Ed and Jillian Harris' Blog

Jillian Harris' final blog!

via: Bachelorette Blog

“Well … that’s a wrap! I will keep this post short and sweet as I have an eager man waiting for me and wanting to get OUT IN PUBLIC together … FINALLY! I have been waiting for this day since May 24th — the day that I can openly tell you how madly in love I am, how happy I am and how excited I am for the future.

A wise man once said, “Love, it don’t come easy” — and that is so true. I can honestly say that I have found my best friend but it didn’t come without consequences. Aside from all the crying, surprises, drama, public criticism and most importantly, hurting two incredible men that I will never forget — please understand that it broke my heart as much as theirs — I never imagined in a million years that I would have to let two men go that I love so dearly, and have it hurt so so much in order to be with the man that I am wanting to spend the rest of my life with.

Reid and Kiptyn are both unbelievable men. Some will have opinions of why maybe I should have picked one or the other instead of Ed. Some will see why Ed was perfect for me from the beginning. I embrace ALL of your opinions. I can see why you would all think ALL three of these men would be great for me. For those who want to congratulate my happiness … THANK YOU!!! We are both EXTREMELY happy (still) and truly it gets better and better every day we are together.

The “After the Final Rose” was not easy. Not for me, and not for Reid or Kiptyn I’m sure. I felt like there was no right way to deal with the situation. I have always been very close with my exes but have never had to confront them in a setting like this before so I was definitely hurting. There are so many fabulous memories and so many sensitive ones. All I can say is that I am lucky — lucky to have been loved by these men and lucky to be with one right now that thinks the world of me.

As I type this, we are off to our FIRST outing in public, hopefully just wings and beer! I am so excited and so eager to get my normal little life back. Ed and I have spent the summer together (every two weeks for five days at a time) and it truly does keep on getting better and better. We have so much fun together, know one another so well and find ourselves so comfortable with each other. We have learned so much about one another and I am loving every minute of it.

Oh wait — someone’s stealing my computer!

Ed here! I cannot believe the journey that we have experienced over the last few months. But we are having a blast and could not be happier. I want to thank everyone for their support and cheering us on. Jilly and I have been spending so much time together and have an incredible summer planned. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU … for believing in Jilly and supporting her throughout this. She means the world to me and I promise I will take good care of her. We are ready for a wicked life together!

–Ed

Well, I better get going. Mr. Invisible is waiting patiently. Love you ALL, thank you soooo much!!!! I would not have gotten through this without all of your support.

XOXOXOX and ALL MY LOVE,

Jillian

Spoiler Alert: Bachelorette Set to Marry

Chicago man wins 'Bachelorette' heart

By Carmel Carrillo, http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0728-bachelorettejul28,0,480930.story

Bachelorette Blogs: Men Tell All

Bachelorette blog by Jillian Harris
http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/21/bachelorette-blog-jillians-take-on-men-tell-all/


Hey Guys!

Whoa — what a change of mood on here this week! Lots of good comments (thank you!) but so many negative ones again! Since this is the only place I can defend myself, I am going to take that opportunity now and hopefully connect with a few of you.

There are many other places on the Internet to call me an idiot and call down my decisions. For those who are supporting my journey, thank you so much! I love you all and can’t wait for you to see the outcome! For those of you who continue to say hurtful things here, please understand that I am a human just like you with a heart and feelings. Yes, I struggled with a lot of decisions this season. Again, I admit that I’m human. But I still stand by my statement that I am VERY HAPPY. I have had two months living with ALL my decisions and am STILL VERY HAPPY with ALL of them. That is what matters right? I feel that everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I do wish some would be a little easy on the words. :(

If I have eliminated someone who you loved, I am sorry … I wish I could have kept every wonderful guy from the show but I am only looking for ONE man to make ME happy. I DO have an excellent judge of character and I do know what I am looking for in a unique individual to go through life with me.

Also, I want to clear up a little confusion about the perception of my “engagement standards” coming into this journey. I was not desperate for an engagement. I actually was very nervous about it and would be happy with no engagement if that were the right choice. All I wanted and would have been happy with was someone to love who loved me back. Someone who had some sort of conviction of how they felt, or was willing to make a sacrifice of any kind, as I had stated several times that I was eager to do the same. Not only is this conviction from the guy an indication for me to move forward with the relationship, but it is also an indication of what our life would be like post-show.

Sigh … ANYWAY, I guess one must develop a thick skin to endure this sort of venture, so I will put that to rest and talk about some fun stuff from the MEN TELL ALL!

