I never update this thing anymore but felt after the last few months it would be good to. I am not going to into any major details as most of it I expect I will always remember without having a diary to remind me.

Well, I am now a married woman! Took my time getting here but after 2 attempts it really has been 3rd time lucky in the "getting engaged" stakes. I think the main thing I have learned is that relationships need to start with that "spark" but after that you need to keep fanning the flames and making sure that fire stays going - this is probably the first time I have ever really taken that advice on board and really worked at a relationship the way that I have worked (and continue to work) at my relationship with Dan. I think that is what makes this time around so special.

So anyway, I am now Mrs Luton, sad to see my old surname go as, let's face it, is is SO much better than my new one, but that is part of the sacrifice of getting married to Dan - taking on his name, and be grateful dammit as it could have been a hell of a lot worse... or so he tells me!

I have been back from honeymoon just over 24 hours and now reality has set in that I need to go back to work tomorrow and get back to normal. These past 2 or 3 weeks have been the best of my life and is a time I will never forget. Our Wedding Day was perfect - sunny but not too hot and surrounded by so many of our family and friends. The speeches were amazing, especially my Dad's which went straight through all my layers to the heart and made me sob like a baby, sometimes I forget just how well he knows me as he started his speech saying I should learn when to let Dan have the last word - he then proceeded to hand me a sock, a zip and a button to remind me! One of my best friends, Andy Mothersele also did a speech with a limerick that he and Kevin had written - he did really well and made everyone laugh!!

Dan looked so handsome in his suit and although I tried not to cry during the ceremony I think I did a little bit. Mum did a reading for us and she at one point looked like she might cry but she held it all together and read that poem so perfectly. THe party afterwards was brilliant, and our first dance was "Al Green - Let's stay together", we also had "Daniel Bedingfiled - If you're not the one" as our second dance and the final one before the disco started was "Lionel Richie - Truly".

My dress was lovely although the strap broke and Dan's sister had to sew it back on for me!! I was only trying to go to the loo and strained the dress a bit too much! After that one of my other bridesmaids, Jess, was on hand to make sure I could go to the loo ok - my friend Cole said I should go on frontways and actually that was a lot easier!

My sister Anna-Lisa was of course my Chief Bridesmaid and did a fantastic job following me around holding my train as well as more importantly being my biggest emotional support on the day. She continues to be the best sister anyone could ask for, and I consider myself lucky that she is my little sister.

It was a wonderful day and a really relaxing honeymoon with my new husband - it's a time I will miss and remember with complete happiness I think every day of my life.

Now we have a house move on the agenda for this year, next year we are holidaying with some of my best friends, Andy and April, Chris and Vicki and Mike and after that, well that world is one big oyster isn't it?

I think until the next big event in my life this diary really isn't going to see the light of day so I won't give the impression that I will update it regularly as I know I never will, and I reckon this is a nice ending to something that has kept track of my life for the last 4 years.

It's been emotional....

MX

Current Mood: Optimistic about the future
Current Music: Al Green - Let's stay Together

As I have not updated this for ages, thought it was about time.

2 days ago was the day of the bombings in London and I found out mum should by rights have been at Liverpool St Station not 15 minutes after the bomb went off. She was very lucky as her broker cancelled the day before. Scarily enough though found out an old friend was actually helping out with the aftermath, which shocked me quite a bit, but at least he is ok. I can't imagine what it must be like for all those people still waiting for news on their friends and families.

I don't know what I would do if anything happened to Dan!!

And on that note:

Wedding arrangements near enough all completed - it is now next month so we are both counting down the days. Invites are all out and mum is currently sorting out numbers as we have a meeting this week with the venue to decide the final menu and pay for most of the catering costs.

My dress is ordered, and in, and I have my first fitting in a couple of weeks. Bridesmaid dresses are down and my and my 3 bridesmaids (my sister, Dan's sister and my best friend Jess) have already had our hair and make-up rehearsals!

Wedding rings are almost done - Dan's is lovely, platinum with 3 princess cut diamonds across the top to match my engagement ring - but mine has been sent back just to round off the edges a little as it is flat edged at the moment. Mine has 2 princess cut diamonds either side of a cut out area which fits round my engagement ring. We designed the rings and had them made so they matched as closely as they could!

Not only that but then we are off to Mauritius all inclusive for two weeks which we are so excited about!!

Coming back to now, tomorrow I am off to see Will Young in concert at Leeds Castle which was part of my birthday present from Dan, but he didn't want to go with me, so I am going with my mum.

