It Just Keeps Getting Better

Yesterday was my one year wedding anniversary. Last week as I looked through our wedding photos again all of the excitement, joy, wonder, and elation of that day came rushing back to me. Our wedding day was glorious, indeed, but it was just one day. That one day, however, launched a lifetime of us, the first year of which has been the best year of my life so far. 

Travis and I celebrated our first year of marriage in a number of different ways all weekend long. Since the traditional 1st anniversary gift is paper, I surprised him Friday evening with a blanket of origami hearts. We enjoyed a low-key, low-budget date night at home (we made pizza together and watched Letters to Juliet) to counter-balance our not-so-low-budget celebration to come on Sunday.

On Saturday we met up with Travis' sister and brother-in-law and our niece at the Apple Festival in Long Grove, followed by dinner at their place. Since my sister-in-law was instrumental in how Travis and I came to meet and fall in love, it seemed very fitting to spend part of our anniversary weekend with them. As we were driving away from Long Grove we were even blessed with the sight of a HUGE rainbow. We pulled over and I managed to get a shot, which captures just a portion of its size and beauty.

 This photo is 70% about my SIL and niece, and 30% about the people in the background who were dancing with their dachshunds.

When we arrived home Saturday night I found surprise number one waiting for me: a beautiful flower arrangement showcasing the colors of autumn that I love so much. Tucked in the arrangement was this sweet note from my thoughtful husband, which constituted his "paper" gift to me.

My love for you is like the colors of autumn:

Deep, Rich, Bright, and Warm.

I offer these flowers of the fall along with my heart.

- Hubby

Surprise number two (my hubby LOVES to surprise me) came Sunday afternoon in the form of where we went for dinner: Art Smith's Table 52 in Chicago, where we indulged in gourmet comfort food, including THE BEST macaroni and cheese EVER. So creamy and rich, however, that even between the two of us we only finished half the portion, and took the rest home. Though I had declared I couldn't possibly eat another bite of mac and cheese, when the dessert menu came, I pored over the options with great interest. Trav asked how could this be, when I had just announced myself stuffed? I explained that "dinner food" requires its own distinct space in the stomach, while dessert (especially chocolate) possesses the ability to simply fill in the cracks and crevices around the rest of the meal, and so there is virtually always room for dessert. He shook his head at me in wonder and bemusement, and then agreed to share a slice of the 12-layer chocolate cake. He's a good man.

Dinner was followed by the Broadway in Chicago production of The Lion King at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. I've wanted to see this show for years and years. It was both familiar (in story and music) and brand new (in amazing costumes and voices and gorgeous set design) and held my rapt attention from start to finish.

 The whole weekend was a wonderful celebration of our first year as husband and wife. And as one of "our songs" (Amazed by Lonestar) rightly says, It just keeps getting better.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Here's another quick wedding nugget. Our delicious wedding cake was created by Patty Cakes of Lockport, Illinois. It was a four-tier round spice cake with cream cheese frosting, decorated with piped-on outlines of maple and oak leaves and a smattering of sparkling colored fondant leaves (which appear to have begun to melt and run down the cake...oh well). A silver "S" sat atop the cake (and now sits on the mantle in our den). Guests were served a slice of cake accompanied by a scoop of cinnamon ice cream in a chocolate cup. I might be a little biased, but it was some of the best wedding cake I've ever tasted! Several guests agreed. Spice cake might not be traditional for wedding cake, but it was perfect for this fall wedding.

Suz's Rad Stuff: Gourmet Affy Tapples

This post is a twofer: it's both an installment of Suz's Rad Stuff and another "nugget" review of the wedding.

For as long as I can remember, autumn has been my favorite season, and I dreamed of an autumn wedding that would incorporate some of the season's best colors, textures, and tastes. One of the ways I was delighted to be able to run with the autumnal theme was through the favors at the reception. We sent each guest home with a gourmet Affy Tapple in one of five flavors (plain caramel, original peanut, milk chocolate almond, double chocolate crunch, or m&m) with a note of thanks for celebrating with us.

Take it from me (and from the many guests we heard from later) - these apples taste even better than they look (and they look delicious)! I don't know how widely Affy Tapple distributes their apples, but if you happen to see these for sale somewhere, know that you won't be disappointed if you bring one home. (One of the bridesmaids confessed to me that her apple didn't even make it home from the reception, but was consumed in the car along the way!)

If you live in the Chicago area, you should know that you can stop by the Affy Tapple factory store in Niles and pick some up for cheap. They also have caramel corn, chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, and other items of sweet goodness.

We Do, We Did, We Will

For those of you who check in here regularly to keep up with the comings and goings and musings of Suz, I hope it came as no surprise that my postings have been scarce for the past month or so. Getting married (then honeymooning, then nesting) has taken precedence over blogging lately, but I'm starting to feel the itch to get back into the groove. However, returning to my blog after such a prolonged absence in which many significant life events took place is a bit overwhelming...where to begin? I've decided to jump back in with bite-size posts about the wedding, honeymoon, and married life.

