Oh what a beautiful morning.

Good morning to you all.

I've been having too much fun to blog. So here is what R and I did the last two days.

Monday was filled with "lets get in the jeep and see where it takes us." So up we got and off we went. We had some fantastic breakfast at the Aloha Theater about 15 min south of our Hotel. Oh it was good... R and I both tried something new, Portagues Sausage. Oh my was it tasty.

From there we were off to head south.. But then I saw a shop called "Just Ukes." We stopped and met Paul as he was just about to open the store. Paul helped R find and learn the basics of Ukuleles. We purchased an electric/acoustic one for R to start practicing and incorporate into his music. Paul recommended we make a stop at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau. He drew us a map and off we went.

From there we went back to the hotel to drop off the Uke so it wouldn't get lifted from the Jeep.We stopped at Kona Joe's to look for some Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans for my brother and tasted some fresh roasted 100% Pure Kona Coffee. I really did like it. It wasn't as bitter as any other coffee I've tried. Then we made a stop at the Kona Coffee Heritage Farm. This place is a 80+ year old coffee farm that is run by the Hawaii Historical Society. The family that ran it before th HHS took it over worked and live at the farm from 1925 to 1994. The house they lived in is still there are was the same house for all those years.

Then we made the trek south futher to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau. We got a bit lost and ended up in a pretty bay. From there we righted ourselves and went further south. We arrived at the national park just when the parking gate attendant was off duty. So we didn't have to pay to park, but R and I made a donation that would have covered our enternace fee. This place was where the Kahuna lived and was where Hawaiians escaped to when they broke a Capu. These Capu (laws), if broken we punishable by death, but if you could make it here, the Kahuna would absolve you of your sins and you could go back to the village.

It was just beatiful. Very peaceful and heavy in the sense of history.

We left The Place of Refuge and went north to the Painted Church. This church is beautiful. It holds maybe 50 people and the walls are painted with religious scenes.

We made our way back to town to pick up some masks and snorkles, there is a great beginnner snorkle spot next to The Place of Refuge called Two Step that R and I are going to try out.  From there we did a little window shoping along Ali'i Drive and got some great burgers at Splashers in Kona.

Yesterday we took a Circle Island Tour all around the island of Hawai'i. This was very cool. We started the morning at the Royal Coffee Co then to the Sweet Bread Bakery at the southern end of the island. We saw turtles at the black sand beaches, stoped at the Volcano Country Club and Course for lunch, went to Volcanos National Park, traversed the Thurston Lava Tube, ate fresh macadamia nuts at the Mauna Loa factory, saw chocolate covered dryed squid at the Big Island Candies factory and ended our evening driving through Parker Ranch, the third largest (interms of head of cattle) cattle ranch in the US.

We ate like pigs through out the day so R and I didn't grab dinner last night, he taught me to snorkle instead. Today is filled with a hair cut for me, a submarine ride and going snorkleing at Two Step. From there we might make it 13,000 feet in the air to Manua Kea to the Observatory.

Stay tuned. Miss you all. Wish you could be here to see it all.

HOLY COW I'm Married!

Aloha to you all!

Oh my word what a whirlwind weekend R and I've had. For those of you who don't know... We up and decided to get married on Saturday.

But first, let’s go back to Thursday.  Many, many more showed up for our wedding weekend extravaganza. The girls split from the boys after the quick wedding rehearsal and went off to a Greek Show and then to Huber's for a night of fun. The boys were off paint balling and to Kell's for drinks and long conversations over god knows what.

Friday was a bit of a sad day for R and me. We had to say bye to our little boy. We dropped him off with his Cousin Bob. Buddha boy wasn't happy, and we were so very sad to leave him. But leave him we did, and off we went to finish the last minute packing and off to the Wedding Venue we went.

We settled ourselves just in time to head back to the hotel everyone was staying at. We decided against a rehearsal dinner and opted for a meet and greet finger food and drink thing that was lovely. It was so great to see everyone. People came from so far to be at the wedding it was just splendid to spend some real time talking.

Then nothing much happened Saturday... Hahah it just feels like that because it was such a blur. We got up... (Sleeping wasn't really an option when you have too many last minute to dos on your mind). We grabbed some food with our wedding party and then off to the venue we went to set up. Got the room set up better than I expected. It was just lovely. Then I ran and had my hair placed and make up done. (THANKS A!!!!!) Got the dress on and the minutes just flew by.

