Wedding Recap: The big day (with pictures)

Our wedding day was amazing, if you asked me 13 months ago when we started planning if we imagined it would be sunny and 83 degrees on October 9th, in New Hampshire, I would have laughed openly at you. I was thinking I was going to need a shrug or something! Oh man was I wrong! However, I will say that I would rather the warm weather over rain ANY day. It allowed us to go forward with our plans of having an outdoor ceremony and it was everything I wanted and more.

I woke up ate some breakfast, Kelli and Amy both had instructions from Weezie, my step mom, to make sure that I had a good breakfast. So Kelli made me a waffle, it was delicious! After we finished up with breakfast we packed up Kelli's car and headed to the Salon. We got there just a few minutes before 9am. It was funny to have the salon to ourselves. Every other time I have been in there it's always busy and everyone is running about. It was weird to see it so quiet (It opens at 10am on Sundays). However at the same time, it was so nice to have the quiet, it gave me time to think about everything that was going on, and also gave me some more time with Kelli, Amy and my hair stylist, Rachelle. 

As Rachelle got to work on my hair, the gals and I just chatted about things, we went over our timeline to make sure we weren't forgetting anything. Everything was coming together. Shortly before the salon opened, some of the other stylists showed up. All of the people who work at the salon have been nothing short of amazing to me, and so helpful. So it was great that I got to see them as I was getting ready. Then Amy and Kelli were whisked away to start their hair and makeup.

Before we got to the salon we stopped to get iced coffee, and I only ended up drinking about a third of it. My stomach had so many butterflies, I was just too excited as the time got closer and closer!

When the hair was finished it was off to makeup! I opted to do the airbrush makeup and I am SO glad I did, it held all day long even when I was sweating while dancing. It felt very light as if I wasn't wearing anything at all, which was really nice, since I don't usually wear makeup and I don't very much care for the feeling of wearing makeup.

And after some finishing touches we were off to Hampton! We actually had padded the schedule to make sure we had enough time and we were able to get to Hampton at about 11:45am. A quick call to Ben to make sure he wouldn't see me and we ducked into the bridal suite. And pretty much the whirlwind started, and about 45 minutes later it was time to get into the dress...

Being that I was already hot, and I was getting into a dress with multiple layers, it took a moment to get into the dress, and then another moment (or two) to lace it all up. It was so hot we pulled out Kelli's fan and Weezie held it up so that it would blow in my face, it was the best feeling in the world!

I love that fan..., Focus Studios, LLC

Dad came in at some point to say that the minister was running late, but would hopefully be there in time. Honestly, I didn't care, I was so happy to be where I was and (eventually) marrying the man of my dreams, I didn't care if we delayed. Once everyone was dressed we had about 5-10 minutes to kill while the minister arrived and got into his place, so we were able to take a few pictures. That actually calmed me down, the last hour had flew by and it was nice to have that moment to take a few pics and to settle.

Amy, Dad and me. Excuse my weird smile.. still a bit nervous

And then it was go time! I remember walking over the bridge with my dad and I was worrying about how slippery his shoes were and I didn't want him to fall! My dad had his hip replaced about 6 years ago and has had some complications with it, mostly that he cannot feel his foot. Thankfully no one fell and we started down the aisle.

Dad... don't fall

I couldn't look at my friends, because some had warned me that they would probably cry, and I didn't want to cry with them, I couldn't look at Ben... so I looked at the minister. I was just so happy. When I got to the end of the aisle, Ben just looked at me and said, you look amazing.

Everyone complimented dad on his hat choice

The ceremony was just what I envisioned, personalized and quick. But still meaningful. Ben is an atheist, so we wanted our ceremony to be more about us and our love rather than about making a commitment to God. Thankfully, our minister, Peter was more than happy to accommodate this. That's why I love being an Episcopalian, we don't judge! (Not to say that there is anything wrong with other religions, I just like mine)

As we read the vows we wrote for each other, I went first. I started off cracking... and stopped for a moment to regain myself, and then continued on. So all you people out there who had bets on whether I'd be a blubbering mess, you lost! WIN! I got some laughs from my vows, which is totally what I wanted. And then it was time for Ben to read his. For me, it was the most amazing thing I've ever heard him read because it was something he wrote for me. And now looking back, I cannot remember a single word he said, but the meaning is still there.

