Pro Pic Teasers

Last night, I decided to check my email before heading to bed. Guess what was in my inbox??

Yep, Brad, our wedding photographer, had emailed some teasers. Ok, "some" is an understatement. He sent me about 60. I heart him; big, puffy, red heart him! And I'm going to be stingy and only show you about 10. I know, I'm so cruel.
That was the first picture that I opened up and it brought tears to my eyes. I had no idea that this happened. And that, is why I love Brad. And photography in general. This was at the rehearsal.

After Brad had photographed the guys in the Cathedral, he came downstairs to photo me getting dressed. After that, us girls headed upstairs to take pictures in the Cathedral.

I'm pretty sure that this is right after I walked down the aisle.

But, do you notice how there are no people? Not in the front pew and not in the chair. I can't decide if Brad photo shopped people out or if this is after the ceremony when we all headed back inside the Cathedral to take pictures. No clue!!

This pictures is right after we walked out of the Cathedral and got a million congratulatory hugs.

Can you tell how happy I was?

One place that we stopped to take photos was the Hononegah Forest Preserve. We got some AMAZING shots, like this one.

Brad took a few shots and we hear some commotion coming from behind Drew. We look that way and see Josh using a tree. And by see, I mean that we saw everything that Josh owns. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!!!!

We decided to go to a different location in the Forest Preserve and take some more pics.

And, I had to include one from the reception. Brad didn't include too many, so here's my favorite of the ones that he did send.

Yes, that is Drew buried in my dress! I love the expression on Daughtry's and my face. Adorable, right?

Ok, so I officially can't wait to see them all. Thanks, Brad, for sending me the teasers. You rock!!

Thanking Our Guests

Yes, I'm agonizing over this. I have a couple options and I have no idea what to do. Here's my choices:

1. Go to Target (or some equal store) and just buy some. I like this idea because it's cheapish and easy. Easy being the biggest priority. Plus, Drew and I (well, let's be honest, me) could get them cranked out by this weekend. I don't like this idea because it's kinda impersonal. I have already sent thank you's for shower gifts and those were just general thank you notes. I kinda wanted something a little more personal for our wedding thank you's. Most of our guests traveled and they were all so generous. I know that the front of the card doesn't matter so much, but at least a little presentation would be nice.

2. Order the thank you's that match our invitations. I like this idea because it ties the theme together. We didn't do STD (save the dates) because by the time we actually set the date, there were only about 8 months until the wedding. By the time we had finalized a guest list, ordered STDs and sent them, there probably would have only been about 6 months and then it was only a matter of 3 or 4 months until invites went out. It seemed like a waste of money at that point. By doing matching thank you's to our invites, I feel like it ties up the wedding very nicely. On the other hand, how many of our guests do you think actually remember what our invite looked like? I'm willing to bet that most everybody threw the invitation away, if not the day of, the day after. But I loved our invitations oh so much, so I might just order the thank you's so that I can look at them a little longer.

3. Use our favorite wedding picture(s) to make thank you's from a printing company like VistaPrint. I really like this idea because we can a) make some personalized thank you's for our fantastic guests and b) share with each of our guests a couple of our wedding photos. The downside to this is that I have to actually wait for Brad to send us some photos. Then, I have to design the thank you and order them. Then, wait. And wait. And wait. It could take a week or two for the thank you's to come in. Then, I have to write them. So really, it could be at least another month before any of our guests get a thank you. I know that etiquette says that we have something like 6 months to send thank you's. Crazy!!! I don't want these things hanging over my head for that long.

Do you see the dilemma I'm dealing with here?!? I just have no idea what to do. I really, really want to do some photo ones, but I really, really don't want to wait that long. Another option is that I could just send some generic ones now and order holiday cards using our wedding photos. But then I'm having to mail a load of stuff twice. Boo!!

Suggestions??

