A Wedding, A Honeymoon with Vegas Oh My!! (Part 1)

Yup, it's been almost two weeks (tomorrow) since Justin and I tied the knot! I'm so excited to now officially Mrs. Keller! I signed my name for a courier yesterday morning. I started writing "Julie Riley" then realized that wasn't my name any more, so it came out "Julie Rellery" - yeah, this is going to take some getting used to!

What an amazing day; in the morning it was sprinkling a bit, just enough to feel a mist on your skin, then it cleared right up and was about 25 degrees at the hottest part of the day. The couple days before were really smoky. There was a fire about eight hours away, but that also wasn't an issue for us the day of.

We got to the ranch at about noon on Friday, and started the set up. When we pulled into the yard, off the highway, the "Welcome to Sierra West" sign greeted us. I was SO excited to see this, and was secretly hoping they were going to do this; it got my adrenaline going, "oh yeah, this is why we're here."

This is looking at the outside of the saloon, where the reception was held (and where we would have had the ceremony if the weather turned on us), before everything was set up in it.

And this is the inside of the saloon before all the wood moving, table arranging, and general pretty-making that happened.

We rented two 20x20 canvas tents, and Justin framed up a dancefloor at home (to be set up under one of the tents), that had to be assembled and sheeted. So, we (and by we - I mean the guys, Heather, Amanda, Brittany, Kas and Nicole) started setting everything up.

Randy and Ginny both said they provide the pets, so there was no need for anyone to bring theirs. Crockett was a big help, and super cute with his two different coloured eyes!

People, other than our helpers began arriving, and setting up their trailers and tents. Having a venue like this for our wedding was SO perfect for us. Mostly everyone could be there the whole weekend, from Friday to Sunday. Not having to worry about coming and going constantly.

And our bridal parties, Justin and I, Justin's parents, siblings and my Grandpa all had cabins or bunkhouses to stay in. It's times like this that I'm happy that two of my bridesmaids, and two of Justin's groomsmen are married to each other: they had to share a two story cabin, and it wouldn't have worked so well if it was a bunch of strangers!

During the rehersal, when my dad and I were practicing walking down the ailse, when he passed me over to Justin, I started crying. I just got so overwhelmed by all the emotion - such a perfect commitment, such a beautiful place, and I missed my Grandma. It all came out in tears for a few minutes.

All day, I was going crazy, not thinking everything was going to get done. Our photographers showed up just before the rehersal and were reasuring me that it would all come together. After the rehersal, I felt a lot calmer, and everyone could tell. This is the outside of the saloon after the tents and dance floor were set up; it looked so amazing!

At that point, I just decided to roll with it. I grabbed myself a drink, we had supper, and then got into a fun game that I made up for the bridal party. It was a bunch of questions about either Justin or myself. The guys had to answer questions about me, and the girls had to answer questions about Justin. So, we named it "Team ABC vs. The Lefties" (my bridesmaids names worked into A-Amanda, B-Brittany, and C-Chelsey; and all Justin's groomsmen are left handed). I think it was a really great way for everyone to relax, get to know us a bit more, and to act as an ice breaker.

This lead perfectly into giving our bridal party their thank-you gifts for all their hard work. We got the girls "Team ABC" hoodies with their names embroidered on the left sleeves. And of course I got one too.

For the guys, we got my uncle to build some hunting knives but they didn't get done in time, so because we wanted them to have something on the day, we bought them each a bottle of spiced rum and a cigar.

Then it was time to head off to bed, and sleep if at all possible. To be continued...

Two Cards

Seriously, this card took me all of about two minutes, five maybe - but that would include the little bit that I thought I didn't have enough time to make a card before we had to leave the house! I love how this card came together; I didn't think: I just rooted through my pile of scrap paper to see if I had anything I liked, found some more of that pink cardstock, cut it, folded it, grabbed the floral paper, thought for a second to punch a circle in the card to have a peep effect, punched the floral paper, punched the card, then grabbed some ribbon and put it all together. I love that it looks like I took my time to think, and plan it out - it looks really fancy to me!

The card was for Justin's mum - it was her birthday yesterday. I really like making cards for her because she just fawns over them. And, they can be girlier than cards for my mum - although she has stepped out of her little box, or should I say I pushed her. (Plus, you can see our fantastic fence, and some discarded pieces of sod - the yard is looking beautiful.)

And on Monday, wedding crack down happened. We worked so hard on getting lots of things done that were time consuming. In the morning I worked on my bridal shower thank you cards. I was a one woman assembly line. I went to town, trying to figure out how to maximize the paper I had bought for this project a week after my shower (yes, still trying to figure out a time to sit down and upload those pictures!), I had really good intentions for these getting out much sooner, but life happens!

