Thirteen Wedding Moments Caught on Film

I just got the proofs back from my wedding photographer today. They are in a low resolution format, so they aren't going to be as crisp as the "final copies" will be, but I can't wait to show them to you. So here are thirteen (okay, maybe a few more than that) of my faves. My photographer sent me 900 proofs, and I picked out my favorite 200 and put them here if you'd like to see a more complete selection.

In the bride's room at the church getting ready:

Just before the ceremony with my Dad:

During the ceremony taking our vows:

The lighting of the unity candle:

You may now kiss the bride!:

Our family and the wedding party:

Our first dance:

Dancing with my Dad to "Coca-Cola Cowboy":

Telling my Dad and sister that I boo-hoo'd my way down the aisle!:

My mother-in-law greeting the new Mrs.:

Oh, that yummy chocolate wedding cake!:

Whenever I dreamed about my wedding, I always hoped to have a live band play at my reception because I love dancing. So does Hubs. So did a whole lot of people who came to celebrate with us! We had so much fun on the dance floor!:

Because my sister and I LOVE the opportunity to belt out a good song, we couldn't resist the opportunity to sing with the band. It was like karaoke, only live and with a room full of adoring fans! I sang my favorite song, "Son of a Preacher Man":

Then Jilly rocked the house with "I Will Survive":

The band had an absolutely fierce lead singer who brought down the house with the last number...Proud Mary! She called me and some friends up front to "perform" with her. I'm shy, so that was real hard for me. ;)

Leaving for our honeymoon:

Driving from the reception to our hotel that night was so much fun. We could hear the aluminum cans clanking behind us, and cars kept passing us and honking at us to say "congratulations!". We were like, "Oh, wow! We're the ones in the getaway car with 'Just Married' written on the back...this is so awesome!"

Sweet Thirteen

Thirteen Things that are Sweet to Me

1. No Sugar Added Fudgesicles. Mmmmmmmmmmm.
2. Doing that hand clapping thing with my friends as a little girl to a cadenced song. You remember..."Bo-bo-skee-wotten-totten."
3. Soft kisses.
4. Confidences shared and confidences kept.
5. Self respect.
6. Praying together.
7. Lullabies. Especially made up ones.
8. Freshly fallen snow.
9. Innocent questions.
10. Cotton candy
11. Little ones' hands and feet.
12. Hearing the words "I love you."
13. Having someone to say them to.

Thirteen Things I Need to Accomplish While I'm Home

1. Find seamstress to do wedding dress alterations.

2. Pick out bridesmaids' dresses.*

3. Meet with the minister to discuss our wedding ceremony.

4. Pick out flowers.

5. And table linens for the reception.

6. And wedding cake and groom's cake.

7. Figure out place for a rehearsal dinner.*

8. Have fun running around like crazy ladies with my mom and sister!*

9. Take flower girl to pick out her dress.

10. Meet with leader of the band playing at our reception to discuss music.

11. Weigh myself each morning so that I feel like the South Beach Diet is worth it. (So far, so good).

12. Have my bridal portraits done.

13. Remember that when it's all said and done, I will be married to eSuitor. **

* Denotes that task is already accomplished.

** My mom and I like to tell ourselves this when things start getting a little stressful. It is a gentle reminder that while the wedding details are fun and important, the wedding isn't nearly as important as the marriage that will begin that day.

Thirteen Shakespearean Quotes

Shakespeare on...

Life

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages."
--From As You Like It

Love

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet."
--From Romeo and Juliet

Pursuing a Woman

O, mistress mine, where are you roaming?

O, stay and hear; your true love's coming,

That can sing both high and low:

Trip no further, pretty sweeting;

Journeys end in lovers meeting,

Every wise man's son doth know.
What is love? 'tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure.

In delay there lies no plenty;

Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty;

Youth's a stuff will not endure.
--From Twelfth Night

Analyzing Love Letters

"Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ:

'Poor forlorn Proteus, passionate Proteus,
To the sweet Julia':--that I'll tear away;

And yet I will not, sith so prettily

He couples it to his complaining names:

Thus will I fold them one upon another:

Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.
--The Two Gentlemen of Verona (I, ii, 23-24)

True Love

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,

and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind".

--A Midsummer Night's Dream

Greatness

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great,

some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them".
--Twelfth Night

Hope

"The miserable have no other medicine but only hope".

--Measure for Measure

Word-Play

"I cannot tell what the dickens his name is".

--The Merry Wives of Windsor

Evil

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose".

--The Merchant of Venice

Anti-Semitism

"I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?"

--From The Merchant of Venice

Inspiration and Imagination

"O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend

The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act,

And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,

Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,

Leash'd in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire

Crouch for employment."