Then after some more wedding stuff and legal requirements... boom! married!

We then walked back up the aisle and then hid, so we could take pictures while all of our guests headed inside for the cocktail hour. I love my photographer, she's a friend of Ben's friend, and we've quickly grown closer having now worked with her. Her newly minted husband is her assistant and he's amazing too! I gave them a list of all the family pics I wanted (Ben neglected to do his...) and we just got straight to work.

One of the professional shots, Focus Studios, LLC

After we finished with the family and group shots it was time for Ben and I to have some personal pictures

By far one of the cutest pics, Focus Studios, LLC

We headed in, because we heard the crowd was getting restless at the cocktail hour. I ducked back into the bridal suite to get my dress bustled and to get my second hair style. I wanted to keep my hair off my neck for the reception so I could dance and not sweat even more so than I already was.

Second hair style, best decision EVER

We got into the hall and took our seats, we decided to start off with the toasts and we ended with my brother, who I knew was going to roast me, but he actually roasted Ben a little as well, which I think is perfect. Nick also ended on a high note with a lovely compliment. I love my dear little brother.

Then we got our eating on and then the dancing! What I was looking forward to the most! (well aside from the whole marriage part...) People were complimenting on my dress and makeup and hair. People were actually asking if I had hair extensions put in. Nope, that's all real! Over a year of growing it out.

We cut some cake, we promised each other no smushing! and we didn't, I may have made Ben work a little bit for his cake, but I didn't smush! We danced, our first dance was to Jason Marz with Colbie Caillat, Lucky. Ben and I sang it to one another as we were dancing. We liked it because it was upbeat and meaningful to us. Then I danced with Dad and Ben danced with his mom. And then more dancing!

We slipped out of the party for a few moments to get some pictures in. And we started off with this one

I love this pic, it's just so much fun! Focus Studios, LLC

Our photographer really wanted to get some pictures with a fire truck. I work for the fire department and so it was an easy request to fill, just had to promise the boys some food and wedding cake, and they were golden! The end result was some shots like these:

If you look closely you can see my photographer in the chrome of the mirror casing! Focus Studios, LLC

and

Focus Studios, LLC

Not going to lie, Ben and I were impartial with the fire truck, but having seem some of these shots, I am glad we did it. It was a lot of fun!

While we were outside with the fire truck, our guests were inside and apparently THIS happened....

We went back inside and we had about an hour left of dancing. And danced did we! Then in a flash it was over, and we were packing up and getting out of dodge.

As every bride says, the day just goes by so quickly, and it's incredible to me to think of putting 13 months of planning into one day and then to have that be the best day ever was all worth it. I couldn't stop smiling, I was just so happy.

I am so excited I found the man to spend the rest of my life with, and that I have such a wonderful and supportive family and group of friends, I consider myself truly blessed. 

Wedding Recap: Thursday, Friday and Saturday (with pictures)

The wedding weekend kicked off on Thursday when my brother and his wife flew in. Also at the same time that my MOH, my cousin flew in. Well bro and sis flew into Boston-Logan, while cousin Amy flew into Manchester. So my parents called dibs on picking up Amy, so I was stuck with Nick and Lindsay... not really stuck, it was pretty amazing. Thursday we also got the call that all of the tuxes had come in with the exception of Nick's. But the tux place said it would be in first thing on Friday.

Thursday night, we all met at my parents (the best man came up from Rhode Island) and we had a big dinner at the house. It was fantastic to see everyone and catch up. It was nice knowing that everyone had come together to help Ben and I on our big day.  One of the tasks that the other boys had (Ben, Mike (best man), Jim (usher) and dad) was to try on their suits to make sure everything was great. Turns out that wasn't the case, dad started out with a blue tie... instead of a chocolate brown, not sure about that mix up, then either the pants or the jacket didn't fit on everyone. The measurements on the bag were correct, but the actual item was the wrong size. So I guess it worked out that all the men had to go back on Friday with Nick to make sure they had the right items in the right sizes.

