There have been many people who have asked why we are getting married in Decatur, IL. Well, there are many reasons actually.
Decatur is where our home is, and where it might be for a long time. (Not to limit us in any way...but we really love it here.) It's where we met, it's where we work, and there is a lot of opportunity. I always envisioned getting married in my church where I was raised. It's where my grandparents and parents were married, it's lovely, and I can still remember running through the halls as a child simply in love with being there. But over the years my home congregation has made some decisions that not only make themselves less welcoming, but also limit love. And, from that moment, I knew I could never celebrate the commitment that marriage stands for in a place that limits love.
I should also say that it was meant to be when I walked into First Lutheran Church in Decatur. There is no better feeling than to feel like you have found something you have been searching for...possibly for a very long time. I once called my mom and said that I knew I was in Decatur to be a part of this church...if nothing else.
So, when we made the decision to be here, I knew that it would be hard to transplant the feeling of "home" to a hotel in Decatur when trying to get ready for the ceremony. I didn't want to get ready in a hotel, and our apartment isn't large enough for everyone to be honest. Mom was thrilled when I called and mentioned that I had reserved a local historic bed and breakfast for our family to stay in before the wedding. We could all congregate there and get ready. We can all stay in the same "house" before the wedding.
And the most important part: my sisters and I can sleep in the same bed the night before. We do this every Christmas eve. (I think Katie even asked me where AHB was going to sleep when we spend Christmas with my family...) Anna and Katie and I have been doing this for as long as I can remember. We are all fully grown women. Anna is still in the middle. She still moved a lot. Katie really gets pressed between Anna and the radiator. Katie is always the first to wake up, and might still race down stairs if it wasn't for Anna pleading to sleep longer. I sleep. Hard. Rarely moving. The beauty of being a deep sleeper! And there we are: Crammed into a full size bed on Christmas eve....and it will continue to happen. :)
And the night before my wedding, we will be in a (queen sized!!) bed at the Younker House anticipating the next day with excitement just as if it was Christmas. When I made the reservation and told the woman that we would only need one room for the 3 of us, she was highly questionable on the phone. But, I assured her we would be fine.
And it's funny, because my parents came to visit this past weekend, and the days leading up to their arrival was like waiting for Christmas. (Sans the sisters in bed!) I was so excited. We had a great visit.
mmp
Sunny North Carolina in October 2010
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The emotional post. :)
Invitations are out and we hope you love them as much as we do. :)
Well, I knew it would eventually hit. The emotional post. The one AHB would roll his eyes at, and laugh. But, I can't help it.
I am in a blessed mood lately.
I get completely wrapped up in these moments when I am just feeling so loved I could burst. It could have a lot to do with the fact that I get to see my parents this weekend, or my sisters and Ohio friends next weekend...or that I am marrying someone incredible....I mean, there are a lot of factors as of late.
But, it was this realization that I am constantly surrounded by love in church on Sunday. Sitting with people I consider family, talking with folks who are taking the time because they want to, to throw showers for AHB and I. The time, the energy, the out pour of love...how can you not feel completely overwhelmed with appreciation?
As a woman who has watched many-a-friend go and get married, you tell yourself, "We do this whole wedding-shower-bachelorette-party-extravaganza for others, because we would want them to do it for us if we get to that point." But, then you realize that maybe you don't want all of that attention after all. Maybe you want to sit and celebrate the fact that you couldn't be more excited to be getting married with a good cup of coffee with good friends. Nothing flashy. Nothing demanding. Just celebrating love. And honestly, I can not say enough for the people who will be making the trips to Decatur(for some, multiple trips) to embrace the next few weeks leading up to the wedding. Please know that I am touched. Never did I (really) expect people to board a plane to fly to IL to be with us.
I can not wait to get married. But, there is a huge part of me that can not wait to get to the receiving line, and wrap my arms around friends who I have not seen in many many days. So many of the people we love in one place to raise a glass to love.
God, how did we get so lucky?
Well, I knew it would eventually hit. The emotional post. The one AHB would roll his eyes at, and laugh. But, I can't help it.
I am in a blessed mood lately.
