Hubby's 31st

Yesterday was my husband's first birthday with a wife.  We had such a great day celebrating the birthday of the most wonderful man in the world!

I made him breakfast in bed (sausage, cheese and biscuit sandwiches).

I surprised him at his school at lunch and brought him passion tea and cake ball suckers.  (Below he is coming through the door of his classroom when I was waiting for him... he's also on the phone with my parents who called to wish him a Happy Birthday).

He opened presents after school and had fun gifts from my parents, his parents, his siblings and his wife (That's ME!)

What a spread!

 

This was a HUGE box from his parents... notice the Christmas wrapping.  It was all I could find.  :-(

A double gun case from his parents!  Thanks, Mom and Dad... now our guns can snuggle (yes, I now have my own gun... more on that later).

 For my present... I gave him things from his closet -- like his Michigan hat...

Sunscreen and hand sanitizer...

Then I told him, he would need all these things for his birthday present...

 

We're going on a Zip Line tour sometime this fall up in Wolcott!

I make German Chocolate Cupcakes with icing inside...

And on top... I'm not ready for cupcake wars or anything, but I had a happy hubby at the end of the night, so that's all I care about.

And a two layer German Chocolate cake because we only have one muffin tin...

Happy Birthday, Hubby!  I love you, like CRAZY!

 

Lexi always joins in the celebration...

 

Happy Birthday, Dad!  I love the paper!

Dream Wedding: The Race

What did you do the morning of your wedding?

Or, what do you plan to do the morning of your wedding?

Chris and I ran a 5K race with about a dozen family and friends.
I wore my sister's wedding veil (from the 80s) and a BRIDE shirt and Chris wearing a GROOM hat and a Tuxedo shirt.

I don't think we're weird.  I think we're awesome!

This is a race my family has done for many years.  My parents used to run The Muskegon Seaway Run before I was born... then came the years when they would leave me with baby-sitters to run it.  Later, they took me along to the race and found a friend who was a spectator (they did not arrange this beforehand... they just knew that they would know someone in the crowd) and they left me with the friend to cheer while they ran the race.  Soon after came the years when I ran the race with them -- whether I wanted to or not.  :-D

Neither my parents nor I had run the race in over 10 years (and my Dad is getting up there in age given that his 79th birthday is this fall) but when we realized that Chris and my wedding was the same day as the Seaway Run, there was little discussion before Chris and I knew we wanted to run.  Soon after making this announcement, my parents said they'd "come out of retirement" and be running it as well!

Chris and I wanted to do something together on our wedding day before the wedding without seeing each other in the dress and tux until we met a the alter.  We wanted a fun activity for our friends and family to participate in if they wanted, and something we could do together that was COMPLETELY unrelated to the wedding before we commenced with real wedding day activities.  This 5K race was just the ticket.

A total of 11 wedding party and family members ran the race and about that many cheered for us from the sidelines as well.  The group made signs ("Race to the Alter" "Sanden Miller Team 2011") and it was a perfect way to start the wedding day.

Chris and I ran together, and I must say, it felt like torture at the time... I usually run quite a bit faster than Chris does, but I knew it was important for us to complete the race together.  Chris is not a natural runner and the only reason he was running the race was because I asked him to do so.

The night before at the rehearsal dinner, I remember that my maid of honor prayed that, "Throughout the wedding day, time would just stand still for Brooke so she can completely enjoy and revel in this joyful day."  I was laughing over those words as I REALLY felt like time was standing still as Chris and I were running SO SLOWLY!

After the race, as I drove home with girls for a fast shower before pedicures, hair and makeup, I realized that the 45 minutes I spent running with Chris was the most time we had spent just the two of us in weeks.  Those 3.1 miles we spent running together on our wedding day are some of my most precious memories from the wedding day.

Throughout the race, there were people cheering along the race course.  Our minister, Rev. Tim rode his bicycle and met us to cheer us on at a couple of corners.  One group of people started saying "Cling, cling, cling, cling, cling" as though they were clinking glasses for us to stop and kiss.  Someone yelled, "Save your energy for tonight!"  Many asked, "Is the wedding really today?" to which we'd reply, "Sure is!  4:30! It can't start without us!"  We also saw a number of local wedding guests either cheering along the course or running the race themselves.  We felt like celebrities!

 As we neared the finish line, our best man and maid of honor came out from the fans with signs that read "Here Comes The Bride" and "There Goes The Groom" and held them over our heads as we ran the last 1/10th of a mile and across the finish line.  Our cheering section was going CRAZY as we finished the race -- which encouraged the rest of the crowd to join in as well.

I have NEVER heard such loud cheering in my life as we heard as Chris and I finished the race.  There had been an article in the local paper about our running the race, we had the signs over our heads, I was in a veil and BRIDE shirt, Chris was in a GROOM hat and tuxedo shirt, we were holding hands as we approached and crossed the finish line... and the crowd was going NUTS!

I had to explain to Chris that such insane cheering does not always happen when you cross the finish line of a race.  Best way to start our wedding day EVER!

Saying Hey!

August 25th!