Friday we got up and headed to the site for the rehearsal. It was great having everyone together and even wives of Jim (usher) and Mike (best man) came to join in the fun! Also my BFF, Kelli was there. Ben and I opted for a small wedding party, just a MOH and a best man. I chose my cousin Amy, since she is so near and dear to my heart, and it saved me from having to chose favorites amongst my friends. That being said, Kelli was like my MOH, in that she was there for me through everything! I knew going into this that Amy wasn't going to be able to be there for everything as she is living in Georgia. Everyone was ok with my plan, and I am so thankful that I have such wonderful friends and family in my life.

I am SUCH a daddy's girl

After we made it through the rehearsal, which by the way, was LOTS of laughs! I was just hoping enough people paid attention that could tell me where I had to go! hahaha. The reception hall looked beautiful, I couldn't wait to see it on Sunday fully decorated!

So after the reception we headed to the luncheon that Ben's mom hosted, it was at the Common Man in Portsmouth. Seriously folks, if you are ever in New Hampshire, check out the Common Man, they have about half a dozen restaurants across New Hampshire, the food is amazing. My friend, Kristen, who is getting married in July of 2012, is getting married at the one in Plymouth.What's also great about it is the gluten free menu! They are quite accommodating.

There were more laughs and stories at the luncheon. Ben's mom had this lovely idea of everyone telling a story of either Ben, or myself or one of the two of us. Oh man, there were some good ones! 

As I've said, the food is amazing, and as lunch was winding down, I decided to spring my surprise on Ben! I had a groom's cake made, and it was done to look like his muscle car, his 1970 Mustang! He was really in shock about it and I could tell by the smile how happy he was about it. Even better, was it was a vanilla sponge cake with wild Maine blueberry filling. (For those of you who don't know, Ben is from Maine)

Notice the license plate? It says PIMA, which is my pet name for Ben, it stands for Pain In My A$$! Because some times, he is... but I say it in the most LOVING of ways. 

After the luncheon, the boys had to go back to the tux place to try on the suits again... thankfully Nick's had come in and everyone else had their issues corrected. So they were good to go.

Kelli, Amy, Lindsay and I went to check into our hotel room for the weekend. Kelli had already put on a fantastic bachelorette weekend, a few weekends ago, but I knew that the weekend before the wedding that I wanted to spend my last few single days with my gals. It worked out because Amy needed a hotel to stay in, Ben couldn't see me before the wedding and we gals had a lot of pampering to do! It was also nice to have some time with both my cousin (Amy) and my sister-in-law (Lindsay) since they live so far away and I don't get to see them as frequently.

Friday night we met up with a bunch of my gal pals and headed into Portsmouth for a late dinner and drinks. We had such a great time and maybe indulged a little much, but hey, it was so worth it! I felt sorry for the taxi drivers! We were having a good time though!

I wish I had taken more pictures throughout the weekend! But it never dawned on me to grab my camera. Thankfully, I have some awesome friends who will take pictures for me! I did a whole lot of smiling that entire weekend.

Saturday Amy and I had appointments to get some manis and pedis at the Salon and 903. The other gals went and got their nails done as well, it was nice to have some time for just Amy and I.

Saturday night we hung out at the hotel room, we watched chic flicks, ordered Chinese food and enjoyed the night. It was a perfect chill night, just what I wanted the night before the wedding. We all even managed to go to bed early-ish, 11pm! Not that we went to sleep at all! We ended up sitting up and chatting away just like we were in high school, it was hilarious. Everyone kept asking me if I was nervous and I wasn't... or at least so I thought.

Because at about 3 am, I woke up and started have fears that I was missing or forgetting something. After running through my mental checklist, I realized that no... I didn't forget anything and then I was able to fall back asleep.

And then it was Sunday... the day I had been planning for the last 13 months, and dreamed about ever since I was a little girl, but that, is for another blog post!

Honeymoon in Hawaii!

