Food

Okay so if you know me, you know that I love to cook and bake. But one of the biggest things for me is having fresh fruit and veggies. I love them so much, that on Monday I was picking blackberries in the middle of a battlefield (story to come later). Sadly, when money runs tight, fresh fruits and veggies always get left out. I would love for all of our food to be organic, but yet again that hits the pockets hard. 

Today I was reading one of them many blogs I check out, Heart-of-Light, and she had a great link to a service that can help me get organic and fresh food as well as support my local farmer. On Local Harvest, you can sign up for what is called a CSA box (look for the tab at the top of the page). All you do is put in your zip code, they give you local farms, and you can pay around $15 a week for a freshly picked box of fruits and veggies in your area. Some of the farms even deliver! Also, some have eggs, meat, honey, soap and other things you might find interesting. I have already chosen my farm for when we get back to Birmingham in September. 

FAIL!!!

Our day trip was a complete and utter failure!

We decided that we would make Monday's our day trip day. We want to be able to visit some of the wonderful historical gems that are scattered throughout the countryside. I am trying to spend 40+ hours in the library each week, so that means working Tuesday to Saturday in the library, using Sunday to do laundry or take long walks or do laundry, and traveling around on Mondays. Yesterday, we decided that we wanted to go to Battle Abbey and explore the battlefields from the Battle of Hastings. So we left our place around 1  and headed for the bus station. (I have to admit, I am not a morning person and so not move quickly in the mornings) We asked the lady in the office what was the best way to get to Hastings. Well, she said take a bus to Folkstone for 40 minutes and then a bus to Hastings which would take an hour. So we thought that would sound great, we would make it there with plenty of time to explore. So we had to wait about 10 minutes for the first bus and we were on our way to Folkstone, which took a little less than 40 minutes. We got off the bus and immediately got on the next bus. Unfortunately this bus ride was not pleasant and was not an hour long. We wanted to sit on the top of the bus to see the countryside and the ocean when we passed by it. The bad thing was that we forgot that the top of the bus is the popular hang out place for 10-16 year olds.------ I know it's not nice of me but I think the children here are the most horrible children I have ever met. They are rude, vulgar and obviously undisciplined. -------- To make  a long story short, we didn't make it to Hastings until 5:15!!!!! In order to get to the abbey, we had to still travel to Battle and make it before it closed at 6. So needless to say, we walked on the beach in Hastings, played an arcade game, ate dinner and had a cup of decaf. And then we began our trip home. We were so let down, and it was my fault we wasted a whole day riding on a bus. Our return trip was faster but still longer than an hour and 40 minutes. When we arrived at Folkstone, there was a drunk man under one of the bus stops. He looked as if he had passed out and thrown up on himself. When we made it to the bus, the driver was away from the bus and on the phone. Apparently the drunk had been there for 2 hours already (this was around 9:30) and had been refused by every bus he tried to get on. Oh well, at least we had a better day then him. We finally made it home around 10:15, disappointed and tired. Hopefully, next weeks trip will be more successful. 

Something New

I just felt like a change. I thought why don't I update my background. I change my computer background every couple of weeks, so it's about time the blog got a facelift too.

Just a lazy Sunday.

It's Sunday and that means it's my day off. After spending long hours in the library on a Saturday, Sunday becomes the most amazing day of the week ----- the library is closed. The thesis is in full swing. This week I paid for the use of a carrel at the library because it will hold me more accountable to actually study at the library (and to have my own space!!!!). In exchange for £15 and the promise of 25 hours per week in the library, they give you a closet with a desk in it! Fortunately mine has windows, but don't be fooled, they don't open more than a couple of centimeters. So after paying for the carrel, Andy and I went up to clean it. I honestly don't think it had been cleaned or used in a long time. The light switch was brown from grubby fingers and there was a layer of dust on everything. Even though it took some work it was worth it. I am a little afraid of getting swine flu which seems to be running rampant here and has spread to the university. So now I can collect my books and lock myself behind a door and read.

I have to be honest, I have been really down over the past couple of months. We have been a little strapped waiting for a money situation to work itself out. It finally did this week. It is really great not to have to invent new recipes using rice!!! So this week has been my cooking week. I had a list of things that I wanted desperately to eat like watermelon, avocado, and salmon. I have to say Andy is reaping the benefits (honestly he would eat anything and he tells me that my best cooking is when we only have 3 or 4 things and I just come up with something from scratch) It feels so good to be able to provide for him in that way. It also makes me feel good to know that he is not eating fried rice for 3 weeks straight like he did in college. 