The Men Tell All was actually a blast! Well … it didn’t start out so fun … I got to the set and was waiting and waiting and waiting to come out onstage. Now that I’ve seen the show I understand why! The guys clearly had a lot to get off their chests.

Once I got onstage, I was really relieved to see everyone’s faces. At first it was like seeing a room full of ex-boyfriends, but after a few minutes I realized I needed the closure with them, hopefully to start some friendships down the road. It felt great to come clean with David (and in hindsight, I wish I would have given him an even harder time about his language and behavior) but it was good to confront him nonetheless. I was most excited to see Michael — he is just such a funny, quirky, honest, loving individual. I do feel so blessed to have met him. My favorite part of the whole evening was the bloopers. I laughed so hard and it definitely made me realize there were SO many good laughs throughout this journey. My favorite one of all time was Michael farting. OH MY GOSH was that funny! I swear that guy could be the next Jim Carrey.

One thing I wish we got on camera (that I forgot to tell you way back when) was when my ROOM ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE in Whistler. It was the night that Ed left, and I was awake till about 5am. I finally passed out (in my dress) on top of the sheets and I guess some candles were left on (from the interviews I was doing earlier). Well … one of the candles caught the daffodils on fire and they went up in flames! I woke up to mad panic and couldn’t find anything to put out the flaming inferno but a pot of coffee. When the fire was out, I was left with burnt sheets and a bed, sopping wet with coffee. I sat on the edge of my bed and laughed and then cried! In hindsight it’s kind of funny … but at the time I was a mess! I’ll have to say, that would have been the biggest blooper of the season.

For the rest of Jilly Bean's blog, visit here.

BACHELORETTE BLOG - IT'S WORTH READING!

via: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/07/bachelorettes-blog-i-kept-wes-way-too-long/

THE BACHELORETTE BLOG: BY JILLIAN HARRIS

EEEEK!!! OMG, YOU GUYS!!! I have been ITCHING to write THIS blog since day one!! YES, I did it (sent Wes home)! I don’t even know where to start with this one. I think I will keep it mostly to the Wes scenario, as this as been the bone of contention for sometime.

But first, you guys, I need to tell you that I DID read all 364 comments (and counting!) that were left after my blog. I do read them all every time. I try my best not to read all the other stuff on the other websites (there is some nasty stuff out there!), but this one is my baby. For some reason, last week, you all wrote the sweetest most sincere messages. I truly sat on my couch with a little tear in my eye, holding my hand over my heart — I felt like each note was a reach out from a best friend. Thank you all for caring for me so much, making me laugh and wanting me to be happy.

The funniest entry I read was from Karen:

Dear Jillian,
If you have rejected Ed, I think I might leave my husband and two children and wander around Chicago with a bullhorn looking for him and his adorable sweater.

Girl, I sure hope it works out for you!

Other than the Wes scenario (which I will dive into soon), I’m not sure I have much juicy gossip about the Spain episode. Kiptyn crashed that scooter about 6 times that night, and although he was mortified, it made me like him even more … I laughed for days about that. I could just see us traveling through Europe doing the same thing and having a blast! Reid and I were starving by the time we went to dinner that night because our attempt at purchasing a romantic little picnic was a complete FLOP and our lunch was dry, tasteless and rubbery — again, another clue as to how much fun we would have traveling together. I did realize in Spain that I’m not as much of a foodie as I thought; I practically starved to death there! I swear I couldn’t find anything to eat but white bread, cured ham and escargot!

I DEFINITELY knew I was NOT ready for overnight dates in Spain. I new they were an integral part of finding your lifelong partner, but I just wasn’t ready! I was nervous to accept the overnight date with Ed because of the “insinuations” that go with that, but I feared that we didn’t have enough time to catch up during the day. I knew that if Ed were to have a shot at this, he needed A LOT of time to get caught up with the others. I’m not sure if this is appropriate to say or not … but I have to tell you … We really did stay up ALL night till 7 a.m. talking about everything under the sun — every guy’s dream of the “fantasy date” … not. But it did make me realize how serious he was about coming back showing me he cared.

So … Wes! I know I kept him for WAY too long. I FULLY admit this. Someone on here wrote the truest way to explain it — it’s like you’re watching a horror movie that you starred in … And all your friends are yelling at you, “He’s behind you! He’s behind you!” Ha. There are so many ways to explain my connection with Wes. I cringe to admit this, but I truly was blinded by many of Wes’s “good qualities” for the better half of his stay that I refused to see all the red flags (and there were a lot of them!).

