The quickest written post in the world

First of all....I HAVE LURKERS? That's so FUN! You people made my day. New Zealand, Alabama.....AWESOME!!

Following are a few pictures that we have on one camera (of many)- just to give you an idea of the last 2 days (wedding-wise).

Wednesday: The plan was to make my own wedding cake. I found a super cute little tier thing to use and everything. The plan failed for NO APPARENT REASON. The cakes looked like small volcanoes. ALL THREE OF THEM. And they were quite flat. Cue: phone call to Aunt Cheryl! This doll is going to make the cake(s) TODAY.

???

And the rest of the day was a blur. (A fun blur of course).

On Wednesday night, Carlynne (twin sis), Dan (sis's boyfriend), Avery (old roomie) and THE GROOMY arrived from Edmonton. They actually arrived at 12:30am, so I guess that was early Thursday morning, and I was sleeping. Hee hee.

But yesterday was FULL and FUN! Everyone worked all day: mowing lawns, baking, cooking, cleaning, getting pedicures (this was the roughest job of all;), scrambling to do some wedding stuff....

Then more friends and relatives arrived!

The one second from the left is Angel Aunt Cheryl.

Our deck was double booked that night by Shareen/Carlynne and my Mama. Shar & Car planned a stagette for me, and my Mom planned a big supper for the relatives and boys (who were not invited to the stagette of course!) Turned out that we got the deck for a while, then ate at Earls instead of shishkabobbing it. It was still great times though.



Afterwards it was gift opening time (secretly my favourite part! kidding). My sister's are so dang creative. Remember the bridal shower Carlynne threw for me? Well this one was just as fun! I loooooove chick flicks, so the theme was CHICK FLICKS. They each gave me a DVD that had some meaning behind it (whether it be one of their favourites, my favourites, or it was a bonding thing between them and I). I was to guess who each one was from, and while I did not so hot, I still love all my new chicky flicky DVDs!!! There are like a billion of them!

I wore the lovely "bride to be" sash all evening. It even lit up!!

And poor little Lowelly-pop started our slideshow last night. Chock up another all-nighter for Lowell!


And now begins the day before the day. WWEeeeeeeeeee!

And so it's begun...

Things are getting festive around here! Shareen arrived on Sunday evening and has been a busy bee in the kitchen since then. She's baking up a storm for the wedding weekend (FOUR DAYS!!) and it smells gooooood.

I'm so excited that she's home, and I very much appreciate all the help she's been already! This picture was not taken this week, but I thought it was OH SO appropriate (and that she looks oh so cute)!


And the festivities continue...

Today is my Dad's birthday. He's twenty or thirty- something... right Dad?;)

Zee birthday boy!!

Aaron came over and we had a leetle party last night (Mom's absent from the picture b/c she took it)


Mom, Shareen and I are getting things done left right and centre while my Dad is working his butt off earning the money to make such things possible. Tomorrow some more special guests shall arrive. EEEeeeeeee this is getting sooooo exciting!!! =)

The Half Marathon before the FULL Marathon

So one week before I start the life-long marathon of marriage with the love of my life (aww) I raced my first half marathon. It was a beautiful (hot and cloudless) day for a run. It was a 21.1 km trail run through the Edmonton river valley. (Hawrelak Park/Whitemud Creek)

My goal for my first half was 2 hours. I finished the 21.1 kms in 1:44:53. I was very happy with this time. It was satisfying to pass a lot of the tired people who started out too fast and were affected by the heat.

I finished 25th out of 251 overall racers and was 5th out of 16 racers in my age group (20-29).

I had quite a bit of energy left over at the end, so now I know that next time I can give it a little harder.

I look forward to being able to attend these races and have have Julie there to cheer me on, or race alongside.

There are only 5 days left until the real race begins! oohhh, I am so excited.

Moving Day (er- 5 days)!

I arrived in Edmonton Thursday at 8am, and didn't get home until last night at 8pm. IT WAS MOVING WEEKEND!! And it was HOT.

I had plans to spend Thursday evening with Carlynne and my current and former roomies (plus significant others), so during the day I tried to get the ball rolling on the moving situation. We had to move stuff from everywhere: Lowell’s place, Carlynne’s place, and our place in Lethbridge. Lowell, Carlynne, and Dan all had to work on Thursday (conveniently), so I was on my own! Lowell’s old place and our new condo are a block apart, so I decided it would be easiest to use shopping carts and just cart things from old place to new place. So, I toddled the 7 blocks to Save-On, put a loonie in a cart, and left. Yes, I felt like a tool. Good thing I had shades on because that way I didn't have to bashfully make eye contact with everyone staring at me because I looked like a dweeb pushing the loudest (and emptiest) cart known to man.