Today the weather looks crap so I am planning on going for a swim and ordering some bits and bobs for my hen weekend which is now only 2 weeks away - the theme is Angels and Devils (well what else could it be!!)

BLACKPOOL HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MX

Current Mood: calm

Can;t remember if I updated this at the time but my dress. bridesmaids dresses and now Dan and men's outfits now sorted! COlours are red and silver so the gents are wearing long black jackets, pinstripe grey trousers, silver waistcoats and bright red ruffle ties. Dan tried his on today and he looked so handsome, I could have married him there and then :o)

Sorted the bombonierre on Thursday as well so the only things left to do are to do with choosing menus and getting the invitations out. They're ordered but need to wait for them to come back from the printers. Also need to get our final cake design sorted this week, one of our friends mums is going to make it for us!

It's all taking shape, and we are both really excited :o)

Anyway best be off as we are going out tonight in Rochester.

MX x

I've got a new car :o) It is a Citroen C3, I just picked her up - she is blue so I called her "Chelsea" - and it has nothing to do with a certain Mr Lampard.... mmmmmmmm!

It also has 5 (count em) cupholders apparently... I can't ever imagine I would get that thirsty?!?

Anyway she's BOOOTIFUL and my first car since my first car Rose! So it's all good.

Do I miss our MG, Nemo? Nope. Although it was nice zooming up Detling Hill past all the ..er... Citroen's and stuff.... er... hmm.. maybe miss a little!

Also - Barry the guy who sold us Nemo and Chelsea and Dan's car who has no name (poor thing) looks like a young Joey McIntyre which was very strange.

Anyway I should be tidying up and stuff as Dan is at football at the moment (YES NO MORE FOOTBALLS ROLLING AROUND IN THE BACK OF THE CAR NOW HE HAS HIS OWN!!!!!) so I best be getting off.

MX

Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Macy Gray - Related to a Psychopath

Very proud - Dan went for an interview last week and today accepted! Means we have to sell our lovely MG but instead we've bought a Saxo and a C3 from the same dealership. Mine (the C3) is a diesel so we will hopefully save money as even though Dan has got a nice pay rise a lot of it will be taken up with the fact we now have two cars.

Dan will still be working for NIG but as a "Senior On-site Underwriter" with one of our largest brokers.

He starts in a couple of weeks which will be strange not working with him but it does mean I get a bit of "me" time, and he gets to listen to what he wants in the car :o) So it's all good!

Anyway that was all i had to say today :o)

I hate the feeling when you know you are going to be sick, it's just a case of when.

Haven't been downstairs yet in case need overtakes me and I can't make it back to the bathroom.

Horrible evil alcohol, I will never drink again!!

Was a fantastic night though :o)

Current Mood: sick

Oh My god, experiencing worst hangover of entire life and sure must still be drunk.....

Last night went round for dinner at Tony's house, Tony being a manager at work that is good friend of Dan and I.

About 10 of us there, curry, alchohol - and strip pontoon, although I did quite well in that by the end of it, was wearing top, no socks, no jeans, but managed to keep knickers on although did have to flash boobs along with the other girls when we lost the girls v boys shooting down the cans thing, which consisted of a log with cans on and a gun with a laser which had to hit these little sensers in the log (a plastic one) below the cans for the cans to fall off. The boys lost "Operation" (Have you ever tried playing that when you are drunk? Total nightmare....) and so had to take trousers and pants down. and "moon" at girls. Annoyed by fact all I could do was stare lovingly at Dan's bum when manager was standing with trousers round ankles.

Got home about 4am. Don't know why I am awake apart from to dose up on paracetamol. Dan in bed still.

Went downstairs and everthing we were wearing last night is all over dining room floor although brief check with Dan suggests neither of us can remember anything from the point where we unlocked the front door.

Was good night. Going back to bed.

Current Mood: drunk
Current Music: you must be joking music far too loud for poor hurting head

THought I would update this for a change as I have had my first hospital experience! I have not been well for a few weeks and after much persuasion from Dan which I didn't take any notice of (sorry baby) Mum finally convinced me to go to A&E. So on Monday at about 9pm Dan took me to the William Harvey in Ashford and I was admitted that night and went down to theatre on the Tuesday afternoon. It is SUCH a weird experience as I was obviously under general anaesthetic, and its like one minute they are telling you to try to keep your eyes open and the next minute, I woke up and the nurse was telling me it was all over! I was discharged on Thursday but had to go back to A&E Thursday night due to a bit of a complication and Dan and I didn't get home until 3am! Dan has been absolutely fantastic and has really looked after me, and I am very very lucky to have him.

