Thursday, September 30, 2004

 
This is pretty much the same post that I posted on my knitting blog. I didn't have time to write two separate entries for two different blogs. Oh, the trouble of keeping up two blogs. It usually works so fabulously unless I want to write the same things on both blogs, then it gets complicated.

The wedding was fabulous, the honeymoon was wonderful and now it's back to real life as a married couple. So you're probably wondering, did I or didn't I change my name. Well, about four days before the wedding. I figured out what I wanted to do. I kept telling everyone that I hadn't made a decision, but I didn't want to tell anyone before I told Bryan. And I didn't tell Bryan until after the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding. I really enjoyed keeping everyone in suspense - would I change it completely or would I hyphenate it? I read on indiebride.com that one woman just made her maiden name a second middle name. I thought that was a grand idea, so I could keep my middle name Caitlin that I love and still hold onto Lee, my maiden name. So I decided to instead of hypenating it and making it complicated for everyone trying to figure out what my last name was and constantly getting incorrect mail, I would just have four names. So now I'm officially Erica Caitlin Lee Voell. :)

It still feels weird to call Bryan, my husband. I know it will feel weird for a while, but I've had a few people correct me when I've said "my fiance." They've said, "Don't you mean, your husband?" It just seems really funny to be calling him my husband after being my fiance for 19 months and 4 days. (So I'm being a bit technical here, but hey I'm allowed to do that, it's my blog!) The first time we had to acknowledge to people we don't know that we're married was when we were getting our rental car in Nova Scotia, on our honeymoon. Bryan asked if we needed to pay to add me as a driver and the woman asked, "Is she your wife?" Bryan hesitated for a second and then said, "Yes." I think we were both a bit taken a back for a second there. We had been married two days and we weren't used to the whole wife and husband thing yet. The first time Bryan introduced me as "This is my wife Erica" was at the Lunenburg Inn when he was introducing me to one of the innkeepers.

Thank you to all of you who wrote me very nice notes! :)

I still can't concentrate today at work. The photographer at the wedding gave my mom all of the rolls of film that she took because the photog was going to a conference and didn't want to have to worry about our photos. So my mom got them last week and FedEx'd them to me and they've already arrived at my house. I can't wait to see them!! So I'm having trouble concentrating because I really want to see the photos! Darn meeting kept me from going home for lunch. :(

In addition to the photos and just being back from my honeymoon, I have to take George to the vet today. Warning: There are kitty bad habit references ahead, if you have a weak stomach or just don't care to hear about my naughty cat's new bad bathroom habit, please skip the rest of this paragraph. He's been a very naughty little cat since we left for the honeymoon. The day after the wedding, we came home for just one night so that we could catch our early flight from Chicago to Nova Scotia, we didn't want to fly out of Kansas City the day after the wedding at 6:30am. George adopted an old bathmat we were going to throw away about a year ago and he's slept on it almost every night since adopting it last fall. The night we were home, George left a surprise on his mat in the hallway. So we cleaned it up and left for the airport thinking George would be the good kitty he always is when we leave for several days. When we came home, the pet sitters left a note saying that the kitties had been very needy. Based on Chloe's current condition, I know that George was the very needy one! Not only did he manage to completely soil his mat, but he also used the bathmat in the bathroom and the plastic bag that the pet sitters put over the spot where George's mat used to be. The mats were so bad that we ended up throwing them out. George has been very angry at us for throwing his mat out. He was yowling last night after we went to bed and I thought, maybe if I put a towel down for him he'll sleep there and forget about his mat. But NO! He managed to make a mess of the towel this morning. I am at my wits end with him. I'm so lost on how to handle this kitty. He's a very demanding cat to begin with. He demands attention and expects to be fed on his schedule by Bryan. If I feed him, he's not happy, Bryan must feed him. So there is trouble in the Voell household with the Georgey-cat. I hope the vet can help me solve this behavioral problem with him, we've used up so many paper towels!

So I must get something done today. Thank goodness for a meeting at 2pm and then I have to leave at 2:45pm. :) Unfortunately, I just found out Bryan has to work until 6pm, so I have to wait until 6pm to see the wedding photos! Oh, the excitement is going to make me crazy!

posted by erica Thursday, September 30, 2004 []

  Tuesday, September 14, 2004

 
I'm leaving tomorrow on a jet plane for Kansas City. One more day of work for both Bryan and I. He's really busy at work trying to get everything done before he leaves. The list of things to do is quite short!

I don't know how many times I've answered the questions, "Are you nervous?" or "Are you getting excited?" The answers are "No" and "Yes" respectively. I'm not nervous, if I was I wouldn't be getting married. I am nervous about everyone getting there and about crying through my vows. :) I am very excited! Why wouldn't I be excited - I'm getting married! The one question that really bugs me is "Are you getting cold feet?" NO! If I was getting cold feet, I shouldn't be getting married. I was asked if I was getting scared. It seemed like such a ridiculous question to ask, it goes along with the cold feet question. Anyone who is scared or gets cold feet, should call off the wedding. I don't mean call it off the day of the wedding or not show up at the altar. So to answer all of your questions - I'm very excited and I can't wait. I just want the day to last for about three days! I know the whole day will be wonderful! And to top it all off, it's going to be 86 degrees F (30 degrees C) and sunny! It's a bit warmer than I would like, I'm not going to complain about a nice sunny day for my wedding! :)

So Bryan and I leave tomorrow night for Kansas City where we will be for two nights. Then we'll go to Lawrence on Friday. We need to pick up our marriage license and the guys need to pick up their tuxedos. Then the rehearsal is Friday evening and the rehearsal dinner is after the rehearsal. I think the rehearsal dinner is going to be so much fun. I can't to give all of our attendants their gifts. Okay, so it won't be quite as exciting as Oprah's car giveaway, I know they will all like their gifts. :)

Then Saturday is the big day!! The women attendants and I will beautified at Headmaster's, a really great salon in Lawrence and then it's back to the hotel to get dressed. From there the day will fly by with photos, the ceremony and the reception.

