Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Monday, October 07, 2013
Lauren's diy wedding
On August 31st, Lauren and Tim got married.
It was SUCH A GOOD DAY. Awesome weather, no worries, everything went so smoothly. And, an added bonus, by mid afternoon they were husband and wife ;)
I had tonnes of fun planning this day with Lauren. Oddly enough, I put WAY more time and effort into this wedding than I did my own. 8 years ago, there was no pinterest or wedding gawker. Any ideas came from bridal magazines or from other weddings I'd been to. I basically picked my colours and my menu and told the wedding planner to do the rest. I had never seen my bridesmaids bouquets until the day they arrived. I didn't really know what the hall was going to look like. Or the church. The day before my wedding I did ZERO prep work. Interesting, eh?
Anyway, I digress. Here are some photos of some of the bigger things we did. All the photos are from This Moment Forever photography.
It was SUCH A GOOD DAY. Awesome weather, no worries, everything went so smoothly. And, an added bonus, by mid afternoon they were husband and wife ;)
I had tonnes of fun planning this day with Lauren. Oddly enough, I put WAY more time and effort into this wedding than I did my own. 8 years ago, there was no pinterest or wedding gawker. Any ideas came from bridal magazines or from other weddings I'd been to. I basically picked my colours and my menu and told the wedding planner to do the rest. I had never seen my bridesmaids bouquets until the day they arrived. I didn't really know what the hall was going to look like. Or the church. The day before my wedding I did ZERO prep work. Interesting, eh?
Anyway, I digress. Here are some photos of some of the bigger things we did. All the photos are from This Moment Forever photography.
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| The center pieces. Babysbreath and rented tower vases. They took a few hours to make. Each vase used approx. $15 of flowers. |
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| Table set up |
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| Matt designed the menus and printed them at VanPelts. We youtubed a napkin folding video, and viola. A fancy touch. Megan folded all the napkins |
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| Cupcake table. The cake plates were borrowed from a friend, crates belonged to Julianna, mason jars from the thrift store, cupcakes made by Laura Morden. |
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| Midnight buffet and drink table |
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| Signing table. The old typewriter belongs to Julianna |
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| Blurb book used as a guest book |
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| They had a fun sparkler send off |
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| Front entrance |
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| Windows we used as a seating chart |
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| It took a little over 3 hours to write the names on. |
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| This was NOT diy. A decorator from Dutton came in and did the "big" stuff. The ceiling and the backdrop |
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| Bridesmaids bouquets made by Julianna |
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| All the hydrangeas came from Tim's mom's garden. Didn't we luck out? We had buckets and buckets of them |
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| Flower girl baskets from the dollar store and spray painted |
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Summer update
I seriously CAN NOT believe the summer is almost over. This time next week both my kids will be in their classrooms. Crazy. I'm not sure if the cool weather was a contributor, or the fact that we have been extremely busy, but it seems like there should be another month left before school, not a mere 7 days.
The first big event of the summer was Lisa and Dave's wedding. A highlight for Emily, to be sure. First time as a flower girl. She loved every minute of it. The dress, the hair, the throwing of the petals. Justin and I were the MCs, so between getting Emily ready, ourselves ready, and making sure we didn't forget anything, we did not get a picture of the 4 of us together. But we'll all be dressed up again this weekend, so maybe we can make it happen when....
This lovely lady gets married :)
Tim's mom and I threw a shower for Lauren at the beginning of July. We wanted to do one big combined shower of both families and friends, so we prayed for a nice evening to have it outside. The weather was perfect and the evening went very well. I forgot to take pictures of all the decorations (I really am not great at remembering to take pictures!) but you can see a bit of the decor in these few photos.
Every Tuesday we headed out to the soccer fields where Jacob played soccer. He was SO excited for his first practice. He liked it all year, but by the time the last few practices rolled around we really had to convince him to go. But he had fun and we're glad we signed him up.
Aunt Jill and Toby came out to watch one of the games.
