Greg and I had our first Christmas together as a married couple. As usual we were like little children during the week leading up to the festive day. Greg had to work that day so we celebrated on Christmas Eve. It was fun to suprise each other with things we really needed and things that we could have gone without!
With the amount of work we both have been involved in, I hope that we can take the next year to spend more relaxing time together. Even on the weekends we find ourselves jumping into projects that take up quite a bit of our time. We are doing them together, but it's not the same as vegging on the couch and watching the History Channel or something!
We hope that the new year brings tons of good things to everyone and is a new adventure for us!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Month Three
Greg and I cannot believe how fast time is flying. We have already been married three months and it feels like we just saw everyone at the wedding reception and just got back from the honeymoon.
Not much has changed since we have been home. We are starting some small projects around the house and spending time with Sal. I think he has finally accepted that Greg and I are married and that Greg isn't going anywhere anytime soon! :)
While we were on our honeymoon, our good friends Mike and Julie got engaged. Mike was Greg's best man in the wedding, you know that really good speech giver! We are very excited for them and look forward to watching them plan their wedding! They are adorable and hilarious and are very grateful to have such wonderful people in our lives!
Shortly after being married for a month, Greg and our friend Erica went skydiving. I went along, but was not about to throw myself out of a plane. Instead I documented everything on camera and took a small plane ride around Lansing with a pilot there. Of course watching Greg do such a carefree and exciting thing and then living after he did it, made me not so afraid to try it myself some day. Like I said, some day...
We are both working hard, having fun and doing our best to remember what is important.
Not much has changed since we have been home. We are starting some small projects around the house and spending time with Sal. I think he has finally accepted that Greg and I are married and that Greg isn't going anywhere anytime soon! :)
While we were on our honeymoon, our good friends Mike and Julie got engaged. Mike was Greg's best man in the wedding, you know that really good speech giver! We are very excited for them and look forward to watching them plan their wedding! They are adorable and hilarious and are very grateful to have such wonderful people in our lives!
Shortly after being married for a month, Greg and our friend Erica went skydiving. I went along, but was not about to throw myself out of a plane. Instead I documented everything on camera and took a small plane ride around Lansing with a pilot there. Of course watching Greg do such a carefree and exciting thing and then living after he did it, made me not so afraid to try it myself some day. Like I said, some day...
We are both working hard, having fun and doing our best to remember what is important.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Dublin - Day 4
Today we walked around Dublin a lot. We stopped into a bunch of shops we had been passing for the last few days. We took this time to pick up souvenirs for everyone back home. It was fun looking through all the different shops where people worked so hard on the things they were selling. There was also the standard gift shops where you can find everything Irish!
We made plans with a young couple we met in the Dublin airport to hang out this night. The couple was our age and from just a few miles away from us here in Michigan. Greg and I actually met them in the Dublin airport when arriving from London. After some chatting we thought it would be cool to hang out so we exchanged numbers.
We met them in the Temple Bar district in front of the Hard Rock Dublin. We walked around a bit before we found a place with a menu that looked like something we would all like. It was great to visit with people from home! The guys talked sports and the girls talked about work and stuff.
After dinner we headed to a couple more bars in the area to listen to some great Irish music! We had a great time watching everyone dance and have fun... We also gave it a bit of a shot, but we didn't get down all that well. Must've been that Guiness!
We finally parted ways pretty late... Greg and I had an early morning the next day, but the night was worth it! We made it back to the hotel and got some shut eye and prepared for our last whole day in Dublin!
We made plans with a young couple we met in the Dublin airport to hang out this night. The couple was our age and from just a few miles away from us here in Michigan. Greg and I actually met them in the Dublin airport when arriving from London. After some chatting we thought it would be cool to hang out so we exchanged numbers.
We met them in the Temple Bar district in front of the Hard Rock Dublin. We walked around a bit before we found a place with a menu that looked like something we would all like. It was great to visit with people from home! The guys talked sports and the girls talked about work and stuff.
After dinner we headed to a couple more bars in the area to listen to some great Irish music! We had a great time watching everyone dance and have fun... We also gave it a bit of a shot, but we didn't get down all that well. Must've been that Guiness!
We finally parted ways pretty late... Greg and I had an early morning the next day, but the night was worth it! We made it back to the hotel and got some shut eye and prepared for our last whole day in Dublin!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Dublin - Day 3
Today we took a half day trip to Malahide Castle and to the Howth Peninsula. It was a nice trip for only being half a day. Our tour guide was an older Irish man who was a sweetheart!
We headed out on a double decker tour bus to the Malahide Castle. It was a beautiful castle that had stayed in the family for years. The person who gave the castle to Ireland is still alive but living in Tasmania on family property there. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but it was very beautiful and historic.
There was a small church on the grounds, a ton of flowers, peacocks, a dollhouse exhibit and just a gorgeous view.
After the castle we headed over to the Howth Peninsula. The drive there was spectacular. We drove along the coastline and just enjoyed the view of the small towns and the beaches.
Once we retuned to Dublin we walked around for the remaining part of the day. We visited Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. We explored St. Patrick's Cathedral. We watched a variety of street performers like break dancers, jugglers and mimes. It was a lot of fun to just people watch and take it all in!
We headed out on a double decker tour bus to the Malahide Castle. It was a beautiful castle that had stayed in the family for years. The person who gave the castle to Ireland is still alive but living in Tasmania on family property there. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but it was very beautiful and historic.
There was a small church on the grounds, a ton of flowers, peacocks, a dollhouse exhibit and just a gorgeous view.
After the castle we headed over to the Howth Peninsula. The drive there was spectacular. We drove along the coastline and just enjoyed the view of the small towns and the beaches.
Once we retuned to Dublin we walked around for the remaining part of the day. We visited Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. We explored St. Patrick's Cathedral. We watched a variety of street performers like break dancers, jugglers and mimes. It was a lot of fun to just people watch and take it all in!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Dublin - Day 2
Walked and walked and walked a little more through Dublin today to find St. James Gate. The map the hotel provided did not have the same street names as what was really there. The street signs were obviously old, but whatever – we found it! Eventually!