I get completely wrapped up in these moments when I am just feeling so loved I could burst. It could have a lot to do with the fact that I get to see my parents this weekend, or my sisters and Ohio friends next weekend...or that I am marrying someone incredible....I mean, there are a lot of factors as of late.
But, it was this realization that I am constantly surrounded by love in church on Sunday. Sitting with people I consider family, talking with folks who are taking the time because they want to, to throw showers for AHB and I. The time, the energy, the out pour of love...how can you not feel completely overwhelmed with appreciation?
As a woman who has watched many-a-friend go and get married, you tell yourself, "We do this whole wedding-shower-bachelorette-party-extravaganza for others, because we would want them to do it for us if we get to that point." But, then you realize that maybe you don't want all of that attention after all. Maybe you want to sit and celebrate the fact that you couldn't be more excited to be getting married with a good cup of coffee with good friends. Nothing flashy. Nothing demanding. Just celebrating love. And honestly, I can not say enough for the people who will be making the trips to Decatur(for some, multiple trips) to embrace the next few weeks leading up to the wedding. Please know that I am touched. Never did I (really) expect people to board a plane to fly to IL to be with us.
I can not wait to get married. But, there is a huge part of me that can not wait to get to the receiving line, and wrap my arms around friends who I have not seen in many many days. So many of the people we love in one place to raise a glass to love.
God, how did we get so lucky?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
In Sickness and in Health...
I hate being sick.
And my mom would frown upon me using the word "hate"...this is still a woman that regulates herself from using the H-word because it is just "too strong of a word..."
I wish the parents of MU students would believe this as well. I think it would really reduce the nasty conversations I received from parents that include this word (and many choice others).
Anyhow, I really do dislike being sick. And I have been, for the past few days. It always happens that my immune system falters at the onset of fall. I welcome the cooler weather - but not necessarily the sickness that follows. But, here we are. Achoo and all the like.
I remember the story my mom tells of when she first got sick after she and dad got married. She says that she was vomiting in the toilet and asked for my dad to hand her a wash cloth, and he basically threw it from the door of the restroom. Couldn't stand to even be near it. :) And in 30 years, she hasn't let him live it down.
Well, as much as I despise sickness, I would gladly be taken care of by AHB. He has been an absolute gem all week. Making dinner for me. Being kind. Making sure I feel ok. Letting me sleep. I even missed work this week...the first time in years. But, I would consider being sick on a weekly basis, if i knew this level of attention would be a typical thing. I tell you what, we aren't married (YET!!) but he has the "In sickness and health" down pat. And I have been worried all week about getting him sick, but I have been informed that "I don't get sick." Many times.
In other (non sick) news: I have a larger-ish package from Pampered Chef sitting on my office desk! I want to open it, believing it to be our FIRST Bridal Shower gift. Ever! But, I am going to wait, patiently, until he gets home at 8pm! Man! I love mail, and if this is going to be a regular occurrence - great packages in the mail - I am psyched! If I was Sandy Pawsey, I would shake the crap out of this gift. But, unlike my mother, I have always appreciated the element of surprise - and I do not choose to shake gifts.
Get excited! Invitations go out tomorrow. I hope you love them as much as we do. In the invitations is the link for our "Becoming Berry" blog. More of the world will soon see these words...Annnd, sadly, I believe that will be the day that my friend Ellen gets hauled off to jail for animal abuse. I have never EVER had so much feedback regarding one post! Glad you enjoyed our shenanigans as much as we did. :)
Off to a wedding this weekend, and then we start the weekends of showers leading up to the big day. Ah. I just did a quick check at theknot.com, and it just informed me I ONLY have 51 days left as a single woman. Where did time go? (Thank god. 51 days couldn't go fast enough!)
mmp
And my mom would frown upon me using the word "hate"...this is still a woman that regulates herself from using the H-word because it is just "too strong of a word..."
I wish the parents of MU students would believe this as well. I think it would really reduce the nasty conversations I received from parents that include this word (and many choice others).
Anyhow, I really do dislike being sick. And I have been, for the past few days. It always happens that my immune system falters at the onset of fall. I welcome the cooler weather - but not necessarily the sickness that follows. But, here we are. Achoo and all the like.