I am signed off work now probably until after the new year which will be strange, and I am worried about being bored so will have to think of some worthwhile things to do whilst I am off. Any suggestions.....!?

Anyway aside from that, keeping on with the wedding planning, most things sorted now, still havent got my dress but planning on doing that in January with Anna-Lisa. Dan knows what he is going to be wearing and my dad is just relieved that he doesn't have to wear a top hat! My colour scheme is Red and Silver, and the overall theme is Roses.... so my bouquet will be roses, with roses on the cake, and roses on the favours etc. Hopefully it will look really elegant - that's the plan anyway! We also have a string quartet which I am really excited about, and 2 photographers and a videographer during the day - cos I don't want to miss a thing about the day! We've ordered our wedding rings, having them made especially as mine needs to be cut in to fit my engagement ring, so mine will have 2 princess cut (square) diamonds either side of my engagement ring (which is a princess cut diamond as well), and Dan's will have 3 princess cut diamonds across the top of his, so they match. We've given notice of marriage and picked our vows and just need now to decide on readings. I am v excited - especially as we now only have about 8 months to go which I know will go so quickly.

Finally got all solicitors out of our lives as Dan is now divorced and the house is now in both of our names, so it's been expensive, but well worth it as at one point we seemed to be juggling all sorts of plates, and probably took on too much in all honesty which put unecessary strain on us.

so that's the big update for now, I will try to keep this more up to date in future :o)

MX

Current Mood: peaceful

Dan is away again this weekend - stag do (not his!) in Bournemouth - apparently he started drinking at 10am this morning - someone is going to have a sore head tomorrow :o) Dan's back on Sunday, I am picking him up from Herts to save him trying to deal with Sunday service on the trains - also I know he will want to watch the Euro 2004 final. I was up at 5:30 this morning to take him to Herts and be back in time for work, otherwise I would have had to spend an extra night apart from him which I didn't want. Luckily we had a fairly early night last night ;o)

I am only going to be a sad billy no mates for tonight though as I am meeting up with some friends tomorrow in Maidstone which I am really looking forward to as I haven't seen them for ages. For tonight though I am all on my own again though so I might update the wedding pages on my web-site. I still enjoy sitting up on my PC until ridiculously late/early hours, but as it is not a hobby Dan shares I don't get much chance to "geek" anymore, so I am looking forward to tonight for some quality time with AzRael (my ikkle computer!)

Dan and I have finally decided on a honeymoon destination - Mauritius - the hotel is called "La Pirogue" and it is costing us a fair bit (we are going all-inclusive so we can get some serious drinking done!!) but it is a lovely hotel and the one we picked out of them all so for the last few weeks we have just been getting the best price on it :o) We are both really excited! This will hopefully be the holiday of a lifetime to knock Corfu and the States off the top of my "Best Holidays Ever" list :o) Well perhaps not the States - that was just TOO cool............

We have a few appointments coming up - the first being a mortgage appointment as I want some advice on my mortgage and also I need to get everything transferred into Dan's name and finally cut the last financial ties with Stef. We also have appointments with wedding photographers for next year, we have shortlisted about 3 and are seeing them over the next few weeks.

Work going ok, lots on, bit of a concern with one of my team at the moment but nothing I can't handle once I have figured out the best way to do so. Lots of stretching targets so I am very busy, but I find it better that way - keeps my mind occupied.

Saw my sister last weekend, she came up on Sunday for a meal and to do some make-up on me as she is going to be doing my make-up on my wedding day - to be honest, she is brilliant at it and I don't think I could trust anyone else to have my best interests at heart. My sister looks after me :o) She had lots of ideas which was fantastic so we looked through wedding magazines while Dan did the dinner and fetched us drinks (he is a star!)

Right best be off - between the last paragraph and this one, Dan has rung me (about the 4th time he has rung today!) and said he is off out for a meal and then to a bar/clubby type place, so he seems happy enough, and sounded remarkably sober!!

Laters :o)

MX

Current Mood: content
Current Music: avril lavigne - my happy ending

Euro 2004 update............

Fucking Portugese, useless referee and I feel quite upset. I never cared before but we deserved to win that game. We should have won it without all the silver goal and penalty shit.

What a dampner on an otherwise ok day. Dan and I are off to bed now, I think he needs some TLC as well :o(

:o(

*pissed off*

MX

Ps Sis did you get rid of the mouse?

Current Mood: crushed