To attempt anything comprehensive at this point is simply exhausting to even think about, but I think I can handle a series of little nuggets. So, to kick them off, I thought I'd start with one of the most joyfully sobering (oxymoron? perhaps) aspects of the wedding ceremony...our vows.

Travis and I chose to write our own vows. As we did so, we were mindful of a quote from Covenant Marriage that really stood out to us. I don't have the book handy at the moment, so I'll have to paraphrase for now. The gist of the quote was this: it is not so much the man (and woman) who keeps his vows, but the vows that keep the man (and his wife).

When we spoke our vows to one another on October 3rd, we meant and felt those promises with every fiber of our beings. But the thing about covenant vows is this: on the days that will come (and we know they will come) when we question what we meant up there at the altar, or we don't feel like keeping those promises and treating the other person the way we said we would, it's the vows that will keep us committed.

We chose to memorize our vows so that they are lodged in our brains and on our hearts. We plan to frame these vows and hang them on the wall of our bedroom as a visual reminder of what we have promised. By God's grace and in His strength, we will keep these vows; and when we stumble, may these vows keep us.

GROOM: I, Travis, take you, Suzanne, to be my wife. Before God, our families, and these friends I vow to share my life with you. With great joy I pledge myself to love you as Christ loves the Church. I vow to be the spiritual leader of our family, to follow Christ all of my days, and to depend on Him for the strength to lead with wisdom and humility. With steadfast faithfulness and unwavering commitment I will stand by your side through seasons of joy and sorrow, prosperity and adversity, sickness and health. I will laugh with you and cry with you, encourage and comfort you, cherish and know you. I promise to pray with you and for you, and to encourage and support you in becoming the woman God calls you to be. I will provide for you and protect you, seeking to make our home a place of security and rest. I promise to be open and honest with you, to listen to you and seek understanding. I vow to work through conflicts with grace and humility, extending forgiveness, even as I am forgiven in Christ.

Suzanne, I love you, and it is with great joy that I make this covenant with you and become your husband, pledging myself to be your faithful friend and closest companion for as long as we both shall live.

BRIDE: I, Suzanne, take you, Travis, to be my husband. Before God, our families, and these friends I vow to share my life with you. I will laugh with you and cry with you, care for you in sickness and in health, and stand by your side through prosperity and adversity, sharing joy and sorrow. I promise to follow Christ all of my days, to pray with you and for you, and to encourage and support you in becoming the man God calls you to be. I vow to submit to your leadership, according to God's design, through all circumstances. I promise to love and respect you as the head of our household, even as Christ is head of His body, the Church. I will endeavor to make our home a welcoming refuge and place of peace. I promise to be open and honest with you, to listen to you and seek understanding. I vow to work through conflicts with grace and humility, extending forgiveness, even as I am forgiven in Christ.

Travis, I love you, and it is with great joy that I make this covenant with you and become your wife, pledging myself to be your faithful friend and closest companion for as long as we both shall live.

Celebrating the Arrival of Autumn

Temperatures have started to dip. Leaves have started to turn. Pumpkin Spice Lattes have returned to Starbucks. Yes, autumn has arrived, and I could not be more thrilled. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. Not to mention, the arrival of autumn means that my long-dreamt-of fall wedding is less than two weeks away!

In great anticipation of my upcoming honeymoon on Cape Cod, enjoy this scenic interpretation of Cheryl Miller's When Fall Comes to New England (lyrics below).



When Fall Comes To New England
Words And Music By: Cheryl Wheeler

When fall comes to New England
The sun slants in so fine
And the air's so clear
You can almost hear the grapes grow on the vine

The nights are sharp with starlight
And the days are cool and clean
And in the blue sky overhead
The northern geese fly south instead
And leaves are Irish Setter red
When fall comes to New England

When fall comes to New England
And the wind blows off the sea
Swallows fly in a perfect sky
And the world was meant to be

When the acorns line the walkways
Then winter can't be far
From yellow leaves a blue jay calls
Grandmothers Walk Out In Their Shawl
And Chipmunks Run The Old Stone Walls
When fall comes to New England

The frost is on the pumpkin
The squash is off the vine
And winter warnings race across the sky
The squirrels are on to something
And they're working overtime
The foxes blink and stare and so do I

'Cause when fall comes to New England
Oh I can't turn away
From fading light on flying wings
And late good-byes a robin sings
And then another thousand things
When fall comes to New England
When fall comes to New England

Bridal S-H-O-W-E-R

This past Saturday my wonderful bridesmaids (pictured with me below) threw me a delightful Scrabble-themed bridal shower in Wheaton. So much fun, and such a fitting theme for me! It was incredible to look out on so many dear women from all different phases of my life - some who have been there for all 29 years (my mom, aunts and cousin), a few who have been friends since elementary and middle school, others from high school and college and since, girls from three different seasons of Harvest small groups, a couple friends' moms who have become friends in their own right, and my new sister. How blessed am I!
What makes a shower a Scrabble shower, you ask? (Well, my Aunt Lori asked, at least, so I will answer here for her and anyone else who might be curious!) To start with, in their invitation each guest was given a letter and asked to incorporate that letter into their gift and also come prepared to share a piece of advice starting with that letter. So, for example, I received napkins for N, Oxo utensils for O, wine glasses for G, ivory sheets for I, a cookbook and cake pans for C, etc. I also received some great pieces of marital advice, including:

• Talk - don't assume he can read your mind. (He can't.)
• Kiss often.
• Cuddling is free.
  