Dolphin Swim Pictures

I, honestly, did absolutely nothing all weekend. I was fighting off horrible stomachaches and praying that I wasn't getting sick. These pains were a sharp, knife-like pain in the middle of my stomach. Pain I had never experienced before. Yes, I whined like a little baby! Drew offered little support and told me that I better not be that bad when I'm pregnant cuz he won't want to hear it. The pain kinda came and went and he was lucky enough to say that statement at a moment when I was experiencing quite an amount of pain. Otherwise, he would have gotten a swift smack!! Seriously though, Drew did do a pretty decent job taking care of me. He would get up and get me anything that I asked for. He's such a good hubby!!

I did scan the pictures from our swim with the dolphins. I'm sure you've all been anxious to see those. If you remember me saying, I had looked forward to this day for a long, long time!

I'm actually very proud of Drew. He does have a fear of big fish (what a baby, right?) and he took the whole experience like a champ. He didn't really act too nervous but I could tell that he was. These pictures were all taken by staff at the Dolphin Swim Experience place and I'm sure that if they find them on here I'd get sued or something. But seriously, we paid $100 for these so whatever. At least I said who you were.

Back to the Grind

Today was my first day back to work as a married woman. Ya, it wasn't that much fun! I did have one customer who knew that I was getting married ask how the honeymoon was. That is just so sweet. These people don't know squat about me. And I really don't know squat about them. But they remember these important things in my life. They actually put the effort into asking how things went. People who I get to see once or twice a week, and have 2 minute conversations with; they remember, and they care enough to ask. Cool!

Drew still had the day off of work. (Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a cool boss like that! His work, I'm sure, was stoked to have him take so much time off since they've been pretty slow anyways.) Drew took care of some more things that needed to get done around here.

Our dryer sucks, a lot. The final straw was yesterday. I did a load of towels and had to run the dryer 3 (!!!) times to get them dry. Actually, 3 times got them most of the way dry. I think that I actually did 3 1/2 times. Seriously though, that's ridiculous. Drew called the landlord today and they came over and put some new vents or something or another in and according to Drew, the fixed dryer dried his work uniforms in 20 minutes. I find that hard to believe. I'll believe it probably tomorrow when I resume doing laundry.

And, at this point in time, I am very sick of laundry!! Vacations are fun until you have to come home and wash all of the laundry. Plus, add in work clothes and towels, and that's a ton of stuff to wash. I have not been a fan of doing the laundry because of that stupid dryer. So, maybe now it won't be so bad.

Drew also went down to the county clerk's office and picked up some copies of our marriage certificate. Now, I can officially begin the process of changing my name. I'm pretty excited. I'm anxious to have this process over. I know that it's going to take some time. It's tough being in such a state of limbo. I'm not sure whether to be Tania Oldlastname or Tania Newlastname. I feel like I don't really have a name right now. Can I just be Tania? Without a last name? And, it's probably going to get a little worse before it gets better. Think, I'm going to go on Wednesday and change my social security card and my drivers license. Then, I have to call and change all of my credit cards, insurance, bank stuff, debit cards, bills, everything. I'm going to be this person with two different last names for probably at least 2 more months.

We're heading upstairs to play some games with the neighbors. Good times!

Our Homey Home

Drew and I decided to go shopping at IKEA yesterday. I convinced him that we should go shopping yesterday as opposed to today because it would be easier to get our place organized if we went shopping first.

Drew had never been to IKEA... until yesterday. That excited me so much!! I was so shocked when he came to me and told me that he wanted to go. My jaw kinda dropped and I looked at him like he was crazy. He obviously had no idea what he was getting himself into. My darling husband, the man who hates shopping, wanted to go to a home goods shopping mecca!! I wanted to squeal.

We got to IKEA at about 11:00 AM. We went straight up to the the top (3rd level) and began wandering around. We found a bunch of pieces that we liked and wrote them down and took pictures. After walking around the entire 3rd level, it was about noon, so we decided to grab some lunch.

