I was going through the pictures on B's camera and realized I never took the pictures off of his camera from when we went up the mountain and he proposed! And then I realized that I never posted about it except on our wedding website... [http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/KatieNies&BrandonBernshausen]

So here is a walk down memory lane for some... and new photos for others! Enjoy :)

This was on the way up. We drove up to Golden State Park to see the leaves changing colors because 'Plan A' fell through.... That is B was going to take me up in a hot air balloon ride and propose while we were view the leaves from a birds eye view! But the wind cancelled that, God had another plan in mind...

The day turned out to be beautiful and the winds died down some. We really enjoyed the view we got as we drove to a special place.












Here we had reached the top and I posing by a tree B really liked.... I was oblivious and you can see my bare hand... the last pic that way forever now!







After we went to the top and there were quite a few people we started to head down the mountain... all the while B was looking for the 'Perfect Spot' and he decided it was at a spot that we had already stopped at on our way up. I pointed that out when we stopped there for the second time... {Again... I was oblivious!} So we walked over to a bench that overlooked a wonderful view down the mountain side. We were talking a little and then he set his camera down... and I had this feeling something was up!And then he took my breath away by asking me the question I had been dying to hear! That's the story of how we got to where we are now. Don't let the date on the pictures fool you, our actual date of engagement was on the 29th of September!


I'm getting so excited to see what our journey has in store for us...

{only 31 days!}

{ Shower of love }

I apologize for the tremendous delay in updating everyone on how the shower went! This last week was a crazy one to say the least... With me being out of town for a conference in Reno all last week to this weekend B and I redid our upstairs guest bathroom (from texture to paint to new fixtures...), we are pooped but so excited!!! [only 33 days...]

So the shower was beautiful!

My maid of honor, Rachael Fricke, along with a few other wonderful ladies { Sheryl, Krista, Tiffany & Manny} planned a shower that was amazing and fit me perfectly!

Everything was very girly and delicately decorated... These were the strawberry green tea drinks they made {minus the green tea here}.

They also served hot tea and little snack foods like cheeses, crackers, olives and bite size cheese cakes!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't have asked for more! ; )

Most of everyone invited was able to make it! There were just a couple out of towners that weren't able to make it. But I was so blessed with a very special guest who made the trip: my mama!! I am so happy she was able to come and be a part of the festivities. Total there were 17 people there. Which made for a lot of fun when we played the games....

The first game the girls had them play was where they had a tray with all different types of candies and they teams had to come up with a story/poem about B and I using all the different names. It was hilarious and so cute. I kept them all to put in my memory book!

Another game they played was Toilet Paper Bride... were each team had to dress up a person in a bridal gown... only using TP!!! Then their person had to walk the run way while B's grandma Alice and I judged and picked the best one!

Katie: just gorgeous!
And Sarah... marvalous!
Abby! So dramatic... so chic!

When it came time to open my gifts the girls handed out papers with a bingo board on it, but it was blank! They had to fill it in with what they thought I would get and then who ever got a bingo would get a prize!! I thought that was creative and my bible study leader, Tiffany won! She's so smart ; )

B's mom, aunt and cousin {my other b-maid} waiting to see what I would get.Trying to break the ribbon... {you know what that means ; ) }

After opening gifts, they had one more game to play... this time it was all on me! They had asked Brandon some questions and now it was time to see how well I really knew my soon-to-be... for every one I got wrong I had to chew a piece of bubble gum!

And then I had to try and blow a bubble...

Besides all the wonderful games and the spectacular food, I couldn't have asked for a better, more wonderful group of ladies to shower me!

Krista & RachaelMe and mama!

Katie and Tiffany!
My sweet girls!
And finally, the ribbon bouquet Krista made me out of all the ribbons from my gifts!

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day and shower! {Except having the few of you there that couldn't make it... See you in a month though!!} Thank you all so much for the wonderful gifts and cards. Love you all!!

Counting down...

Did you know it's only 51 days til the big day?!

I DO!!!

I can't believe it's almost here yet I feel like time is dragging sometimes!!

Just wanted to post a little update on the wedding planning. About a week ago I got my veil made! I was so excited to be able to do it myself and make it a little more personal than buying one. Plus they run anywhere from $50 - $200... I made mine for $12. I really like it too because it's the lenth and style that I want (I wasn't really finding it in already made veils)! I'm sorry I can't post a pic of it... it will just have to be a suprise!

We made the pew bows for the chapel and the flowers for the reception table decor (they are made out of tissue paper!). I have actually been impressed with how much we have been able to save just by doing things ourselves and it's that much more meaningful!

Everything is just about wrapped up and either booked or bought! Just waiting for that big day to come!! I feel like a kid again with Christmas just right around the corner and being so excited!!

And you all should know my shower is coming up (just a little over a week away!)... at least the ladies anyway! (sorry guys you aren't invited ; P) I'm getting so excited for it! My lovely little sis, Rachael is coming home from school in CA to host it for me! She has done an amazing job coordinating it all, even doing it from out of state!

Just one more thing... if you haven't seen Horton Hears a Who you really should go see it! Its adorably hilarious!

My Best Birthday Ever!

This is Brandon!