--Henry V, Prologue

Love that Lasts

Love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! it is an ever-fixed mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken

--Sonnet 116

God

"God shall be my hope, my stay, my guide, and lantern to my feet"

--Henry VI, Act ii, Sc.3

Thirteen Things I Remember About Living in NYC

1. Living in an apartment that was actually a room the size of a shoebox.

2. Feeling a little smug that I lived on Gramercy Park even though my apartment was actually a room the size of a shoebox.

3. Coming alive in acting school at The Neighborhood Playhouse.

4. My lunches at Tal Bagel, an authentic Israeli-run bagel store, where the employees spoke Hebrew to one another. My favorite meal was an everything bagel with lentil soup. Mmmm. Perfect on a cold winter's day.

5. Being in excellent shape from all of the walking I did, along with ballet and a modern dance/yoga combo class I was in.

6. Going dancing at LIFE and meeting a soap star who was on Another World. He was really nice in person!

7. Incredible friendships made with women from all over the world!

8. Standing atop the Empire State Building on the 4th of July as my Jewish friend, Jordan, told me what the true meaning of the Yiddish word "schmuck" was. There was a group of adolescent Orthodox Jewish boys standing around us snickering, thinking he was one funny guy. I also learned the words "schmendrick" and "shmeggege" that night--both having similar meanings.

9. Being told "You're very friendly...that frightens me" by a very grumpy woman in an elevator.

10. Admiring Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" at the MoMA.

11. Rollerblading in Central Park, in Union Square, and on the Hudson River Boardwalk.

12. Singing showtunes at the top of my lungs as subways would roll into the station. They were so loud that no one could hear me over their rumble. It was my way of having a personal moment in public. Kinda fun!

13. Being very aware that I was living my dreams and feeling grateful for it!

Thirteen Life Experiences I'll Never Forget

1.) Waking up in San Antonio, Texas to thirteen inches of freshly fallen snow. And playing and playing and playing in it! We had heard the night before that there was a chance for snow. I was afraid to peek out my curtains when I woke up for fear of disappointment. I was definitely not disappointed! When we'd come in to warm up, our parents didn't let us stay in for too long because they knew that the snow wouldn't last long. It was an awesome couple of days of snow play!

2.) Realizing in fifth grade that I loved acting. I remember auditioning in front of my class and feeling like I had come alive!

3.) My first year living in New York City.

4.) Going to Moscow when I was sixteen.

5.) Meeting Jesus at summer camp.

6.) Having lunch with my Mom, Dad, and sister last year--the first time the four of us were together as a family in thirteen years. It was the most wonderful gift my (divorced) parents could have given me.

7.) Going hunting with my Dad when I was a little girl and listening to "I'm Just a Coca-Cola Cowboy" on the radio together.

8.) Feeling awkward in my college sorority.

9.) Vivid dreams when I was a child that I could fly, and not quite understanding why I couldn't when I woke up.

10.) Special time spent with my mom and John when they came to visit me in Spain. We knew that John was sick with cancer, so it made our time together so full of meaning. I remember crying in his lap and telling him, "I don't want you to die." He was so strong and at peace.

11.) My sister's and my Christmas ritual: sleep in same room, tell each other as we're drifting to sleep that we're pretty sure we heard reindeer on the roof, wake up and check out loot, open stockings together on mom's bed, cinnamon rolls with orange frosting and mimosas, open presents in front of the fire to Perry Como tunes. 'Tis the season!

12.) Being a part of the "triumphant trio". My mom, my sister and me. We have been through so much together. They are my family, my dearest friends and my confidants. I am so blessed to be so close with them. We are a part of each other, and I love that!

13.) Falling in love with eSuitor. Who knew that the simple click of a mouse would be the beginning of such a wonderful relationship?! Of course, it didn't hurt that he had this picture on his profile. When I saw those pecs, I just couldn't resist. Good move, baby! Grrrrr.

Thirteen Things for which I'm Thankful

Inspiration.

My cell phone.

Snowball.

Blogging.

Ad.

Home.

A lifetime of memories.

Dreams.

My mother's unconditional love.

My sister's friendship.

My father's generosity.

My boyfriend's heart that is always open to me.

Jesus. Your Life in me allows and empowers me to be my true self.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Reasons Why Anne is One of My Bes Frennies!

Almost four years ago, Anne and I became friends. We worked together in Spain, and we hit it off from the get-go.

1.) She is the funniest person I know. The other day I got an e-mail from her bemoaning the fact that I wasn’t there when she made a joke before a roomful of people who didn’t laugh. She knew I would have laughed. And she was right.

2.) The great thing is, I am the funniest person that Anne knows. Not everyone thinks I’m funny. But there is something about being with Anne. She just gets my sense of humor. I guess we bring out the funny in each other.

