Best Memories of 2011:
Brian and I got engaged Christmas 2010. Although it was 2010 technically I would consider this event as 2011! Just thinking about this time in our lives gives me goose bumps and brings butterflies to my stomach. The best moment was to see Brian get down on one knee and tell me that I couldn't be his girlfriend anymore because he wanted me to be my wife. OK... I'm already tearing up, darn hormones! But really this was one of the best days of my life. Just hearing him say this justified our unbreakable, undeniable love for one another! Not to mention it did help a little that he put a giant/gorgeous rock on my finger. :) That's besides the point though because I know that the important thing is what our rings symbolize! This was one day we sure will never ever forget.
The night we got engaged!
After our engagement we had a WORLD WIND of events happen especially since we were planning a wedding in uhhhh 5 months!! We pulled it off I must say! My best friend Angie's parents threw us an engagement party in January, with the help of our wedding party, SO FUN! We got engagement pictures takin by the talented Tim Fleenor in January. Our wedding party threw us a couple's shower in March! My sister threw us a beautiful bridal shower in April. My work threw us a bridal shower in May! My wedding party took me out to the Lake for my Bachelorette Party at the end of May, and threw me another one back in Kansas City in June! WHEW! Talk about something every single month, we were sure busy busy in a wonderful way!
Engagement Photos!
Bridal Shower with SarBear and G!
Bridal Shower with my beautiful sister and mama!
I am still bitter about this veil, sash and cup I had to carry, lol! just Kidding. Brrrrride!
We had a blast at the Ozarks!
We bought our first car together. I had been leasing a new Jeep Liberty and we decided to buy it together. This was an exciting event knowing we were doing something together!
Our first car, together!
The wedding crafts! Someday not just yet I will blog about the million and one crafts myself, my talented husband, our family, and my sweet friends helped out with! Without them ALL we wouldn't of been able to pull the wedding off! I mean seriously when we weren't having a shower, party or event to attend for our wedding we were at home crafting and I mean CRAFTING AWAY! It made for a perfect, memorable, detailed wedding that's for sure!
Here is one of the projects, the alter we made out of old vintage doors and Brian created a doorway in the middle, so neat! Already thinking of how we can reuse this alter in our house. I think I have an idea, stay tuned! :)
Our wedding day. Awwwww sooooo amazing! Many of you know I've never dreamt about my wedding nor cared to have a wedding. My belief is that you get engaged to get married (hence the rather short engagement) and then it doesn't matter where you get married. All that matters is that you are making a commitment to the one person you are meant to be with for the rest of your life. I truly would have been okay with getting married in a courthouse, off on a beach by our selves, yup by ourselves! It didn't matter we could make this commitment anywhere and it would still have the same meaning! My testimony to this belief is my parents, who have had in my eyes a perfect, successful marriage of almost 30 years! Yup pretty amazing huh, well they got married in a courthouse. It's proof that it doesn't matter where you get married that is going to measure how successful your marriage is. I think this is partly of what's wrong with our society today. So many people get caught up in wanting their wedding to be perfect, perfect, perfect. Vomit! Well let me tell you......that's not going to measure the success of your marriage! And let me let you in on a little secret too..... no wedding is perfect. Things go wrong. Everything you could ever think of went wrong on our wedding day. Did I care, nope! I laughed, and said okay what's the plan now. Oh we are on plan Z! Great, we got this! Although everything went wrong, it was perfect to us! I would never change a minute of that day! We will remember it forever. I'm a little exhausted still from thinking about our wedding day, but to sum it up in one word..... perfect!
Although marriage is about compromise, which I figured this out quickly and I think this is why Brian and I are such a great team. Brian had dreamed of seeing his Bride walk down the aisle in a gorgeous white dress. So we compromised with a short engagement and a wedding. Yup I had to bite my tongue and put together a wedding to remember! Now our wedding was a bit over the top with the details and crafts let me tell you. Most of you that know me know that I only do things one way.... THE RIGHT WAY. lol So since my hansom groom begged and talked me into having an actual wedding I said, "Fine, then I am going all out and this is going to be the most gorgeous, vintage, elegant, detailed, EVENT EVER!" :) Right then Brian knew he had his work cut out for him! He kept up and did an amazing job at all the projects, creating and crafting!
Like I mentioned before our wedding day was the most hectic, crazy, bizarre, unreal, yet AMAZING DAY! Here are some pictures of how perfect it turned out. You would have never known that a micro burst came through and ruined the tent the night before, almost $30,000 worth of damage done. You would have never known several tables and chairs flew into the fields and snapped in half . You would have never known that the port-a-potties ended up in the fields. You would have never known that several lanterns broke and glass was all over the back yard. You would have never known there were tree limbs in the pool, glass in the pool and chairs in the pool. You would have never known the new tent wasn't set up till almost 5pm. You would have never known the WHOLE wedding party was sweating bullets trying to get everything set up until 6:15. The wedding started at 7. You would have never known that I didn't get into my dress until 6:30. You would have never known that Brian and I had to schedule another date to take pictures together because we ran out of time. You would have never known that my ring didn't come in that day. I could keep going but I think you get the point!!! This day was one to remember. All that mattered is that Brian and I were officially husband and wife. There was no ruining our day, that's for sure! We were willingly ready to overcome any challenges that stood in our way. I think this says a lot about us as a couple! We can get through anything. We have been through a lot of things over the course of our relationship, so we know in our hearts that their isn't anything we can't get through! This love story ended happy as "Mr. & Mrs. Shields". We officially were married and starting the journey of the rest of our lives together as husband and wife!
After our amazing wedding day, we headed to our honeymoon. The exotic Costa Rica. We were able and fortunate to stay for 2 weeks. Which was much needed after our exhausting yet perfect wedding! :) We did some amazing outings and got to relax too! We stayed in this beautiful all glass house on top of the mountains. We went to the beach for a few days, horse back riding in the mountains, got massages, zip lining through the rain forests, saw volcanoes, got to see coffee plantations, cigar factory, several water falls, cooked many meals together, met some great people and really got to experience the rain forest! Simply a trip we will remember forever!
As soon as the Honeymoon was over Brian and I moved in together! FINALLY! SO wonderful. I am a huge advocate for not living with your spouse until your married. It was one of the best decisions we made as a couple. It was that much more special when we were able to move in together and share our lives together as husband and wife! It was awesome! Brian's moved in now. However, we are crazy and still have 2 houses! Yup, 2. We are in the process of getting his house rented out and eventually sold! It's a process and there was one little thing that has slowed us down.....
The next big thing in 2011..... The announcement of BABY SHIELDS! Okay okay okay who are we kidding, 2011 was amazing and unforgettable but there is one thing that could top it..... The arrival of Baby Shields! :) Knowing it's 2012 and this is the year our child will be born is so crazy to wrap my brain around! We couldn't be anymore excited to bring this new little one into the world!
So all these events sum up our 2011. This year was a true blessing! One our best years yet! Here are some thoughts for 2012!
Here was my New Years Kiss, I'm so lucky and can't wait to share many many many many more years with this special man!!
HAPPY 2012 FRIENDS & FAMILY!
WE sure love you all and love all your support!!
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