So another part of being more secure is that we are able to travel to the few places on our travel list. We don't have many because we are trying to save up for our move back to the US (we will only have mattresses when we get back!!!!) So next weekend we are planning on going to Paris for a day. Next Sunday is the end of the Tour de France and I want to see it. It's not really because I follow the Tour or that I enjoy seeing malnourished men in spandex on bikes, but it's because I want to experience it! I just hope that we can also do the other things that we want to do while we are there. We only have one other main place to go and that is Edinburgh. We will be planning a trip there very shortly (because we will be home in 2 months!!!!!) Other than that most places are day trips of interesting places or events, like going to see Romeo and Juliet at the Globe theatre. 

I just wanted to thank you all for following our time in England and giving us all the love and support. I have had so many positive emails and facebook messages encouraging me. I just wanted you all to know that they have been so helpful. We love you all and can't wait to see you!!!

Okay, well I guess that's all for today. It is almost time for me to fix some dinner and get ready to go see Harry Potter. Until next time.......

HONEYMOON PHOTOS!

Okay, so I know I have been promising honeymoon photos for a while now. Sorry! But I am delivering today. I can only show you some of the photos: first because there are hundreds, and second because we have somehow lost the cord to Andy's camera. I will post the rest of them after we get him a new camera cord or reader. 

Well here they are! I know there are a lot, but I hope you enjoy them:

On the first day, we decided we would walk through the city and try to find our way to the Piazza San Marco. We roamed the back alleys and bridges until we made our way there. It is truly an amazing place.

One of the main attractions on our 'To Do" list was the Basilica San Marco. We climbed up to the museum/balcony and decided we would spend some time watching people below. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the inside (sadly, they don't allow you to take pictures in Italian churches, but I can't say we always followed that rule)
After going through the Basilica, we went through Doge palace which is right next door. This photo was taken in the inner courtyard looking toward the Basilica. 
We thought that we were going to eat at Harry's Bar--- the guide book said it was a must eat because it was made famous by Hemingway.  Little did we know that the dish they suggested was €55... I almost choked. I think the cheapest item was €23. So needless to say we got out of there fast. Instead we decided to eat in the Piazza San Marco and listen to the live performances. We had a nice Bellini and enjoyed the beautiful weather. 
On the Vaporetti (water taxi).

The Rialto bridge. 

We like to call this one "Drive your boat to church"
The lovely Campo San Rocco. 


One afternoon, we found a lovely little courtyard called Campo San Giacomo del'Orio. We just sat and watched people. It seemed like a nice community. There was a children's birthday party going on under a tent, a little grocery where we bought a few things to eat, a bakery where we bought sweets, and a restaurant where we had an amazing dinner. It was a wonderful, simple afternoon. 
I loved just siting and watching the canal as the sun sat. 


We decided to visit a few of the other islands around the lagoon. We visited Murano, where they make all the famous glass. We were able to see a glassblowing demonstration. 
There are tons of little islands scattered around the lagoon that were once monasteries. We saw them as we rode the Vaporetti from island to island. 

Andy took a seat in the throne of Attila the Hun, which is outside the Basilica and museum at Torcello.

We also visited Burano, where they make the famous Venetian lace. We had a nice meal in a small park on the island and then walked around looking at all the brightly colored houses. 
Burano is recognizable by the brightly colored homes and their famous leaning clocktower. 
From Burano, we took the Vaporetti the long way, through Lido (where we visited the beach on another day) and then back to the Campo San Marco. 

On Sunday, we traveled to the San Giorgio Maggiore with the promise of hearing Gregorian chants in mass. Unfortunately that was not exactly how it went. We like a lot of other tourists standing around were extremely confused because a sign for the mass led you into a hallway but then didn't tell you where to go. And it is sad to say but the attendants or monks didn't want to have anything to do with the people standing around. Finally someone came into the hallway and told all of us that we needed to go up the stairs. Apparently we were supposed to know that we should go up the stairs that were hidden by the open door we went through and then to a room that said no admittance. Oh well, we know for next time. And sadly, there was no Gregorian chant! 
On the day before we left, we took a gondola ride. We had saved it until the end because it was extremely expensive. Finally we just went up to a guy and asked how much he charged, he said €100 ( we were not going to pay that much), we said oh that's too much for us, and his buddy asked how much we wanted to spend, so we got a fairly short gondola ride for €60 instead. I don't know what I expected, but it was not smooth at all. I often felt that I was about to go out the side into the water. But thankfully it didn't happen. 

