Bye Provo.

While sitting in the SLC airport looking for kitchen chairs, sofas, and dressers on craigslist for our new apartment in Pittsburgh, I realized for the tenth time in the past few days that I'm not coming back here. I have a different emotional reaction each time I remember I'm leaving Provo indefinitely. Usually it's some form of excitement: I'm leaving my college town to move to PA with my husband and get a full time job! But the past couple days I've had really mixed emotions. I'm leaving a lot of people I hold very dear. I won't name you, both for fear of forgetting someone and of the length of the list, but you know who you are: freshman buddies, best friends, sisters, CK siblings. I just feel really blessed to have met and been friends with so many fantastic people who taught me so much. God really does work through other people.

Til next time, Provo.

PS: I still cry thinking about the three angels who stopped by my apartment last night at midnight and helped me clean

June 13-14, 2013.

We both arrived the day before. Exhausted from red eyes, excited to get married, thrilled to finally be in the same place, Brian and I got our marriage license from the Boston City Hall (with the kind help of Mark and Sarah and lil Jack, and their car) with only one hiccup ("Woodsbury"... *fist shake*). A three-hour bus ride home through some heavy traffic and rain, and we finally get to see our families and dinner at 1 High View Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Beyond the excitement that accompanies a huge and important life-changing event like getting married, I was excited to see my family. I really love my family. I think sometimes I get tired of being responsible for buying and making food, doing school work, keeping track of rent and utilities, cleaning the apartment, being nice to everyone. But at home, I just feel taken care of, even if it's just Mom, Dad, and Sam.

Of course, this weekend, there was quite a bit more family around. Jordan got work off (so happy about that!) and drove up with Lindsay and the boys and little EmmaMae, whom I got to meet for the first time. Corinne and sweet Dulce made it. Camille, Eric and the twinsies drove down from Freeport. And from Brian's side, we had Steven and Jill, Aaron, and Jim and Tamy (married the weekend before us!). I was really glad Caitlin was there too! With the bus getting in so late, my family had already eaten, but my dad and I showed the Swenson crew how to eat a lobster. Everyone got squirted with lobster water and grossed out by the "sand" tube, but who doesn't like lobster? Meanwhile, my dad was constantly and quietly serving, making sure the food gets to everybody and that dishes stay stocked and cups stay full.

Aaron's face says it all. Jill seems pretty excited though.

Jordo had grown up so much since I had last
seen him! No pants and watermelon, life doesn't
get much better.

We then gathered in the living room, so many people the room felt small. Brian and I had a small mountain of presents in the corner, so we opened them while we talked with everyone. We opened some really nice gifts; people are so thoughtful! My favorite was probably Pandemic from his dad... I'm obsessed with that game.

Probably our fourth serving tray. People are trying to tell us
to entertain/be more social

Pandemic is in my lap. Camille was the lucky one who got to sit next to the happy couple :)

Meanwhile, anyone who could think of a childhood story of me or Brian was quick to relate it. Caitlin told about the time we had a lemonade sale and we hadn't mixed it very well, so we were left with a bunch of sludge at the bottom; I didn't want to waste it, so we ate it! The stories made me laugh and blush and feel cared about and noticed. At the end of the evening, we handed out the boys' suspenders and ties, which of course they couldn't resist trying on.

A web of suspenders led to...

Some really hip guys. I love this picture.

The next day started off with some serious girly-ness: pedicures. I don't know why we didn't get any pictures! I went with Caitlin, Lindsay, and Camille, and it was so fun! We sat in these huge massage chairs and got our feet massaged and lotioned and done up all nice. And I just love being with my sisters and Caitlin. So kind.

I honestly don't remember what happened after that until Ellen came! She drove up from Boston with her mom and Lindy (so glad they could all come!). Ellen had been in Arizona for a few weeks by this point and it was really great to see her. She and Caitlin quickly got down to the business of making me look the part of a bride.

Jacob is in a daze over what girls do.

Ellen did a fantastic job on my hair!!

Caitlin did the final zip/button up. She was amazingly wonderful at doing whatever I needed: helping with makeup, holding my bouquet during formals, driving me and anyone else to the reception and home again, letting Brian and his groomsmen stay at her house, the list goes on and on. 

Ellen has been a huge blessing since day one. Besides being my friend unconditionally, she was particularly good at making me look beautiful for the wedding :) I really couldn't have done it without her (and her mom's and sister's makeup). I loved having her help with the formals by holding the lipstick and our phones and letting me use her veil. I just feel really confident when she's with me.