It is crazy for me to think that just two months ago I became Chris' wife.  It feels like no time at all and it feels like much more time.

To celebrate tonight, Chris has an open house for his students at school, and then I'll be making him a special dinner.  Special, because its one of his favorite meals and special because I have never made it before.  Okay, let's be honest here... this could be a recipe for disaster!

I haven't told Chris what I'm making, but I will be drawing inspiration from The Pioneer Woman and her cookbook.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Also, I just wanted you to feel free to say "Hey" when you read my blog posts.  I have a fun little blog counter at the bottom, so I know people have found our new URL and they're stopping by (quite a few of you are)... Feel free to say "Hey", leave a comment, or become a follower.  :-D

Vocabulary Adjustments -- My Husband

What phrases in your life have taken some getting used to?

• I never had to adjust to saying "my brother" or "my sister", as I was the youngest...
• My parents both stayed together throughout my life (Praise God, and Great Job, Momma and Daddy!), so I never had to adjust to saying "My step-dad", or "My parents are divorced."
• I remember, when a young man asked to be my very first boyfriend in high school, it was a BIG adjustment for me to call someone my "boyfriend" and to think of myself as his "girlfriend" (oh, memories...)
• Probably the biggest adjustment to my vocabulary was when I got my cat, Lexie, and it was a new thing for me to refer to my kitten, and then to remember her name... I would say "Lexie" unnecessarily because it was such an adjustment for me to be talking to a kitten in my small studio apartment in grad school and I was trying to get used to it...

Getting used to saying the words, "My Husband" and "Brooke Miller" has been the greatest and biggest and BEST adjustment of my life!  I am used to it... in that I don't accidentally call Chris my fiance' anymore (like I accidentally did a few times on our honeymoon)... but I notice "husband" every time I say it.  Just like I notice every time I introduce myself as Brooke Miller.  

Chris still isn't even used to my new name.  The other day he was trying to get me to say that I prefer a cold house to a hot house, and he said, "Repeat after me.  'I, Brooke Sanden,'" ... it took a little while for both of us to realize that he didn't actually say my correct name during that vow.

Just like with my kitten, I say "Hubby" and "Husband" more often than necessary because it is just such a GREAT change!  I call Chris, "Hubby" as often as I call him, "Chris", and I greatly enjoy saying, "My husband" in a conversation more than, "Chris".  :-D

I wonder if becoming a parent and gaining the title of "Mom" will be as big of a vocabulary adjustment as it has been becoming "Wife"?

How do you handle adjustments in life?

Wedding Events: Friday Rehearsal Dinner

Our rehearsal dinner was a wonderful event!

The dinner was hosted by Chris' parents at my parents' home.  It was such an opportunity for our parents (ALL of our parents -- all four) to work together on this event.  Chris' parents did everything, but it was at my parents' home, so there was some great bonding time in the preparation and clean-up!  :-D

 

It was a beautiful evening and a great chance to visit with friends that had traveled hundreds and, in some cases, over one thousand miles to celebrate our wedding.

 We invited more people than just the wedding party because so many people traveled from far and wide.  All in all, we had about 75 friends and family.

 My dad's good friend from college, Dr. Harry Lawrence, came all the way from Lookout Mountain, Georgia to attend our wedding with his daughter Brooke (after whom I was named -- not in the picture).

Dr. Lawrence is an ophthalmologist and an Episcopalian minister and his family had been very good friends of my dad's for over 50 years.  Dr. Lawrence offered a beautiful prayer over our rehearsal dinner.  He is the one reading his prayer and my parents are next to him.

 

 My parents' property was the perfect place!

 These are most of my college friends in town for the rehearsal dinner.  Most are involved in the wedding, and ALL traveled FAR and WIDE to attend our wedding.  We have TREMENDOUS pride in our school and a very close bond as alumni.  We are from Washington and Lee University!

 

 A view under the tent

 The food was catered by Carinos' and was delicious (light on the garlic) :-D

 

My Aunt and Uncle gave Chris and me a rehearsal dinner present -- A Guide to American Ballparks.  Chris and I spent last summer visiting 18 ballparks, and we plan to make it to all 30 in the next few years.

 Chris gave a toast at the wedding and so I gave a toast at the rehearsal dinner.  I remember two things about our first date:

1. I admired his truck and he said that he was really planning for a family when he opted for the four doors.  His truck will be great for car seats, he said.
2. When he prayed over our dinner he said, "Lord, we give you all the praise for what you're going to do here."  I remember thinking, "What's He going to do?  Do you know something I don't?  What's God going to do here?"

I relayed there memories and talked about how Chris' prayer really set the tone for our relationship.  I also accidentally made a comment about our tying the noose, and immediately caught my slip and said, "I mean knot.  We're tying the knot!"  It was pretty funny.

 

 My two nephews were in our wedding as "Flag Bearers".  Here I am with the two boys while they are opening the presents Chris and I got them for their participation.  My brother (their dad) is also in the picture.

  

This is the daughter of one of my bridesmaids and just the most adorable little girl on the planet.  I don't have any kiddos yet, so I can really honestly make this statement about little Remington Lee.

