The after party!!! 7.30.2011

So, after the beautiful wedding we went off to the casino for a little after party. Lots of our wonderful friends and our family joined us for a little drinking and a little gambling. We got to spend a little more time with everyone and really enjoy everyone a little more intimately then at the wedding. Later in the evening we went back up to our room,  to show it off, and someone had snuck into our room and put a bunch of balloons in there! They were all over the ceiling above the bed and it was really cool. Then we went back down for some dinner and drinks with James and Emily. They left shortly thereafter and Garret and I made one more trip around the casino. Garret laid down some money at the roulette table and WON! We were super excited. Then we went back up to the room and passed our until morning. It was a truly deserved slumber!

Add a comment August 1, 2011

The big day!!! 7.30.2011

Okay, so this may be long and probably not complete, but I’ll do my best and maybe add more later…

First, I got up super early (600am) and did my own hair and make-up. There was no way that I could get anyone up that early and even if I could there was no way I was paying someone that much! It was seriously too expensive and not really worth it (as far as am I concerned, you want to look like you anyways, so why not?). Then Anne-so and I drove to Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo where we met up with Nicole and Sheryl. My bridesmaids were absolutely gorgeous and I had lots of fun getting ready with them that morning. The adorable flower girls also got ready in our room and they were so cute I don’t think any one of us could stand it! Then when they were all ready I got into my dress and put on the final touches and off we went for pictures. My AMAZING friend, Sarah Musson of Snapshots, took all of our beautiful pictures. She did an amazing job and I can’t wait to see the final results. So, all of us girls got our pictures all done and then we did the first look between Garret and I. It was absolutely amazing and really special. Garret looked amazing and he was really happy with how I looked as well. He was a beautiful moment and I’m really happy that we got share it with just each other. Then we did a few bridal party pictures and off to my room I went until the Ceremony. The music started playing and everyone made their way down the aisle. Apparently there was a scuffle between two of the flower girls over some petals and it was quite entertaining. All of the kids made it down the aisle safely and it was time for me and my dad. I had warned my dad that I might start crying when I heard my song, Pachabel’s Canon, and he did a very good job of distracting the whole way. There was an adorable little bird playing in the flower petal aisle way and truthfully I barely remember the walk down. It was really special to share that moment with my father and I will treasure that for the rest of my life. Garret and I stood hand in hand and shared our vows. We then exchanged rings. At the moment that Garret was to give me my ring he said that something was wrong. And seriously the first thought through my mind was “oh no, this can’t be happening.” Then he finished it with “this ring just isn’t right, so I got you a different one.” Then he pulled out the most beautiful ring ever. It was one that we had picked out together a year ago, but we just couldn’t afford. He put it on my finger and I was almost in tears. I really had to concentrate on breathing and I was shaking really bad. Then I got his ring and placed it on his finger. He hadn’t seen his ring either and I had a little trouble getting it on. But in the end we were introduced as husband and wife and we walked back down the aisle together, as HUSBAND AND WIFE! Then the whole crowd gathered at the edge of the lawn for a group photo. Afterwards all the guests were directed to the atrium and Garret, myself, Aaron and Sheryl gathered with the officiant, Garret’s uncle Mike, and officially signed our marriage license. Then we were introduced by Brennan and had our first dance. We danced to Nickleback’s “Never have to be alone.” Then we all took our seats and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. This is when it all goes fuzzy in my head, but I’ll do my best. Garret and I cut our beautiful cake and totally smeared it all over each other faces. I think we both had it up our noses and I had to redo a little of my make-up. But it was fun. We had some amazing toasts by all of Garret’s groomsmen, both our fathers, two of my three bridesmaids and of course the wonderful Sarah Musson… I know that there may have been others, but honestly I was so overwhelmed with everyone and their beautiful words that it’s sort of a blur. We enjoyed our champagne and cake and then it was time for more pictures. We took pictures with our families, more of Garret and I and more of the entire bridal party. Then we all gathered back in the atrium and played a super fun game. I definitely recommend this to anyone getting married. Garret and I sat back to back. We each held a shoe of our own and the other’s. Then we were asked questions, such as “who talks more?” and we had to hold up the shoe that represented our answer. It was a lot of fun and our guests really enjoyed it. Then it was time for the garter and flower toss. A little more mingling and then off for our get away. Garret and I walked along the beach to the dock and down to a Formula 1 36′ boat of our wonderful friend’s Brandon and Brendan. They were so generous to allow us to their boat and we had lots of fun on our ride. They drove the boat in front of the our guests, whom had gathered on the lawn deck, and as they took off opened the hatch and out went lots of beautiful purple and silver balloons. We waved at our guests and off we went! It was a lot of fun and for anyone that knows us, it was truly fitting.

Add a comment August 1, 2011

It’s almost time!

