Wedding Photos!!

As promised, here are our wedding photos!  Diana from Infinte Moments Photography definitely did not disappoint.  If you are planning a wedding, probably the best advice I could give is to get a photographer who understands what you want from your photos and is willing to go the extra mile (which Diana definitely did for us), because the photos are one of the few things you really get to keep from that day.

Our Wedding

Today, Brett and I are one day shy of our first anniversary.  I can hardly believe how this year has flown by.  This past year has brought us both joys (in the form of a very successful harvest, new babies being born into the family and community, and a whole year of loving one another) and sorrows (in the form of losses of some very important people in our lives) - but I can honestly say that this has been the best year of my life so far, because I was lucky enough to spend it with my best friend.

This will be Part VII of Our Love Story.  If you'd like to catch up on the other parts, the links are as follows:

How I met my Husband
Our First Date
Becoming Brett's Girlfriend
Learning the Truth About Dating a Farmer
Our Engagement
Our Engagement Photos

In celebration of our almost-anniversary, I am going to share my memories of our big day with you.

After a very tearful rehearsal the day before the wedding (I think I scared the groomsmen) I woke up feeling refreshed.  I was surprised that - other than feeling ecstatic and really, really happy - I wasn't really feeling emotional.  While my sister (also my maid of honor) went to decorate the getaway truck, I read the letter that Brett wrote to me (and shed a few - okay, many - happy tears).

I found getting ready so fun!  A behind the scenes look:

The boys were having some fun too:

Thanks to my handy time table (to see the time table, click here), we all managed to make it to the church on time (I think we were early even).  It is hard to describe the feelings I had while I waited in the cool church basement - it was a very surreal experience.  I think it was mostly disbelief that the day we had planned for so long was actually here.  I had the feeling that I was right on the edge of doing something totally life altering - I was about to pledge myself to another person (it seems really silly, but it is such a crazy feeling).

When it was finally time to walk down the aisle, I only felt joy.  Never in my life have I ever felt so happy.  I kept saying to my bridesmaids, "I'm just so happy, I don't think I will even cry at all".  Ha... Good one Aubrey.  When the last bridesmaid had left down the aisle, my dad and I took our places in front of the double doors, the music cued and the doors were opened.  We walked down to Pachelbel's Canon in D major on antique pipe organ.

The left picture was when I still thought I wouldn't cry....

I remember after those doors opened, I immediately made eye contact with my friend Angie from nursing school.  I can remember looking at her smiling at me, hearing the song, holding my dad's arm and thinking "oh boy, here come the tears".  I'm crying even now thinking of that moment, it is one that has really stuck with me.  Another one that has really stuck was my dad lifting my veil.  That simple act made it all seem so final (some serious bittersweet tears fell at that moment).

Our ceremony seemed to pass by so quickly.  It seemed like one minute I was walking down the aisle, and the next one Brett and I were making our exit.  I know that I could not stop smiling through the whole thing though - even during the moments when I would be crying.

Of the ceremony, I think hearing Brett say his vows was my favorite part.  We used the traditional "for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health" vows.  Writing our own vows was not something that either of us wanted to do - we both feel that there is a lot to be said for tradition (and in a lot of ways, the traditional vows fit us better as a couple than any vows we wrote would have).  I tell you what, I think the most romantic thing a man can every say to you is to promise to love you for better or worse, for richer or poorer; in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live.  Sigh, my heart melts...

Sadly - despite all our practicing during rehearsal (our minister literally made us practice exiting the church slowly so that people could take pictures) - we basically dashed up the aisle to Mendelssohn's Wedding March.

We left at such a clip that this is the only photo we have of us leaving, and no one got one of the maid of honor and best man!

Like the ceremony, the reception seemed to pass in a daze.  My sister's toast to the bride was so touching.  She quoted the poem "I Carry Your Heart" by E.E. Cummings, which has always had special meaning to us.  More than one tear was shed (yep, I'm talking full on ugly cry - complete with a small amount of hyperventilation... it wasn't pretty).  There are photos of that event, but for your sake and my own, I think I will keep those to myself (no one needs to see that).

Our first dance was amazing.  Alan Jackson's "Livin' on Love" was the song we chose (if you've never heard it you seriously need to click on that link... it's just wonderful).

We love to two-step!

Our wedding was a truly magical day - I almost wish that I could go back and do it again (minus all the planning) just so I could experience it a second time!  There will be more wedding pictures to come tomorrow - on our actual anniversary - so stay tuned for that!

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

My Most Used Substitutions

I have a confession: I have a horrible memory once I enter the grocery store.  I don't know what it is about that place, but as soon as I walk through the doors everything I was trying to remember to buy completely leaves my mind.  Thanks to that phenomena, I end up having to use a lot of substitutions if my cooking and baking.  The following are my favorites, some of them may not actually be a real thing but they have all worked good for me in a pinch.

Feel free to save and print this graphic (I keep it printed in my kitchen for easy access).  There are countless other substitutions that can be found online or in cookbooks, but these eight are the ones that I find I use the most (ie: these are the things that I always forget in the grocery store).

Hope you are having a good week - we are half way to Friday people!

