Free Books!

Free books. You can't get much better than that. No, I'm not talking about library books. You can get your very own, new or used, books for free. To read on your own timeline and then lend or give to friends when you're done! How great is that?

I buy almost all my books on Amazon using my Swagbucks (click out the button on the right of my blog) which I redeem for Amazon.ca gift cards. I've also redeemed my Swagbucks for Paypal credit which I used to buy stuff on Etsy for the wedding, but that's another story!

So, I opened the mail yesterday and received my free copy of Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson. I read Three Cups of Tea so quickly because I was so enraptured, I literally can't wait to tear into this one. If I didn't work for my husband, I might just call in sick today just so I could read it!

Fasciotomy, Hyperkinesia, Osteosarcoma, What??

I'm not sure if I've previously mentioned my decision on which career path to take. I had three options - nursing, Montessori teaching, and hospital unit clerk(ing). Factors out of my control narrowed it down for me pretty quickly. I decided to first take a medical terminology clerk to see if the hospital unit clerk program was the way to go or not.

So far the course is as fascinating as it is overwhelming. Learning medical terminology is sometimes compared to learning English for the first time. I now have endless empathy for English language students. I really need to get off the computer and go study! [And no sooner than I typed that I got called into work!]

Paint. Dry. Repeat.

When looking for a photo to accompany this post I realized I hadn't yet uploaded my painting photos to my computer. On top of that, I don't really want you to see my kitchen without all its cupboard doors to hide the mess! So, a quick google image search turned up a photo from a pretty awesome blog, A Full Monte Life. I'm not keen on taking a photo of a half naked blogger and posting it here, but feel free to follow the link to see what I discovered! Obviously, that is not me in the photo, nor do I paint my kitchen while wearing only my panties and crocs.

Okay, back to the post. I started painting our kitchen a few weeks ago. I did the first layer and was very proud of myself as it was a lot of work. Then I got lazy... and a couple weeks went by... and I did a second layer. Now it's ready for the cupboard doors to go back up and yet they remain on the dining room floor. Also, a couple sections need another coat (didn't do so well on the first coat in those spots!)... but alas, that will be another week... or perhaps Friday.

Why is it taking me so long to paint our kitchen??

Bad, bad blogger

Clearly I've neglected this blog. It was all wedding all the time for months, then the wedding month came. The crazy schedule of a million tasks took over and blogging was no longer a priority. After the wedding it took weeks before I bothered to post about the actual wedding. And now that's over and I have nothing left to say about it. I'm no longer a West Coast Bride... I'm now a West Coast Wife.

So now that I'm a wife with plenty of time on my hands, I'm getting a bit discouraged with life. Not to sound depressing, but it's lonely being in a new town with no friends and only a part time job to occupy your time. I was distracted from this for the first couple months because I had the wedding planning to focus on. Well, now that that's over with, I have WAY too much time to sit and think about how I have nothing to do. Add to that the financial stress that goes along with only working part time and you've got one bummed-out, stressed-out stay-at-home-wife.

Any tips on how to get yourself out of a funk?

Words to Wed By

I spent months working on our wedding ceremony - an hour here, an hour there. But, it wasn't nearly complete and didn't feel like a representation of both of us until we completed it together one day. That happened to be the day we were meeting with our officiant to finalize our ceremony, so we efficiently wrote the ceremony while driving to her house!

Well, we think it turned out perfectly. So, just in case you were curious what was said in the end, here it is!

Family and friends, on behalf of Adam and Jennie, I thank you for being here today. You have been invited to share an occasion of great joy and celebration.

Adam and Jennie know that marriage is not a relationship to be entered into lightly, but deliberately, lovingly, and reverently. Today they are declaring to each other and to all of us hat they plan to be by each other's side, no matter what life brings their way.

Adam and Jennie have asked that I share a reading by Robert Fulghum, entitled 'Union'.

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that began with, "When we're married", and continued with "I will" and "you will" and "we will" - all those late night talks that included "someday" and "somehow" and "maybe" - and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, "You know all those things that we've promised, and hoped, and dreamed - well, I meant it all, every word."

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another - acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same. 

 For after today you shall say to the world - This is my husband. This is my wife.

If any person present knows of any legal reason why this marriage should not take place, now is the time for that person to speak.

And I ask you both, in the presence of these witnesses, that if either of you know of any legal impediment to this marriage, you do now reveal the same.

Let the groom repeat after me: I solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I Adam may not be joined in matrimony to Jennie.

Let the bride repeat after me: I solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I Jennie may not be joined in matrimony to Adam.

There being no impediment declared or admitted, and having freely and deliberately chosen each other in this union, please face each other and join hands.

The vows you are making to each other today have no hidden meaning nor power within themselves. They simply express in words your continuing intention and commitment to each other. As you enter this marriage you are embarking on an exciting adventure. Although adventures almost always encounter problems and pressures, if you face them together you can create new opportunities and strengths.

Adam and Jennie, do you promise to help each other to develop your hearts and minds and to have confidence in one another's abilities?  We do.

Do you promise to support and care for one another through life's challenges and celebrations?  We do.

Do you promise to share all that life brings you together as partners?  We do.

Will the groom please repeat after me: I call on those present to witness that I Adam take Jennie to be my lawful wedded wife. 

Will the bride please repeat after me: I call on those present to witness that I Jennie take Adam to be my lawful wedded husband.

