Once upon a blog...

Two Weeks Notice

2009-10-24T09:39:00.005-04:00

I am here to advise you all that in two weeks I will no longer have the same last name. I will be not only a daughter and sister, but I will be a wife. And that I may spend the majority of the morning having the makeup artist reapply my mascara. But it will be worth it. I will have a wonderful husband, and all the people we love will be there to celebrate with us. I am BEYOND excited, but at the same time, I am a little sad that this 2 year process of planning will be over. At first it will be a relief, but I am sure that I'll miss having something to occupy myself with at work when things are slow. :oP

Our goal for this weekend is to relax a bit... but we also have to get some cleaning done around the house, so when our house sitter gets here, they won't know that sometimes the laundry only gets done once a week (instead of my intended twice), and that sometimes we run out of forks because we both hate to do dishes. One bonus about us having to relocate - I can demand a dishwasher in the new house. She is coming to get the feel of the land today, and to meet the puppy (again), and that alone is a scary thing sometimes (depending on how much energy Jupiter has - and it's been pouring rain the last few days so walks have been non-existent... wish us luck). I'm just happy someone will be in our house when we're not, it's such a relief that we're not heating it for no reason other than to keep the pipes from freezing - because I hear that the Farmer's Almanac is predicting snow, and lots of it, while we're away.

Depending on how the weather is tomorrow, we might be doing some engagement photos with my Aunt Boo. I am kind of excited about that - but it also means that we have to run out and find some new jeans for Daryl, and some dressier shirts for us both - it's really shocking how many clothes we have and how little of it is dressy.

We've had great success checking things off our to-do list in the past few weeks:

My mom is currently working on a few additional things that we want to add to the decor at the hall (a few planter boxes, tin candle holders, and tin planters for the guestbook table).
We finished the centrepieces - they are a long way from my original vision, but they're cute, and DONE, so I am happy.
My final dress fitting is on Thursday, and I will be so THRILLED to be done with this dress fiasco. Piece of advice: when a bridal shop owner tells you to order a certain size, DO IT, even if the size you have on fits JUST FINE; do what she says and everything will work out much better in the end. However, they are magic - so even if you don't listen, it will turn out just fine anyway, but it SUCKED finding that out the hard way.
Tuxes are ordered too. I think attire was the one thing about this whole process that had me stressed. But it will all be fine.
I picked up my shoes yesterday - I took them in to be dyed. I LOVE THEM. They aren't your traditional white or ivory shoe anymore, and it's perfect! I am trying to get as far away from the cookie-cutter wedding as possible, while still trying to keep to the traditions that are important to Daryl. Although, not getting married in a chapel/church is all on him.
My engagement ring is back on my finger. It was stressful having it gone for a week, but it looks beautiful. I love that white gold can be refinished - the BIG bonus of not going with platinum. So now it's all shiny and new looking for the big day.
The tanning process is well underway. Daryl isn't red like a tomato anymore, and I am darker than I have been in probably 7 years. Although - I am not a big fan of laying there under lights, sweating buckets. It's not my thing, so when our 2 month membership is up, I'm pretty sure I will be going back to my super-white self. :o)
Gifts for our wedding party, etc are TH-----IS close to being finished. I just have to finish a couple of projects, purchase a couple little things, and do my wrapping. Daryl's gift has been done for a long time, it turned out fantastic, and I'm sure he will like it very much.

Anyway, off I go to help my dear friend, Daryl - he's playing with the puppy, and I think she may have just licked his nostril. It's always nice to have help when that happens - it's a gross experience. :oP

'Til next time!

PS - Adding a couple bridal shower pictures to this post, they are also on our wedding website if you want to see more!

Above: My wonderful bridesmaids (left-right), Laura, Shannon, & Marie-Terese.

Above: Me and my wonderful girls (and yes, this is a grammatically correct sentence, "my bridesmaids and I" would be wrong - trust me... I hated that class too).

Space/Time Continum

2009-10-10T16:05:00.003-04:00

Umm... Hello out there. Where has all my time gone??? Last time I was here was WAAAY back in July. I thought I had a million days to go until the big day. It's a little bit shocking waking up and realizing there are only 28 more days left. After that I will have a new last name. I will not only have the title of daughter, sister, and friend, I will be a WIFE. Whoa... it's trippy, bizaar, and oh so strange to think of it like that. But I am so excited.

As far as planning goes - we are pretty much go for launch. The centrepieces were completed last night. They are far from glamorous, but they are rustic, and cute, and that's all I wanted. Daryl is working on groomsman gifts as I putter away here at work. [[If I didn't know better, I would say I was having a quiet day (being able to blog and all), but it's been friggin' hectic around here. People tend to do stupid things on holiday weekends - all I can say is that I'm glad that I'm no longer working in Emerg.]] We have to call all the outstanding RSVPs, make up a seating chart, 2 more dress fittings, speech writing, attending our bachelor(ette) events, and other miniscule stuff, that really doesn't matter. If it doesn't get done, none of you will be the wiser, and I will be pleased as punch on the big day either way. And then I will be pleased and plied with rum on the Jamaican honeymoon. :o)

So - I predict snow on November 7. I still think it's crazy that it was 27 degress on November 7, 2008... and we were swimming on Thanksgiving, and in 2009... we turned our furnace on the first week of October. We shall have to wait and see what happens.