I remember the story my mom tells of when she first got sick after she and dad got married. She says that she was vomiting in the toilet and asked for my dad to hand her a wash cloth, and he basically threw it from the door of the restroom. Couldn't stand to even be near it. :) And in 30 years, she hasn't let him live it down.
Well, as much as I despise sickness, I would gladly be taken care of by AHB. He has been an absolute gem all week. Making dinner for me. Being kind. Making sure I feel ok. Letting me sleep. I even missed work this week...the first time in years. But, I would consider being sick on a weekly basis, if i knew this level of attention would be a typical thing. I tell you what, we aren't married (YET!!) but he has the "In sickness and health" down pat. And I have been worried all week about getting him sick, but I have been informed that "I don't get sick." Many times.
In other (non sick) news: I have a larger-ish package from Pampered Chef sitting on my office desk! I want to open it, believing it to be our FIRST Bridal Shower gift. Ever! But, I am going to wait, patiently, until he gets home at 8pm! Man! I love mail, and if this is going to be a regular occurrence - great packages in the mail - I am psyched! If I was Sandy Pawsey, I would shake the crap out of this gift. But, unlike my mother, I have always appreciated the element of surprise - and I do not choose to shake gifts.
Get excited! Invitations go out tomorrow. I hope you love them as much as we do. In the invitations is the link for our "Becoming Berry" blog. More of the world will soon see these words...Annnd, sadly, I believe that will be the day that my friend Ellen gets hauled off to jail for animal abuse. I have never EVER had so much feedback regarding one post! Glad you enjoyed our shenanigans as much as we did. :)
Off to a wedding this weekend, and then we start the weekends of showers leading up to the big day. Ah. I just did a quick check at theknot.com, and it just informed me I ONLY have 51 days left as a single woman. Where did time go? (Thank god. 51 days couldn't go fast enough!)
mmp
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The little safety pin
I'm not really sure where to begin. To be honest, I wasn't expecting last night to turn out quite the way it did. Let me explain...
We live in university owned housing, and in an older apartment complex. We are one of 12 units in our building, and even though it has it's quircks, I really enjoy our home. However, since we moved into the new apartment in June, AHB has been missing his TV at night before bed. He used to wind down with some TV in bed before shutting the light off and snoozing. We don't have the opportunity to do that in the new apartment because of the way the building is wired. We only have cable in the living room. Another chord was not an option to run cable to the back. Well, then the media room called me...
They said they had an option for me - not that everyone would get this - but there are perks with being nice to the folks in Media. :) So, our media guy said he would hook me up with a splitter and a long cable chord. The only option for us was to run the cable to the back room from the living room. I didn't tell AHB, just incase it didn't work. But sure enough I got the splitter in the mail yesterday...but there was one huge flaw. AHB likes things tidy. This 75 foot chord was not going to add to the decore of the apartment, nor could you easily hide it running right through our kitchen into the back bedroom. Hmm. I knew this wasn't ideal for him, but what was more important? The cable option or the messy cable chord?
So, last night we invited dear Ellen over for dinner.
What you are about to witness is about 1 and 1/2 hours of the "Cable Chord Fiasco of 2011". Note to readers: No animals were hurt in the process of this evening.
AHB said: What if we try to run the cable chord through the vent? There is a vent in every room, and it is a straight shot from the living room to the bedroom without the mess of the chord on the ground.
True, there is a ventilation system that runs through our apartment starting behind the TV and ending in the bedroom. And the next thing I know, Ellen has a screw driver and AHB had the vacuum. (Heaven forbid we get dust on the carpet in the process of this evening...)
So we take off all the vents and shine a flash light from the bedroom to the living room, and sure enough, it is a straight shot with no obstructions. Perfect.
Ellen realized she could almost fit her head into the hole...which we decided was NOT a good idea. We had the Crisco ready just incase. AHB checked out the bathroom and realized we couldn't get both screws out of the wall, so we gave up on that vent quickly. Then we started the slow and painful process of pushing the chord through the vent. It seemed to be working well for a bit. But, please picture trying to put a drawsttring through a pair of athletic shorts. You know how this goes. It all gets jumbled in the middle unless you have a safety pin on the end of the string. Well, we could't find a "safety pin" long enough to help in this process. We tried a hanger, we tried the long plastic thing the chord came wrapped in...we were losing steam. This was about 45 minutes into the project. AHB decided we should pack up and call it a good attempt. The trouble was not being able to see where the chord was getting stuck...we couldn't tell if we were making progress. Then Ellen found my makeup mirror and did a McGiver move where she shined the light in the vent and used the mirror to look down the system. Which helped a bit.
