Our Fall of Wedding Preparation

Our fall was a flurry of wedding preparations thrown in between our regular life schedules.  At least with Jas moved out, we had one less schedule to work around, but also one less person around to help with things!

 

This is a summary of the Love Story that was happening around us with Richelle and Logan.  From the day the ring was on her finger, we had 5 weeks and 6 days til the wedding day.  Our lives were completely full of wedding stuff, but it was a wonderful time!!!

 

 

In June I had the brilliant idea to start sewing chair covers.  Our happy couple weren't even a couple yet and had only gone on a date or two when I bought my first bolt of white fortrel polyester fabric.  I just thought that this could be a good summer project for the girls and I, just to sew chair covers whenever because we'd need them someday for all the future weddings.

I ended up sewing 118 over the summer.  It was funny as their courtship evolved and Richelle said to me one day, "Mom, maybe you weren't too premature in making those chair covers after all!" 

 

Then there was other sewing going on.  Chelle found her dress and the dressmaker was working on making it modest.  We found outfits for the bridesmaids and fabric for the flower girls and sister's skirts.

 

This is a game:  can you spot twenty differences between the two pictures?

Katia modelling her dress with two different sashes.  We ended up going with the black sash.



There were a ton of other projects on the go too, lots involving wood and paint.  This plastic was covering the carpet for a long time so we could do the mindless painting while watching movies and drinking milk.

Chelle painting centerpiece bases.

 

Our house really was a mess for quite a while - housework was not a priority!!!

The office was a mass of bits and pieces of various projects.

It was so nice to finish projects and scratch them off the list and store them away somewhere.  Eventually we could see the desk top again.

 

Mackenzie wanted to get in on some of the painting action . . .

One day I found the green paint job, and the next day I found the teal one!

 

There was even spray-painting shoes going on!  The garage was the spray-paint center.  We even spray-painted white flowers in the colour of teal we wanted because we couldn't find actual flowers in that colour.  Spray paint is awesome!  But stinky - so glad we could use the garage.

 

At this time we were especially grateful that Richelle didn't meet Logan last summer.  Could you imagine all this wedding preparation if we were still living in the workshop and finishing the house?

 

Total random picture!!!  But it was funny.  Whenever it's time for the blessing on our meal, Richie takes off his hat and tosses it like a frisbee - always aiming to have it land on the newel post of the banister.  Sometimes it even gets close!  This time he was just sitting in the living room and tossed his hat and whamoo - it landed in between the couch cushions like this.  We had to get a picture because I don't think that will ever happen again!

 

In the beginning of October the office turned into a flower shop.

Chelle making her bouquet.

She did hers, the bridesmaids' bouquets and Logan's boutonniere, and I did the rest.

I made all the flowers on top of all the centerpieces while watching the Saturday sessions of general conference on the computer.  Those aren't pictured here though.  After making all the necessary flower projects, I turned the rest of the flowers into arrangements to use for decorating the reception.

 

Since it was fall, of course it was volleyball season! 

Jordyn made the Junior Varsity team - she's the yellow 4, playing libero.

 

They had a really good season, winning the silver in their league.

Carlee played on the grade 9 team and was one of three setters.  Her team really improved this year and got second in Divisionals and in Zones.

Jenna also played at the grade 6 level.

 

There were other little details for the bride to take care of - like practicing hairdos.

 

 Since it was October, there were other things going on . . .

. . . like Carlee's 14th birthday.

She got a camera!!!

She requested a mock cheesecake for her birthday dessert.

 

Jasmine also had a birthday, but that was four days before the wedding and she wasn't living at home anymore.  I think we took her out for dinner or something - can't really remember.  Obviously it was a very special celebration for her 18th birthday!!!

 

The youth in our ward also took a bus trip . . .

. . . to the Temple Open House.