Well my DH (dear husband) treated us to a 10 day trip to Hawaii for our honeymoon! Wow, we had a fantastic time!!!

We walked a lot, Hawaii is a great place that forces one to stay active, I can see why so many people are in shape there!

I weighed myself before the wedding and then again before we left for Hawaii, both times I was 313. When I got home and had gotten a nap in (darn jet lag) I wanted to weigh myself. I was hoping to at least be the same. Well imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale and saw 311!

Wait, what? Is that right, I LOST weight while on my honeymoon/vacation? That's a first for me! Even though we may have indulged in some sweets....

No lie, the shaved ice was as big as our head! And straight sugar. It was so hot that day, that it was melting quicker than you could eat it, so you would drink out of the straw and all you got was sugar. Ben and I both were on sugar rushes for the rest of the day! Note: Can you see my awesome sunburn?

Hawaii is just so beautiful, Ben and I both agreed that we preferred the Big Island over Oahu, the Big Island had a lot more of the natural beauty to see. Although we did see some amazing things on Oahu. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Arts Center. Where we had a chance to learn more about the cultures in the Pacific Rim. We went to their luau and their after dinner show, which was called: Ha: Breath of Life, and it was amazing. Although we were unable to take any pictures and man, were they sticklers on that! But during the day, we did see the Samoans climb a coconut tree. No ropes, no net... pretty impressive, if you asked me!

We also went to Pearl Harbor and to the Mighty Mo. Those pictures are on my digital camera. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay was amazing, Getting to swim in the coral reefs and all the beautiful colors of the fishes, that was spectacular!

On the Big Island, we saw a lot of the natural beauty of Hawaii. Lots of walking trails through to beautiful vista views. It was interesting to see desert like conditions all the way through rainforest terrain. We also visited South Point which is the southern most part of the United States. That's pretty cool. Just cliffs that drop into the ocean, where the water is quite deep. We saw green sand beaches, as well as black sand beaches. We saw a volcano and waterfalls, All just so lovely!

What I truly loved was the Island feel. And being on Island time, everything moved a lot slower and at a more casual pace. It was the perfect thing that I needed in order to relax. By far one of the best vacations I've had in a long time. And I even got sick! I picked up a nasty cold bug on the plane ride over and it's still lingering even after coming back home! Ugh, thankfully it's not nearly as bad now as it was when I first got sick. I was bummed about being sick in paradise, since I knew it was going to be a long time (if ever) that we got to go back. So I tried like heck to suck it up and still go and see as much as we could.

Everywhere we went we felt the Aloha, its more than just a word, its a feeling and a movement, to do good in this world, and give Aloha, a welcoming feeling to all. It's amazing. I also enjoyed that they incorporate a lot of the Hawaiian language into everyday things:

At the end of 10 days in paradise, you can imagine it was hard to get on that plane and fly home. But we knew that we had to, there was so much to do back home! It's amazing to think that we are married, and now going to be starting house hunting in a short while. I love my crazy life! But I do hope that Ben and I are able to visit Hawaii again in our lives, but we were very blessed that we had the opportunity that we did! I am so glad we went.

Should I change or stay the same?

Well now that I am married (recaps are coming!) and soon, I'll no longer be in my 20's (gulp) I was thinking if now is the time to change things up here, or should I just continue on the same path?

I originally started blogging because I am forgetful, and I wanted to remember my college years. Then it kind of went flat for a few years after college, and re-emerged as a personal account of my weight loss journey. And over the last 14 months, has been part wedding blog.

Do I want to focus on one thing/topic/theme or just keep blogging about my life. I can say that if I do stay on the current track, you are bound to hear about my weight loss struggles, recapping the wedding, talking about buying a house and even starting a family!

I am leaning on towards just staying the same, I like having the record of where I've been and what I've done, I like the challenges (101 things in 1001 days, A Merry Workout Pledge, Steve's Marathon Week) and I love and adore the bloggie friends I've made.

Have you ever experienced a blog mid-life crisis? Or wanted to change?

I'm married!!!

Holy moly everyone, what a whirlwind weekend. I know I haven't posted and I'm sorry, and here I go writing a quicky post before heading to bed. Since I am leaving at 4am for my honeymoon! Hawaii here I come!!!