We were about 15 minutes late to meet up with the guys for pictures. Oh and the shoes be damned. It was such a rainy couple of days before the wedding, the ground, no matter where we stepped was muddy and soggy. It was a beautiful day. It just was freaking sunny and warm. Perfect. It probably couldn't have been any better. Then we got married. That was pretty much perfect. Ugh, I just can't even describe how happy I am... It’s great.

Then on Sunday we flew to Maui, HI and jumped over to Kona. We didn't get a first class upgrade but we did get a free mini player that helped pass the time on the 5 hour flight from Portland to Maui.

Once in Kona, we got our luggage within 5 minutes of deboarding and off to the rental car place we went. We are now the "owners" of a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler Soft Top for the whole week. It’s great. Though we keep thinking we are looking for our little Aveo.

We did a bit of last minute didn't get done shopping for R and then off to dinner we went. We were total tourists and went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner and it was SOOO good. I finally have an appetite again, so I ate my weight in Hush Pups and Steamed Clams. R went out on a limb and tried Mahi Mahi. Granted it was Fish and Chips, but for any of you that know him, it’s a big step. Both of us loved our meals. Pictures to follow soon. I left my camera in the room as I'm sitting in our hotel atrium that all outdoors enjoying the sun rising above Manu Lau and Kea. It is just wonderful. 

 The next days will be filled with a submarine ride, a tour of the whole island, a trip to Volcanoes National Park, Kayaking and snorkeling, oh and maybe a Zip Line Tour.

Talk to you all soon.

PS... Thank you to all who came. You made the day more perfect than R or I could imagine. It was great to see you all. We hope to see you soon.

MUAH!!!!!

My, things they are a-changin'

Well oh well, this is the first moment since Mom and Dad arrived that I've had five minutes to sit and breathe. R, along with Mom and Dad are off to check in to the hotel and pick up the brother from the airport. So I get to fill you all in.

So Monday, R and I did some last minute errands, dropped off some picture files to be printed and got lots more wedding prep done. Then we just sat on our hands until we couldn't wait to call and egg on my Father's lead foot and have them arrive already.  They made it safely into town at around 6 and we went to a lovely dinner at the Springwater Grill. Yummy and relaxing. I truly am so lucky to have parents that I like. Hell yes they annoy the bejesus out of me, but I love them so much and enjoy spending time with them.

Tuesday was spent running ever more errands, getting Mom and Dad acclimated to the PNW and our neighborhood. Dad needed to get his bearings, because the last time they were here, we lived all the way out in east boonies. We ended the evening with pizza delivery and a early shut eye.

Today was filled with running some last minute errands and getting programs finaled and printed. Most all the errands aside from vegan cupcakes and some other things are done. We just now have to wait for eveyone to arrive and let the fun begin.

Tomorrow is going to be a bit crazy. We await K, my Matron of Honor to zoom into town, pack up the Bachlorette Grab Bags, do the wedding rehersal and then off to the bachlor and bachlorette parties. Oh the fun. I'm so very excited to see everyone.

Now people just need to get here and lets get this show on the road.

Let them eat cake!

Well it was a lovely last day in the office. I really do enjoy the people I work with. They are some great people.

They gifted me with a fantastic chocolate with raspberry filling and light butter cream frosted cake masterpiece made by the one and only E. H. She makes some of the greatest cakes ever tasted. Oh it was so good. I had two pieces... Wedding dress be damned. E out did herself once again with this great cake. They also gave R and I a bit of spending cash for the Honeymoon. Thank you to everyone in FRS, you are great people and I'm truly lucky to work with all of you. Thanks for the lovely send off and the musical rendition of "I'm a little teapot."

Other than that, the Friday was a good day. R and I got the new wedding ceremony layed out and shipped that off to my aunt and worked on the program a bit more. I spent the rest of the evening knitting a bit of my new sweater and watched a bit of television.

Saturday was the first day of checking yet more things off the list. I couldn't sleep so up I got and spent the early part of the morning cleaning off my hard drive on the good old laptop. Apparently I was down to only 19 G of space on my hard-drive.

R woke up and we immediately into clean mode. And by immediately.. I mean we sat around, made tea, watched some TV and fiddled about. Eventually we did get our butts into gear. R and I cleaned the house top to bottom. This place would make my mom proud. Hopefully it stays clean enough for her to enjoy the sparkle about the house.
 