I successfully made it to the condo, loaded up the cart, and went to deliver the FIRST load to our new place… only to find that the new place was sooooo not mover friendly. There was a huge curb outside, then 3 steps inside before reaching the elevator. I extremely awkwardly managed to get the first load up…then decided to focus on other things that didn't require awkward cart maneuvering. I started packing up Lowell's old room! (I later found out that we're supposed to move in through the BACK which was indeed mover-friendly).

Soon enough, it was time to head to Carlynne’s house to prepare for the roomie BBQ we were having with (almost) all former and current roomies from Carlynne’s house in honour of BRENDA AND PETER who were visiting Edmonton for a short time. Brenda was a year ahead of me in Speech and was our Newfy roomie.

Good friends, good food, good times… That Daniel can make $8 slabs of meat taste like $30 slabs.

Doesn't it look good? It was!

Carlynne, Brenda, Peter, me

The roomies: Sarah, Tara, Avery, Carlynne, me, Brenda, and Dianna.

On Friday, Mom and Dad came with a van load of my stuff and also Lowell's couches that they picked up from his parents' home in Carstairs. This began the hardcore moving day in the blustery heat wave that was Edmonton. We moved, cleaned, moved, cleaned, moved, and cleaned. Oh, we also set up 10,000 pieces of furniture from Ikea (and moved and cleaned).

The 'rents with the ridiculously loaded van.

The shopping carts were a Godsend, although we had a couple tumbles and spills (and we looked like homeless people because we even rumbled through the alley).

This was Lowell's spill- not mine. Just for the record:)

Saturday morning was our first brekky in our new home (the 'rents and Lowell and I all stayed there). I made cornbread!


The rest of Saturday was the same story as Friday (but even hotter if that were even possible).

Lowell and Mom assembling some Ikea furniture in Lowell and I's soon-to-be-room.

Sunday was church, errands, unpacking, cleaning more, and doing Loweller's hair. (cut & dye). All of this was jam-packed and exciting for us...but not so much for you. So, moving along...

This is our amazing view out one window. The view out the other window is even better. Here my Dad is doing some homework on the patio.

Here's a little sneak peak at the inside of the condo. This is our dining room. The boxes on the left will not stay there, and the tulip picture in the background will be hung on the back wall. The futon on the right is facing the window with the BEAUTIFUL view. We'll be having tea/coffee/devotions there frequently I'm sure.

I spent Monday with Clynie (she was post-call and Lowell had to work). We went shopping etc and landed back at the condo in time to hang out with Dan and Lowell briefly, then vamoose off to the airport. And now I am home. Home sweet home, but looking forward to my new home with Lowell (in 11 days!!).

This was our parting picture!

And that was our crazy moving weekend which never would have been successful had it not been for the help of my amazingly hard-working, fun, and efficient parents. Thanx Mom & Dad!!

Well well well, my last placement for Speech-Language Pathology is finito (and has been for 3 weeks now). Now it’s awkward saying what I “am/do" because I guess I’m not technically a student anymore, but I haven’t officially convocated yet (or written the national exam that I’m choosing not to think about). Oh well, I’m going to adopt the title of a SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST from now on.

It’s been whirlwind crazy nutso around here since finishing my placement, but here’s my life plan. After we get married (IN 17 SPANKIN DAYS!!!), we’re going on a honeymoon (destination undisclosed for now:), then moving to Edmonton, living in a fab condo we’re renting, and WORKING. I have a job with the Edmonton Public School Board working with kids aged 2.5-5. Should be dang cute (and a stinkin challenge).

Here’s Nanc and I on our last day of placement. We had a bonding moment and bought matching shirts to commemorate the occasion (and to make the rest of the TIRDS jealous:)


Oh heavens to betsy, there is so much more to share with you people, but I’m not sure where to start. Therefore, you are going to get the info in little spurts (that way it’s not so overwhelming for either of us). I’m a smart one, I am.

Here are some pictures to prove that I'm a SERIOUS therapist. I mean business, people. On Father's Day I checked my parents' hearing (with a dinosaur of a portable audiometer) and what a celebration it was!

Put a smile on your face!

Watch Julie's beautiful smile as it develops through the years!

What a fox!

C'est mon Mama when she was in her early twentiesish.

Foxy lady, non?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!!

Canada Day is one of Lowell and I's favouritist celebrations!!!

We may be celebrating in different cities this year, but we will forever be bonded by our annual Canada Day shirties eh. Wahoooo.

Happy Birthday Canada!! Woooohooooooo!!
Eh.