We went through the tour on our own which was fine, but somehow there were middle school aged kids on field trips there which made it very hard to enjoy the tour at first. Once we lost the kids, we had fun! There is a tasting section where you get about a quarter of a pint. You also get to try roasted barley which is one of the key ingredients for flavor in a pint of Guinness. We finally made our way to the top where we got our Guinness. The view of Dublin from atop of the Guinness Brewery was breathtaking. The day was beautiful and we could see all the way to the mountains!
While sitting there, of course Greg and I made a couple of new friends. Deb and Mel were here from Oxford, England for Deb’s birthday. They were a couple of really nice people who helped to change our impression of England. They were both quite clear that we experienced tourists London where the people don’t really want to communicate with the tourists. Had we went say… to Oxford – they would have been more polite and open to conversation.
We also found two beautiful churches that we later went back to visit. One was called St. Audons, the other was also part of St. Audons, but when the Anglicans took over the Catholic churches the old mid evil one became St. Audons and when the Catholics could be Catholics out in the open they built a bigger better church right next to it, almost touching it but not touching it. They are both beautiful but we like the older one better!
At St. Audons we met Terry. Terry couldn’t have been more than 35 years old. He clearly loved the mid evil Dublin times and took us on a wonderful and free tour of the church. Greg and I were so grateful to have stumbled upon it!
We went through the tour on our own which was fine, but somehow there were middle school aged kids on field trips there which made it very hard to enjoy the tour at first. Once we lost the kids, we had fun! There is a tasting section where you get about a quarter of a pint. You also get to try roasted barley which is one of the key ingredients for flavor in a pint of Guinness. We finally made our way to the top where we got our Guinness. The view of Dublin from atop of the Guinness Brewery was breathtaking. The day was beautiful and we could see all the way to the mountains!While sitting there, of course Greg and I made a couple of new friends. Deb and Mel were here from Oxford, England for Deb’s birthday. They were a couple of really nice people who helped to change our impression of England. They were both quite clear that we experienced tourists London where the people don’t really want to communicate with the tourists. Had we went say… to Oxford – they would have been more polite and open to conversation.
We also found two beautiful churches that we later went back to visit. One was called St. Audons, the other was also part of St. Audons, but when the Anglicans took over the Catholic churches the old mid evil one became St. Audons and when the Catholics could be Catholics out in the open they built a bigger better church right next to it, almost touching it but not touching it. They are both beautiful but we like the older one better!
At St. Audons we met Terry. Terry couldn’t have been more than 35 years old. He clearly loved the mid evil Dublin times and took us on a wonderful and free tour of the church. Greg and I were so grateful to have stumbled upon it!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Dublin - Day 1
We had to leave London today. We were alright with leaving, but we're sad that there was still so much to do! While on our ride to London - Heathrow airport we sat with an elderly couple from Australia. They were in London headed to Vancouver. Many Canadians had been in London for Canada Day Celebrations which were June 30 – July 1.
Once we got to our gate to head to Dublin, I met Kate and her husband Henry. Kate and Henry had to of been at least 70 or 75 years old. Henry sat in his wheelchair doing Sodoku while Kate told me where she grew up and how her and Henry had only been married for 7 years. They were heading to Wales where Henry resided before they got married and where they both live now. They were very cute!
Once we got onto our flight Greg and I realized we would have to sit by someone. We ended up sitting next to a young man named Keith. Keith had been traveling from Ireland via motor bike through Africa. He was trying to make his way with a friend (or mate as he called him) from the northern tip down to South Africa. He and his friend were planning the trip to be only 4 months. They found that after 6 months they only made it to Nigeria so he had to come home to Ireland to visit his mum.
Once we got to Ireland we needed to find our luggage. We were aggravated with looking for the turnstile with our flight so we went to exchange our money for a break and to gather more patience. While we were there it was obvious that the gal in front of me was from Canada or US. I wanted to ask her where she was from, but I wasn't really in the mood to make small talk. The a young man approached the girl with a ton of luggage. Looking at him I chuckled because he was wearing a Tigers hat and t-shirt!
I had to ask if they were from Detroit, they answered yes... Then I asked where, they answered a small town called Warren... I didn't want to creep them out so I shared with them where in Warren we lived and then we learned they live 5 miles away! Here we are in Dublin Airport chatting with a couple who live only a few minutes away!
We chatted for 15 or 20 minutes and then swapped hotel numbers so we could hang out during the week! Greg and I then ventured off to find our luggage. Once we accomplished that - we hopped on the express bus to the stop near our hotel. On the ride we got to get a brief tour of Dublin and see where the main shopping roads were and where the action was. We got off the bus stop at the main bus station that is across the street from the Custom House (see the image above). After a short walk we arrived at our hotel that sat right on the rive Liffey. It seemed like a very nice hotel. Then we learned they had no record of our reservation.
My initial reaction was let me go potty then I will deal with this. Greg's reaction was let me just sit down for a bit then he will deal with it. So we did that while they dealt with it. We had all of our documentation... so they took care of us nicely. We were fine with waiting 5 minutes while they did that. They were shocked by our patience and politeness, which made us feel good and weird at the same time. What type of reactions were they used to? We enjoyed our view of the river for the week and the yummy breakfasts that were included!
Once we got to our gate to head to Dublin, I met Kate and her husband Henry. Kate and Henry had to of been at least 70 or 75 years old. Henry sat in his wheelchair doing Sodoku while Kate told me where she grew up and how her and Henry had only been married for 7 years. They were heading to Wales where Henry resided before they got married and where they both live now. They were very cute!
Once we got onto our flight Greg and I realized we would have to sit by someone. We ended up sitting next to a young man named Keith. Keith had been traveling from Ireland via motor bike through Africa. He was trying to make his way with a friend (or mate as he called him) from the northern tip down to South Africa. He and his friend were planning the trip to be only 4 months. They found that after 6 months they only made it to Nigeria so he had to come home to Ireland to visit his mum.
