Sunday, April 4, 2010

now, it's getting personal ...

Back on my 300th post, I asked you to comment with any question you wanted me to answer. The response was huge. Way too much for one entry. So, I have decided to categorize the questions and reply in a series of posts over the next few weeks. Most recently, I discussed my life as a mother-runner. Today, I'll answer those questions that touch upon my relationship with J and the non-running part of my life ...

Katye asked: "I want to know about your wedding! When/where/how? How old were you? what was your dress and wedding like? And pictures would be fabulous ..."

Oh, my wedding. The prettiest day of my life. Here's how it happened ...

J and I started dating in June of 2002. I knew I wanted to marry him about two weeks later. He, being the practical one, waited 10 months to ask me. We got married 14 months later on June 25, 2004. I was 22 and J was 24.

I knew from the start that I wanted a small wedding, especially since we were going to be paying for most of it (and I was still in college, with basically zero income). But a small wedding was easier said than done. Both of us come from large families. My mom is one of eight and his dad is one of six. Add all of those people to our group of friends and people who would get an invitation out of obligation and we were looking at a guest list of over 250. So, we changed our plans. We decided to have a destination wedding in the Bahamas instead of a traditional wedding back home.

I thought by planning a wedding abroad that we would minimize our costs (which is true - at least in our situation). I figured we'd have 20 people there. Max. Obviously, if people had to travel to a foreign country to get there, fewer would come. Right? Wrong. Instead, 80 of our closest friends and family made the trip. We had our ceremony on the beach. The day was absolutely beautiful. It was perfect and looking back on it now, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our wedding ...

Earth Momma Mer asked: "When are you and J going on your next vacation alone and where will you go?"

J and I are going on our first vacation (without the kids) since our honeymoon in June. We are traveling to Key West for five days. It is J's birthday trip, but happens to fall on our sixth anniversary.

Sarah asked: "Besides running, what is your next favorite thing to do that is something just for yourself?"

I'll be honest. Other than running, I don't take very much time for myself. Now that I am no longer nursing and the girls are getting older, I am getting better about getting out of the house for a weekend here and there. But, every time I leave, it's usually for a race (I'm traveling to races a lot this year). So, again, that brings be back to running. OK, wait. Something I really love to do is to get a massage. So relaxing. But, it's cheaper to run. You know what, I'm not picky. If I get to go grocery shopping without my kids, it has been a good day for me.

Barefoot AngieB asked: "If you had a day all to yourself and you felt confident that all your family was well taken care of, what would you do?"

OK, if we are living in a fantasy world where my kids are taken care of and money is no object then I would spend the day with a personal stylist. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but I have NO STYLE. I am either wearing running clothes or race tees. It would be so great to go shopping without any interruptions. And it would be even better if someone would tell me what looks good on me. And it would be the absolute best if someone else picked up the tab.

And finally, Momma Twitch asked: "What is one thing you REALLY love about yourself and one thing that you can't stand?"

I really love that I have self confidence (that is in no way tied to my body image). I have learned to be proud of my strengths and accept my weaknesses as an opportunity to improve. I'm self motivated and unstoppable.

With that said, I really can't stand that I have a tendency hold back my thoughts because I am afraid of how others will react (you probably don't get that from this blog though). I don't like tension, so I will avoid situations where it arises. I really wish I could just man up and face those situations head on.

23 comments:

Shannon said...

What a beautiful wedding! Thanks for sharing it with us. How exciting that you get an anniversary vacation alone together. Well deserved!

Shannon said...

What a beautiful wedding! Thanks for sharing it with us. How exciting that you get an anniversary vacation alone together. Well deserved!

Anne said...

Gorgeous pictures!! Thanks for sharing this post...I like getting to know a little more about the whole you :)

KC (my 140 point 6 mile journey) said...

great wedding photos and the venue, breathtaking! Love reading all the answer and questions you've been posting. On your prior post with all the running skirts you own, which one is your all time favorite? And you can only pick one. Have a great rest of the weekend!

gba_gf said...

I love how well you know yourself. The photos from your wedding look like something from a magazine spread! And I hope that you never worry about what I'll think about "something" you say. I appreciate our differences (politically) as much as I appreciate our likenesses (except that we have NOTHING in common, because unlike you, I'm not competitive... snicker snicker).

Great post.

Nicole Joy said...

WoW I loved the wedding pics. How fairytaleish. :)

Anonymous said...

Geez T you looked beyond stunning! Thanks for sharing! and about the confrontation thing, I hate it. So I typically let it go so no one gets mad, but then I get taken advantage of. It's something I'm working on

Running for Me said...

Love your pics. I am the same way with confrontation. I don't like it!

Aimee said...

Love the post! Thanks for sharing so much about yourself with us! Your wedding looked amazing and you looked stunning!

It's funny b/c some of your answers seem like I could have written them too. Oh, and I would love to have a personal stylist too. Like you, I'm happy wearing jeans and a t-shirt..I need major help! :)

Emily said...

What a great wedding story! Your pictures are stunning! And I think you totally have style...at least with running clothes, which in my opinion is the best way to be stylish!

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos! I don't like tension either and want to change that avoidance thing I do :)

akjenniekt said...

I really enjoy your question/answer blogs! I like your destination wedding idea- that is the direction I am leaning for mine :-)...
Thanks for sharing all of this :-)!

ajh said...

Beautiful wedding pictures. I love the outfits the men wore instead of suits! You look simply beautiful!

Jill said...

What a beautiful wedding...on the beach no less!! How fun was that! I love the beach, I think the storked left me in the wrong location (Iowa) as I can never get my fill of it. You are absolutely stunning! Have a great week!

Hannah said...

My husband and I got married in Jamaica! Destaination weddings are great. 80 people?! Nice! We had about 15. Such a special day, the bit wedding day. :)

Thanks for the peek inside your life!

Judi said...

Great wedding story! Your hair looked so pretty! Thanks for sharing! What type of flowers are you all holding?

Marlene said...

I loved reading your wedding story and what GORGEOUS photos! I can't believe 80 people joined you in the Bahamas - that must have been some party!

Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Wow, beautiful!! I love destination weddings! :)

Robyn said...

Aww love this post!! How did you two meet?

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

Beautiful glimpse into your life again!

Great photos of a beautiful wedding.

Your posts are so positive and "happy." I am sure that is from your self confidence level.

Meg said...

Your wedding looked beautiful! What a great post.

kilax said...

What beautiful photos! You look radiant. I think it is amazing that so many people traveled to share your special day with you!

MCM Mama said...

Those are some beautiful wedding pictures!!! Gosh I feel old now though. ;o)