I'm Back... Sort of

Sorry for the radio silence on the blog the past two weeks!  Things have gotten a little out of hand between finishing off my last clinical rotation of third year and moving back to the farm for the summer.  I almost should do a moving tips post (considering how often I move these days - about 2-3 times per year), but I am actually terrible at it still.  The best advice about moving that I could give anyone is not to do it.  Life around here has been chaotic to say the least.  On the up side, you haven't missed a whole lot, as clinical basically took over my life.  Hopefully things will get back to normal now, but I will ask for your patience with me as I get back to a bit of a routine now that I am home again.

In other news, here are some things I have been doing over the past week and a half since we talked last:

1.  Clinical Number 3 (and last) of 3rd year nursing is officially complete!  I must say, I was a little apprehensive about my mental health clinical rotation.  Your therapeutic nursing skills rely so heavily on your ability to converse with your patients in the mental health setting, which made me nervous at first.  However, I can say after completing it that I learned so much!  I feel like the skills I learned there will really translate across all areas of my practice in the future.

2.  I got my first pair of prescription sunglasses!!  It is very exciting to be able to drive (and see) without trying to squint through the bright sun - especially now that summer is finally here.  I have a lot of trouble with contacts drying out my eyes, so it will be nice to feel like I don't have to fight with them.

I get all my glasses at Superstore.  I am far too cheap to spend the money at the stores that are attached to the optometrist's office.

3.  I picked up this roller ball perfume while doing some last minute errands before leaving the city (from Indigo Bookstore).

They totally hooked me on the packaging.  But after smelling it I knew it had to be mine.  It isn't the kind of scent that I usually go for.  I am generally a vanilla based scent kind of girl (something that smells like baking preferably).  But this one is great for summer.  They say it is a blend of cassis, sea salt and geranium scents.  Love it!

4.  I have a few summery craft ideas spinning around in my head that I would like to get started on to post here.  I need a smaller travel make up case, a calendar for our newly painted kitchen, a summery wreath and I am planning on making a summer wrap dress.  I haven't decided yet whether or not I can somehow do a tutorial for the dress.  I absolutely love making dresses, and I often get lots of compliments on them.  I would really like to make an easy tutorial that the average sewer could follow, but I find it really hard to replicate a clothes pattern since I make my own.  Half the time I end up not even following my pattern and just winging it... So we will see how that goes.

I hope you are having a great week.  Don't mind my semi-irregular posts for the next week or so, I promise to get my act together ASAP.  Talk to you soon!

New Hair and a Bridal Shower!

My Friday morning started off in one of the best ways possible - at the hair salon.  I finally feel like I have a style again, rather than a really over-grown mop on my head.  My inspiration was Emily Maynard's hair in the below photo (sorry for the crappy photo quality):

Source

No matter what you think of Emily from the Bachelor/Bachelorette, it is impossible to deny that the girl has style.  She always looks so classy!  I think my stylist did a pretty good job replicating the look (despite my rounder face and different hair color).

Next up for the day was doing a little baking for the hubby and getting ready for a bridal shower!  My favorite look for a bridal shower is classy and feminine.  I have loved the sheer blouses that are in style lately, but it took me a while to find one that fit my shape properly.  This top from Le Chateau was about perfect - also love the minty green.

When I bought the blouse the sales lady brought me these pants just to try so I could see how the blouse would look with slim pants and I ended up falling in love with them.  They're probably one of the better purchases I've made - they are dress pants but feel like yoga pants because they are so stretchy.

My gift wrapping skillz:

This weekend is providing some much needed relaxation after a wild week of clinical.  Only five shifts left until summer break!  Woohoo!

I hope you are having as good a weekend as I am!

Fathers Day Gift Round Up

I am sure I wouldn't be the first daughter/daughter-in-law to say, Fathers Day stresses me out!  I am terrible at buying gifts for men (Brett included).  I don't know why I struggle so much buying gifts for the men in my life; but in case you have the same problem, I've decided to do a little round up of some gift ideas.

1.  This wallet insert card:

You can find this card here.  If your dad needs a new wallet, you could get him one and add this beautiful wallet insert card in with it.

2. BBQ Anything:

These BBQ rubs would be a great gift for the grill-master dad.  I made my dad a BBQ gift pack for his birthday in April and it is probably one of the better gifts I have given him.

3.  Sports Jersey:

Sports gear is a classic gift for dads.  If he has a favorite team, get him a nice jersey to wear on game days.  You can find this vintage style Saskatchewan Roughrider jersey here.

To be safe, you can accompany any Fathers Day gift with some homemade treats (that's always guaranteed to go over well).  You can find a great lemon meringue pie recipe here.

As you can see, my gift ideas are pretty limited (unlike my Mothers Day Gift Inspiraton).  Do you have any good ideas for fathers?  Or if you are a father yourself, what do you like to receive?

Book Review: Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott remains my favorite classic novel to this day.  I first read it when I was a kid (probably around age 10) and have re-read it so many times that my poor book is almost in tatters.  The story follows four sisters - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy - through their lives during the civil war era.  You get to see them start out as "little women" and grow into adulthood.

I find that this book reminds me of summers when I was a kid and I get warm fuzzy feelings every time I read it.  I remember laying on our trampoline on the farm in the hot summer sun reading this book and daydreaming.

This book makes me laugh and cry and warms my heart.  It is a beautiful tale of love, family and growing up.  I highly suggest you read it.