blog...clog...???

So, I don't know what the heck is going on, but I can't seem to get my pictures to add to my blog posts. That is why I haven't been posting, I have short ones from Thanksgiving and Christmas. And now our wedding and vacation! This is getting VERY frustrating! So I guess I will put the posts that wont add pictures on to this post, and try again with wedding and vacation pics. I do have wedding and vacation pics added onto my facebook page if you are wanting to see them.






On a different note of "what is going on in our lives". Well, not a lot since we got back from the Bahamas. Just trying to settle back into work and home. I have caught up on cleaning and laundry.... but haven't put it away. And the Christmas lights are still on the house, but in Mike's defense it hasn't been warm enough for him to do it. The couple of warm days we had he wasn't home early .






So here are my blogs that I couldn't get pictures to load into, mainly because I am sick of having them just sitting there. (not that there is any riveting information in them)


Thanksgiving:
Yikes! No blogging since October 29...oops :) Well I guess nothing to eventful has happened here in the Welch house. I have been playing with the new camera we purchased after the wedding. I had been saving $5 target gift cards and we also used the gift cards we received as wedding gifts. We went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving and in the tradition my mom and I headed to Fargo for Black Friday shopping!!! Other then that nothing really went on in November, so here are a few pics I snapped during dinner prep.




Christmas:
HOHOHO! (ok I know I am really late) Christmas was wonderful, Mike and I spent Christmas eve with his family at his brother and sister-in-laws house. After dinner and gifts with them we headed down to my parent's house, when we got there everyone but my dad was in bed. We unloaded the car and headed to bed because of course the kids would all be up early. Christmas morning was as usual crazy! stockings, gifts and food. The day was wonderful. I didn't get many pictures because of course I didn't bring my battery charger for my camera and it died before we went through our stockings..... :/ But here are the few my dad and I took.

works in progress

  Well nothing BIG has been going on here. But I have been working on organization problems around the house. The bedroom off the garage has been a catch all since we moved in, first boxes, then wedding stuff. Now old stuff I am selling on bisman & FB rummage sales, the DVDs that are waiting for their home to be built and stuff of my parent's that I need to get back to them. I am working on getting that room cleaned and organized.
   The kitchen is an ongoing organization project, especially since we got a new stove! The cooking capacity is huge, but the drawer under it is tiny.
    I got all my scrapbook supplies brought in to the house from the garage and organized into a cabinet! hopefully with this done I will be able to work on scrapbooking since I haven't finished the one for 2012, and haven't started one for 2013..... hmmm I better get going before more projects start piling up.
   Our freezers also got an over haul. After last weeks trip to Sam's and Mike coming in from the garage saying the deep freeze was full, and me not really knowing what was in there. Mike's family also just butchered a cow so we needed room for beef. I decided that's it, and pulled everything out. I found a few freezer burned things, lots of green beans and a lot of things I forgot about.
   I know exciting right....holy poop... I am an adult haha being excited about organizing and a new stove. Blogger isn't letting me put pictures in so I can't add my stove or organizing mania. I also have a turkey day and Christmas blog waiting to publish when my pics will load.
***Happy Sunday***

vacation countdown

As some of you know we are heading to the Bahamas for vacation/ our honeymoon!!! 26 days and counting. It should be wonderful, but I don't know how anything can top the Dominican last year. If you don't remember reference the blogs:
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/dominican-republic-vacation.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/playing-catch-up.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-1-beach-time.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-2-zip-line.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-3-nap-time.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-4-shopping-tattoos.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-5-crazy-driver-and-more.html
http://smwelch.blogspot.com/2013/01/vacation-day-6-going-home.html
....ahhh memory lane. I had planned on making a photo book from that vacation, well I am working on it and sadly haven't finished it. The whole home buying and getting married thing got in the way. I only have about 150 pictures left to place, out of almost 4,000 isn't to bad.
  Finishing our Dominican book isn't the only thing I have to get done before we leave, we have to get the house ready to leave for a week. Mike's family will be checking on the cats but I hate leaving a messy house and coming back to one is even worse. We also have to go through our summer clothes and make sure we have a weeks worth that fit to pack (haha wish us luck, especially Mike since he hasn't had the shorts on in over a year). Buy the travel items we will need. Purchase some underwater cameras. I got two for last year and wished I would have had at least one more. They were just disposable but the pictures were great. Decide on what suitcases to take, last year 2 got broken, wash and pack everything.
  I am excited to have a new camera to take with. And plan on blogging a little while we are there. I liked the daily review and picture I posted when we got home last year and will do it again....for anyone who cares lol

Wedding update!

