Dave and Laurie's Wedding

So on January 28th I hopped on a plane and flew out to Ohio for D & L's wedding. I got in on Thursday night realllly late. My sister picked me up at the airport and drove me to my cousin Kim's house. Everyone was asleep, so I just went to bed and was woken up in the morning by her 3 adorable girls and their adorable new puppy.

That afternoon we headed on over to the Franklin Park Conservatory for the rehearsal. Kim's girls were the adorable flower girls.

That night we had the rehearsal dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. It was nice because the wedding wasn't until Saturday, so we could eat without having to worry about wearing fancy dresses the next day! HA!




On Saturday I went and got my nails done with the other bridesmaids, Laurie, and her mom. Then I went with Kim and Chris to Jordan's soccer game. She scored her second goal ever in her soccer career. I decided then and there that I will be a crazy mom one day. As I watched her score her goal I got all choked up and I swear my heart just swelled up and about burst. I was so proud of her!

That evening we headed over to Laurie's mom's house to watch Dave and Laurie open gifts and to watch their wedding slide show that Kim made.

After that we drove over to D & L's new house so my mom could give them the quilt she made for their wedding. (That lady is way too craft for her own good).

This is Laurie saying, "You MADE this?"

My mom was making the wedding cakes and gets realllly nervous if anyone gets too close to them. So that night, after mom had gone to bed, Kim and I had some fun. We didn't show these to mom until after the wedding. She still freaked out just a little bit.

The next day was the wedding. A long awaited day in the Miller household. My brother is finally breaking the "Miller curse!" Perhaps there is hope for me yet! :)

I went back to Laurie's mom's house (after stopping to get some Starbucks...oh Ohio, how I love that you have Starbucks allllll over the place. I have missed you!)

The in was back to Kim's to get ready and to help these adorable ladies get ready:

Then it was wedding time!

Dave and Dad

Dad, Me, Mom

The ceremony was beautiful. There is a big Chihuly glass display at the Conservatory, so we explored and took some pictures.

Me and Kim

Adorable flower girl cousins

The new Miller family (Mom blinked)

The new Mr. & Mrs. Miller

Caroline caught the bouquet and was VERY excited. I certainly hope I don't have to wait until this six year old gets married before I do! :)

I'm not sure I could open my mouth any wider if I tried!

The amazing cake my mom made. Told you she was crafty.

So one of my favorite moments of the night was when I was helping my 8 year old cousin, Lizzy, through the buffet line. We got to the big salad bowl and I asked her,

"Lizzy, would you like some salad?"

She answered enthusiastically,

"Oh, yes!"

Then proceeded to pick six croutons off of the salad and place them on her plate!

When we were eating I couldn't help but ask her,

"So Lizzy, how is your salad?"

She opened her eyes wide, nodded and said,

"Delicious!"

As she popped another crouton into her mouth. :)

And finally, I really like my hair so I wanted to put a pic of it on here so I could remember it.

Okay, that was two pics. Oh well! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and I am so happy for my brother and new sister!

January...Well, part of it

Why, oh why have I not been posting? Well..2010 has been pretty busy. However, this would be a lot more interesting (and wouldn't take me so long) if I just kept up with it. So, here I go again, vowing that I will keep up with this here blog.

January started off with a big event...I started my Master's! I am working on my Masters of Education with an emphasis in reading and literacy. I am doing it online through Walden University, since I am still working full time, commuting over an hour each way, and I have no idea where I'll be living in the next few months. Here is my little set up:

Right after I started my Master's Dave and Laurie came to visit from Ohio. It was so great to have them here. We had a shower for them at our church and it was the first time our extended family got to meet Laurie. We all had a great time.



My sister, Bethany, and I planed the shower and did all of the decorating and the food. Bethany did most of it, because I had just started my Master's, but I did help!

Their wedding color is green, and since it is winter time and they both love the outdoors, we decided to have a "Winter Wonderland" type theme.

Dave and Laurie with the cake that Mom made.

So when the shower ended, some people left, but some stuck around, because...we had a surprise 40th anniversary party planned for these two:

Bethany and I had been planning it for a few weeks and they have NO CLUE. Dad kept saying that he was going to leave because he had to study for his Sunday School lesson the next day. We kept telling him to just relax and enjoy spending time with people as we waiting for the second round to guests to show up and get the next part started.

Once those people showed up, we busted out new decorations...




And new food:



And got the next party started. They were so surprised. And I'm thinking my dad had wished he had studied his Sunday School lesson a little bit earlier!



We had an absolute blast!

The next day after church, we celebrated Christmas number two, since Dave and Laurie couldn't be here for Christmas.

It was such a great weekend, but Bethany and I were so tired when it was all finished. And I learned that starting your Master's, working full time, planning and throwing two parties, and celebrating Christmast all over again all in one week makes for a very tired girl!


Oh...and...CHECK IT OUT! My blog looks different! I have no clue how to do anything on the computer, so I am pretty proud of myself that I figured out how to not only get a new, cute header, but to get my picture IN the header! Wooo Hoooo!

More from January and February to come!

Conversations With Mom, Part 1

I love my mother. A lot. She is wonderful and I hope to be just like her one day. She loves the Lord and is a wonderful example of a wife and a mother. She is also a hoot. Mostly when she's not trying to be. She often says things that just come out wrong...and it cracks us up. Here is one of those recent conversations.

The scene:
In the car, on the way to Target (my happy place). I was driving and mom was just sitting there staring at me.

