Bridal Shower #1

BEWARE LOTS OF PICTURES!!! So we are now down to 37 days till I can hear those wedding bells, which is so crazy, I just can't even believe it! Last weekend I had my first bridal shower here in Abilene at my boss' house and it was so wonderful, she did an awesome job decorating, doing the food, she was just an amazing hostess all around! Some of my family were able to come in town for the big day which made it SO extra special, my sister, aunt monica and cousin hannah were able to come enjoy the weekend with me. I loved every single minute of the shower, it was just perfect, so fancy like I love! I got so many wonderful things at the shower that we registered for and we love every single bit of it! Some of the great things we got were: our 14 piece Calphalon pots & pans set, 17 piece Calphalon knive set, 5 different cook books (I think I got the hint guys, you want me to learn to cook ha), crock pot, two different gift cards, two super cute black & white serving platters, one food network party serving platter, glass drink dispenser, a beautiful silver pitcher, 5 piece serving utensil set, very cute apron to wear while I cook, all of our bedding (aside from our bedskirt), some cute coasters, kitchen towels & oven mitts, panini press, waffle maker, griddle/grill pan that is reverisble, two great pillows, our calphalon bakeware set, and I think that may have been it, unless I missed a few items!

I love all the gifts I received and am so very thankful for everyone who came and/or brought a gift, I appreciate so much! I'm really looking forward to my next bridal shower which is in Beaumont, texas with all of my family and close beaumont friends, its going to be great! I haven't been down to Beaumont to see all of my family since Christmas I guess and I am definitely looking forward to it, I know they are going to put on such a special shower for me, I'm so grateful I have such loving family that make me feel so special and honored during this time of my life. I'll be back with another post soon with pictures of our newly decorated bedroom and new furniture! Enjoy the pictures :)









the bride with her mimosa :)

me & rachel with elizabeth

sweet maggie & I

my sweet girls...maggie, claire, & Elizabeth love them :)

me with my future MIL

the tables, decorations, and display were all so beautiful!

Shower #1 cousin picture

my sweet hostesses, they did such a great job!

The Ellison Ladies

48 DAYSSSSSSSSSSSS

It's officially less than 50 days away I will be MRS. JACOB NASSAR which feels so insane to know that I will no longer be a miss, but a MRS. wow that just feels so great, I cannot even explain my excitement for ALL the many different things that are going to come along with that! We are definitely well under way with all of the planning and its now coming down to all the crazy details and making sure we have everything to pull this spectacular event together! This is just such an exciting time that I honestly just can't stand it haha :)

Here are some things that are coming up I have to look forward to:

1. this coming weekend my Abilene Bridal Shower :)
2. my last valentines day as a non-married woman
3. Jake's last birthday as a non-married man
4. my Beaumont Family Bridal Shower in march
5. first John Mayer concert to ever attend
6. moving into Jake's/our apartment
7. reorganizing and decorating our apartment
8. shopping for furniture for our apartment



I took my bridal portraits this week and I LOVED every single minute of being in my dress and the pictures were so so much fun! Our photographer, Hannah Vickers (hannahvickersphotography.com) did such an amazing job I was just so overjoyed, it really was exactly what I was looking for my bridal portraits to look like. We took them at the trammells house (where I work) and they were just beautiful, I don't know how the hell I am ever going to be able to pick out which ones I like the best and which ones I want to have printed and framed, its definitely going to be such a chore. I wish so bad that I could post a few of my favorites on here but can't do that until after the wedding since we wouldn't want Jake to see pictures of the dress and especially pictures of me in the dress.