Once we got to Ireland we needed to find our luggage. We were aggravated with looking for the turnstile with our flight so we went to exchange our money for a break and to gather more patience. While we were there it was obvious that the gal in front of me was from Canada or US. I wanted to ask her where she was from, but I wasn't really in the mood to make small talk. The a young man approached the girl with a ton of luggage. Looking at him I chuckled because he was wearing a Tigers hat and t-shirt!
I had to ask if they were from Detroit, they answered yes... Then I asked where, they answered a small town called Warren... I didn't want to creep them out so I shared with them where in Warren we lived and then we learned they live 5 miles away! Here we are in Dublin Airport chatting with a couple who live only a few minutes away!We chatted for 15 or 20 minutes and then swapped hotel numbers so we could hang out during the week! Greg and I then ventured off to find our luggage. Once we accomplished that - we hopped on the express bus to the stop near our hotel. On the ride we got to get a brief tour of Dublin and see where the main shopping roads were and where the action was. We got off the bus stop at the main bus station that is across the street from the Custom House (see the image above). After a short walk we arrived at our hotel that sat right on the rive Liffey. It seemed like a very nice hotel. Then we learned they had no record of our reservation.
My initial reaction was let me go potty then I will deal with this. Greg's reaction was let me just sit down for a bit then he will deal with it. So we did that while they dealt with it. We had all of our documentation... so they took care of us nicely. We were fine with waiting 5 minutes while they did that. They were shocked by our patience and politeness, which made us feel good and weird at the same time. What type of reactions were they used to? We enjoyed our view of the river for the week and the yummy breakfasts that were included!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
London - Day 4
We were both very tired this morning. After talking with the very helpful men working as concierge and Ian the door man at our hotel, we decided to do our laundry.
The Laundromat - oh I'm sorry, it's Laundrette and it was only a 5 minute walk. It was the cutest little launderette! The woman working there was so nice to us. She was older and I think she just enjoyed our company. Other people would come in and just leave their laundry to wash or dry, being a paranoid tourist, I was not about to leave my clothes unattended to. Between the woman working the laundrette and a local man from France, they both gave us all the tips we needed to get the laundry done fast and efficient. The local man insisted on showing me how to use the laundry spinner that would spin all of the water out of our clothes so we could dry them for less time and less money.
Later that evening, we took the subway over to the Tower Hill Station. It was quite an easy trip on the subway right off the Circle or District Lines. We met up with a guy named Shaughan (Shawn) who was a wonderful tour guide for the Jack the Ripper tour. We retraced the steps of Jack the Ripper and his victims. Shaughan was an awesome guide and just really got into the role. We walked all over town and then took the subway back home where we spent another evening in search of a late night dinner.
You know, 9 pm is late eating for folks in London...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
London - Day 3
Time for a day trip! We booked a trip through our hotel to head out to Canterbury Cathedral, Leeds Castle, Cliffs of Dover and Greenwich. It was a nice trip. It was a good day because it rained on and off and we were able to be inside touring the various places. We were both in awe of Canterbury Cathedral and Leeds Castle. They were both breathtaking. We were grateful to be surrounded by such history and have everyone around us appreciate it too!
Later, we headed over to the Hard Rock Café London. Apparently this Hard Rock is the first one ever. What would a trip be without me randomly talking to people? We made quite a few new friends this evening. Sergio our bartender and Emily our waitress were wonderful.Emily was trying to get us to go out in SoHo, but Greg and I got so drunk from Sergio making our drinks that we knew we had to go back to the hotel.
It was a long dark walk through St. James Park but we made it and we made it safely!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
London - Day 2
This morning Greg and I had our first British Breakfast it was good but different. I think Greg enjoyed the variety of meat they had to offer, but I enjoyed the Nutella and croissants!
We headed over to the Big Bus Company stop where we proceeded to take the Hop on Hop off bus all around London for the day. It was a great way for us to get to see a large number of things. We then took the bus over to near Millennium Pier where we took our free boat cruise along the Thames River. Our tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable of the buildings along the river.
We got off the boat tour near the London Tower. We walked back to the hotel which was quite a long walk. We became hungry and decided to find a pub to eat at. That was an adventure within itself because pubs in London stop serving dinner fairly early. We were finally able to find a place and we really enjoyed our second English dinner. We are both doing our best to try new foods... which is hard for us both! LOL!
Monday, June 30, 2008
London - Day 1
The flight to Philadelphia from Detroit had no issues, we left a little late, but these days it seems expected to depart late from the airport… From Philadelphia to London it was a long long trip but a little sleep helped to make the time go faster. Greg got less sleep than I did, but I had the window seat and something to lean on.
We got to London Heathrow and had a minor issue with Dot 2 Dot transfer. The women at the desk were super helpful to us and got us taken care of after a few phone calls. The Dot 2 Dot showed us all around London while dropping people off. It was alright with us since we were over tired and so excited to be there!
We arrived at hotel Jolly St. Ermin around 1 pm. Greg and I rested for a little bit just to recharge ourselves. Then we went out exploring and got some dinner. The streets were pretty easy to navigate.
We walked through the very beautiful St. James Park which was right near our hotel. We crossed the Westminster Bridge and walked along the Thames. There were street performers near the Aquarium. There were quite a few different performers but Greg’s favorite was the gymnastics performer. He was a lot of fun and got the audience to participate.
We got to London Heathrow and had a minor issue with Dot 2 Dot transfer. The women at the desk were super helpful to us and got us taken care of after a few phone calls. The Dot 2 Dot showed us all around London while dropping people off. It was alright with us since we were over tired and so excited to be there!We arrived at hotel Jolly St. Ermin around 1 pm. Greg and I rested for a little bit just to recharge ourselves. Then we went out exploring and got some dinner. The streets were pretty easy to navigate.
There were enough landmarks around to get us where we needed to be. We walked around Buckingham Palace and spoke to some police officers, we were allowed to take their pictures but not with them... We watched the guards stand ever so still.
