The weekend started out with lots of ups and downs. There were way more ups than downs, but the downs were fairly draining...

Up- John had the opportunity to play a show in NYC.
Down- I didn't plan well enough and couldn't make it.
Down-he was detoured about 400 miles out of his way to make it back to me...he left NYC at 3:30am and made it to my house at 6:30am.
Up- I went out with the girls and while I missed John completely, the booze and the company comforted me.
Up-when he got home and my drunken self was able to wake up and snuggle up against him.

Up-we actually made it to the country club where our reception is and booked it!
Down (but not really)-the guy probably thought he was booking the reception of a "real classy couple" I was hung over and John looked like he was going to fall right back asleep...but we held it all together...and everything seems to be falling into place so incredibly easy (maybe this was an up??)

Up- We purchased our invitations (which are awesome and look like a postcard of the Vegas strip).
Up- John "personalized" our invite by wording it just so...in fact I believe it says, "Melina and John totally want you to join us..." Totally. Awesome.

Down- My dog got out of her fence and "ran away"...she ran away about 30 feet when a good samaritan fearing that my baby was going to be hit by a car, picked her up and took her to an SPCA about 30 mins away. Luckily, I had filed a police report and the lady reported to the police that she had picked up a dog and dropped her off at the SPCA...my dog and I were reunited about two and a half hours after the whole tearful ordeal began.

Up- The way John searched for my girl was so awesome. He was so intent on ending this problem, he drove for over an hour scouring our tiny little town, going everywhere possible and directing me where to search on foot where he couldn't get. When I started to cry, he just talked to me in a soothing voice that we were going to find her (although, it was getting to the point where even he was getting uncertain). He drove me around and when the call came telling us where she was, he hightailed it to the SPCA, getting me there in record time. He was so good under the emotional pressure and allowed me to crack gracefully...well as graceful as I can be when I get the ugly cry.

Up- When I misdirected him on the road...because "I just knew that the SPCA wasn't on that road" he looked like he wanted to scold me, but he just gave me a grin and turned around and went back down the road we had already been on.

Up- My mom and her boyfriend were willing to take my little baby in for the evening so that we could still make it down to the beach to pick up a shed that John had promised to pick up. Plus, he might even get to salvage a little beach time (this was not to be, however).

Down-we got down there and it was a scratch...the waves weren't really breaking right...too close to the shore--we were too late.

Up-John had friends coming down to have a little cookout with us.

Down-one of those friends didn't allow the lighter fluid to burn off the coals before he decided to start putting meat on the grill...as a result I've had my first fluid flavored hotdog, complete with his brother the lighter fluid hamburger.

Up- Luckily there was a lot of ketchup for us all to drown the flavor of the food.

Up/Down- John slept in, and finally caught up (mostly) on his sleep. He missed the early morning surf session with his friends.
Up- I had a little extra snuggle time and I "let" him coax me out of my panties when he was rejuvenated from all that sleep.

Up-it was nice out and I thought I might actually get some beach time.
Down- I didn't want to have to lay next to the two very skinny girls that are John's friend's girlfriends.
Up/Down- I didn't have to feel like a beached whale...but that was only because it was cold and cloudy once we got down closer to the water.

Up- John picked up the dismantled shed (for the surf boards), and I met another one of his friends whom I think is great--and I love his gorgeous wife.
Down- there are just under 1,900,342,222,467 screws and washers to put it back together.
Up-there are directions complete with pictures.
Down-we still have to put it back together.

Up-when I was the hungriest girl alive, John stopped to feed me.
Down- I immediately fell into my patented "food coma" soon after chowing down.
Up- John also suffers from food comas and so it was easy to get him to lie down in bed with me.
Up- I coaxed John out of his skivvies before we had a quick nap.
Up-We mutually coaxed each other out of our remaining clothes after the nap.

Up-When John said that he was psyched more and more every day for the wedding!
Up-the kisses...random, sweet and loving.
Up-booking our flight to Las Vegas for our wedding/Honeymoon and coming up with a good deal.
Up- learning that my "perfect soon to be husband" has cute flaws...like his impatience.
Up-knowning that he knows we balance each other out well when I pointed out his impatience and he said, "And that's why I have such a patient wife" (or something to that effect...apparently I'm constantly misquoting him :)

Down-John having to leave me after we picked up the dog, ate some leftovers and watched Resevoir Dogs at about 12:15am.
Up- Knowing that soon, he'll be sleeping next to me every night.


(A Spoiled Brat Up- I get my ring sometime soon!!!)