The thing is, for the last 10 years of my life, I have been surrounded with everything “urban,” my adult life has been all about my work and being in the city and I had this fantasy of being with someone that reminds me of where I came from, you know, camping, driving down the old dirt road, my guy working on the truck out in the driveway, listening to country music, cracking a beer on a Sunday evening on the old front porch … Scrreeeechhhh! What? Jilly! You have been listening to too many honky-tonk songs! Ha! Wes defined that fantasy to a tee, though. And the others were such city boys, I had such a hard time letting that long-time fantasy go.

I still don’t know if Wes had a girlfriend, but I do think Wes was there for his career. Along the way, we did build a friendship but his presence on the show was a disservice to both of us. It made me look like a fool and like I had bad judge of character, and it made him look like someone he is not. I guess this is what you lay out on the line when you sign up for something like this, right? Ultimately, you are all still entitled to your opinion, but I am a huge supporter of forgiveness and I hope you can give Wes a break and lay this one to rest.

Overall, I would say this was one of my favorite episodes so far. It showed my serious side, my funny side, my smart side and my soft side. I have to say, I am my own worst critic throughout all of this, but it is a reminder that I am not a perfect little princess … that I am a brunette and sometimes act like a blonde, that I have a brain, but sometimes choose not to use it, that I am okay with laughing, and later okay with shedding a little tear. This is what makes life so fun and interesting — and I have to admit, I love reliving this experience more and more every day.

Thank you all for reading again. I hope this one didn’t bore you!

Much Love,
Jilly XOXO

FOR MORE JILLIAN HARRIS, VISIT HERE
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MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE

JILLIAN HARRIS BLOG

Bachelorette Blog: Jillian Talks Ed’s Return and Keeping Wes

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JILLIAN HARRIS BLOGS'

“Hey Guys!

I have to admit I really look forward to writing these little blogs. As soon as I watch the episode myself, I’m on the computer so I can get you all up to date. I also have to admit that it is hard reading all the comments, and how disappointed you all are with me for keeping Wes :( … especially now that I have let that Handsome Jesse and Sweetheart Michael go for your least favorite guy (Wes). I totally understand where you’re coming from though and I know how frustrating it is when you wish I could have seen what you’re seeing now (I feel your pain!)

But if there is any consolation to you at all, it is that my promise still stands … I AM a smart girl, and I AM extremely happy with the final result. And the most important decision (which is the only one that really matters) was the right one! So pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back, and enjoy! (And please still feel free to make fun of me and laugh at me! It’s supposed to be fun!)

Hometown dates were probably one of my favorite parts of this entire process. I really was waiting for a family that made me think Monster-in-Law, but not ONCE did this happen! Each family got better every time. It was actually very interesting how much the final five guys’ families were alike. They all had such healthy relationships and all had so much fun with each other.

Reid and I talked a lot about our families prior to going to Philly, and I talked about my granny a lot (do you guys remember her putting boxer shorts on Jason’s head from last season?) Well – Reid had told me that his granny doesn’t talk a lot and I think he was worried that his granny (or Mom-Mom as he calls her) wouldn’t be as cool as mine. Well, “Mom-Mom Rosenthal” and I went into this little room with a few glasses of wine and we had a blast! We talked and talked and talked until they had to literally pull us out of there! Reid was like, “Whoa! I have not seen her so talkative!”

Another thing to note about Reid’s family is how FUNNY his brothers are! Within minutes we were joking around with each other. At one point Reid’s brother Chad was bugging his dad about his ears being a little big. Well, I turned to him and said, “Chad, your ears aren’t exactly a normal size either!” As soon as I said it, my face turned white… everyone was silent for a few seconds… and then the room filled with a roaring laughter. That’s when I knew Reid’s family would be a fun family to be a part of.

It looks like Kip’s family was a bit ‘intense’ but they were so warm! Kip’s mom is just very direct, and to be honest, I really appreciated it! I thought I aced that hometown date until the end. Oh boy… so Kip’s dad brings out this banjo (or was it a guitar… I can’t remember) and starts strumming this tune. He then tells me that I have to improvise a blues song called the “Bachelorette Blues.” Oh my Lord, you guys… I WAS THE WORST! They were laughing so hard at me. As you know my voice is a little raspy so I don’t have the smoothest singing voice and to improvise lyrics with your new “potential” in-laws with five cameras in your face… forget it. I was a good sport but was secretly mortified!

I am fully aware at this point you guys are wondering what the heck I am thinking by hanging on to Wes (trust me, my family and friends are one episode away from getting my head examined). I don’t know what more to tell you. There are some qualities about Wes that I could relate to and we really DID have real conversations about family, friends and life… conversations that I did not have with the other guys. I knew there were MAJOR red flags with him, and I needed to figure out if this was just a friendship or if he was someone that I would actually risk saying “you’re the one’” to.