 

After the rehearsal dinner was one of my favorite memories from the wedding weekend.  All of the young people (W&L friends, wedding party, out of town friends) came in my parents' house and just hung out for another hour or more.  Chris and I were both exhausted, so Chris went back to the hotel but I had some precious memories with friends after the rehearsal dinner.

There was only a few pictures taken of this hangout time... like nearly none, but in the above picture, Chris and I are facing a family room FULL of young people.  People were all over the couch, in every chair, on the floor and just hanging out.

I changed into more comfortable clothes and was fighting a headache.  A DEAR DEAR friend, Leah, rubbed my shoulders and pet my hair while I was visiting with friends which just felt amazing.  When I thanked her as she was leaving, she gave me a hug and said, "I was so hoping I would be able to do that for you tonight."  What an amazing friend and such a loving heart!"

We didn't linger late into the night because we had a big day the next day -- including an early morning running race.  Before we parted ways, however, we prayed as a group (popcorn prayer for anyone who wanted to speak).  I can't even express what a meaningful time this was to pray with this group of friends, some of whom knew each other, some of whom hardly knew anyone other than me, but completely united in prayer.

I don't remember all that was said, but I remember how touched I was that Chris' brother (our best man, and now my brother) prayed out loud.  It was very meaningful to hear his heart on this eve of his brother's wedding.  My amazing maid of honor prayed, along with several friends I hadn't seen in years. 

Also, my dear friend, Obinna closed us in prayer and I remember some of his words.  Obinna prayed about the symbolism that Chris and I were running a race together the morning of our wedding and that we would, in fact, be running the race of life together.  He said that the Lord calls us to the race he sets before us and that ours will be united for the rest of our lives.

Thanks for sharing in our wedding joy through the pictures and my memories.

Wedding Events: Friday Rehearsal

Friday afternoon (June 24, 2011) was Chris and my rehearsal, which also marked the first event where ALL of our family and bridal party members got together.

I must confess, when I first greeted ALL of the people there -- ALL of these people, most of whom didn't know each other, but knew Chris or me from a number of different phases of our lives.  All of them in one place was a little overwhelming -- and even more overwhelming was the idea that we were all going to somehow become in any way organized to rehearse ANYTHING, let alone Chris and my wedding.

 

Just a few of the MANY people waiting for instructions...

 

Fortunately, ours was not the first wedding rehearsal that our minister and the church's wedding coordinator had organized -- although the wedding coordinator did tell my mom that ours was the most smoothly run and organized wedding she had ever helped coordinate.  This was largely due to our amazing friends who stood up with us in the wedding, our WONDERFUL ushers who kept track of all they were supposed to do, our fabulous musicians (friends of mine) who are incredibly professional in all that they do, and my Sanden family need to think through every detail prior to an actual event.  All things came together for a productive rehearsal and PERFECT wedding.  :-D

Here are some pictures of our wedding rehearsal... I've tried like 9 times to put them in order, but they want to be in a random order today, so enjoy a mirage of pictures from the wedding rehearsal:
Look at these handsome men!

 

 Our AWESOME ushers!

  

My cute nephews were the "Flag Bearers"

 

 Chris sat his mom and and my mom... here he is walking his mom down the isle.

 

My dad and me coming down the isle...

 After my dad gives me away

 

Chris walking my mom down the isle

 

Only my dad walking me down the isle, but after the congregation is seated, my mom came forward so that both she and my dad stood beside me to "Give me away"... here we are hugging before she and my dad return to their seats.

Introducing our friends and family to everyone

 

I was fortunate enough to have 5 bridal shower with different friends and family across the country... those provided enough ribbon bouquets for all the gals to carry a practice bouquet.

 

Listening to Rev Tim's instructions

 

 My old roommate (until this past May), Maggie, read our old and new testament scriptures.

 My good friend, Leah was a terrific baby-sitter for baby Remington during the wedding events so Remy's mom, Meghan could be bridesmaid extraordinaire!

  My first harp teacher, Mary Wagner, provided our amazing prelude, processional, recessional and postlude music.

 

Our friends, Abbie (pianist), Julian (singer) and Lisa (singer) provided AMAZING special music for our wedding.  Here Julian and Lisa are singing "The Prayer" by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church.  Abbie is my good friend from childhood, Julian and I were both music majors at Washington and Lee University and Lisa and I were roommates at W&L.  The music these friends provided were my favorite parts of the ceremony (other than becoming Chris' wife)...

 Practicing communion, which was our first act as husband and wife

 

 Beautiful music creates tears...

 

 Three of our four ushers.  Check out these good-looking guys, Nick (Chris' brother), Jon (Chris' friend) and Daniel (Chris' brother-in-law)

 

 This sand was used in our ceremony and these amazing friends were my sand girls -- they prepared the sand, manned the tables and were the beautiful, friendly faces welcoming our guests.

  

 Chris and I faced the congregation for as much of the ceremony as possible

  

 Getting choked up with the music

  

 Our friends Lisa and Abbie perform "How Beautiful" by Twila Paris

 

Someone took a picture of the EXIT sign, which I think is pretty funny.  Next stop: rehearsal dinner!