Here's a list of stuff I still have left to do to finish up before March:

1. mail invitations this week
2. write thank you notes after showers
3. finish reception playlist for dj
4.meet with caterer & finalize menu and details
5. get bridesmaids & groomsmens gifts finalized
6. get rehearsal dinner invitations done
7. finish getting hostess gifts for showers
8. order flowers
9. buy champagne for reception
10. get sheet music printed for pianist for ceremony



Yes the list of things to do is alot longer than the list of what I have done, but you know thats the way it goes, trust the month of Febuary is going to be ever more crazy than January, while March is going to be RIDICULOUS, but still oh so fun! I just can't wait...I'll keep you posted on everything.

But the best thing that we have finished and done is having the honeymoon completely paid for and ready to go...we are leaving March 21st the day after our wedding to drive to Galveston to board The Carnival Conquest Cruise to sail to Montego Bay, Jamaica, The Grand Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico! We could not be more excited, I have never been anywhere outside the United States except Mexico and it was Monterrey, Mexico and Mexico City, definitely not the beatiful beaches of Mexico, Jake on the other hand has been to Jamaica on a mission trip in high school, but no where else. We leave the sunday after our wedding day and return the following sunday and sometimes its all I find myself thinking about because I LOVE vacation so much, especially the beach!! YAY!!! Well thats all for now...promise to be sooner than later :)

fun January times with the girls

So at Christmas time my mom made Maggie & Claire these super adorable aprons and gave them some baking sets with real cake mix and icing and sprinkles. After everyone got all the holidays behind them I brought the girls over to my house to bake and decorate cupcakes with my mom & I and it was really just so so hilarious and adorable I can't even put it into words how precious they are to me, but hopefully these pictures help show you how cute they really are! We recently got their flower girl dresses in the mail and they are just going to be the cutest little flower girls walking down the aisle, I cannot wait to see them all dressed up in their dresses and shoes and hair all fixed, its just going to be absolutely precious, especially to know how excited they are when I hear them talk about it. But anyways hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do :)







Claire Louise, cutest two year old on the planet...

she loved the chocolate cake batter yummy!

This girl really enjoyed the batter more than I have ever since a 4 year old enjoy anything

LOVIN' that chocolate cake batter

I think she may have liked the cake batter more than the actual cupcakes ha!

LOVE this girl!!!!!

helping kathy make her chocolate cupcakes

Claire & I mixing up the yellow cake mix or (lellow as claire would say)

Claire Bear so so CUTE!

She loved the cake batter too...but wasn't quite as much as Maggie did!

my late new years post

Only an entire month late, but here it is my new years post, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010! We are now under the 50 day mark, which means we are officially getting crazy insane busy, but I'll save all that for a special wedding post coming soon! Jake & I spent the new years in Abilene together, we went out with some friends for drinks after a nice dinner at Outback, it was a very well deserved night out after I had been out of town since Christmas Eve in Houston and then a week at the ranch with all the family. Then we left New years day early to leave for Austin for 2 nights for my best friend, Lindy's wedding, which I was a bridesmaid in. We had a great time being down in Austin, we LOVE it so much there! We did some much needed shopping, I got to spend some much needed time with Lindy before she became mrs. mitchell holt, and enjoyed a lovely wedding and headed home after the wedding was over. After getting back home we basically went back to work and got back into the groove of things which felt really nice. But here are a few pictures of how we spent our new years holidays, they are in order from end of wedding to the day before the wedding, sorry! Hope you enjoy :)









the happy couple enjoying their cheesecake

cutting their wedding cheesecake

leaving the ceremony after officially becoming MR. & MRS. MITCHELL HOLT

congratulations Lindy & Mitch!

all the girls getting ready together out on Lake Austin & enjoying mimosas :)

enjoying such a relaxing pedicure before wedding day!

