Something different than house stuff!

Well, here is something a little different than house stuff! (i promise to actual update on other things in our lives sometime, but right now, i'm kinda ready to go to bed, so i'll just post these photos!)

I have FINALLY finished our WEDDING ALBUM.... can you believe it?
Here is the the final product! (i think.. as long as matt approves it!)

1 Year of Wedded-Blessings

Today is our
1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
I can't believe that one year ago today,
I married my very best friend. He is the most amazing man...
the man that was truly meant for me in every possible way.
I love you honey and I am excited for the many
more years that God blesses us with together!
MUAH!
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To my husband.... Matthew Dale Hoekstra
Thank you...

For loving me....

For making me laugh...

For comforting me and encouraging me....

For being goofy with me....

For sharing your emotions and feeling with me...

For kissing me....
(even when you really don't want to because you've already kissed me 10 times 2 minutes ago! haha!)

and most importantly,
for being the wonderful God-fearing man
that God has created you to be.

I love you with all of my heart honey! Now, forever and always!!
You are my best friend, my love, my life!
MUAH!
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What a BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING day that was!
It was perfect in every possible way.

Pluggin' Along....

I'm pluggin' along..... only the ceremony pages & a dancing/tosses page! =) YEAH!

Album Pages

Here are some album pages that are SET IN STONE and I'm actually in love with them...... the other ones are well, coming along slowly.... i have client wedding photos to work on... so that's kinda getting in the way of getting these done... but that's ok, maybe it's better I take my time on 'em! =) ENJOY!

Finally Getting Around to Our Wedding Album

UPDATE: I deleted all the previous pages but one b/c I have changed them a little bit. But once they get more concrete and finished, I will share 'em with you!
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Well, last night, something just got into me..... I have been wanting to start Matt & I's wedding album for awhile now, but just never had the creative juices flowing enough to get going on it. So, yesterday, i sat down, looked at some inspiration (other designs and such that I like) and just went to town sketching out some designs. Not really thinking I was going to start designing 'em.... I went on my computer to check my email and next thing you now... I'm on a roll!!!! 2 hours later at 12:30am.... I have these 4 pages designed. They aren't all totally done. I've printed 'em out and have been "pondering" over them today at work, figuring out what I could change and what I love.

All the Girls getting Ready at My Parents' house! So much fun!

I have sketched probably about 4 more pages here at work today.... yes, bored. again. But this is keeping me busy!! YEAH!!!!! So, I'm hoping that tonight after I get everything set in place for the wedding I'm shooting tomorrow, that I can start on the new pages and fix these couple of pages up!!!!!!

I will say. I am NOW REALIZING HOW HARD it is/was for my brides to pick out photos for their wedding album. Plus, then to have someone else decide what all should be larger/smaller/more accented, etc instead of you. I have myself (and sometimes Matt) to figure out all this. It's great, but it's hard. I never thought it would be this hard. I just want to include all the photos!!! My photographers did an amazing job!!!!!!!

More to come tonight maybe?? Or this weekend? I'm really excited about it... so hopefully I can get this done quick... b/c once I start something and I'm on a roll... I just keep going! =) (Even if it means staying up really late!!!)

Wedding Video

HEY EVERYONE!!!!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the new year! Great news! We got our wedding video back from our videographer! Thanks to Mike Neerhof (friend from college) we have a WONDERFUL wedding video! He did a wonderful job and we are very happy with how it turned out!!!! Mike also has one of these BLOGSPOT pages, so he has posted a couple of the sections from the wedding on his page! Check out:

http://mikeneerhof.blogspot.com/

Besides that, this weekend has been calm and relaxing.... quite enjoyable! Some sort of a calm before the storm of a busy upcoming week! Painting the living room and hallway, shooting a wedding on Saturday and Matt being out of town 1/2 of the week again in Rockford!

A New Beginning - 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

EVERYONE!

We hope everyone had a safe & good New Years Eve night.

  

I can't believe that 2008 is gone and it's already 2009.  2008 was a great year for us (I'm assuming Matt feels the same way! haha).  We had the greatest day of our lives when we got married and we were able to go on a AMAZING honeymoon to Hawaii and plus many more things! And we just pray that 2009 will be just as exciting, hopefully with many more happy moments! Only the Lord knows what the new year will bring and we just pray that His will be done in our lives and that we will honor and glorify Him in all that we do!

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This past week & weekend have been very busy for us.  For New Years Eve we went to my cousin Katie's reception in Lansing.  It was a nice night and good to see all the family again!  Here are a couple photos from our evening:

About 10:30 we left the reception, we both were pretty tired and I had been/still am fighting a cold, so that just kind of drained me. But what GREAT FOOD! (I definitely want to go back to Benchwarmers to try out their menu food!) And surprise, surprise, Matt was sleeping before midnight even came around.  We got home about 11:15 and he was out by 11:32.....  so, I woke it him up to kiss him at 12:03 and I was sleeping by 12:10ish!  What a fun & memorable way to celebrate our first NEW YEARS together! Haha..... =) 

Then on Thursday we watched the Blackhawks Winter 

Classic game of course!!  Nicholas and Rachele came over to watch it with us.  It was great to watch, but sucks that the Hawks lost though.  Then in the evening we got to watch our nephew Ian for a little while while Rich and Amy went out for their anniversary! (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GUYS!!) It was great to play with Ian.  He truly is a smart kid and loves to be with his uncle Matt!  We played the game MEMORY, which I absolutely LOVE. I'm so glad we gave that to him for Christmas.  It is a game I actually like to play!   

Then Friday just continued the joy of playing kid games and also added crafts to that!  Friday, we had Cassidy & Madison come and sleep over.  We did crafts, ones that I had given to them for Christmas (Messenger Bag & Stickers) and they also decorated picture frames for not only themselves, but also Mikayla & Lydia!!!  It was the first time we had any nieces or nephews sleep over.  I will say, I was a little nervous (partly had to do with cassidy having a cold and coughing)..... but it was all good... I slept most of the night (due to the fact of not only being nervous, but also, I was coughing myself!)!

Saturday was busy too!  Keith and Trish came to pick up the girls in the morning and were able to see our house for the first time!!!!  But then later on in the afternoon, we did a lot of errands before we met Brett & Amanda for dinner! =)   We went to Sams Club first, which I still think this is funny...... as we were pulling out of Sams Club.... Matt turns to me..... and said something along the lines of "it never ceases to amaze me, we can go into Sams with a list of 4 things we need to get, but we end up coming out of there spending almost $200".... and that is SOOOOO TRUE!!  It's hard to keep a ONE TRACKED MIND in Sams Club!!!  Haha..... but we also bought paint for the living room so that when Matt is out of town next week, my mom and I are able to paint that room and check that off the list of things to decorate! haha!

Sunday we had the pleasure of going over to Nathan and Leah's house for lunch!  It is always a good time when we go over there!  Nathan and Leah together are just a very hospitable couple and their girls are just so cute and loving!  I just love playing with them (and they do love to play with me it seems!).  Then that evening Matt left for Rockford for the week.  I'll miss him, but it seems like I'm staying busy enough to not get caught up in that he is gone!!!!  And the next week, he will be gone too, so hopefully painting and other things will keep me busy next week too!

As for wedding photos... if there are any of you that know that you took a photo in the photobooth and would like to have a digital file of it... just email me.  I have a CD of all the photos and can just email 'em to you!