• Pray together.
• Be best friends, but keep your girlfriends.
• Make him do the heavy lifting.
• Keep Jesus at the center of your marriage.
• Choose to focus on the 90% you love about him and not the 10% that drives you crazy.

Decorations included wedding-related words spelled out in construction paper Scrabble "tiles" scattered about the walls (see photo below). We played two games, the first an "unscramble the wedding words and phrases" game, and the second bridal Scattergories. The favors were adorable and delicious (well, the edible one, anyway). Bethany made chocolate-covered Oreo pops and wrote a letter (and number) on each to look like a Scrabble tile. Allison made magnets out of real Scrabble tiles (which you can apparently buy in bulk on eBay - who knew?!) with sets made up of words like FUN, SMILE, JOY, LOVE, and I DO. (These are pictured below, though I know it's hard to tell what they are.) Food included cupcakes that spelled out "Congratulations, Suzanne!" (I ate the last of the leftover cupcakes with my lunch today. Yum!)

The Second Half of the Whirlwind

Well, if you've been following along (see previous post) you know it's been a busy month! Trips #3 & 4 followed those recounted below, in quick succession, and I am now coming up to breathe...just a bit. I will be packing my suitcase again this Thursday, but this time it's for a week spent across town, where I will be house & puppy-sitting for friends while they are on vacation.

Trip #3 was up to Mequon, WI for the wedding of my cousin Molly to her groom, Andy. Here's my family with the newlyweds at the reception:
Trip #4 was to Michigan this past weekend. We drove up Friday night, enjoyed a leisurely Saturday morning, and then Travis and I split up, he for a bachelor party (of sorts) with his friends and me for an afternoon and evening with his friends' wives (who I am happy to count as my friends as well) and their gaggle of kiddos. Sunday afternoon brought my first bridal shower (the registry kind, at least) which was hosted by my new sister, mother, and aunts-in-law, who possess some serious hospitality and culinary skills. The gorgeous spread of food included two cakes (one strawberry, one lemon), a cheesecake (Aunt Carolyn's specialty), ganache-filled brownie bites, cream puffs, chocolate-covered strawberries, an expansive fruit tray, and two tasty dips--spinach and artichoke. I could further describe these scrumptious delights (the recollection alone has me drooling), but I suppose I will just let you survey the feast for yourself:
The shower was so much fun! After allowing guests to arrive and mill around a bit, Jamie welcomed everyone and then Travis (who was there for the first part of the shower) and I shared the story of how we met and how he proposed. To some it was new, to others a story that has been heard (or read) a few times already, but it was well received by all and Travis was praised (quite deservedly) for his creativity and thoughtfulness. After this we played a game where I had to answer a series of questions about Travis. I was glad for each query I was able to answer correctly, but it was to the guests' advantage each time I got one wrong, for then I drew the name of a person who would win a prize. After this everyone was invited to partake of the refreshments, which were heartily appreciated by all. Then came the opening of gifts. So many gifts! It felt like four or fives Christmases all at once. And after this, more mingling and chatting with family and friends and grazing on sweets. I could not have asked for (or even imagined!) a nicer shower. Thank you to my new family and friends in Michigan!

Awful Library Books and Wedding Vows

Joining Cake Wrecks and Awkward Family Photos on the list of sites that make me chuckle (see below right) is Awful Library Books, a blog by two librarians (Mary & Holly) that documents actual library holdings. Explain the site's authors, "The items featured here are so old, obsolete, awful or just plain stupid that we are horrified that people might be actually checking these items out and depending on the information."

The timing of my discovery of this site is quite appropriate, since just this past Friday Travis and I applied for our Oak Park Public Library cards. I didn't have "Awful Library Books" in mind as I combed through the selection of wedding related titles, but now I want to go back and reconsider the offerings in light of this blog...because I know I passed over several volumes based on their apparent obsolescence. (They say you can't just a book by it's cover, but really, sometimes you can. If it's pink and decorated with doilies, I'm gonna say it's probably not the wedding reference book for me, and that it likely wasn't printed in this century.)

One book I was pleased to find on the shelves (and subsequently checked out) was The Complete Book of Christian Wedding Vows: The Importance of How You Say "I Do". Travis and I have started working on the various elements of the ceremony, and one of the tasks related to that (though "task" seems too laborious a word to describe a very meaningful and enjoyable activity) is writing our vows - those promises we will make to one another that will bind us together in covenant commitment.