I fixed it

Just to let everyone know, I fixed the comments! Thanks April for letting me know they were messed up. Apparently they were set so that only the authors of the blog could comment, which is pretty useless. But it is all taken care of, so feel free to leave us a note. 

Hope you all are enjoying summer wherever you are. It is beautiful here. With a top temperature of 75 degrees, how can you not love July? I know, I keep rubbing it in. We are very lucky here because in some other parts of the country they are experiencing a heat wave causing temps to rise to 100. Let's just hope our nice breeze lasts all summer (mainly because we don't have an air conditioner). 

I hope to add honeymoon photos very soon. We have to get a new camera cord for Andy and as soon as we do, I will add even more photos. Venice was amazing and I could live the rest of my life there! It was a dream I can't wait to share.

As far as school goes, I went to a workshop today on how to write a dissertation. I have a lot to do. This week I am going to finalize a system to organize all my research, note taking, and chapters. The more organized I am, the easier this will all go. I also have to set up a schedule so that I can set goals for myself. Whew, it's hard to know where to start, but it's time that I really focus on this! 

Okay, so until next time, I hope you all have an amazing holiday weekend. Sadly we are not able to celebrate until next week. But as soon as we are able, I am going to cook the biggest belated 4th of July meal and buy the biggest watermelon I can find! I may even post some photos!

Love,

Suzie and Andy

As promised

As promised, I wanted to post our wedding service here. We had the most beautiful service. And like they say, it flies by before you know it. Right as I got to the door of the church, I thought 'I don't remember anything we went over in the rehearsal'. Thank goodness I didn't really need to remember. Poor Andy was stressed to the max and was ready to get everything under way. We had to wait for 10 or 15 minutes because some of our family were a little late because of problems with driving directions. But everyone got there finally and we got the show on the road. 

Order of Service

Processional Music                      Wagner

The Welcome

Hymn                         Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling, 

Joy of heaven, to earth come down,

Fix in us thy humble dwelling,

All thy faithful mercies crown. 

Jesu, thou art all compassion,

Pure unbounding love thou art; 

Visit us with thy salvation, 

Enter every trembling heart.

Come, almight to deliver, 

Let us all thy grace receive;

Suddenly return, and never,

Never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, 

Serve thee as thy hosts above;

Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,

Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation; 

Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory, 

Till we cast our crowns before thee,

Lost in wonder, love and praise. 

PRIEST: The Lord be with you.

ALL: And also with you.

PRIEST: Andrew and Suzanna, you stand in the presence of God as husband and wife, to dedicate to him your life together, that he may consecrate your marriage and empower you to keep the covenant and promise that you have solemnly declared.

The Bible teaches us that marriage is a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace, a holy mystery in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God's purpose that , as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love throughout their lives, they shall be united in that love as Christ is united with his Church.

Marriage is given that husband and wife may comfort and help each other, living faithfully together in need and in plenty, in sorry and in joy. It is given that with delight and tenderness they may know each other in love, and through the joy of their bodily union my strengthen the union of their hearts and lives. It is given as the foundation of family life in which children may be born and nurtured in accordance with God's will, to his praise and glory. This is the meaning of the marriage you have made. 

You now wish to affirm your desire to live as followers of Christ, and you have come to him, the fountain of grace, that , strengthened by the prayers of the Church you may be enabled to fulfil your marriage vows in love and faithfulness. 

FIRST READING: Isaiah 61: 10-11

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation 

and arrayed me in a robe of rightousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, 

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise 

spring up before all nations.

PRIEST: God is love, and those who live in lovve live in God and God lives in them.

ALL: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,

All desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden,

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts,

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you

and worthily magnify your holy name, 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SECOND READING: Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances

you may have against one another. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace. 

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach 

and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns 

and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, whether in word or dead,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

 giving thanks to God the Father through him.

PRIEST: Andrew and suzanna, you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage, and your marriage is recognized by law. The church of Christ understands marriage to be, in the will of God, the union of a man and a woman, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till parted by death.

PRIEST: Is this your understanding of the covenant and promise that you have made?

ANDREW AND SUZANNA: It is.