After some time, and more grumbling, Ellen and I decided if the hole were a bit bigger it would be easier for one of us to get in there and help the chord move a bit more. If only the hole was bigger....or if only we were a bit (quite a bit!) smaller...
And the conversation looked a little like this:
Ellen: "I wish we could stick something up there and help it push through."
Me: "Yep."
Ellen: "OH MY GOSH! We should attach the chord to Apple and put her in there! She is small enough to fit!"
AHB: "Absolutely not!"
Me: "She is totally small enough."
(Ellen is now picking up Apple and examining her.)
AHB: "No. We are not doing that. What if she gets stuck. She will never fit. No."
Ellen: "Sure she will, won't you Apple?" (Ellen is now hooking the end of the chord to Apple)
(AHB Walked into the kitchen for 3 seconds to check on the bread pudding)
(Ellen shoves little Apple into the heating vent when AHB had his back turned.)
Me: "Uh, pip. You might want to go into the living room and call Apple in the vent. Ellen just may have shoved her into the ceiling..."
AHB: "Jesus Christ, Ellen!" "Apple, come here honey..."
(This is my camera through the hole in the 2nd bedroom to see where she was. You can see her little eyes in this photo--and how messy the vent was!)
And, sure enough, that little dog crawled to her dad in the living room. Didn't stop once. And in 1 minute, or cable chord drama was over. Although AHB was not thrilled. :)
It almost made me pee my pants! I was laughing so hard! The best part was Ellen who then ran into the living room shouting "I can't believe that worked! I can't believe that worked!". We would have had a mess on our hands - had she gotten stuck! What an adventurous night. And we haven't hooked it up yet...that was enough for one evening.
Little Apple was the hero, and then she promptly got a bath. Per "dads" demand. :o)
Annnnd, if he doesn't divorce me over this...maybe we are in the clear!
mmp
We live in university owned housing, and in an older apartment complex. We are one of 12 units in our building, and even though it has it's quircks, I really enjoy our home. However, since we moved into the new apartment in June, AHB has been missing his TV at night before bed. He used to wind down with some TV in bed before shutting the light off and snoozing. We don't have the opportunity to do that in the new apartment because of the way the building is wired. We only have cable in the living room. Another chord was not an option to run cable to the back. Well, then the media room called me...
They said they had an option for me - not that everyone would get this - but there are perks with being nice to the folks in Media. :) So, our media guy said he would hook me up with a splitter and a long cable chord. The only option for us was to run the cable to the back room from the living room. I didn't tell AHB, just incase it didn't work. But sure enough I got the splitter in the mail yesterday...but there was one huge flaw. AHB likes things tidy. This 75 foot chord was not going to add to the decore of the apartment, nor could you easily hide it running right through our kitchen into the back bedroom. Hmm. I knew this wasn't ideal for him, but what was more important? The cable option or the messy cable chord?
So, last night we invited dear Ellen over for dinner.
What you are about to witness is about 1 and 1/2 hours of the "Cable Chord Fiasco of 2011". Note to readers: No animals were hurt in the process of this evening.
AHB said: What if we try to run the cable chord through the vent? There is a vent in every room, and it is a straight shot from the living room to the bedroom without the mess of the chord on the ground.
True, there is a ventilation system that runs through our apartment starting behind the TV and ending in the bedroom. And the next thing I know, Ellen has a screw driver and AHB had the vacuum. (Heaven forbid we get dust on the carpet in the process of this evening...)
So we take off all the vents and shine a flash light from the bedroom to the living room, and sure enough, it is a straight shot with no obstructions. Perfect.