We walked through the very beautiful St. James Park which was right near our hotel. We crossed the Westminster Bridge and walked along the Thames. There were street performers near the Aquarium. There were quite a few different performers but Greg’s favorite was the gymnastics performer. He was a lot of fun and got the audience to participate.The feeling of being in London was overwhelming for the both of us! Neither one of us felt like we were experiencing what we were experiencing... We felt like it was an out of body experience! But an adventurous one!
The Wedding!
For anyone who ever said the wedding day would go by as fast as ever. Thank you. When pretty much every single married girl I encountered on the face of the planet warned me of this phenomenon I figured, “Hey, maybe they are on to something!”
First off, Greg and I probably had the worst weeks of sleep ever. We were both worried about tying up loose ends at work and would wake up at all hours of the night worried about some silly task that we needed to jot down or remind someone to do! I would also wake up with questions like, “How were we going to get home from the reception?”, “How were we going to get all of the stuff we needed to get out of the reception hall before we leave the reception” and my favorite… “How are we getting to and from the airport for our much needed honey moon????” Thankfully all of the questions were solved quickly once I remembered to write them down at 3 am!
So, the wedding day. My little sister and I stayed at a hotel near the church. Our talented and patient hair dresser and make up artist Candice showed up around 10:30 am and we got started. Time first seemed to move slowly. It was just the three of us... Chatting and doing hair. Then my cousin Tabitha and her friend came by. They visited for a little bit and then went down to do some swimming outside. Angie came to have a little fun with pictures while we were getting ready. Then Jenny and Beth came to start getting ready and to get their hair done. At some point my mom showed up. The photographer and videographer (and her assistant came too). My other friend Erica showed up so she and Angie could take the programs to the church to hand them out and my Aunt came by to ensure that I wasn’t about to pass out or go insane. And luckily my good friend Jill came by to get my seating charts because the substitute event manager at the hall could not read a diagram that consisted of many NON MOVING points and 19 tables that really needed to be set up how the regular event manager designed it. That is how we arranged the seating chart…
At some point in the early afternoon my mom went and got some champagne to help all of us take the edge off because at some point after noon and before 3 pm time sped up. Magically there became no time left. My cell phone began to ring constantly with text messages and vendors calling me with crazy questions. I thought I might explode.
Next thing I knew it was 3:30 pm and we gals needed to get our booties in the limo and to the church! We arrived at the church with no problems. When I saw Jason, I had a hard time. More like an overwhelming moment that was easily contained. I had difficulty because my dad wasn’t there but also because he was willing to stand in for my dad which was a really big task. We shared some discussion and some jokes and then proceeded to hide me from Greg which was annoying because I really wanted to see him. That would be quite hard without him seeing me!
While walking down the aisle, I stared at Greg and did my best to smile and not cry! He later told me he thought something was wrong! I just wanted to stare at him because I didn’t know who to look at otherwise! I wanted to talk to him so bad once I got up there but we couldn't talk about anything until the wedding was over!
The ceremony was beautiful. Amy and Aunt Jenny did a wonderful job reading. Deacon Eric did a wonderful job with the homily and Father Mike kept us all on our feet! After the ceremony there was little to no time for visiting. We had a million and one pictures to take. Once that was over we went to the City of Warren for some outdoor pictures by their artwork and beautiful flowers. Sometime around 6 pm we headed over to the hall for the reception.
Greg and I had so much fun at the reception! We danced a ton and got to visit with everyone even if just for a brief moment! We had fun watching everyone go in and out of the photobooth and be silly in there! The night blew by and once the night was over… neither one of us could believe it was done!
We are so glad to have gotten to see everyone and we are grateful to all of you who came from so far away to share our special day!
Now we are off to our much needed honeymoon!
First off, Greg and I probably had the worst weeks of sleep ever. We were both worried about tying up loose ends at work and would wake up at all hours of the night worried about some silly task that we needed to jot down or remind someone to do! I would also wake up with questions like, “How were we going to get home from the reception?”, “How were we going to get all of the stuff we needed to get out of the reception hall before we leave the reception” and my favorite… “How are we getting to and from the airport for our much needed honey moon????” Thankfully all of the questions were solved quickly once I remembered to write them down at 3 am!
So, the wedding day. My little sister and I stayed at a hotel near the church. Our talented and patient hair dresser and make up artist Candice showed up around 10:30 am and we got started. Time first seemed to move slowly. It was just the three of us... Chatting and doing hair. Then my cousin Tabitha and her friend came by. They visited for a little bit and then went down to do some swimming outside. Angie came to have a little fun with pictures while we were getting ready. Then Jenny and Beth came to start getting ready and to get their hair done. At some point my mom showed up. The photographer and videographer (and her assistant came too). My other friend Erica showed up so she and Angie could take the programs to the church to hand them out and my Aunt came by to ensure that I wasn’t about to pass out or go insane. And luckily my good friend Jill came by to get my seating charts because the substitute event manager at the hall could not read a diagram that consisted of many NON MOVING points and 19 tables that really needed to be set up how the regular event manager designed it. That is how we arranged the seating chart…
At some point in the early afternoon my mom went and got some champagne to help all of us take the edge off because at some point after noon and before 3 pm time sped up. Magically there became no time left. My cell phone began to ring constantly with text messages and vendors calling me with crazy questions. I thought I might explode.Next thing I knew it was 3:30 pm and we gals needed to get our booties in the limo and to the church! We arrived at the church with no problems. When I saw Jason, I had a hard time. More like an overwhelming moment that was easily contained. I had difficulty because my dad wasn’t there but also because he was willing to stand in for my dad which was a really big task. We shared some discussion and some jokes and then proceeded to hide me from Greg which was annoying because I really wanted to see him. That would be quite hard without him seeing me!
While walking down the aisle, I stared at Greg and did my best to smile and not cry! He later told me he thought something was wrong! I just wanted to stare at him because I didn’t know who to look at otherwise! I wanted to talk to him so bad once I got up there but we couldn't talk about anything until the wedding was over!