But hopefully you all will stick around and wait for me, I've got some exciting recaps! But for now I'll leave you with a picture!

My brodjer

Or as some people would say, my brother.

He's my baby brother, a whole 18 months younger than me (hello Irish twins!), but he's always been like an older brother.

Nick, me and Dad

Growing up we fought and didn't really see eye to eye. I was the honor student, Nick was the one who got into trouble. My parents would go to open house and find my teachers and what they had to say boring. "she's perfect and wonderful" they got sick of hearing it ;-) Nick's teachers however were more interesting, because my parents never knew what they were going to say.

Once I left for college, I think the distance allowed Nick and I to tolerate one another and eventually want to hang out with one another. I could be my own person, and Nick could be his own person.

My brodjer has always been there for me through the rough and tough times of growing up. Offering big brother advice and always a hug when I needed it.

Nick, Wezzie (stepmom) and me

So when I thought about who could recap my life and offer up a great speech, I knew my brodjer would be the ideal person. We've always been busting on each other but at the end of the day we are there.

I was happy and sad when he and his wife made the decision to move to North Carolina. Happy that they had just gotten married and were starting their life down in NC, sad that the distance would mean we don't get to see each other often. When my brother called with the news that he was enrolling in a college - for criminal justice - I died laughing, it's a perfect career choice for Nick, since he was ALWAYS in trouble for one thing or another. I couldn't have been more prouder for my brother of his decision. It would mean that they would have to extend their time down in NC, but he would graduate with a degree. The family knew he was smart, all he had to do was find his own way. He's excelling in college.

Their move caused our relationship to shift, to more of a phone/e-mail/facebook relationship, which took some getting used to.

My brodjer's speech is probably going to embarrass me, but it's the way our relationship has always been and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know deep down he loves me like only a brother can. And he knows that I just put up with him as only a sister could. Our upbringing was the same, our paths were VERY different but the end result is the same.

When my mother told us she had cancer, Nick was on the next flight to come up to be there with her (us).  It's great to know that he's always there, even still. 

I love my baby brodjer and couldn't be more prouder of his accomplishments and the direction his life is heading in. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him and his family.

Nick and I

My crazy life

My life really got crazy in the last month. Probably another reason why I haven't posted much.

One the day of my first fitting (August 22nd), my mom had told me that she had a colonoscopy done. It was her time, she was of that age, where she had to have it done. Well the doctor that performed the procedure, informed my mother that she had spotted something during the procedure, and that in all of her years of experience, she could say that my mom did have cancer.

Mom wasn't symptomatic at all, she just went in because it was her time/her age.

Soon after she met with the gastro doctor who confirmed the diagnosis and set her up with a surgeon to remove the affected part of her colon.

Wednesday September 7th, mom went in for surgery, she had a foot of her colon removed and some surrounding lymph nodes. She ended up staying in the hospital for over a week as she developed some complications. Which did resolve and she was able to finally go home. And she also had good news, she was cancer free. The surgery worked to remove all of the affected parts and the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes.

So she won't need chemo but will need more routine and follow up colonoscopies to re-check. But it's a small price to pay to continue to ensure she's cancer free.

The reason for the rush into surgery, was that the surgeon said that the hospital stay would be 2-6 days and that the recovery would be 2-6 weeks! The wedding was 5 weeks away at that point! So mom wanted to get through things and get to the recovery part. She may not be dancing the night away, but she's going to be there, and that is what is most important to me.

Due to mom's new diagnosis as well as other affected family members, Ben and I made the decision to make a donation to the American Cancer Society in lieu of traditional wedding favors. We thought that our money could be better spent with the ACS rather than some trinket of the day.

