FY10Q1 pt III

Well, March saw the beginning of Lent. I don't even remember what I gave up now which is probably for the better. However, I do remember feeling that it was Lent. Greg and I wrote a blog for it for the bulletin for one Sunday. I'll try to dig it up.

I don't often participate in feast days but this year (oh! I just remembered, I gave up cloves and alcohol.) I decided to participate some. The best was for St. Patrick's day for which we had a great party, great cottage pie, toasted all who entered and watched Waking Ned Devine, such a sweet movie. Never has Bailey's tasted so sweet ;) But in any case, I think Greg had given me this set of flowers and as usual, they slowly began to die. I actually think red flowers are really pretty when they start dying. BUT, I saw this bunch and the one pink flower and I thought, "Whoa, this set of flowers totally says to me, 'Feast Day'". So that's what I call it and I share it with you. :)


March, I think was pretty unexciting otherwise. Greg and I did get to go to San Anton over his birthday weekend though and that was awesome. Here's some pics, mostly of the cutest little boy in the world...and a few others for kicks.

So, that was San Anton in a nutshell. Animatronic dinosaurs that Ethan was at first frightened of but then became quite fond of, T-rex eating my mom and husband, my dad's nameplate of sanctity, enjoying a little Wii Fencing and lovin' on Ethan some more.

Falltumn

Well, I said I wouldn't post more or about things for which I'm thankful. Well, I'll pretend I'm not thankful for the following or for the great season of Falltumn, which is drawing to a close rapidly in 20 degree Chicagoland. So, here's a tribute (in combo with general things I love):

we miss you boys! can't wait for you to come back and wrestle greg to the ground some more!

Dad and I on the long walk to my doom...jokes!

my veil that my mom and I made

mm..beef stew, for warming the cockles

there's nothing wrong with cutting a
pumpkin with a reciprocating saw, right?

the cute old people neighbors by my old house

our hallway is this color!

our berry tree right by our porch

shouldn't be allowed to exist, but oh, it does.
dancin' with the sister and the bro at the wedding

yeah, he's totally a roman soldier

an Alabama autumn

remember this? we all got a hole in one! i'm a goofball in this pic, but good times!

a little too much fun with the stamps...miss you, MJ!

invitation making party

the cutest baby ever, my nephew, Ethan, who loves his toes...he makes an aunt so proud!

my famski!

before going on a date...showin' off my new do

fave pic of Mink ever

the dezwaan boys...and Benedick of course.
just chillin', watchin the Olympics.

Day before I give thanks

Well, I woke up this morning particularly grumpy (I am not a morning person) and unenthused to a) be awake and alive and b) to have to go to work where I would a) be asked to accomplish several new things before the holiday and b) not get a lunch until 2pm (partly my own fault).

I also had a conversation with Greg this afternoon about how it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving. Well, what DOES Thanksgiving feel like anyway? Any contributions to make? Anyone? I mean, last year we had lots of people over and maybe I was just super excited about it. But, I'm not unexcited to have those over who are coming over this year. Also, I thought it was just my chagrin over not being with the rest of the Collinses over Thanksgiving. But, out of the last 7 years I've lived here, I've only been with them once. But I do really really miss them. And the reality that I may not get to go for Christmas either is settling in...poo. Anyhow, I was grumpy because I didn't *feel* like Thanksgiving. But, at the same time I am extremely thankful for many things. I will not list them at the moment because I'm working and have to get a couple things done in the next hour! Just trust me on this one...

I'm hoping that this
doesn't happen again this year.
I'm not taking him to the ER if it does...that's all I have to say. So, I guess at the least, I'm thankful for a better cutting board and safer knives this T-giving.

Yum, I am very looking forward to dinner tomorrow and the triptephane coma...oh how I love you. Lots of love to you, my faithful readers. If anyone wants to give shout outs on their ideas of T-giving, please feel free. Grace and peace in abundance!

our big fat offbeat wedding

What a whirlwind! Fam came in last wednesday for my 25th birthday. Yes, quarter of a century. Outrageous. Where does the time go?

Wednesday we visited with Karen who's our contact at Winnetka Community House where our reception will be. So many questions, so much confusion, a few questions answered differently. It's hard to plan all of this stuff, not that I didn't know. But, it's crazy that you, the paying customer can have as many ideas as you want but really it's all sent through one or two filters of the people who run the venues and that limits-for better or worse-your sense of what you want. For instance, who would think that it would be okay to bring in your own flowers, tiki lamps and any other decor so long as it's not fabric? Weird, right? Bah. Well, I guess plain ol' white poly blend tablecloths and napkins it is. We got to diagram the tables and everything which was pretty cool. There were many references to "martha stewart brides" of which Greg and I are not. My mom found this really cool site that I think encompasses more the kind of values that Greg and I have: Offbeat Bride

It's just crazy that a person totally outside your sphere of influence really gets to determine what your wedding is or is not. How messed up! Oh well, I guess that's just how the world works. Of course, if our budget was one of those "average American weddings" you always hear about that's 21, 500 then I suppose we'd be like, "What's another $30 tablecloth matter?" But, as it is, we are not the average Martha Stewart Bride Americans, so I guess we'll find our flair elsewhere.