The ceremony was beautiful. Amy and Aunt Jenny did a wonderful job reading. Deacon Eric did a wonderful job with the homily and Father Mike kept us all on our feet! After the ceremony there was little to no time for visiting. We had a million and one pictures to take. Once that was over we went to the City of Warren for some outdoor pictures by their artwork and beautiful flowers. Sometime around 6 pm we headed over to the hall for the reception.
Greg and I had so much fun at the reception! We danced a ton and got to visit with everyone even if just for a brief moment! We had fun watching everyone go in and out of the photobooth and be silly in there! The night blew by and once the night was over… neither one of us could believe it was done!
We are so glad to have gotten to see everyone and we are grateful to all of you who came from so far away to share our special day!
Now we are off to our much needed honeymoon!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
T Minus 17 Hours
In just about 17 hours Greg and I will be starting the wedding ceremony. I am sitting here in my hotel room about 2 miles away from the church. I think I finally have everything together. I have a few things to take care of tomorrow morning but I think it will be fine.
I have been very much on edge lately and I learned a lot about who respects my time and who doesn't. I planned on leaving work today at 3pm. I left at 5 pm. Those two hours were valuable to me to have for myself and it through me for a loop to not get them.
I am OK now, I just need to sleep.
So, I know tomorrow will go by so fast! I am very excited for the ceremony and to begin my new life with Greg.
I will see you all tomorrow!
I have been very much on edge lately and I learned a lot about who respects my time and who doesn't. I planned on leaving work today at 3pm. I left at 5 pm. Those two hours were valuable to me to have for myself and it through me for a loop to not get them.
I am OK now, I just need to sleep.
So, I know tomorrow will go by so fast! I am very excited for the ceremony and to begin my new life with Greg.
I will see you all tomorrow!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The Finishing Touches
Wow. Right now there are only 4 days until our big day!
Greg and I have spent this past weekend putting the final touches on all of the little projects we have going on. The seating chart is complete, the timeline is almost finished and our wedding ceremony is planned.
We are both quite excited about the wedding, the celebration and of course, the honeymoon! Sunday we will be heading over to England for 4 days and then over to Ireland! We cannot wait for the adventure - together!
Well, with all the craziness that we have been dealing with... We have to laugh. When people send us funny things, we laugh and laugh hard!
We hope you find this just as humorous! This photo is from Greg's birthday party a year ago this past May. Someone who I am related to with really good digital imaging skills came up with this! Don't worry Greg doesn't have his tongue pierced...yet!
We will be seeing you all so very soon!
Greg and I have spent this past weekend putting the final touches on all of the little projects we have going on. The seating chart is complete, the timeline is almost finished and our wedding ceremony is planned.
We are both quite excited about the wedding, the celebration and of course, the honeymoon! Sunday we will be heading over to England for 4 days and then over to Ireland! We cannot wait for the adventure - together!
Well, with all the craziness that we have been dealing with... We have to laugh. When people send us funny things, we laugh and laugh hard!
We hope you find this just as humorous! This photo is from Greg's birthday party a year ago this past May. Someone who I am related to with really good digital imaging skills came up with this! Don't worry Greg doesn't have his tongue pierced...yet!
We will be seeing you all so very soon!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Applying for the Marriage License
Another big one is checked off the list! Thank goodness I live in Macomb County... I heard getting your marriage license in Oakland County is a bit difficult.
A couple days ago I downloaded the forms off the Macomb County website. The instructions were quite clear, but it was a lot to digest for something that seems so important! The only information I needed was both of our full names, and birth information. I also needed both of our parents full names and birth states. That was it. Then I went down at 8:00 this morning and took it to the County Clerk's office.
Before I left the house, I read over all the documents again. I had overlooked something that seemed important to me at the time. I filled out the application so carefully and neatly in blue pen. I saw this morning very clearly where it said, "Use Black Ink Only". I got a little nervous but figured I better go and see... Of course no one said a thing.
When I arrived it was quite hectic. When it was my turn in line, the woman did not seem happy to be at her job. Once I presented my documents to her she immediately changed her mood to excited! She started asking a million questions about where and when... It was pretty cute!
Once I paid my fee and swore that I was telling the truth... I was told it would go in the mail back to us on Monday! How exciting! Only 23 more days to go!
A couple days ago I downloaded the forms off the Macomb County website. The instructions were quite clear, but it was a lot to digest for something that seems so important! The only information I needed was both of our full names, and birth information. I also needed both of our parents full names and birth states. That was it. Then I went down at 8:00 this morning and took it to the County Clerk's office.
Before I left the house, I read over all the documents again. I had overlooked something that seemed important to me at the time. I filled out the application so carefully and neatly in blue pen. I saw this morning very clearly where it said, "Use Black Ink Only". I got a little nervous but figured I better go and see... Of course no one said a thing.
When I arrived it was quite hectic. When it was my turn in line, the woman did not seem happy to be at her job. Once I presented my documents to her she immediately changed her mood to excited! She started asking a million questions about where and when... It was pretty cute!
Once I paid my fee and swore that I was telling the truth... I was told it would go in the mail back to us on Monday! How exciting! Only 23 more days to go!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Veil Drama
What an accomplishment! After months and months of working on, ignoring and procrastinating having to work on my veil... It is almost done! There is about one hour of work left to do on it and it will be complete! It is perfect with a few minor flaws that make it home made - that I don't think anyone will notice, unless I start telling people after a glass or two of champagne!
I am so grateful to my Aunt for helping me get through a project that I really had no clue of what I was doing. I am also grateful for stumbling across a young woman's website that had step by step instructions for what to do. I thought about posting a picture, then I decided... There are only 28 days until you get to see it!
Greg and I are so excited for the wedding which is quickly approaching! We are putting the final touches on some minor plans and just making sure we tie up all the loose ends with vendors.