The conversation:

Me: What?
Mom: You're just so pretty.
Me: You have to say that, you're my mom.
Mom: I don't HAVE to say anything. If I didn't think it was true, then I just wouldn't say anything.
Me: Well, then your eyes are tainted because you're my mother.
Mom: That's not true...I can clearly see those 30 pounds you've gained, but I still think you're beautiful.
Me: Thanks, Mom.

Cue laughing so hard we almost drove off the road.

Please, Just Don't. Thanks.

My sister and I are self-proclaimed Christmas decoration snobs. As we drive around at Christmas time, we give grades to the Christmas decorations on houses, and offer suggestions (to each other, not to the people who live in the houses...that would be taking it a bit too far) as to how they can bring up their grade.

For example..."That house is a B+, but they could bring it up to an A if they would get rid of the blinking lights that give us seizures/ get rid of the red lights in their windows/straighten out the lights on their tree." You know, practical stuff.

However, in my eyes, there is one decoration that gives you an automatic fail. Observe:

Those blasted inflatables! I don't know what it is, but they make me shudder!

Although...I DO like the lights on the house behind the loathsome inflatable. Add some pretty garland and some candles in the windows and we have a solid A- going on. I'll even look past the icicle lights on the dormers. It is Christmas, after all.

This one makes me want to cry. It MOVES. Ugh.

So there you have it. I love Christmas. I love Christmas decorations. And I appreciate all effort and the beauty of it all. But inflatables...INFLATABLES? Please. Just don't.

It's a...

self imposed snow day! I attempted to get to work this morning (thing #278 I miss about teaching: guilt free SNOW DAYS!!!!)

Gah- they just interrupted Ellen for a weather alert- that's how gross it is! And the weather lady just told me to stay in bed and eat pizza. Okay. Will do.

Anywho...after slipping and sliding through town, barely making up a hill and wishing with all that was in me that I lived in the south, I turned around and headed home. To this...

Yes, a stack of books just waiting to be read (and one that already has been read.) Recently I have remembered my love for reading and I'm milking it. And having a blast.

So I started my day with a little bit of this:

Figaro wanted to get in on the action, too.

So what am I reading? Hummmmm?

I just finished...

This book was great. I cried. Yup...it was challenging, motivating and heart-string pulling. Good read.

I am currently reading...

Sophie Kinsella makes me laugh. A lot. This book is really cute and fun.

I am looking forward to reading...

Don't laugh. These books are fun. I have read 4.5 of them. I read half of book 5, put it down and never picked it up again. I was reading them as they came out, and by the time book 5 came out, I had forgotten what had happened before and was lost. I do much better waiting for a series to be complete before I read it. I'm the same way with TV. TV on DVD? Yes, please!

It's been a rough year. I just need to read this.

I've heard great things about this book...and have a mentioned it's been a rough year? Yeah, I thought so.

So there you have it. I love reading. And I'm going to go do some more. Right. Now.

RUH ROH!

Yup...that's my cell phone. Note to self...don't shut your cell phone in your car door. It will break. I just got this phone 2 weeks ago, too. I was thisclose to cancelling my insurance in an attempt to save money because in the history of having cell phones I have never lost or broken one. Glad I didn't do that! Thanks to the magic of the internet and the Verizon fairies, I should have a new one tomorrow. Yea! It's driving me crazy, though because I can see I have a voicemail and a text message...but I have no way of getting them. Ugh!

AND

This video makes me laugh. A lot. It reminds me of college. And Laura. And it makes me miss her and the way we used to laugh like fools.

I volunteered to my future SIL to sing it at her wedding next month. She hasn't answered me yet. Hummmmm. Wonder why. :)

*And yes, Julie, if you read this...I stole the title from your facebook comment. Thanks! :)

Let's Rewind...Again

I really, really, REALLY need to be better about this. You know- posting on my blog and not having to always rewind. Ahem.

Anyway, about a week and a half ago I got together with my dear friend, Tiffany. Tiff and I have been best friends since third grade. We went to school together all through elementary and middle school, then went to different high schools.

During high school and the beginning of college we worked at Camp Good News together as well. After college Tiffany stayed in NH and I was in Ohio, but we have remained great friends and I have LOVED reconnecting since I moved back to NH.

Tiffany is married to Ryan and now has two adorable kiddos that she lets me play with, read stories to, and snuggle. I love being "Aunt Erin!"

So, Tiffany and I got together on a Saturday morning to go watch her husband, Ryan, go jump into Lake Winnipesaukee for the Turkey Plunge, a fund raiser for the Salvation Army (although we missed the jump...whoops.)

Afterward we went to a local restaurant for a yummy fund raising lunch of clam chowder and chili. Then it was back to Tiff and Ryans to hang out, talk, play with the kids, and catch up.

What a fun day!

On Sunday afternoon I met up with my friends Heather and Diana and their friend Ian to go see New Moon. Heather and I went to school together from sixth grade through high school. She lived right up the road from me and was like a part of our family. Diana is her best friend and roommate.

These are horrible pictures because I took them with my phone and it doesn't have a flash, but I insisted on taking pictures anyway.

Heather and me



Ian and Diana


So here was my brilliant statement of that evening. We were standing in line for the movie and Ian and Diana were talking about some movie, but I wasn't sure what. So I said,

"What are you talking about?"

and they responded,

"Buffy."

I had a thought, but didn't say it out loud, and then I burst out laughing. When they asked me what was so funny I told them that I had thought,

"Yeah, I'm just really not into vampires at all."

Ironic since we were in line for New Moon, huh? HA! The thing is, I'm really not. I just recently read the Twilight books because I wanted to know what all these kids and teens were reading so I can be informed and to form my own opinons about them. I enjoyed the books, but am I a Twi-hard fan? No. Were they entertaining? Yes.

It was a fun and friend filled weekend!