The photographer suggested we do a first look, which we felt a little awkward about, but I liked the pictures from it. And Brian loved my dress. Almost as much as I do.

taking a step back to get the full picture

Then we headed off to Fort Williams for the formals. This is probably when time started going really fast. Or maybe time sped up when I was walking towards Brian for the first look. All I know is that I knew I was in my wedding dress with my hair done and makeup on, but I'm not sure that it quite sank in til much later that I was finally getting married. It didn't feel real; it was the kind of feeling where it was too good to be true. Was I really in this beautiful dress kissing my fiance who was looking particularly dashing in his gray suit? And were we really getting photographed in front of the Portland Headlight, one of my favorite places in the entire world? Yes, yes we were.

I love how my hair looks in this one.

Kate kept telling us to engage, like just talk and act normal
with each other. I'm not sure how successful we were at it.

Check out the green inside of B's suit.

so happy!

I had anticipated being stressed out the day of the reception and wedding, but perhaps because I felt a little detached, I wasn't worried about a thing. We were running a little late to the reception for pictures before hand, but I think everything went really smoothly. I'm not sure how my parents felt about it all, and my bridesmaids were probably a little stressed, but everyone took good care of the bride. We took pictures with the family before the reception really started. I love all the greenery that made such beautiful, textured backgrounds.

We arrived in style, of course.

Brian getting credit-carded. If you don't know what that is, you don't want to know.

The sisters!

besties :) She's amazing.

all family

immediate family (Earnshaw boys need to learn to not wear suspenders plus belts...)

Veenstra (best man) and the bridesmaids. Fake laugh, can you tell?

Brian and his mom

me and my dad

me and my mom

I've talked about the difficulties of long-distance engagement while planning a wedding taking place in a different place, but it really wasn't that hard for me. I would tell my mom and dad some vague idea of what I thought might be nice, and they put it into action, renting tents, meeting with flower people, making vanilla, creating delicious food, and so much more. Brian and I cannot thank them enough. Thanks, Mom and Dad!!

Brian with his dad and Tamy (congrats to them, too!)

We finished off the photo session with a little walk through waist-high grass.
That was probably the most stressful part: tics.

Then the reception started! We were up in Gorham on Caitlin's family's land and it was 
beautiful.  The perfect temperature, no bugs until after dark, and amazing scenery. Oh, and 
the company and food were superb.

I had initially been concerned about being the center of attention (with Brian of course). I'm 
not one to really enjoy parties; people who know me know I'd rather be reading than 
socializing. But it was so natural and fun to talk to all the loved ones who came to see me and 
Brian on this big day! The only hard part was not being able to talk to everybody for long 
enough. Brian and I both like really being able to listen and talk one-on-one, which wasn't 
always possible at the reception. We felt really loved!

Before everyone came...

and after! I spy Ellen!

Guests were invited to write some advice on a vintage postcard
and take a bottle of vanilla (homemade by my mom, stickers designed
by Corinne).

Then they hung them up with mini-clothes pins!
There were some really nice/funny things people wrote to us :

Camille made this cake. Brian still talks about how amazing it was.
And I still can't believe how beautiful it turned out.

Grandma Conklin arranged all the centerpieces, which was so kind!
I had told my mom, "Yeah, maybe a burlap table runner and some big wax candles
and flowers and a picture of me and Brian?" Look how beautiful she made it look!

Can't go wrong with a chocolate fountain. And the man who was in charge of it was so helpful!
He helped us open the knife for cutting the cake and helped clean up after. All around, just really helpful.

Apparently cutting the cake was hard. It actually was,
I didn't want a huge piece because my mouth is too tiny!

Understandably, my mom wanted a picture with sparklers. We felt weird having a sparkler send off since we weren't
married yet, but we did try to get all the kids to circle us with sparklers! It was crazy and hilarious. You can see how
the kids felt about sparklers. Brian and I at first tried to direct kids and help light sparklers, but then we just stood
back and laughed.

My high school friends came!
These are some of my favorite people who I really wished I had gotten to talk to more!

The family that made it all possible. But really. The Pomeroys have been a second family to me since Caitlin and I 

have been friends, a.k.a., forever. I love being with them.

After a while of not sleeping and being really social, Brian and I were pretty tired (I think 

I was especially). We finally checked my phone in the back of Caitlin's big red truck that

had been our mode of transportation to formals and the reception, and we realized Brian's

friend Talmage was wandering around my neighborhood in the dark and fog! His flight 

had been really delayed (something about cockpit on fire), and he had to take a taxi to 

my house after flying into Portland. We drove sleepily home. Then Brian partied at

Caitlin's with Veenstra and Talmage, and Ellen and I went immediately to bed.