think! I am more excited than ever to marry my best friend, and will continue to count down to this day! 

ONLY 391 MORE DAYS PEOPLE! 

An Addition to the Braun Family To Be

So, as many already know, Ross dropped down on one knee last Sunday and asked me to marry him. Of course, being the smart girl that I am, or think I am... I said yes! However, the excitement has yet to die down after an entire week of being engaged! Friday, an addition to the Braun Family To Be came along. Before anyone starts a horrible rumor.. we did get engaged because we are in love, and NOT because I am pregnant! Our addition was this handsome little ball of fur, Ringo! 

Life with Ringo has most definitely been exciting the past couple of days! He is an 8 week old Saint Bernard puppy, that is well on the way to being spoiled rotten. After picking him up, he proved to us that he fit right in. As he was laying in my lap, he wouldn't look at either of us. Finally after a few minutes he started sniffing and licking me, and warming up to the idea. However, Dad was still a little new for this little guy. He would peek at Ross out of the corner of his eye, but anytime Ross would acknowledge him, he showed off his little attitude by snapping his head the other way.

Ringo has met just about the entire extended family in the past couple of days, as well as numerous family friends. We have found out that he is scared of the dark, but loves his new bed Mommy and Daddy got him from PetSmart. He is currently teething and enjoys chewing on everything he can reach. However, he tends to be a bit lazy, which we are thinking he learned from his uncle Mason. He is also quite nocturnal, and feels that it's appropriate to play for two hours at a time in the middle of the night. Potty training thus far has been a success with only a handful of accidents! He also HATES getting his picture taken incase it's not obvious in this picture... He tends to show out for the camera. 

We have fallen madly in love with this little guy, in just the short time we have had him. Our lives couldn't be anymore complete right now! Engaged life is absolutely amazing, and becoming puppy parents has been awfully exciting. Ringo is definitely a Momma's Boy, and loves to get rowdy with Daddy. But regardless of his crazy personality, we make the perfect little family. 

Big News! 

A wedding date has been set!

We will be walking down the aisle at Glad Tidings, on May 17, 2014.

Let the countdown begin! 

404 days :) 

The Best Easter Egg Hunt.. EVER.

Okay, so it's official. As of yesterday Ross Lance and I are the future Mr. and Mrs. Ross Braun! We were at his Aunt Missy and Uncle Jason's house celebrating Easter, and little did I know, Mr. Ross had a plan up his sleeve. However, earlier yesterday morning Ross and I were on our way to church, and I decide to spark up the lovely proposal conversation. I asked Ross if he just loved the fact that I had absolutely no idea when the proposal was going to happen, and that it was eating me alive! As most people already know, I always have to know everything. Anyway, Ross politely informed me that he kind of felt bad for keeping a secret from me, but he knew I would appreciate it some day! This final comment of the conversation, leaving me even more clueless than I was before it began.

So just like normal we go to church, and then go home to watch TV and work on some homework. Little did I know our lives were getting ready to change forever! As we got off of the couch to get ready, Ross told me that I should keep my church outfit on because it is absolutely beautiful; and then proceeded to put on his spiffy new Izod polo. He made a comment about us semi-matching being perfect because we would be taking tons of Easter pictures with his cousins. Yet again, a hint dropped and I'm still clueless! As we were walking out the door, Ross ran into his office to grab a Target sack. After I questioned him, he informed me that he cleaned out our candy drawer and made Easter eggs for all of his cousins! Ope! There's another hint, and I'm still clueless. I thought he was just being a sweetheart. I even told him to say they were from both of us! WHOOPS!

Finally, we arrive at his Aunt and Uncle's house and it is a very normal Easter. We played with the kids, hid eggs, and ate far too much food. However, right after lunch ended, it was time for the Easter egg hunt! As a family, they decide Ross' easter eggs should be hunted first! All of his cousins go looking for their eggs, and find them in each pocket of the pool table; but I just stand by Ross, not realizing I had a very special egg to hunt. He pushes me toward the game room, but I turn around and said, "No Ross! Let your cousins have them!" He politely responds by telling me that I had a special egg with my name on it and that I had to go hunt too. Well, there's the BIG clue, that I did not pick up at all. As I begin searching around the room, Lauren pointed out that my egg was obviously in the pool table pocket that no one was standing at since that is where everyone else's eggs were. I walk over to the pocket and pull out a small pink egg that has my name written on it in silver Sharpie. As I held my unopened egg, I looked around and noticed that everyone else's eggs were really big, and mine was just a tiny little thing. In my head I was thinking I got less candy than everyone else, but little did I know...

Ross' Aunt Missy counted for everyone to open their eggs at the same time. As I opened my egg I was sure it was a dream. I looked up, and around to everyone else who received an egg from Ross, only to find they all received ring pops. As I stared at my gorgeous diamond ring I was speechless. Once I realized that everyone was staring at me, and there were numerous cameras pointed in my direction I finally spit out, "WHAT IS THIS?!" Ross took the ring from my egg and got down on one knee. Supposedly he had a pretty killer speech planned but I thought this one was perfect:

Mackenzi, you're my everything and I love you. There is nothing I want more in the world than to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me? 

Of course, I was ecstatic and speechless, and it took everything in me not to burst into tears. But somehow I spit out the word YES! before shoving that ring on my finger and completely attacking him while he was still down on his knee. As soon as he gave me that first kiss, my legs and hands started shaking. That moments, was the best moment of my life thus far. It was honestly a dream come true. I could not have dreamed up a better engagement myself.

I am truly thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing man. He is my best friend, and my other half. We have been through just about everything, and I am the happiest I have ever been. Ross is by far the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I wouldn't change a thing. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

IT'S OFFICIAL! Ross Braun is my fiancé, and it will be Mackenzi Krystene Braun one day very soon! :)