That's all for this quick update. I hope all is well with everyone out in interweb land. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!

What would summer be without...

2009-07-23T12:43:00.002-04:00

... bubbles???

Though, I have never considered them a snack.

Fur Babies

2009-07-23T12:11:00.012-04:00

I love my dogs.

There was Cody (of whom I have no digital photos and therefore cannot post).

There is Abby, who we all know is the Diva (the ol' gal is 16, she deserves it).And there is the 'monkey', Jupiter.

You have to get pictures of her while she's sleeping, or catch her in a moment of calm, or else you get this:

Talk about a Diva - "Please... no pictures!"

Jupiter's first birthday (March 2, 2009).

This is why my dog is crazy:

2009-07-23T11:42:00.005-04:00

Two things:
1) This will be my evidence if Jupiter ever gets diabetes and Daryl wonders why.
2) By the time the dog's head is in the carton, Daryl has finished the ice cream... there is no salivary exchange (to save those squeemish people from having dry heaves).

The joy of wedding planning?

2009-07-23T10:51:00.007-04:00

I am a planner. I love to organize things - I find it therapeutic. I hate surprises. I am, nor ever will be, a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. BUT, for the most part, I've been pretty laid back about this whole wedding thing. There have been moments (like July 7th when I realized I only had 4 months to go, and I ended up staying up until 4 a.m. addressing wedding invitations), but, so far, I have been relatively calm. Even though said invitations crippled my hands for days (cutting down cardstock is not easy, neither is embossing, but I am pleased with the final product, and that's all that counts).

Until today. Today is a rainy, blah kind of day, and maybe that's affecting my mood more than I care to let on, but I feel like I'm in a funk. It's not that I'm in a panic, or worried, or stressed, I'm just... in one of those blah kinds of moods. For example, it has been WEEKS since Daryl and I finalized the guest list, and everything was A-okay. We had whittled it down (his mom has a very large family - like 10 siblings), so we had to cut people out. We compromised, we recompromised, we whittled, we argued, compromised once again, and then finalized. And yet I know, am absolutely certain, that there will still be hurt feeling about who is/is not invited (especially on my side of the list). I know, rationally, and realistically that there was just NO WAY I could invite everyone I wanted to, so I cut... and then cut again, and then shrugged it off, and cut some more (then I snuck a couple people back on... and then cut it again). Now I'm sad. I don't want people to be offended, but on the other hand, I can't help it.

Then there is my other worry, photography. I know so many skilled and talented people, but we decided to book a location where our photographer is included in our package. Sure, they're reputable, and I'm sure the photos will be lovely, but I wish we could hire someone personal, who would take the candids, the fun "behind the scenes" shots... and sure, we'll likely get a few of those, but this photographer is #1) not staying for the reception, and therefore doing POSED cake cutting/first dance photos (um... yuck???) and #2) only includes approximately 80 proofs in the package. I wanted to upgrade, but, I am pretty set on keeping to the budget (which is already kind of bursting at the seams a bit). Is it rude to ask guests/friends/family who you know are talented in that field to come (early) just to do special photos for you? Yes. Do I want to do it anyway? Yes. Am I going to? No... but on a funky day like today, I am seriously considering it.

My planning personality is taunting my sanity. I don't have shoes (yet), gotta get on that. A bridesmaid and groomsman have requested to DO something for the wedding (so far, it's all been Daryl & I... and immediate families), so I've given them duties. They are to a) help us make the 'bathroom baskets', and b) help me make the drink tickets (yes, we're doing drink tickets... we're tacky, but I personally, don't like open bars, and really, think that paying for people's dinner, wine, and a couple drinks, is suffice, n'est pas? Hello etiquette hell, I have been a bad hostess). Also, grammar police? Please be kind.

On the bright side, want to see my flip flop basket (for the reception guests who wear pinchey shoes)? Voila:

Ten more things we need to do? 1) Finish buying/making the bridal party gifts (we're halfway there), 2) figure out what we're going to give our parents, 3) finalize must-have photos list, 4) finalize our music 'deets' (please don't ask why I regress into a highschool reject at times - at least I didn't call you homie... wurd) for the DJ, 5) figure out the menu for the rehearsal dinner/day after brunch, 6) engagement photos, 7) decide on tux styles, 8) pick up wheat the my FIL cut for us and make the centrepieces, 9) win the lottery, 10) survive camping for my birthday/the long weekend.

Today's mantra:

Destination wedding? What we should have done. Elopement? Would have been even better.