All in all, the meeting was fine. This is my initial (somewhat facetious) apology to our losh friends that we will not have a full bar at which to consume to heart's content. I know it's a little surprising since Greg and I love to drink so much. But, when the offerings are Bud, Bud Light and Heineken...well, ya know.... So, hopefully we'll think up a fun little cocktail just for us and you can drink that, like it or not :) A "signature drink" Martha Stewart brides call it is what we were told...why do they get to patent that phrase? Did they really come up with it? It used to make me think of a speakeasy...except now it's tainted with Martha. I don't in general have anything against her, but now she's the norm which makes those of us without her mad skills look sub par.

Anyway, the reception will be awesome and it will be very Greg and I...as it should be. Not even white poly blend tablecloths can stop that! Mom and Dad loved the space and Mom got to stun everyone with her use of the word "perambulator" and we had a very lovely day all in all.

And that was only the first 5 hours of their being in town...more posts to follow.

Winter Highlights

A few things have kept my soul alive in the cold, bitter Chicago Winter this year...here's some highlights:

Exhibit A) HOCKEY!!!!

Greg and I celebrated actual Valentine's in a traditional manner with a possibly PMS-related depression (me, not Greg :) ), no flowers, dog-sitting (exhibit B), me sending him chocolates which arrived at work, he buying Qdoba for us and watching Lost, then to bed since he had to open the store the next morning. Romantic, eh?

So, to actually celebrate we bought tickets to a Blackhawks vs. Avalanche (woo-hoo) game for that weekend. It was a really great game even though my Aves couldn't pull it together. But, we got to part of a record breaking amount of people to attend a hockey game at the United Center...hooray for us and the 21, 763 other people! It really was awesome. What a great Valentine's present to us :)

Exhibit C) Getting away from Chicago
3 trips thus far this Winter: Baltimore, San Antonio, North Carolina.

Baltimore Holiday (exhibit D)- 4 days, get in get out, kinda tiring, kinda hard occasionally, but good overall. had fun visiting with G's grandparents whom I'd never hung out with much before.

San Antonio Holiday (exhibit E)- sea world, scene it! 2nd edition, family!, warm weather, wedding dress shopping, no fights, bliss pretty much



North Carolina (exhibit F & pic at top)- ocean, short sleeves, sun, a tan, and Tim's mom has a hot tub :)






Exhibit F) Ethan
Every other day I get more pics of him and that gets me through.


Exhibit G) Pretty Snow
Took these the other night when it dropped 6-8 inches on us.



Exhibit H) Friday Ladies' Lunches
Getting together with the other Rez women who work for the College. Like today how we discussed Rez's stance on feminism or lack thereof and about what really matters to the kingdom message. Keeps my mind sharp and on the importance.

Exhibit I) Greg
Our dates, talks, we've recently taken up playing Magic the Gathering (yes, yes, we are dorks), mini golf cuz we can't go outside, playing with invitation ideas for our wedding, having friends over, moving him out of his old house in the middle of Winter, making a list of things I'm thankful for even when I'm not very happy with him at the moment, laughing, singing, hoping.


Exhibit J) Knowing that in 6 months and 8 days, I'll be on my honeymoon in beautiful Vancouver!

the summit

I'm ba-ack! Sorry for the very long hiatus from blogging. So busy lately.

Last Monday: pick up brother at airport at 8:30 pm, drive to San Antonio whilst listening to John Stossel and Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince and pseudo-sleeping off and on.

Tuesday: arrive 3 hours ahead of schedule at 3 pm in San Anton. slept until 6 pm or so...then bummed around.

As of Wednesday, it was Go Time as we like to call it. Got the 15 passenger van which I mostly drove all weekend-awesome. Everyone came in from the airport, lots of screaming and shrillness.
Can't remember the rest to be honest. Shopped for a corset to go under the bridesmaid dress-they are way harder to find than you think! I mean seriously, the only place I could find them was a bridal store...ridiculous.
Barbecue to introduce to the fams. That meant that I mostly found things to do in the kitchen and serve people food, etc. Yes!

Thursday: my sanity arrives in San Anton at 11 am...Sanity is also known as Greg. And so do the rest of the masses, we shop even more for a corset-yes, I did drag him along. Then we hunted and hunted and hunted some more...for handmade paper for the program cover. Oh yes, 2 days before the wedding, we were hunting for the program paper. Then rehearsal and rehearsal dinner...not too much excitement there. It was on the river which was fun and then we walked on it after dinner. Much confusion over toasting and proper etiquette. Mom and her Emily Post whatnot say rehearsal dinner but everyone there assumed reception. Now, I loathe public speaking and the gastrointestinal spasms that accompany it and I also felt all this pressure (from myself, no doubt) to make it the best one ever in the history of the world. So much worrying but Joe's dad toasted a little and a couple others also and that was...interesting, to say the least. Joe's dad's kind of like Mike Ditka and funny once he's had a little to drink. Our common point for the weekend was "The Billy Graham Center"; every time he saw me he'd ask me about how much I liked it. EVERY time...

