Wedding Edition

I thought I should do another update on the progress of our reception details. Everything major is booked, but I will admit that I'm stressing about all of the details. I am completely doing all of the decor and centerpieces myself and by myself I mean me and some devoted friends and family. I love having complete control over the situation, however it does lead to some stress.

Here are some sneak peeks of  ideas that I have used for inspiration.

I'm using a variation of this idea for centerpieces

another touch for the centerpieces

photobooth and some fun props

I love the simplicity of this photobooth

Also, these are the shoes I'll be wearing.

I found these by mistake when looking for a pair to wear to have my dress hemmed...$30 and I'm in love.

So I am running into one wee problem. I don't think there is anyone that can do my make-up for the big day. Small town problems, but I was thinking about going somewhere in Calgary and explaining that I need to do my own make-up for my wedding, get a little tutorial and buy a few products that I love. Any advice for me? I'll add that I'm not very good at putting make-up on and usually just wear the basics, so I need some sort of help!

Home

We had so much fun in Victoria. It was the first time Pat and I had ever taken a vacation together so it was very nice and a long time coming. Its so weird because I'm used to having him gone all the time, we've done long distance for a majority of our relationship...so really, just living in the same place feels like a vacation!

Our first day we did some exploring, had dinner and a few pints at an Irish Pub, so our style. We were in bed by 9 because Sunday we were driving to Tolfino. I of course woke up early every day of vacation. It always works out that way doesn't it? It took us about 4 hours to get to Tolfino and in retrospect we would have booked a room there because this little town was amazing. So much to do and see. The drive there was a bit scary and I had to close my eyes a few times. Lots of narrow roads and steep drops, but the view was out of this world.

When we arrived, we booked a whale watching tour, had our best meal there at this place called SOBO, went to the beach and spent the rest of our time there with some grey whales! I took some pictures, but of course its hard to see anything in them. I will admit the boat ride did end up making me a bit sick for the rest of the day but it was still worth it.

Monday we spent the day exploring Victoria, we watched the Victoria Day parade, walked A LOT, and went to the wharf where we saw some house boats and seals just hanging out and being fed some fish. We had a night out and woke up early the next day to have breakfast with a friend.

It was so much fun to just enjoy each other and putter around. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit antsy to get home and see Liv. Her reaction to seeing us didn't disappoint. She was so excited and I missed her so much. I swear I leave for a few days and she grow up a little bit more. It makes me never want to leave her again!

driving to Tolfino...the trees her ginormo

I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times

wouldn't you like to live in that house on the ocean?

walking from the beach...it reminded us of sugarloaf (mqt)

whale! our skipper said "there she blows" every time ha.

a tail...so hard to see

sea lion colony

beautiful hotel in Victoria...known for there afternoon tea :)

capitol building

house boats on the wharf

having a snack

at big bad johns...our last night in Vic.

this place was hilarious

the decor.

29

Happy Birthday to my Husband!! He turns 29 today...and I like to remind him frequently that its a year before 30 (even if he can do the math himself).

When I remind him, I like to remind him that I won't be 30 for four more years, and how lucky he was to snag a younger woman.

I'm so excited to be able to celebrate his birthday with him. With all of our long distance stunts we have performed and usually dealing with hockey schedules, we rarely got to spend each others birthdays together. So I'm thrilled to be able to let Pat sleep in and tell him "Happy Birthday" when he wakes up.

Once again, Happy Birthday Love.

I know a secret!

I totally found out where Pat and I are going on Saturday.

Weirdly enough, it was a complete accident. I love it when things like that happen.

I had messaged a friend of Pat and mine to get his address for the reception...his response was something along with lines of "Hey how are you doing, Pat called me a few days ago and said you were coming to Vic".

"Vic" as in Victoria. Its located in British Columbia and is on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island!


You know I immediately called Pat and blurted out "I KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING!". He couldn't do much but laugh because it was his own fault for not telling his friend it was a secret....oh how the mind of a man works.


So we are staying in Canada, which honestly is a relief because I'm not quite ready to cross the border again. Not that I've ever had a hard time, but its so much explanation and blah blah blahing. I have never been to B.C. and I have only heard great things about it. The weather is going to be nice but not short nice...so I'm glad I found that out and didn't waste any space on things I won't wear.


Wish us safe travels!