Then the second part, last Friday September 23rd, I had dropped by my parents house to see my stepmom and realized that something wasn't quite right with the family dog, Katie. She was limping around on her front leg. Katie was 15 years old, and Louise and I had discussed that her time was coming. She was already deaf from birth, but she was losing her night vision, she had arthritis and was occasionally messing in the house. Louise had just brought Katie back from a walk. Due to her arthritis, Katie always limped after a walk, but this was more than usual. She was sliding around on the hardwood floors and couldn't get comfortable. Louise called the vet and we went in. The news wasn't good. And the decision was made, we put Katie down :-/

This was so sad for me. My dad wasn't home, so it was just Louise and I. Both dad and Louise had said that it was great that I was able to be there, and I know they both appreciated it.

In addition to everything above, Katie had decreased muscle tone in her hind end, and was only putting weigh on 2 of her 4 toes on her back legs, she had rounded her back in an effort to put more weight on her front legs, which only made her arthritis flare up. The vet told us that when dalmatians go, they can go downhill quick. So Louise and I made the decision. It was by no mean easy. Even after we had been talking about it for the last 6 months, it still didn't make it any less easy to deal with the decision. We stayed with Katie to the end, just petting her and letting her know how loved she was and how much we would miss her, we felt her body go limp, and for the first time in a long time, I thought that she was finally able to relax.

As I said before, Katie was a deaf dog, we knew this when we got her from the shelter, we taught her some signs, and she was a great dog. But we always felt like Katie was in a state of readiness, due to her "disability" so her muscles were always taught, ready to respond. So it was comforting to know that she could finally rest.

Seeing dad the next day didn't help, he and I shared a good cry about things. As I am sure Nick and I will cry as well when I see him next.

Rest in Peace sweet girl! (Personal Photo)

 

I didn't go over to my parents house with the intentions of putting my dog down. However, I was glad to be there in the family's time of need and able to say good bye. Just for good measure here is a post I did last year about Katie and her krazy habits!

So, yeah, it's been a bit crazy around here...

Bachelorette Party Recap

I realize this is WAY overdue! I completely forgot to recap my awesome super bachelorette party! Partly it was because I couldn't upload photos to save my life. My laptop is slowly dying and I am trying to get all that I can out of it. However, thanks to Ben, I was able to free up some space to upload some photos. I've only selected a couple to post here (I hope my gal pals are fine with it!).

My gals (10 of us in total!) stole me away to Foxwoods! We all met up and then carpooled down to the casino. We hit a small snafu with the Kenny Chesney concert at Foxboro, and traffic was a freaking nightmare. The words, Kenny Chesney became a swear word at some point. But looking back on it now, we can all laugh about it.

We finally made it to the casino, my BFF, Kelli had told me that due to Irene, we would be changing our overnight accommodations to the towers. Which ended up working in our favor as everything would be right there for us, we wouldn't have to take a shuttle to get anywhere! So thank you Irene for your gift!

After we got checked in, we were starting to get ready for our evening. I didn't even have a say in my outfit! My friend Kristen picked something out for me! And she's got a killer sense of style and really pushed me out of my comfort zone (jeans and a t-shirt). She also did my hair and makeup for me. What a great gal! I love her!

So here are a few of us, posing for a picture before heading out:

Personal Photo

And if you can't tell that's me in the all black dress. Thanks to my gal Kristen for picking out a cute outfit and assuring me that I looked good! It gave me the confidence to rock it all night long!

I will say the only thing I did veto was heels, I mean look at me, I was in flats, all those other girls are in heels and I still am towering over them!

We worked our way over to Shrine, which is an Asian restaurant and lounge/club within Foxwoods. First we had some dinner, oh man, we had a blast. We all split a few scorpion bowls. And had some amazing food.

Personal Photo

And there is the whole group! And some of the scorpion bowls we ordered. What an awesome night, we laughed and talked and generally just lived! These are the nights that are so worth remembering!

After dinner, we had some time to kill before Shrine the nightclub opened (just downstairs from the restaurant part) so we decided to play some slots. I wish I had taken more pictures, but alas I kinda forgot I had my camera!

None of us won anything big, but we were all ok with it. Then we went into the nightclub and boogied on down! I haven't danced like that in a long time! And oh boy did I feel it for the next few days!