After the vacuuming and swiffering was complete, I  left R to his own devices and ran some errands.

Heard from mom and dad around 3 pst. They made it to Cheyenne, WY, in great time. Tomorrow is their really long day. They are going from Cheyenne to Boise, ID. Gosh willing the weather stays good for them. Today was a pretty drive mom said. So here's hoping for more pretty driving.

All in all it was a good day. We have more things crossed off the list.

Oh and just in case anyone was wondering... it's only a short 7 days until we are officially hitched.

Spinning, Spinning

I'm just sitting here.. I feel like the wheels are turning but not going anywhere. I'm just ready to get out of the office and on to "the future."

In all reality, I'm just ready for time away from this place. Its been crazy here. My boss has been on an extended leave and work product is stalled because everyone needs to finish their end of work before I can do my end.

I just feel like a little kid going to Disney World for the first time.. I wanna... I wanna... I wanna go.

The ants in the pants has hit a new high.. I want it to be here already darn it. Okay enough already. I'll sit on my hands and sush now.

Hitch in the Get-up (update)

Got a phone call from my Uncle. My aunt had surgery this morning. They installed three stints and she is awake and doing well. They probably wont make it. But that's okay. I'm just happy she is doing well after surgery.

Thanks for all your well wishes.

Hitch in the Get-up.

So yesterday marked the first small speed bump. As most know, this whole thing is a huge family affair. My uncle officiating, my aunt djing and speeches and all those good things.

Well unfortunately my uncle called me yesterday and let me know that his wonderful wife/my sweet aunt is in the hospital. Unless she makes a dramatic turn for the better and the hospital kicks her out, they probably will not be at the wedding, which means my Uncle will be unavailable to officiate.

Okay first reaction...."F***!!!" And the hyperventilation begins. My palms get clammy and my heart starts to pound. Well son of a bocce, what the hell. Breathe.. now spring into action.

So I wished my uncle the best tidings. I tried to convince him that there is nothing more important than him being with his lovely wife right now and that I would be overly mad at him if he left her right now. But the curse of our family is we always feel responsible for things out of our control. I do hope he knows that I'm not mad. Bummed, yes. Worried about my Aunt S, yes. But not mad at him in anyway. This course of events isn't his fault, nor is it anyone's. It just is the roll of the dice or the hand that was dealt.

I called my dad and R and filled them in on the breaking news flash. I then called my Aunt, the DJ.

Me- "Hi Aunt G. You know that umm... just in case scenario that you and I were laughing off the other day.. umm... well yeah.. Uncle P just called me and that just in case needs to become the new plan.

Aunt G- Okay, well I think I'm legal in all 50 states (she is a registered pastor with Rose Ministries) so I can do the service if you'd like.

Me- Okay, I'll call the Marriage License place and make sure they recognize Rose Ministries and we should be all good.

Aunt G- Great and I'll call my people and make sure they think I'm good and that there isn't anything more I need to do.

So after about an hour and a half of phone tag and informing all necessary circles of people, we have a backup plan that R and I are happy with. Aunt G will be fantastic, and I couldn't be happier with the solution than if it was Uncle P who was up there.

Oh there was some other wedding drama yesterday, but all in all that wasn't really my drama aside from people projecting their drama on to me.

I'm please it all worked out and we have a backup plan. Now I just need to think happy thoughts for my Aunt S in the hospital. I am sending all good karmic healing thoughts to her that she makes a speedy recovery and that everything will be golden for her and my Uncle. I love them and only want good health for them both. If you want go ahead and send your own good karma to them in my honor. It’s the best wedding present I could ask for.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

What's a girl to do?

Ugh. My future sister-in-law M said this best. "Theknot.com's to-do list makes you feel inadequate as a bride."

No I'm not hiring a calligrapher.. Stop reminding me too. Why in the hell would I? Am I supposed to? Is that something I need to have to make this wedding a "true" wedding? And then the OMG snowball of what else am I not doing, doing wrong or forgetting careens down the hill and splats into the wall of "ACKK! I suck as a bride" meltdown mode.

My anal retentive side wants me to check off all the little to-dos they have posted up there. Why? Because I cannot have things to do glaring at me. Thanks Mom, (I blame you for this anal retentiveness, but I love you).