We cannot wait to see everyone and celebrate!!! Oh so soon!
I am so grateful to my Aunt for helping me get through a project that I really had no clue of what I was doing. I am also grateful for stumbling across a young woman's website that had step by step instructions for what to do. I thought about posting a picture, then I decided... There are only 28 days until you get to see it!
Greg and I are so excited for the wedding which is quickly approaching! We are putting the final touches on some minor plans and just making sure we tie up all the loose ends with vendors.
We cannot wait to see everyone and celebrate!!! Oh so soon!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Watch Your Mailboxes!
It is official! At about 9:20 am a very large quantity of invitations got dropped off at the local post office near my house. I am hoping that a majority of them make it to the intended recipients, but after the wedding shower invitation fiasco... who knows!
I was very nervous dropping them off. I have read and re-read these things hoping that I got them all right! I didn't see any misspellings or inaccuracies, but that doesn't mean they are there. I also had to purchase just a few more stamps because I was about 10 short for the response cards! Those will go out tomorrow - or Saturday because it is late and I am tired!
So the shower is in just 10 or so days! I cannot believe that time is moving so quickly! Greg and I are excited to get many of you together to meet and chat and enjoy a nice lunch!
See you all very soon!
I was very nervous dropping them off. I have read and re-read these things hoping that I got them all right! I didn't see any misspellings or inaccuracies, but that doesn't mean they are there. I also had to purchase just a few more stamps because I was about 10 short for the response cards! Those will go out tomorrow - or Saturday because it is late and I am tired!
So the shower is in just 10 or so days! I cannot believe that time is moving so quickly! Greg and I are excited to get many of you together to meet and chat and enjoy a nice lunch!
See you all very soon!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Stuffing, Sealing and Sticking
The invitations, response cards, envelopes and directions are all finally printed. I am finally able to get started with the sorting and stuffing of the envelopes. Over the next few weeks I plan to take it slow and just stuff the envelopes and seal them up and get them ready to go.
I need to go to the post office with a full invitation set up and make sure I have the proper postage on the envelopes! I have read and hear so many horror stories of people not putting proper postage on their envelopes and getting them all returned to them in the mail! That would not be fun!
Only one more week left until the shower R.S.V.P's are due! After that - there is only 2 weeks or so until the shower! I cannot believe how fast time is moving! I think we are both very excited for all of our hard work and planning to pan out into a celebratory event!
I need to go to the post office with a full invitation set up and make sure I have the proper postage on the envelopes! I have read and hear so many horror stories of people not putting proper postage on their envelopes and getting them all returned to them in the mail! That would not be fun!
Only one more week left until the shower R.S.V.P's are due! After that - there is only 2 weeks or so until the shower! I cannot believe how fast time is moving! I think we are both very excited for all of our hard work and planning to pan out into a celebratory event!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
The Baptism
Yesterday Greg was baptized into the Catholic church! It was such a beautiful ceremony. It was also a 5 hour long event! I am proud of Greg for the commitment and the hard work he did to get to this point!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Penguin Suits
Earlier this week Greg finally picked out the tuxedo that he wanted to wear and the tuxedos he wanted the guys in the wedding to wear.
We went to President Tuxedo just to price it out. We ended up getting the tuxedos from there because we felt they gave us a good deal. They gave everyone a discount and were patient with us looking and deciding.
Greg decided he wanted to have a slightly different tuxedo than the rest of the guys, but I made sure their tuxedos will still match! We did almost end up with Cornflower Blue vests and ties! I don't know how it happened except for Greg and I have a running joke that I will let him get a powder blue suit. So he was joking with the girl at the store and I think she accidentally wrote those color codes down instead of the color we asked for!
No worries though, we just called and told her about it, she checked into it and fixed it. I would have been so angry if on June 25th, the guys went to pick up their stuff and cornflower blue vests and ties would have been there... Man! Now I just have to get Greg to call the guys and explain the deal and what to do!
Guys are so lucky though... They don't have to pay all that much and whatever they get doesn't have to stay in their closet for ever never to be worn again! LOL!
We went to President Tuxedo just to price it out. We ended up getting the tuxedos from there because we felt they gave us a good deal. They gave everyone a discount and were patient with us looking and deciding.
Greg decided he wanted to have a slightly different tuxedo than the rest of the guys, but I made sure their tuxedos will still match! We did almost end up with Cornflower Blue vests and ties! I don't know how it happened except for Greg and I have a running joke that I will let him get a powder blue suit. So he was joking with the girl at the store and I think she accidentally wrote those color codes down instead of the color we asked for!
No worries though, we just called and told her about it, she checked into it and fixed it. I would have been so angry if on June 25th, the guys went to pick up their stuff and cornflower blue vests and ties would have been there... Man! Now I just have to get Greg to call the guys and explain the deal and what to do!
Guys are so lucky though... They don't have to pay all that much and whatever they get doesn't have to stay in their closet for ever never to be worn again! LOL!
Monday, March 10, 2008
We Get To Have Our Cake And Eat It Too!
We tackled yet another big one on the list this weekend! We finally ordered our cake!
I think it is safe to say that Greg and I were a little more than annoyed and suprised by the cost of a piece of cake. Never mind the tackiness of some examples and the horrible taste of others... We didn't really know what we wanted to do because we refused to pay so much money for something we were not impressed with!
After flipping through many wedding magazines and cake books we thought out all of our options. Do we want to go all out? Do we want a fake cake with a sheet cake in the back? Do we want to just forget the cake and have a dessert table? Yikes!
This weekend we had another appointment with a woman who makes cakes. We spoke on the phone a few times, I explained how we just wanted simple and it felt like no one could just do simple anymore!! She agreed and promised she could and would do simple.
Greg and I met up with her, after about 10 minutes we had our cake design picked out and she had our color samples cut from my little samples of fabric that I have. We paid her and left with the little mini cake that she made us.
Yeah.. yeah... we bought the cake from her before we even tasted it! That is because we could tell by the little cake she made us that it was the right frosting!
