Tuxes Are Pricey So We Picked This Instead...

JUST KIDDING! So a few weeks ago Michael and I picked out his tux and the groomsmens' tuxes. Let me just tell you, even though gold is a pretty standard wedding color it is IMPOSSIBLE to work with! We ended up picking a gold vest for Michael and deep green vests for the groomsmen...WHAT THE *$%@ was I thinking!!! I nearly had a panic attack on the way home when I realized our wedding pictures were going to look like a circus of tacky colors! Luckily Michael is a brilliant fiance and with the help of his lovely mother and sisters he did some research and suggested a white vest which looks amazing! We're very pleased with our choices and now I can rest easy!

Life Outside the Wedding Planning

Besides planning for our "Big Day", Michael and I have been very busy with work, home improvement projects and raising our two little puppies. Michael just recently helped put together their newest crane and it's a whopper! It's the third biggest crane in all of AZ and assembling the TRILLIONS of parts was no easy task! When every last piece was placed and secured Michael got to ride to the top of the crane in a man basket to a "pants-peeing height" of 360 feet! I'm all for adventure but I quiver at the thought of that! Here are some shots Michael captured...truly a bird's eye view!

As for me I graduated from Nursing School in May!! Yay!! Although this is an awesome accomplishment it was bittersweet because it meant the end of two outstanding years with incredible instructors who truly changed my life and friends that will always stay near and dear to my heart. However, I am off to begin a whole new chapter as Jaime Smith RN in the Pediatric ICU at Banner's new Cardon Children's Hospital! It was truly a blessing to have been given this job because hospitals are trying to avoid hiring new graduates at this time. I was one of the very few who got a job, let alone my DREAM job! I began college with the hope of becoming a pediatric nurse and during hard times like these I can't believe I got exactly what I hoped for.

Michael and I also took a little break and stayed with his family on his parents' house boat at Lake Powell in May. The Hass family practically grew up at Lake Powell but I however have never been. I love the lake I just don't go very often so this trip was a total blast for me! Two things I love about Michael; his need for adventure and his need for speed! He took me out on a jet ski for a whirlwind adventure but it was cut short when a killer storm rolled in! I thought it would be the coolest thing in the world to get caught in a storm...that was until I actually did get caught in a storm! Michael warned me but I had to found out for myself just how cold it really gets and how painful the rain drops are as they pierce your skin like pellets! It was rough but I had the biggest smile on my face the whole time. We spent our days lounging on the deck, sipping margaritas and at night we roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories. I'm still trying to shake some of the stories Maryanne (Mike's mom) told us! All in all it was an awesome weekend and the first of many Lake Powell trips!

Did I Mention We're Parents!?!

Dog parents that is! On June 4th 2009 Michael and I became the proud parents of Odie and Marty Hass...ok, ok so they're Chihuahuas but we sure do treat them like our children! My mom is quite possibly the best dog mom in the whole world so I have some pretty big shoes to fill but luckily she taught me well! Although we got them from the same breeder they are from two different litters and Odie is two weeks older than Marty. Michael and I joke about getting them from a doggy whore house because there were three dads and one mom... you do the math. The owner told us "Uncle Charlie" a googley-eyed, stubby legged, overweight chihuahua couldn't possibly be the father because he's been shootin' blanks (technical term: sterile). However, Marty seems to have acquired his googley eyes and slow-to-go learning ability so perhaps Ol' Charlie has a few good swimmers left in him? Either way, Marty is to die for cute and the biggest love bug so we are very grateful for his parents...whoever they may be. Our boys are so much fun and Michael and I are thrilled to have them as part of our tiny, little family!

Odie Hass




Marty Hass



Brothers Side by Side




First trip to the vet! Though this picture is super cute the truth is they were playing possum to avoid the dreaded rectal temp!

What A Joy!

On Thursday July 2nd I received a text at 7:30 AM from my MOH saying that our newest "lady", Brooklyn, was on her way! I'm just going to put this out there but Brooklyn has created quite a high standard when it comes to beautiful babies! She looks exactly like her big sis, Allie! Our group wouldn't be complete without Allie and we are so thrilled to have another lady to add to the mix! Here's a picture of Brooklyn with her proud aunties!

