Jacquie's Journal

Sam's Ring and Sunnie's Gloves

This is Sam's ring.  It is zirconium (no, I didn't know it was a metal you could make jewellery from either!!) with a silver inlay.
A close up of Sunnie's gloves, it's the Chinese Lace pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasure in Alpaca With A Twist Fino which is a Laceweight alpaca and silk yarn

Another Wonderful Day

Yesterday was Sunnie and Sam's Reception.  The day started with some ominous clouds building up over the mountains and there were showers.  During the reception it rained a lot but thankfully was not windy.  We stayed nice and dry in our pavilion and the table cloths all stayed on satisfactorily.  Lots of people came to celebrate with us and and we had a lovely afternoon.  We had a beautiful cake and there was no smooshing this time:
Today we have been absolutely shattered, but we went to see the happy couple open all their wonderful gifts - they have a LOT of Thank You notes to write!

I am hoping I will feel more like writing up a bit more about the wedding itself tomorrow when things have quietened down a little.

If you are one of my PIF Exchange partners, please bear with me - I promise I will be in touch soon!

We Had a Wonderful Day

And here are a few photos we took:

	A few good men - Sam with Trent, Travis, Edward, and Sean.

Today's The Day!!

I'll be back with pictures - very much later on - the wedding isn't until 7.30 this evening!

and by the way I got my Employment Authorization yesterday - so next week I will start serious job hunting -Woot!

Final Wedding Arrangement Frenzy

The final countdown to Sam and Sunnie's Wedding on Friday has begun.  Sunnie had her Batchelorette party in Park City on Friday and Sam had his Batchelor do on Saturday.  I did not attend either but can pass on that a good time was had by all at both events.

Gary's Mum and Sister are somewhere over the Atlantic at this very moment and are due to arrive here at 10.30 tonight.

Tomorrow night all the girls in the family will be throwing Sunnie a Bridal Shower.  I have never been to one before but it sounds like it will be a lot of fun.  I have completed Sunnie's bridal mittens - can't show you yet because the groom musn't see them.  I am not sure if Sunnie reads this so I can't even show you this other thing I have made just yet either as part of her gift for the shower.

Wednesday is the first night of Scouts for Edward - nothing whatsoever to do with the wedding but will be a fun evening round the camp fire.  Thursday we might get a bit of a rest, and then Friday is the day and Saturday is the reception so two very busy special days to look forward to :D

The Open House Reception

We had about 80 guests during the evening, and had a great time chatting with everyone and meeting Lucy's and Sean's co-workers and friends ans members of Sean's family we haven't met before.

We had the cake cutting ceremony at about 7.30. There were some very short speeches and a toast, before the cutting.  Once the cake was cut - it was not easy - there was cake smooshing.  We are not sure we approve of this American tradition.  Anyway, the carpet, and Lucy's dress and Stole survived the process relatively unscathed.

For those of you waiting for pictures of Lucy wearing her stole - there it is.  She wore it all evening and there were several compliments.  It was just the right width to cover her back but not the ribbon and it was long enough to stay on and drape over her arms nicely.

They received loads of beautifully wrapped gifts.  They all seemed to be in enormous boxes, and soon overflowed the smallish table we had put out for them.

We had a coat rack upstairs for all the coats, but it got a bit confusing when it was time to go home.  Husbands would ask for their wives coats - it's a long black one they would add, but there were about six to choose from.  Even when the husbands came up to look for themselves they weren't entirely sure which one it was.  I think everyone went home in the right one eventually, and there weren't any left after everyone was gone!

Today we woke up to more snow and it's been snowing all day.  We haven't been out of the house other than to clear the snow off the driveway.  We cleared everything up from last night, but haven't been able to move the furniture back in from the garage because it needs to go out and round the back of the house and in through the French doors - no fun in the snow. 

It's hard to believe that the wedding is all over now after all the preparation.  It will be strange not having Lucy here, but I am not at all worried about her and Sean.  They are both very sensible and capable of taking care of themselves and each other.  What I am not sure I have quite come to terms with is being a Mother-in-Law.  I hadn't really thought about that until someone pointed it out to me last night!

Now we have Christmas to think about and it's coming up fast.  We put up our big Christmas tree today and some more lights.  I haven't been much help to Santa with the Christmas stockings so far.  We have one less to fill this year, but Lucy was always the easiest to choose things for.  It seems there are a lot more interesting little items for girls than boys - make up, earrings, etc etc.  Better go and get on with a certain secret something, before it's too late!