So, with less than two weeks to go until my wedding I realize I haven’t posted in awhile. So much has happened. We are all ready and are just anticipating the wonderful day to come. We are really excited to spend this joyous day with all of our family and friends and start building new memories as a married couple. While I’ve had a few freak-out moments, it really has been a great experience. Although, I would recommend to anyone that can afford it to just hire a wedding planner. While I haven’t run into anything that I couldn’t take care of myself there are many, MANY little details that could be forgotten if you aren’t on top of things. I have three different check lists that I use AND I write everything down in a book. Plus, we are getting ready for visitors and trying to get everything in order. On top of the regular cleaning we had to get the guest room in order (which was hard with all that wedding stuff in there!) and we had to beautify the yard with beauty bark, new flowers and lots and LOTS of weeding. I have to say though, it’s nice to have those things done. We’ve been meaning to do it and this was the push we needed to get it done. So, while I don’t have any funny, crazy or wild stories about my wedding planning I would like everyone to know that we are ready and that we can’t wait to spend this day with you. And for our honeymoon, of course!

Add a comment July 21, 2011

Bridal Shower!

Today I got to spend the afternoon with some of the most amazing ladies EVER! My beautiful mother and bestest friend Sheryl threw me the most wonderful Bridal Shower ever. We all gathered at the Yacht Club in a beautiful room with a beautiful view of the water. There were super pretty flower arrangements and the MOST DELICIOUS lemon cake EVER! (thanks blackbird bakery!) I had family and friends come from all over just to spend the afternoon with me. We played some super fun games and got to spend some time just talking and laughing. They spoiled me with some amazing gifts and really made me feel special and loved. I can’t wait to see them all again in July (along with everyone who couldn’t come as well!) to spend mine and Garret’s special day together. It is absolutely amazing to have people in my life who really care about me and love me, I am truly blessed.

Add a comment May 22, 2011

R.I.P. Mercedes (also known as merci, merc, mercer and mama’s little baloo bear)

Thursday night we had to put our little mercer down. It was absolutely devastating and we are all very sad. He was truly a joy to have in my life and i will miss him more than anyone can ever know. He was one of my babies and i loved him as if he was my child. I know that sounds silly but Garret and I both love our pets as if they are our children. We got Merci about four years ago, along with his brother Donzi. I named him Mercedes because he was absolutely beautiful and i think the most beautiful cars are Mercedes and he was grey just like the one I have always wanted. Shortly thereafter we nicknamed him Merci because we would yell MERCY whenever he meowed, which was quite often. He had quite the way with meow’s. Some of you have even heard him meow “mama.” we have him on video saying “mom” and that video means the world to me. Merci wasn’t much of a purrer, but when he did you felt so loved. You knew that when he purred he meant it. I always felt so special when he would come up to me, start loving and start purring. He would rub up against my leg and rub his face into me just to get a little more love. We also think that loving was just too good to him. He would get all excited and run off, then run back for more. He would lay on the ground and as you rubbed him he would pull away with this claws. There were many of times when we would go down the hallway loving with him and that was just the way he liked it. he also like being chased down my garret. garret would chase him all through the house and then merci would roll over and get lots of loves from garret. He also adored his belly being rubbed. He would roll over and just let it all hang out. I nicked named him my little baloo bear because he reminded me of baloo from the jungle book. He had a fat little face, with fat little cheeks and these little ears. He would sit on his bottom and push up on this front legs and stretch out really big so that you would rub his head. he looked so adorable. Thursday night was one of the worst nights of my life. I knew that i was in for it on the way to the vet. I just had a feeling and i was immediately brought back to a room and that’s when they told me that he had a urinary blockage. it was going to be very expensive to save him and it wasn’t even a guarantee that he would make it. it was going to be a long recovery and he was going to be sick for quite awhile. The likelihood of it reoccurring were great and he would have continual urinary problems. because of the cost and the unlikelihood of a full recovery we had to let him go. i was absolutely devastated and felt incredibly guilty. i felt like i should have seen the signs, brought him to the vet earlier and maybe, just maybe he would have survived. however, i know that that’s not the case. and even if i had taken him to the vet he still would have come down with this eventually and it still would have taken his life. i may have had some more time with him, but it would have been an ongoing problem that would have caused him more discomfort then it would have been worth. the vet gave him some pain meds and told us to spend a little time with him and let him know when we were ready. we each held him and loved with him. we told him how much we loved him, how sorry we were and that we would miss him very much. we also asked him to take care of his brother, since it is a hereditary disease. when we were ready the vet came in. we put him on the table and he was injected with the amnesia. he slowly went down on the table and then he was injected with the fatal dose. we continued to tell him how much we loved him and that he would be taken care of in heaven until we could be with him. i know that he is watching us from heaven now and hoping that we feel better soon so that we can live our lives to the fullest so that when our time comes we will be ready to be with him again. i am trying to hard to remember all of the good times with him. but every time i think of him i can’t help but cry. my heart hurts so bad for him. there are very few things that i wouldn’t give up in order to have him back. and those things are my three babies that i have left and my family. through this i have realized that the ones you love are all that matter and nothing else in this world is worth anything. i am going to love my babies as much as possible, spend as much time with them and hope that i get many more years with them. Merci was a true blessing in my life and if my four years with him were all i was to have then i am thankful for them and will always remember those times with the best of memories and best of my heart.