It's a gorgeous temple!!!  We went to tour the open house as a family on Thanksgiving Monday.  It was General Conference weekend.  We watched the Sunday morning session at home and the afternoon session while on the road to my sister Rebecca's house for Thanksgiving Dinner.  We went to the Open House on Monday morning and the line-ups weren't too bad.  We about froze to death though in the wind and rain but eventually got inside.  There was a beautiful spirit in the temple, even though there were parts of it that weren't completely finished yet.  Work crews would work all night and members would come in the morning and clean up before the Open House began.  I couldn't help but cry with joy in the beautiful Celestial Room.  The sealing room was wonderful for our girls to see because they were able to be in a room that was a lot like the room Chelle and Logan would soon be sealed in.  It was so fantastic to be able to take our girls into a Temple of the Lord.

 

Time was marching on and the wedding date was getting closer.

Logan was a most helpful groom when he wasn't working tons of extra-shifts or sleeping.  He's making wedding favors here, looking very thrilled about it!!!

As we completed things, we'd do little mock set-ups so we could see if we had everything we needed.

This is our practice guest book table and card basket.  They used a calendar as their guest book and had guest sign on their birthdays.

 

 

Finally it was the day before the wedding!  We had gone into the church the night before after all activities were finished, and vacuumed and set up the tables and chairs.  So once it was decorating day, all that grunt work was already done and we could focus on making it beautiful, being finished as early in the day as possible.

My friends Cindy and Sarah tied all the chair sashes.  Katia and Mackenzie were very good at distributing the chair covers (don't they look marvellous!) and sashes to all the chairs.

Richie and Richelle arranging the food tables.  And mounds of other things on the floor awaiting their various locations!  We got it all finished around 5:00pm.

 

Logan worked that last day but then showed up with his dad (in the red shirt) and they helped set up the last thing, the back-drop.

Then we went back to our house where my brother Andrew had arrived with his daughter Victoria.  Richelle and Logan opened the lovely quilt that Diana had made for them.

And they opened a laundry basket full of treasures from that couple sitting beside them on the couch - Kevin (Logan's brother) and Ashley (Kevin's fiance).

 

Then everyone left until it was just our family left for one last night together.  Jasmine had come home by now and we were all together again.  Daddy gave his big girl a blessing and we had some special time together, talking, laughing, reminiscing and crying.  Mackenzie was oblivious to it all and kept prancing around singing the same phrase of a song over and over, making us laugh.  (Too bad none of us can remember which song it was!).  She was just excited that tomorrow she was finally going to "mawwy Logan and Wichelle in the temple in her lellow pwitty dess".

 

Richelle left us with one last gift on her last night at home - she flooded our bathroom!  She didn't have the shower curtain right somehow and there was water everywhere.  We mopped it up and thought that was the end of that, but later in the night when we were sleeping, Carlee (who's room is under our bathroom) woke us up to tell us that water was dripping from her light fixture onto her floor.  So after mopping it up again, we got to sleep, again, only to dream of that special day tomorrow . . .

 

. . . when Richelle and Logan will take that big step and begin their eternal journey together! 



Going to the Temple

September 26, 2012 was a super special day as Chelle and Logan went to the temple together to receive their endowments.

 

What a thrill for us as parents to be in the temple with our daughter at this special time in her life.  I loved being able to escort my biggest girl around the temple.

 

Chelle with her me, her mom, and soon to be mother-in-law.

 

 

Grandparents shared this special day as well (the other grandpa was on a trip somewhere).

Chelle and Logan looking pretty happy!

 

Chelle with her parents and Logan with his mom and grandparents.

 Glowing!

And only 24 days til the wedding!

Engagement Time!!!

Our family is experiencing something completely new and wonderful!  It seems as though our Richelle has fallen in love with a wonderful young man by the name of Logan.  And he's fallen in love with her too!

And now they're getting married!!!

 

 

These are just a few of my favourite photos of them together.  Can't you just feel the love oozing out of them!

 

 

 

 

Richelle was living at home during their courtship and it's been so exciting to watch the evolution of their love.  It was like having my very own "chick flick" to watch!

They're so cute!

Logan has quickly wormed his way into our family - Mackenzie has loved him from the first time she met him!  It's a little weird to have another boy around the house, but with his cheerful disposition and helpful attitude, he's a nice kind of fellow to have around!  He's already taken on the role of pesky yet protective older brother to the six little sisters he'll be aquiring soon!

 Such a happy couple!

I love this photo of them!

