Onward!

The wedding saga continues: it is the weekend following the bachelorette party.

Erik's parents arrived on Friday (8 days before the wedding) and mom, Jenny, and Henry arrived Sunday. It was a good weekend, the calm before the storm. Come Monday, wedding preparations were in full swing!

Sewing, shopping, crafting, baking, errands, phone calls, manicures/pedicures, laughing, late nights, crying, swearing, forgetting to eat, organizing, flower arranging, you name a wedding related task and we probably did it.

The wedding was definitely a mix of DIY (do it yourself) and "oh just give up and buy it". As far as the actual week before the wedding, almost all the projects were DIY. We started by finishing up the favors (personalized tea bags) and creating the ceremony programs (thanks Jenny!).

Centerpiece fabric squares (x10) and a long table runner were sewn by my mom on the world's worst sewing machine (mine). Aunt Elaine arrived on Tuesday and helped with many things, and provided a car since I was too cheap to get a rental for the week (Erik was still working, and thus using the car).

The biggest and most daunting project was the cake. Well two cakes actually if you count the much smaller "groom's cake". They were baked on Wed-Thurs and put together on Friday by my mom and Aunt Elaine. Both turned out delicious and beautiful!

Meeka arrived on Thursday and helped a lot. Her moral and emotional support was much needed. I found out at the beginning of the week that my sister Maria would not be able to make it and later that my Aunt Gerrie and Uncle Jim would not be able to attend either. We all missed them very much. I know Maria enjoyed the piece of chocolate groom's cake I sent in the mail :)

Overall the week before the wedding went very smoothly and we easily got everything done (well putting together the bouquets on Friday night was a LITTLE stressful). There are few things more fun than not working for a week and getting to hang out with the favorite women in your life. It was a memorable week and yet another reason why a DIY wedding is so rewarding!

making various flavored and colored mints

Pow-wow in the kitchen

pedicures anyone?

Johanna and I mid-pedicure

Johanna getting her manicure

Dad arrived on Friday and was of course a Henry-hog

Making the bouquets

Kristin's is looking good!

There were flowers everywhere,
with Dendro right in the middle!

Jenny and Henry are making the programs

At least this day I remembered to take a shower

cake time!

Mom's nails look nice with chocolate cake

another project

good thing Kristin doesn't have allergies

A Night on the Town

Next up came the bachelorette party the following weekend. My coworkers (just the ladies of course) and Jen took me out for appetizers, dinner, and lots of drinks. We had a great time and really appreciated Julie taking it upon herself to drive us all around! I also appreciated the use of Zaiga's couch that night :) On to the pictures of course...

We had tasty seafood and appetizers here

Dancing at Dixies

Nikki enjoying her beer

Group shot, minus Zaiga the photographer

Too bad, we took the picture anyway

I'm not sure what song was playing,
but I hope this was working

What can I say?

What are we up to here....

The long walk back to the car

Lots of Updates

Of course most (ok probably ALL) of you know that Erik and I got married on September 20th. So obviously a lot has happened since I last posted, including another bridal shower, bachelorette party, a week of wedding preparations, the wedding itself, and our honeymoon in Hawaii. So, I will start at the beginning of the wedding saga and update through the week until I have it all out there in cyberspace.


Meeka, my dear friend and maid of honor, threw me a great bridal shower on September 6th. She flew out here and was very much prepared with fun games, prizes, favors, everything that makes a shower great! Meeka, Kristin, and I had a great time hanging out the entire weekend.

good ol' Meeka

this is why boys aren't invited to showers

table in progress

prizes!

Jerilyn and I

This is after the shower, not sure what's going on

my girls!

my rehearsal bouquet

a great picture Meeka put together that everyone signed

mmmm, green cupcakes!

books Kristin gave me, which I read this weekend and loved!

that is a daunting present

smooch!

pre-shower, making breakfast

EVERYONE has to wear an apron in my kitchen

mmmm, blackberry pancakes
(I know we look like bizarre conjoined twins)

off-centered timer picture right before the shower

my portland girls, Jen and Sarah!

Meeka and I went to a Ceramic store on Sunday before she left.
Her pitcher turned out very cute

my work of art (which I actually used at the wedding)

goodbye Meeka, thanks for the great shower!

Henry is here!

Erik and I began our journey to Priest River Friday after work. We picked up the dogs at daycare (I know, I know) and discovered some very scenic back roads to avoid the dreaded Friday rush hour(s). Our trip was uneventful except for the infrequent updates from my mom on Jenny's labor! Without going into details, the labor did not go quite as planned but both Jenny and Henry are doing great! Jenny was quite the trooper and went through more than the average mother-to-be has to, but I know she thinks it was well worth the effort!

Jenny, Ben and Henry were able to come home (to my parent's house) on Sunday. This was very exciting of course and sooner than expected! Henry is such a lovely little baby and has quite the adorable face! I didn't get to see much of his actual body because newborns need to be wrapped up ALL the time. I did witness newborn poop, which to say the least, is just not right.

Proud grandparents

what a face!

He always has his hands raised up

Grandpa loves babies

Jenny is a little tired

some expert advice

Besides Henry, Erik and I enjoyed the open space of my parent's house and the great weather! The four dogs (Cap, Pup, Hanky, and Dendro) enjoyed running around together, for the most part. Captain was a little wary of Dendro and was rather rude, but he warmed up to him eventually.

It is always so great to see my family and to take a break from our routine here, it makes me a little homesick everytime. It was comforting to be reminded that the trip over really isn't too long and is quite do-able on a Friday after work. Easy for me to say since I was passenger for most of it :)

mmmm, plum

the lightning tree!

Dendro; Jenny and Ben's hairy baby