Wow.
I just watched "A Girl Like Me" on YouTube. Take a minute and watch it - it's painfully incredible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fEy0q6yqc
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thank you; thank you very much...
350 people were invited to the wedding.
250 came.
It was a lot of fun. We had fun, you had fun, Travis didn't die when his brakes went out on the way to the church - everyone had fun.
And now, I am very happy to say that we are done with the 200 or so Thank You's!
Almost.
Every thank you is written (except for the card Travis found just last night as he cleaned off the night stand).
Every card has been thoughtfully written (Thank you for the vase; it's holding my bridal bouquet and looks perfect on the mantle).
Every envelope has been addressed (except for a few people who's addresses we don't have. Which begs the question, how did they get an invitation?)
Every envelope has a return address (I truly thank God that Avery labels and Windows make it so easy).
A good handful have stamps and are sealed and ready to go (those belong to our friends who are away at school and we do not have home addresses for).
The rest are unsealed and waiting for someone to go to the post office and buy more stamps. But see, the beauty of it is, sealing and stamping is mindless work and will get done some night while we watch CSI. And really, we have a year to get those Thank You's out, according to the etiquette books.
Sometimes I've really felt like we've been slacking - I usually can't put things off too long and I love the feeling of having something accomplished way too much to not just finish it in one she-bang. (Example - I got all the wedding invitations done in 1 night - by myself.) But we have just been way too busy working, cleaning, cooking, eating and sitting around enjoying each other's company (I believe it's called "nesting") to care about promptness when we have that whole year.
But we do want to say Thank You, and for everyone to know that we think of Steve and Jenny every time we make toast, and Uncle Jim and Aunt Renee when we put the kettle on. And Mattew when we watch Braveheart or Shrek, and Nick and Mia when we use the gravy boat, and Bill and Domo with the stock pot. And really, we think of all of you. The hand-written Thank You's are on their way, but we really are grateful every day.
(That wasn't supposed to rhyme.)
250 came.
It was a lot of fun. We had fun, you had fun, Travis didn't die when his brakes went out on the way to the church - everyone had fun.
And now, I am very happy to say that we are done with the 200 or so Thank You's!
Almost.
Every thank you is written (except for the card Travis found just last night as he cleaned off the night stand).
Every card has been thoughtfully written (Thank you for the vase; it's holding my bridal bouquet and looks perfect on the mantle).
Every envelope has been addressed (except for a few people who's addresses we don't have. Which begs the question, how did they get an invitation?)
Every envelope has a return address (I truly thank God that Avery labels and Windows make it so easy).
A good handful have stamps and are sealed and ready to go (those belong to our friends who are away at school and we do not have home addresses for).
The rest are unsealed and waiting for someone to go to the post office and buy more stamps. But see, the beauty of it is, sealing and stamping is mindless work and will get done some night while we watch CSI. And really, we have a year to get those Thank You's out, according to the etiquette books.
Sometimes I've really felt like we've been slacking - I usually can't put things off too long and I love the feeling of having something accomplished way too much to not just finish it in one she-bang. (Example - I got all the wedding invitations done in 1 night - by myself.) But we have just been way too busy working, cleaning, cooking, eating and sitting around enjoying each other's company (I believe it's called "nesting") to care about promptness when we have that whole year.
But we do want to say Thank You, and for everyone to know that we think of Steve and Jenny every time we make toast, and Uncle Jim and Aunt Renee when we put the kettle on. And Mattew when we watch Braveheart or Shrek, and Nick and Mia when we use the gravy boat, and Bill and Domo with the stock pot. And really, we think of all of you. The hand-written Thank You's are on their way, but we really are grateful every day.
(That wasn't supposed to rhyme.)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A Follow-Up to the Myth-Busting Rant
I should maybe say, that while my wedding preparations were often very stressful and less than fun, there were many people who were wonderful. Travis, who was supportive and always came through for me. My mother, who always said the right thing and 99% of the time actually meant it. My friends LB, Em, Sarah Biz, Hedda and Jolene who, even though they didn't know Travis, allowed me to share anything and everything, always being loving and celebrating the next step I was taking. Maragaret Mary, who always tells me like it is and loves Trav and I very much. Our families, Travis and my siblings and parents who might have been nervous but welcomed each of us with open arms. And my Aunt Debbies, who were incredibly helpful and encouraging.
Our wedding day was fantastic, and we are so grateful that we were able to share it with so many good, loving, fun people.
Here's a couple of pictures to help your remember the good times:
Our wedding day was fantastic, and we are so grateful that we were able to share it with so many good, loving, fun people.
Here's a couple of pictures to help your remember the good times:
Myths about Weddings
Myth #1 - My wedding has been planned in my head for years.
A priest I know often says that girls spend their whole lives planning their weddings. Travis listened to this and wholeheartedly believed it. And while it may be true for many women, that they know exactly what they want, all I knew was that my bridesmaids dresses would be blue and that I would walk down the aisle to Grace's Waltz. Therefore, holding firm to the belief that I knew exactly what I wanted, Travis thought that my asking for his opinion was a gesture. It wasn't though, and his, "Whatever you want" answers were well meant.