With my own wedding approaching, I find that news of others' engagements, marriages, separations, and divorces affect me more--or maybe just differently--than they used to. Several "friends" (the Facebook kind who were legitimate friends at one point in my life and are now merely acquaintances who share a common history from a past season of life and spy on one another's lives via the ubiquitous social networking site) have gotten married in the last few weeks and months. I find that I am so very happy for them, in a sappy, cock-my-head-to-the-side-as-I-click-through-their-wedding-pictures-and-sigh kind of way, and yet I am also sobered by the statistics that tell me that one out of every two of their marriages will not last till death does them part.

When I heard (also via Facebook) that my high school youth pastor and his wife celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, I couldn't have been happier for them. I clapped my hands in delighted applause, breaking the silence in the solitude of my office.

When I heard the news that Jon & Kate Gosselin are separating I was deeply saddened, willing them to instead demonstrate to a watching world that a marriage is worth fighting for, that it's worth the hard work of salvaging and forgiving and rebuilding. That what's best for their children is not a household atmosphere devoid of tension and conflict, but a family intact with two present parents who are fiercely committed to the vows they made 10 years ago (and incidentally just renewed very publicly on an episode that aired last season).

And when I saw the headline of this article from Time Magazine (Is There Hope for the American Marriage?), I found that I wanted to read it...to find out what the author thinks the answer is. Here are a few notable quotes:

"In the e-mails exchanged between the governor [of South Carolina, Mark Sanford] and his girlfriend, they trip over themselves to praise the other's virtues. She was 'special and unique,' 'glorious'; he was a man of emotional generosity who 'brought happiness and love to my life.' These two humanitarians were engaged not only in worshipping each other's high-mindedness but also in destroying another woman's home, hobbling her children emotionally and setting her up for humiliation of a titanic proportion. The squalor and pain that resulted from the Sanford and Ensign midlife crises make manifest a bleak truth that the late writer Leonard Michaels once observed in his journal: 'Adultery is not about sex or romance. Ultimately, it is about how little we mean to one another.'"

"There is no other single force causing as much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage."

"Think of the touching moments on Inauguration Night, when at ball after ball, crowds of young people swooned at the sight of Barack and Michelle Obama dancing together, artlessly but sincerely and clearly with great affection. They are an immensely appealing couple, and it was a historic night, but what we saw reflected in the faces of those awed young people — and in the country's insatiable appetite for photographs of the First Family's private life — was wonder at the sight of a middle-aged man and woman still together, still in love."

'What we teach [our children] about the true meaning of marriage will determine a great deal about our fate."

100 Days to Go!!!

Yes, that fact is worth THREE exclamation points. In the countdown to our wedding day, 100 seems like an important milestone. Tomorrow we enter double digits!

With three months to go, the pace of wedding planning is picking up. This week I've designed our wedding invitations, ordered the paper on which they'll be printed, added some of the final remaining addresses to the guest list spreadsheet, confirmed dates and compiled the invitation lists for various bridal showers and other wedding-related events, and ordered the cake topper...among other things I am sure I'm forgetting.

Tonight Travis and I will celebrate the 100-day milestone with dinner at Flat Top Grill in Oak Park (where I happen to have a birthday coupon that will get me dinner for free. Seriously, it's incredible what you can get for being born and having an email address...I've received coupons for several free meals, free ice cream, free coffee, a free movie, $$ off clothing purchases, and more. The trick is finding time to use all the coupons before they expire! And somehow not gaining 5 pounds along the way.)

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'll be taking a half day at work, partly in celebration of my birthday, but mostly in an attempt to get a whole bunch of stuff done before Sunday when I entertain the largest group of people yet at the apartment - my parents and brother and Travis' parents and sister and brother-in-law (yes, Sunday is the official "meeting of the parents.") I was very thankful to see on the weather forecast this morning that the high temp for Sunday is expected to be only in the low 80s, instead of the mid-90s we've been "enjoying" all this week. This is good news for my guests and for the air conditioning units in my apartment, which function but do not impress.

Everything needs to get done tomorrow because Saturday has been declared "Suzanne's Day of Birthday Mysteries to be Revealed." Okay, we didn't really give it an official title, but basically the whole day is to be one wonderful surprise after another, compliments of my amazing fiance. I know only when to be ready and what to wear for each segment of the day. Beyond that I have no idea what to expect, but if you've been reading this blog with any regularity, or have met my fiance, you know it's gonna be good. Tune in next week when I reveal what happens!

Inside the Mind of a Bridesmaid

This past weekend I had the honor of standing up as a bridesmaid as my friend Bethany pledged her constant faith and abiding love to her new husband, Nate. (Congrats, friends!) As I stood there at the front of the church, off to the side, to bear witness to the event, my mind was a flurry of varied thoughts:
- she's such a beautiful bride
- don't lock your knees, Suzanne! bend, bend!
- these flowers smell good
- my feet hurt
- oh, just look at the love beaming from his face!
- her veil is gorgeous
- i like that music
- i wonder what comes next
- i should have read over the program more carefully
- awww, look how happy they are!
- ooh, i really like how that was worded
- in a little over 5 months it's going to be me saying my vows - wow!
- why am i crying right now?
- why didn't i bring a tissue up here?
- i like that element a lot - have to remember that
- yay! i'm so happy for them
- i need to remember to ask bethany about that
- i get to dance with my fiance tonight - whoo hoo!
- i wonder if i'll cry when i'm at the altar
- i'm hungry. why didn't i eat more at lunch?
- hee hee, that was funny
- how can i subtly shift my feet without falling off this step?
- marriage is amazing. i don't know how anyone can enter into it lightly.