The base stamp, the one with the numbers in it (it's a little bit hard to see because I stamped it basically the same colour as the cardstock), is from a vacation stamp set that I purchased to use for our honeymoon layouts. Sometime you just need to think outside the box (the one that I pushed my mum out of!), and use a prodcut differently than it was intened to be used. Now looking at the cards, it's like "let me count the ways I am thankful for you," and the numbers are all the things I'm thankful for that the recipiant did! Yea, I may be stretching it, and reading into this more than anyone else ever will!

Filling those out was fun at first, then after the first half it just seemed like I wasn't being creative, and was saying the same thing over and over - hopefully they all made sense!

My Grandpa's 85

It was my Grandpa's 85th birthday last Friday, so my mum, dad, brother and I made the trip out to Fruitvale (about a six hour drive) to visit him and his wife, Yvonne. The part that I don't like about the trip, is the getting up at five because we're leaving at six.

Saturday we toured the Columbia Gardens Vineyard and Winery. It was nice to get a little bit of sun while being in such a beautiful location (I forgot my camera back at the house, but took some photos with my mum's camera that I will add at a later date). Then we went back inside and sampled. Normally I'm a white wine kind of gal, but the Merlot really spoke to me this time, so I snapped up a bottle. Also got a bottle of their dessert wine (they don't think it's worth the money to be certified to make ice wine), that I planning on having the night of the wedding - just Justin and I.

The weather was really hot, about 35 degrees and humid. Plus, the BBQ was on, cooking our ham supper, some of the time we were sitting on the poarch which added to the heat. Yvonne really likes the heat, and enjoys every minute of it (which makes me surprised she'd live somewhere that gets winter - wouldn't you move to, say Nevada?).

On the way home we stopped at one of the fruit stands in Creston and I took some pictures while I waited for my parents to be finished. I could easily live there, it's a mini Kelowna to me. I love the mix between buildings (buisnesses and houses) and orchards. It's something that looks both out of the ordinary and natural all at the same time.

I find it really funny that Justin doesn't like surprises. His mum's been wondering what he wants for his birthday (August 16 - five days before the wedding), so I've been sending her suggestion texts whenever another idea comes to me. Today I texted her some Saucy Ladies (a company here in town) jarred goods. The next thing I know, Sandy's calling me to say that she dropped a jar of antipasto in the box of the truck (at Justin's work) and for me to let him know to move it inside before he drives so it doesn't break. She called it a "birthday teaser."

When I called Justin to let him know, I wanted to surprise him, so I just said there's something in the truck box that has to get moved. He was begging me to find out what Sandy had dropped of for him. Finally I said that I didn't know what it was; there was a pause, then Justin said "your lying to me." I laughed so hard; I love that Justin knows when I'm not telling the truth - keeps me on the straight and narrow!

Here's a couple pictures from the one month date, last Wednesday. I was a little disappointed that we don't look better in them; we both look worn out and a little gross looking! I later realized that's our life right now: I've been working out to look more toned and lose a couple pounds (eight to be exact, the number I gained back after eating really badly the week when Justin's Grandpa was in the hospital), and Justin's been working diligently on the yard (building the fences, installing the underground sprinklers, leveling the yard and adding topsoil). Why wouldn't I like a photo that discribes our life so clearly a month before our wedding!

P.S. It's way too crazy around here lately to think about scrapbooking, which is kind of sad. When life gets back to normal once again after the honeymoon, it'll be "balls to the walls" for that!

Yard Progress and Street Wheelers

Justin called me from work and said he'd be working this Sunday out of town, so he was going to leave work early and work on the fence. He suggested that I should come home at lunch and visit him (I was going to go home as it was), and thought it would be a good opportunity to take some more pictures at the progress of our yard.

This is the section towards the front of the house that he had completed from eleven until when I came home, at about one.

There was a bit of mis-communication, and I thought Justin said he was going back to work, but then said he'd be finished the fence by the time I got home at 5:45. I figured there was no way he could get the rest of it finished, if that little bit had taken him so long, but let him believe it anyways. When I got home, the fence was completed (except for the cap that finishes off the top). I asked him again if he was home since eleven, and he was confused; he said he had already told me that when we saw each other at lunch. I then understood why he thought he could get it all done - and I appreciate all his hard work - it looks fabulous!

Last Friday night, Amanda and Lincoln picked me up at home, then we headed off to 7 Eleven to get some food. Lincoln bought two boxes of chicken wings, and a box of potato wedges. I bought a slurpee, a bag of beef jerky and a cup of candy. The eating started almost as soon as we got set up, and continued all night long; my jar was very sore by the end of the night, and I was telling people to take the food away from my reach. Lincoln's dad teasingly asked how we were going to fit into a wedding dress (me) and a bridesmaid dress (Amanda) in a month!

