Wedding Photos!

I finally have photos to share with you!!
Photos of the best day of my life! (so far! :P)
We have a portfolio of 700 photos plus about 4000 raw images taken by our official photographers plus some talented friends and family. I am finally going to share with you a few of Mike and my favourites because as I'm sure you'll agree I can't put them all on here.

So here you go... enjoy!

The last 50 days...

Well - hello there!
It has been 50 days since my last blog post - terrible I know!
However... In the last 50 days I have -

• Finished organising a wedding
• Moved house
• Got MARRIED
• Been on honeymoon
• Officially become self-employed (musician/singing teacher)
• Started a nannying job
• Purchased and put up lots of flat pack furniture
• Turned an empty flat into a home
• Settled into married life

So apologies for the lack of blogging but I've been rather busy as you can see :)

All in all the last 50 days have been Life-Changing, the end of lots of things and beginning of many more. I have lots of photos to share with you starting right back with my Hen Do in May and then covering the Wedding, the Honeymoon and the Flat! Can't wait to share it all with you, though we've got a couple more weeks to wait before we get the official wedding photos so here is just a sneak peak to start with :)

On the 25th June 2011, Mike and I had the most perfect day ever! Definitely the best wedding I've ever been too! Though I may be slightly biased of course :P
The day was absolutely filled to the brim with joy and laughter, friendship and family - exactly how we wanted. The wedding service was amazing with a church packed full of people praising God, fantastic music, brilliant words and prayers from our friends and pastors. At the reception, the food was yummy, the atmosphere buzzing, the music once again fantastic and the dancing thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you so much to all of you that came to our big day, those of you who helped out in various ways. All your encouragement, support, words of wisdom, prayers and gifts were a huge blessing to us! For those of you who couldn't make it, we missed you and really hope to see you soon!

I will do a bigger blog post about this soon but to some things up so far...
I LOVE being married to Mike, living with my best friend and seeing him every day is BRILLIANT! It's no cliche or lie that your wedding day is one of, if not the best day of your life. Ours certainly was! This is the best decision I've ever made, I will never take it back, this is where we're supposed to be. It's going to be an adventure, sometimes a big challenge but always a joy and I will throw all I can give into this. With God in the centre - this will be AMAZING! :D

Mike - my husband! :D I love you, always!

Something I Made Earlier.....

I've really been enjoying the whole graphic design thing lately, what with wedding invitations, websites etc etc it's a good thing really :)

Here's something I've been making over the last week or so - an Anniversary pressie for Mike - will get it printed in some form or another at some point for our new flat hopefully :)

Hope you like...

365 Days Ago.....

368 days ago....
.... Two months worth of 'getting to know you' conversation, connection finding, a couple of sort of official dates. An amazing day trip together, ending with us finally talking about 'US' and realising that decisions needed to be made.
366 days ago....
.... Was the end of a weekend of decision making for both of us. I had made my decision and had a peace and joy about that decision like I'd never before felt.
365 days ago....
.... We had that conversation. The one where I told Mike that I wasn't going travelling for a year anymore, and he told me that he wanted to be with me even if I was! :)

The year that followed has been amazing, eye-opening, laughter filled, emotional, full of joy, love and honesty. We survived 60 days apart whilst I went travelling and have pretty much seen each other the vast majority of the 305 remaining days!
In just under 3 months time, I get to marry my best friend and have tons more years filled with the same. It's going to be an interesting journey I know and it won't be easy but I have no doubt we can do it. I can't wait now!

God is GOOD, his timing is quite often surprising but always perfect! His LOVE will never fail!

Looking forward to the next 25,550 (or a few more or less) days!

Mike, I Love You - Always.

Things to be thankful for...

Have come home from work early feeling ill, hormonal, in pain,very tired, and needlessly quite low.
A thankful list is definitely what is needed right now, It has been waaaayyyy too long!

Things to be thankful for...