Yes, there are a lot of thoughts that crowd for attention inside the mind of a bridesmaid, most of them fleeting. The thoughts and impressions that linger this time around have to do with how sacred and mysterious and incredible marriage is, and what a HUGE deal it is that in a little over 5 months, I will be the one exchanging vows with Travis and entering into a covenant that will bind us together for life. I've always loved weddings, but with my own on the horizon, I find myself impacted by not only the joy but also the weightiness of the occasion.

Engagement Photos!

Permit me to be a gushing bride here for a minute. As I noted in the life update, below, we recently had our engagement photo shoot with Kaiti, a TU friend and the photographer for our wedding. We started out at Morton Arboretum, one of our favorite places to wander and go hiking, and then took some more shots at Hurley Gardens, a little out-of-the-way park in Wheaton. The weather was perfect, Kaiti did a wonderful job, and we had a lot of fun.
Here's the link if you'd like to check them out!
http://www.kaitibierdeman.com/engagement026

Life Update

Whew! It's been a busy couple months. Here's an update on my life of late in 13 semi-random statements:

1. Yesterday morning I met with the manager at the restaurant where we've decided to hold the rehearsal dinner. We are way excited. Wedding party, listen up: you are in for some serious yumminess.
2. This past Saturday was our engagement photo shoot with Kaiti, the photographer for our wedding. It was lots of fun (of course, with directions like "Put your arms around her like this," "Look at each other" and "Now, kiss! Again!" how could you not have a good time?). We're eager to see the results, which will hopefully be ready in a couple weeks.
3. Last night Travis and I visited the Oak Park Regional Housing Center for apartment listings. With my move coming up quickly at the end of April, it's crunch time for finding a place that will be our new home. We're hoping to find an apartment in a vintage 2-or-3-flat with ample space and lots of charm.
4. This weekend I am headed to Michigan for a retreat with my small group girls. I am so pleased with the way my group has come together this year -- God's entrusted me with some incredible women, and I am honored and humbled.
5. My small group has just started going through Beth Moore's "A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place," which is a study about the Old Testament tabernacle.
6. I have chosen to observe Lent again this year by "fasting" from the radio in my car. It's been challenging but good to be alone with my thoughts in the silence. It's also made me realize my car really does not sound good and should probably have a check up with the mechanic, but I am afraid of the verdict and the resulting expense, so I'm putting it off.
7. I still need to do my taxes. I drag my feet on this every year because I know I'm going to owe the government money. Downside of freelancing.
8. As of today there are 200 days until I become a Mrs. Yippee!
9. I firmly believe spring is good for the soul (though not for the attention span when stuck in an office!). Sixty-five degrees and sunny is a beautiful thing.
10. My good friends Nate and Bethany get married in a month. I look forward to taking part in the celebration!
11. It's the middle of another season of the Amazing Race and I've been watching faithfully, as usual, and with friends as often as possible. I'm cheering for Margie & Luke.
12. The honeymoon is planned! We'll be spending a week on Cape Cod (New England in the fall - hooray!). Huge thanks to my parents, who gave us a week of their timeshare. Travis has done all of the research and made all of the other reservations and arrangements, for which I am very thankful (although it leaves me very curious about what he has planned!). I'm determined to keep my curiosity under wraps, though, and do my part -- which is just to show up and enjoy!
13. The first weekend in March Travis and I went up to Menomonie, WI to visit Allison and Brent. We played games. We ate meat. We saw cabbage fly. We had a wonderful time.

Raspberry Lemonade Party Punch

Yesterday afternoon I threw a bridal shower with Jenn, another bridesmaid, for our friend Bethany who's getting married in April. Given it was the day after Valentine's Day, our "conversation hearts" theme was easy (and fun) to run with. I used a candy heart generator I found online for designing the invitations and bridal bingo game. The favors were decorated sugar cookies (see photo) Jenn ordered from Kudos Kookies - they turned out great!

The menu consisted of fresh fruit with margarita dip, cucumber slices and crackers with dollops of Jenn's amazingly tasty garlic herb cheese spread, cake, and candy hearts (of course). I also threw together a punch that turned out so tasty, I thought I'd share the recipe. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemonade Party Punch
2 2-liters of raspberry ginger ale
1 1/2 C powdered lemonade mix
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 tub raspberry sherbet
ice

Pour ginger ale into a large punch bowl. Add lemonade mix and stir until dissolved. Add raspberries, ice, and about 5-6 scoops of the sherbet. Replenish punch with more ginger ale, lemonade mix, ice, and sherbet as needed.