I'm sure if you've never experienced Street Machine Weekend, or if your town doesn't do something similar, you might think we're a little messed up - but it's honestly a lot of fun. There are a couple requirements, however: good friends (plus a stand-by date never hurts, for when your fiance is out of town - this also happened five years ago on Justin's and my first street wheelers weekend), refreshing beverages (this year was water), lots of junk food, and nice cars to look at as they drive up and down the street.

At first Amanda and I were just sitting on the lowered tailgate on a folded blanket, then our bums were getting sore, so we were going to set up the lawn chairs on the grass behind the truck, then it occured to us (me I think) to put the lawn chairs in the box. What a perfect spot!

I saw a friend walk passed as we were sitting there; I knew Lincoln knew Damien, but I didn't know that they were now working at the same shop together (Damien just got hired). Lincoln, Damien and his dad all struck up a conversation. Then Damien's cousin, Carmen, stopped by, along with a friend Sara (and a whole bunch of other people I didn't know); I hadn't seen the two of them since we graduated. It's such a small world: Carmen, Damien and Lincoln all used to hang out back in high school. If Justin and Lincoln would have hung out more at that time, who knows, maybe him and I would have met back then!

Saturday night was amazing! Nicole and I headed to the casino for supper (they have really good, cheap food - which I've talked about most times when her and Corey have come over recently), then to pick up a couple drinks (wine and Malibu rum), then to her shop to drink said wine, then finally out dancing at a country bar. One of Nicole's friends, Morgan, met us at Bos Hogs. She had brought a camera to document the night, but when we asked a random guy to take a picture of us, it slipped out of his hands, and broke on the ground - so no photos. We ended up getting most of our drinks bought by a couple guys that we met, we decided to be wing men, although did not do a good job! We stayed right until close, and walked home. Sunday we went back to pick up Nicole's car, and stopped to get a couple Booster Juices to help cure our headaches!

I really do feel it's best to jam-pack my weekends that Justin's out of town working with lots to do. But, I am looking forward to the next time, probably this Sunday: I plan on making a ton of sushi (and also eating a ton), and just kicking back at home.

New Hair Cut

Yesterday morning, I woke up, and the way my hair looked was awesome! My long bangs (they were down to the tip of my nose) were light and fluffy looking. Then I thought about cutting my bangs; I've been thinking about doing this for awhile again. The next thing I knew, the scissors were in one hand, my hair was in the other, and snip snip, and I was done: I had bangs!

Of course, last night I had to take about a million cute pictures of myself - my favorite subject! Everyone at work yesterday was surprised to see my hair cut, even more blown away when I told them I had cut them myself at seven in the morning before work! The service manager told me a couple times he really likes bangs on me, as well as a few others. Then there were some that didn't notice at all, remember I work with a bunch of men - I can't take offense!

Looking forward to a busy weekend, Justin's out of town working, and I've decided that I need to pack my weekend really full, spending time with friends and family (maybe co-workers too) while he's away to make the time fly by. So, tonight I'm hanging out with friends for "Street Wheelers" (which is a bunch of vehicles driving around on two streets in the city, and all you do is sit back on a lawn chair on the side of the road and watch); tomorrow for lunch, I'm getting together to have a few beers (or martinis, or long island iced teas) with a few guys from work, one of the mechanics is leaving; Saturday night I'm going for supper at the casino with Nicole, then we're heading out dancing; Sunday I plan on cleaning the bathrooms, maybe get some vacuuming done, and watching some DVDs.

Happy Birthday Brian

Keeping it up again tonight. Tomorrow we're going out for supper to celebrate my step-brother-in-laws 15th birthday. Yup, he's getting up there! We're going to the Keg, and I already know I'm having prime rib; I can't wait for that meat to melt in my mouth, and the buttery potatoes to be eaten like soup! I've been thinking about it all day, and can hardly stand it!

So, I thought I had better get to making a card for Brian, since it's the only time before tomorrows supper to be able to make it. I think every card I've made him has involved some sort of game animal on it. I've made lots with just cut out deer heads, glued to the paper. So, this one I wanted to be a little bit different. I looked through my scraps, and found that usual sheet, but veered away from it. I found a brown base, a stripped paper with brown and blues in it, and a textured cream paper. Then I looked through my new (read recently purchaed, lots of these papers were in the clearance section at my local store) patterened paper and found a travel themed page with signs on it. Deer, check; fishing, check; added bonus, cow; perfect. And I started putting it all together.

I actually really like how this card came together and find it interesting to look at. I still find it more difficult making "man" cards than soft, pretty, girly cards, but I'm working through it. It's sure helpful that theres lots of manufacturers out there making manly products now, even if that's not the use they were intended for!