• Mike asking me to MARRY HIM...... and for me saying YES! (full story to follow on the blog eventually)
• Having a God who hears prayers and answers.
• Learning to spend time seeking God on my own and with Mike - very precious times!
• Emotion - strange I know, but after years of not being very good at expressing any and keeping it bottled, I am very glad and thankful for feeling them all and being more capable of deciphering them. Especially thankful for being able to cry and that being ok :D
• Coming home to a bedroom that is toasty warm and very conducive to relaxing and feeling a bit better.
• Bryan - the homeless 'Big Issue' seller from outside my shop. He greets me with a smile several times a day, keeps us all very entertained with his utterly brilliant sales pitch (He's top of the Bath Big Issue selling league - yes there is such a thing lol!). For his positivity, his work ethic, his honesty, his friendliness, his hope, that is teaching me humility and to see God working in unlikely circumstances and very brief conversations.
• The ever changing sky, the fact that sunset happens every day and I very often get to see it and get my breath taken away!
• A new work playlist consisting of songs that I actually like and want to sing along to!
• A never ending supply of hugs :)
• Cafe Nero, Mochas with cream, and nice Cafe Nero employees who give me extra stamps on my loyalty card so I get a free drink more often!
• A new Brooke Fraser album - Big Whoop!!! Check out this beauty...

• Only approx 6 weeks left in this 'oh so wonderful' Job!! :D
• Only approx 7 weeks left till my travelling adventure!!
• Planning genius creative plans (Can't say anymore right now as I'm planning surprises for a certain amazing person but these may find their way to the blog sometime in the future :P )
• For being able to buy wedding magazines and web-surf to my hearts content and not feel like I'm being naughty and jumping the gun. It's allowed cause I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!! :D
• Finding a new beautiful song that  inspires me and is re-teaching me to worship God...

• Cooking a yummy toad-in-the-hole from scratch that actually rose and tasted lovely!
• Sharing with friends what we were thankful to God for and massacring a toffee cake with a load of multi coloured candles and melted wax in the process - indoor fireworks!
• All my lovely friends and family who got excited with us about our engagement and sent lovely cards and messages of love ,support and prayer and very exciting homemade presents - yes especially you Leah and Sarah with your hilarious edited and personalised wedding magazines - you will be brilliant and beautiful bridesmaids! :)
• Wedding planning getting off to a relatively easy start! (lots more of this to share with you in future posts!)
• Having hair long enough to curl over my shoulder in a pony tail.
• It getting cold enough for me to break out my rather large collection of beautiful scarves :)
• Having somewhere to live until the wedding.
• Continuing financial miracles.
• Being loved by a God who loves my vulnerability and it being ok to be slightly scared and not have all the answers in life! He will walk with me every step of the way.
• Mike in all his perfectness - I'm not saying he's perfect, neither am I - but we are PERFECT FOR EACHOTHER! Thank you for loving me :)

Sometimes it's the simple little things...

I LOVE...

• Absolutely anything Peacock Blue - it makes me VERY happy! (Photo by my friend Naomi Bennett)
• Singing along to music in the car - especially with other people harmonising. Actually Harmonies and Singing in general - anytime anywhere!
• Sunsets and Sunrises. Sunrises are more effort to see and therefore more beautiful - trust me they're worth it :)

• Lush vocal arrangements (The only reason I like GLEE - I promise :P)
• The seaside in summer
• The seaside in winter
• The seaside at dawn
• The seaside at sunset
• Stargazing in the country - no light pollution = brilliant!!
• Weddings, especially the speeches and watching the Groom during the entrance of the bride - loveliness!
• Waking up and realising I have more time to sleep (I set 2 alarms half an hour apart every morning for this reason - mad I know!)
• 'It's a small world' moments.
• Hearing peoples stories/testimonies
• Photography - I'm not great at it but I do LOVE photos in general!
• A great melody that stays in your head for days
• Hearing someone humming something that you know they sub-conciously picked up from you days earlier :)
• Cheesy disaster movies - I will explain why sometime!
• Milk to drink, avacados to eat! (Not necessarily at the same time!)
• Converse trainers! Oh so many beautiful colours! I own 4 pairs - oops :P

(Photo from... http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs20/f/2007/248/6/f/Converse_Art_by_Aufrah.jpg)