On August 11th Jacob turned 4. We had two parties. Of course on the day of his friend's party it poured all morning so the kids were stuck inside. A little face paint helped take away the disappointment
Family party with my side
Multi-tasking: eating a homemade cookie from great grandma and opening gifts :)
Jacob started to love lego this year, so we put in a special request in the gift department.
A Yoshi cake made my Aunt Jill. He loved it.
Emily attended Make Much Music camp at our church lead by Joan. Joan teaches music lessons, sewing, weaving, and probably anything else you asked her to teach you!! Emily LOVED it and the parents were very impressed with their week end performance. Here she is getting her certificate from Joan.
These two girls became inseparable over the last few months. They are from the same mold, let me tell you. They find each other hysterical (when no one else does!) and come up with the craziest games and ideas. It will be so interesting to watch them grow up together.
This weekend we are celebrating Tim and Lauren's wedding. Emily gets to be a flower girl again, I am an attendant, and Justin is a co-MC. So hopefully we can all get to where we need to be on time and be presentable.
On July 1st, I threw my back out while bending over to sweep up a pile of dirt. I couldn't move much the first week or so and once my back began to heal, my leg started to hurt. Since then I have had terrible sciatica pain caused by either a hemorrhaged disc or just some general back problem in my sacroiliac area. My family doctor who prescribed some meds, a chiropractor, and a massage therapist did not help. I made an appointment with an osteopath and after a month long waiting time I finally found some relief. The pain relief is not 100% and only lasts for a short time, but it is helping. I'm hoping that after a few more treatments my bones and muscles will start to stay in the correct placement and the relief will be more substantial and last longer.
But compared to the suffering of many others I know, sciatic pain is really nothing. I am still functioning and able to do most daily tasks. I am grateful that this will go away in time.
So that's our summer so far. Lots of good memories made and still more to come.
The first big event of the summer was Lisa and Dave's wedding. A highlight for Emily, to be sure. First time as a flower girl. She loved every minute of it. The dress, the hair, the throwing of the petals. Justin and I were the MCs, so between getting Emily ready, ourselves ready, and making sure we didn't forget anything, we did not get a picture of the 4 of us together. But we'll all be dressed up again this weekend, so maybe we can make it happen when....
This lovely lady gets married :)
Every Tuesday we headed out to the soccer fields where Jacob played soccer. He was SO excited for his first practice. He liked it all year, but by the time the last few practices rolled around we really had to convince him to go. But he had fun and we're glad we signed him up.
On August 11th Jacob turned 4. We had two parties. Of course on the day of his friend's party it poured all morning so the kids were stuck inside. A little face paint helped take away the disappointment
Family party with my side
This weekend we are celebrating Tim and Lauren's wedding. Emily gets to be a flower girl again, I am an attendant, and Justin is a co-MC. So hopefully we can all get to where we need to be on time and be presentable.
On July 1st, I threw my back out while bending over to sweep up a pile of dirt. I couldn't move much the first week or so and once my back began to heal, my leg started to hurt. Since then I have had terrible sciatica pain caused by either a hemorrhaged disc or just some general back problem in my sacroiliac area. My family doctor who prescribed some meds, a chiropractor, and a massage therapist did not help. I made an appointment with an osteopath and after a month long waiting time I finally found some relief. The pain relief is not 100% and only lasts for a short time, but it is helping. I'm hoping that after a few more treatments my bones and muscles will start to stay in the correct placement and the relief will be more substantial and last longer.
But compared to the suffering of many others I know, sciatic pain is really nothing. I am still functioning and able to do most daily tasks. I am grateful that this will go away in time.
So that's our summer so far. Lots of good memories made and still more to come.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
I have a friend.
I have a friend who totally "gets" me. We often feel the same way about about life events and share the same opinion on many matters. We like the same things and have the same taste in clothes, decor, etc. She's someone I can send a random text to and I know she won't think I'm weird (or maybe we are just weird in the same way :) ). We spend many hours chatting about important life changing decisions and useless nonsense like shoes and hairstyles. There really is nothing you could ask of her that she wouldn't try her absolute hardest to give you. Our lives are woven closely together in life circumstances and I am thankful.