What a Wonderful Day

It is very early Saturday morning and I think I can take a few minutes to write some words.  Yesterday was like one of those funnel thingies that charities sometimes use to collect coins.  The coin starts off spinning quite slowly around the edge and then as it gets to the bottom it spins faster and faster and faster until it drops into the box and it's gone!

The day started quite relaxed - we had done 90% of the preparations the day before, but there were still a few things to do.  The most important was Lucy and Sean had to go and get their marriage license.  Then the flowers arrived and Gary went to get the white chairs, while Lucy, Camille and I went to have our make up done at Dillards and to find Lucy a dress to wear at dinner. 

When we got back at about midday things started to move a little faster.   Erica , a friend, came to do the girls hair.  Gary took poor Charlie to the vets to board for a couple of days.  She would have loved to have been here but would have been way over excited.  He came back with some mistletoe to put in the centre of the arch.  We kind of knew some kissing there was likely - but we had to make sure!  We put up the final bits of greenery in the wedding room and arranged the chairs, and rearranged them a couple of times so everyone could see.  Lucy did a trial run in her dress.  She decided it looked too poofy with the big petticoat underneath, but it was slightly too long without it so we had to put a tuck in at the waist that hid very neatly under the ribbon there, and luckily it looked fine and did the trick. Then I had to iron three shirts for my boys (wrinkle free - not working for me), make sure the bathrooms were clean etc, etc.

Then suddenly it was three o'clock!  Edward came home from school and got showered and changed.  The groom and best man were due to arrive but didn't  - thank goodness for cell phones so we could keep tabs on them- we had sent them shopping for sheets to put on the table behind where the ceremony was taking place and couldn't complete the decorations until they got here and it was getting a bit close to the wire.  We all got changed just in time for when the judge arrived at 3.30 as promised.  He was absolutely great.  He gave each of us our instructions for what we had to do.

Then guests started arriving!  But still no groom or bestman.  They turned up eventually with table cloths as required and the table was duely decorated and very pretty it was too.

Then suddenly it was time to go.  We all sat in our places and Sam cued the music (When You Kiss Me by Shania Twain) and my eyes welled up.  We looked round and there they were - Lucy with Gary walking down the aisle.  Camille and young Thomas - Sean's nephew - the ring bearer followed.

The judge spoke for a while about what a good marriage should be and I agreed with everything he said.  He was funny and kind and wise. He led them through their vows and Sean got a bit overwhelmed at one point but recovered enough to have a little chuckle as he asked Lucy to accept him with all his faults as well as his strengths.

Then they exchanged rings and were pronounced Mr and Mrs Sean Green and there were kisses.  They walked back down tbe aisle and we went to greet them.  Then came the legal part with the signing of the certificate and then the judge left.

We then took all the photographs and I downloaded a couple for here. Then it was time for dinner.
We went to Carvers in Sandy - I had one of the most melt in the mouth steaks I have ever had, but the most special part of the evening was the speeches.  Except I had had a glass of wine by then so I can't remember all that was said exactly. Gary said some thank yous and went on to say what a lucky Dad he was to have a daughter who was a bit of a tomboy so they got to do lots of things together like skiing and skating and how much we liked Sean and how we were confident he would look after Lucy well.  Greg the best man said how good Lucy was for Sean and how much he had changed for the better since they got together.  Sean said how lucky he was to have Lucy, and Sean's Dad said much the same thing and how happy they were to welcome Lucy into their family.  I read out a message from Carolinne which was really lovely.  There were some very important people in our lives who in other circumstances - like not being 7000 miles away - would have been there too and we really missed them.  We toasted the happy couple with champagne and then we had more wine and lots of wonderful food.

Lucy's evening dress had sparkles on it and everywhere she went she left a sparkly trail - quite appropriate for a radiant bride.

We got home at 8.30 but we were very tired and I fell asleep watching Dr Who.

It was a totally magical day and today will be just as busy. 

It has just got light outside and I see we have had a couple of inches of snow overnight!

A Slideshow

Enjoy!

It Happened!

Here are just a few pictures to be getting on with.  It went really well.  The judge said some lovely words.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

I am just taking a moment to relax with a cup of tea after a very busy day!  It started when my friend Jane came round to help me clean and tidy and put up decorations.  I had no idea there was so much to do!!!

Then in the evening Lucy's friends came over to help decorate the wedding room itself.  It's very pretty but I am not giving anything away tonight.

I am so tired I am finding it hard to string two words together, but I thought you would all like to know that everything is going to plan.

Thanks everyone who has sent well wishes and congrats.  I have passed them all on to Lucy and Sean and they are greatly appreciated.

I promise to get some pictures up just as soon as I can!!  I hope I can sleep tonight.