Ellen realized she could almost fit her head into the hole...which we decided was NOT a good idea. We had the Crisco ready just incase. AHB checked out the bathroom and realized we couldn't get both screws out of the wall, so we gave up on that vent quickly. Then we started the slow and painful process of pushing the chord through the vent. It seemed to be working well for a bit. But, please picture trying to put a drawsttring through a pair of athletic shorts. You know how this goes. It all gets jumbled in the middle unless you have a safety pin on the end of the string. Well, we could't find a "safety pin" long enough to help in this process. We tried a hanger, we tried the long plastic thing the chord came wrapped in...we were losing steam. This was about 45 minutes into the project. AHB decided we should pack up and call it a good attempt. The trouble was not being able to see where the chord was getting stuck...we couldn't tell if we were making progress. Then Ellen found my makeup mirror and did a McGiver move where she shined the light in the vent and used the mirror to look down the system. Which helped a bit.
After some time, and more grumbling, Ellen and I decided if the hole were a bit bigger it would be easier for one of us to get in there and help the chord move a bit more. If only the hole was bigger....or if only we were a bit (quite a bit!) smaller...
And the conversation looked a little like this:
Ellen: "I wish we could stick something up there and help it push through."
Me: "Yep."
Ellen: "OH MY GOSH! We should attach the chord to Apple and put her in there! She is small enough to fit!"
AHB: "Absolutely not!"
Me: "She is totally small enough."
(Ellen is now picking up Apple and examining her.)
AHB: "No. We are not doing that. What if she gets stuck. She will never fit. No."
Ellen: "Sure she will, won't you Apple?" (Ellen is now hooking the end of the chord to Apple)
(AHB Walked into the kitchen for 3 seconds to check on the bread pudding)
(Ellen shoves little Apple into the heating vent when AHB had his back turned.)
Me: "Uh, pip. You might want to go into the living room and call Apple in the vent. Ellen just may have shoved her into the ceiling..."
AHB: "Jesus Christ, Ellen!" "Apple, come here honey..."
And, sure enough, that little dog crawled to her dad in the living room. Didn't stop once. And in 1 minute, or cable chord drama was over. Although AHB was not thrilled. :)
It almost made me pee my pants! I was laughing so hard! The best part was Ellen who then ran into the living room shouting "I can't believe that worked! I can't believe that worked!". We would have had a mess on our hands - had she gotten stuck! What an adventurous night. And we haven't hooked it up yet...that was enough for one evening.
Little Apple was the hero, and then she promptly got a bath. Per "dads" demand. :o)
Annnnd, if he doesn't divorce me over this...maybe we are in the clear!
mmp
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The Bull and the Ram
Did you know that our wedding is in two months? Amazing, right?
We have been spending our time getting ready. Gluing invitations. Gluing our fingers. We have had a lot of help, and will welcome more help this weekend as Kel and Dan come to help put invitations in the mail. We are ready.
Now, I have been writing this post for a while. In my head. As things happen. It's a funny comparison of our relationship. And honestly, this post is for Seth and Megan Berry. :)
I wanted to explain our relationship a little bit more. Some who know AHB from work, or just as friends, have asked if he ever gets mad. Well, no. Although he does get frustrated - he never loses his cool.(But there was this really close call with our trash can the other day. Want to win AHB over - buy the trash can on our registry. Ha!) He doesn't really get mad. Not really. That is because I am going to marry Ferdinand the Bull. You don't have a context for this? (My Disney fans will know this story - but for thoes who weren't raised in a Disney house...)Please follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGTVRbpAuRo
Seriously, please watch this!
AHB is ferdinand the bull. I have thought this from the first few weeks we started dating. He is happy to just sit. Under his favorite cork tree (recliner), smelling the flowers (drinking diet coke), and watching the world. Slow to anger. But persistant as hell. If Ferdinand doesn't want to move, he isn't about to move.
Example: We had somewhere to go a few weeks ago. This had been planned for a few days, and we both agreed on Wednesday that we would go on Sunday. Well, Sunday rolled around - which was our first day off in over a month - and Ferdinand was really happy just sitting, smelling flowers, and watching the world. I got up and moving about 2 hours before. Getting ready. Taking a shower. Doing my hair. Announcing all the while:
"Ferdinand. Come on. We have to get going. You need to take a shower."