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If anyone wanted to see, this is the cake topper (minus the background, because it was in the oven). The finished product won't be posted until after the wedding.

DIY

2009-07-04T20:49:00.004-04:00

Apparently I was mistaken when I thought I had posted the link to Daryl's and my wedding website. So, here it is... http://www.mywedding.com/darylandainsley. Because I'm fearful of the internet, I have a privacy filter attached to the site, so if you want to take a look, you're more than welcome, but you will have to create a 'myWedding' account to get access to it. A pain in the rump, I know, but I hate the idea of strangers creeping around and seeing where/when the wedding is. Not that it would happen, but how weird would it be to have randoms show up at your wedding because the deets were posted online? Paranoia, I know.

Anyhow, this weekend is my first of three working weekends in July (bummer). Daryl is in Trenton with his parents, visiting his sister, Corinne & her hubby, Derek. I was pretty bummed that I couldn't go, especially because I got stuck working instead. But, I was able to get a few things done today, so it wasn't a total loss. Jupiter and I went to the dog park when I got home from work. She's so much fun to watch, she is such a happy dog. I got a couple loads of laundry finished (things were starting to pile up because I was afraid to turn on the dryer for even a moment when it was so hot that last week). Tonight, the plan is to finish the maps/directions and the accomodations inserts for the invites. With only 126 days to go, the date to send out the invitations is fast approaching! I'm excited about how the paper stuff all turned out. They are hand made, right down to having cut the paper to the correct size. They are incredibly simple, kind of plain, but that's what makes me like them so much. I'd like to think I'm not a fussy person, but I do like things to be elegant, simple, and pretty. I think we've been successful so far.

Other DIY projects - the cake topper. It is 100% finished now (I had the characters done, I just needed to create the backdrop for them). It has been delivered to Joanne at JoRa Cakes, and I'm so excited. We went over all the details, and the cake is 100% taken care of. Yay! One last detail to worry about. The next challenge - the groomsmen. Daryl and I have two projects in mind for them. (I hope they don't read this, because it'll ruin it) #1) Personalized beer glasses, and #2) custom cufflinks. I was scavanging Etsy for wedding party gift ideas and found the custom cufflinks that several vendors were selling. I was floored and immediately fell in love. They are so unique, and cute, and fun... all the things I'm hoping our day turns out to be. So, instead of ordering them from vendors, I ordered the cufflink blanks instead, and have decided to make my own. So far, I have a plan for Daryl, his best man, his brother, his dad, and Bryce... the two other groomsmen and my dad have me kind of puzzled, but I will figure out something personal for them soon. The girls' gifts have been partially purchased, and I'm excited about those too. Not as personal, but cutesy and special non-the-less.

The next wedding to-dos are to get the outfits for the guys decided and ordered (I think we'll hold off until August), purchasing of my shoes, and finishing the must-have photos & music list for Barb. These two lists have been my least favourite part of wedding planning so far... besides dress shopping. If I never set foot in another bridal store, it will be too soon (minus the fitting appointments).

Anyhow, Daryl and I did get to spend some time together yesterday. He took Friday off instead of July 1st, so we went to Wonderland. I am a little bit burnt in the facial region, but we had a good day - I'm still totally zonked though. It's amazing how lots of sun and fun take it out of you! So, for the sake of my printing abilities and the hope that the maps/directions turn out properly, I will scamper on.

Hope all is well with you all out there and you had a lovely holiday this past week!

Happy Wednesday!

2009-05-20T10:48:00.004-04:00

The braces went on November 5, 2008. The goal: to have them off by October 2009. Pushing it... yes. But, there was good news today at my ortho appointment, things are looking good! The spaces are closing well (for those who remember, you could have stuck a twoonie between my front two teeth - AT LEAST a toonie, probably enough for a couple double doubles anyway, and now - the teeth touch!!!). Things are just a weeeeee bit sensitive these days (I haven't been able to eat properly in at least 6 months), but when Dr. Lee (my orthodontist/dentist) said that he goal is to have them off for the last week in October so that we can have retainers ready for the wedding/honeymoon, I was FLOORED.

Besides that, we got our tax return this week. We weren't going to claim together, but then Daryl would have owed money and I would have gotten a fairly good return. We decided to do it together, and he got a good chunk of change... and I got a big whopping $2,000. I was excited. Our wedding fund was singing the "Hallelujah" chorus. Anyway... YAY!

Plus, it's sunny and warm and SPECTACULAR outside. It's a good day!

Where have you been all my life?

2009-05-11T15:05:00.003-04:00

After a lengthy delay, I am back on Blogger and creating a new post - yay! There really is no explination for the absence, except laziness/business around here, and not having anything of real interest to blog about.