3.) Anne taught me the “pretty feet” pose, seen in this picture (Mom, me, Anne left to right).

Anne and her sister started doing the pretty feet pose after they saw Morgan Fairchild doing this pose while shaving her legs in a movie. They just thought it was hilarious that M.F. was in the tub shaving with perfectly pointed toes. Is that funny to you too? I’m snickering just thinking about it! Anne lives all the way across the country, but every time we see each other, we invent new pretty feet poses.

4.) Anne always travels with a headlight—you know a flashlight that you wear on your head—just in case she needs it. Usually it comes in handy for doing hand puppet shows. She’s a very handy lady!

5.) Whed we’re id a silly mood, we like to talk like we have colds. That’s why she likes to comment on my blog as “Ad”, because when Anne has a cold, it’s pronounced “Ad”.

6.) We were each other’s English speaking friend in Spain, so that really helps forge a friendship.

7.) We have an annual birthday tradition. Both of us were born in the same month of the same year, so we try to meet somewhere for our b-days every year. It’s a very fun tradition, and one that I hope we can continue!

8.) She’s a smarty!

9.) We talk to each other in Dr. Evil voices. It’s truuuue. We dooooo.

10.) When in need of a good cry, I can call her.

11.) When in need of a good laugh, I can call her.

12.) When I need someone to pray for me, Annie always does.

13.) Her hair has a great personality, too!

Love you, Annie! Thaggs for beig by bes fred.

Thursday Thirteen: My First Thirteen Months in Los Angeles

September 2005: Cross-country Road Trip: Mom, Sis and I drove half way across the US of A from Texas to California in my little Japanese commuter car. On that trip:

-we stopped along the way and had lunch with my Dad. It was the first time we had all been together (just the 4 of us) since I was 18. It was truly a powerful and awesome experience. There is nothing like family. Mom, Dad and Jilly: I love you all!

-Friends from Texas were calling us saying that Hurricane Rita was on its way and that lots of people were evacuating.

-A few days after arriving in LA, I had a fender-bender.

October 2005: My grandmother passed away. She lived to be 95 years old. In her own words, she was "a tough old bird".

November 2005: I had my first two acting gigs in LA!

December 2005: From almost day one in LA, I knew that I had the worst roommate situation since my freshman year in college. The clincher came in December when my roommate, who offered to drive me to the airport to fly home for Christmas pulled a no-show, and left me frantically scrambling to find a ride. Thank the Lord for taxi-cabs!

January 2006: I decided to do the online dating thing through eHarmony.

February 2006: Tensions with my roommate got so bad that I decided to move out. I found a new place, and coordinated the move all by myself. I really felt like a grown-up! (I now have a fabulous roommate, and we get along great!) I also started my blog in February, which has brought my a lot of joy!

March 2006: I met a fabulous guy--eSuitor!

April 2006: I felt like a I really lived in LA when my church held their Easter Sunday service at the Hollywood Bowl. First kiss with eSuitor was the day before Easter. I got to celebrate my first kiss with eSuitor and the resurrection of our Lord all in the same weekend! ;)

May 2006: My Dad found out that he had a very serious cancer--metastatic melanoma. My sister and I spent time with him as he was receiving his treatments. I had never seen my Dad suffer so much. He is such a strong fighter! He really is one of my heroes. I love you, Dad! (Follow-up note: Please keep praying for my Dad's healing and strength. He will begin an alternative treatment next week, and I know he would appreciate your prayers.)

June 2006: Falling in love!

July 2006: July 4th was an awesome day that began at the beach, continued at Dodger stadium for a game and fireworks, and ended with words that I won't forget!

August 2006: One of my goals when I moved to Los Angeles was to spend more time with my relatives in San Francisco. eSuitor and I had an awesome roadtrip and a fun weekend with family.

September 2006: September was a month full of familiar feelings--the sense that I had come full circle. Senses tend to bring me back in time. The smells of the season, the coolness in the air, music in my car all brought me back to this time a year ago. When everything was new. When I was teetering on the edge of a new adventure. When I felt scared of this new life and hopeful at the same time. Looking back one year later gives me a feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of "Phew! I made it!". A feeling of gratitude for all that God has done.

"But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." 1 Samuel 12:23

Thirteen What Ifs

What if...

-ice cream were good for you?
-money really did grow on trees?
-we didn't live in a fallen world?
-a kiss could make it all better?
-your wildest dream came true?
-your deep, dark secret were out in the open and it no longer held you by its chains?
-you said what is really on your mind?
-guilt went away?
-love was always there all along?
-you took a big risk?
-you said, "I love you"?
-fear weren't a factor?
-you were overflowing with hope?