For less that one third the cost of a cake from out here in the city we got exactly what we wanted. Once we got home and tasted the cake... we were soooo pleased with our decision! I don't think I have ever seen Greg so enthused with cake in my life. There is hardly any left from the sample one! We may have to call her sometime in the next 110 days to get another one! LOL!
I think it is safe to say that Greg and I were a little more than annoyed and suprised by the cost of a piece of cake. Never mind the tackiness of some examples and the horrible taste of others... We didn't really know what we wanted to do because we refused to pay so much money for something we were not impressed with!
After flipping through many wedding magazines and cake books we thought out all of our options. Do we want to go all out? Do we want a fake cake with a sheet cake in the back? Do we want to just forget the cake and have a dessert table? Yikes!
This weekend we had another appointment with a woman who makes cakes. We spoke on the phone a few times, I explained how we just wanted simple and it felt like no one could just do simple anymore!! She agreed and promised she could and would do simple.
Greg and I met up with her, after about 10 minutes we had our cake design picked out and she had our color samples cut from my little samples of fabric that I have. We paid her and left with the little mini cake that she made us.
Yeah.. yeah... we bought the cake from her before we even tasted it! That is because we could tell by the little cake she made us that it was the right frosting!
For less that one third the cost of a cake from out here in the city we got exactly what we wanted. Once we got home and tasted the cake... we were soooo pleased with our decision! I don't think I have ever seen Greg so enthused with cake in my life. There is hardly any left from the sample one! We may have to call her sometime in the next 110 days to get another one! LOL!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Second to Last Fitting!
Woah!
Is it almost here already? With a little over 100 days to go, I have been working on getting my wedding dress alterations done. I found a great woman a few miles from my home that does alterations. She barely charges anything and is really flexible with meeting with me to work on my dress!
I had one set of changes done to the dress already. This time I got to put the dress on and it fit! It wasn't too big and I wasn't worried it might fall off. It was just the perfect length too! We worked on how the bustle would look and work... so it will stay up and not have people trampling on it all night long.
The dress is still just as comfortable as ever! It definitely was very exciting to get to put the dress on and know that the big day is very close to being here!
The thing I like most about the dress being at the alterations place... is that I know Greg cannot sneak a peek at it while it is there!
Now if only I could find the patience to sew 9 feet of pearls onto my veil.... LOL!
Is it almost here already? With a little over 100 days to go, I have been working on getting my wedding dress alterations done. I found a great woman a few miles from my home that does alterations. She barely charges anything and is really flexible with meeting with me to work on my dress!
I had one set of changes done to the dress already. This time I got to put the dress on and it fit! It wasn't too big and I wasn't worried it might fall off. It was just the perfect length too! We worked on how the bustle would look and work... so it will stay up and not have people trampling on it all night long.
The dress is still just as comfortable as ever! It definitely was very exciting to get to put the dress on and know that the big day is very close to being here!
The thing I like most about the dress being at the alterations place... is that I know Greg cannot sneak a peek at it while it is there!
Now if only I could find the patience to sew 9 feet of pearls onto my veil.... LOL!
Monday, March 3, 2008
One Down, Two to Go!
Greg and I have a small list of things left that we need to investigate for our wedding. We need a limo, tuxedo place and a cake.
This past weekend we finally took care of the limo portion of the wedding and it felt pretty good to check one more thing off of our "to-do" list! After calling many places within quite a large radius... we decided to go with a very local place with a wide variety of cars.
Of course, I really wanted the 1956 Cadillac limo. We couldn't get it because it didn't hold enough people. We ended up getting a pretty nice limo at a very affordable price.
We did start the cake hunting. A little bit of tasting and getting ideas on what we like and don't like from some local places. Of course that was a yummy task to take care of!!
This past weekend we finally took care of the limo portion of the wedding and it felt pretty good to check one more thing off of our "to-do" list! After calling many places within quite a large radius... we decided to go with a very local place with a wide variety of cars.
Of course, I really wanted the 1956 Cadillac limo. We couldn't get it because it didn't hold enough people. We ended up getting a pretty nice limo at a very affordable price.
We did start the cake hunting. A little bit of tasting and getting ideas on what we like and don't like from some local places. Of course that was a yummy task to take care of!!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Tasting Our Dinner
Greg and I finally had a tasting at the reception location. As a consumer, I found it so strange that venues will not let you taste the dinner you may or may not be eating until you book the hall! We had trust in the Mabry Center that the food would be just fine... but like anyone else spending a lot of money on a reception, we wanted to be sure.
Finally a date worked out that Greg and I could make it to the hall. It ended up being Saturday, February 2nd. I also timed it to have one of the chair cover vendors come to the hall. I was able to have my chair covers chosen before the tasting - which was one more thing that I didn't have to worry about!
Once the tasting started it was pretty straight forward. Get up, get food, taste it, if you like it have more... or not. Try the fondue machine, drool over and step away slowly and carefully! Like most of the other gals there, we used the excuse that there was fruit under that yummy chocolate that made it OK to eat! LOL!
In the end, Greg and I discovered a few things that we didn't like a few things we liked and even more things we loved. I am very glad that we had the opportunity to try some of the food before having to choose a menu in just a few months! I think three to be exact!
Finally a date worked out that Greg and I could make it to the hall. It ended up being Saturday, February 2nd. I also timed it to have one of the chair cover vendors come to the hall. I was able to have my chair covers chosen before the tasting - which was one more thing that I didn't have to worry about!
Once the tasting started it was pretty straight forward. Get up, get food, taste it, if you like it have more... or not. Try the fondue machine, drool over and step away slowly and carefully! Like most of the other gals there, we used the excuse that there was fruit under that yummy chocolate that made it OK to eat! LOL!
In the end, Greg and I discovered a few things that we didn't like a few things we liked and even more things we loved. I am very glad that we had the opportunity to try some of the food before having to choose a menu in just a few months! I think three to be exact!
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Honeymoon is Booked!