Mercedes was born March 10th, 2007 and passed on May 5th, 2011.

Add a comment May 8, 2011

cake, exploring and a little painting!

so, sunday garret and i went cake tasting… and it was amazing! we tasted some super yummy cake and we can’t wait for everyone to taste some at the wedding. there will be a flavor to satisfy everyone’s taste buds, no matter what type you like!

after we tasted cake, garret drove me around bainbridge island. i’ve lived here all my life and have only been to the island for the ferry. it was absolutely beautiful and i had a great time just driving around and seeing the beautiful views and homes. it was great to spend that quality time with him and enjoy something together.

i’ve also started repainting the house! i’m super excited about this. i got the main wall and the space above the fireplace (in the living room) all repainted and it looks great. next up is the kitchen and the main wall of the dining room. then i’ll finish off the living room, dining room and hallway with the same color. then all i have to do are the spare rooms and the ceiling in the bathroom. then the house will be all fresh and new and ready for decorating and new floors come this fall! i can’t wait to get it all done and have it all put together and finally looking how we want it to. this year is definitely going to be a fresh start filled with lots of love and joy and i just can’t wait!

Add a comment March 16, 2011

Christopher Allan Robert Anderson, 2.27.1985-2.13.2011

2.27.1985-2.13.2011

Chris… your service yesterday was beautiful. the room was filled with everyone that loved you, cared for you and will now miss you. i know that you are now with the lord, where you belong. i know that it is selfish of me to wish you were here, but i don’t care. your smile was beautiful, your laugh infectious and your character unreachable by a normal person. you touched the lives of many people and will be greatly missed. this is for you:

i don’t want to cry for him

i want to call him

laugh with him

i want to hear his voice

hear his stories

hear his laugh

i don’t want to cry for him

i hold it all in thinking it’s all a dream

a nightmare

that i’ll wake up and he’ll be there

wake up and be able to see his smile

those crinkles next to his eyes

his smile that went from ear to ear

his infectious laugh

his warm embrace

his smile, oh that smile

i don’t want to cry for him

but i do

RIP Chris Anderson, we love you and will be miss you for ever… we will never forget

2 comments February 21, 2011

momzilla…?

so, before i start, let me just say that i have since talked to my mom and i mean this to be funny and i really wasn’t mad, just confused when it all happened: so, i have been talking to my mom about the favor boxes that we are using for the wedding. the last time we talked she told me what size she wanted and that she preferred purple, but that white would work, we could make them purple somehow. so, i started looking and couldn’t find anything in the size she wanted, so i found a template. i told my mom and she said, “well, won’t it be expensive to buy the paper?” I said, no, that we could get white cardstock for super cheap. she went “no! i wanted purple” in a pouting tone. i said that was fine that white or purple, it didn’t matter and she was got all bent out of shape said she would talk to me later, said bye and hung up… i was like “what the he!! just happened?” and was totally baffled. i still don’t know what happened, but that’s okay. i still think it’s funny

Add a comment February 17, 2011

frustrated…

with everything, but in particular a “co-worker” who doesn’t know how to join the team and play nice. ever worked with someone that seems out for themselves? someone that just can’t be a team player and seems to enjoy making everyone else’s life miserable? well, we have one of those. he doesn’t work directly with us, but every now and then he comes in and audits us. today he came in and tried to pull one over on us. good thing for us my boss’s boss figured it out beforehand and gave us what we needed to come out ahead. the whole point of the audit is to make sure that we are ready just incase a real auditor stops by. so what do they get from not telling us about updates? oh yeah, sound familiar? pretty sure i’ve blogged about this before, and yes it is the same person… i just don’t get it. why withhold information and make someone’s life miserable when you can give them a heads up and make their day? so, here’s to my boss’s boss for being a team player and may karma bite the other guy in the a$$!

Add a comment January 27, 2011

wedding stuff!

well, on saturday garret and i, with our parents, went to kiana lodge for their annual bridal open house. we got to try out lots of appetizers and their entrees. the food was amazing and everything look and tasted absolutely wonderful. we found our ceremony musician (thanks barrie and sue for paying for that!) and got her all booked up. we also found our cake people and look forward to meeting with them early march to taste some cake and discuss everything with them. so, now that all that is finalized i get to start working on the details. i’ve been spending lots of time on etsy and will probably spend quite a bit more. now that the hard stuff is over i get to work on the fun stuff and i can’t wait!

Add a comment January 26, 2011