Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Scenes from our Super Scrappy Honeymoon and Scrappy Christmas!

I mean "Scrappy" as in "HAPPY" (and/or sappy)--please don't take my title the wrong way! The Honeymoon was true bliss and Christmas was full of Merry as usual.

See for yourself:



Us in the car at the very beginning of our loooooooooooong commute to Key West, Florida!



We traveled to the beginning and the end of the earth....well, the drive felt that way to us anyway. We did get pretty darn south as far as our country is concerned, though.



The only fish we caught on camera before the waterproof camera showed that it wasn't. I chased an enormous Barracuda and a big ole Nurse Shark!



Us on the sailboat prior to snorkeling and kayaking.



Our hotel's beach. Sigh.



Dog walking a tightrope at Key West's nightly Sunset Celebration.



The sunset we were celebrating.



Me, marching to the beat of my own drummer.



Michael. I just don't know what to say.




Fiesta! The Sun Also Rises.




A very excited me on my way in...



Us at the Hemingway House.



Where the man made the magic happen.



Me on Hemingway's balcony. I was so starstruck.

The honeymoon's over.
The following are Christmas photos:



I finally finished the infamous state quarter collection! Is anyone else geeky enough to care?!





The annual family football game had to stop almost before it started when Amy had to be rushed to the emergency room for a sprained ankle! At least I didn't get injured this year!




The Arzonicos got a brand new puppy! Henry the precious Schnauzer.
Did I spell that right?



The O'Neals came to our family Christmas armed--with a potato gun! Looked more like a potato launcher to me. Scary stuff.




Scrappy New Year to all and to all a good night! I hope I live to see 2009...and that Michael doesn't kill me for including all these cheesy/lovely photos; he is a tad more private about things than I am.




-Scraps

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Finally Some More Wedded Bliss!



Okay, so getting the photos and the rockin' wedding mixes out there is taking forever, but...at least we got all our thank you cards out in decent time! I think. I hope.

Marriage is great fun so far. We love our new place and are getting a ton of use out of our many fabulous gifts! Thank you all for your generosity--and a major thank you, again, to all who CAME to the wedding! We had a fabulous time and can't wait to see you all at our 5oth anniversary!

Thanks so much to everyone who helped!

Many, many, many, many special extra sugar-coated thanks to Mom, Dad, Wendy, Nancy, Paul, Susan, Trina, the Gardbergs and Linda Clausen, Stephanie, Lauren, Sam, Greg, Johana, and Stage for providing sooooooo much above and beyond-type help in putting the whole thing together! You are AMAZING!

Here is some evidence of the thanks we owe:




Sister Nancy: getting it ready.



Lauren, Steph, and Sister Wendy: getting it ready.



Sam, Greg, and Lauren: making party favors, etc.



Sam and Greg: running pre-wedding errands with me.




Our beautiful cake. Thank you, Trina!



Getting the hair cut a few days before the wedding...



...and the crazy sisters actually came to the salon to throw me a last-minute surprise pre-wedding party!

Now for some wedding pics. You know you want it.



The photographer told us to do something cute. So, without a moment of thought, we both started to choke each other! Ah, romance.



Much of my fabulous new family.



The entire wedding party showing its charms.



Sister Wendy and Katie's Ben gettin' their groove on.



Sister Nancy and Dan.



Stage and Johana.



Me and Niece Allison, the flower girl of preciousness.



Steph's mom, Danelle, Danny, Stephanie, and Honorary Niece Chloe



Laurens' mom, Craig, Lauren, and Joe.



Me showing my butt.



Me and my Laurabelles: Remarkable Laura, an old neighbor from elementary school in Alaska + G-Laura, a good ole college buddy from Baltimore.




the Nephews.



Baby Allison and Matt.



Me and my dad. Ah.



Nephew Matt, in an awkward wedding moment, caught the garter--though he tried not to.



Me "tossing" the wedding bouquet, flower by flower directly into the hands of some very lovely single friends.



Cutting the cake. Yum.




Eating the cake.



Cheesy dancing.



Greg showing us some cheesier dancing.



Even cheesier dancing.



Could it get any cheesier than me and Sister Wendy?




Yup. Us.





The very elegant Groom's cake.




LOVE.





The smooch that made it all official.



Dad giving me away. How could he do this to me???



Dad, Emma, me, Mom.



Nieces and Junior bridesmaids: Nat and Amy.



Ben, Katie, me, Greg.



High school buddies: Steph, Lauren, me, Sam.



Us + minister.



The girls + Michael.



Wedding party.



Lauren making an incredibly lovely and tear-jerking toast.



Love.



Me and mom.



Jogi and me.



Me + da ladies.



Mike's mom and dad + us. I love my in-laws!



Us + my parents. I love them, too!



Everybody blowing bubbles for our exit.



Us trying to leave in a storm of bubbles.



Us. Leaving. At last.



On the way to our "honeymoon" we realized that three lovely ladies needed a ride. Michael was perfectly happy to take Cherie, Daria, and Lauren to the hotel with us!




We stopped for more photos on the way to the "honeymoon"!



The crazy, amazing carpet at the Battlehouse Hotel in Mobile...our Honeymoon locale--thanks to Johana and Stage!



The tub at the fabulous Battlehouse was so big we could swim in it!




On the super-deluxe Battlehouse balcony the morning after the wedding.

Some life post-wedding:



My class door won 3rd place out of over 70 doors at George County High School! And, yes, my 4th block class did it!



Our new home. So cozy.



Us chaperoning our first GCHS dance instead of having fun on Halloween Night.
Aaaaaah, love.

I still love and miss you all...and that is NOT a load of Scrap!