Around midnight we were all done dancing and heading back to our rooms. We chilled in the main room and ordered some room service. Whenever Kelli and I get together and alcohol is involved usually fried food follows, it was that way in college, when we would hit up the snack truck that parked outside our dorm (Shout out to Kurt's lunch truck!) and when we celebrated in Boston for her wedding, we ordered room service. After our feast, we all promptly passed out.

Now, I have this app on my iPhone that sends me audible alerts for weather warnings. I mostly use it for my job, but it has come in handy for my personal life. Well with Irene blowing in, my phone kept going off, at some point in the night, there was a tornado watch in effect. Everyone in our room was awake BUT me (oops!), they were checking out the window, one even commented (is that a tornado I see?), finally I woke up and as I said, if there was any real threat the staff of the hotel would move us or at least make us aware. So we all went back to bed. When we woke up the following morning, some of the girls had to head back early to avoid the storm, but the rest of us hung out and rode out the storm in the hotel rather than get on the roads so quickly. We were all getting ready when the power kept flickering and then finally went out. Thankfully the complex has a generator / back up power. So we were able to finish getting ready. Although we couldn't really dry our hair since the hair dryers were only working at about half capacity.

We went and grabbed some food, at the only place we saw open, the buffet. Any food would have been good at that point, we were all so hungry. It was weird seeing many of the casino games dark, and all the stores/restaurants closed. But in order to run the essentials on back up power, they had to make sacrifices somewhere. Granted there were still some casino games sections that were functioning, but many were out.

After we were well fed, we headed to our cars, it was still raining and quite windy, I offered to drive. We realized quickly how bad Connecticut got hit from Irene (little did we know that Vermont was going to get hit the worst!) We called home to see how it was there, and really very little complaints! Irene was taking more of a western track into Vermont rather than the seacoast region of New Hampshire. So we headed out, ad realized that we needed gas. Well it's hard to find a gas station that has power in the middle of a hurricane. We started heading for home and hoping that we would find one with power. We freaked a little when the gas light came on and still unable to find anything. But we finally managed to find a store with power and were able to fill up the tank.

Again after the fact, we were able to laugh. It's always and adventure with my gals, and I love them all for it. We had a blast, and I was so happy and thankful that my gals took time out of their lives to celebrate with me.

Finally when I got home, I was done. It had been a whirlwind event but it was all worth it. Thank you to my BFF Kelli for planning everything and for all my gals who came out and made it special, it was great seeing everyone.

True story next weekend (before my actual wedding) I have rented a room in Portsmouth and the gals and I are getting together to spend the last few days together before the wedding. It's going to be so much fun, I can't wait to see them all again!

Quarterly Update: 101 Things in a 1001 days

Every quarter I update the progress of my current Day Zero project list (101 things in a 1001 days). 

For the original post, click here and for the last update, click here 

Current List: 