PRIEST: Andrew, have you resolved to be faithful to your wife Suzanna, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?

ANDREW: That is my resolve, with the help of God.

PRIEST: Suzanna, have you resolved to be faithful to your husband Andrew, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live? 

SUZANNA: That is my resolve, with the help of God.

ANDREW AND SUZANNA WILL EXCHANGE PERSONAL VOWS

SUZANNA:

Andy, you are my best friend and the love of my life.

From the moment I met you, I knew you were an amazing person. 

I am so excited that I am able to experience the rest of my life with you by my side. 

You have been my companion in joy and my constant comfort in adversity.

Your encouragement and support have shown me what true love is.

I am so hopeful for the future because I know we will be able 

to share our hopes and dreams together.

I promise to encourage and inspire you,

to be kind, trusting, tolerant and understanding.

I will always be honest and faithful to you. 

Here, before our family and friends, 

I pledge my heart to you, and only to you

for the rest of my life.

ANDREW:

Suzie, since we met, most of our friendship has been spent fighting 

about the feelings between us. 

I even moved to a different continent to prove I didn't like you.

But I'm standing here today, on yet another continent,

to tell you that I have been wrong all along.

Suzie, you mean more to me than anything in the world. 

I never though the perfect woman would be standing right in front of me the whole time.

You are my very best friend

and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

I love you so much.

(Andrew and Suzanna join hands)

PRIEST: Heavenly Father, by your blessing, let these rings be to Andrew and Suzanna symbols of unending love and faithfulness, and of the promises that they have made to each other, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Andrew and Suzanna have here affirmed their Christian understanding and resolve in the marriage which they have begun. Will you who have gathered here to celebrate with them support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?

ALL: We will.

(Andrew and Suzanna kneel)

ANDREW AND SUZANNA: Heavenly Father, we offer you our souls and bodies, our thoughts and words and deeds, our love for one another. Unite our wills in your will, that we may grow together in love and peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRIEST: Almighty God, give you grace to persevere, that he may complete in you the work he has already begun, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

PRIEST: The Lord bless you and watch over you.

The Lord make his face to shine upon y ou and be gracious to you.

The Lord look kindly on you and give you peace all the days of your life.

Amen

Hymn                           O Perfect Love

O perfect Love, all human thought transcending

Lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne, 

That theirs' may be the lover which knows no ending, 

Whom thou for evermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance

Of tender charity and steadfast faith,

Of patient hope and quiet brave endurance,

With childlike trust that fears not pain not death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow, 

Grant them the peach which calms all earthly strife;

And to life's day the glorious unknown morrow

That dawns upon eternal love and life. 

THE CERTIFICATE OF BLESSING IS SIGNED

Choir: The Lord Bless You and Keep You           Rutter

THE PRAYERS

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be thy name; 

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done

On earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this day our daily bread, 

And  forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn                         Bind Us Together Lord

Bind us together Lord, Bind us together

With cords that cannot be broken;

Bind us together Lord, Bind us together

Bind us together with love!

There is only one God,

There is only one King;

There is only one Body,

That is why we sing.

Made for the glory of God,

Purchased by his precious Son,

Born with the right to be clean, 

For Jesus the victory has won,

Bind us together.... 

You are the Family of God,

You are the promise divine.

You are God's chosen desire,

You are the glorious new wine. 

Bind us together.... 

THE BLESSING

RECESSIONAL MUSIC

IN REMEMBRANCE OF RICHARD S. BROWN

On this day, somewhat bittersweet, 

the thought of you pains my heart.

I cannot help but remember the day

we seemed destined to part.

I know you are looking down on us, 

watching from above. 

Yet, how I wish you were here today

showing your support, and love.

I'm all grown up now,

but I still wish you were here by my side.

I need you here on the day

that I am becoming a bride.

However, I cannot change the past.

All that's left now are sweet memories.

Memories, and thoughts

that in my heart will always last.

I am moving forward,

but I can't help looking back. 

Thinking of  you, and how you did everything

in your own special way.

Because of you, I have learned to cherish

each and every single day.

Daddy, I love you with all of my heart.

You are sadly missed,

and will never be forgotten.

I have a solution

Hello all! Lots of info about what is happening with us. Actually it is pretty boring right now. We haven't really been doing all that much. The weather is nice and cool, which is so amazing because we don't have an air conditioner. But we only have to deal with that until the end of August!

