The Wedding

Keith and Tarah's wedding was... what can I say? A great occasion. Friday turned out to be a gorgeous day, despite previous forecasts calling for clouds and rain... which worked out for the best, since the sunshine perfectly complimented the Tiffany blue and hot pink color palette--a stunning combination! Although I had my camera with me throughout the rehearsal and wedding day, I never once got it out, choosing instead to just enjoy the moment. Luckily many of the other people around didn't make that same choice, so hopefully I'll be able to collect pictures soon from my Aunt Donna, Jamie, Steph, etc. In the meantime, Jeff (of jlbwedding.com) sent over some teaser photos yesterday morning that I thought I'd share. Jeff did a fantastic job, and I heard raving compliments about him throughout the day. It made me feel great that 1) the recommendation worked out, and 2) we had a friend with a vested personal interest, aside from the obvious professional one, there to capture the day. Anyway, without further delay, a few of Jeff's teasers...

I have a feeling that even when we've seen all 800+ images, this will remain one of my favorites:

It's hard to go to a wedding, or especially stand in one, and not remember those vows we made four years ago. I anticipate feeling that way throughout my life, getting to relive the commitment over and over again as I watch each new couple make it for the first time. When it's someone in your family, I think it becomes even more significant, because there's a sense of gaining someone new to love and cherish as a part of the bigger whole--almost like we're all involved in the commitment. Tarah has been a part of our family for a long time now, but knowing she's finally locked in, so to speak, is pretty special! I told Keith years ago that he better not mess this one up, because Tarah was such a keeper... and I'm so grateful that he never did. :)

Now they're off on an adventurous Californian honeymoon, and we of course wish them all the best as they begin a beautiful life together. Good weekend!

Gardening

Well... I know it's been a very long time since we (meaning I) have posted. I can never pinpoint where the time goes. We keep busy, that is for sure... it's the only explanation for how three weeks can just pass right by.  We've done lots of yard work, enjoyed Memorial Day weekend with friends, family, and of course plenty of food, said good-bye for the summer to our friends at City Mission, gone to a couple of Tigers games, made preparations for Keith and Tarah's wedding (next Friday!), and even spent some time relaxing in the sun. Not a bad way to spend three weeks!

I wish I'd taken some pictures after the storms last weekend. Our yard was a mess! A couple of huge limbs came down, and our patio furniture blew over all in one piece (umbrella, stand, and table) and landed on the lawn. The power was out from Sunday afternoon until Monday morning, and even now isn't back to 100%... the lights, vent fan in the bathroom, air conditioning, and garbage disposal all seem to be running at half-mast. But I'm definitely thankful for the power we do have! Although truthfully, Sunday night was kind of nice with candles everywhere, reading in complete peace and quiet and eating all the ice cream before it could melt. If only we hadn't been so worried about the food in the freezer and the sump pump working, I think we could've (temporarily) gotten used to the Amish lifestyle. :)

To get to the title of this post... the garden... along with all our yardwork Memorial Day weekend, we planted a vegetable garden for the first time. Justin ripped out the area behind our garage and built it up with railroad ties to create a nice little box. We also replaced the rotting railroad ties around the flowerbed behind the deck and put down a new layer of cocoa mulch everywhere (which unfortunately has now been completely covered by helicopters... I do NOT remember having this problem last year, and it's awfully frusterating!). Here are a couple of pictures: 

This is the day we put everything down and planted the seeds. From left to right, tomatillos, cucumbers, squash, banana peppers, pea pods, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn... pretty ambitious, but why not? And while I'm thinking about it, if you want to know a fun fact about me... tomatoes are my #1 favorite food, especially the cherry/grape varieties. :)

And this picture was taken today, just 17 days later! I already had to go in and thin out the plants.

Justin got home while I was out taking pictures. He's on his fourth week of riding his bike to work... pretty impressive. He was standing on the deck and I told him to be still so I could take a picture of all my favorite things... haha... 

And just for fun, a couple pictures from the Tigers game on Friday. The sky was gorgeous!

That's about all I've got for now. Hope everyone is well!