We leave for our honeymoon on Monday morning. We're going to Nova Scotia! I'll post the websites for the inns that we're staying in, later. They all look so great! I can't wait for the honeymoon. The weather is rainy this week, so who knows what it will be like next week. It completely blows my mind that this time next week, I will be a married woman and on my honeymoon.

After the honeymoon, it's really going to be crazy with the papermaking and knitting classes I'm teaching! :) It will be fun though.

If I don't post before I leave. I hope everyone has a good two weeks! :)
posted by erica Tuesday, September 14, 2004 []

  Monday, September 13, 2004

 
Everything seems so surreal right now. Yesterday at Unitarian services, we shared our joy of getting married this coming Saturday. After services people were congratulating us and asking us where the wedding is. I was smiling so much that my cheeks really started to hurt. I should get used to it, I'm sure my face will be frozen in a smile on Saturday! :) Then yesterday we went to see Garden State again. I was trying not to cry at the end, but I couldn't help it. In the car, I just burst into happy tears - it's starting to sink in, I'm getting married on Saturday. It doesn't feel real, it's one of those things that has always happened to other people. It's really hard to describe to people that haven't been married before.

I had my hair cut one last time before the wedding and they asked me if I was getting nervous or excited. I'm so excited, I can't explain it to anyone without sounding like I'm completely losing my mind! :) And am I nervous? No, it's more nervous about just getting through the week and making it to that day in one piece. I'm more nervous about getting everything done than I am about the getting married part. :)

Saturday, Meredith my sister and I put together the ceremony programs. They turned out so nice. I will have to get a copy of our invitation, program and menu up on my website. I haven't been very good at keeping up on putting photos up on my site. I think it's not wanting to be in front of the computer after work, when I'm in front of hte computer all day at work. Hopefully, after the wedding, I'll get some of wedding photos up. For those of you that have heard about our engagement photos but haven't seen them, here's just a quick page that I threw together with the best photos on it.

Well, I probably will write one more time before I leave for Kansas on Wednesday. :)
posted by erica Monday, September 13, 2004 []

  Friday, September 10, 2004

 
So things are coming together nicely. The wedding is one week and one day away. I still haven't decided what my last name will be. I will probably decide the night of the rehearsal. I had a bit of a discussion with myself about it on my knitting blog. I didn't think it would be a decision that I would be so back and forth about. One day I think my new last name should be Lee-Voell and then the next day or even next minute, I think it should just be Voell.

I haven't been up to much except doing stuff to get ready for the wedding. I've been addressing wedding announcements, figuring out schedules for the attendants, last night I made several cards to go with the schedules. Bryan has been busy writing thank you notes for the gifts we've already received. My mom and I have been back and forth on the phone discussing the ceremony programs, the seating chart and the reception menu. It's amazing how much time the things you think would be so easy to do take.

Labor Day weekend, Bryan and I were in Kansas City. On Friday morning, we met with the minister to tell him what we'd picked out for vows and to talk about the ceremony. After our meeting, we went and applied for marriage license, we'll pick it up next week. There is a 3-day waiting period in Kansas, they don't want any shotgun weddings! Then I had my trial-run with my hair, veil and makeup. It looked great, if I do say so myself. After that, I had studio portraits taken in my dress. I felt like I was playing in dress-up in my dress. It still hasn't hit me that I'm getting married in a week! :) I've been a bit obsessed in the last month or so with the plans because I'm trying to plan from 500 miles away, but it will all be worth it. I think it's only natural. :) Also last weekend, Mom and I figured out the seating chart. We met with the hotel social director and figured out what she needs from us regarding the reception.

I'm so looking forward to our honeymoon to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I think it will gorgeous there at this time of year! We'll be ready for a bit of a vacation. We haven't taken a vacation together, so this will be really great!

After the honeymoon, there is no resting for us! :) I start teaching papermaking and knitting classes three nights a week, starting the Thursday after we get back. I can't believe it, two of my knitting classes are already full. One of them doesn't even start until the last week of October. I'm really excited!

Currently reading: The Perfect Age: A Novel by Heather Skyler
and Why People Don't Heal and How They Can by Caroline Myss

posted by erica Friday, September 10, 2004 []

  Wednesday, September 08, 2004

 
I feel like I've been very difficult to be around lately. I feel bad for Bryan because I feel like I'm snipping at him a lot and unfortunately, he's not the only one that I've snipped at. I think the word "Bridezilla" is a horrible way to describe a bride and I don't think I'm that bad. I think the amount of stuff that needs to get done is starting to weigh on me. I haven't slept well for the last several nights, I've had headaches for the last several days, my neck is stiff, my back is sore and I feel like I can't put two sentences together. I'm sure it's very normal to be feeling like this, but I feel like I should be more excited about everything. It's really a weird feeling. So I'm apologizing to all of my friends and family that I've been difficult to be around.
posted by erica Wednesday, September 08, 2004 []