Sorry its taken me this long to share with everyone how awesome a birthday my beautiful sweetheart treated me to but I didn't have the info to log into the site. Anyways it started out last Tuesday when I opened my locker at work to find a Colorado Avalanche Apron! I love to cook and I didn't have an apron and now I do! The best thing is I don't feel like a sissy for wearing it cuz its totally a manly one... Then the next day again in my locker was a present all wrapped up with a pretty little bow and inside were some grey sweat pajama pants with an avalanche emblem on them! They are soo soft and comfy I love em! Then just when i was getting used to this whole idea of coming everyday to work to find another gift from my sweetheart in my locker there wasn't one... I even told her jokingly that i think there was a disconnect somewhere cuz there wasn't another present in my locker. So that night I go home and as i reach to open my bedroom door I see a note that read "Before you lay your sweet head down to rest... Take a peek @ the couch down stairs..." I rushed down there to find a birthday card along with an avalanche clock and a ultra comfy avalanche blanket... And in the bag the blanket was in were two tickets to the Avalanche game last friday night! 8 rows off the glass center ice!

Katie sure knows how to treat me! I was soo pumped! Peter Forsberg is my hockey hero and everytime in the past i have gone to avalanche games I have never gotten to see him play because he was either injured or it was after he had left the team. But this year he came back to colorado and I got to see him skate and get 3 assists none the less! It was so awesome I couldnt of asked for a better game either! We were loosing 4-3 late into the 3rd when Joe Sakic scored with 5.9 seconds left in the game to force OT! After nobody scored in OT it went to a shootout and we won it in the shootout! It is definately the most memorable hockey game i have ever been to... I haven't been treated like that on my birthday since i cant remember when... It was like the 12 days of my birthday! OK, OK, more like 5 but whatever you get the idea... My sweetheart must think im alright to have put so much into my special week... She definately is amazing and I am so blessed to have her in my life!

The results are in...

So the photographer we met with on my birthday finally got some photo's to us! They turned out cute for the most part I think.

We did get a lead tho from my friend at work. She recommended a guy who is also in our unit at the base and does wedding photography on the side! He does excellent work and we are going to go with him because he seems to be a little bit more professional as well as experienced than the first lady. Plus we want to support our military family!!

A few others...

I am also excited to report that I put together my tossing bouquet!! I decided to make it just for the fun of it. My actual bouquet for the ceremony as well as the bridesmaids bouquets and all the flowers, we are having them done with real flowers by a florist we found one day on the hunt for wholesale flower markets. Turns out they only sell those flowers for resale. But one of the markets recommended this florist and I loved his ideas.

And an extra special thing I decided to do with my bouquet is to have a locket with my grandmother, Grandma Judith, who passed away of cancer just two years ago, tied around the stems with a ribbon!

That is as far as I got today... just one step at a time and lovin every minute of it!!

Happiest Birthday!

Today has been an awesome birthday! I am so blessed {some might even say spoiled ;)}

So I started the day off with receiving phone calls from my sweetheart and my mama singing happy birthday to me... not on the same phone call!

Later in the morning B and I went to get our photos taken with a possible photographer for our wedding! She took a lot of pictures and said she would have them for us by Tuesday! We can't wait to see them and share them with you all!!

After that we went to the Christian book store in Parker to pick up the ring I ordered for B on valentines day to wear until we get married! It says in Hebrew, ' I am my beloveds. My beloved is mine.' He was so excited and it looks so sharp on him!

Then we went to the guest house where we are having the reception and did a quick set up of our table setting to see how it looks... We loved it!

After that we went to B's house {our future home :)} and he gave me my birthday present from him. Which was...

a bouquet of CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES!!! And with it came with a card that said we are going to a Jack Johnson concert at Red Rocks in August!!! WAHOO!

After that we went to B's Aunt Dori's place and visited with all the family! That was really fun.

Now we are all dolled up and getting ready to head to downtown Denver to have dinner at a steakhouse called Capitol Grill! I'm so excited :)))))

Thanks for all the happy birthdays! This day has been an amazing day...

Sample the reception decor...

So this is just a rough, rough draft.... BUT it's so coming together!! (the tables at the guest house are smaller and the table clothes will actually fit them.) I am proud to say that everything I have gotten for the reception decorations has been half off or more! PTL!

I think we just about have everything we need for the reception, we just have to work out the details... like ironing the linens and making the flowers for the center pieces, etc. I am just really pleased with how well it's all coming together!

I also had the first fitting for my dresses alterations and I picked out the style of bustle I want! (the bustle is when they sew buttons under the dress so I can have the train pulled up at the reception and be able to still dance and walk with out stepping on my dress.) I chose the french bustle which goes up under the dress and creates an arch and looks so gorgeous when its done up!

I would post pictures of my dress so far but my sweetheart is very careful not to see my dress before the big day! Even if I'm looking at a wedding magazine that has pictures of dresses, he will look away because he says he doesn't want to see it by accident. :) He's such a good boy... I love him so much!

This weekend is my birthday and we are getting our engagement photos done! B is taking me out to dinner downtown so I got a cute dress to wear! It has tulips on it (my favorite flower). I'll be sure and post the pictures after wards....