It is official on Sunday, June 30, 2008 Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Hall will be in the air over the Atlantic Ocean heading to London England. Once our trip is over in London, we will then head to Dublin Ireland.
We have our flights and hotels booked. We may book a few day tours but otherwise we plan on exploring the countries on our own as we go. There are a few things that are "must do's" for us...
We have our flights and hotels booked. We may book a few day tours but otherwise we plan on exploring the countries on our own as we go. There are a few things that are "must do's" for us...
- Stonehenge
- Kissing the Blarney Stone
- St. Patrick's Cathedral
- St. James Gate / Guiness!
- The London Eye
- Parliment
- The Royal Air Museum
There are so many other places we want to explore, but we will just have to see what we are able to accomplish in such a short time!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
I Love Suprises
I got to put a deposit on something today that will be tons of fun for the guest at our wedding and of course for Greg and I!
It will be during the reception and will provide a great source of fun for everyone sober and tipsy!
It will be during the reception and will provide a great source of fun for everyone sober and tipsy!
Monday, January 28, 2008
We Registered!
Oh what an adventure that was! I do not think either one of us thought it would be what it was! We had originally decided on registering at only two places, Sears and Bed Bath & Beyond. We hit Sears up first because they closed before BB&B.
When we finally found the area that we sign up to do the registry, we discovered that people at the Sears at Oakland Mall do not know how to run the system. The girls didn't know how to set us up with the little scanning gun. Once they got that figured out, we went on our way only to discover that the scanning gun didn't want us to register for a lot of things! We would scan an item we wanted like luggage and a message would appear on the screen saying "No registerable item can be found!" We were getting so frustrated and we were warm from being in our winter coats. The staff at Sears didn't want to help us and acted as though they had never used a scanning gun! We didn't stick around Sears all that long.
Then we headed over to Bed Bath and Beyond. Talk about a totally different experience! They sat us down in the "Wedding Registry" bar set up they have. They offered us soda, let us put our jackets down and then explained how to register and what to think about when registering. The guy that was in charge of us checked on us often and answered any questions we had about anything. It was a completely different experience than the one we had at Sears!
Sunday we headed over to Target. Greg had a lot of fun there. Target was just an average experience. I think we were both happy with the prices of things at Target. We got to find a lot of things we could find at the other stores we were at...
We are both extremely glad that task is over!
When we finally found the area that we sign up to do the registry, we discovered that people at the Sears at Oakland Mall do not know how to run the system. The girls didn't know how to set us up with the little scanning gun. Once they got that figured out, we went on our way only to discover that the scanning gun didn't want us to register for a lot of things! We would scan an item we wanted like luggage and a message would appear on the screen saying "No registerable item can be found!" We were getting so frustrated and we were warm from being in our winter coats. The staff at Sears didn't want to help us and acted as though they had never used a scanning gun! We didn't stick around Sears all that long.
Then we headed over to Bed Bath and Beyond. Talk about a totally different experience! They sat us down in the "Wedding Registry" bar set up they have. They offered us soda, let us put our jackets down and then explained how to register and what to think about when registering. The guy that was in charge of us checked on us often and answered any questions we had about anything. It was a completely different experience than the one we had at Sears!
Sunday we headed over to Target. Greg had a lot of fun there. Target was just an average experience. I think we were both happy with the prices of things at Target. We got to find a lot of things we could find at the other stores we were at...
We are both extremely glad that task is over!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
You'll Hate David's Bridal...
With only 159 days until Greg and I are married, the gals and I finally were able to go out dress shopping today. I had no plans really for exactly what kind of dress I wanted them to wear. I was hoping for one of many outcomes.
What happened today wasn't really something I had even considered, but it turned out just fine! :)
Beth came by the house early and we grabbed some coffee. We headed over to David's for our noon appointment with a sales woman there. I was in no way prepared for the amount of females hormones that we were about to encounter. I had an appointment and you would never guess it. The sales woman was of absolutely no help to us. The gals and I stumbled across a cute tea length dress. It was not only cute, but had this thing that went underneath for a hint of complimentary color and also a matching sash for that "other" color. After lots of trying on and discussing... We decided to go with a emerald green and lilac color. I love the combo. The green is so happy and Irish looking.
The sales people at David's were not helpful to us at all. In fact, they were actually pretty rude. When the girls were paying, the sales person barely acknowledged us. She was so snotty when asked simple questions it was ridiculous. I shouldn't have let the girls even get their dresses there, but I didn't want to put them through another shopping day! Yikes!
Unfortunately, I did not want Terri in the same dress as the gals because I don't feel it is flattering for her. We were not successful in finding her a dress, but we are going on Tuesday after work for that.
We headed to the mall later in the day today and my mom was able to find a great deal on a dress too. So she is set as well... after her alterations are made.
Now.... Greg needs to worry about those tuxedos!
What happened today wasn't really something I had even considered, but it turned out just fine! :)
Beth came by the house early and we grabbed some coffee. We headed over to David's for our noon appointment with a sales woman there. I was in no way prepared for the amount of females hormones that we were about to encounter. I had an appointment and you would never guess it. The sales woman was of absolutely no help to us. The gals and I stumbled across a cute tea length dress. It was not only cute, but had this thing that went underneath for a hint of complimentary color and also a matching sash for that "other" color. After lots of trying on and discussing... We decided to go with a emerald green and lilac color. I love the combo. The green is so happy and Irish looking.
The sales people at David's were not helpful to us at all. In fact, they were actually pretty rude. When the girls were paying, the sales person barely acknowledged us. She was so snotty when asked simple questions it was ridiculous. I shouldn't have let the girls even get their dresses there, but I didn't want to put them through another shopping day! Yikes!
Unfortunately, I did not want Terri in the same dress as the gals because I don't feel it is flattering for her. We were not successful in finding her a dress, but we are going on Tuesday after work for that.
We headed to the mall later in the day today and my mom was able to find a great deal on a dress too. So she is set as well... after her alterations are made.
Now.... Greg needs to worry about those tuxedos!
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