Okay, so posting the original wedding photos has been a pain. Often they take forever to load, and then sometimes they don't even work. So my love for polaroid photos has won over! There is this supercool program called Poladroid. It changes any photo into a digital polaroid photo! You are able to see them "develop" on your screen and you can even shake them. And these photos load super fast on blogger. So these are some of our wedding photos that I have transformed. I know they aren't nice and clean like the originals, but I love the old feel of them. I am going to be posting more about our wedding service soon (most likely, it will include polaroids). 

So I got a letter today from my department. They have sent back all of my finals and papers along with a letter telling me I can proceed to my dissertation. Thank goodness!!!! I was super worried. I had written a paper that I didn't feel very confident writing and it showed in the results. But I passed and that is all that matters! In fact I only had to pass all of this stuff to get to the dissertation. But I feel a lot more confident in the fact that now I only have it left to write. It still doesn't motivate me to go to the library (which is something I am working on) but hopefully it will give me the confidence I need to continue on. Only 3 more months to go!

So, I have had tons of questions about where we are going and what we are doing when we get back to the states. At the moment, our plan is to move back to Birmingham. Of course this depends on jobs. Andy is putting in portfolio's with several Birmingham area advertising agencies and we are hoping for the best. My plan is to get a job wherever I am able to and start my phd in the fall of 2010 at Tuscaloosa. Our lease here in Canterbury is up August 20, so that is the proposed date of our return. We might stay on until September, because that is when my thesis is due and Andy is worried I won't finish it if we go home. But honestly I am ready to go home now. I am tired of giving up everything I have, moving to a different place, and having to start all over again. I am ready to have a place to call home. I am also ready to live close to friends. We have absolutely no social life. I was so happy when our families were here because it was familiar faces doing things with us. I can't wait to get back to Birmingham and having coffee with friends or having game night. I would really like to start a Bunco group or a book group, or something fun like that where I can get together with other people and have a lot of fun. Oh and I can't wait for the $1 movies! 
Okay so more to come soon. Thank you all for following our little blog. It will become much more exciting soon because we will be traveling a little more in July and August. Feel free to pass us on to other people who might want to keep up with everything!

We love you all,

Suzie and Andy

Photos

Finally...... a few of the photos have loaded. These photos are from the photographer and take forever to load due to the quality. It takes about 10 minutes each and have a 50% chance of failing. Poor Andy is not able to use the internet while I am trying to post them. 

These are just a few of the many after wedding photos that were taken at St. Martin's Priory in Canterbury. I hope to post a few more, but we will see if the internet cooperates with me. 

Our family and friends around the pond.

Me and Andy

We LOVE this one! I was so glad we had a clear day so you can see the cathedral. We took several shots on this little path. 

Here we are again. 

We were so thankful for the beautiful weather. It turned out to be an amazing day. After all the family shots, we sent our family and friends off to do a river boat tour while we took our photos together. It was such a good idea. Even though we were not totally alone, we got to relax and spend time together. We really wanted to make it our day that we were able to enjoy and take in together. Once we got to the hotel, we went to our room and relaxed before the reception. We wanted to make an entrance to dinner. When it was time to eat, they called and told us to come down. It was convenient because the reception room was just down the stairs from the honeymoon suite. 

The Reception

Our reception was held at the Chaucer Hotel in Canterbury. The hotel was amazing, they made life easier on the day. We wanted a very intimate meal with family and friends, so they put us in the Ivy Suite (which the painted right before our event). 

Menu

Mixed garlic mushrooms 

---

Tomato and basil soup

---

Sorbet

---

Roast lamb with mint jelly

served with

roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables

---

Profiteroles with chocolate sauce 

---

Coffee and mints

Cake

My wedding cake was baked by my mother because we didn't like the bakery we had originally chosen for the cake. It wasn't exactly what I envisioned but it tasted amazing! She made a spice cake with a white chocolate icing covered in chocolate shavings.

We asked the best man, Andy's dad, and the maid of honor, my sister, to give the speeches at our reception. 

I don't have a copy of Andy's dad's speech but he talked about Andy's unconditional love.  

My sister, whom I love so much, gave this speech:

Wow, what can I say about Suzie.... 

Suzie has always been the independent girl. 

It always made me admire her more and more with the warm outgoing attitude about her.

As a child Suzie was the person I always looked up to and wanted to be just like. 

Her beauty has always been ravishing and her heart strong.