I have a friend who is my sounding board. When I am faced with a difficulty in life I find myself frantically typing away. Sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph. Click click click click. I look at the screen and a little novel has appeared. I click send and get a response that usually goes something like this. 'Hmm. That is a tough one. Let me think about it'. And she does. And she gives me wise, kind, thoughtful, loving answers. And she has a smart husband who sometimes adds his two cents (that are really worth a lot more!). She has a fierce love for the Lord and inspires me. She is my heart friend.
I have a friend who is my moral compass. I bet she has no idea. When I am making important or mundane choices I think of what she would choose. She makes me laugh without trying to be funny. She has wild streak in her that sometimes pokes through and it makes me smile. She is always, constantly striving to grow in Christ. She inspires my walk and we swap prayer requests. She encourages me and gives great advice.
I have a friend who requires no work. I am always 100% myself with her. No facade. Ever. She tells me how it is, and I do the same. I am never afraid of voicing my questions or concerns to her. She would never say something to hurt me or just to prove herself. She has such an alive faith. She talks about Jesus so freely and regularly. She gets my parenting style and understands some of my more rigid policies. She is generous beyond belief. We love long car rides :)
I have a friend who I love to plan things with. We never butt heads and usually turn event meetings into long chats over coffee. She is easy to talk to and there is never an awkward gap in conversation. Our plans are often foiled by rain. I wonder what that means?? She is always optimistic and cheerful. She is never gossipy or speaks ill of anyone. She has tamed her tongue and inspires me to do the same. She is a great blend of organization and chaos. We always have fun and work so very well together.
I have a friend who is like a sister to me. We share family, and that creates a bond that is unlike many others. Hours pass by like minutes when we are together. I know I can count on her when times are tough. And I know I can laugh with her when times are good. She is changeless. I know we will be friends forever. When we have grey hair and walkers, we will hobble along together. We can go 1 day or 1 month without seeing each other and it makes no difference. She is my keeper of secrets and sharer of dreams.
I have a best friend. He is my soul mate. I cannot imagine life without him. He has challenged me and changed me for better. He has provided for me and depended on me like no other. And I have depended on him like no other. I love him more and more each day. The longer we are together the fiercer the bond. The harder it would ever be to separate us. He lead me to the Lord and is now leading our children there. He and I are one. I love him with all of my soul.
I have been so richly blessed with earthly friends. What a sweet day it will be to commune with them in heaven. There have been times when I have felt alone and discontent. That is evil whispering in my ear. But this is my response.
And, I have a family. But that will be my next blog post :)
I have a friend who is my sounding board. When I am faced with a difficulty in life I find myself frantically typing away. Sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph. Click click click click. I look at the screen and a little novel has appeared. I click send and get a response that usually goes something like this. 'Hmm. That is a tough one. Let me think about it'. And she does. And she gives me wise, kind, thoughtful, loving answers. And she has a smart husband who sometimes adds his two cents (that are really worth a lot more!). She has a fierce love for the Lord and inspires me. She is my heart friend.
I have a friend who is my moral compass. I bet she has no idea. When I am making important or mundane choices I think of what she would choose. She makes me laugh without trying to be funny. She has wild streak in her that sometimes pokes through and it makes me smile. She is always, constantly striving to grow in Christ. She inspires my walk and we swap prayer requests. She encourages me and gives great advice.
I have a friend who requires no work. I am always 100% myself with her. No facade. Ever. She tells me how it is, and I do the same. I am never afraid of voicing my questions or concerns to her. She would never say something to hurt me or just to prove herself. She has such an alive faith. She talks about Jesus so freely and regularly. She gets my parenting style and understands some of my more rigid policies. She is generous beyond belief. We love long car rides :)
I have a friend who I love to plan things with. We never butt heads and usually turn event meetings into long chats over coffee. She is easy to talk to and there is never an awkward gap in conversation. Our plans are often foiled by rain. I wonder what that means?? She is always optimistic and cheerful. She is never gossipy or speaks ill of anyone. She has tamed her tongue and inspires me to do the same. She is a great blend of organization and chaos. We always have fun and work so very well together.