As far as life goes, Daryl and I have been busy working. Daryl is now doing his OWN maintenance route, which was his goal within the company. He was recently offered an opportunity to expand his route, but it would require moving to the GTA (Milton being the closest option). So after a long debate, we decided that wasn't what we wanted right now, but would consider it more if the company made another offer. My job isn't nearly as exciting, I have been working lots as we've had several girls off sick, but besides that, nothing is new on that front.

The wedding plans are going well. We met with our co-ordinator from our venue last weekend to confirm that we are doing the ceremony and reception at the same location. I am so happy that we chose to do everything there, it's so low-key and casual, it suites us very well.

Our invitations have been printed, and I'm busy embossing them and adding the finishing details. I'm glad we decided to do them ourselves, ordering them would have been such a hassel, and even though cutting down cardstock to the correct size has been a drag, designing them to be so personal and having my hands on everything has been a lot of fun. I also finished the cake topper, which I made out of polymer clay - and it's too cute! I'm excited to post all the pictures once everything is said and done.

My dress was ordered in early February and has arrived at the store. I was going to keep it a surprise from everyone until the wedding day, but when we were bridesmaid dress shopping, I was excited and tried on the sample for my girls. It will still be nice to keep it from them until the day of, once the alterations and everything have been done. As far as their dresses go, we have decided to go with different designs for each lady, but same colour and label (we have two chosen already, and one more girl to go). My goal for the day is to have everyone happy, comfortable, and enjoying themselves. I don't want anything fussy or overdone, heck, if I could have convinced everyone else, I would be wearing JEANS!

This past weekend, as well as enjoying Sunday with our families (Daryl's parents and grandmother drove up and we had my parents and Bryce over), we went to discuss honeymoon options with a travel agent. The discussions went well, and I'm super excited. We ended up booking a week at Couples Sweptaway in Negril, Jamaica. We're under budget, booked, and stoked to go! Check out the website http://www.couples.com/12sw/index.html if you're interested in taking a look. It seems like it will be a beautiful resort. The honeymoon inclusions are great, and we're hoping to do an excursion or two, but we'll have to see. I think once we're down there, just relaxing will be just fine (Daryl has never flown and I haven't been on a plane since France, so THAT should be an experience in itself). Apparently people are starting to 'register' for their honeymoons, I guess you can pick different things that you would like to do (like have chocolate covered strawberries delivered to the room, a his/her massage, etc) and your friends and family can purchase them as wedding gifts. I'm not sure if I like this idea, but I thought it was kind of neat that you can do that now.

This Thursday we are meeting with Dave, our minister. He married my parents 29 years ago, and we're so happy he's able to do the same for us. We are doing the pre-marital seminars with him, so we should be learning a lot over the next little while. We're also doing a private pre-marital workshop on our own, so hopefully we will learn some great skills to carry us through a long, happy marriage.

Besides updating here, I'm also trying to keep updated on our wedding website. If anyone is interested in taking a look, there is a link on my Facebook page (on my Knot application).

Hope everyone out there is doing well! I'm off to finish up the laundry for now. Here's hoping I make it back on here again soon!

Happiest of Birthdays

2008-12-16T21:27:00.004-05:00

At the year marker for our wedding, we had a celebration to attend. My dear daddy's 55th birthday. We had a lovely dinner at my parents with my aunts, uncles, and Karen (a dear friend of my parents). I am in love with my mom's pork roast and am so disappointed that when Daryl and I attempted to make it a few weeks ago, it didn't turn out "just so" *sigh*. Next time, I swear, I better get it right! The silver lining - I made gravy for the first time ever, and I didn't kill Daryl, it turned out pretty good!

Either way, I made the birthday cake for Daddy-O and it was pretty cute, if I do say so myself. It actually was the tallest cake I've made so far, and has me convinced that if our cake wasn't included in our wedding package, that I'd be able to fend for myself and make the whole thing, not just the topper. But, I am not as crazy as some people think, and I probably wouldn't attempt such insanity the few days leading up the wedding. I plan on being totally set a week ahead of time. So far, so good... 325 days left to change that. LOL

On the Career Path...

2008-12-16T21:12:00.004-05:00

The past few months have been a bit of a whirlwind for me, as far as work goes. In late October, I was offered a temporary part time line in Emerg, which I took because of the lack of hours in Medical Imaging. Up until that point, I was simply working on a casual, call-in basis for both departments, and while Emerg had quite a few hours that I was able to cover, MI had none. So when the offer came up I jumped at it.

Well, a month a bit in the pits of hell have made me realize a few things; 1) the human body is resilient and yet, oh so very fragile, 2) suctioning phlegm is probably the grossest noise you will ever hear in your life, and 3) reinstated my certainty that some people are just ridiculously stupid and beyond any help. So when my friend, Wendy, in Medical Imaging told me that she was leaving MI for the Cancer Centre, I was delighted to know that there was a part time line available in my home base. I have since applied and, just today, accepted the position. This will abolish my casual line and I will no long have to depend on call-ins, YAY!