After lunch, we went down to the 2nd level and began wandering around there. We found some more stuff that we liked and wrote those down too.

Then, it was time to make some decisions. We ultimately decided to purchase:

* a bookshelf
* a table for behind our oversized loveseat
* 3 shelves
* a BIG picture for the dining room
* some curtains

After struggling to get all of those items in Drew's car, (Ya, that wasn't very bright. We didn't actually think about how we were going to get everything home. But then again, I don't think we thought that we'd buy so much either.) and discovering that we picked the wrong color in one piece and one piece was damaged so that led to exchanging them, we headed back home.

We got home somewhere around 5 and promptly began putting things together. We put the bookshelf together, the table together, assembled the picture, and began hanging the curtains. We also organized the kitchen too. Drew and I didn't go to bed until after 3 AM!!! We both just want to bring some organization back to our home. We've been living in chaos for months because of the wedding and now, it feels so good to make our place feel like home.

As soon as I finish this post, I'm going to go get Drew out of bed so that we can begin work today. We don't have too much left, but we've still got a full day of work. Plus, I need to finish laundry. Boo!!!

Oh, and I'm sure you're wondering about pictures right? Well, I'm not posting any!!! Haha!!! Now, I'm forcing all of you to come over and see our new homey home in person. Ya, I'm evil like that!!

Home, Sweet Home!

Drew and I arrived back home yesterday about 8:30 PM. I don't think that we have ever been so happy to walk through our front door.


And I don't think Simon has ever been so happy to see us. I have missed my little baby so much. He has been so lovey lately. Especially this morning when we woke up. He's normally quite affectionate in the morning, but this morning was particularly excessive.


Drew and I had a busy day today. We woke up and made some breakfast. I can't tell you how good it was to eat some normal, good tasting food. We got ready and made a list of things that we wanted to do today.


Our first stop was to go vote. Somehow, my voter's card found me, at our new address, but Drew was still registered under his parent's address. So, we had to vote in two different places. I voted first, then Drew did.


After voting, we went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I have been looking forward to this day since we registered. I have wanted (and we've needed) new silverware for a while. We made a beeline to the silverware, purchased it, and my day was complete!!!


However, we had a TON of gift cards to Target, so we ran there next. We quickly filled our cart with things that we both wanted and needed and left that store in quite the excited mood.


Drew and I then came home and began unboxing and putting away all of our new stuff. Now, we live in an apartment and this apartment doesn't have the biggest kitchen. Ya, all these new toys really make me want a house with a huge kitchen!!


We only got about halfway done and we'll probably finish the rest tomorrow. We want to go to IKEA and will either do that tomorrow or Thursday. My vote is for tomorrow, but Drew seems to want to go Thursday. I'll let you know how that goes.

Our Very Busy Final Day!

Drew and I went to Tulum today. Tulum is a city that is about 35 or 40 minutes south of our resort. There are ancient Mayan ruins that we toured there. We woke up at 7:00 AM, got ready, ate breakfast, and got picked up for our tour. Our tour guide's name was Antonio. He is Mayan, and was very funny!

This is an alter, I think

There were quite a few steps leading to the ruins, which you'll see why in a little bit.

This wall was built by the Mayans, obviously many years ago. If you look on the left side, the wall has crumbled. Antonio said that that happened about a month ago from the trees. The purpose of the wall with the gate was to keep people that didn't belong there out. There was a village on the inside of the gate, and villages on the outside of the gate. Only privledged people were allowed through the gates. The wall was also built for defense purposes. Antonio said that when Mayan babies were born, their heads were tied with boards in order to make them flat like the Mayan gods. If a baby came out deformed, they were already godlike. He said that Down Syndrome existed and those people thrived out in the jungle. They developed the skills that are necessary in order to survive.

We walked up some more steps and entered the ruins through another gate.

When the ruins were being reconstructed, they found a decorated skeleton in that hole.

These next two pictures were taken right inside of the gate, looking in to the ruins.

Do you see the waves breaking out in the distance?