(We tried to use it for an invitation but it turned out being a little too dark.)

 

 

On October 20, 2012 they'll be coming back here to the temple where they will begin their eternal journey together as they're married for time and all eternity.

 

It's such a busy and yet absolutely delightful time for our family!

 

 



Mackenzie Turns 3

Mackenzie's birthday was a pretty exciting day!!! 

 

She'd been waiting a long time for it, and so had a few other people!  Not only did she turn three, but big sister Richelle got engaged to Logan on the very same day!!!

 

We'd been home from church for a little while when we got a very happy phone call from Richelle - she was getting married!!!  The ring had finally arrived and Logan had proposed to her in their spot in the park.  It was fun to hear the details from Richelle, because Logan had already told me his plan, and I helped with a few things.  (But that is their story to tell).  Then they came home so we could celebrate with them, and then we all could celebrate with Mackenzie!

 

Enough about weddings . . . turning three is important too!!!



Does this not look like the most excited three-year-old ever?

Concentrating on the gift opening.

Out cutie-patootie!!!

Admiring the blue icing she requested with a circle of animals and ballerina's around the candles.  I think she was just so excited that it was finally her cake and her turn for a birthday.

Still working on that last candle.

 

Mackenzie, you are such a joy and blessing in our family.  We all love you and your cute little ways and attitudes and mannerisms so much.  Happy birthday Babe!!!



Jazzy Leaves Home

Labour Day arrived - that dreaded day for us, and long awaited day for her!  It was the beginning of September and Jasmine was leaving home and heading off to college to begin her nursing degree.  She was so organized - it was incredible.  She knew exactly what days she needed to take care of all the details (buy books, pay tuition, shots up-to-date, apartment walk-through, scrubs available to buy, first aid course, packing . . . etc.).

 

I snuck in to take a picture of her sleeping in her room at home for the last time.

 

She had her stuff all packed up except for last minute things.  She was up before anyone else that Monday morning and had all her boxes out of her room.  They were all stacked up in the family room waiting to be loaded.  So efficient!!!

 

So we all went off to the free town pancake breakfast, and then came home and loaded her up.  Everything fit in her car, and two trucks.  Then we began our half hour journey, leaving the youngest five girls at home to start rearranging their bedrooms!!! 

I think Jordyn was the saddest to see Jasmine leave because now she has a new role to fill as the big sister at home (even though technically, Richelle still lived at home).

 

 We made it safely to Jazzy's new home, although a big wind gust caused a chair in the truck I was driving to fall over, breaking a table, and requiring a mid-trip adjustment.

 

Jas striking her favourite pose and showing off her front yard . . .

And her new bedroom . . .

And her new kitchen!

Jas has two roommates - Shylah and Alisha.  They are sisters and are Jasmine's second cousins.  This is Jas and Shylah in the living room.

 

We had her all unloaded before noon.  Before we left Jas to get herself unpacked and settled in, we went to lunch at Boston Pizza.  We being the efficient moving team - Rich and I, Chelle and Logan, and Jazzy.

 

Leaving Jasmine at her new home wasn't as mentally difficult for me as it was when Richelle left home.  I think it was because I had already been through the "our family will never be the same again" routine.  I didn't cry on moving day - all my tears had been shed the night before when Rich gave her a Fathers' Blessing and we spent some family time together.  I'm excited for Jas and this exciting time in her life!  My tears were purely selfish - I was going to miss having her around.  She's always been such a kind and helpful person, full of fun stories about her day, a crazy giggle, and I especially liked how good she was at her kitchen zone job - tidying the kitchen at the end of the day (now I have to do it!).  I'll even miss her in that huge blue hoodie she likes to wear - with the hood up!

 

So we left her at her home.  Then Rich went to work, and Logan went to work, and Chelle and I went shopping.  A few hours later we were in Walmart and who did we see . . . why Jasmine!!!  We laughed and hugged and continued on our way!

 

When we arrived home, we found . . .  

. . . that Carlee was settling in nicely to Jasmine's old room!!!

 

Jas leaving meant that both Jordyn and Carlee would now have their own rooms.  Jordyn said, "Getting my own room is the only good thing about Jasmine leaving home."