Daryl has been a busy boy too. He spent a few nights out of town the past few months, and has been busy working construction the past month. One of the girls I work with in Emerg, Kristal, has a hubby who works for Delta too (Scott), and our boys have been the construction crew together. This is apparently the same guy that Daryl worked with when he first started at Delta, so four years later and he's made full circle. :oP There is a bit of talk in the works that Daryl will be starting his own maintenance route in the new year, and he's looking forward to that. I am most looking forward to him having his own van and my house being less consumed by tools (I am afraid of my own front closet and laundry room at this point - and I have a huge hate on for wrenches and electrical tape). His work Christmas party was on November 29th and was an entertaining evening. We only stayed for dinner, but the guys he works with are quite amusing. The picture attached was taken before we left (and keep in mind, I am possibly the least photogenic person in the entire world).

The Catastrophe that was the Witch's Costume

2008-12-16T20:15:00.010-05:00

This was the first year that Daryl and I have been together that he was actually home for Halloween. At first we were going to boycott the kids and the candy in favour of a quiet night out, but instead, we bought a big ol' bag o' candy and had about 70 kids at our door. The most entertaining part of the evening was getting Jupiter dressed up in her witch's costume. It lasted for about 3 minutes, but was amusing none the less.

Once the kiddies died down a bit, we took our little monster for a walk and checked out the neighbourhood. A lot of people around here decorate for all seasons, not just Christmas, so it was fun to see all the Halloween displays. Jupiter was fascinated by all the ghouls and goblins and ended up running into a stranger's house when he opened the door for a few of them. I was humiliated, I mean, how rude, she wasn't even wearing her costume! :oP

Slack-a-lackin'...

2008-10-22T22:09:00.013-04:00

September came, and went. October has come... and with only a week left, I have just remembered my lack of blogging. You would think with the number of times per day that I check my emails or (*groan*) creep around on Facebook, that I would remember to update this stupid thing, but you would be wrong.

In the past month and a half a few things have happened, not alot, but enough to keep us busy. Daryl's sister, Kymberly, got married on September 20. We made the trip to Wallaceburg and had a great time - it was possibly the nicest autumn day of the year. Although the trees were still green and it was about 23 degrees, something that kind of took away from her fall theme, . Oh well, when Daryl and I get married next November there will likely be no colourful leaves for us either - and with my luck, we'll get snow! I guess with Kym and Rob choosing September and us choosing November, someone will get it right and pick October next time, and actually get the colourful, autumn theme we were both trying to get! Daryl and I were going to go with October, but it's a difficult month, you have Thanksgiving the first weekend, and in 2009 the last Saturday is Halloween - it would be fun for people that enjoy that holiday, but Daryl and I HATE dressing up, so that was out. And of course, with Daryl's father being in the cash crop business, the middle two weekends in October were pretty much out as well.
Some description of the following pictures:

Daryl & Ainsley sweating in the car, waiting to hand out programs.
The beautiful bride & groom.
Me, doing a reading. Kymberly had asked Daryl to do it, but he felt uncomfortable, so I did it instead - and hey! The church didn't implode or anything, bonus! :oP
Terry & Christine, my in-laws to be.
Corinne & hubby, Derek.
My soon-to-be brother-in-law, Aaron.
The bride & groom again.
Daryl & Ainsley.
The pretty cake - it was delish' too!
Daryl & his sister dancing the night away!
Me, telling Daryl how happy I am to be taking out my earrings. I look drunk, except I'm not. There will never a repeat of what I did to myself at Corinne & Derek's wedding *ugh*. It's sad that the next few pictures are of people who had way more to drink than I did, but who look less inhebriated.
Daryl - not admitting he was drunk, but clearly enjoying himself.
Aaron - admittedly drunk & very much enjoying himself... obviously he likes his carrots. This picture is actually one of my favorites from the night.
Kymberly - stylin' it up.

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Things that we have completed for our own wedding since the last post:

Favours are completed, packaged, and labelled. We are waiting until next year to wrap the ribbon so that it doesn't get crushed.
The centrepiece bases have been purchased and my mother has left a message with her florist friend, so hopefully we'll be meeting with her in the next two weeks.
Reply cards have been printed, cut, glued, embossed, and are ready to go out. Next step is the backing of the invitation. The actual invites and maps have to wait until I get the official ceremony time from The Black Forest.
The guest book has gone from a simple plain ol' scrapbook, to a lovely decorated scrapbook ready for best wishes - I <3> my gluegun!
We met with the photographer and I'm even more excited now, although I am hoping to have family/friends as backups to get all the candids and extra photos, this part of the all inclusive package is the only issue I have with going with The Black Forest. However, hundreds of pictures of me is way more than I'd ever want anyway, so maybe it's not so bad.
I have gotten ahold of our minister. We are having Dave Bonney as our officiant. I'm excited because he married my parents and that's something I would love to incorporate into our day.
My mother and I actually went dress shopping. For those who know me well, you probably have a great deal of sympathy for my mom. I was actually pretty good - I tried things on, I didn't cry, and I didn't leave in a grouchy mood. I hate shopping with a passion and seeing myself in a wedding dress was totally bizzare, but it wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. They had plus sized gowns to try, and the dress that I fell in love with came in a 10. As if I could squeeze my caboose into that; I had mom try it on. It was entertaining for me, and it made me want the dress more. I just wish the price tag hadn't have been quite so humbling.
Speaking of squeezing my caboose into things, there have been a few changes to the physique of both Daryl and I. We decided that there was no time like now to start our Weight Watchers attempt once again, and this time we seem to be having more luck. Since the last week in August, we have both lost over 20lbs. I am excited to keep going with this and to see where I end up for our wedding. It would be great to feel comfortable in my own skin again. Also on the physique front, there will be another change for the wedding... I am having bonding and braces put on my teeth on November 5, so hopefully (*fingers crossed*) there will be improvement in the spacing and the braces will be off for the big day. If not, well, I wouldn't smile with my teeth showing anyway, so meh.

