Under the Bridge

Which of these would make a good new year's card?!?!

Thankful...

...for these special people in my life,

especially this guy!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Wordless Wednesday: Down by the River

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Take My Breath Away

 

{edit: credit where, credit's due: From our Trash the Dress session by Studio Juno}

(Wedding Recap) Bridal Party Shots!

Let me start out by saying we had the best attendants.  Our groomsmen & bridesmaids (have you heard them called "bridesbabes" ?!) were fabulous.  Whats more, we couldn't imagine better people to stand up next to us as we said our vows.
Thankfully, we have these awesome pictures to prove it:

But honestly, THESE are the pictures that really show how much we love them:

Oh, those boys...

The ladies:

Such hams! Love it!

I wouldn't have it any other way!

(and yes, there is double meaning in the title of this post...hence the great photos)

{said great photos, by Studio Juno}

Today is My Wedding Day.

Today.
Today is my wedding day.

As a little girl I dreamed about this day.  I idealized, I pretended, I dressed up.  I fantasized about what sort of man might complete me, stand next to me, say "I do."

Today I wear a white (ok, ivory) beautiful gown, the most expensive gown ever purchased for myself.  Makeup artists and hair stylists will dote on me.  My friends & family will all come to see and celebrate me, us.

Beneath all the anxiety of details falling in place, fear of the weather holding out, and desire for everything to be just right, there is one major focal point that brings me peace: Mike.

He makes water bottle labels and rain clouds disappear.  Knowing that starting today I get to have him to hold in sickness and health, richer or poorer, better or worse, makes my heart swell with joy.  I don't call it luck.  I call it meant to be.  It just makes sense.

And that makes today more than a dream come true.
Today is my reality.
And it looks pretty good to me.

Cheers!

Seven Years, good luck!

I vividly remember the day I first saw Mike with a glimmer of attraction.  I remember where he was, where I was, and the entire feeling of a normal a Saturday morning.

Late in spring, the Florida air already warmed in anticipation for summer.  I rose before the rest of the house and accidentally woke Mike, sleeping on the couch.  He was that friend, who spent more time at a friend's house than his own. (sidenote: This is in part because he observed Shabbat strictly in college and once settled at a location after the sun set, he stayed there, not driving or spending money until the sun set again.)

Looking back, it's funny that he happened to wake up, since I now know him to be the world's heaviest sleeper.
I swear we're in trouble when we have kids.  I digress.

Everything about the day made it appear normal, but I honestly felt the need to be closer to Mike.  I wanted to get to know everything about him.  My heart jumped and my head followed.

Had someone told me those fleeting moments would define my lifetime, that he was the man I would marry 7+ years from then?  I might have laughed, but a part of me would have jumped for joy, because from that moment I fell hard and fast for Michael William.
The rest, they say, is history.

Today we celebrate seven years together.
In six weeks time we celebrate our marriage.
For a lifetime, we celebrate our love for each other.

 vintage Mike & Vicki, circa late 2004

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Today my man turns one year older!  I absolutely love celebrating birthdays, so today will be non-stop F-U-N! Unless, of course, Mike decides he wants to just play video games, then it will be fun for him and I will clean the house (meanwhile, I still get joy out of that!)

Last year I wrote up 27 things I love about Mike, but today I keep it short and sweet.

I love him entirely and completely and can't wait to become his wife!  There's one way sure-fire way to Mike's heart: through his stomach.  This morning we started off with his favorite breakfast: banana pancakes.

Here's a Jack Johnson song, Banana Pancakes, to start your morning off right, too!

Happy Birthday, Mike!!!!!!!!!!!

(and my niece, Eleanor, turns 4 today, too!
Happy Birthday to my little love!)

Happy Weekend, All!

May it be filled with banana pancakes!

Mother/Daughter Revelation-ships

It started young, as it usually does with a mother-daughter relationships.

My mom imposed her healthy habits on us, never having too much sugar in the house and always pushing encouraging vitamins.  The well rounded meals she cooked were never too heavy on the starches, and rice-a-roni was a rare treat.  And Lucky Charms or Entiments's Cheese Crumb Coffee Cake? The most prized treat in the pantry!

But as I grew up, and continued to take those vitamins, we butted-heads like two rams on a high cliff.  My teenage years, riddled with emotions, caused much strife between my mom and me.  The only things we had in common anymore was shopping.  (Which obviously is not a bad thing to share, unless you argue about the clothes).