Let’s end this blog with something positive. Ed comes back!?! Watching this show I can definitely say it looks like this was all set up. I know that’s what you all are thinking… but it really wasn’t. The dude really did fight to come back, and I was SHOCKED. There were so many things flying through my mind like, “Is he The One? What if he isn’t? How will the other guys feel about this? Is this fair? Does it matter? And boy, does Ed look cute in his argyle sweater.” Although I knew I had strong feelings for Ed, I knew accepting him back would be controversial but I didn’t want to always wonder “what if” and had to figure why I couldn’t get this guy off my mind while we were away.

All in all, I thought this was a great episode. I made some good decisions, and maybe some bad ones… but it was real. It was hard to hear the feelings that Jesse had for me because he never really told me those feelings… I let him go because I didn’t know how he felt about me and our relationship was moving way too slow. He is an incredible individual and I don’t doubt he will find what he is looking for. I cried when I saw Michael’s departure interview. He is such a sweetheart – I hope this opens up many doors for Michael. He deserves every ounce of happiness in life.

Thank you again for reading – I do appreciate all of your support… I’m itching for you guys to find out what happens in the end!

Love Always,

Jilly,

JILLIAN'S BLOG: EPISODE 6

THE BACHELORETTE BLOG: HOW JILLIAN REALLY FEELS ABOUT WES!

This blog is starting to feel more like a confessional as the weeks go on!

I do look forward to writing it though, since it really gives me a chance to connect with all of you. I do care what you think and love having the opportunity to share what I was feeling at the time and how I’m feeling now.

Okay let’s talk about what all of you are thinking right now. Me keeping Wes and letting Jake go. Sigh. Please understand, that I DO NOT see a lot of the behavior that goes on when I’m not there. All of the interactions and conversations that I had with him were indicative of a good relationship. I am so confused by the Wes we all are seeing now, and by what the other guys were saying about him. People will say that I was attracted to his bad boy persona, but believe it or not it was the opposite. Around me, Wes was vulnerable, sweet, sincere and caring — and that is definitely not the Wes that I am seeing now.

Now about Jake: As much as I agree with you all that Jake is hot, nice, into me, and is perfect, our time together was just too intense. I know that the woman who ends up with Jake will be taken care of and cherished. But I am looking for someone with whom I have a more natural connection and who is my best friend. I am looking for a sense of “ease” in the relationship. And with Jake — well, it always felt like a sales pitch. Our conversations were always so intense and structured that I didn’t think it was fair to continue if I knew ultimately it wasn’t going to be him standing by my side in the end.

Again, this is where I go back to reminding myself that this is NOT a competition. Just because Jake is an impressive man for a lot of people doesn’t mean he had to be in MY top three. I truly believe that if there is no connection, let them go early so they can find their own Mrs. Invisible. I just didn’t want to waste any more of Jake’s time.

My date at Emerald Lake lodge was breathtaking. I’m telling you all — you HAVE to get up here and check out the beauty this country has to offer. I’ll make a great host I promise! I know you all think I was probably crazy to let Tanner rub my feet that night, but by this point I had so many long nights in heels, I couldn’t pass up a foot rub! Tanner was (and still is) such a sweetheart. It was hard for me to hear him wonder why I let him go. It definitely wasn’t the foot fetish. I think during our conversation that night, I realized we hadn’t kissed and I had to ask myself if this was ever going to happen. The answer to my own question was indication of what I needed to do.

A few funny little facts — I’m not sure if anyone noticed, but I wore a lot of plaid shirts, hoodies and leggings the last few episodes. Here’s why: we didn’t exactly plan for the cold Canadian weather, as we should have. I only brought ONE teeny little bag for that entire episode, and it ended up not being near enough clothes for the trip. I had to get really creative with rotating items to try to make it look like several different outfits. I know a few people have commented on me wearing leggings last episode instead of snow pants and this episode I barely wore gloves. Luckily, I really am like a little Eskimo, so I barely got cold. Another funny thing was that by the time we got to the Rocky Mountaineer I was EXHAUSTED. I was getting very little sleep (maybe 3-5 hours a night). I was so self conscious that I looked awful, but I actually think I looked somewhat refreshed this episode. Hmmm, maybe I’m on to something! Ha!

I hope you all are enjoying this season. I know there have been a lot of ups and downs and I have to admit there are a few more to come. Next week’s episode is sweet and a little sour. Hang in there and trust me — the final result of this entire roller-coaster makes it all worth it!

Peace & Love,

Jilly

(P.S. Did you recycle this week?)

via: http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/06/23/bachelorette-blog-jillian-on-wes-jake-and-her-wardrobe/