I can't think of anything else to add... and if I do, I'm sure that I'll forget before I blog again sometime in November... December... pfft, whenever I get around to it. I envy all of you other people who have interesting things going on in your lives to blog about. Before then, maybe someone can help me figure out the spacing and stuff so that my blog don't look all wonky with pictures and my paragraphs. I really do know how to use this thing - I promise! Maybe just not this website inparticular.

Hope everything is well with everyone out there and that you and your families are healthy & happy!

Welcome September

2008-09-09T10:07:00.009-04:00

I have heard about a thousand complaints that this summer was such a "crappy" summer. There was "too much rain", it was "cold", blah blah blah. Well, even though I'm risking my neck by saying it, I thought this summer was PERFECT. The weather was glorious, I didn't die from heat stroke (except that one day at the dog park), and my garden was gorgeous and lush. Daryl and I also saved big bucks on hydro - we only had the A/C on for about 22 days in July. Somehow (though there was temptation mid-August), it didn't get turned back on after my birthday camping trip. And now, shockingly, it is already September, and it's doubtful it will be turned on again - unless we end up swimming on Thanksgiving again, like we did last year.

Camping trip: August longweekend

Today, the puppy has gone in for surgery, so I have a few moment to update the blog. Even without children, I find this hard to manage - how sad. I've been keeping busy at the hospital, there hasn't been a day go by yet this summer that I haven't been called in by either my own department or Emerg looking for staff (except today, but I may have just jinxed myself). Daryl has been keeping occupied at Delta, he FINALLY had his annual review today and he called to say it went well. I'm glad, considering the review was delayed well over three months. He did take holidays the last week of August and I was able to spend a few days with him at the beginning of the week. We ended up going to Ikea on the Monday - the boy knows the way to my heart. If only we didn't have a mortgage and a wedding to worry about, I'd have this house decorated in a jiffy.

There have been several more additions to my extended family this summer. Besides Jupiter (and of the human variety), Hayden Charlie Turner joined us on August 6; Jaxon Curtis Lloyd McLaughlin arrived on August 19; and yesterday, September 8, the beautiful Thomas Michael blessed us. It is so amazing that so much potential and joy has come about in such a short time. I'm sure that not too long down the road I will have a few neices/nephews. Daryl's sister, Corinne and her husband, Derek, celebrated their first anniversary in June, and Kymberly and Rob are getting married September 20. They just moved into their new house and from what Daryl tells me, they are quite enjoying it. All of this excitement has me in a tizzy. It's hard to believe that less than 14 months are left until our big day now, and then we could be looking forward to more than just nieces, nephews, and new cousins; but we don't talk about that, because it gives me butterflies - eek babies (I still like that I am able to give them back)! So, for now, the big "after the wedding" goal is a new vehicle. :oP

*Hayden Charlie Turner*

So without a puppy to disrupt my sorting, I have the time (even without the want) to do laundry. I suppose that's the only positive part about sending her off to the vet, I get some time to clean the house without chasing her around in search of Daryl's work socks.

A quick update with photos...

2008-07-18T10:08:00.007-04:00

Well, it's been a few weeks. Daryl has been busy, busy working in Peterborough. Me, I've been gathering ideas for the wedding and compiling them into a jam-packed folder in my mind. We've got just about 15 months left, and I'm still as excited as ever.

Last night we started puppy school. Jupiter is growing like a weed, and we're trying to train her to be the best dog she can be. Right now, she's frustrating for us, and she's probably a bit frustrated with US too. But, I think it will all be worth it in the end - especially if the little turd stops using me as her chew toy!

Anyway, here are some picture of our cutie-pie to tied over until the next post - who knows when that will be (I am such a slacker).

Playing catch-up!

2008-06-15T14:50:00.015-04:00

I am laughing at how completely lacksidasical I am about keeping this blog updated. Without kids and having been unemployed since completing my placement, I should have been able to at least update once, but alas, I am a procrastinator. This first post of the day will be to recap the Snider/Lang nuptuals that my previous post eluded to.