"Ok, Ferdinand. Too late to shower. Just put some nicer clothes on."
"Ok, I am doinbg my make up. We need to leave in 15 minutes."
"Ferdinand, we really have to go out the door. I am going to take the dogs out and come back into get you..."
With all of my begging and pleading, Ferdinand didn't move. He wanted to stay at home.
There have been similar stories for Ferdinand the bull. Seth can tell you of a time when AHB needed new tires or something for his car at 7 or 8 in the morning....and he wouldn't let up until Seth took him to get tires.
After my failed attempt to get Ferdinand out of the house I looked at him ans said, "Geeze, I am going to need to get stronger or this is going to be a battle for the rest of our lives!" and he said, "Pip, I will be able to out stubborn you any day of the week."
True.
But, you have to understand - AHB is a Taurus. I am an Aries. And though many of you may not believe in the zodiac...the sign for Taurus is the bull. Reason being? Taurus men are not for their stubborn nature. They do not easily anger, but just like ferdinand they take life in strides. Everything in their own timing. But, once they get something in their head - good luck convincing them otherwise. AHB even told me when we started dating that once he considered us as a couple, the idea just stuck.
I promise to write more about the ram and the bull later. But I need to jump in the shower or I will be late for my 8am class! :)
Can't wait for Nov. 5th.
We have been spending our time getting ready. Gluing invitations. Gluing our fingers. We have had a lot of help, and will welcome more help this weekend as Kel and Dan come to help put invitations in the mail. We are ready.
Now, I have been writing this post for a while. In my head. As things happen. It's a funny comparison of our relationship. And honestly, this post is for Seth and Megan Berry. :)
I wanted to explain our relationship a little bit more. Some who know AHB from work, or just as friends, have asked if he ever gets mad. Well, no. Although he does get frustrated - he never loses his cool.(But there was this really close call with our trash can the other day. Want to win AHB over - buy the trash can on our registry. Ha!) He doesn't really get mad. Not really. That is because I am going to marry Ferdinand the Bull. You don't have a context for this? (My Disney fans will know this story - but for thoes who weren't raised in a Disney house...)Please follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGTVRbpAuRo
Seriously, please watch this!
AHB is ferdinand the bull. I have thought this from the first few weeks we started dating. He is happy to just sit. Under his favorite cork tree (recliner), smelling the flowers (drinking diet coke), and watching the world. Slow to anger. But persistant as hell. If Ferdinand doesn't want to move, he isn't about to move.
Example: We had somewhere to go a few weeks ago. This had been planned for a few days, and we both agreed on Wednesday that we would go on Sunday. Well, Sunday rolled around - which was our first day off in over a month - and Ferdinand was really happy just sitting, smelling flowers, and watching the world. I got up and moving about 2 hours before. Getting ready. Taking a shower. Doing my hair. Announcing all the while:
"Ferdinand. Come on. We have to get going. You need to take a shower."
"Ok, Ferdinand. Too late to shower. Just put some nicer clothes on."
"Ok, I am doinbg my make up. We need to leave in 15 minutes."
"Ferdinand, we really have to go out the door. I am going to take the dogs out and come back into get you..."
With all of my begging and pleading, Ferdinand didn't move. He wanted to stay at home.
There have been similar stories for Ferdinand the bull. Seth can tell you of a time when AHB needed new tires or something for his car at 7 or 8 in the morning....and he wouldn't let up until Seth took him to get tires.
After my failed attempt to get Ferdinand out of the house I looked at him ans said, "Geeze, I am going to need to get stronger or this is going to be a battle for the rest of our lives!" and he said, "Pip, I will be able to out stubborn you any day of the week."
True.
But, you have to understand - AHB is a Taurus. I am an Aries. And though many of you may not believe in the zodiac...the sign for Taurus is the bull. Reason being? Taurus men are not for their stubborn nature. They do not easily anger, but just like ferdinand they take life in strides. Everything in their own timing. But, once they get something in their head - good luck convincing them otherwise. AHB even told me when we started dating that once he considered us as a couple, the idea just stuck.
I promise to write more about the ram and the bull later. But I need to jump in the shower or I will be late for my 8am class! :)
Can't wait for Nov. 5th.
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