For the next few minutes, Adam and Jennie invite all of you to pass the rings between one another, pausing to say a prayer, a blessing, a best wish for the future, or simply to warm them with your love, before passing them along. While you are doing this, Adam and Jennie will sign the documents that legally affirm their marriage. 

At this time, we ask if those holding the rings could please bring them forward.

Adam, please repeat after me: With this ring, I seal my promise to be your faithful and loving husband. I give you this ring as a symbol of our love.

Jennie, please repeat after me: With this ring, I seal my promise to be your faithful and loving wife. I give you this ring as a symbol of our love.

Adam and Jennie, you have sought and accepted each other joyously. May all that life brings to you strengthen the bond you have declared today. May your loved ones, those present and those unable to be present, continue to rejoice in the warmth of the love that has united you. May you be comfort and joy, counsel and strength to each other. And may the home you will build shed its peace on you and all who seek its shelter. I am delighted to pronounce you husband and wife.

Adam, you may kiss the bride!

Photos: The Photobooth!

All photos by Orange Passion Photography!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: The Reception

All photos by Orange Passion Photography!

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Family, Friends and the Bride & Groom

All photos by Orange Passion Photography!

 

 

Photos: The Ceremony

All photos by Orange Passion Photography!

 

Photos: Before the Ceremony

All photos by Orange Passion Photography!

The Wedding Day!

I have been putting off posting about our actual wedding day for nearly a month now. I have no idea why. It was wonderful, practically perfect and I loved every minute of the day. But for some reason putting everything down into words seems like a huge task. So, instead, I'm going to share tidbits!

Tidbit #1
We were in town for a couple days before and after the wedding, and so, we got to spend time with friends and family. We were so happy to be able to do this! Yes, we were also very busy, but by fitting in our friends and family, we enjoyed our busy days. Here is some proof:

Promptly upon arriving in the city, we met up with A's cousins (pictured above), best man, and the best man's soon-to-be-wife. We immediately went out for drinks and food, followed by more drinks and peanuts. We threw our peanut shells on the floor. We're reckless like that.

Tidbit #2

Our wedding was a definite collaboration by friends and family. We definitely could not have done it without the tons of help they gave us. My mom and one of my maids of honour made the bouquets, our friend took on the DJ duties, A's family made our cakes, several friends drove our wedding party around before and after the ceremony, a groomsmen took care of the music during the ceremony, our DJ saved our butts by making the cd for the ceremony around midnight the night before the wedding, my friend and my mom and stepdad did all the decoarating of the hall, my dad and stepmom took care of the booze (so very important!), etc, etc, etc. The list goes on, but you get the gist! 

We are so grateful for everyone's contributions. It made our day that much more special to know it was a collaboration of everyone we love's hard work! Here's some of the hard workers that we managed to capture on film:

This is my mom and maid of honour hard at work making our bouquets. I was supposed to help... but *somehow* I ended up mostly watching and taking pictures!

When A and his groomsmen arrived at the hall to help with the set up, they discovered a plethora of 'Happy Birthday' balloons hanging from the ceiling. Thankfully, A didn't feel it necessary to call me! The guys braved rickety ladders to make sure our wedding didn't look like a birthday party!

They also had the task of arranging all the tables and chairs. As you can see, they dutifully checked their floor plan handout to make sure everything was in the right spot! Tia then did a huge amount of decorating, although she somehow avoided the camera!

Before the reception, my dad and stepmom put out all the wine and cider while my mom and stepdad finished decorating. Looks like they did a pretty awesome job, eh?

I wanted to add in a picture of our DJ friend hard at work, but he sneakily set up behind the curtain of the stage and therefore avoided photos! At any rate, he did an awesome job and somehow got my shy little nephew to perform for everyone... he's magic!

Tidbit #3
Photobooths are magical machines designed to create oodles of fun! I was originally going to make us our own photobooth (with DIY inspiration from some other blogs) but then our photographers offered it to us at no extra cost because they're just starting to do them. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! One of the best parts is all the extra photos. We even got photos of guests that otherwise wouldn't have been in any of our pictures - so it's nice to have that proof that they were there and that they had a blast! There's nothing quite like seeing your dad kiss your godfather...

(note: this is not one of the professional shots from the photobooth, but I will add some of those in another blog post - so stay tuned!)

Tidbit #4
Our friends and family tore up the dance floor! It was hilarious, fun and exhausting! My shy 4 year old nephew broke the ice by performing a solo dance to Thriller, A's dad got everyone out of their seats by starting a Conga line, one of my bridesmaid's instigated a little limbo action, and in between we danced, danced, danced!

This picture's a little fuzzy, but you get the idea. A's dad was realllly into it!

Tidbit #5
Everyone says your wedding day will just fly by and you won't really remember all the details. That couldn't be further from the truth for us. I soaked in every moment of the day. I remember getting coffee with my dad before my hair appointment (yes, my dad was the one who went with me to the salon!). I remember driving around campus to kill time before the ceremony while my stepmom fed me a granola bar. I remember feeling confident as I said my vows in front of a bunch of people (which was bizarre considering my immobilizing fear of public speaking). I remember talking to each of our guests and really enjoying their company. I remember eating and going back for seconds! I even remember the conversation I had with my dad while we danced. It was not a blur. It was perfect - every second! :)

That's all for now! I'm going to share all the photos by the pro's in separate blog posts, so stay tuned for those over the next week or so!