I have a friend who is like a sister to me. We share family, and that creates a bond that is unlike many others. Hours pass by like minutes when we are together. I know I can count on her when times are tough. And I know I can laugh with her when times are good. She is changeless. I know we will be friends forever. When we have grey hair and walkers, we will hobble along together. We can go 1 day or 1 month without seeing each other and it makes no difference. She is my keeper of secrets and sharer of dreams.
I have a best friend. He is my soul mate. I cannot imagine life without him. He has challenged me and changed me for better. He has provided for me and depended on me like no other. And I have depended on him like no other. I love him more and more each day. The longer we are together the fiercer the bond. The harder it would ever be to separate us. He lead me to the Lord and is now leading our children there. He and I are one. I love him with all of my soul.
I have been so richly blessed with earthly friends. What a sweet day it will be to commune with them in heaven. There have been times when I have felt alone and discontent. That is evil whispering in my ear. But this is my response.
And, I have a family. But that will be my next blog post :)
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Why I couldn't break up with Facebook
Less than a week ago, I decided to take a facebook break.
When Justin and I were young and foolish we broke up a few times. Prior to starting this post I was searching my brain trying to recall exactly why we "took a break" to begin with. I really can't remember. Maybe some of my university roommates could tell you, as I'm sure they absorbed all the tears and supplied the ice cream. All I can remember is that I'm fairly certain we used the "well, maybe it's just time we took a break then" line to hurt the other person. I know that it was the easy way out.
Taking a break and walking away was easier than facing whatever problem was plaguing our relationship at the time. Sure there were nights of wallowing, days of anger, and a general sadness, but overall, those were easy things to experience. Easy in the sense that all I had to do was cry the tears, slam the doors, and be a grump. Now, Justin was my only serious boyfriend. So I have never experienced a "true" break up where the differences are irreconcilable and the hurt is deep. So if you are reading this and thinking that it is easy for me to say that break ups are easy, you're right. They were "easy" for me. I am not trying to offend anyone.
Facing your problems and working to reach a solution is hard. Who wants to do that? We are selfish people by nature and want everything our own way. By God's grace Justin and I were (obviously) able to work past our problems and we are both thankful that none of those silly breaks ever became permanent.
So why I am blogging about my dating relationship with Justin when I started this post about facebook?
Well, lately Facebook has really been "bugging me". Status updates, Shares, Pictures posted, etc, have been rubbing me the wrong way. Without getting into detail, I am trying to work through some stuff in my own mind, and all this facebook stuff was really cluttering it up. So I took the easy way out and said "well, I guess it's time we took a break then".
And don't misunderstand. Facebook is not important. It does not compare to relationships.
But after my break started, I realized that by walking away from the problems, I was also walking away from all the great things it has to offer.
Updates about a very special little boy in our congregation. Pregnancy and birth announcements. Birthday reminders. Pictures of my far away nephew. Information about school functions. Recipes containing loads of chocolate!!!
There are too many good things about facebook that make the bad things seem small and unimportant. And remember that thing I said earlier about facing your problems? Maybe I need to take my own advice and just fix what is broken instead of just taking a break.
When Justin and I were young and foolish we broke up a few times. Prior to starting this post I was searching my brain trying to recall exactly why we "took a break" to begin with. I really can't remember. Maybe some of my university roommates could tell you, as I'm sure they absorbed all the tears and supplied the ice cream. All I can remember is that I'm fairly certain we used the "well, maybe it's just time we took a break then" line to hurt the other person. I know that it was the easy way out.