 I know that these are only a few of the qualities that make Andy love her.

Today is the day that I have anticipated my entire life, the day that I get to witness my sister's bond and love for the man of her dreams

From the moment Andy entered into her life, he captured her heart. 

I have never seen Suzie more in love than right now in this very moment. 

My big sister has a glisten in her eyes every time she looks at Andy, and I can truly see that this is the love that lasts forever. 

Whether you realize this or not Suzie is a gem. 

She is a rare diamond that shines brighter than any other jewel around her. 

Suzie is a person that you can talk about anything with so wether we are having a conversation about Chips funny habits or an in depth discussion about life, she is always the one to listen. 

Though we have had our quarrels and strife with each other ... 

you knocking out four of my teeth...

with maturity we have a relationship that I wouldn't trade for anything. 

I hope that you and Andy have a long and happy life together, 

because we all love and adore both of you. 

Andy will protect and keep you sane and Suzie will help you and guide you when you are in need.

With each other, your love will be strong.  

I know, I know

I don't know what it is, but at the moment blogger does not like me. I have tried several times to post photos on this blog, but they never load. I thought everyone might be busting at the seams to see some photos of our wedding and honeymoon, so you might want to check out the two links to our facebook albums. I am really going to try to work on this blog thing to get it all worked out. I am thankful for the one photo it allowed me to load after 15  minutes. There will be more to come soon, I promise. 

Facebook albums:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2074217&id=41801604&l=ccf7a53706

and 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2074281&id=41801604&l=c52865b2a3

Love, 

Suzie and Andy

Wonderful news....

Okay, so I have been in the thick of things lately. I have been trying to finish 2 exams and an essay. I have to be honest it's not going so well. There just aren't enough hours in the day. I have to have them all finished by Monday night, and the sad thing is that I know it's not going to happen. But I'm working hard and we will see what happens.

Well our families begin arriving on Tuesday! I am so excited and I can't even think about everything I need to do. I am ready to see everyone and have them see where we live. It will be a crazy few days before the wedding, but it will all be worth it. 

So big news! I have to start by saying that I love Andy so much and I'm so luck to have him. He is so good to me. When I got home Thursday from the archives, Andy said he had good news and bad news. I chose good news first. He said it was that our honeymoon wasn't going to be as expensive as we thought. Band news was that we weren't going to Paris. I didn't know what to say. Where was he planning to take me? Well..... He said- We are going to Venice instead! I was ecstatic! On Easter we had talked about places we wanted to visit in Italy because Jayne had lived in Italy for a while and she and Alec were leaving for Florence that week. I had said that if I had to choose, I would want to go to Venice. So now, I get a week in a cabin in the Italian countryside! Andy did an amazing job and I am so happy! 

What else to do on a Tuesday?

Well, not much time left. This is the last week of the term and I am supposed to be busy working on essays and exams. I say that because I get distracted easily. I spent the afternoon in the library at school doing research and making photocopies and tomorrow I have a table booked at the Cathedral archives. I hope this week to finish my paleography, manuscript and Canterbury exams. Next week I need to write an essay for my Palaces, Princes, and Portraits class and then soon after have to work on one for Gothic Imagination. I've taken out as many books as I possibly can from the library, so now I just have to write.

I did have a welcomed relief this past weekend. Andrea came to stay and we had a great time. It was so good to see a familiar face. We have missed hanging out with friends so much. Canterbury is not very big, but I hope Andrea enjoyed exploring it. We were sad to see her go back to London, but we will see her again soon. 

As far as wedding plans go, everything is going smoothly at the moment. Monday was our wedding meeting day. We finalized church program, menu, and suit hire. I have a little workstation over my desk complete with schedule for the week of the wedding, list of all vendors and contact information, and a list of things that I need to complete in the near future. Andy has been working hard on invitations and they are going to be amazing. I'm just ready to be able to enjoy it all. 

A bit of bad news

Well today started out as usual. I am stressed about everything that's going on and not going on at the moment. I've had one of those days where I just want to clean up so I don't have to be stressed about how shabby the apt looks on top of everything else. So I put a load of clothes on to wash, soaked some hand wash items, made the bed, picked up, and started cleaning the bathroom. I try to do everything at once if you can't tell. Also, at this point in time I am trying to break in my wedding shoes. Picture me in pj pants and a t-shirt with fancy shoes on. 