• Having time to blog! (even though right now I should be sleeping! lol)
• Walking around barefoot - especially on grass or sand!
• God's timing, God's sense of humour :)
• Driving under rainbows.
• The smell just before/after it's rained.
• Thunderstorms in the summer - gotta love a good bit of thunder and lighting!!
• The Psalms and their author David. A whole biblical book full of songs and wonderful lyrics that quite often put the prayers I need to pray into words for me :)
• Lying in bed when it's pouring with rain outside!
• Eating ice (Weird I know lol) - the crushed stuff is the best (best thing about Nandos is that you get free re-fills with crushed ice on tap hehehe!)
• Writing lists - only recently discovered this one in my boredom at work. Lots more list blog posts coming up I feel :)
• Film music. Linked to my favourite video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5_OSsawz4
• Quoting funny lines from films with my sisters - especially Shrek, Ice Age, Finding Nemo etc
• Disney - I won't deny it any longer, this is my childhood, Hercules is the best!
• Solo Piano music to work to. Anything by Ludovico Einaudi or on Whisperings Solo Piano Radio.
• Making Mix CDs for people I love :)
• How holding his hand is enough to make my day!
• His smile, his honesty, his integrity, his faith, his passion, his hugs, his bad jokes - Him in general :)
• Romans 8 v 31-39, Isaiah 43 v 1-4

That's all I can bring to mind right now, pretty sure this could flow into a second blog post sometime down the line. I love being thankful for all this stuff and realising how much of it there is :)

Incredibly Thankful For...

• Firstly, am thankful that in 2 weeks I will be living in a new house with internet so will be blogging lots and lots more than I have been, so sorry for my prolonged absence!
• Am soon going to be living with another gorgeous couple from church - really looking forward to getting to know these guys better :)
• That for the last 9 months I have been living with the absolutely wonderful Jones family, can't begin to explain how much of a blessing they have been. I haven't been around much recently (I am always with a certain someone :) ) and still they have been incredibly lovely and always there for a lovely chat, family meal, BBQ and much laughing! I am going to miss living there!
• I am beyond thankful for the totally amazing, generous, handsome, romantic, funny, strong, talented, thoughtful, loving, huggable, honest, open hearted MIKE VYCE. I LOVE HIM!! (manic little joyful outburst teehehe)
• Getting excited about the future
• The beautiful sunshine and amazing BBQs with friends - complete with Salmon, Venison Burgers and Bananas with Mars Bars :)
• Actually having a little bit of work to do at work! A real novelty! I like work, much better than hours of doodling, blue-tack art or spider solitaire lol!
• Friends weddings! Jess and Toby got married on saturday and the day was very them and soooo chilled out and beautiful, here's a couple of pics...

The Best Thing That Could Be Happening

The Best Thing - Relient K (Capitol USA (new release) (P) 2007 Capitol Records, Inc.. All rights reserved)

This song just about sums it all up right now, If I could write how this feels it would go something like this...

Please note: Mike and I are trying to ban the word cheesy from our vocabulary (at least all it's negative connotations), so what if it's been said or done before or it's a cliche, sometimes it just needs to be said or done :)

It's been a year
Filled with problems
But now you're here
Almost as if to solve them
And I can't live in a world without you now
All my life
I've been searching for you
How did I survive
In this world before you
Cause I don't wanna live another day without you now

This is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's
Happening to you and me

All I'm gonna have
Is all that you can give me
And I'll give right back
Everything I have in me
Cause nothing ever felt as right
As this does right now
I'll go back to before we met
Try and erase the past
Try harder to forget cause
Nothing will ever be as good as here and now

Cause when I looked into your eyes
And you dared to stare right back
You should've said "Nice to meet you, I'm your other half"

And this is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's happening
Happening to you and me

Always knew
I'd find someone
I never dreamt
It'd be like this
You've surpassed
All that I've hoped for and ever wished
And I'm tryin'
So hard
With all my heart and mind
To make your life
As good as you've made mine

This is the best thing
The best thing that could be happening
And I think you would agree
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me

The best thing is that it's happening to you and me
The best thing is that it's happening to you and me

There Are No Words...

I have nothing more to say right now other thats it's been an amazing week! Bring on more and more...... and more...... and more........ :)

Photo found: http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs13/f/2007/063/5/e/Heart_Cloud_2_by_HalitYesil.jpg