They are actually breaking against a coral reef that the Mayans dug out.

This picture is of the sacrificial temple.

The stone in the front, at the bottom of the stairs, is where the sacrifices took place.

Antonio took us to the top of the cliff and we were able to look down and see this beautiful beach.

My screams, that you hear at the end, are because I was trying to write in the sand and it just kept getting washed away. I wanted to write "Just Married" and take a picture with it, similar to our picture from the cruise. I came close at one point!

And seriously, what is it with these people and their big lizards!?!

That picture, the one that you just looked at above, I hope you enjoyed it! That sucker cost us $5. Stupid people just plunking animals in my hands and stealing my camera.

Guess what else we found at Tulum? We went inside the little supermarket store to see if they had ice cream and Drew found a Dr. Pepper!!! Oh, I was one happy girl. I haven't had a Dr. Pepper in over a week and I was starting to have withdrawals. We got two and I'm actually sitting here drinking one as I type!

We stopped at a Mayan craft stand on the way home and we bought a very big blanket that has the Mayan calendar on it. I thought it was pretty cool and Drew liked it too.

At 4:00 PM, we had a kitchen tour.

This tour took us to all the kitchens of the resort and showed us what went on behind the scenes.

We ate dinner at Ventanas on Thursday (?) night and we had a fantastic waiter named Oscar. (Remember the flaming coffee?) He told us to come back tonight and he would make shrimp for us. He also told Drew that he'd have a cigar for him. So, back to Ventanas we went. Oscar was so happy to see us the minute we walked through the door. He led us to a special table that he had set up just for us!

How cute is that, right?? It was so sweet and romantic! Too bad Drew doesn't do stuff like that for me! This guy walks around the restaurant and plays for everybody.

Oscar made us a fantastic dinner of grilled shrimp with steak and steamed vegetables. Mmmmm, it was so good!!!

And so, tomorrow, we leave. I'm sad to be leaving such beautiful weather. But I am oh so glad to be going home. I am ready for some good, normal food again. Granted, we've had some great dinners. But, I'm ready to have Drew cook for me again. I'll see you back in the states!

Two of My Favorite Things

What would those be I hear you asking. Why, sleeping and shopping of course. And that is exactly what we did yesterday. Drew and I didn't wake up until a little after 11:00 AM. By that time, we had missed breakfast, so we just got ready and headed to Mundaca for some lunch. Mundaca has been quite the favorite for us for breakfast and lunch because it's very close to our room. I decided to get some dessert and picked this up.
It's a chocolate eclair and is for the music lover in all of us I suppose. I thought it was pretty cute.

You probably can't tell by the picture, but the reason that I took this picture is because of the water. It was sparkling like crazy! It was absolutely beautiful!!

After lunch, Drew and I decided to take a taxi to Playa del Carmen. This town is about 20 minutes away from our resort and is popular for shopping.

You know that saying "Only in America"? Well, only in Mexico can you buy medicine and tequila in the same place and actually have it advertised on the store front. And, I took this for my sister, who would have been right at home.

After we had wandered around some of the stores, we found a spot where the beach was. What's the first thing I do? Find a spot to get to the water and promptly go stick my feet in, of course!

Playa del Carmen is also a spot where people take the ferry to Cozumel.

Obviously, you can see the ferry, but look at the sand and sea too. Gorgeous, right? And again, the picture really does no justice.

Ya know, sometimes that is the hardest part about traveling. We see all of these beautiful sites and take tons of pictures, but the pictures can, in no way, capture the true beauty of what we are seeing with our eyes.

Drew and I began wandering around the shops some more. After walking for a while, we run into a guy holding two iguanas. He pulls us over, plops the one iguana on Drew, plops the other iguana on me, and takes our camera. I think that at that point we had no choice but to smile.

How terrified do I look in that picture? I was just waiting for that iguana to piss on my head. That would have been pleasant, right?

