Our Wedding: CO reception

Wow...remember when I was posting about our wedding? Well I want to finish! Especially since we just celebrated our 1st year anniversary on Saturday!! After our delicious luncheon, we headed back to the house to set up the reception. It was gorgeous. The perfect day. No rain. Clear skies. Just perfect. Everything that day fell together so perfectly it was obviously destiny that we were supposed to get married that day. haha, but for real. I changed out of my dress to help set things up - and to pee (I literally had to take my entire dress off to go to the bathroom...it was awkward to say the least).

Even though I helped set things up, and even though I had planned what everything was going to look like, I honestly have no recollection of seeing it all set up that night. I don't know if it looked how I wanted it to look, or if everything went as planned. But I kind of think that that is better, because I get to look at pictures instead, and pictures look perfect, so I get to imagine how perfect it all was (with no idea if anything went wrong). And this is how I get to remember it forever:

The first hour was saying hi to people, and the second was cutting the cake, dancing, and bouquet-throwing. Cutting the cake might have been my favorite thing. You know those people who ever-so-nicely place the piece of cake in their spouse's mouth? We are not those people. I mean, when are you ever going to be able to smash cake all over someone's face without getting it on film? There was no way I was going to pass up that opportunity. And I got him good. Loved every. second. of. it.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted a first dance with my husband and a daddy-daughter dance. I wasn't sold on everyone dancing because I didn't know if anyone would actually dance, so we just planned for those two dances. I have no idea if anyone saw us dancing haha, but it was what I wanted, and I'm so glad I did it. The best part for me is that we did it just as the sun was beginning to set (not planned), and it was just lovely (can I say lovely without sounding ridiculously cheesy?).

Throwing the bouquet and garter happened after it started getting dark, so pictures weren't as good, but I almost like that it was dark - it just looks fun. And it was fun. So, win win.

Graduation!

Last weekend we drove to Utah so that I could walk at graduation. We left Wednesday after work and drove down with Jantz's parents (it was so nice of them to come!). We didn't get in until the wee hours of the morning Thursday, but we didn't want to waste any time, so we got up early (and tired), had a delicious breakfast courtesy of my parents, and went to spend the day with my mom. We looked at getting me some new glasses (ended up just getting my old glasses adjusted), went to lunch, and hung out. Then we went back home, had dinner, watched some olympics, and went to bed. Graduation was on Friday at 8:00am - and I had to be there at 7:15 - so we had leave really early. Here are some pictures from the day...

I can't believe I have finally graduated! (Ok technically I graduated back in June and I already have my diploma, but walking was the real end). It has been such a crazy two years and I did so many things I never thought I could do. As much as I have been missing school, it really has been nice to turn my focus from school to other things, like cooking, decorating, and taking care of my house and husband :) and I think Jantz likes it too haha.

So, on to finding an amazing job :)

family reunion

We went to a family reunion for Jantz's mom's family a couple weekends ago. We drove to Montrose with Jade and John and stayed in a trailer with them and Brooke and her kids. We spent the weekend hanging out with family and playing cornhole (his mom's family is very serious about their cornhole games - there were several tournaments). Saturday we went with Jantz's dad up to Black Canyon (think Grand Canyon, but smaller). It was amazing. Here are some pictures from our fun weekend :)

J

July 20

I guess I've been sort of MIA from the blogging world. 

The week after July 20 was pretty rough out here. Friday morning we woke up to hear about the horrible shooting at an Aurora movie theater only 20 minutes from our apartment. Even though we didn't know anyone who was there, it hit us a little harder than I think we thought it would. It's not easy putting feelings into words. It's just shocking. I think we're both still a little shocked by it. We drove by the theater that week. it was unsettling. being so close to where it happened and being able to imagine all that happened. It's been a little too much to swallow. Honestly I just couldn't stop thinking about the families that lost sons, daughters, husbands, wives. what if Jantz had been there? No one deserves to go through the death of someone that close to them. If my husband died, I would literally be lost. especially if it was in such a ruthless manner. how do you process that and get through it? I hope and pray that I never have to go through that. It's disgusting what happened and it's hard to think that we may never know why it happened. How does someone with so much education, so much potential, do something like that? Slowly but surely I think everyone here is getting through things, but even almost a month later, it still isn't any easier to think about.

camping

The last weekend in June we went camping with Brooke & Daryl and Larke & Luis (courtesy of Larke's planning :). I can't even tell you where we went, because I still have 0 sense of direction here, but it was way way way up in the mountains. We left Saturday morning and came home late Sunday morning. One night was the perfect length. We each brought a meal to prepare - we did sandwiches for lunch, Larke and Luis did hamburgers for dinner, and Brooke and Daryl did pancakes/bacon/eggs for breakfast (love breakfast food.) and spent the day/night playing "Rate your Mate" and talking. I was a little terrified once we got into the mountains (what if a bear ate us?!) but it turned out to be really fun and just the perfect getaway I needed.

Campfires weren't allowed (as per the devastating fires all over out here), but we still ended up sitting around the fire pit haha. To make us feel less silly we put a lantern in the middle of us after it got dark.

Can you guess which tent belongs to who? Ours is the front left, Larke and Luis' is the brand new one in the back. And the huge sophisticated tent on the right is Brooke and Daryl's haha. It was pretty awesome. Surprisingly it was really hot in our tents during the night. I was expecting to be freezing (because when was girls camp ever not freezing??) so I loved it.

Larke and Luis

Brooke and Daryl

and us :)

wedding, a cabin, rockies game, and gloriana

We made it safely to Colorado and settled into Jantz's parents house - they have been AMAZING to let us stay with them for 6 weeks until we get into our apartment (which we'll now be moving into next week! woot!). It has actually been a lot of fun!

The weekend after we got here, Jade got married. Somehow we didn't get any pictures from that (and I don't think I posted any of Larke's)...but it was beautiful. We are so happy for Jade and John! Now everyone in Jantz's family is married. Crazy what a difference a year makes haha. We've loved doing fun couples/siblings stuff together :)

While the newlyweds were on their honeymoon, we had a whole week of family fun...

We went to a cabin way out in the mountains...and we clearly looked our best while we were there :)

Jantz taught me how to hold an ax....and I learned real well haha. not.

my husband is super manly and of course knows how to hold and use an ax. He was chopping up wood everywhere.

Jantz had way too much fun on this thing. I of course was scared to death every second haha. One of the funnest parts of the cabin was staying up way too late playing Smart Ass. Jantz's mom totally killed us. We loved it so much we got it for my dad's birthday/father's day :) because, let's face it, if my dad is anything, it's a Smart Ass. haha

Before a trek into Breckenridge we stopped by a lake and skipped rocks. The boys were pretty dang good at it. I could only get a few skips...so I took our picture instead.

THEN, we went to a Rockies game. Ok, I promise that we were with his whole family (minus Jade and John) through all of this, even though it looks like it was just us two. I mean, who do you think took this picture?

I honestly don't remember who won, but we always love a Rockies game.

Then there was Parker Days. The parade in the morning was fun as per usual. Especially because they actually gave the adults (ie, us) candy! (which almost never happens). We walked around for a bit afterward. Once night hit, we all went to see Gloriana in concert. for free. outside. It was seriously so fun.

We only knew one of their songs (Kissed You Good Night - which they played on the Bachelorette). They were really good live!