symbols of our vows

a documented conversation between Greg and I over the decision of our rings...seemed fitting given the previous post. so typical us...


Noel: which one did you pick?

Gregoire: 2=http://www.antiquejewelrymall.com/r1161.html

so that's the one fate chose

Noel: and how do you feel now that it's chosen?

sometimes that's the indicator

Gregoire: pretty good.. means i don't have to feel responsible anymore ;-)

Noel: if you get that one and then you go...oh, nevermind, i didn't want that after all

okay, well, ya know, it's just your wedding ring so it's probably good you're so flippant about it.

Gregoire: i do like it.. it's just a big decision, and i've lost so many rings in my life that i'm nervous about that as well

Noel: oh, yeah

well, you don't have to wear it to work if you don't want

if it helps, i've lost nearly every ring i've ever owned

except this one

Gregoire: not wearing it is how i lose it =P

Noel: not if you just don't put it on in the morning and you keep it in its box

Gregoire: i'm trying to not be flippant

Noel: is that one the cheaper one?

Gregoire: heheheh

yes

Noel: cuz that makes me feel better

Gregoire: i love you

frugal you

Noel: we're going to tattoo it, so if it gets lost, we'll just leave it

till we're independently wealthy

;)

Greg's ring:



Noel's Ring (which unfortunately will not be here in time for the wedding):



please note: the sapphire ring in the middle is not her ring.

a pic of the engagement ring for memory:

ring to rule them all...

Here's a pic of my awesome wedding ring.

It was sorta weird after the ceremony when the photographer had us take the "stare at the ring" pictures. We mostly were just laughing. Plus, I really thought it was weirder that Greg had a ring because ever since I was 12 and my Dad bought me a ring in Israel and blessed it in Cana (asking for grace in purity and also praying for Greg-only we didn't know it was Greg at the time but you know what I mean), I've basically had a ring on my my "ring finger". The Israel ring was lost in a tragic river intertubing accident, the details of which will not be released at this time. [picture imminent]

Anyway. Here are more photos of the symbol of Greg's vow. It's nice to have now. And to know it looks good with or without the engagement ring. PS. --I'm sorry that they are not the best pics. Very difficult to shoot very shiny, tiny things with my poor little lens.




Enjoy!

long time, no write?

I can't believe I haven't written since May! I suppose Katherine came home in June so figured she didn't need my updates desperately and as for the rest, my blogging energy went into our couple blog which was fun but there will be more news than just couple news...not to mention that it's not CG.

Anyway, well, I'm married now! How crazy is that? I leave for a few months and come back with an MRS. Just kidding, but hey at least we went through with it this time...hooray! We got back from Seattle/Mt. Rainier/Vancouver this past week, after almost 2 weeks away, it was glorious...literally. I will do an entire story with images re: the honeymoon later. For now, I can let some of my itchier friends who could not make the wedding get a few tasty morsels so that when I speak of the event, they can have a picture in mind. Though, mind you, these are not the professional photos, they are still fine for painting a general idea.

More to come!

p.s.--Happy Hobbit Day and first day of Fall!

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.

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...