It's Almost Upon Us

The latest Gary Lezak forecast (the only one worth looking at, according to Marcela) says the high will be 45 on Saturday with a low of 25. Cold but not too cold, it sounds like. Perfect! The only thing, weather wise, that will make it better is if some snow sneaks into the forecast and falls at 6 p.m. in downtown KC. Wouldn't that make for some pretty pictures?

Speaking of pictures (sweet segue), we have set up a Flickr group for anyone taking their own snapshots this weekend. If there are some fun photos (or funny photos) that you want to share, feel free to upload them if you're a Flickr user (or if you want to create a new account just for us). The group can be accessed at: http://www.flickr.com/groups/marcelakylewedding/

See you Saturday!

Engagement Pics

We had a great time with our photographer, Erica Price of Sparrow Photography, back in early June. It was a really hot day. By the end, we decided to cool off by getting ourselves some gelato. Good choice! Here are some of our favorites below. We hope you enjoy!

29 Days Later...

...and the house is still a work in progress :) We have made re-doing the bathroom, updating the kitchen and painting our priorities. Well, the bathroom is nearing completion. The new tub is in, the light switch is in a different place and we have a nifty pocket door installed. The sheet rock is up, and round 1 of mud is on the walls. When I return (currently in a Hyatt in Minneapolis traveling with the Wizards), we'll start the sanding process. The bathroom should be complete by the end of July. The other stuff is a little more iffy at this point.

Big thanks to both of our families for all the help so far (and future thanks for all the help I'm sure we'll receive). Michael, Marcela's bro, has been a wiz at re-trimming some windows. Marcela, her mom and my mom have been (liquid) sanding the cabinets in the kitchen so they can be painted white. Marcela's father installed our deadbolts and will soon be constructing some light sconces in the bedroom. My dad has helped with various installations in the bathoom. Michael and Drew, Kyle's bro, were dubbed the bash brothers for their work in ripping out the previous bathroom fixtures and wall finishing. I'm sure there's plenty more to come, but we really appreciate everyone's willingness to help and give up their time.

We recently got our engagement pictures back, so those will be posted here pretty soon. For being a blogger by day, I've been pretty crappy at keeping this blog up to date *slaps own wrists*. The Enforcer (Marcela) has told me I better shape up. She just wants that nickname to carry over to Hillcrest Road so she'll become famous :)

Anyway, we (I) promise to make the updates more frequent. We have some house pictures and some engagement pictures to post here soon.

We Have a Photographer!

One of Erica's photos.

Isn't that exciting? Her name is Erica Price, and she runs a place called Sparrow Photography here in the KC area. To check out her website (and some of the pictures), visit www.sparrowphotographykc.com. We met with Erica back in January and just recently sealed the deal by putting down the initial deposit. She is a very nice young lady who is extremely thoughtful and has great composition of her photos. Both Marcela and myself have a somewhat artistic view of how wedding photographs should be taken, so we like the fact that Ms. Price takes some artsy-looking pictures that will really capture the essence of the event. For part of the night, she will be shooting candid pictures of family and friends who are in attendance, so make sure you're looking sharp. You never know who might end up in our wedding book!

Another of Erica's photos.

Random Pic 1

She's really pretty.

Happy New Year to All!

This is cute, and we both like penguins.

Have a great 2009! This will certainly be an exciting one for the both of us. Anyone do anything fun for new year's last night? Tell us in the comments section below. We attended a little function at the Uptown Theater in KCMO. Lots of music, dancing and a couple of drinks. Don't worry, we got a taxi ride home!

Us last night. Aren't we adorable? (Especially the one on the right.)

How Kyle Proposed

As I said before, Marcela thought I was heading to St. Louis when I was actually preparing to propose. What she also didn't know was that I had asked many people close to her to submit one word they felt was the best description of my new fiance. Once I had these words (16 of them in all), I worked them into the speech that I read to her just before putting the ring on her finger. The words given to me by others are in bold. I also included a picture from the night we really got to know each other (Marcela's birthday party this summer at The Foundry in Westport). Enjoy the speech and the pic!

From the delightful first night we spent together, I knew we had something special. From your kind eyes to your radiant, lightning-rod of a personality, it was clear you have a quality about you that few others do. Your compassionate way is contagious. No one could argue that you are the embodiment of what a (true) friend should be. You are skillful in listening to others, offering advice and being supportive. Without a doubt, you are like a breath of fresh-air to all of those in your life. I like that we both (mostly) grew up in the Sunflower state and that we share so many of the same values and beliefs. The confident foundation our parents have laid in each of us will allow us to be kind and compassionate with one another on a daily basis, but to stand our ground when the time is right. You are my editor, my lover, my confidant and my best friend. Our love has quickly become unconditional, resilient and true. Farruca, you have put a hand-print on my heart that will never be removed. I now ask you this: 

Marcela Rodriguez, will you be my wife?