The choice to have the wedding on the May long weekend was always a potential for distaster (as the weather is always so unpredictable), but it was the weekend that they wanted before any other - it was their 5th anniversary, so it had sentimental value to it. The weather was strange - as always. Shannon really wanted to have the ceremony outside at Victoria Park and Friday night, all seemed well. The sun was shining, the weather was warm... and then it got cold. Saturday it rained, and by the time Sunday rolled around there were downpours and it was FREEZING! Luckily enough, the rain cleared up, and while Shannon didn't get to have her outdoor ceremony, she still got to enjoy the park for her photos. All-in-all, the whole thing was beautiful. The pavillion was decorated to the nines and it was gorgeous (I think it was possibly better than the gazebo).

At the end of the day, all that mattered was that my two best friends were marrying each other and that it was everything they dreamed of! Below I am including some photos and the poem that I wrote/read for them.

(** As a side note, my super sweet hottness of a fiance looked SO dashing in his suit... loved doing a "practice" run up the aisle before our big day next year!)

THE BEST PARTS
The best part of love is the everyday stuff,
Having a shoulder to cry on when the going gets tough.
A warm embrace waiting when you come home at night,
A hug and a kiss as you turn out the light.
Someone to fight with when you don’t want to do dishes,
A best friend, for life, who fulfills all your wishes.
A confidant with whom you share all of your dreams,
Who makes you laugh so hard that you burst at the seams.
A partner in crime when you do something dumb,
And end up with those brats that call you their mum.
A person to blame when those kids drive you mad,
To console you when everything seems downright bad,
And to share in the joy as your family grows,
A constant reminder to take each day slow.
A friend to support you when things start to slip,
Like your memory, your momentum, and that pesky right hip.
A person in whose eyes you will never grow old,
A familiar warm hand to have and to hold.
Someone to help you past all the rough patches,
Surely, there will be a few screaming matches.
But the best part of your love will truly be seen
When you cherish the sweet moments that pass in between.

Beautiful decor & cake!

The pesky groom & groomsmen playing with hats & canes (& maybe a few bridesmaids).

A few of my fave pics from the day.

"Parenthood"

2008-06-15T14:50:00.014-04:00

The other big news for Daryl and I is the addition we made following the Lang wedding. Little Jupiter Casier made her arrival on May 20th, and while the puppy training days of Abby had long been forgotten, the "NO" chorus, and hot sauce on chewable objects/surfaces has definitely come back to me quickly! But we love her!

She is a beagle/sheltie cross and is bullheaded but sweet. She has been enrolled in puppy school begining in July, so by the end of the summer, we're hoping to have her well on her way to being the ideal dog. She LOVES kids and people but is still not sure about other dogs. When she hears them barking she tucks her tail between her legs and hides behind us (especially on walks/at the market). In her house though, she's a little braver. She jumps onto her bench in the front window and watches the dogs run by (this is one of her favourite things to do - aside from digging GIANT holes in the yard). She hates water, which is slightly dissappointing, but loves to be chased. She is a total daddy's girl, and has pretty much stolen his heart (as hard as he tried to resist it). She whines to get attention, and we're working on that, but at least she only barks when she's playing and tends to be a very quiet pup the rest of the time. She has a little whip of a tail that she's constantly wagging - I've been told that's the sign of a happy, healthy dog, so I encourage her to wag away! Her next vet visit is on Thursday (June 19) and we're hoping the scale says she's up to about 10lbs. Daryl wanted a BIG dog and I might get myself into a lick of trouble if she doesn't start growing! The vet said she'll probably top out at around 20-25lbs - but said we'd be lucky to even get her to that. Oh well, I think Daryl is stuck on her pretty good at this point and doesn't care that she's a teeny tot.

I've added some photos below!

Alas, dear Spring... where are you?

2008-03-27T15:11:00.002-04:00

Like I mentioned in the first blog, this will be a hit-or-miss endeavor. I am not very prompt in posting news, and I apologize.

The past few weeks have been busy, busy, busy. There are no children to keep me occupied, and therefore, I shouldn't complain... but I insist. :oP Daryl and I have done quite a bit of planning on the wedding front. The hall has been decided upon, the invitations have been invented (but not yet created), the colours have been chosen... however, there may be a dispute on the dress colours. I want chocolate brown and Daryl has decided he's not a big fan. He wants a burnt red colour, which is okay by me, but now he's back tracking. I wasn't aware that my lovely husband-to-be was going to even want a say in the dress choice. But I'm glad... I don't want to be one of those brides who decides everything and the groom has no say. In fact, the location was decided whole heartedly by Daryl. I asked if he wanted to keep searching, but he put a veto in on that. I'm happy with his decision though - it's less stress for us, and the cost (in the whole of things) is saving us big time (I dislike that the closer you seem to get to Toronto, the more things cost - apparently down near his parents - Windsor way - things are much cheaper... *sigh*).

