Rehersal Dinner...

The Rehersal Dinner/Groom's Dinner was so fun! Annie and Troy hosted a Pizza & Root Beer Float Party for their families at the Humboldt Community Center.

Rehersal...

We were glad we got the chance to reherse! Who knew a wedding ceremony could be so confusing :)

Ingredients for a Wedding Reception..

We spent Friday setting up the Humboldt Community Center for about 250 party goers.

The centerpiece for their tables was authentic South Dakota Wheat. Annie found jars from family member and antique shops to display on each table. Our brother Josh made 100 bread boards to serve the loaves of bread at each table too. It was BEAUTIFUL!

We found a great way of dispersing the chairs....Rather than carry them to each table, why not push them across the room?!

Only 1/2 the fun...

Annie and Troy's wedding and reception was only 1/2 the fun. Much of our family arrived days ahead of time to help get everything ready for the big day. It was so fun spending so much time together. There were a lot of laughs and lots of memories made.

This is Troy, saying his prayers before marrying my sister...
Sean and Maggie spent a great deal of time pheasant hunting while we were in South Dakota.

Annie made 2 cakes for their rehersal dinner.

A running shoe and a tractor!

The rollers that became stuck in Mackenzie's hair!

Bride's Night Out!

Annie's bachelorette party was a fun night for a bunch of cousins and friends. We started the celebration at Stacie's house with gifts and lasanga then pushed onto some small town bars in Hastings, Prescott and Red Wing... Supposedly the movie, "High School Musical" is super hot right now, and a character's name happens to be Troy, so we showered Annie with "I LOVE TROY" paraphanalia!

Annie's Shower...

We had a nice shower for Annie is mid-November at Stacie's house. Hors Devours and gifts is a nice way to shower a bride to be. We enjoyed an afternoon party then broke out the real fun and games later that evening with her Bachelorette Party...

So Many Reasons to Give Thanks...

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

This is what I have to be thankful for this year:

- My new husband, who I still consider the greatest blessing in my life. I look forward to seeing him everyday, just as I did when we first met. I ignore the nay-sayers who say, "you're newly weds....it'll change." I adore him and love every moment.

-Maggie & Gus, the little critters who fill my life with as much joy as they do frusteration. I feel blessed that just by switching their dog food back to a name brand, their little ailments and aches have subsided. Thank you IAMS.

-Our home. The little fixer-uper, that we're still fixing up. Sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch or putting away groceries, or making the bed, I still can't believe we own this place. Paying a mortage gives us a great sense of pride. We so love a phrase that our pastor said...."You must live like no one else now, so later you can live like no one else." We don't mind living in a tiny place with icky mice, and no storage, and little heat. We don't mind not keeping up with the Jones' because maybe later, the Jones' will wish they lived like us.

-Our families. The biggest fans of this silly little blog. We love our parents and siblings and grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins beyond words. Our families are big and our hearts are just full becasue of them.

-Our Jobs. Truly one of the greatest blessings of my year is the fact that my business has provided me with the realization that I can be a full time photographer. The dream of working from home became a reality and I have savored every single moment, knowing that this kind of lifestyle is not available to everyone. I feel so fortunate and I know this is becasue of my customers. Without them there would be no business. I am proud of Sean for all that he did to make AMI's first year a success as well. We are definitely on the right track. The best is yet to be.

-Our Friends. Since moving north about 18 month ago, we have missed our friends so badly. Seeing so many at the wedding reminded us of how truly blessed we are to have so many friends who have stayed near and dear to us. We enjoy getting together when our trips home allow. We also are finding pals in the northwoods too. I joined a bowling leauge, and am looking foward to joining Yoga after the holidays. We have great neighbors and feel like lucky to have people to wave to on our road.

A few other things we are thankful for:

-a freezer full of venison

-my sister's December 8th wedding

-the plan of attack for my dad's health

-well running vehicles

-a flawless wedding

-a winter honeymoon!

-living in a place where everyone vacations to

-Having grandparents so close by

-An outside garage office that stays warm

-working out at the gym again...it's all about will power

-Customers

Hunting Season 2007

2007 was another successful hunting season for Sean and Tim. They both enjoyed a trip to Grand Marais last weekend and came home with these impressive bucks. Last night Sean and I packaged 13 pounds of ground venison and we are just getting started. The boys had a GREAT time and can't wait to go back next year.