Bridal Shower from Auntie Sue

Saturday, January 23rd my Auntie Sue graciously hosted a bridal shower for me in Seattle so that family (and distant friends!) could be included in a wedding festivity. I was very touched at all the time and effort that people took to make this day a special one for me. I was also blown away at the generosity of people. I truly am blessed with great family and great friends!

Here's my Auntie Sue who did such a fabulous job on the bridal shower. From the fun games to the yummy tasting food her work and efforts were greatly appreciated!

A group shot of all the ladies that came. Since it's my blog I'm going to name them! Starting with the lady with her back to us and going clockwise there's Aunt Jeanne, Grandma Junkin, Aunt Barbara, Cousin Carrie, Bestamor (Grandma on Dad's side), Aunt Caroline, Krista (friend), Stephanie (friend), Mom, Kaylene (Mom's friend), Aunt Barbara, Me, Aunt Frances (hiding behind me), Katie (my sister), cousin Kristen (hiding behind Shirley), cousin Shirley, cousin Jennifer, and Auntie Sue. Hiding are cousin Mindy and cousin Diana. My family is huge! :-)

Auntie Sue thought up a great game. Groups were created and they each had the task to create a bridal veil for me to wear at the Rehearsal Dinner. I have to admit that these were the darn silliest things I'd ever seen. :-) The winner, as chosen by Auntie Sue, Cousin Barb, and Cousin Jennifer was Group Kristen (second from left in grey sweater). (I didn't want to play favorites so I didn't vote!) I'll admit I wasn't too surprised with the winning group. My mom was a part of that group and she is one of the most creative people I've ever known.

Holding my very pretty cake.

An up-close view of my very pretty cake.

It says Best Wishes Teresa andNate March 6, 2010

My sorority sisters Stepanie and Krista. I really appreciate the fact that while time and distance separates us we're still there for each other in the good and bad times.

Thanks again Auntie Sue for a great bridal shower. It's definitely one for the scrapbook!

Engaged Encounter

This past weekend Nate and I headed down to Eagle Creek, OR to attend a Catholic Engaged Encounter. According to the website an engaged encounter is "an in-depth pre-marriage preparation experience within the context of Catholic faith and values." Basically it was a weekend intended for Nate and I to talk to each other about items relating to marriage. Not just the day event but a life-time commitment. The format was basically listen to a married couple and a priest give a talk about a particular subject, spend 20 or so minutes writing by ourselves regarding questions surrounding that subject, then getting together for another 20 or so minutes with our intendeds and talk about what we'd written.

It was actually really nice. I mean, quite a few of the questions regarding each topic were ones that Nate and I had definitely talked about already (how many kids do you want, will someone stay home with the kids, how will you handle finances, what importance will God and church have in your life, etc) but other questions were ones that we discovered we either hadn't fully talked about or they gave us an opportunity to expand upon in an environment that fostered talk. When you're secluded for a weekend with almost every waking moment focusing on your relationship it's hard not to use the opportunity given and truly make the most of the questions and conversations.

I think one of the best moments at this retreat was when Nate and I went for a walk in the woods during a break. It was one of those perfect moments. It was raining slightly, no one else was on the trail, and the sights were just gorgeous. We probably walked for an hour and a half just meandering on the trail around the campground talking and laughing. This moment was so needed in the recent hustle and bustle of life. It really brought home what's important in life and why we're making the commitment that we're making to each other.

I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone thinking of getting married. It's not just for Catholics (in fact probably half of our group wasn't Catholic) but does make God a center of conversation (as it should be). I really feel that Nate's and my relationship is stronger for having attended this weekend.

The view from our walk. Moss and green were everywhere!

I told you it was raining! I'm standing on a very rickity walkway in the middle of the river.

Nate wanted to see how cold the river was. Yep, still cold.

Enjoying our moment alone.

Handy Men

Handy men are so, well, handy. :-) My washing machine went on the fritz tonight; the night I have lots of laundry to do as it's the night before Nate and I leave out of town for our Engaged Encounter. Prior to Nate I would have had to call my Dad out of his bed and come down to fix the washing machine, or I would have had to run to the apartment's laundry room (note the freaking out due to the dark and scary room) to finish up my loads. With Nate around, it's a quick phone call with a plea for help and I have a very handy man in my apartment fixing the problem while I play on the computer. Granted I help out occasionally by running to get towels or bowls or whatnot, but it's so nice to know that whatever problem may arise I have a handy man around to fix it. I recommend that every woman have one!