Holiday Highlights

Eek! It's been over a month since I last posted. Time to get something new up here. I'll kick off the year with some a review of the holidays. I was able to take the last two weeks of the year as vacation from work, so my time off matched Travis' time off from school. We relished the freedom, spending lots of time together and with family and friends.

We kicked things off by attending Christmas services at Harvest (on Saturday) and at First Baptist in Wheaton (Sunday morning). Travis got his first glimpse of the sanctuary where we'll be married next fall, and met LOTS of people I know from my many years there who had heard about our engagement and were eager to wish us well.Christmas Eve morning Travis and I went snowshoeing at the arboretum. We experienced our own "Christmas Miracle" when we found Travis' cell phone and keys he'd lost there the day before (when we'd gone for a brief afternoon romp through the snow). Despite the several inches of snow and some freezing rain that had fallen overnight, we came across both items (near where Travis had taken a flying leap into a snow-covered bush, causing the items to fly out of his pockets, which neither of us realized at the time) AND when Travis got home and plugged his phone in later that night, he found IT STILL WORKS! He could give the cell phone manufacturer a great testimonial on the durability of their product, that's for sure.

Snowshoeing (etcetera) at the Arboretum

Later that evening we gathered for dinner with my extended family. It was "the year of the fiance," as I and two of my cousins added our beaus to the mix. Christmas Eve held an undercurrent of sadness for me this year, as the event that had always revolved around my grandpa was punctuated my his absence. I'm glad the family still came together, though, and we enjoyed conversations, games, and laughter back at my aunt's house after dinner.

Travis and I hosted Christmas Day for my immediate family at his house in Chicago. In typical Johnson-family fashion, it was a very relaxed, low-key day of food, presents, and Pixar animation.EARLY the next morning (5:45 to be exact) we hit the road for Michigan. An ice storm had hit overnight, but Chicago's salt trucks had done a good job on the city's roads, so we didn't realize how bad and far-reaching the storm had been until we found ourselves at a stand-still on the highway, just over the Indiana border. The road was a sheet of ice, and we learned the highway was shut down across the entire state of Indiana. And so there we sat, locked in place by the unmoving cars and trucks around us, for THREE HOURS. Thankfully we were able to stay warm enough, even with the car off most of the time. The only food we had in the car were the cookies my aunt had sent home with us Christmas Eve, so those became breakfast. Finally, traffic had shifted enough (every hour or so people up ahead of us became restless and created false hope by moving their cars up a few feet) that a brave soul from behind us was able to squeeze between the two lanes of traffic and make his way up to a break in the median where he pulled a U-turn. We wasted no time in following his lead! We took the next exit and then proceded to slowly follow ice-covered Rt 12 all the way around the lake and into Michigan. Finally, TEN HOURS after we'd left home that morning, we pulled into his parents' driveway in Michigan, rather bedraggled and stir crazy, but gratified that when put to the test, we were able to enjoy the ride and amuse ourselves for 10 hours without any conflict or irritation between us.

We spent that evening and the next two days with Travis' family, exchanging gifts, eating yummy food, playing games, and generally relaxing. It was great. And the trip home only took the usual 4 hours, which was quite a relief!

Family Photo with my New Sister & Brother-in-Law

Monday night (Dec 29th) I received my Christmas present from Travis, which was dinner at Trattoria No. 10 in Chicago, followed by A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater. Dinner was scrumptious, and the play was really well done. Another amazing date!

With my Clean-Shaven Fiance After the Play

Allison & Alex hosted the TU New Years bash this year. The festivities started Tuesday afternoon when friends started arriving from all over the midwest. This year's gathering had more of a chill vibe than years past, which was to everyone's liking. We prepared and ate meals together, played games, told stories, caught up on each other's lives, threw a baby shower for Chris & Janelle (which included a hilarious game of "Pin the Beard on the Baby"), and reflected with thankfulness on our enduring friendships. This was our 10th New Year together!

Chris Playing Pin the Beard on the Baby

My two weeks of family, friends, and freedom wrapped up on Saturday, Jan 3rd with wedding dress shopping. I found my gown in the first boutique we visited (though we went to another before making the final decision, just to be sure). The dress isn't exactly what I'd envisioned myself in when I was poring over bridal magazines, but when I looked in the mirror and saw myself as a bride (veil and all--there's something about putting on the veil that makes you go from a girl in a pretty dress to a bride), I knew it was the one. That evening Alex & Allison introduced Travis & I and Nate & Bethany to their new favorite place for shabu shabu in Chicagoland, Shabu House in Niles. We quickly understood why this place is the best around for this type of cuisine, and we'll be returning for more!

And the award for Best Surprise by a Boyfriend in a Leading Role goes to...

Travis!

This past Friday I drove to Coshocton, OH to reunite once again with Taylor friends. The occasion for our gathering among the green rolling hills of Amish country for the weekend was the wedding of my friend (and blogging buddy) Heather to her soul mate, Clay. They have an awesome love story that involves a conference in Austin, a bulletin board, a bridge, a concert, and a conversation about music and love and life that's still going today (at this moment, somewhere in Belize). You can read about it here.