Other than the wedding stuff, which has been talked about and now is on the back burner, we've been busy as bees with work, school, and so forth. The Stag & Doe and shower for the Langs went well. I was in a crusty mood the night of the Stag & Doe (I managed to blow a blood vessel in my eye from the stress of it all), but it went smoothly, and I THINK they were happy with the results. Perhaps not at the end of the night though... below is the link to the pie-in-the-face video that Melanie took. I apologize if you don't have Facebook. I'll try and get the actual video posted. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10884197180
The shower also went really well. Considering there was a GIANT snowstorm that weekend, all things went great. Most of the guests managed to get there... and must I mention how much I ADORE my fiance for letting me throw the festivities at his house? I think most people managed to get there that day based on the fact that he lives on a bus route and it was one of the only streets that was plowed that morning and free of the 2 feet of snow that we had dropped on us the day before.

Placement is going well. I have completed 3 sets and am starting my 4th on Monday. There are many interesting folks I get to meet, but, I am excited that this means I'm almost finished. I've been working on my final assigment... half heartedly... and I can't wait to be done, with a job, and able to participate in society. I need a paycheck soon or I may combust. Paying for a wedding with no income is slightly difficult.

Daryl is out of town this week (off somewhere doing the manlift tour with Rick). So I should get myself organized and get this project done so I can spend time with him once he's back. I actually get the WHOLE weekend off!! I'm very excited... and I also get NEXT weekend off as well, and we're taking Laura to the ROM for her birthday. I'm uber excited about that one. Finally, the dinosaurs are open!

Anyway, off I go to procrasinate some more (and speaking of procrasination... um, SPRING, you suck!)

Until next time!

The Very First Post

2008-02-26T01:01:00.002-05:00

Welcome.

Today is the very first post on the Danbrook-Casier blog. Although I created it way back when, there have been too many distractions keeping me from actually sitting down and creating an entry (I can see this being like my high school journal... it has about six entries total).

For the next while, the blog will be mostly my outlet and sharing of wedding planning details and my trials during placement in the ER at Grand River. Starting on Tuesday, March 4 I will officially be hospital property and the adventures with night shifts will begin.

So far, 2008 has been an INCREDIBLY busy year. On January 27, my wonderful boyfriend and best friend in the universe, asked me to be his wife. Aside from having some serious bed head issues, it was probably the most exciting moment ever. I somehow recall squealing and hiding under a blanket (I guess I don't react well under pressure). I can't describe how excited and proud I am to have such a great guy in my life, and I am beyond thrilled to begin a life with him. I guess all brides-to-be say the same things, but I can truly say, the prospect of spending every day of my life with my best friend has me completely floored. There are a few pictures below.

This is the recreation of the proposal. LOL. It's also on video if ever anyone wants to truly embarrass me and watch it. I'm fairly certain it involves some audio of me saying "How cheesy is it that we're recreating this?" and then extensive giggling.

The beautiful ring and the lovely "I've been on call and I have grease and oil under my fingernails" hand clasp. ;o)

Just the ring in this one.

This one has my giddy self in it. I have two rings on (but one is the anniversary ring Daryl gave me for our first year together. The

engagement ring is the one farthest from my RED cheeks. I couldn't stop smiling, my face hurt so bad at the end of the week. :o)

The planning thus far is going well. It's been a little less than a month, and we're well on our way (WELL on our way). Colours have been chosen, the location and date (Saturday, November 7, 2009) have been booked, stationary has been purchased, and since the location we chose does an all-inclusive package, the cake, photographer, DJ, and decorator (a non-necessity but exciting none the less), are all booked as well. Now it's a matter of going to the end-of-season sales in November and picking up things here and there... and of course, the dress shopping (*GAG*). I am slightly excited about shopping for the dress, but anyone who knows me well will understand my gag reflex. I DETEST shopping. I cannot see how this will go any smoother than usual, but I am willing to give it my best shop - here's hoping I find the dress of my dreams on the first day and it's in the budget!

Aside from our own wedding plans, my good friends, Shannon & Adam, are getting married on May 18, so the planning and excitement has been mounting by ten-fold since January 1st. The stag and doe is planned for next Friday (March 7... of course a day that I'm coming off a night shift), and Shannon's bridal shower is on the Sunday, so that will make for a BUSY weekend. This is all reminding me that I have to book a dress fitting for the bridesmaid attire - yikes.

We also have friends who are planning to start a family in the near future and Daryl will be celebrating his first anniversary of being a homeowner on May 4. It's incredible how time flies and all of a sudden we're all grown up! It's so surreal.

Anyhow, I guess this is as good as the first post is going to get. It's 1:40 a.m. and I have my first optometrist appointment in two years tomorrow, so I shall go rest these weary peepers of mine.

Until next time!