The whole wedding party at the rehearsal dinner

first post of 2010...late of course

So happy new year, can't believe its finally 2010, I love the way that sounds, and am so overjoyed its finally here, this is going to be a FABULOUS year in so many ways! The wedding countdown has officially begun, we are now at 68 days & I get more excited every single day. But I'm pretty sure my wedding to-do list gets longer everyday, busy busy busy! We had a great end to 2009, our holidays were wonderful with our families, and both got somewhat of a little break from the real world. My parents and brother & I left on Christmas Eve in the blizzard we got in Abilene to drive down to Houston it was a very interesting drive to say the least! When we finally arrived in Houston we went over to my cousins, Jeff & Alison's house for dinner and hung out with them the rest of the night. We thoroughly enjoyed Pappasito's for dinner and loved getting to finally meet baby Jack, the newest little addition to our family. Big brother Ben was so excited to see us and ready for Santa to come to his house, he was so much fun to play with!


Then on Christmas Day we enjoyed a relaxing morning at my sister & brother in law's house in Katy before we went to Nana & Papa's house for the day. We all got lots of goodies from Santa, which I will share about later. Then we all went over to nana & papa's house for the rest of Christmas Day, we did kind of a brunch with my grandparents, closest aunts, uncles, & cousins and all exchanged gifts before the rest of my big extended family came over for our traditional breakfast meal in the early evening. We watched all the little kids exchange gifts which is always a joy to watch and really just hung out, ate way too much, and just enjoyed being with all the family.


The day after Christmas my parents, sister & brother in law, brother & I left to go to the ranch up near Fredericksburg for the week. We were later joined by my grandparents, a few of my aunts, and a few of my cousins. We had a great time all hanging out together at the ranch for the week, once again ate WAY too much, played games, enjoyed the scenery and animals. All the men hunted while we were there, my dad, brother, cousin's boyfriend, and cousin all shot a deer that week. I left the ranch on New years Eve, while the rest of my family for another day or two, I headed back to Abilene to spend the new years celebration with Jake and leave for Austin on new years day for Lindy & Mitch's wedding weekend. Jake & I had a great new years eve celebration with a friend from his work & his girlfriend we went to enjoy dinner and drinks together.

Enough talking on my part, but here a few pictures from our holiday break to enjoy, they are in order from most recent to oldest. And some have been borrowed from people on facebook, sorry Jenna!!










lindy and mitch leaving their wedding reception...the happy new couple!

The end of the Holt wedding ceremony, their first kiss as a new married couple

Christmas Day at nana & papa's house, their pretty tree!

Here is a picture of what we spent majority of our time doing during the holiday break

and I am now paying the new years consequence HA! Trying weight watchers to get in shape for the big day!!

Christmas morning at Jenna & Matt's house with my immediate family, gotta love morning pictures!!

Thanksgiving in Houston

I am so glad I can finally officially say that is the holiday season, my most favorite part of the year :) Well I got it all started off great with a long visit to my sister and brother in law's house in Houston, we left wednesday morning and came home early sunday! We all drove over to my grandparents house in Beaumont to have a fabulous thanksgiving day with all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and whoever else ha we always have SO many people there on thanksgiving. The food was really spectaculor this year, so much fried turkey with all the fixings, not mention the very large table of desserts there were to pick off of all day long, YES I thoroughly enjoyed it haha!

The day after thanksgiving (Black Friday) all the ladies enjoyed a wonderful day of shopping at the woodlands mall in houston, I didn't really get any crazy amount of Christmas shopping done, but did buy a few items, most importantly my wedding shoes that I LOVE!! We draw names in our family and got the name I drew all finished up so I have that out of the way. Don't let that fool you I still plenty of shopping to do before I am officially done for the holidays, but I have about half of it done, which gives me some sort of relief. Then Saturday my mom, dad, sister, brother in law, and brother all went out to visit my dad's oldest brother and all of his family that we never really get to see very often. They are such a fun part of our family, I just love being around them, they also have some awesome dogs! We hung out with them for the afternoon and then we all went to dinner later then we headed back to my sister's house, then left early sunday morning to come back to Abilene. But all in all it was a great thanksgiving break with my family, can't wait for more fun holiday times with them over Christmas. But here are a few pictures taken on thanksgiving day at my grandparents by my wonderful cousin Maggie, sorry I just had to borrow them thanks mags!





sweet Elise playing on the piano while we did all the Fall birthdays

Amelia, Elijah, & Julie (the american girl doll) Amelia got Julie for her birthday, she is the 70s decade American girl, she and all her accessories are ADORABLE

great picture of Maggie & Autumn, Autumn & Bubba are getting married just a couple of months after Jake & I on May 1st, so exciting there are going to be two big weddings this spring :)

me and sweet Ben, loved getting to spend some time with this little guy, who will soon have a precious brother, can't wait to meet little Jack.

