january moments

so far 2012 has not disappointed me although i still will say i am not a fan because it ends with an even number. the year of 2011 was spectacular, full of excitement, strength, independence, and most importantly understanding true love. it will always remain in the top 5 best years of my life.

this is january, 2012.

twice the family fun

this year we celebrated Christmas two times, first with the Morrow family and then with the Burkart family. It was great how it worked out that we could spend time with our immediate families. here's what happened...

------> ST. LOUIS: MORROW CHRISTMAS <------

------> WINSTON-SALEM: BURKART CHRISTMAS <------

merry christmas

our first married christmas! hope you all have a very happy holiday.

2011 favorites mix

10 of my favorite songs from the year...2011 favorites mix on 8tracks.com

last day for FREE SHIPPING

today is the last day to get free shipping at THE HOOTIN' OWL. order a print for the blank wall in someone's home; or lovely cards for the ones that still love snail mail; or a friendship bracelet for your bestie (can be custom made). happy shopping!

snow white

i woke up this morning to our first snow fall of winter 2011-2012. funny, last night i was saying how i couldn't wait for the first snow fall...and voila! now if only the temperature were a bit warmer. time to bundle.

wedding reception

i know, i know, another wedding post but i promise this to be the last. i just want to say thank you to everyone who helped make my dream day come true. thank you for spending your friday before the big day sweating away in the pavilion, gluing moss onto wood slabs, hanging lights, ironing burlap, filling bottles with water, and decorating. also special thanks to those who baked the delicious treats for the sweet table! love you all.

tis' the season

to save on shipping! use the code FREESHIP11 at the hootin' owl and get free shipping on any order. photo cards, holiday cards, friendship bracelets, and prints! happy holiday shopping.

happy thanksgiving

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. it is a time to gather with your family members and feast on stuffing and pumpkin pie. i'm looking forward to new memories this year with the szewczyk clan. love you all!

and to all of you out there traveling - be safe and god speed.

the ceremony

when we pulled up to the ceremony location and i saw the amount of people sitting, waiting for me i burst into tears. finally it hit me that i was getting married and all these people took time out of their busy lives to travel to an obscure small town to see aaron and i marry. it was so overwhelming. as my father walked me through the field to the aisle i laughed and cried and laughed and cried. i just couldn't compose myself. the ceremony was perfect. special thanks to my uncle for officiating the ceremony. he came into the weekend feeling rough due to a pinched nerve in his back and we were hesitant about whether he would be able to stand or have to sit during the ceremony. however an hour before the ceremony he felt no pain, a blessing from his mother, my grandmother, who was with us in spirit. florence, the flower girl and my uncle's daughter, lightened up the seriousness of the ceremony by coming over to me and playing with my dress. she kept telling me "my dress is like your dress." too adorable.

philly

one of the perks of not having a full time job is being able to travel more often. i spent last week in Philadelphia to be my mother's companion while my father and sister attended 'kidney week' (ASN meeting, 10,000 people deep). during the day my mother and i were tourists; we visited the art museum, took the subway, wandered the halls of the state penitentiary, and went shopping on walnut street (like michigan avenue). our hotel, le meridian - very modern chic - was right by city hall where occupy philly had set up camp. it was interesting to see their mini community, full of camping & homemade tents, information booths, a warming station, many posters and port-a-johns. thanks family for a wonderful time!

p.s. - i was lucky enough to even watch doco (brother's band) and the kidney stones (father's band) rock out!

the bridal party

we opted for a small bridal party, and what a good looking group! the stylist? me of course.

dave (big cruse), the best man has been aaron's best friend since high school. he was so honored to have such a big role in the wedding and did a wonderful job on his speech despite his nervousness.
madelyn, my sister, was my maid of honor. she comforted me, laughed with me, never fought with me even during my bridezilla moments, and helped with all the last minute crafting. the best maid of honor a bride could ask for.
david, my brother, was our only groomsman. he kept everyone calm even during the wild moments. im so happy to have him as a brother. his combined speech with my sister brought me to tears.
jack, my cousin, at first was a bit hesitant to be the ring bearer but after some talks he got excited. i must say he was extremely handsome in his little outfit. right before it was time to start the wedding processional he asked me for his pillow. i freaked out for i had no idea where it was and instead gave him a little hemp bag to carry. he seemed a bit disappointed but never the less got stayed focused.
florence, my cousin and loving god child, was our flower girl. i knew the instant she was born i would have her in my wedding. we were a bit unsure about her performance because she can be a stubborn or fiery girl but she did fantastic and looked cuter than ever. she also fell in love with jack and told me later that she will marry him.

reliving our wedding

a while ago i got an email from our wedding photographers - wedding photos are online! i squealed with excitement and immediately went to the link. the next 4 hours were spent going through every single photograph crying, laughing, and reliving our wedding day. wow...breathtaking, stunning, fabulous. our photographers, anna and nels akerlund did an amazing job capturing every little moment of our big day. i have pulled some of my favorites and over the next couple posts i will be sharing those along with little stories.

aaron and i saw each other before the ceremony, our 'first look', and had a blast wandering around the grounds of the farm with our photographers, anna and nels. since we didn't mind doing what it took to get that perfect shot - the photographer in me - we sweated in an old barn, laid in a deer bed, walked (tried) through tall grasses and fought off mosquitoes. multiple times anna had to pick off little crickets that decided to hop onto my dress. as we posed for shots we whispered sweet nothings to each other; absolute true love.