(Brooklyn's 4th auntie, Sharla, was out of town at the time but B knows your love was there Shar!)

The Biggest Decision Yet...THE CAKE!

For those of you that know me you know how much I LOVE baking cakes! So naturally when the time came for Michael and me to pick out our wedding cake I was over the moon with joy!! I found myself driving down the road the other day and thinking, "OMG! I can't wait for the moment that we get to eat that cake!!!" Needless to say I'm thrilled with our choice and here is a little preview... YAY FOR CAKE!

ENGAGEMENT PARTY!

My mom and dad threw Michael and me an engagement party on Saturday May 2 and it was perfect! Having both of our families under one roof was such a good feeling and everyone got along very well! I'm so proud to be a Smith as well as a Hass because both families are filled with incredible people. Maryanne, Michael's mom, went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best cake in town, however, when she arrived at the bakery to pick up the cake she was horribly surprised when she opened the box...the cake was lime green and orange! She had taken our invitation in and told the baker she wanted the cake to match the invitation but apparently they interpreted hot pink and green to be lime green and orange! Maryanne refused to accept and ended up in the kitchen of the bakery helping them whip up new frosting as quick as they could. Long story short, the cake turned out AMAZING...all thanks to Maryanne! All in all, the night was better than we ever dreamed of and we are so grateful to have such an awesome family to share this time with!

Dress Shopping!

I found my wedding dress! It took roughly one hour because I have had this dress picked out since I was about, oh... 16! I tried on a few other dresses but that was mostly just for the sake of the experience of trying on wedding dresses and twirling around on the platform like a princess... my heart was set on this one from the moment I saw it! I can't wait to wear it down the aisle and it's killing me to keep the details of the dress a secret from Michael! Now I just have to find the perfect dress for my bridesmaids!

Mark Your Calendar for November 14, 2009!

YAY! We found our venue and reserved a date! Mark your calendar for November 14, 2009 at Stonebridge Manor! We had only been engaged for two weeks and I had a full on melt down ( I know... drama queen!) because I had no idea where we could have our wedding. We had a few venues picked out but none of them truly felt right... then we made our way to Stonebridge! I had an idea of what to expect because I've been there twice for prom but I had never noticed how gorgeous the front of the house is when it's all lit up! Michael and I knew right away that this was where we were supposed to get married so we ran back inside and signed the papers ASAP! We're so excited for the big day and thanks to Stonebridge and their awesome wedding team we just get to kick back and relax!

For Valentine's Day Michael took me to Sedona! Little did I know the trip wasn't the only surprise he had for me... Before we went to dinner Michael took me to a cute little gazebo on the golf course near our hotel room. I thought we were just taking pictures but secretly Michael had cleverly set up a timer so he could capture his last big surprise of the weekend on camera. After he set the timer he ran over to me and told me he had one more surprise. Next thing I knew he was down on one knee asking me to marry him! The camera flashed and of course I said yes! The proposal was incredible! I couldn't have planned it better myself! He spent so much time and effort to make the moment just perfect and it was exactly that!

The Harlan/Hass Family Christmas Party!

Michael's sister, Megan and brother in law, Mick hosted the Harlan/Hass family christmas party this year and I got to meet the whole gang! We had a great time mingling as a couple with all of his family members and the food was fantastic! Way to go Megan! The party was a hit! 

Disneyland!

For our first Christmas together Michael took me to Disneyland with his family! It was our first trip together and it was awesome! Even though I became deathly ill with a sinus infection (so embarrassing!) it was by far my favorite trip to Disneyland. We spent three days hopping on every ride in sight, eating corn dogs the size of my arm and strolling down main street at night with snow floating all around us. (OK it was fake snow but still very romantic!) On our last night at Disneyland Michael and I walked through Fantasyland and stopped in front of "It's A Small World" to watch the light show. Huddled up under millions of gorgeous lights we each mustered up the nerve to say "I love you".