Wedding Wedding Wedding

Hi Sugar Plums,

I'm not ever sure where to begin because i'm still on a high from the WEDDING & Honeymoon :)!!!! I have so many things that I want to talk about and so much going on that I think I will be blogging more often :)!!!

I guess the first thing that I want to say is......A month before the wedding I bought a new wedding dress..YES, BOUGHT A NEW DRESS!!!! So, the first dress that I bought is for sale. I am not going to post a picture of it because people will simply look at it just to be nosey. If you are getting married within the next year, are in the market for a wedding dress,  or your name is Meg Annan :)......I will send you pictures of the dress. If you are genuinely interested, I will bring it to your home for your to try on. Again, if you are interested we can discuss the $$$.  

I suppose that is the biggie that I wanted to get out there first. However, I am considering selling/renting out my center pieces.

I also want to send out a big thank you to the following people because without you, our wedding would not have been as wonderful:

Eric's Parents - You're simply amazing and helped me tremendously
My Parents - For your help and dealing with my crazy moments
Stephanie (Maid of Honor)
Alyssa (Matron of Honor)
Nicole Berrett (Photographer)
Zach Vitek (DJ)
Jimmy McNeal (Soloist)
Carlos Garduno (Officiant)
Bridget Mullins (Florist & Coordinator)
Rachael Ruth (Wedding Planner for the Ceremony)
Olivia Arreguin (Manager for our Reception)
Erika Hernandez (Hair Stylist)
Lisa Curlee (Bridal Brunch Host)
Ruth Franks (Bridal Brunch Host)
House Party (Paula, Alyssa, Emily & Jennifer)
Ushers (Josh, Patrick & Ryan)
Groomsmen (Ryan, Chase, Jordan, Derek, David, Ryan N. & Garrett)
Bridesmaids (Kim, Bonnie, Chris, Laura, Tricia, Stephanie & Alyssa)
Flower Girls (Lily & Presleigh)
Ring Bearer (Grayson)
Marriage Mentors (Wes & Marche)
Our Caterers and Lighting Tech
Valli & Carmen (Bridal Shower Hosts)
MY MVP ERIC
RIO's Alterations
Karen Hopkins

If I forgot someone I am very sorry and I hope that you will forgive me!

Check back for more posts on the wedding later and I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Luke 9:23-24
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"

God Bless,
Kristen Franks

Abuse is NOT OK!

This is a very sensitive subject and if you don't have anything nice to say, go ahead and close out of this post!

Having been a victim of abuse, I have no desire what so ever to speak/see my Ex. Here is what I'm talking about http://omg.yahoo.com/blogs/jam/rihanna-defends-chris-brown-reconciliation-m-still-going-164442461.html ! To want to reconcile or have feelings to want to keep open lines of communication with someone who has abused you, is beyond what most of us can fathom. To forgive and move forward is one thing but to maintain a relationship with someone who abused you when you were merely dating and there are no kids involved is completely different.

I find it incredibly sad and disheartening that even though it is not her responsibility to a be a role model, girls all around her are watching and could be justifying maintaining open lines of communication with some one who has abused them in the past. If you're young and reading this, IT IS NOT OK. ABUSE IS NOT OK...NO ONE SHOULD (MALE/FEMALE/BLACK/WHITE/MEXICAN/ASIAN...ETC.) have to put up with abuse of ANY form (Verbal, mental, physical, sexual, etc.)!

If you're being abused, tell someone and get out of the relationship/situation. Do NOT accept it and say that it won't happen again. Just Get OUT! I was fortunate enough to have friends help me get out of the situation. Just ask for help if you are a victim of abuse!

On a side note, I am boycotting ALL of her music from this point forward and while I (1 person) will not make a difference, I will take a stand!

I am my own worst ENEMEEE

I’m pretty sure that often times, I am my own worst enemy. Sounds a little crazy, but the more I think about it the more I’m sure others can relate. How many times a day/week do you condemn yourself for doing something that you wish you would or wouldn’t have done? If I take a day off from working out, I feel condemned and guilty. If I eat too much chocolate (which I often do), I feel guilty. Not because I enjoyed every bit of it, but because I know that It can lead me to gain weight if I don’t work out. If I miss Sunday morning church, I feel guilty and really beat myself up about it. If I don’t call my parents every other day or so, I feel guilty. While I realize these are all things that I need to be cognizant of, I obsess over not doing the right thing!

So, here is my goal for the next week: To not feel guilty if I miss a workout, eat too much chocolate or obsess about not checking something off my “to do” list.  

I need to practice self control and learn to accept the things that I cannot change!

Amanda & I after the Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon in Dallas! We dominated with a time of 2:13 :)! Is it bad that I still feel guilty for all of the calories I consumed eating chicken and waffles + mimosas :)?!?!?!?! See what I mean :)?!?!

Tis the Season for an Engagement

Hey Loves, Friends, Facebook Friends, Creepers, Etc......

It's been awhile since I’ve updated my blog and I’m a little disappointed in myself, but let's face it....How can I top my last post?!?! How can I beat blogging about my Ironman? Simple, I can't. Doing an Ironman is tough and not many can call themselves an Ironman...Moving on, I promise I’m not here to discuss my crazy workout regimen....I'm here to announce that I’m ENGAGED :)! Yea yea yea, old news...you saw the facebook post a month ago...but no one knows how he did it and not many of you have seen this gorgeous bling on my finger that Eric designed since I’m refusing to post a picture of my ring!! Not only did he master designing an incredible heirloom engagement ring, but he aced the proposal as well. Well, honestly.... it wasn't what I had in mind but a girl can't have it all. However, the more I think about it, it was the most genuine, completely sporadic, heartfelt, comforting, sincerest and one of the most cherished moments of my life so far....I've shared the proposal with close friends and family but that's about as far as it goes :)!

Moving on...Wedding planning...here is where the real fun begins. If you're married or engaged you know exactly what I’m talking about. Planning a wedding is a lot of work, and when I say a lot...I mean a TON of work! Eric and I have set our budget, created our guest list, somewhat picked a date-or shall I say timeframe, but I CANNOT seem to find the perfect church or venue that is reasonably priced! I've asked for suggestions and have received heaps of responses and while I appreciate them all...the best and most annoying response is "Kristen, it's your day...you just need to do what YOU want"....Well, that's the problem....I don't know what I want...(Or, actually I do but I have NO desire to spend a fortune on a wedding when that money can be used for better things). I know.....it's my wedding, it's my one day, enjoy it; they're so much fun...yea yea yea...whatever! I get it!

Here is the real problem, A couple of weeks ago Eric and I set out to look at a venue and on the way there we had to drive through a rough part of town. I saw a lot of homeless people on the streets who probably just wanted food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in and there I was worrying about spending over $3K on a venue...Can you say selfish?!?! It literally brought me to tears….. I realize that some homeless people are homeless because they made bad choices, but I'm sure if they had a second chance they would ask to turn back time. So while I realize that I can’t help every homeless person out there or feed every belly, I do want to do something that is not selfish…. after talking to Eric he has given me permission to tithe a portion of our wedding money and he’s going to help me feed the homeless. Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to give up my wedding, but I’m still indecisive about what kind of wedding I’m going to have and one thing is for sure…God is speaking to me and telling me not to be selfish!