Starting Date: Friday January 1st, 2010 Ending Date: Friday September 28th, 2012

1) Spend a rainy day watching films in my PJ's
2) Try two new cookie recipes this Christmas
3) Attend the midnight premiere of a movie
4) Get married (got engaged! This will be completed in 8 days... holy cow!)
5) Go skydiving
6) Learn to knit
7) Organize my closet
8) lose 15 pounds
9) Go on a cruise
10) Go whitewater rafting
11) buy a house
12) See a Broadway show
13) spend a day at the spa - I got pampered! a few weeks back! getting ready for the wedding!
14) Lose 5 pounds
15) Own an iPhone
16) Try a new (and possibly frightening) food - and I realized, I have some very boring food tastes
17) Watch two movies at a cinema in the same day.
18) Influence a person to make a day zero list
19) go fly a kite
20) Pay off at least one credit card
21) Have a housewarming party
22) Floss every night for a month
23) Tie a note to a balloon and let it go
24) Go sledding
25) Lose 10 Pounds
26) start a family
27) help a stranger
28) Have a sleepover party
29) Have a friend choose a complete outfit for me - Bachelorette Party! So fun!
30) Play a new board game
31) Travel by train (Did the Conway Scenic Railway Trip, but I'd like to do another)
32) Make homemade bread
33) Go to a casino
34) Take at least 5 photos a day for a month
35) Eliminate non-fitting clothing from my wardrobe (and they were donated to a thrift store!)
36) Save $5000
37) Read 100 books (20/100)
38) Compose a new list of 101 things to do in 1001 days
39) For every task I do not complete, donate $1 to charity
40) Put aside $5 for every completed task
41) Go to a Patriots game
42) Drink nothing but water for 2 weeks
43) Watch the sunrise at the beach
44) Host a giveaway on my blog
45) Organize photos and get and stay caught up with my scrapbooking
46) Climb Mount Washington
47) Attend a hot yoga class
48) Do 100 situps for a month (0/30)
49) Ask for someone else's advice and take it
50) Give a stranger a compliment
51) Write down something positive about myself for 30 days straight
52) Have “date night” one night of the week for 1 month (4/4)
53) Work out faithfully 3x a week for 2 months
54) Take a trip to Las Vegas
55) No swearing for a day x12 (0/12)
56) Play a game of 18-hole golf 
57) Put change in someone’s expired parking meter
58) Take the Cat ferry to Canada
59) Have a weekend getaway for SO and I
60) Start our own Christmas tradition
61) Get my HAM radio license
62) Participate in a 5K (run/walk)
63) Make my own candles
64) Climb Cadillac Mountain
65) Learn at least 50 ASL signs
66) Go one weekend "Unplugged" no phone/Internet
67) Send/Give 100 cards “just because.” (35/100)
68) Leave SO a love note/note of encouragement/surprise email 1x a week for 2 months
69) Complete 3 – 1500 piece or more jigsaw puzzles (0/3)
70) Visit 5 new states not previously in (driving through doesn't count) (1/5) - NJ
71) Participate in a 10K (run/walk)
72) help a friend in need
73) take a class (work related)
74) Have one day off per week for 1 month
75) Make SO breakfast in bed
76) Bring coffee in for the boys at work
77) hang pictures/art on walls
78) Buy flowers/edible arraignments for someone.
79) Be able to buy clothing in the regular women's section
80) Invest my money better
81) borrow books from the library; instead of buying them 
82) get a makeover to include makeup!
83) Try a new recipe once a week for 1 month
84) Call one cousin per week until all Bridle Cousins have been spoken to (Kenny / Bill / Amy / Kelley / JR)
85) Host a girls night at my house 
86) Host a couple's night
87) Prepare my will
88) Take a pole dancing class
89) Travel to Nantucket / Martha's Vineyard
90) Visit my grandmother at least once a month for a year (12/12)
91) plan a couples camping trip
92) Play Bingo with friends
93) Host a transit party
94) See an old friend once per month for one year (10/12)
95) See Rocky Horror at midnight showing
96) Go and shoot a gun at a firing range
97) To get a physical each year (Done for 2010 & scheduled for 2011!)
98) To see a UNH/UMaine Hockey Game
99) To kiss the Cat at UNH
100) To go to a Red Sox / Yankees game
101) To complete this list in less than 1001 days


Well, this quarter I am only crossing off 4 items, however I've made a lot of progress on some of my other items. But I will be adding another $20 to my "Day Zero" savings account! Some of these are really hard, like climbing mountains! Man I was being ambitious when I created this list! It also makes me realize that I owe you some blog posts!!

Happy Wedding Day!!!

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to some of my wedding peeps! I mostly follow these gals on twitter, but a blog shout out is a lot of fun!

Happy wedding day to Emily of Fit and Free Emily! She taught me that it's ok to not be a fit bride! And that we need to love the size we are, that it's more about the day and the meaning behind it rather than what size we are!

Happy wedding day to Faith from FC Jewelry Design. She is a fellow listener of one of my favorite radio stations Cosmo Radio on SiriusXM. She also happened to design some beautiful wedding jewelry for my MOH and myself, and I cannot wait to see the look on my MOH's face when she gets it! 

You should go check Faith's site out, she really has some beautiful items and she's willing to work with you to create something special and unique!

These are two wonderful gals who I've shared many stories with and vented to... and I love them for allowing me to do so!

I hope you gals have a beautiful day and I cannot wait to see some pictures!