Taking a break and walking away was easier than facing whatever problem was plaguing our relationship at the time. Sure there were nights of wallowing, days of anger, and a general sadness, but overall, those were easy things to experience. Easy in the sense that all I had to do was cry the tears, slam the doors, and be a grump. Now, Justin was my only serious boyfriend. So I have never experienced a "true" break up where the differences are irreconcilable and the hurt is deep. So if you are reading this and thinking that it is easy for me to say that break ups are easy, you're right. They were "easy" for me. I am not trying to offend anyone.
Facing your problems and working to reach a solution is hard. Who wants to do that? We are selfish people by nature and want everything our own way. By God's grace Justin and I were (obviously) able to work past our problems and we are both thankful that none of those silly breaks ever became permanent.
So why I am blogging about my dating relationship with Justin when I started this post about facebook?
Well, lately Facebook has really been "bugging me". Status updates, Shares, Pictures posted, etc, have been rubbing me the wrong way. Without getting into detail, I am trying to work through some stuff in my own mind, and all this facebook stuff was really cluttering it up. So I took the easy way out and said "well, I guess it's time we took a break then".
And don't misunderstand. Facebook is not important. It does not compare to relationships.
But after my break started, I realized that by walking away from the problems, I was also walking away from all the great things it has to offer.
Updates about a very special little boy in our congregation. Pregnancy and birth announcements. Birthday reminders. Pictures of my far away nephew. Information about school functions. Recipes containing loads of chocolate!!!
There are too many good things about facebook that make the bad things seem small and unimportant. And remember that thing I said earlier about facing your problems? Maybe I need to take my own advice and just fix what is broken instead of just taking a break.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Kids, Bubbles, and 1 crazy dog
This is my sister's insane dog, Toby. He is very friendly, sweet, and loves the kids. But he is nuts. Tons of energy and not too much common sense. But the kids sure love him and they keep each other busy and wear each other out.
I'm not sure who had more fun with the bubbles....
I'm not sure who had more fun with the bubbles....
Thursday, April 25, 2013
The day we found a dog
One day I looked outside to see a dog running around and around and around our house. I went out to investigate and soon realized we had a lost, very scared dog on our hands.
She was so well behaved and comfortable in the house that I knew she belonged to someone who was probably missing her. The dozen or so tricks she knew were also a good indication that someone spent a lot of time training this dog.
So I called the township and they took her to the animal control building. But they took about 2 hours to get here. And in those 2 hours, Jacob and I became very fond of this sweet girl. It has really made me think about taking the plunge into the dog world this summer.
Anyway, for those of you who love a happy ending, you're in luck. The owners picked her up that night and it turns out she belongs to someone on the fire department with Justin. He lives just down the road from us. So if we ever see her again, we'll just drive her home.
She was so well behaved and comfortable in the house that I knew she belonged to someone who was probably missing her. The dozen or so tricks she knew were also a good indication that someone spent a lot of time training this dog.
So I called the township and they took her to the animal control building. But they took about 2 hours to get here. And in those 2 hours, Jacob and I became very fond of this sweet girl. It has really made me think about taking the plunge into the dog world this summer.
Anyway, for those of you who love a happy ending, you're in luck. The owners picked her up that night and it turns out she belongs to someone on the fire department with Justin. He lives just down the road from us. So if we ever see her again, we'll just drive her home.
A Reno picture
Sarah Luiting, this is for you. I can't post bedroom pictures quite yet. We are so close to the finish line that I don't want to ruin the "ta-da" factor by posting a half way picture :)
So here is the bathroom floor. Justin spent many painstaking hours not only on this floor, but on this room in general. He built it from the ground up... Before it was part of the hallway and two bedroom closets. So there is no before picture, as it never existed!! Soon we can put the toilet back, the vanity in and install a light. Some baseboard, and we're done :).
So here is the bathroom floor. Justin spent many painstaking hours not only on this floor, but on this room in general. He built it from the ground up... Before it was part of the hallway and two bedroom closets. So there is no before picture, as it never existed!! Soon we can put the toilet back, the vanity in and install a light. Some baseboard, and we're done :).
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