Well there isn't much to tell, we got married! *HAHA* In my eyes it was perfect, even 2 weeks later I wouldn't change a thing. (yes some of you know of little things that were annoying or not just right, but oh well why dwell on those)

I didn't take any pictures that day (yes people asked me that and were surprised that I didn't take any) but our wonderful photographer Quinn, and her assistant for the day Jadea captured it all and we can't wait to see them. (Quinn and Jadea work at Glasser Images many asked and Yes that is where Mike and I have gotten all pictures done)

We are also lucky enough to have friends that like to take pictures with their phone and they are on my facebook page and on instagram with the hashtag #mswelch wedding. We also had disposable cameras on the tables but with everything going on <see previous blog> I haven't had time to take them in to get developed.

But I thought the decorations and flowers turned out great! *Thanks Mom & Dad For your help* And Thank you to everyone that helped set up, keep order and take down!!!

 

 *photo credit Quinn

 ok so I took one picture that morning, My, and Jen's flowers in my boots, that I didn't wear except for 1 picture. Everyone who knows me I am a flip flop girl all the way! And rocked them from pictures through the last dance!!

This is the groom's cake I got for rehearsal dinner. Mike seen it and many other "the hunt is over" things while looking over my pinteresting shoulder and thought we should include them... this was my compromise :)  This cake and our wedding cake came from Sweet Beginnings in Mandan.

Sunday we all went to Papa's Pumpkin patch for our yearly visit. It was our "honeymoon at the patch" It was nice to spend time with both sides of our families, and see our patch family that couldn't make it to the wedding.

2 weeks down

   Yes it is hard to believe we have been married for two weeks. I would love to say they have been blissful but that would be a lie... The marriage part, yes couldn't have been better, life on the other hand has been not so wonderful.

    Before the wedding my grandparents had been struggling with different health issues, not uncommon for people in their 80's.  My aunt on my mom's side was also having health issues. My aunt is doing much better and so is my grandpa, my grandmother however passed away October 20th. She was a wonderful story teller with an infectious smile, she will be missed by many.

   I had purchased tickets to fly to Great Falls the weekend after our wedding for my cousin's wedding, She had postponed it a few weeks prior to ours because of my aunt (her grandmother's) health. I couldn't change my tickets so went for a family visit. It was wonderful seeing all of my family on my mom's side. I got the news about my grandma early Sunday morning.

    Her funeral was that Wednesday in Billings. My parents had been there since the previous week, making arrangements and being with my grandpa. Her service was beautiful. There was a lot of family there *we really appreciate you all being there and the condolences sent by those who couldn't make it. It was a simple service with reflections and stories shared by those who wanted to. 

Wedding week!

The time is finally upon us! Mike got a lot of wedding prep experience.... he was a trooper but I am sure he would have rather me done it. He did get a new appreciation for all the projects I drug home from my parents' house (who again I can't thank enough for their help!) Yes I know in my last post I said we were ready... but of course I thought of a few more projects. But the main task was organizing! I can proudly say all wedding stuff is in bins and out of the thousands of hobby lobby bags.

My new keychain! Purchased from KLG designs.

Mike hard at work alternating napkins while I finished wrapping utensils.

 I got my ring back with one week to go!

The new phone case I made myself!

 My parents' livingroom/ start of a project

The previous four pictures (yes super close up and blurry) are a sneak peak at our unity sand stuff

This wedding decoration will sit by our front door after, so everyone knows there are some "NEW" Welchs in town! lol it is hard to see, but it says new and est 2013 The brown showed up since it was solid but I wanted to mix it up so I used scrapbook paper with acorns.

 

4 days to go!

39 days and we are ready.... well almost

   WEll it was a very productive 3 day labor day weekend! With the much appreciated help and hard work of my parents we got centerpieces, "treat" jars, flowers, decorations, sings and "extras" all done. I have a few little things left that we added to the to do list but nothing major.
    I am looking forward to all the stuff I have ordered online to show up, like more personalized napkins, wedding party gifts and personalized can koozies. My garter came while I was gone over the weekend and I LOVE it!!
   We are looking forward to our meeting tonight with Glasser Images. I can't wait to plan our wedding photos with them. They do such wonderful work, I am excited to see the finished product.They have taken all of our pictures for the few years and couldn't imagine having anyone else capture our special day. Our goal is to also get invites out this week!
  I can say with certainty that we are 97% done with everything we had to do and can control (non food things). Not much longer and the big day will be here!!! As in other wedding blogs I have posted we decided not to reveal any décor and such all the way so here are some sneak peaks :)

My garter ~another Etsy purchase~

 I had ordered cake cutting gear....but didn't love it. We picked it because it was the best looking in the "inexpensive" group. *haha* Since we aren't having a large cake it is more for the tradition of having cake cutting gear. I then seen stuff on Etsy that the handles were wrapped in twine. They fit what we are doing soooo well.... but we already had stuff so I gave them a makeover! :)

 A sign :)

 The disaster of a kitchen table we had going on with centerpiece....

 Dress hanger!!!! (sorry it is sideways)