Books

Ever since we incorporated books into our bedtime routine, Liv has taken on a new and obsessive love for them. She has become much more opinionated about which books I read and I swear she tries to pick out the longest ones at bedtime, but her favorites have remained the same: She loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sesame Street books (yay Target dollar bins), all Olivia books, and her Puppies, Kitties, and Duckies books (they have buttons that bark, meow, and quack...go figure).

She also likes to "read" to us. Some of the books she knows so well that she can tell her in her toddler way what is happening on the page and other times she just babbles. Through her Duck book, she quacks for every page...because obviously, thats what ducks do ha. My favorite example is who knows what book she was reading but according to liv it said "blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah....chicken". All I know about this book is that it had nothing to do with chickens.

story time

more books

"where do you think you're going?"

reading to easton

booty tooch?

end scene.

5 days

That's right...5 days until Pat and I take a trip together. Alone. Without Liv. It's been a long while since I've been on a plane without Liv. She has had her passport since she was 4 months old. We have travelled to Belfast, between Calgary and Michigan (at least 4 or 5 times), and Chicago. Most of these trips involved some sort of driving too. Like, say oh that time we drove from The Sault to Calgary. Which takes 27 hours....yes I said it, TWENTY SEVEN. It was a three day drive.

Needless to say, I have done a lot of travelling with my wee baby and now toddler. I find it very stressful and I'm alway an anxious wreck before a flight. So I'm really excited to have a relaxing flight. I am definitely going to have to have a few drinks! I'm obviously also excited to have a few days with my husband. We have never done something like this before so it will be nice.

I'm sure I won't be anxiety free though because who likes to leave their most precious cargo, but deep breaths because she will be well taken care of :).

I discovered that liv's sour mood lately has been bc of one of her 2yr molars....

oh bubbles, how I loathe thee

Liv loves them as much as I loathe them

Our Vacation Vol. 2

Here's the last edition to our vacation pictures. I realized that I have no pictures of Liv and my mom. Which needs to be remedied as soon as we get back to the Sault. Sorry mom. Its funny how you think that you never want to live in a small town and I'm not sure that I could, but it will always be my home and I love being there. My family is everything to me and I miss them every day. So...I can't wait to go back!

convinced auntie dani to take off her clothes for dancing.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Ellie. She holds a special place in my heart.

Getting ready to go for a walk with Gaga (my mom).

Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy?

Tara took Liv dancing in the rain.

She had to be bribed with cake to come back inside....

oh canada

21 Months

We're creeping up on the big number 2. I am totally doing something sesame this year...possibly a nemo themed party, because those are Liv's two major obsessions lately. Along with being outside. Its all we hear lately "siiiiide, siiiiide". We have spent a lot of time outside lately and usually when its time to go inside the whole event ends in tears. I feel her pain though, its taken so long to get nice out and I was anxious to get outside too.

We went to the walk-in clinic a few weeks ago for a rash....that still hasn't gone away. Gah. I need to make an appointment with her doctor like yesterday. Anyways, they weighed her and my little gremlin weighs a whopping 31 pounds. I have no idea how tall she is though. Its just amazing to me how big she's getting. Personally I think she gets cuter and cuter ;).

The talking, oh the talking....This has been the most fun part for me. I love the little sentences and phrases she makes. Some of her semi-new phrases that I die over are "oh goshhh". I was tickling her today and whenever I would stop she'd say "oh goshhh". It made me giggle. She also likes the phrase "oh nuts". Probably not the best thing she could say, but its pretty hilarious. One of her favorite things about Auntie Dani's apartment were the ducks, which she pronounces "cucks" (it sounds mildly inappropriate when she says it).  So, naturally when we were skyping with Auntie Dani today she said "Side. Side, cucks side?". She remembered! The first thing she said to Dani though was "Hi Dadeee, where Bikey?". For those of you who missed it, Bikey is my sister's boyfriend, Mike...we call him Mikey.

She is just so much fun. Which I'm sure everyone who has a toddler this age can say. She is thrilled with every little thing we do and the most simple of activities are huge hits. How could you not have fun with a 21 month old?!

Our Vacation in Pictures vol. 1

I am just getting around to downloading all of the pictures from our trip...so there needs to be more than one post on all of the action.

lots of playing with auntie Dani

a little dancing....

lots of playing outside.

lots of visiting.

we dressed up a lot.

we visited some friends....hello ari.

we did some naked dancing.

we had to say goodbye to auntie "daddeee"

oh man, liv really had fun with Dani.