And I thought I would save the best for the last, it was a fun rival day in my family on thanksgiving since we are full of A&M fans and UT fans it made for an interesting thanksgiving evening as we all watched the game together. Wait refresh my memory on who won again Jenna? Oh thats right always the texas fight, GO UT!!!

oh how LONG it has been!!

So what else can I say but its been too long, but that I promise I have a good excuse for not keeping up with this blog as if anyone reads this, but oddly enough I thoroughly enjoy writing about our lives on this blog. The last time you heard from me was probably just about a month ago, and actually so much has happened, we have been so crazy busy with just life in general plus a few other things. Lately we have gotten so much done with the wedding and it actually feels like that "March 20, 2010" day is not so far off in the distance as it has felt in the past six months or so. Yes, we still do have ALOT to get done but it is coming along slowly but surely, and I really can honestly say that I have never enjoyed anything more in my entire life, aside from Jake & my blessed job, it really is a TRUE love of mine! I have felt in last few months that I have finally found through so much searching what I truly want to pursue as my career, being a professional wedding & event planner. And most likely after Christmas is over I am going to start my online school to get my certification as a professional wedding & event planner and be a part of the National Bridal Cosultants. Needless to say it feels very good to know what it is I want to do when I am not taking care of my sweet babies, which I still love & adore more than my life sometimes.


But here are some of the things that we have been up to in the last month:

-Jake trading in his Explorer for a 2008 Chrysler Aspen, which WE LOVE
-Celebrating my 23rd birthday last month (can't believe how old i'm getting)
-Painting our bathroom in the new house
-Purchasing a new couch for the new place
-Took our amazing engagement pictures that I LOVE
-Going to DFW to do some shopping & relaxing
-Picking out tuxedos for Jake & his groomsmen
-Going to Lindy & Mitch's sweet wedding shower
-and working, working, & more working....


Other than all that fun stuff we have just been trying to make it to Thanksgiving. It has been really weird for the both of us to think about how this Thanksgiving & Christmas is our true last holidays with just us with our families. It really is such a strange feeling to think about how forever as long as we are alive our holidays will never be what they have been for the last 23 years. It is an exciting feeling, but also a sad one in many way...I guess it's just bittersweet. We are getting ready to embark on such a journey that will change every aspect of our lives that I know all the new traditions in holidays will be so much fun, I guess it's just such a surreal feeling! But this year for Thanksgiving I will be leaving early next Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving Day to go to Houston to be with my family, which I am completely beyond excited about! I will be spending probably 3 or 4 days down in Houston, and I'm definitely hoping for some good girl shopping trips with all the ladies in my family. When I return I will go for my first wedding dress fitting that next weekend in Waco with my mom and I'm hoping my sister will get to meet me up there, but not crossing my fingers! Jake is staying here in Abilene with his family because working a retail job as a full time sales representative on black friday isn't the best medicine for making 6 hour road trips for the holidays. He is getting ready to start working some insane holiday hours starting the day after Thanksgiving of course, but is still selling in the top spots in all Sprint stores in this district, which is so amazing to me, YAY JAKE!!!


But here are a few pictures of our new vehicle that we adore, hope you enjoy! Sorry I didn't have any other interesting pictures from all the time that I have been gone. I promise for more pictures next time. I promise it won't be an entire month till you hear from me.