We may spend our lives excited about when we walk down the aisle. But that doesn't mean that we know exactly which font to use for the program, which readings and prayers to use in the Mass, what the hymn should be when the gifts are brought up and what song should be played for the Anniversary Dance.
Myth #2 - Everyone can share thier unsolicated opinions and advice!
Brides don't really want other people's opinions unless they honestly ask for it. And usually they will only ask for it from their priest, fiance, mother or best friend. And even then it will be prefaced by, "Okay, seriously, tell me the truth because I don't really know." Otherwise everything else is perfect and beautiful, and that's what you, the person asking about and therfore hearing about the details, should say. As a bride I didn't care what so-and-so did with her flowers or music or cash bar or dollar dance. This was what I was going to do. And I especially didn't want to hear about some great idea after I just explained what I was doing. My wedding was about me, Travis and our families. We did what worked for us and was important to us.
Myth #3 - You can joke about the wedding dress fitting.
Only a very small group of people were stupid enough to do this, but still... While enjoying some cake at her own shower, never go up to the bride and say, "Oh, you don't want to eat too much of that stuff - there's a dress to fit into! Ha, Ha." It's just not funny.
A priest I know often says that girls spend their whole lives planning their weddings. Travis listened to this and wholeheartedly believed it. And while it may be true for many women, that they know exactly what they want, all I knew was that my bridesmaids dresses would be blue and that I would walk down the aisle to Grace's Waltz. Therefore, holding firm to the belief that I knew exactly what I wanted, Travis thought that my asking for his opinion was a gesture. It wasn't though, and his, "Whatever you want" answers were well meant.
We may spend our lives excited about when we walk down the aisle. But that doesn't mean that we know exactly which font to use for the program, which readings and prayers to use in the Mass, what the hymn should be when the gifts are brought up and what song should be played for the Anniversary Dance.
Myth #2 - Everyone can share thier unsolicated opinions and advice!
Brides don't really want other people's opinions unless they honestly ask for it. And usually they will only ask for it from their priest, fiance, mother or best friend. And even then it will be prefaced by, "Okay, seriously, tell me the truth because I don't really know." Otherwise everything else is perfect and beautiful, and that's what you, the person asking about and therfore hearing about the details, should say. As a bride I didn't care what so-and-so did with her flowers or music or cash bar or dollar dance. This was what I was going to do. And I especially didn't want to hear about some great idea after I just explained what I was doing. My wedding was about me, Travis and our families. We did what worked for us and was important to us.
Myth #3 - You can joke about the wedding dress fitting.
Only a very small group of people were stupid enough to do this, but still... While enjoying some cake at her own shower, never go up to the bride and say, "Oh, you don't want to eat too much of that stuff - there's a dress to fit into! Ha, Ha." It's just not funny.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The First One
Having decided to enter the wide world of blogging I wanted to start with a small explanation of the title.
I am learning to be a newlywed. Or not really; I just am one. So maybe a better name would have been Learning to Be a Good Newlywed, but the naming is over now and we have what we have.
It's funny to have spent your whole life pretending to be, daydreaming about, thinking of, praying to be married and then suddenly you just are. Sure there is much hooplah surrounding the entire event and leading up to it (engagement announcements, showers, bachlorette parties and whatnot) but it still feels slightly abrupt. This phenomena for me was probably enhanced by the fact that my courtship was short (one and a half months) and my engagement shorter than most (seven months).
And perhaps it is even more so because, while my husband and I had been good friends for almost two years before anything romantic was awakened, for most of those two years we were completely platonic. Then suddenly in April there was this unveiling and a reaction of, "This is who my vocation is?!" Surprise was in abundance, but so was joy. For I never even imagined that the love of our friendship was growing into the love of marriage.
It was awkward at first, moving from friend to lover, and there of course were difficult things to work through. But in the end marriage is so great a good that it's all worth it.
At this point I would like to say that my number one motivation for doing this is my friend, Heather. I know you read blogs, Hedda, so you might as well read mine.
I am learning to be a newlywed. Or not really; I just am one. So maybe a better name would have been Learning to Be a Good Newlywed, but the naming is over now and we have what we have.
It's funny to have spent your whole life pretending to be, daydreaming about, thinking of, praying to be married and then suddenly you just are. Sure there is much hooplah surrounding the entire event and leading up to it (engagement announcements, showers, bachlorette parties and whatnot) but it still feels slightly abrupt. This phenomena for me was probably enhanced by the fact that my courtship was short (one and a half months) and my engagement shorter than most (seven months).
And perhaps it is even more so because, while my husband and I had been good friends for almost two years before anything romantic was awakened, for most of those two years we were completely platonic. Then suddenly in April there was this unveiling and a reaction of, "This is who my vocation is?!" Surprise was in abundance, but so was joy. For I never even imagined that the love of our friendship was growing into the love of marriage.
It was awkward at first, moving from friend to lover, and there of course were difficult things to work through. But in the end marriage is so great a good that it's all worth it.
At this point I would like to say that my number one motivation for doing this is my friend, Heather. I know you read blogs, Hedda, so you might as well read mine.
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