Well after most of the cleaning is done, I get online to talk to my mom briefly. While talking to her, I am watching some news videos on CNN. I come across one titled "Peace Corps Worker Killed." I click on it because Andy had been in the Peace Corps not two years ago.  It started telling the story of how Kate Puzey was found murdered on the front porch of her home in Africa in mid-March. So that peeked my attention. Kate was a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Benin and began her term in July 2007. I told Andy what had happened and that she was in his training group. He was a little unsure, so I asked if he wanted to see her picture. He walked behind my chair and was astonished.... "Oh my God.... she was one of my friends." 

We tried to find out if they were releasing what happened, but they are not. We watched several clips of her parents talking to local Atlanta news stations about how much she loved teaching English at a school in Benin and that she loved what she was doing. Andy is devastated. I know it is already hard on him that he left Benin, and it is even harder because he found out so late. 

Busy, Busy, Busy

I thought I would give just a few snippets of my dress.... I don't want to give to much away!

The back of my dress

Just a little detail on the train.

We have been super busy putting everything together. We are only 6 weeks away, and it seems that everything is coming together. I am getting so excited and anxious about everything. I want April 25 to be the most relaxed and enjoyable for everyone involved. I know that most of our family and friends are not able to come, so I wanted to catch you all up to date on the planning process. We actually met with the Rector of St. Martin's and decided on our readings and music. I am so thankful that we are able to have the parish organist and choir available at our ceremony. Our music is going to be:

Arrival of Guests:

Handel- Water Music

My Entrance:

Wagner- Here Comes the Bride

Hymn 1:

Love Divine All Love's Excelling

Hymn 2: 

O Perfect Love

Signing of Certificate:

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

Hymn 3:

Bind Us Together

Exit:

Mendelsson- Wedding March

So, that is all falling into place. I am a little concerned about the readings. I have picked 2 Old Testament and 2 New Testament passages and can't really decide on one of each. I have chosen Isaiah 61:10-11 and Hosea 2:19-20 for the Old Testament ones, and Ephesians 3:14-19 and Colossians 3:12-17 for the New Testament ones. 

I have also had a dress fitting this week, met with the chocolatier, stylist, photographer, and venue staff. My dress is amazing! I am so happy that I got the one I did. I am using a local shop called Jodi's Bridal. The ladies there are so nice and helpful. I got to walk around in my dress on Wednesday. The only thing that had to be altered was the hem because my shoes made up for a little of my height deficiency. For the chocolatier and stylist, there is a local shop called Salon Chocolate. A couple owns the shop: she sales chocolate and he styles hair. They have also recommended a makeup artist for the day. They have been extremely helpful in sorting everything out. We met with a photographer on Friday named Rob Parker. We feel like he is going to be a good fit! You can find him here www.kentishweddingphotographer.co.uk . 

I also wanted to include some photos that have inspired what we are going to have at our wedding. Our event is on a very small scale but we are making it all fit. 

We are going to have a white wedding cake covered in shaved white chocolate. It will be much smaller than this one, but this is the idea.

For flowers, we are having Easter lilies, green hydrangea's, pink ranunculus and lily of the valley. I have been a little disappointed with the florist, I have to say. I put in the order at the florist around the corner, but have heard nothing back from them as to wether they actually ordered the flowers, what the prices are going to be, or any information at all. Every time I go in they take down my contact details but never actually call me. So I am about to go somewhere else and order the flowers. I am going to stop in tomorrow so we will find out! 

So for one of the favors at the reception, I wanted to do little bird's nests with chocolate eggs in them for the place cards. But I am having the hardest time finding little nests. I have the eggs ordered already. The problem is that next week is Mother's Day in the UK, so most shops haven't put out their full Easter items. So I might have to be creative with my nests. I might just have to order them and have them sent to someone in the US (all the companies that I can find are in the US and only ship to the US). If I'm not able to get them, I'm sure Carol and I will come up with something creative!

We are asking our guests to help us make this event full of both English and American traditions. Because of this, we have asked ladies attending the wedding to wear hats. I know, everyone's grumbling, but I want to make this a special time that we can all bond. I have found a lady in our area who actually rents hats out for special occasions like weddings. I thought this would be a good idea for everyone because you don't actually have to buy a hat you will never wear again. You can view a few of the hats at www.thathat.co.uk . Apparently she has a lot more that what is on the web site and basically has them in every color. She also has some really cute fascinators for the young at heart! I hope that everyone can enjoy this little bit of dress up!