Friday: Tubing on the river!!!! So fun. No pictures. Sorry.
Got back 2 hours later than we thought we would...but we got barbecue from Rudy's so totally worth it :)

Bachelorette party! We totally partied like it was 1999...except more like 2004 or so...anywho, it was a good time had by all. I wrote all the bridesmaids and asked them to give me some songs that remind them of Hope or Hope and Joe and I compilated...or compiled rather them into a CD. It's pretty good...odd, but good. Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson, Robert Palmer, Celine Dion, Alison Krauss, Dave Barnes- they all made it onto the CD. I made frozen Strawberry Margaritas (they were way girly!) and we ate fajitas and a version of brownie pizza formerly unheard of by the girls. Then, off to bed before the big, ridiculously huge, life-changing day!

Or so we thought...Hope and I were up really late discussing the ins and outs of family and weddings and disappointments and fears; she had a really good cry, I cried a little bit and then to sleep at somewhere around 2:30 in the morning...Is that how the night before your wedding s supposed to go? Oh well, we decided that we'd start planning my wedding now and then that would at least help SOME of the stress be less...but hey, it's nerve racking to come to the day that will alter the rest of your life. Weird.

WEDDING DAY: wake up early but not early enough...oops! what can we say? anyhow, T-2 hours to get Hope and Joe's slideshow done. But hey, we did it...cuties. But, please take note: do not plan a picnic on your wedding day. It was a really nice gesture to out of towners and extended family but it just didn't work! My sister, her fiance, my brother, Greg and I ended up sitting together. It was fun, but sort of nerve-racking because we didn't really see anyone else just hung out in a clump. My brother and I are kind of like that, the 2 minorities in the corner :)

So, then, crunch time, I ran around to find a guest book, oh yes, little things left undone, then had to make it by 2:30 for the hair appointment. As it turns out, all 8 bridesmaids plus my mom ended up going so that makes for a lot of opinions and cuteness. But, alas, they had already done their hair and make-up so that was tricky. I missed a lot of Hope getting ready and getting ready with everyone. Kinda sad but oh well...there's always next...oh, wait a minute, no there won't be! But, I'm not bitter...;)

Pics before wedding=good idea. Ceremony beautiful, read from Song of Solomon, reception-open half bar, sitting at rectangular table for bridal party with bride and groom sitting as the heads of the table=bad idea. A good time had by all, dancing with my brother and my baby, catchin' up with old Albuquerque friends who I haven't seen in years = priceless. Seeing them drive away in the Model A=relief. Realizing Hope's purse was in the trunk of her friend's car=ugh. Taking to her in church parking lot and giving a big hug and checkin' out smile=worth it all!

Pictures on Picasa soon!
AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY (albeit sleepily) EVER AFTER

wedding mania

Well, I think we're finally here. Wedding mania...more challenging than wrestle mania, by far. It's so odd that such a nice thing, a beautiful thing really should be met also with trepidation, horror, and just good ol' stress.

Just had lunch with the sister which was good...nothing wrong with that at all. But, we're definitely in crunch time. Yesterday I rearranged all the tickets because I'm now driving my parents' car (which Hope's had through college) to Texas with my unsuspecting little brother (whose birthday is today and does not know yet that a plane ticket accompanies his birthday card).

Hope is in finals and finishing wedding stuff and the last day of her finals, her future mother-in-law will be in town helping them move into the new apartment. That should be good, but a little stressful for her. Friday we go for another fitting with the M-I-L. But, then Hope was talking to her future sister-in-law who's a .MAC make-up artist for their shoots and is doing Hope's, my mom and her own mom's make-up and she wants an hour for each. Between the picnic that day and the hair being done and the rest of us getting ready, I think that's a little much. Apparently, she was freaking when talking to Hope about it and totally stressing Hope out, who left to her own devices, was feeling good about everything. Why can't people butt out? Ya know, let them save their stress for their own weddings...maybe that's harsh but it's true, there's enough stress about weddings in general that people shouldn't add to the bride's stress. I'd like to have my whole wedding planned way in advance. Maybe I'll go work on that right now... :)

Anywho, I just got a call that my [bridesmaid] dress is in and I'm ordering the shoes really soon. Would you like to see them? Yes, well, you're in luck because you're going to get to :)



Pretty, right? Now, personally I wouldn't've gone with pink and green, but that's what makes us so great, we're totally different...but as pink and green dresses go, it could've been a lot worse...fo sho.

So, yes, lots of weddingness lately, but it's fun because we get to go tubing and I'm supposed to do a little pseudo-bachelorette party and stuff and a cool rehearsal dinner and it'll be a nice, hott, tan start to summer...hooray, it's coming!

Today has that beautiful warm air blowing, not the usual cold, this may be the day it turned to summer...hey, you should check out the e-vite to my birthday...and you would be invited to the girls day but alas, you are in China and I am here. Boo, but also good. I'm currently transcribing the story of a teacher in China, like you kind of. Very spunky and obedient. Kind of fun, makes me think of you more often.

I got your monthly letter. Thinking of you! More to come on general life later...