Although having a boyfriend now generally affords me the pleasure of having a date with whom to attend weddings (and if you read this blog you know I attend a lot of weddings!), Travis was unable to accompany me to this one. He left Chicago back on July 18th to spend a week climbing 7 of Colorado's 14ers with a friend, and then several more days at a teachers conference in Denver. The conference ran through Friday and he wasn't set to arrive back in Chicago until very late that night. So, as I drove across Indiana and Ohio early Friday morning I was missing him like crazy after not seeing him for two weeks. While I was excited to spend the weekend with my friends--sharing stories over the rehearsal dinner, hamming it up at karaoke, bearing witness to the vows of two souls in love, and celebrating with delicious food and great friends in a beautiful setting--I was rather disappointed to not have Travis by my side to meet my friends and join in the revelry.

So, imagine my surprise when my friends and I walked into a restaurant for lunch on Saturday before the ceremony and there's Travis sitting at a table in the middle of the near empty restaurant with a huge grin on his face. (If you're having trouble imagining my surprise, the words shocked, speechless, and dumbfounded might help you out.) I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open as I moved (ran? floated? it's all a blur) across the restaurant and into his arms. Reality slowly set in (for a while all I could do was look at him and incredulously murmur, "You're here!") and over lunch my friends helped me piece together the elements of the surprise--Mike's mysterious late night "errand," hushed phone calls, strange comments, hurried moments...and more than a few blatant lies by those in the know.

Early Friday morning Travis had changed his flight to Columbus instead of Chicago and called my friends to help him get to Coshocton for the wedding. They all succeeded in keeping me completely in the dark for 24 hours. It didn't take long for Travis' exploits to become legend among the wedding guests, even those who'd never met him and up til that point didn't even know I had a boyfriend. As we milled about in the church lobby after the ceremony, people observed us with smiles and knowing looks that said, "So this is the guy..."

Yes, this is the guy.

Summer Marches On

It's hard to believe that summer is almost half over! Events that have floated in the realm of expectation for so long are now happening quickly, one after the other, as summer marches on.

On Friday the 4th Travis & I spent a leisurely evening with his sister and brother-in-law, our friends Rachel & Eric, and their respective dogs, Pepper & Yoshi. Always happy to find an occasion to use my trifle bowl, I assembled a patriotic dessert for the affair.

Saturday was wedding number 2 of the summer, the joining of Julie & Alex in holy matrimony. Julie has been in my small group for the past couple years, and Alex is recent a transplant from North Carolina (they dated long distance for quite a while after meeting at a wedding in California) who has fit into our little small group community quite nicely. We love his accent and Southern charms. We like him a lot, too. Their wedding was beautiful and the reception was a lot of fun (Travis & I even came away with the garter and bouquet, respectively). Congrats, Julie & Alex! I love you guys and wish you the best.

This coming Friday I'll get on a plane that will take me to Colorado for the annual 3G02 reunion. For those of you not up on your Suz lingo, 3G (or Third Gerig) is where I lived at Taylor; 02 is when I graduated. Therefore, 3G02 refers to the group of girls who came in together as freshmen to live on the third floor of Gerig Hall (plus Allison, whom we love and grafted in from another dorm) and formed a deep and lasting bond of friendship. We've held a reunion every spring since we graduated, and this year moved the reunion to July when (for the very first time since graduation) all 11 of us will be together again. Michelle is home from China, Suzanne has returned from Zambia, and the rest of us will come in from New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa to spend a weekend catching up on one another's lives, celebrating milestones, sharing our hearts and hopes and hurts, worshipping together and praying for one another, laughing and having fun, and just generally basking in the glow of our remarkable friendship. My heart is so full with gratitude to God for these women and this opportunity.

Shower a Success!

On Sunday I threw a "Strawberries & Champagne" themed bridal shower for Allison. (The colors for the wedding are red and champagne. I get to wear a pretty red dress). Although I don't have the occasion to do so very often, I enjoy entertaining and have lots of fun running with a good theme (I have Melissa to thank for coming up with this one, while waiting in the emergency room feeling like her abdomen was going to explode, no less) and this shower was no exception. The menu consisted of:

• Strawberries & Champagne Punch
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Mango Salsa with Baked Scoops
• "Margarita" Fruit Dip with fresh pineapple, strawberries, and Nilla Wafers
• Angel Food Cake Squares & Brownie Bites Topped with Whipped Cream & Strawberries

(Follow the link above for the Margarita Dip recipe from Kraft, which was really yummy. I modified an AllRecipes.com recipe for the salsa, and it turned out so tasty I've included it below.)
We played an informative game of Bridal Bingo, where the guests filled their bingo cards by selecting words/phrases from a list of items having to do with the wedding and/or Allison & Alex's relationship. Allison was the "caller," pulling a slip of paper from a bowl, reading the word/phrase, and then sharing a little bit about its significance. Crowd favorites were "Asian it up" and "tea ceremony," which prompted an on-the-spot fashion show of Allison's dress for the Chinese tea ceremony & reception in L.A. The winners received prizes which were, of course, all strawberry themed (nail polish, lip gloss, body wash, and (my favorite themed discovery)Alberto VO5 "Champagne Kiss" shampoo & conditioner, of which Charity took a whiff and declared it would make her want to eat her hair).