Why would I need to have all these things? I wish they had an option to hide or click "Not Applicable, Stop making me hyperventilate over these things I haven't accomplished, aren’t using or don’t want." I cannot check them off even though I'm not doing them, because that would be lying.

I mean seriously, are all these things needed to make every wedding a real wedding? Does it not really count unless you check all 708 to dos? Will someone materialize saying “I’m sorry S and R your wedding doesn’t qualify.. please return to start and try again.” Yes, I know "Of course not, you crazy bridezilla." But then why do I care about checking off a little box.

Okay, I’m being a bit over-dramatic; I do know, I’m just annoyed.

I'm just ready for this wedding week to start. That is really all it is. I'm stuck at work and then I come home and try to cross things of my own personal to do list, find out people may or may not show up... I'm just antsy.. I have ants in my pants kicking my butt to make time go faster... Where, oh where is Superman to make the world spin faster and then slow it way down on the day of the wedding?

If someone could help me contact good old C. Kent, that'd be peachy. Anyone?

Who's on First?

So this weekend was full of list checking and to-dos. In all the hullaballu before we kick off this marrige R and I don't find much time to go out and be a couple.

Boy oh boy, we made up for it this weekend.

On Friday we got a bit domestic and went to the grocery store and did our twice-a-month chore. It was good times. We splurged and purchased three large pumpkins. We reasoned that since we are going to be in Hawaii for Halloween, we should carve pumpkins early.

I love carving pumpkins. Fall doesn't really truly start until you've drove your hands into some ewwie, gooie, stringie pumpkin innards. I think this year held special pumpkin carving meaning. It was R's first time ever. It was lovely. We got our patterns picked and he asked me a couple of pointers and then we were off. Both of us sitting on our little concrete patio in the back yard scooping and scraping the insides of our pumpkins clean. We let B run around in the back yard and sniff out all the new fall smells.

After the three pumpkins were cleaned out, in we went to the slightly warmer kitchen and carved until we had a bit of carple-tunnel. I think I got the worst of it from all the knitting I'm doing these days. We finished two on Friday and Rick finished the third on Sunday. We have one for each member of our little family and they came out so good. I doubt they'll make it to when the family arrives, they are already getting a bit droopy, but it was great fun and a happy time for us all.

Then on Saturday, after checking more things off the wedding to-do list, R and I treated ourselves to a fast food dinner and a movie. It was nice. The theater by our new place is pretty cheap and has a good set up. We saw "Zombieland" and it was great. Total camp and good gorey fun. It was one of the better zombie moview R and I've seen together. There was gore and jumpy points but enough comic relief that the movie was a good buy. R and I spent the rest of the evening discussing "what ifs" and "how would wes" just incase it ever does happen.

All in all a lovely weekend with my little family. I so look forward to many more that we will have. We've had a great many in the time that we've been together, but I wanted to take the time to acknowledge the moments that we didn't spend planning a wedding. While I'm so very excited for the wedding, its the moments that make the marriage, not the ceremony at the beginning.

What's in a name?

As time goes, I'm slowly running out of it. Well my life as an "E" is fast melding into my life as a "G."

R says that nothing will change, in for the most part, he is right. There is that small part of me that thinks "what does it mean to change a part of your identity?" Am I really changing all that much? It's just a name. I'm still me, I'll wake up and still be S.. so is there really anything to lament?

In all, no. I don't gain a third arm or my blood doesn't change. But it will take some getting used to being Mrs. G. I'm happy to take his name, just sad to see the other one go. I wont miss the horrible mispronunciation or mangling of the simple name that is my maiden name. My married name is so much easier, but not without new name callings and comparisons for my possible future off spring.

I think that is going to be the biggest change for me. I know it sounds silly and trivial. I'll still call myself and "E" but I'll now also be a "G." A new identity to forge within this new distinction. Only time will tell what will happen within this new path. I am excited.

A new adventure is upon both R and I. We are off to drive each other crazy and make each other smile. My wish above all else is to be as crazy about us as my parents are in 30, 40 and maybe 50 years... if we don't kill each other first.

In 15 days, the new beginning will officially start. He and I start what we've been doing for over two years now. Being a team, (something I'm not great at, but I'm learning and he's patience with me so it's good), helping each other through what ever may come, compromising and sacrificing a little here and there.