Moving away to college allowed me my freedom I strove to obtain, and a break from vitamins. I started to realize I needed my mom more than I wanted to admit.  However recently, with wedding planning, I've found my mom's support to be the utmost calming factor.   Only recently can I accept that she means well, wants the best for me, and strives to support me, amidst all the emotions. 

I know many of my mommy-friends say having their children allowed them to see their mom as she always wanted to be seen.  I can imagine that precious moment when you as a daughter-now-mother, strive to be that mother your mom was to you. 

Yesterday, as I struggled with a particular moment on the roller coaster of emotions from wedding planning, I called my mom.  I simply wanted to let her know the latest and she simply listened.  Her ease in handling the situation calmed me.  Then she said the best thing I ever heard her say, "Do whatever you want. It's your wedding. Do whatever makes you happiest." She didn't question my motive. She didn't remind me of any moral to be learned. She was there for me.

As I took my vitamins this morning, all six of them out of the daily pill dispenser, this post started writing itself in my head.  Not only have I started to become my mother, but I found that beautiful balance in our relationship.

Me. Vitamins. Silly face.


Shameless plug: Don't forget, you have until 3/3 at 11p EST to enter  my SIX Blogiversary Giveaways!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

'Tis a beautiful day in the neighborhood, if you're in love and a fan of cupid.

{source}

While I strongly believe in love, I always found Valentine's Day to be a foo-foo holiday, one that materialism and marketing play much too big a role.  Truth be told, Mike and I celebrate it, but we use it more for a date excuse than anything else.  That and I demand a new stuffed animal every year.

It started out with the cheesy gorilla holding heart.  Monkey for your love? something like that.  I do some heavy tossing and turning, with high kicks, in my sleep.  The Gorilla only lasted so long.

{source}

 Next came a bean-bag style M&M guy.  Cute as he may be, you just can't cuddle something stuffed with bean pellets.  (Noted?)

{source}

Most recently, Dangles, the softest, most cuddly monkey joined the crew. And will never. be. replaced.

For those of you reading carefully: Yes. I do sleep with a stuffed animal.

That share? Is true, deep love.

{source}

Thank you readers, I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you find something/someone to cuddle up with tonight!

Engagement-versary!

One year ago today Mike and I found ourselves in the midst of the panda exhibit at the National Zoo, snow falling gently on us.  He knew something I didn't... as did our friends surrounding us.

Flashback: The first time we ever visited the zoo, happened to be the day Thai Shan the panda was born!  We frequented the exhibit when at the zoo and waved, said our hellos. However all panda bears are on loan from China, even those born here in the states.  As Thai Shan's time in DC came to an end, Mike and I started down a new road.

And then he got down on one knee....
You can read the whole proposal story, AND the watch live video footage of Mike popping the question!
Enjoy.
I do :)





I love you Mike!!! I can't wait to marry you!

SnowDay!

A storm brought icky sleet followed by snow, around the evening commute Wednesday night.  Stories of people abandoning their cars on highways followed by ohs and ahs of the elusive thundersnow clogged the interwebs.

And me? I wore my PJs inside-out and backwards, following the advice of my 7 and 8 year-old students.  Did you also know to flush ice down the toilet and spit as it goes down? Oh and put a spoon in a sock under your pillow, for good measure.
Or just open a bottle of wine and watch the flakes fall.
And frequently jump when your phone gives the tell tale signal of an email or text received, because you, like those darling children, also hope it contains the words "Snow" and "Day," consecutively of course.

By 11pm my wish came true!  My heart did a little dance, mostly because a day off is golden, but also since I knew 21 other little hearts similarly skipped a beat.  A Snow Day! A day to play! A day to finish working on report cards that are due soon.  A chance to email wedding vendors and figure out wedding invitation verbiage.
Another day to work, but not for the man.

In the early afternoon Mike and I ventured out with our dog, Nora.  Plows visited most of the side streets and most neighbors shoveled several sidewalks, but the world looked slushy and puddle-wonderful.  We dodged ice covered intersections and greeted the scarce sighting of neighbors warmly.

I snapped happily, excited for the chance to use City of Blackbird's Photoshop tutorial later. (her textures are shared, free!)

And so I bring you my favorite neighborhood spots, snow covered:

A good walk was had by all.

Stay Warm!