Allison worked her way through a pile of gifts from Bed, Bath & Beyond and Crate & Barrel. She also received a beautiful purse to use for the wedding day, knit by one of her co-workers (see photo at right). Cleaning up and deciding where the gifts would go prompted Carol (her mother, in town for the shower) to undertake the spontaneous reorganization of all the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

Finally, the guests took home favors in the form of little plastic champagne bottles labeled with "Allison & Alex / August 9, 2008" and filled with strawberry cheesecake Jelly Belly beans.

Strawberry Mango Salsa
Ingredients:

2 Tb balsamic vinegar
2/3 C orange juice
2 Tb lime juice
1/2 medium
red onion, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 ripe mangoes, diced
1 pint strawberries, diced
6 or so fresh mint leaves, torn

1. In a large bowl, stir together the balsamic vinegar and juices.
2. Dump the beans and onion into the bowl. Gently fold in the mango and strawberries. Add the mint and mix well.
3. Cover and chill at least 20 minutes before serving. Makes enough for probably 12-15 people.

Bridal Party Weekend

On August 9th my friends Allison & Alex are getting married here in Chicago, and I am the maid of honor. This past weekend was "Bridal Party Weekend," for which all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen and ushers came into town (from as far east as D.C. and as far west as L.A.) to meet and have some fun together before the big event later this summer.

On Saturday we kicked things off with a Cubs game at Wrigley (which was lovely, as it was a beautiful day, and exciting, as there were several home runs (one of which occured when I was actually paying attention to the game), but a little sad, because the Cubs lost), followed by Chicago-style deep dish pizza at Giordano's. After that the men and the women split up for the bachelor & bachelorette parties.

Sunday morning we enjoyed a late brunch all together, and then split up again for tux and dress fittings. (We ladies are going to look rockin' in red, if I do say so myself.)

It was an exhausting but very fun weekend, and I think the chance for everyone to meet and hang out will make the festivities in August all the more enjoyable. Until then, there are bridal showers to plan, favors to find and assemble, appointments to make, print goods to design and produce...

Congrats Erin & Peter!

Over the weekend I had the delight of being a bridesmaid in the wedding of my dear friend Erin. During those jittery pre-wedding moments when the bride and her attendants are tucked out of sight as the guests steam into the church, it's always a bit of a dance...how do you occupy the bride, acknowledging how special those moments are and how important the ceremony that's about to begin will be while keeping things light and steering clear of any topics that will trigger anxiety, nerves, or tears?

This time around one of the "safe" topics that came up was Girl Scouts, and how Erin and one of the other bridesmaids and I had been Brownies together way back in the day. It's funny the things that stick with you. While I couldn't tell you about a single badge I earned, one of the things I do remember is singing the "friends song" in a round as we sat in a circle on the floor. "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold." Erin is my oldest friend. We met when Erin moved to town and joined my 2nd grade class. On a class field trip that involved walking on the Prairie Path, my mom (who was along as a chaperone) made me go talk to the new girl (which is no reflection on Erin and simply due to the fact that I was horribly shy as a child), and as they say, the rest is history.

Unlike any of the other weddings in which I have played a role, this wedding was an international affair, drawing family and friends from Ireland, England, Canada, and Korea, in addition to various U.S. locales. The result was a fascinating collection of people and accents, so in addition to being lots of fun, it was also an educational experience. From Mark I learned about schooling in England; from Trevor I received the clearest explanation to date of the whole point of curling as a sport (he's from Canada); from Fergus I learned that Irish gatherings must always involve singing (even if it gets hotel security called on you repeatedly); from Pat I learned how to say "delicious" in Korean, though I've since forgotten; and from the attention I received I learned that in some gatherings being a 6ft redhead can make one feel a bit like a novel curiosity. I was shocked to learn that the majority of Pete's friends had never been to a wedding before, and humbled by how much those from other countries know about the U.S. and what's going on in the world and how little we know about anything beyond our own borders. As I replied to Brian, Pete's brother and my groomsman counterpart, when he found me sitting off to the side with wide eyes and a slight grin, "Oh, I'm just taking it all in."

Ding Dong, Ding Dong...

...Christmas bells are ringing. Oh, wait, make that wedding bells. Yep, in addition to maid of honor (upon arriving at the hotel to get ready on Friday I learned that I'd been promoted from bridesmaid to MOH) and bridal translator, I can now add "wedding chapel bell ringer" to my ever-expanding wedding resume. As guests filed past on their way out of the tiny chapel, I tugged on the rope and sent clangs of good cheer out into the frosty night air.