After escaping that guy (and paying him $5 for capturing us), we walk some more. These next pictures were taken at an intersection and is shooting down each way.

We talked to Drew's dad one night and he said that we definitely had to go to the town to experience it. Well, I experienced it. You couldn't walk more than ten feet without someone harrassing you to come into their store and buy their stuff. Towards the beginning, I actually had some guy pull me to his stand and put an anklet on me, a necklace on me, and begin searching for earrings. After an hour of being harrassed, I was very ready to leave.

We did get a couple things before we left Playa though. We stopped at one store that had those wool poncho things, but with sleeves (my brother wears one) to look at what they had. My mom had mentioned at one point that my brother's was falling apart. So I wanted to get him a new one. While in there, we looked around some more, and they had beautiful painted glasses. We bought a set that has a wrought iron holder, a decanter, and six shot glasses. (I'll take a picture when we get home because it's all wrapped and taped up.) And Drew got a Cuban cigar. All for the bargaining price of $58. Drew sucks at bargaining, we probably could have got it for less.

My Wedding Present

I have to apologize to you faithful blog readers. I didn't blog last night. We didn't do anything extremely exciting on Friday so I just decided to skip a day.



Friday was Halloween of course. From what I hear, the weather was very un-Halloween like at home. Apparently, the temperature got up to 77. It would too! Only because we're on vacation.



We learned earlier in the week that there was a jewelry factory just a few minutes down the road. Drew has been hounding me to go all week. We finally decided to go on Friday. The store is called Lapis. There are two smaller shops here at the resort, but this is the big factory. They make all of the pieces right inside of these doors.

Once you walk through the doors, you see straight in front of you a rather large plexi-glass-ish wall. On the other side of that wall are stations where workers make all of the jewelry pieces that are for sale. You can actually watch as the pieces are made right before your eyes.



Drew and I were ushered into the showroom and were handed off to a sales associate. We began to browse through the different cases and were explained all the different pieces. We found a super cute silver necklace with a freshwater pearl that I really liked. We decided to get that, and then found the earrings to match. After we had looked at all of the cases in the main room, we were led to the colored diamond room. I have to admit that I was most excited about this room. Our sales associate immediately pulled out a gorgeous blue diamond ring with two white diamonds on each side. The band had some very victorian looking scroll work on it. It was extremely pretty, just not for me. Then, our sales associate pulled out another blue diamond ring. We both fell in love with it! And Drew bought it for me as my wedding present.


I know that this phrase is pretty overused, but the picture really does it no justice. It sparkles like crazy when the sun or any lights hit it. The blue diamonds in the picture look dingy, but they are completely the opposite in person.



The resort puts on a special dinner for honeymooners and that dinner was on Friday night. We got dressed up and headed over to the Convention Center. Once we got there, there was a guy outside that took our picture. Then, we were sent inside and handed a glass of champagne and hor's doevres. I took one look around and my only thought was "Prom"!!! Complete with balloon arch over the door to the ballroom room and everything.

Dinner was good though. There was salad, that had way too many colors for me to eat. Then, came some soup. It was a tortilla soup and was very delicious. It was pretty spicy for me. I hate when that happens... when I get something really tasty, and I really want to eat it, but it's so spicy that it hurts to eat. Boo! Our main course was some kind of stuffed chicken with spinach in it maybe. I dunno what it was, but it was good. There was also a rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. Dessert came after that.

Isn't it cute?? I loved the hearts! I think it was some kind of banana cream cake. It was pretty tasty.

After dinner, we walked to the South Lobby where they were having a Halloween Party in the Discotecque. It was alright. Nothing too fantastic, but it sure beat sitting in the room. That was the reason I didn't blog last night. We didn't come back to the room until about 11:30 and we ordered some room service and went to bed.

Drew took this video and I thought that I'd put it on here to share with you. There is a rather large concrete platform with rails that you can stand on between the south and north lobby and look out at the ocean. We were standing on that platform when he took the video.